‘I’d consider myself a typical Clondalkin lad really’ – Graham Coughlan

PICTURE the scene. You’re manager of Newport County, a League Two club in the fourth round of the FA Cup, writes Ken Doyle.

It’s a freezing cold late-January afternoon in South Wales. Manchester United, the legendary football club who you’ve supported all your life are the visitors.

The ground is heaving with hopeful faces and you’ve had to erect temporary stands to accommodate the Newport County Commodores (Once, Twice, Three times a Season) .

You’re playing on a pitch you share with a rugby club, not the smooth, consistent green carpet United are used to. Still, United start with purpose and authority and duly take a two-nil lead. The crowd gulps in unison.

Anything less than ten-nil would be a result here now, one wag suggests. But hang on a second.

Late in the first half your midfield dynamo wallops an absolute screamer from twenty-five yards.

Two-one. Then, just after half time your team, tails up, start knocking it around and put together a fantastic move which your ex-farmer centre forward gets on the end of.

Former Cherry Orchard player Graham Coughlan passing on information to his team on the sideline. (Image: Newport County AFC)

Two-All and Rodney Parade, Newport’s proud little ground erupts into chaos.

Babies are being thrown into the air, temporary stands rattle their bolts off and Newport believes.

Your lads run themselves ragged and give everything they’ve got but Premier League class eventually tells and a couple of late goals mean United go into the pot for the next round.

Post-match is a bit of a blur, you chat to your opposite number, congratulate the players but something doesn’t sit right.

And do you know why? Because you’re from Clondalkin, that’s why.

The fever dream I facetiously describe above is almost completely true, and last Sunday it actually happened to one of Bawnogue’s favourite sons, Graham Coughlan.

“Yeah, I’d started dreaming all right,” he says. “Just a bit, the win or the replay would have been nice but since we didn’t get it, all of our focus goes onto Swindon coming down here on Saturday.”

Graham, or ‘Cougho’ as he’s universally known back home, is a fellow that we at The Echo are very familiar with.

From his young days playing Gaelic for Round Towers and soccer for Cherry Orchard, we’ve followed him for years and have always been greatly pleased to report on his successes.

“I’d consider myself a typical Clondalkin lad really. When I was a kid, I did nothing but play football, whichever code it was.

“I’ve stayed close to all of my old mates at home and of course my family.

“Speaking of which, we had a hell of a full house over the weekend. They all came over.

“I’d like to think at least some of them were hoping for a Newport result!”

As your correspondent knows only too well himself, when you were a kid in Clondalkin in the 80s, it was Liverpool or United.

“Yeah, it’s true,” Graham confirms.

“I remember being in Deansrath Community School in the bad old days when Liverpool were winning everything and United couldn’t win an argument.

“If Liverpool had beaten United over the weekend you’d try to pull a sick day on the Monday.

My Mam never fell for it but it didn’t stop me from trying!”

As Graham progressed through the age groups at Towers and Cherry Orchard, being part of an all-conquering Orchard under age team meant that the soccer scouts got to him first.

“Well I had been playing for Bray in the League of Ireland for a year or so when Blackburn came in for me.

“Blackburn were in their pomp at that time having just won the Premier League.

“It was a fair old shock to suddenly be sharing a dressing room with Shearer, Hendry, Sutton and all these great players.”

Although he never quite made the breakthrough at Ewood Park, Graham credits Blackburn as where he learnt standards that have served him very well in what is now a thirty year career in the professional game.

After Blackburn, Graham became a reliable and extremely well regarded pro at clubs such as Livingston, Plymouth and Sheffield Wednesday amongst others.

Having settled in Sheffield with his family, and as he prepares for the rest of the season in one of the most competitive leagues in football, Graham takes a moment to reflect on his career thus far.

“I’ve had a great career, played with and against some great players and pitted my wits as a manager against some of the best.”

“But I’m still that little United supporting kid with the skinned knee playing pole to pole in Lindisfarne.”