Hasson, Frank
June 16, 1995
Former Antrim Star
Frank Hasson
Loves Football to a Fault
For the first time in many years, Frank Hasson will not be helping his club Rasharkin in the Antrim Senior County Championship this summer. At the twilight of a long career Frank has decided to take a back seat and help the club reserves in their quest for glory. The prospect of hanging up the boots altogether proved too unpalatable for the former Antrim star; since the late sixties football has been an integral part of his life and making a clean break was never going to be an option.
"I played Senior football up to last year and while I always enjoyed playing at that grade, I was beginning to find the training a bit hard. I've had plenty of good times though and I can continue to enjoy playing with the reserves, it is not as demanding at that level," says Frank, who is now in his late thirties.
Among the highlights he can look back on is winning an Intermediate county title with Rasharkin in 1978 and the victories he enjoyed with Antrim footballers including a McKenna Cup medal in the late seventies. From '77 to '82 Hasson was Antrim's regular full back; the position where his six foot frame and high fielding ability was most useful. A Rasharkin man to the backbone, Frank has spent all his career with the club. Located close to Kilrea, on the Derry border, Rasharkin have experienced a chequered history doing enough to become a senior club but failing to stay in the top grade more than few years at a time.
"We are one of those clubs which tends to move between the Senior and Intermediate grades. We have a small parish to pick from and we have a couple of very big clubs as our neighbours. We are close to the heartland of hurling in Antrim and while we play hurling we are better known as a football club", explains Frank, whose sister Bernie Hasson (now Bernie McAliskey) played camogie for Antrim and Ulster.
The immense experience of the ex-Antrim player is channelled these days into building a better and brighter future for his club. Working along with colleagues Liam hardy and this year Jim Rafferty, frank Hasson looks after the Under 16 football team. Twelve months ago the team did well in winning a south-west League in what was a memorable year for the underage teams at Rasharkin.
"The Under 14s won an All-Ireland League, the Under 16s won the south west League, our Minors did very well in taking the county title and they also won their south west League and the Laverty Cup. Considering the success enjoyed by all these teams, it seems we have a bright future. I enjoy working with the youngsters. I had somebody to guide me and show me the way at that age and I think it is only right I should put something back into the game".
Growing up Frank was rarely short of a companion or two to accompany him in a kick-around. He is one of six brothers, all of whom played with Rasharkin at one time or another with older brother Seamus also going on to play in the Antrim colours and winning an Ulster Junior medal back in the sixties. Today all the Hasson brothers remain part of the same team as directors of the family business - M. Hasson and Sons - a structural engineering firm established by the sons' late father Michael Hasson in 1951. The six Hasson brothers are Pat, Michael, Seamus, Frank, Charlie and Terry.
The eldest brother Pat is the current chairman of Rasharkin and Managing Director of the company which became a limited company in 1976. M. Hasson and Sons is a medium sized company with a well equipped fabrication shop with conventional machines and Peddinghaus Computer-controlled sawing and drilling systems with a capacity to take up to one metre wide beams.
The company factory takes up an area of 25,000 square feet located in Rasharkin and close to main road routes convenient for transporting steel to all locations on either side of the border. Only personnel with all the necessary skills to meet customer requirements are employed.
The steady rate of progress enjoyed by M. Hasson and Sons over the past forty four years has been down to hard work and the emphasis placed by the firm on producing a top quality product and meeting customer deadline with a well trained staff who have a wide experience in all types of structural steelwork and general steel fabrication work for factories, warehouses, hospitals, schools, multi-storey blocks abattoirs and shopping complexes.
The company is committed to "a total quality programme," which will involve upgrading and maintaining all aspects of the business in its endeavour to be the best in its class.
Frank Hasson has a number of good reasons to remember in intercounty debut with Antrim back in the early seventies as full back. His direct opponent turned out to be none other than Dermot Earely, one of the top players in the country. "We played Roscommon in the National League, it was a baptism of fire for me but I can remember him wishing me all the best before the start of the match. He was a fine player and a very nice man".
Over the next few the Rasharkin full back became a county regular but apart from wining the McKenna Cup, success was to prove elusive. "We always made a big effort to do something in the Championship but the closest we came was getting to the semi-final stage where Armagh bet us on a few occasions. I had the opportunity, though to play against some of the best players around including Jimmy Keaveney, Eoin Liston, Dermot Earley, Frank McGuigan, Eugene McKenna all tremendous players. I didn't win much with Antrim but it was always an honour to wear the county jersey".
Since making his intercounty debut Frank has noted big changes in the role of the full back. "I was always the type of player who preferred to stay around the edge of the square and play behind a forward but now full backs regularly move upfield like Derry's Tony Scullion, Gary Coleman scored a point against Armagh which showed how far he had moved upfield. I never liked going too far beyond the half way line, it would take me too long to get back, pace was never one of my strongest points. These days a full back needs to be very pacy and most full backs nowadays are fairly small and quick".
Disappointed with Antrim's record in the Ulster Championship in recent times Frank believes his county missed a golden opportunity to raise morale when losing to Wicklow in the All-Ireland 'B' final a few years ago. "It was a bad miss for Antrim but they didn't put their scores away. That was one of the problems with Antrim football teams; they have lacked a free taker like Manus Boyle or Enda Gormley or Peter Canavan, somebody who can punish the opposition for any indiscretions".
To make Antrim a strong force in Ulster again Frank believes in a new beginning will have to be made, coaching youngsters all the way up through the ranks. What Antrim is lacking most of all is a strong GAA school where the talent of young players can be nurtured and developed and a foundation for the future success can be laid. Pointing out that there are famous and highly successful schools, in other counties such as Derry's St. Pat's in Maghera, St. Coleman's in Down, Frank asserts a similar institution is essential for the future health of Antrim football.
Turning to this summer, who does he feel will take this year's Ulster title. "On paper you would have to go for Derry, they played extremely well against Armagh in their opening match and looked the part of champions but I have a feeling Tyrone could cause a surprise or two, they could be the dark horses".
While the excitement of the Ulster Championship is unfolding Frank Hasson will be trying to lead Rasharkin Juniors to glory. For the first time in many years he won't be playing Senior football for his club but that won't diminish his commitment and determination - traits that marked Frank Hasson's long and successful career in the game.
Taken from Hogan Stand magazine
16th June, 1995
Most Read Stories