THE WARNING KLAXON went around the coaches’ WhatsApp groups before kick-off: one of their own was about to play against Man United. ‘Everyone, tune in.’
By the end of the night, the joyful messages were pouring in. The good folks at Swords Manor football club were honouring the brilliant performance of their former player, Darragh Burns.
He had just faced down one of the biggest football clubs in the world and left a sizeable imprint on their demise in the Carabao Cup. An assist to help Grimsby Town build up a 2-0 lead, and two well-taken penalties in a shootout that ended 12-11 after Bryan Mbeumo clattered the crossbar to send the home fans into rapture.
A rare night to savour.
Burns is well-travelled on the football circuit. League of Ireland clubs Shamrock Rovers and St Patrick’s Athletic have availed of his service. He passed through the famous St Kevin’s Boys on his way up through the underage grades and spent time at MK Dons.
🗣️ "The whole Club deserves this night, I'm buzzing for everyone!"
Darragh Burns on last night's performance...👇#GTFC
But he never lost touch with the club where his talent was first forged. Burns was barely out of the toddler phase when he first started showcasing his skills against older boys at Swords Manor.
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He quickly became known as a Man United fan too, foreshadowing events that were coming down the line.
“Darragh would have come up to us when he was about four,” Eoin Sherlock of Swords Manor tells The 42. “He was tiny. He would have been playing a year or two up. Funny enough, he was always in a little Man United kit.
“That’s how we got to know him. You’d say, ‘Oh there’s the kid in the United kit.’ He was brilliant when he was around four. We do a mini-league every summer for two weeks. It’s fairly big. It’s not only our kids in our club that take part. It’s all the local clubs and further afield. It’s a big enough festival for two weeks.
“I remember the first time he came up to that. He was playing against six or seven-year-olds, and he was banging in goals. He was solid from the start.”
Sherlock explains that Burns remained with the club until he was around nine, but has maintained his connection with Swords Manor. A message of thanks would always follow any social media posts recognising the latest feat in his football career. He always made sure to inquire about how things were progressing back home.
He’s still a familiar face around the grounds.
“Last summer, he came up for a mini-league and handed out the medals for the finals. Kids were getting pictures with him and his gear.”
Swords Manor is a small club, according to Sherlock, but they’ve had a growth spurt in recent years, expanding from 10 to 35 teams. Some notable talents started their football journey there too, including Seán Roughan, who is currently with Huddersfield, and Republic of Ireland star Jamie Finn.
“All the girls now want to be the next Jamie Finn,” says a delighted Sherlock as the club continues to flourish.
Burns is one of four Irish players currently on the books at Grimsby Town. Jaze Kabia also scored two goals in last night’s penalty shootout after coming on in the second half of a tense battle that ended 2-2 after normal time.
Reece Staunton also featured off the bench before converting one of the spotkicks while Zak Gilsenan was unavailable to play through injury.
All four are still in their early to mid-20s. The potential impact of this result, and how it could influence the trajectory of their individual careers, is an intriguing thought.
The ripple effect is already being felt in Swords Manor, who can celebrate the small part they played in developing a talent that could measure up to the might of Man United.
Those WhatsApp groups will come alive again for Burns’ next outing with Grimsby in the Carabao Cup.
“I think it definitely brings his name up again,” says Sherlock. “He had done well here in Ireland. We knew he was in Grimsby. But the fact that this has come up, everyone knows where he is again now, and they’re probably going to follow him again.
“Our manager’s group chat was buzzing last night, and even a few of the newer managers in — it shows them that they might be coaching the next Darragh Burns. That gives them a little push as well.”
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From turning up at Swords Manor in a Man United kit to knocking them of out the Carabao Cup
THE WARNING KLAXON went around the coaches’ WhatsApp groups before kick-off: one of their own was about to play against Man United. ‘Everyone, tune in.’
By the end of the night, the joyful messages were pouring in. The good folks at Swords Manor football club were honouring the brilliant performance of their former player, Darragh Burns.
He had just faced down one of the biggest football clubs in the world and left a sizeable imprint on their demise in the Carabao Cup. An assist to help Grimsby Town build up a 2-0 lead, and two well-taken penalties in a shootout that ended 12-11 after Bryan Mbeumo clattered the crossbar to send the home fans into rapture.
A rare night to savour.
Burns is well-travelled on the football circuit. League of Ireland clubs Shamrock Rovers and St Patrick’s Athletic have availed of his service. He passed through the famous St Kevin’s Boys on his way up through the underage grades and spent time at MK Dons.
But he never lost touch with the club where his talent was first forged. Burns was barely out of the toddler phase when he first started showcasing his skills against older boys at Swords Manor.
He quickly became known as a Man United fan too, foreshadowing events that were coming down the line.
“Darragh would have come up to us when he was about four,” Eoin Sherlock of Swords Manor tells The 42. “He was tiny. He would have been playing a year or two up. Funny enough, he was always in a little Man United kit.
“That’s how we got to know him. You’d say, ‘Oh there’s the kid in the United kit.’ He was brilliant when he was around four. We do a mini-league every summer for two weeks. It’s fairly big. It’s not only our kids in our club that take part. It’s all the local clubs and further afield. It’s a big enough festival for two weeks.
“I remember the first time he came up to that. He was playing against six or seven-year-olds, and he was banging in goals. He was solid from the start.”
Sherlock explains that Burns remained with the club until he was around nine, but has maintained his connection with Swords Manor. A message of thanks would always follow any social media posts recognising the latest feat in his football career. He always made sure to inquire about how things were progressing back home.
He’s still a familiar face around the grounds.
“Last summer, he came up for a mini-league and handed out the medals for the finals. Kids were getting pictures with him and his gear.”
Swords Manor is a small club, according to Sherlock, but they’ve had a growth spurt in recent years, expanding from 10 to 35 teams. Some notable talents started their football journey there too, including Seán Roughan, who is currently with Huddersfield, and Republic of Ireland star Jamie Finn.
“All the girls now want to be the next Jamie Finn,” says a delighted Sherlock as the club continues to flourish.
Burns is one of four Irish players currently on the books at Grimsby Town. Jaze Kabia also scored two goals in last night’s penalty shootout after coming on in the second half of a tense battle that ended 2-2 after normal time.
Reece Staunton also featured off the bench before converting one of the spotkicks while Zak Gilsenan was unavailable to play through injury.
All four are still in their early to mid-20s. The potential impact of this result, and how it could influence the trajectory of their individual careers, is an intriguing thought.
The ripple effect is already being felt in Swords Manor, who can celebrate the small part they played in developing a talent that could measure up to the might of Man United.
Those WhatsApp groups will come alive again for Burns’ next outing with Grimsby in the Carabao Cup.
“I think it definitely brings his name up again,” says Sherlock. “He had done well here in Ireland. We knew he was in Grimsby. But the fact that this has come up, everyone knows where he is again now, and they’re probably going to follow him again.
“Our manager’s group chat was buzzing last night, and even a few of the newer managers in — it shows them that they might be coaching the next Darragh Burns. That gives them a little push as well.”
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carabao cup Darragh Burns Football grimsby town Man United Swords Manor Where It All Began