ONE SMALL STEP FOR JOHNNIE, ONE GIANT LEAP FOR LIMAVADY

There's an old proverb that says that the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step and while they might not have quite that much ground to cover, there was definitely a mood at the John Hunter Memorial Ground last week that Limavady are back on the road.

When the Roesiders took their leave of senior cricket a couple of seasons ago there was a press and media fanfare that covered their fall from grace. When Simon McMichael stepped forward to receive the Qualifying 3 league trophy on Saturday past after a 10-wicket win at home to Fox Lodge thirds however he did so in a much more modest setting with only the players and a handful of die-hard supporters in attendance.

A few weeks earlier the big skipper, one of the few still at the club with senior experience, had also collected the Qualifying 3 cup after their two-innings win over Glendermott Seconds at Burndennett. A league and cup double for a club who have harvested leagues and cups as if they were going out of fashion for the past 25 years, but this one was as sweet as any of them. It wasn't difficult to be taken with both the modesty and the honesty of the club captain as he shared the trophy with his team-mates (having just made an unbeaten half century in the win that clinched the title) however one man summed up the feelings of the club more than anyone.

Johnnie Hunter was a central figure on the Limavady committee during the latter years of their North West domination and despite the fact that he has had spells of ill-health since then, he is quite obviously still a big part of the recovery. I don't mind admitting, as Johnnie will testify, that him and I have had our fair share of disagreements down through the years but only because of his fiercely loyal devotion to the club. There was rarely any middle ground with him but his commitment to the Roesiders meant that he could never be any other way.

Of all the smiling faces at the league presentation, his was most notable- party because he usually only smiles at Christmas and Easter, and partly because this was worth smiling about. He has never been known for giving interviews but this time he was happy to go on the record. “It's a fantastic day for Limavady because it is the first step on the road. We have been involved in many great days before and have flown the flag for the North West at the very top level but there was always the fear that it might not happen again.

Winning the cup earlier in the summer was fantastic but winning the league to complete the double is even more special. It has been achieved with a group of guys who play cricket the way it should be played, with a smile on their faces. They play to win but they play mostly for the love of the sport.

The Roe Valley needs more clubs making their presence felt in the North West and bit by bit we have a chance of helping to make that happen. We have a dedicated team of people working behind the scenes as well so it is a celebration of everybody's efforts. With an additonal player or two we would be able to compete in Qualifying 2 next season and who knows in four or five years time what progress might be made. For now though Simon and the team can celebrate an achievement that I believe is as good as anything that we've done before”.


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The first of North West's Chairman Andrew Fleming's meetings with the clubs took place at Beechgrove on Thursday night and generated plenty of lively debate over the course of the evening. Clubs had the opportunity to discuss a wide range of issues that had affected them this season and were likely to do so in future. These included the scheduling of league matches, timings and make-up of replayed games, clashes with Interpro dates, the Ulster Cup competitions, overseas ccoaches and professionals and the onset of the club licensing scheme.

Brian Allen also gave an update on his work as Development Officer including this weekend's fantastic venture in Letterkenny, and leading into a discussion about requirements for both clubs individually and the Union generally to improve their coaching structures. The meeting was certainly a success and the St Johnston man will have taken plenty of food for thought away with him which he has promised will be discussed in detail with the Board of Control. A similar meeting with Championship and Qualifying clubs will follow shortly.


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And finally to what is certain to be a huge weekend on the local front as the major domestic issues look set to be decided. Brigade and Strabane will slug it out for the senior title and there is barely a breath between them. Brigade boast better individual performances over the course of the season but Strabane have probably edged it in terms of being able to dig out results from seemingly impossible positions.

The Red Caps' only two defeats have come in unexpected circumstances but there is no doubting that the loss of their professional, Tawanda Mupariwa, is a massive blow. That said with Brigade still to face a desperate-for-points Bready and both challengers still to go to the Bleachgreen it is impossible to call even at this stage and a play-off looks a real possibility. At the bottom, the Foxies will probably be oficially relegated this weekend while Bready and Ardmore look most vulerable for the play-off.

And just to clarify something that I have completely missed in the Championship decider on Saturday but which Gordon Montgomery has kept me right. Burndennett will indeed win the race for promotion if all three of the co-leaders win on Saturday (or indeed if all three lose). Where there might be a problem however is that if both Burndennett and Glendermott win but St Johnston lose at home to Bonds Glen, the first two would then be level on points and also level 1-1 on head-to-heads.

Burndennett have the edge based on beating the Saints twice, but that will be irrelevant if the Donegal side finish two points behind the other pair, meaning a play-off woud be needed before the other play-off. I think I need a lie down after that.....