General
- Monday November 22nd, 2010 @ 17:17
SAINTS ANNOUNCE NEW SIGNINGS
The club today confirms that midfielder James O'Brien has re-signed for St Patrick's Athletic FC for the coming season and Brian Shortall, the UCD defender has also signed for the club for the coming season.
Shortall was a regular in a very impressive UCD side last season and has been playing with the students for the last number of seasons. STPATSFC.COM caught up with the Ballyfermot native as he put pen to paper for the club today:
"Growing up in Claddagh Green, a lot of my family and friends would have been Pat's supporters and as my local team I would gone down to see them a fair bit.
"My uncle Christy O'Sullivan is involved with managing one of the underage teams at the club and some of my family are more excited than me about joining the club!
"From the age of 6 to about 18, I played with Cherry Orchard and then Pete Mahon signed me for UCD and I played under him for four or five years before playing under Martin Russell for the last two seasons at Belfield.
"To be honest Pete would have been the main factor for me in joining Pat's. He's been very good to me in my career and I don't think there's anyone in the game who wants to win as much as he does.
"My main position is centre half but I can play right or left full and last season I ended up playing across the back. I enjoyed my football at UCD, the concentration was very much on playing football, getting the ball down, keeping it and playing without any fear.
"I always enjoyed coming to Richmond Park, at UCD Ian Bermingham, Derek Doyle and myself used to look forward to the fixture even though we'd be getting plenty of stick from our neighbours and friends down here.
"I suppose over the years it was often said that UCD were the club's bogey team and I know my uncles never liked making the trips out to Belfield so hopefully I can play a part in reversing that one!
"Last season Pat's were a very strong unit, very solid and hard to breakdown and it wasn't until the final quarter that they faded from the top.
"One or two other clubs at the moment might have more spending power and resources but I think Pat's will still be challenging for honours next season and my main focus will be to nail down a starting position in the side."
Season ticket application forms are available from the club shop (tel 4780478) for the 2011 season at special early bird discounted rates. The club would urge all supporters to get behind Pete and the team for the coming season and to order their season ticket early.
