BY GER McCARTHY
FORMER SFAI West Cork Academy coach Steve Bowden is helping re-establish Kilgoban Celtic’s adult set-up in the West Cork League Championship division.
The West Cork Academy’s best-ever finish at the Kennedy Cup was achieved with Steve Bowden at the helm this past summer. Having helped guide West Cork to an historic third-place result, Bowden needed to take a step back from academy coaching and spend time getting his new business off the ground.
‘To be honest, I loved coaching in the West Cork Academy and it was one of the best things I’ve ever done,’ Bowden told The Southern Star. ‘The thing is it was pretty much a full-time job. There was a huge amount of travelling involved with coaching in the West Cork Academy. I just couldn’t give it the time anymore. I started my own business too, Bowden’s Estate Agents, and had to put more of my time and effort into that.
‘The Kennedy Cup was an amazing experience and I would have loved to carry on again this year but just couldn’t.’
While Bowden and his coaching team were generating Kennedy Cup headlines, Kealkill-based club Kilgoban Celtic’s adult team were preparing for life as a West Cork League Championship club.
The previous season was an utterly forgettable one and resulted in an early relegation from the Premier Division. Bowden had experience coaching many of the underage teams in the Kealkill club formerly known as Bantry Bay Rovers.
‘A group of young players helped put together their own Kilgoban U19 team last year but then the West Cork U19 League didn’t take off as expected,’ Bowden explained. ‘So, I spoke to the lads and suggested going with the U19 panel in the Championship division along with some other experienced players instead. That’s what we did.
‘I now have a brilliant mixture of some of the older boys and U19s. The whole idea behind this is to grow and keep a junior adult team in the Kilgoban Celtic club for years to come.
‘The previous season was a very difficult one but this year is totally different. On a recent Sunday, I had 16 players togged out for our game with Skibbereen Celtic. That is the most we have had for match day so far.
‘The big thing is that Kilgoban are getting 18 or 19 turning up to training every week now. Our squad is mainly all the U19s who started together out on their own last year. They just needed someone to coach them and that’s where I came in.
‘I am really enjoying it and, more importantly, they are really enjoying things.’
Bowen’s arrival has helped deliver a positive start to the West Cork League Championship campaign. Kilgoban Celtic currently sit in mid-table, having lost only once.
Barry O’Driscoll is top of the Kealkill club’s scoring charts with Eoin Bowden, Muiris Buttimer, Calvin Cronin and Cillian O’Brien also contributing important strikes. It is early days in a hugely competitive division but the signs are positive as Kilgoban Celtic, with a thriving underage structure, look to re-establish themselves in the West Cork League.
‘Donagh Cronin is helping me with the coaching and it’s so far so good for Kilgoban this season,’ Steve Bowden added. ‘There was even a big crowd in attendance for our 2-2 draw with Skibbereen Celtic! They were excellent and really got behind the players. There are two things Donagh and I want from this group. We want to get promoted from the Championship but we want the players to enjoy it. It is all about having a happy squad.'
