Tummery Athletic manager Ryan Hanna says it ‘means everything’ to everybody at the club after they were confirmed as Mercer League champions this week.

“It means everything to the club. I am only here a short period of time but it means everything to them. They have never won the Mercer League before, they have come close a couple of times especially recently under Gerry Love and Benny McElholm as well, so to get over the line is brilliant. The people at the club would do anything for you and it just means so much to them,” he said.

And he is hoping that they can kick on and build on this success.

“This is hopefully only a start. We have got the monkey off the back, Tummery were always said to be a great cup team but we have changed that mentality, we are at the top table now and we want to stay there for as long as we can,” he stated.

Tummery came out on top after average points was applied to end the season after the campaign was curtailed when sport was brought to a halt due to coronavirus.

Hanna admits that it is not the ideal way to be declared champions but he is in no doubt that his side, who were sitting seven points clear with six games to go, would have gone on to win the title if it had been finished. A vote by clubs back in May had backed an average points finish but this was subject to an appeal which took eleven weeks to be concluded. Another vote last week then again came up with the same decision.

“I have always said that while finishing this way is not ideal, it is the right decision. Democracy has spoke twice, that’s the outcome, and I think that the table doesn’t lie.

“We put in months and months of work to get to where we are and a pandemic stopped us. I don’t think we would have been stopped if it hadn’t come along. We were in great form, we had momentum and that’s testament to the work the lads had been doing. I just couldn’t see anyone stopping us, the train was on the tracks and we were getting to one destination only and that was the Mercer League title,” he added.

The Dromore side may only have been confirmed as last season’s champions but for Hanna the focus is already on the new season.

“We are in our sixth week of pre-season, last season is done and dusted and we are fully focused on next season.

“I have a few new players in, Mickey Logue has joined from Strathroy Harps and Tommy Mullan is in from Omagh Hospitals. I still have my finger in a couple of pies and hopefully we can get one or two more but if we started the season now with the current squad I would be happy, “said Hanna.