NAME: Paul Brewster DATE OF BIRTH: 20th August 1971 HEIGHT: 6ft WEIGHT: 13st 4lbs CLUB: Enniskillen Gaels COUNTY: Fermanagh HONOURS: 1 Senior Football Championship, 1 Senior Football League 1992 with Enniskillen, 3 Minor Football Championships and 1 ulster Minor Club Championship (St. Paul's Tournament), 1 Ryan Cup with Queens University Belfast PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: Student, Queens University Belfast INTER-COUNTY DEBUT: Fermanagh v Sligo, October 1990 FAVOURITE GROUNDS: Clones and Corrigan Park, Belfast are my favourites DISLIKES ABOUT THE GAA: The differences in interpretation of the rules by refs - but I think that the rules are at fault FAVOURITE POSITION: Centre half back or midfield TOUGHEST OPPONENT: All opponents are tough BEST GAME SEEN: This year's All-Ireland final between Donegal and Dublin PLAYERS WITH A PROMISING FUTURE: Paul McGraine (Armagh) and Paddy McGuinness, Tony Collins (both Fermanagh) HOPES FOR 1993: To go unbeaten in major competitions for the whole year. (I start every year with this resolution) FAVOURITE PLAYERS CLUB & COUNTY: I think Enda Gormley (Derry) is a class footballer BIGGEST INFLUENCE ON CAREER: I have learned a lot of things from a lot of people and Peter McGinnity, Dessie Ryan (Tyrone), Hugh McCabe, Dermot Dowling, present QUB manager have been most helpful FERMANAGH WENT UNDER HEAVILY TO DONEGAL IN LAST SUMMER'S CHAMPIONSHIP. DID YOU PLAY THAT DAY: I played centre half forward that day and it was probably the worst day in my footballing career. Donegal thrashed us scoring 2-8 in the last 10 minutes WHAT WENT WRONG: The sending off of Michael O'Brien at the end of the first half had a major bearing on the result but we learned a lot from the experience and the next time we play Donegal we will be ready for them YOUR VIEWS ON THIS YEAR'S PROVINCIAL DRAW: I think that the Ulster Championship is always hard to win, no matter what the draw. It's hard luck that we got drawn for a preliminary round game but I'm looking forward to this year's championship CAN YOU SEEN DONEGAL PUTTING ULSTER AND ALL-IRELAND TITLES BACK TO BACK: If Donegal can put back to back Ulster titles together then they will have proved themselves as a great team - I think they will have their work cut out WHO WOULD BE THE BIGGEST DANGER TO THE CHAMPIONS IN ULSTER: Derry and Down are the obvious dangers but Ulster football is so competitive and being championship, I could see anyone in Ulster beating Donegal. They play Antrim in the first round and I know that Antrim will be intent on knocking out the All-Ireland champions FERMANAGH TO CONTINUE THEIR IMPROVEMENT IN 1993 WITH ONE PAUL BREWSTER MUCH TO THE FORE: I hope I can play a major part in bringing success to Fermanagh in 1993. Our supporters have been loyal to a cause for years and I think that the time is coming where the boys on the field give the people on the terraces something back in return for their loyal support! THE COUNTY TEAM ARE OBVIOUSLY TRAINING VERY HARD: To play football at the top level, you have to train hard. The standard of fitness demanded at the moment requires total commitment and dedication to training and to get results, this has to be done NEW MANAGER HUGH McCABE - HAS HE MADE A BIG IMPRESSION: Hugh, Mannix and Benny have a great way with the players and whatever they are doing seems to be working well. I have a lot of time for our mentors YOU HAVE SOME TOUGH GAMES IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE SERIES: I was delighted to see the draw for this year's League. I am especially looking forward to our matches against Mayo, Armagh and Kerry. It is good to play against some of the best teams in the country and the tougher the better - you can only improve by playing against good opposition YOU ARE STILL GOING TO UNIVERSITY. ALL THE FOOTBALL, DOES IT INTERFERE WITH THE STUDIES: It is more a question of the studying interfering with the football. Anthony Tohill (Derry) and Kieran McFeeney (Armagh) are in the same classes as myself and I am living with Mark Gallagher, Paul Greene and Finbar McGrath (all members of the Fermanagh squad) so studying is fitted in whenever and wherever but not totally neglected FERMANAGH, WE ARE TOLD, HAVE SOME OF THE BEST YOUNG PROSPECTS PLAYING FOOTBALL. WHO WOULD THESE YOUNG PLAYERS BE: Mark Gallagher, Paddy McGuinness, Tommy Callaghan, Tony Collins are some of the young men of Fermanagh. I have been lucky to have grown up with a good bunch of kids and hopefully we can serve our county well YOU HAVE A SMALLER PLAYING PICK THAN ANY OTHER COUNTY IN ULSTER. FERMANANGH TEAMS, AND ESPECIALLY AT UNDERAGE LEVEL, HAVE TO FIND THIS A DISADVANTAGE: You have what you have - having a small population probably leads to the team being close together and it is always nice winning over teams with a a large pick - a victory for the small guns over the big guns FERMANAGH ARE HAVING A GREAT RUN AT THE MOMENT. WHY HAVE YOU IMPROVED SO MUCH: A lot of people think that we came out of nowhere but we have always had a lot of talented footballers in the county, but maybe not the belief in our capabilities. The influx of a lot of new young players in recent years has strengthened the county squad and the players are showing great commitment - our management team Hugh McCabe, Mannix Magee, Benny Burns have put a lot of time with us and expect our run to continue YOUR FATHER MICHAEL WAS A FAMOUS FERMANAGH FOOTBALLER: It's no doubting that he was one of the best around - everywhere I go people that knew him tell me how good he was - I only wish I could have seen him play - but someday I hope to have the same people saying to me that I was as good as my father. He as had a major influence on my football career THE LOCAL PITCH IS CALLED BREWSTER PARK: My father died in 1979 when the pitch was in the process of being built. He was a prominent figure in it's development and also in the local club so when it opened in 1982 I thought it was a great gesture on behalf of the club - the 10th anniversary of the opening of the pitch was 1992 and winning my first senior football championship with the club meant a lot to me and also to the club GROWING UP AND EVEN IN 1992, ARE YOU STILL COMPARED TO YOUR FATHER: I don't know about being compared to him but I'm sure that people do make comparisons - I am often told that if I was half as good as he was, I would be a great 'un (as they say in Fermanangh). I have my own goals and ambitions that I plan to achieve no mater what other people say Taken from Hogan Stand magazine 29th January 1993 Vol 3 No 4 Tweet

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