Tony Scullion

Tony Scullion
Personal information
Irish name Antóin Ó Scolláin
Sport Gaelic Football
Position Full Back
Born (1962-02-06) 6 February 1962
Derry, Northern Ireland
Height 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in)
Nickname Tiger
Occupation Football Development Officer
Club(s)
Years Club
1978-2000 Ballinascreen
Inter-county(ies)
Years County
1983-1996 Derry
Inter-county titles
Ulster titles 2
All-Irelands 1
NFL 3
All Stars 4

Tony 'The Tiger' Scullion (Irish: Antóin Ó Scolláin; born 6 February 1962) is a former Irish dual player who played Gaelic football and hurling with Derry in the 1980s and 1990s. He is chiefly known as a footballer and was part of Derry's 1993 All-Ireland Championship winning side, also winning Ulster Senior Football Championships in 1987 and 1993. With Derry footballers he usually played in the full-back line and is regarded as one of the best full-backs of his generation.[1] Scullion played club football and hurling with St. Colm's GAC Ballinascreen.

Scullion is among the few players who won four All Stars over the course of their career and was named full back on the Irish News Team of the Decade in 2004.[2] The public voted him onto the All-Time Derry Football Team via an online poll in 2007.[3] He has recently applied for the vacant Derry Senior football manager's job.[4] Previous clubs he has managed include Ballinascreen, Kildress and Eglish. He was Ulster assistant manager to Joe Kernan for the 2008 Railway Cup.[5]

Personal life

Scullion in his role as Ulster GAA Council Football Development Officer

Born in Moneyneany, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, Scullion attended the local St. Eoghan's Primary School, before going to secondary school at St. Colm's, Draperstown. After a further year at Magherafelt Technical College, he went on to work as a labourer for 13 years.[6] He now works as Football Development Officer for the Ulster Council.[7]

Football career

Scullion was a late developer and never played minor football for Derry. He was asked into the U-21 team in his last year. The side went on to win the U-21 1983 Ulster Championship and went on to be runners up to Mayo in the All-Ireland Under-21 Football Championship after a replay.

Playing at full-back, Scullion was man of the match in both the 1987 and 1993 Ulster Senior Football Championship finals. Derry defeated Donegal in the 1993 decider in torrential rain at Clones and he is famed for his diving block in the match. Derry went on to win the 1993 All-Ireland Championship after a semi-final victory over Dublin and final defeat of Cork.

With Derry, Scullion also collected three National Football League medals in 1992, 1995 and 1996.

Scullion (like Derry Team-mate Anthony Tohill) won four GAA All Stars Awards (a record for an Ulster defender, in 1987, 1992, 1993 and 1995 (despite Derry only playing two games that year).

Along with Armagh's Martin McQuillan, Scullion won an incredible six consecutive Interprovincial Championship/Railway Cup medals with Ulster between 1989 and 1995. Only one other player ever won six Railway Cups in a row - Cork's Christy Ring.[8]

He was runner up on three occasions for Ballinascreen in the Derry Senior Football Championship.

Hurling career

Scullion was also a keen hurling for both Ballinascreen and Derry. He played in five Derry Senior Hurling Championship finals and was man of the match in the 1989 final, despite never winning a final. He played for the Derry hurling team between 1983 and 1991.

He was part of the Derry side which were runners up to Down in the 1988 All-Ireland B final.

Honours

Football

County

Club

Province

Individual

Hurling

County

Club

Note: The above lists may be incomplete. Please add any other honours you know of.

References

  1. ↑ "Derry Pen Pics". 1994 Ulster Championship Quarter Final Programme. 29 May 1994.
  2. ↑ "Team of the Decade". Retrieved 2007-12-31.
  3. ↑ "All-Time Derry Senior Football Team". Retrieved 2008-01-21.
  4. ↑ "McCloskey among Derry candidates". BBC Sport Online. 2008-09-10. Retrieved 2008-09-11.
  5. ↑ Campbell, John (22 September 2008). "Ulster looking strong for Rules ties". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 9 December 2008.
  6. ↑ "GAA Hall of Fame - Tony Scullion". Retrieved 2008-01-14.
  7. ↑ "Comhairle Uladh CLG - Staff - Tony Scullion". Archived from the original on 2007-11-21. Retrieved 2008-01-14.
  8. ↑ Shannon, Kieran (2008-06-02). "Local rivalry that led to greatness". Sunday Tribune. Retrieved 2008-06-02.
  9. ↑ Campbell, John (1996-10-26). "Ulster's 15 'stars'". Belfast Telegraoh. Retrieved 2008-10-03.
Gaelic games
Preceded by
Henry Downey		 Derry senior football captain
1995 		Succeeded by
Henry Downey
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