Jonathan Speak
By Rodney Dullaghan 08-09-03

When news broke last night that 'Speakie' had been sacked from the club, it signalled the end of an era for one of Finn Harps' favourites sons.

Speak started his League Of Ireland career with Dundalk in the early eighties but it was with neighbours Derry City that he made his name as one of the top marksmen in the country. He then had a stint with Irish League side Ballymena United before he re-joined the League Of Ireland with Harps in August 1994. He was the bit of class that Harps needed if they were to get out of the First Division.

He led the Harps gallop to promotion in 1995-96, weighing in with 17 goals that season. Indeed, he was the clubs top scorer for the next three seasons. Speak played 209 times for Harps in all competitions and scored 81 goals, 64 league goals in 152 matches. He also scored the winner in the 1999 FAI Cup semi-final in Terryland Park against Galway to send Harps to their first Cup Final in 25 years and scored again in one of the Cup Final replays in Tolka Park.

When Gavin Dykes took over the managerial reigns from Charlie McGeever in 2000, he appointed Speak as his assistant. Speak was also manager of a very talented Harps Under 21 team at the time.

When Dykes resigned after an abysmal run of games that left Harps rooted to the bottom of the Premier table, Speak took over as caretaker, if somewhat reluctantly. He took Harps on an amazing unbeaten run of 14 games only to be cruelly relegated on the last day of the season.

He took on the position of player-manager on a permanent position the following season, which would see only the champions of the First Division gain automatic promotion. Drogheda United would win the league, again on the last day of the season as Harps finished second. They faced Longford Town in the playoffs and after a one nil defeat away in Flancare Park, Harps produced one of their best displays in Finn Park since the '70s. They went one down early in the first half but they battled like warriors with Kevin McHugh scoring a superb hat-trick. Unfortunately it wasn't to be as Speak conceeded an injury time penalty in extra time and Harps were then beaten on penalties.

Speak remained at the helm for the start of the summer soccer season of 2002. This season Waterford United made all the running to go up as champions and once more Harps had to settle for runners-up spot and a place in the playoffs which was abruptly ended by Galway United in the semi-final. Speak did lead Harps to lift their first national silverware in 28 years beating Kildare County 4-0 on aggregate in the final of the First Division Cup in September 2002.

He started what would be his third and final season as Harps manager at the start of this season and in August Harps were sitting top of the league. With Dublin City, Kildare County and Bray Wanderers all pushing hard for the coveted top spot and automatic promotion, there was to be little room for error. Unfortunatley three points from twelve in Harps last four games, including a home defeat to Sligo and a draw in Finn Park last Friday against leaders Dublin City left Harps in fourth place and five points off the pace. Even though Harps had only lost two games all season, too many draws and dropped points against poor opposition signalled the end of the road for the Sion-man and his nine year association with the club.

All Harps fans will never forget the impact that he had on the club, especially the season we finally got promoted, in no small part to his goal tally. We will remember his goals in the FAI Cup run that took us to our first final since the seventies and the flair and skiill that he tormented some of the best defenses in the Premier with in the late ninties.We will remember him as one of THE Harps greats. He will alway have a place dear in the hearts of the Finn Park faithful and we hope we will still see him around the old ground on match nights.

Thanks Speakie for all the memories.