STEPHEN STACK: While the rumours were floating around over the past few days very few were certain as to what might happen until Elma’s text arrived informing that, after four brilliant years, Stephen Stack was stepping down as SF Team Manager and advising to go to the Club Website for the official Press Release which contained Club Chairman, Liam Lynch’s well-deserved tribute.
Stephen first came to the notice of the wider Kerry GAA fraternity when he was a member of the Kerry Minor team in 1984. The following year he made his Kerry SF debut in a NFL game in Castleblayney against Monaghan and the year after made his Championship debut in Clonmel, against Tipperary. Later that year he was on the Kerry panel, winning the first of his 2 All Ireland Medals. Then came Kerry’s barren years but Stephen was still there 11 years later (in fact he was the only one of the 1986 panel to survive to 1997) to win his 2nd medal in 1997. The following year he stepped down from the Kerry scene.
When he took over the reins for the Rock at the start of the 2013 season he was inheriting a very solid base left by Wayne Quillinan. But season by season Stephen added to and strengthened the system. From the start he brought two stalwarts, with years of experience, on his Management team – John Joe Sugrue and Paul Lucey. He also brought Pa Laide on board in 2013 and in the following years supplemented it with men like Ciarán McCabe, John Walsh, William Kirby, Micheál Dillon and Tommy Naughton. And then this year he added two more whose credentials could not be surpassed, Billy Lee and Pat Flanagan. Behind the scenes then he had people like Ger Mannix, John Tobin, Timmy Sheehan, Paudie McQuinn and Fionán Hallinan.
Few would question that he is the Club’s most successful Manager, at least in modern times. Trophies won in his four year stint will confirm that. We won 3 Town Leagues; 2 Town Championships; 1 Co. League (Runners up in 3 more); 1 Club Championship; 1 Co. Championship (runners up in one more); and finally 1 Munster title. The only title that failed us was the All Ireland Club Championship.
He presided over 99 competitive games in those four seasons – winning 70 and drawing 8 – that’s a 75% success rate.
So a huge thank you Stephen for a great four years and any Club or County team that will get you in the future will be fortunate indeed.
