John Sullivan’s stint with Galway United was brief, but a lasting impression was made. From the first game of the 2016 season when United enjoyed a rare come from behind victory in the capital against St Patrick’s Athletic Sullivan cemented his status as a leader in the team.
So three months later in June when Sullivan’s departure was announced it represented a blow in a year that subsequently drifted to a worrying conclusion. In the intervening years Sullivan has emerged as a respected coach in the WNL with a progressive DLR Waves outfit, who face Galway WFC in an FAI Cup quarter-final on Saturday.
“A lot of togetherness, it was beautiful,” Sullivan says about his time with United. “There was a real family feeling about the club. Even when I left I was not extremely happy about leaving, it just did not make sense for me travelling across the country with work and football.
“I had a beautiful time there, even when I go back I see some of the people still involved. It is great to see them still involved, they are always smiling, I hope that continues.”
The promise demonstrated in Inchicore illustrated what could be achieved, but later on in that campaign after Sullivan and manager Tommy Dunne departed, United struggled.
“There were a lot of leaders in the group,” Sullivan reflects. “I guess they were all great friends, they were a family. Sometimes people are afraid to disturb or upset the family or the friendship. For me I was lads, I'm travelling the width of the country, I'm getting the bus at six o'clock in the morning.
“Whether you like me or not I don't really care, we are here to win games, to become footballers. That sounds kind of malicious of me, but it was not. I knew why I was there. Certain things we learned from each other, it helps in games. When I left there was a slight dip in form, but Tommy left a couple of weeks after that. I would not say it was just down to me leaving.”
With DLR Waves Sullivan relishes being involved in Graham Kelly’s backroom staff. “The gaffer, he is some man, a lot of the work he does, in the club it is noticed, but outside of the club people are not aware of what he does,” Sullivan remarks.
“He is so strategic, thinks long term, he has got great vision. He has brought the club on leaps and bounds, not just the first team.
“You have to think long term, what is the point in thinking year to year or week to week? Last year and the year before egos would have been hurt, getting beat, when we were not getting the results we wanted, one or two people had made comments such as your expectations are too high for this group to which I completely disagreed with. I just said no, you have to have patience.
“Progress can look like many things, but we are progressing. In two or three years it will be fascinating to see where this group can go.”
Sport has occupied a key role in Sullivan’s life because the chances and challenges matter so much.
“I constantly say to people around me, children have to play sport,” Sullivan states. “You learn from such a young age what you need to do to become better. It is then up to you to do that. Sometimes your best is not even good enough and it is about how do you accept to go back to the drawing board, re-evaluate and plan for the next couple of steps. It could be just sport for some, but you apply those principles to anything in life you can be good at whatever it is you want to be.”
A spell in Scotland with Hamilton Academicals afforded Sullivan an opportunity to play as a full-time professional. “You learn a lot in a year and a half, especially living by yourself,” he replies.
“Those principles I learned as a kid in DDSL football you just keep applying them year after year. You re-evaluate, assess, ask yourself questions, you ask for answers. I got to make my debut against Celtic, I guess it is a dream come true for an Irish kid. I was on the bench against Rangers and many other teams. It was fantastic, it opened up my eyes in so many ways.”
Growing up Sullivan played alongside two Galwegians, Ger Hanley and Greg Cunningham, in a star studded Republic of Ireland U17 side in the 2008 European Championships in Turkey. That was another important step along the road.
“I actually bumped into Ger Hanley a good couple of weeks ago out in Killiney, he is living in that direction,” Sullivan says. “He is such a lovely guy, always a lovely guy. It was great to see him, he has that great smile about him, a good aura.”
Harry Kenny, a totemic figure in the League of Ireland game, used to instruct Sullivan to pursue his coaching badges. “I asked him a lot of questions, he was like go do your badges, it is more difficult than you think - he used to always laugh saying that,” Sullivan chuckles.
It eventually brought him to DLR Waves and a trip Corribside on Saturday for a cup clash under the Saturday evening Eamonn Deacy Park lights.
“What a stadium, between the (UCD ) Bowl and Eamonn Deacy Park, the two best stadiums in my opinion, especially in the WNL, phenomenal pitches, beautiful,” Sullivan adds. “Our girls they are extremely privileged to play down there, every time we went down the games have been fantastic so we are really looking forward to it.”
**Listen to the full interview with John Sullivan on this week’s ‘Cian on Sport’ podcast available on Soundcloud, Spotify, and Apple podcasts.
