Today we’re going to look at Ardoyne Kickhams through the eyes of one of their great characters; Charlie Toner who joined the North Belfast club in 1964. He made his senior debut in 1968 at 16 years of age and quickly became a fixture in the North Belfast Senior League and Championship side. He then managed the team to its first all-county junior title at adult level (1985) since 1937. He was again there in management squads for 1989 (Intermediate) and 1993 (undefeated Junior and Div. 3 champions). He has encyclopaedic knowledge of the game and was a superb tactician.
Charlie Toner’s ‘Best 15’
“When I was first asked to pick this team I thought it would be an easy job but I was totally wrong. When I began to think about it I realised what an extraordinary bunch of guys Ardoyne Kickhams is made up off. I’m a big admirer of what this club has achieved and continues to achieve through often difficult times. Anyone who wears an Ardoyne Kickhams Jersey is a hero to me.
This is my best 15 pick and it wasn’t an easy job. I set the criteria to narrow my options and I decided on the following:
1-All players had to be Junior or Intermediate Championship winners.
2-That there had to be a longevity of service to the club.
That meant I had to overlook some great players like Tom McMullan, Tommy McAuley, Rossa Curran , Tommy Ferguson and arguably the best player of the 80s Seamus O’Hara. Unfortunately I also had to exclude medal winners like Gerard McFarlane, Gerry Byrne, Liam McLaughlin, Colin Campion, Sean McCormick, Brendan Tabb and Kevin McVeigh.
The Kickham’s team who were promoted to division 2 in 2019
My 15 are:
1- Pat Murphy- Super confident Pat was a great shot stopper and in one on one situations he usually came out on top. Great talker, always organising the defence. In many ways he was before his time, he would excel in today’s game.
2- Kevin McLaughlin- Strong, tenacious and great pace Kevin had all the skills and could have played anywhere across the defence. He was a good distributer of the ball as he broke forward.
3- Frank Clarke- Started life as a goalkeeper but developed into an excellent full back. Fast, great pair of hands, tight marker and could pick out a pass. When he broke forward he created bedlam among the opposition.
4- Gerard Frame- Was always a man you wouldn’t want to be marking you. Always tight to his marker. First to the ball 90% of the time and up and down the left wing as if he on was on Duracell batteries.
5- Brendan Mailey- Stylist player who tackled exceptionally hard but not afraid to burst forward and terrorise opposing defences. A total player’s player.
6- Alex Trainor- Born leader. Excellent when the chips where down. Great defender but never afraid to join the attack. Imposed himself on the opposition. A player other players naturally looked to.
7- Peter McNally- One of the quickest players I ever managed. Tremendous football brain, astute defender and effective going forward. Basically your ideal half back.
8- Mickey Burns- Covered every blade of grass at least twice. If you needed work rate, energy and a never say die attitude Mickey was your man. Great reader of the game.
9- Paddy McAleer – Greatest fielder of a ball ever to play for the club in this period. Could hold his own with anyone. Old style mid fielder, he patrolled between the two 65s, a great foil for Mickey Burns and a perfect link man.
10- Ian Phillips- In many ways the heartbeat of the team. The tighter the game the better he played. Equally at home in mid field he was superbly fit and could run all day. Bags of skill and could take a score. A manager’s dream.
11- Jim Og McAuley- Matured into one off our cleverest footballers. He had a great mastery and variation of passes to play people in. Tireless, not afraid to hunt back in defence and break forward in attack.
12- Paddy Dobbin Senior- Another great servant of the club. Played well into his 40s. A nightmare for defenders, he could take a score off either foot and he didn’t really know whether he was right or left footed. Pace to burn he could have played anywhere from midfield forward.
13- Joe Baxter- A footballer from head to toe. Started his career as an excellent centre half back, he progressed to the full forward line as a lethal dead ball kicker and finisher. One of the best footballers I’ve seen in a Kickhams shirt.
14- Sean Maguire- They say the first five yards are in your head. Sean was proof of this. He was a great reader of the game. He could turn on a sixpence. He had a good pair of hands and a great eye for a goal coupled with the ability to see someone in a better spot and play him in.
15- Danny Burns- A great footballer who could play anywhere on the team and would have killed to get a game. Could take a score, solid free and penalty taker and never stopped. A manager’s player.”