Tony Blake (Gaelic footballer)

Tony Blake (born 1971/2)[1] is an Irish Gaelic football coach[2] and former player for St Eunan's and the Donegal county team.

Tony Blake
Personal information
Sport Gaelic football
Position Goalkeeper
Born 1971/2
Club(s)
Years Club
19??–200?
 St Eunan's
Inter-county(ies)
Years County
1991–2004
 Donegal

He attended St Eunan's College, where he played for the school team.[3]

Donegal manager Brian McEniff called Blake onto his panel in 1991, though Blake soon departed for a career in association football.[1] He was reserve goalkeeper for Sligo Rovers when they won a treble in the League of Ireland.[2]

Blake made his championship debut for Donegal after Paul Callaghan sustained a groin injury during Donegal's championship win over Antrim in 1998.[4]

He started Mickey Moran's first game in charge of Donegal, a league win at home to Offaly in October 2000.[5]

Blake won a Railway Cup in 2000.[6]

He never won the Ulster Senior Football Championship during his career.[7] He played throughout the 2002 Ulster Senior Football Championship as Donegal advanced to the final.[8][9][10][11] He also featured in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship quarter-final against Dublin.[12] It was his best campaign and he credits the assistance of former Donegal goalkeeper Gary Walsh for his part in this.[2]

He started the first game of Brian McEniff's last spell as Donegal manager, a league defeat to Galway in Tuam in February 2003.[13]

He played in the 2003 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship semi-final against Armagh.[14]

A persistent knee injury forced him to retire from inter-county football in May 2004. Donegal's manager at the time, McEniff (again), said of Blake's meeting with a surgeon: "when the test results came back it showed a lot of wear and tear behind the knee cap". Blake had worn a bandage on his knee before Donegal's 2004 Dr McKenna Cup final defeat to Tyrone. McEniff said: "I noticed it that day and it became apparent that he had a problem". Paul Durcan (who had just won a Sigerson Cup with Institute of Technology, Sligo) had been deputising for Blake in the 2004 National Football League.[1]

Since retiring, Blake has been a goalkeeping coach with Bonagee United and Naomh Colmcille.[2]

Honours

References
  1. Keys, Colm (19 May 2004). "Injury ends Blake career". Irish Independent.
  2. McNulty, Chris (27 January 2018). "Tony Blake backs 'quality' Patton after 'brave' decision to join Donegal panel". Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  3. "Gaelic Football". Archived from the original on 24 October 2006.
  4. Foley, Alan (9 June 2016). "How many Donegal keepers have played championship since 1956?". Donegal Sport Hub. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  5. "Donegal make light of conditions to give Moran the ideal start". The Irish Times. 30 October 2000.
  6. "All-Ireland Final Players". Archived from the original on 12 April 2015.
  7. Nulty, Chris (22 July 2011). "1992–2011: The best XV not to win Ulster…". Donegal News. Retrieved 22 July 2011.
  8. "Donegal see off Cavan". BBC Sport. BBC. 12 May 2002.
  9. "Sweeney stars for Donegal". BBC Sport. BBC. 2 June 2002.
  10. "Donegal oust Derry". BBC Sport. BBC. 16 June 2002.
  11. "Armagh win Ulster final". BBC Sport. BBC. 7 July 2002.
  12. Cassells, Shane (9 August 2002). "Late points force Dubs to replay with Donegal". Fingal Independent. Independent News & Media. A terrible hand pass clearance from Ray Sweeney went straight to Jason Sherlock who picked off Cosgrove and he buried the ball past Tony Blake from 13 metres.
  13. Duggan, Keith (3 February 2003). "Meehan adds spark to Galway attack". The Irish Times.
  14. "Armagh's double still alive". Irish Independent. 1 September 2003.
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