Sligo defender Teemu Penningkangas has returned to Finland. Laszlo Geczo/INPHO
newbies
'No one knows what’s happening and when we will be back, hopefully it will be soon but who knows?'
Teemu Penninkangas, Cameron Smith and Billy King are just some of the League of Ireland imports who’ve had their debut seasons interrupted by the Covid-19 outbreak.
SINCE ARRIVING IN the League of Ireland in January, Teemu Penninkangas and his girlfriend had settled into life pretty well in Sligo.
“I like that the ocean is so close and that the hills surround us,” he told The42.
The new Bit O’Red defender is usually quite happy to while away the hours reading biographies of sports people, books on psychology and, when he really wants to escape, a good thriller. The audio book ‘Why We Sleep’, examining the effect of sleep on the body, is also a current favourite.
When he was not recovering from training sessions by relaxing at home, he was walking the beaches of Strandhill and Rosses Point.
“The people here are extremely friendly and always willing to help you, that really supported and encouraged me in the beginning when I came here,” he continued. “I also really like that there’s so much nature around Sligo. As a Finn, you are used to having nature just next to you.”
Penninkangas and his girlfriend also managed to have a night away in Dublin not so long ago, to take in what the capital had to offer.
“We are planning to see a lot of Ireland when we have more time,” he added, in a conversation which took place by email, last week.
How quickly things have changed.
Advertisement
St Pat's forward Billy King. Brian Reilly-Troy / INPHO
Brian Reilly-Troy / INPHO / INPHO
Penninkangas is now back in his native Finland after landing at home earlier today. He took the decision to return after the League of Ireland season was suspended until 29 March – at the earliest – due to the outbreak of Covid-19.
Penninkangas watched on like everyone else as the gravity of the pandemic took hold and felt he had to be back with his family. “I hope to be back soon,” he explained.
That’s all most of us have right now.
Penninkangas is not the only newbie into the League of Ireland who has seen their season curtailed. Billy King was named St Patrick’s Athletic player of the month for February and continued his fine form with a winning goal against Cork City on 6 March.
It looks like being the last bit of action at Richmond Park for the foreseeable future and King, like Penninkangas, has packed his bags to return to his homeland.
For him it was just a short trip back to Edinburgh, where he continues to adhere to the personalised fitness programme given to him by the St Pat’s strength and conditioning coach.
“No one knows what’s happening and when we will be back, hopefully it will be soon but who knows?” he admitted.
King had settled into somewhat of an ‘Animal House’ after joining the Saints. In Celbridge, on the outskirts of Dublin and within walking distance of the club’s training base at Ballyoulster Celtic, the Scot lived with five of his teammates.
Ronan Hale, Martin Rennie, Olivier Younger, Shane Griffin and Dan Ward made up the ‘House of Fun’ but they, too, have packed their bags.
“We’ve gone home while this all settles down, with no training and games it didn’t make sense to hang around. It’s better to be at home,” King adds.
I had been kind of sceptical about living in a house with different lads when I was first told but it has been brilliant and I’m glad that’s how it worked out. I would rather have them around then not because it has helped me to settle in.”
The coffee shop in the garden centre across from where the first team training was recommended by the coaching staff but King et al prefer to do their own things. “We’ll go somewhere else, just for a chat and to relax, we can go to the cinema and it’s good in that aspect because we are all living away from home so it’s nice to be able to do stuff like that.”
Such normalities will be cherished once life can return to how it once was, and for someone like Cameron Smith at Dundalk, the timing of the pandemic could not have been worse as he continued to rebuild his career.
While it feels crude to make such a statement when people have died and so many have already lost their jobs, Smith, on loan with the Premier Division champions from Dundee United, was beginning to turn a corner.
Dundalk's Cameron Smith (right). Morgan Treacy / INPHO
Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO
“I felt wanted again and it was a long time since I had that feeling. It was good to feel wanted again, to have a manager that wanted you.
“It was easy to settle in with the lads, I was shown around the town for places to go for food and to relax. My girlfriend was over a lot and we have our own apartment to relax so that really helps.
“But the main thing is I was playing games and was feeling good about myself on the pitch again.”
When Smith, and the rest of the League of Ireland, will be back in action is anybody’s guess now.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Close
Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic.
Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy
here
before taking part.
'No one knows what’s happening and when we will be back, hopefully it will be soon but who knows?'
SINCE ARRIVING IN the League of Ireland in January, Teemu Penninkangas and his girlfriend had settled into life pretty well in Sligo.
“I like that the ocean is so close and that the hills surround us,” he told The42.
The new Bit O’Red defender is usually quite happy to while away the hours reading biographies of sports people, books on psychology and, when he really wants to escape, a good thriller. The audio book ‘Why We Sleep’, examining the effect of sleep on the body, is also a current favourite.
When he was not recovering from training sessions by relaxing at home, he was walking the beaches of Strandhill and Rosses Point.
“The people here are extremely friendly and always willing to help you, that really supported and encouraged me in the beginning when I came here,” he continued. “I also really like that there’s so much nature around Sligo. As a Finn, you are used to having nature just next to you.”
Penninkangas and his girlfriend also managed to have a night away in Dublin not so long ago, to take in what the capital had to offer.
“We are planning to see a lot of Ireland when we have more time,” he added, in a conversation which took place by email, last week.
How quickly things have changed.
Penninkangas is now back in his native Finland after landing at home earlier today. He took the decision to return after the League of Ireland season was suspended until 29 March – at the earliest – due to the outbreak of Covid-19.
Penninkangas watched on like everyone else as the gravity of the pandemic took hold and felt he had to be back with his family. “I hope to be back soon,” he explained.
That’s all most of us have right now.
It looks like being the last bit of action at Richmond Park for the foreseeable future and King, like Penninkangas, has packed his bags to return to his homeland.
For him it was just a short trip back to Edinburgh, where he continues to adhere to the personalised fitness programme given to him by the St Pat’s strength and conditioning coach.
“No one knows what’s happening and when we will be back, hopefully it will be soon but who knows?” he admitted.
Ronan Hale, Martin Rennie, Olivier Younger, Shane Griffin and Dan Ward made up the ‘House of Fun’ but they, too, have packed their bags.
“We’ve gone home while this all settles down, with no training and games it didn’t make sense to hang around. It’s better to be at home,” King adds.
The coffee shop in the garden centre across from where the first team training was recommended by the coaching staff but King et al prefer to do their own things. “We’ll go somewhere else, just for a chat and to relax, we can go to the cinema and it’s good in that aspect because we are all living away from home so it’s nice to be able to do stuff like that.”
Such normalities will be cherished once life can return to how it once was, and for someone like Cameron Smith at Dundalk, the timing of the pandemic could not have been worse as he continued to rebuild his career.
While it feels crude to make such a statement when people have died and so many have already lost their jobs, Smith, on loan with the Premier Division champions from Dundee United, was beginning to turn a corner.
“I felt wanted again and it was a long time since I had that feeling. It was good to feel wanted again, to have a manager that wanted you.
“It was easy to settle in with the lads, I was shown around the town for places to go for food and to relax. My girlfriend was over a lot and we have our own apartment to relax so that really helps.
“But the main thing is I was playing games and was feeling good about myself on the pitch again.”
When Smith, and the rest of the League of Ireland, will be back in action is anybody’s guess now.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Dundalk Greatest League In The World newbies Sligo Rovers St. Patrick's Athletic