Cassidy Brothers at the centre of the Crossmaglen cause for nearly twenty years Ulster has produced its own quota of famous footballing brothers down the years. In Down there is the McCartans clan, in Tyrone the Canavans and in Derry the Downeys, to name but a few. And up in the Orchard County, the Cassidy brothers are widely known for their exploits on the county's footballing fields and beyond. For well over fifteen years, Thomas and Benny Cassidy have worn the colours of Crossmaglen Rangers, experiencing the ups and downs of inter county football, with Thomas carving out a regular place for himself on the Armagh senior team during the 1980s and with Benny appearing for the under 21s and minors. For them football has become a way of life and while both are now into their thirties, there is no indication that they are ready to hang up their boots just yet. Instead, they intend to continue helping Crossmaglen to regain their place as the leading club in the Orchard County. The Rangers have a rich tradition in gaelic football, having won the senior county title on many occasions, but in the past nine years their quest for championship glory has proved fruitless, something they want to put right before too long. "The people in Crossmaglen expect the club to do well and to go nine years without winning a title is a long time for us," says Thomas. The Cassidy brothers moved up through the Crossmaglen underage teams showing the type of commitment and skills that was to make them into two of the most promising young players at the club. Both started playing senior club football at an early age, but Benny's debut was by far the most spectacular. "I made my senior debut in the county final of all places in 1977. I was one of the subs and the game was only a few minutes old when one of our players was injured and I was brought on to replace him. It was a real baptism of fire. That final was a tough game. I would love to have a video of it to see it again but it went by very quickly. I hadn't time to be nervous. I didn't expect to be playing and once I got on the field, things went well and we ended up winning it. The same year I won county minor and under 21 medals." Playing at right half back Benny, now 33, became a regular member of the Crossmaglen senior fifteen but their tenure as county champions turned out to be a short one. "We were beaten in the first round of the championship in '78 by Carrickcruppin who had a very good team at the time. They beat us in fact, for the following five years in the championship. They have a bogey over us year after year. We just couldn't beat them. We had a good team ourselves in those days with players like Joe Kernan and Larry Kearns." Benny made his inter county championship debut when he appeared for the Armagh minors against Cavan. A short while later he was brought on to the county under 21 side and retained his place on the team for two years. "Unfortunately, we were beaten in the first round of the Ulster championship twice. I played a few challenge games for the Armagh seniors but that was all," he recalls. In 1983 Crossmaglen finally rid themselves of the Carrickcruppin jinx to win the senior title but a similar success three years later remains special for Benny ... and for a very good reason. "In 1986 I was the club captain so it was a great honour for me to lead the team to that success. We beat Pearse Og. We played well that day. I remember it was a close enough game but at the same time we were never in any real danger of losing. We took an early lead and we held onto it throughout the game. It was a special victory for me but championships are always appreciated in Crossmaglen. We have won 25 county titles here and it is always nice to add another one." Since then, however, success has proved more elusive. "In 1986 we had the tail end of the 1977 team and after that a lot of our players retired and we had to start and build a new team again. Unfortunately, we haven't managed to win a title since which is very disappointing. In Crossmaglen, unless you have won a championship medal you are not considered a footballer!" Despite the disappointment in recent years, Benny is still enjoying the game as much as ever; the buzz of toiling for your local team in the intensity of a championship clash has lost little of its lustre for him. "I enjoy playing football now as much as I did when I started. The crack after the game, the build up beforehand, and the comraderie among the players. I have five league medals I won with the club, but I would swap them all for a championship medal. I would love to help Crossmaglen to another title or two before I hang up the boots. We are expected to do well in the championship around here. Last year we were beaten in the semi final and we were second in the league, yet it was not considered a good year, so winning another title would be great for us." Trying hard to achieve that objective alongside Benny this summer will be Thomas, who at 35 is the older of the two brothers. Standing at six foot two inches, Thomas is tailor made for midfield or full back and it is in the latter position that he made his name as an inter county footballer with his native county. Thomas was first brought into the Armagh panel in the red letter year of 1977 when the Orchard County reached the All-Ireland final, only to be beaten by the Dubs (5-12 to 3-6). "I was on the panel that year but I didn't play in any of the games, but it was still a great experience for me. I was only a youngster starting out so it was all new to me." Making his debut against Louth in the league the following autumn, Thomas looked set to embark on a long career on the inter county stage, but it took him a while to stake a permanent place on the team. "I played a couple of games in '77 and '78 but I wasn't ready to be blooded onto the team at that stage. Tom McCreesh was retiring at the time and they were looking for someone to replace him but I was so inexperienced and it was not until 1984 or so that I established a place on the team. I was struggling to get a place before that but I kept at it. When I was playing with the club at that time I always had it in my head to get back on the Armagh team." His perseverance paid off and he became the county's first choice number three. But success in the Ulster championship was to prove much harder to come by. "I played in a couple of Ulster finals but I am afraid we didn't win any of them. For me, the biggest disappointment was losing to Tyrone in the 1984 final. It was going well for us up to that but it came to a sad end. It would have been nice to win an Ulster medal." Ironically, Thomas played his last championship game against Tyrone. "We played them in Omagh in the first round of the 1989 championship and they beat us. My father (Benny snr.) died the same year and business commitments just didn't give me the time to continue playing inter county football, so I had no choice but opt out. It just wasn't possible for me to continue on, but I have no regrets." Since '89 Benny and Thomas have worked in partnership running the B. Cassidy & Sons Garage business. Their services include a filling station, garage, body repair shop and motor factor shop and while time is a precious commodity, they always make sure to be available to help out Crossmaglen in their quest for further glory. Thomas has shown that he has lost little of the skill and determination that saw him become an inter county player. Last year he won the club Player of the Year award and his enthusiasm for football has diminished little with the passing years. "Last year was one of my most enjoyable with the club. For a few years I found it hard to find the time to play and train because of business commitments, but last season things went well for me and to feel you are wanted and accepted by the young lads in the team is a great feeling." Since his own days as a young rookie starting out, Thomas has noticed many changes in the way football is played, particularly when it comes to the full back position. "It is a changed game no doubt about that. The small, faster full back is taking over. Most teams are adopting a running game and it is hard for a big full back to play against them. A lot depends on the style of play a team employs, a team has to play according to their strengths." During his long career, Thomas has played against some of gaelic football's top stars. "I have come up against some great players including Colm O'Rourke, Matt Connor, Ambrose Rogers and Frank McGuigan, who once scored eleven points against us. Frank was a brilliant player. I will never forget him or forgive him (laughs). He had to be the best player I played against." While Thomas often misses the excitement of inter county football, his sights now are firmly set on winning another county title for Crossmaglen Rangers. He captained the team when they won the championship in 1983, a feat he would love to repeat soon. "Time, I suppose, is running out now but when you see players like Jimmy Kerrigan and how he is playing, it gives you encouragement but before I call it a day I would love to help Crossmaglen to another title. I feel with a bit of luck we can do it before too long." Taken from Hogan Stand magazine 8th April 1994 Tweet

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