WHEN news emerged that Kieran McKenna had been appointed as the new Ipswich Town manager, it was a special and proud moment for the whole Fermanagh community.
It was none more special than for Fermanagh and Omagh District Councillor Victor Warrington.
Unbeknownst to many, Warrington is a lifelong Ipswich Town supporter.
His love of The Tractor Boys stems for over 50 years.
“I am one of a handful Ipswich Town, probably one of only three or four in Fermanagh. There is quite a few throughout Northern Ireland but I would be one of the originals ones because I have been supporting them from the mid-70s.
“I have an older brother who is football mad and a big Liverpool supporter. I wanted to be different and in the mid 70s, there was two teams doing well in the Premiership and where I came from in Roslea, there was never a case of getting to see big football matches.
“There was two teams, Liverpool and Ipswich, and just for no reason I chose Ipswich and I have stuck to it.
“I have been to Portman Road on several occassions and we have met a lot of the players and management at a friendly game in Dublin.” Having a Fermanagh man at the helm certainly makes it a bit more interesting for Warrington to follow Ipswich Town.
“He [Kieran McKenna] obviously played locally for Enniskillen Town and Ballinamallard but unfourtunately his career was cut short with injury at Spurs but he has stuck with the game and is making a name for himself in coaching and now in management.
Will he do it? I certainly hope he will.
“He certainly has the players there to do it although they are certainly lacking in motivation at the minute but hopefully he can bring that motivation back to them and get them playing football again.”
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