Tony Blake (Gaelic footballer)

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

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.

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]

  1. ^ a b c Keys, Colm (19 May 2004). "Injury ends Blake career". Irish Independent.
  2. ^ a b c d 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.