Fermanagh SuperCupNI Association have confirmed the appointment of Keith Douglas as Premier Manager for SuperCupNI on a two year deal.

Douglas takes over from Joe Corcoran, whose time in charge was heavily disrupted by the cancellations of SuperCupNI 2020 and 2021, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Clones native Douglas is no stranger to local football, having held coaching / management roles in both youth and senior football on both sides of the border, including spells as manager of Lisnaskea Rovers and coaching Ballinamallard United U18s.

Douglas has also previously held roles in the Cavan / Monaghan and Meath District leagues and Oscar Traynor league representative teams.

Fermanagh SuperCupNI Chairperson Scott Robinson spoke of his delight in securing the services of the experienced manager.

“We are delighted to have Keith on board as Premier Manager. He is an exceptional manager with a proven track record of success at both youth and senior level.

“The role of managing an U18 squad at one of the biggest youth football competitions in the world is a match made in heaven, both for Keith and ourselves.

Robinson continued “Alongside his talent as a coach, Keith is all about the kids and that is absolutely vital when we are looking to appointment people into positions at Fermanagh SuperCupNI.

“This competition is all about the young people, who have missed out on so much these past 18 months or so, not least two opportunities to play in this magnificent competition. So it’s important that they are always at the forefront of our thinking and any decisions we make. We look forward to working with Keith for the next two years, as we prepare for SuperCupNI 2022 and 2023.”

The Fermanagh chair concluded by paying tribute to the outgoing Premier Manager, Joe Corcoran.

“Unfortunately, when Joe was appointed to the position of Premier Manager in 2019, none of us knew what was coming the following year with the onset of the pandemic.

“Joe was appointed on a two year basis and on both occasions the tournament was cancelled due to Covid, which we of course supported at the time.

“The consequence of this though was that Joe never had the opportunity to even so much as have one training session with any prospective Premier players.

“It was frustrating for him that he never got a chance to get into the role properly and as a result of his circumstances changing he was unable to commit to us moving forward, which we completely understand.

“The committee, of course, wish Joe and his backroom team all the very best in their future endeavours both on and off the football field.”