*Celebration time; Brian Vaugh (centre) is surrounded by
his Celtic team mates after scoring for the club *Celebration time; Brian Vaugh (centre) is surrounded by
his Celtic team mates after scoring for the club
Brian Vaugh hopes that two imminent developments will catapult him into the Celtic limelight, writes Anthony Neeson.
One is the appointment of a new head coach at the club and the other is the U21 club league which starts in Scotland next season. Both, he believes, should raise his profile and he is ready to deliver.
From the age of 14 the Ormeau Road lad has been at Parkhead. After having been spotted by the club playing for Rosario Youth Club in the Down and Connor League he was asked over for a series of trials. At 16 he signed as a professional.
Now three years on, he has just spent his most successful season to date with the Glasgow club playing 25 reserve league games and scoring two goals, as well as playing alongside fellow Belfast Celts, Gerry Crossley and Gerry Lyttle in a formidable midfield. The left sided midfielder also played in a Glasgow Cup game, scoring once. The versatile Vaugh has also played at full-back for Celtic during the course of the season.
Back in Belfast after a long hard season the 19-year-old is expected back at the club on 25 June for pre-season training and hopefully a crack at the first team. With Wim Jansen at the helm last season none of the fringe players at the club got a chance of first team football. Brian hopes that's about to change.
"The season went really well but I'd need to keep at it to impress the new boss," said Brian. "I've been training very hard at the club and I'm under no illusions of what I need to do to make the first team.
"Celtic is a massive club and there is a lot of competition for places but I hope that I impressed the right people last season and go on from there. The first team players at the club are all down to earth and look after the younger players and they set a good example for us to follow."
Wim Jansen's last game in charge of Celtic was in Portugal against Sporting Lisbon, Brian travelled with the players who had just been crowned Scottish champions and was on the bench for that match. If he continues with his present upward curve at the club his days playing in the reserves may be numbered, it's clear the club are impressed with what they've seen to date.
This part was pinched from
http://www.iol.ie/~jnkehoe/blues/archive9900.html#MATCH2
Monday 19/07/99
Waterford United 0 Swansea City 0
Waterford United started the new season with a so-so draw against Swansea City
at the R.S.C. last night, and it very much looked like an opening game.
Indeed, the home side were a bit fortunate that the Swans were as rusty as they
were. Despite all that is said of pre-season games and their utter irrelevance
to the competetive games to come, it was nice that the Blues continued their
unbeaten habit into the new programme. Manager Mike Flanagan can be happy with
a good work-out for his side, and a few good preformances to give him food for
thought over the coming weeks. Most of last season's outfit were in attendance,
with the exception of the departed Joe Harkin, the soon to be departed John
Frost (currently in Sweden with the Ireland U-18s) and Alan Kirby, and the more
mysteriously absent Alan Reynolds and Karl Gannon. The biggest surprise for
many was the return to Waterford of Darren Lonergan, who had a solid game in
the centre of the field and would be a welcome addition to the squad for this
season.
Several completely new, and for the moment unknown, faces made starts with a
view to picking up a contract; Lee Doherty at centre half, Christian Hislop
at left fullback, Terry Bowes at right midfield, and Brian Vaugh wide on the
left, and two of these, Doherty and Hislop, looked quite handy.
However, a lack of cohesion at the back could have cost Waterford dear early
on, as Doherty and Tim McGrath's lack of playing time together seemed responsible
for a couple of free headers which were wastefully directed over by Swansea's
Anthony Bird. Jonathan Coates also wastefully blazed over after a good move,
and the impressive Julian Allsop brought a fine full length body block from
Michael Devine. Waterford suffered in the first half from the midfield seeming
to hang on too long to the ball before releasing it, resulting in a number of
offside calls and numerous missed opportunities to send the front men away,
with Terry Bowes and Derek McGrath most often guilty. Their best chance came
when Jason Kabia just missed a flashing cross from Vaugh after a good run.
The second half was much the same, as the uncertain Blues defence allowed Coates
two good runs into the box, the first ending with a shot over the top, the second
well held by Devine. Allsop blazed another over the bar from 12 yards shortly
afterwards, before Devine made two excellent saves in two minutes round about
the hour mark; Martin Thomas steamed in at the far post to volley home but was
denied by Devine's shins at point blank range, and then good work from Allsop
and Coates set up Bird for a sweetly struck shot that Devine dived full lenght
to his right to turn around the post. United's best chance of the half fell
to Robbie Griffin, but his header from Hislop's floated free kick flew a yard
wide of the angle of post and crossbar. Barry Wood managed one of his custom
30-yarders late on, but it was off target by a similar amount as it fizzed over
the top.
So Swansea had the lion's share of the clear cut chances, but weren't as dominating
as the above two paragraphs would make it seem, and, apart from a few defensive
lapses that looked to be as much down to unfamiliarity between players as anything
else, the Blues defence coped quite well. In midfield and up front, the home
side looked a lot less likely, but that will hopefully begin to sort itself
out when the players get a few games under their belts. There was also the bonus
of a few good performances, notably Lonergan, Hislop, and, especially, Mick
Devine, who continues where he left off last season with the Man of the Match
vote.
Team:
Michael Devine, Dave Smith, Lee Doherty, Tim McGrath, Christian Hislop, Terry
Bowes, Derek McGrath, Darren Lonergan, Brian Vaugh, Dominic Iorfa, Jason Kabia
Subs: Sean Riordan for T McGrath, Brian Flood for D McGrath, Barry Wood for
Kabia (all half time), Robbie Griffin for Bowes (60), Jody Byrne, Dave Kelleher
not used.
Some stats from his time with Kirkintilloch Rob Roy http://www.robroy.org.uk/player.asp?pid=57
Player profile - Brian Vaugh
Position(s) Forward Current player? No
Statistics (totals)
Appearances: 103 games (90 starts, 13 as sub).
Goals: 17.
Goal details: Left footed: 1.
Outside box: 1.
Player of match awards: 8.
Yellow cards: 5.
Red cards: 1.
Doug Vaugh, England 20 April 2000 Copies page Home Back to Geneaolgy