Ivan Bevan leaves Cobh Ramblers youth teams in a great place
Ivan Bevan and Alex O'Connell from Cobh Ramblers. Picture: Gerard McCarthy
AS he steps away from his role as the Cobh Ramblers Head Of Academy, Ivan Bevan can reflect very proudly on the progress made at the St Colman’s Park club.
Over the last five years, Bevan has seen hundreds of players come through the underage system, including numerous that have played for the Ramblers' first team at League Of Ireland level.
When reflecting back on some of the standout highlights during his time as the Head Of Academy at Ramblers, Bevan recalls: “I think across all of the age groups, I think to see the likes of Michael McCarthy and Tiernan O’Brien making their senior debuts, having gone all of the way from U15s. David Eguaibor is another who has done the same.
“That is the ultimate aim for any academy, to see the system working.
“The introduction of the girls teams, the U17s two years ago and the U19s last year and hopefully the seniors in 2025. I hope in my time I have laid the foundations for that. I think that was another huge achievement.”
Ramblers have made very significant strides in the League Of Ireland First Division under the management of Shane Keegan.
Bevan praised the role Keegan has played in transforming the Ramblers fortunes on the pitch, with the Cobh first team boss buying into all aspects of the club.
“Shane is a very smart football man. He sees the club as a whole. He has met every academy player.
"He was there to greet our newest team, the 2010 development squad, when they came to St Colman’s Park and he spoke to them, so they could see the whole pathway through.
"He has been at U19s games and U19s training, U17s games and U17s training. He has met the U15s and U14s and been at their trainings. Shane is a very amicable guy.
"He has been a huge shoulder for me to lean on and to ask questions whenever I needed. He believes in the club as a whole, not just the first team.
One of the Ramblers underage teams which had a fantastic season was the U19s.
Under the management of Zoran Teodorovic, Cobh finished in third place in the U19 National League Of Ireland, with only St Patrick’s Athletic and Shamrock Rovers finishing ahead of the East Cork side.
Bevan outlines: “Under Zoran and his team, they have just grown and this year to see them.
The thing is they are disappointed to finish third. They had the better of Pats and they felt they left the game behind them.
“They beat Shamrock Rovers in St Colman’s Park and they were 3-1 up with 10 minutes to go, before drawing with Rovers up in Roadstone. So they actually were disappointed to leave the league behind them.
“But what that team has achieved is phenomenal. What I think worked between Zoran and Shane is there has been great use of the link between them. Lots of the U19s have trained with the first team and been in matchday squads and played.
"The likes of Adrien Thibaut, Charlie Cummins making his debut, David Eguaibor, Ryan Delaney. They have all been in and around the senior team. Lots of the rest of the team have trained with the senior team.”
As Cobh head into the 2024 campaign looking to build on a fine season in the League Of Ireland First Division, a number of players from the Ramblers underage system will likely be featuring in the battles on the pitch once more.
One of the biggest lessons Ivan Bevan has learned over that time with the club... Once a Ram, Always a Ram.
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