'I felt it was the right time' — Valley Rovers' Fiachra Lynch on taking on player-manager role

Valley Rovers have a familiar figure taking on a new responsibility this season. 

Fiachra Lynch, one of the club’s longest-serving forwards and a 2010 All-Ireland winner, has stepped into the player-manager role following Denis Kiely’s departure last year.

It marks a notable moment for a group that has been steadily developing over the past few years, and with a McCarthy Insurance Group Premier SFC group containing Newcestown, Nemo Rangers and St Michael’s ahead of them, Lynch knows exactly what lies in front of Valley Rovers.

He begins by explaining how the opportunity emerged and why it felt like the right moment to step forward.

“The last couple of years there’s definitely been more emphasis on leadership from players and player input,” he says.

“Ten years ago it would have been, ‘this is the way we’re doing it’, and that was it. But in the last five or six years there’s been a shift. Lads are more involved in meetings, tactics, kick-outs — all of it.

“When you’re involved in that side of things, you start looking at football differently. Before, it was just go out and play. Maybe it’s age, maybe it’s the way the game has gone, but more players are analysing things now. 

"You see it on The Sunday Game, on social media, all the stats pieces — it filters down to club level.” 

Still, taking on the job while continuing to play required the right support. Lynch was adamant he wouldn’t do it alone, and the first step was securing a backroom team he trusted, including bringing in former Cork goalkeeper and Valley Rovers clubman Alan Quirke.

“I felt that if I had good people with me, we could make an impact,” he said.

“I didn’t want to go in there by myself, especially while still playing. Barry Casey and Alan Quirke were the first two to say yes. They’ve been brilliant. Barry’s doing fixtures, booking pitches — all the stuff that takes a huge load off me.

“I’ve only played a very small amount so far this year due to injury. Earlier in the year, when I was trying to play and coach, Barry and Alan were on the same page so it worked — they’d handle the shouting and the instructions while I was on the pitch. The last couple of weeks, being injured, I’ve been able to do all the coaching, which has been fine.” 

Valley Rovers’ McCarthy Insurance Group Division 2 Football League campaign has been steady rather than spectacular, but Lynch is encouraged by the direction of travel with seven points from seven games.

The early rounds were patchy, but the group has settled, and the structure of the season — with its constant switching between hurling and football — is something they’ve learned to navigate.

“Our first couple of league games were quite poor, the first two especially,” Lynch states.

“It takes a while to adjust to new things. We’ve loads to do. Being a dual club makes it tricky — we were only mapping out the next six weeks with the hurlers and you’re looking at the schedule thinking, ‘when are we going to train?’ It’s hurling one week, football the next. You feel like you get momentum and then you don’t see the players for a week.

“But we’re going well enough. Under ten weeks to championship sounds short, but it’s actually loads of time.

“There are challenges being a dual club, but there are positives too. If one team is going well, the other usually is as well. Look at clubs like Newcestown and Aghabullogue — when everyone is pulling together, it works. The teams that do well in both codes usually have systems that suit the players.” 

Last year’s relegation play-off win over Carbery Rangers remains a turning point. Valley Rovers were outplayed in the first game but still managed to draw thanks to a storming finish. They produced a dominant performance in the replay, with Lynch himself outstanding.

“There’s very little between the top of Senior A and most of the Premier Senior teams outside maybe the top three of St Finbarr’s, Nemo and Castlehaven. Every year someone outside that top group makes a semi-final. Last year we came out the right side of the Carbery Rangers game, but it could easily have gone the other way.

“You can see how close it all is — Carbery Rangers are in Division 1 now. Every team is close.

"But ultimately you have to focus on your own house. We’ve a nice mix. A couple of experienced lads, but most of the team is under the age of 25. They bring energy and something different to training. Every year a few more come in.” 

Lynch’s own form last year was a story in itself. He finished as the fourth-highest scorer in the McCarthy Insurance Group Premier SFC, a remarkable return for someone who had seriously considered retirement the previous season.

“Last year probably couldn’t have gone any better for me personally. I didn’t go in with huge expectations — it just worked out. The new rules made a massive difference. If you can find space, it’s easier to play because there is more space. It’s about identifying it and exploiting it. You see inter-county teams doing it to a tee.

“I was thinking of retiring in 2024. We played Douglas in a game that finished something like 0-8 to 0-7 — it was desperate stuff. The new rules have changed that completely.

“You’d love to do better than last year. It’s game by game, but we want to be competitive. If we get things right, we’ll give ourselves a chance. No doubt about that.”