Tue 22 May, 2012
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Ireland: Annadale's Graeme lands top coaching award  x10
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| Irish Hockey |
February 11, 2005 
Belfast Telegraph, UK
> Page Views 3153
Annadale hockey coach Graeme Francey is the Coaching NI Lucozade Sport Coach of the Year.
Graeme, who is also the Irish women's assistant coach, received his award from Northern Ireland football manager Lawrie Sanchez at the function held in Belfast City Hall last night.
Graeme led his team to the domestic treble last season and has also had an input into the success of the Irish senior women's squad.
The awards, to honour the outstanding contribution that coaches make to the promotion and development of sport across the country, were hosted by UTV's Graham Little and have been expanded to ensure that coaches from all levels of the performance pathway have the opportunity to be recognised.
Speaking at the event, Maeve Kyle, Chair of Coaching NI and who along with husband Sean accepted an honorary award for services to sports coaching, said: "Coaches are the life blood of sport in Northern Ireland. They have a stronger influence on participation rates, performance standards and on sports development than any other single factor.
"They deserve recognition and respect. This programme aims to elevate the status of the unsung heroes of the sports world."
Attending the function were Deputy Lord Mayor Joe O'Donnell and Tom Cronin, Lucozade Sport senior brand manager.
Full list of winners - Youth sport: Robert Walker (football)
Fundamentals: Ray Alexander (football);
RDS: Wilson Greenlee (Volleyball)
Under-age: Gavin Garland (Basketball)
Junior Club: Paul Lavery (GAA), Senior Club, Graham Francey (Hockey).
International coach: Cormac McCann (Cycling), County: Peter Rafferty (GAA).
Honorary award: Sean and Maeve Kyle (Athletics)
Mentoring: Terry McWilliams (Athletics/GAA)
Tutor: Olive Brown (General Sport)
Disability: Andrew Reid (swimming)
Women: Donna Armstrong (Cricket).
Overall: Graham Francey (hockey).
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Comments on this article
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hockey fan
02-12-2005 5:26 am
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No offfence to graham but it's a strange decision in that Insts won the two big ones.
Also Graham wasn't involved in the Irish squad last year as he finished at the Europeans and has only just been reappointed.
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another hockey fan
02-14-2005 3:11 am
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re: hockey fan
If you don't like the decision, write in and tell the judging panel. I'm sure they'll welcome your comments.
Congratulations to Graham Francey.
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Another hockey fan.
02-14-2005 5:45 am
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Great award for hockey over all the other Sports.
Did not Graeme also coach the Ulster Senior Ladies?
Well done Graeme - well deserved.
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Question
02-14-2005 10:22 am
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How is it that Instonians won the Irish double & yet their coach didn't receive this award?
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Make t not war
02-14-2005 11:12 am
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I'm sure all the annadale haters will be delighted.
Congratulations greame.
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Joe
02-14-2005 4:20 pm
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Well Done
Congrats Graeme. well done personally and a great advert for the sport. No doubt lots of people will have a snipe for their own reasons. Good to see the sports profile raised
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ANSWER
02-15-2005 6:18 am
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If anyone in hockey deserved this award it would be the coach of the All Ireland double winning team. Then again Ronnie Smyth and his mates aren't from Instonians!
Typical Sports council rewarding a brave but ultimately failed performance by both Annadale & Ulster Ladies.
If I was lucozade I would be exercising my exit strategy from these awards. Having failure associated with a brand is never the smartest marketing move!!!
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Ted
02-15-2005 6:35 am
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Well done Graeme, but ............
I HAVE TO ASK THE SAME QUESTION???
How is it that Instonians won the Irish double & yet their coach didn't receive this award?
Where the panel drinking Lucozade and Gin ???
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Irwiiiiine
02-15-2005 9:15 am
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This was no PR stunt
Great to see people on here as usual spouting off without any consideration of the facts.
Firstly coaches are nominated by their club/association/school etc. There was no nomination from Instonians for their very successful coach. They showed the same apathy for applying as they have did when trying to get their own pitch/grant awards towards it etc. Do the Master Race believe they are above having to actually apply for anything and that they should be just handed it?
Secondly Graham was not just nominated for the performances of Annadale. Please see the article above and you will see that
"The awards, ( are) to honour the outstanding contribution that coaches make to the promotion and development of sport across the country"
Key words here are developing and country. Developing players means actuallly going out there and taking players from whatever club and working with them for the good of hockey either at Ulster or Ireland level ( Country) It does not mean siiting in a closed club and working in your little comfortable environment where everone looks out for each other including their little brother!! and doesn't put anything back in to the sport at any level outside their own club.
Also the Awards had nothing to do with the Sports Council. They were decided by the panel of judges from Coaching Northern Ireland headed but Maeve Kyle who is not a member of the Sports Council.
Coaching is about sharing your knowledge with as many players as possible in order to try to make them better.
Graham did this with 18 players at Annadale, 24 at Ulster Senior Women, 24 at Irish ladies and also took numerous courses for coaches to get their coaching awards. That is a lot more than the 16 players that the Inst coach shared his extensive knowledge with.
Well done Graham - the school must be delighted to have someone like you keeping up the good name of InchMarlo, RBAI and Instonians to the wider community!!
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Mark
02-16-2005 2:50 am
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Re: Irwiiiiine
Inst are the champions and that's really all that matters.
You can keep you coaching awards, beacause thats all your going to win this season.
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