Country Cousins

As a result of urban development and the scarcity of housing, the city has spread into the nearby counties of Wicklow, Kildare, Meath and Louth and sons of former players and others have continued to ply their football abilities from these counties.

Belvo underage internationals such as Michael Ahern, Tim Clancy, Derek Donohue, Daryl Mooney and George Snee hail from Co Meath, while Karl Bermingham, William Farrelly, Robbie Martin and Gerard Nash could declare for Kildare.

And then there is Paul Breslin (Wicklow), Brian Frawley (Westmeath) and Pearse Tormey (Louth) and Monaghan pair Paul Smyth and Ashley White.

Players from further afield have also chosen Belvedere as their vehicle to progress into top grade football. Ryan Casey, who has had a long professional career with Swansea City and who played for Ireland in the World U-20 Championship finals in Nigeria, travelled up from Galway to play for Belvedere. John O'Hara and Sean Malee, who hail from Mayo, happily made an even longer journey to train and play for the club.

Players from Sligo could also be included in any Belvedere All-Ireland selection as both Alan Cawley, who had spells with both Leeds and Sheffield Wednesday, and Barry Cogan, who is making great progress at Millwall, have their roots in Yeates' County.

Turning to Munster, U-21 international John McGrath, who has made several appearances in the Premiership for Aston Villa, comes from Newcastle West in Limerick, while Tipperary have provided Belvo with two of their finest sporting ambassadors. Fred Murray from Clonmel is a regular this season in Cambridge United's first team, having recovered from the broken leg which curtailed his career with Blackburn Rovers.

And then there is Richie Ryan, who, from the age of 11, spent four years travelling up from Templetuohy. Richie is reckoned to be one of the brightest emerging stars at Sunderland's Stadium of Light and, at 17, is already a regular in the Black Cats' reserves as well as Brian Kerr's squads. It seems only a matter of time before he follows in clubmate Thomas Butler's footsteps into the Irish U-21s.

But, it's the North Inner City which has provided the bulk of Belvedere's players. Players like full international Curtis Fleming (Ballybough), U-21 internationals Kwame Ampadu (Gardiner Street) Thomas Morgan and his first cousin Wesley Hoolahan, who hail from the Sean McDermott Street area, and Carlisle's Richie Foran (North Wall).

Younger players who have represented Ireland at underage level and who will hopefully soon burst on the scene at senior level include Manchester City's Stephen Elliott (Portland Row), Millwall's Mark Quigley (Liberty House), Blackburn Rovers' Anthony Martin (Ballybough) and East Wall pair Terry Masterson (Millwall) and Gary Mulligan (Wolves).

Whether from Monto or Mayo, Limerick or Liberty House a wide variety of players have prospered through their involvement with Belvedere ... and not just those who are playing cross-Channel as `The Belvo' have more former players playing in the eircom League than any other schoolboys club.

Perhaps, some day, we will stage a match between `true blue' former Belvo players and our country cousins. Who would you pick on your teams?