Distinguished Service Award for John Coughlan

Since its inception in 1995 the Cork AUL’s Cork Soccer Honours have recognised the ordinary clubmen, those who have served their clubs with loyalty and distinction and last week another from that essential category is honoured. It is important that we recognise the very valuable contribution to sport that is made by volunteers without whose selfless dedication week in week out many sports would not be able to function and society as well as sport would be in a much poorer state. To a great extent this contribution is often invisible and therefore underestimated but it is essential to the smooth operation of many sports clubs and events.

Cobh, a town steeped in football history, has produced in the recent past gentleman like the late Pat O Brien and John Murphy who have left an indelible mark on Irish soccer through their promotion of the amateur version of the beautiful game. And, impossible as it may seem, another Cobh man, John Coughlan, had managed to live up to the lofty ideals of those and other celebrated townsmen through his devotion to coaching and development with Springfield AFC. Pat O Brien, a man of great vision, founded Springfield in 1959. Young John joined the club in 1973 and the committee two years later before commencing his now 36 year marathon role as secretary. In 42 years of active service he has been part of committees that purchased and developed Pat O Brien Park that merged the two schoolboy clubs ie Springfield and Cobh Ramblers Schoolboys into Springfield Ramblers and have one club in Cobh; that funded and developed the AstroTurf pitch at John Murphy Memorial Park. He was a driving force behind the staging of schoolboy international in Cobh when they became the first club in Ireland to organise and fund such a fixture. John was instrumental in arranging for Jack Charlton to officially open Pat O Brien Park.

John is highly acclaimed certified soccer coach who has fully embraced the new FAI development plan. Teams under his tutorage have been very successful in all domestic underage competitions and have qualified for national finals; he has had the pleasure of seeing his former Springfield boys graduate to League of Ireland and cross channel soccer and represent Ireland at all levels from Schoolboy to Senior. Springfield have always been inextricably linked with Cobh Ramblers, for instance the great 1983 team FAI Intermediate Cup winners and FAI Senior Cup semi-finalists included twelve “Springers” in their squad. John is first to acknowledge the outstanding co-operation assistance received from all those ex Ramblers and the dedicated committee men he has soldiered with throughout the years particularly the indomitable Hughie O’Reilly.

People like John deserve to be rewarded and the decision to honour him with the AUL’s Distinguished Service Award is a token of appreciation for his outstanding service to Cork soccer. The growth and success of Springfield FC under his direction remains his monument.

SPRINGFIELD RAMBLERS would like to congratulate John Coughlan on his AUL’s Distinguished Service Award. His dedication to the club over the past 42 years is something that most of us can only aspire to. Well done John we are very proud.