Soccer

Giantkillers’ heroics bring joy to Vermiglio and Killarney’s Chorley Ultras

Manager with Kerry connections thrilled as his side oust Derby to qualify for fourth round draw

Jamie Vermiglio: steered his part-time side past Championship side Derby County and for the first time in their history Chorley FC will take their place in the fourth-round draw. Photograph: Gareth Copley/Getty Images

Brendan Graham
Mon Jan 11 2021 - 06:00

Chorley FC manager Jamie Vermiglio was ecstatic following his side’s historic 2-0 FA Cup victory against Derby County on Saturday afternoon and said the locals of Killarney will all be donning their Chorley jerseys with pride this week as they await Monday’s fourth- and fifth-round draws.

The 38-year-old Liverpudlian, who grew up in Kerry and played most of his youth football in Killarney, navigated his part-time side past Championship side Derby County and for the first time in their history Chorley FC will take their deserved place in the fourth-round draw.

“The build-up was incredible and so exciting and for us to get over the line yesterday, the magnitude is the stuff of dreams, it really is,” said Vermiglio, who has had quite a week as he combines his role as manager with his day job as a headteacher at a primary school in Warrington.

“Our ball is in the draw tomorrow with everyone else and we’ll be watching closely. Firstly the euphoria of yesterday and what it does for the whole community and club is amazing and secondly the finances that it brings to a club like Chorley is so important for us as a club and to help us with all of our exciting plans. Some of the little stories like this as well as the main headlines are what it’s all about.

READ MORE

Born in Liverpool, Vermiglio moved to Killarney as a kid and immediately fell in love with the town and everything associated with it.

“I moved over to Ireland and Killarney in 1992 when I was 10, lived there for about four years or so the first time around. Mum and dad wanted to get away from Liverpool and Killarney is where we headed for. My aunty and uncle already lived there, settled well there and couldn’t recommend it enough.”

As a young kid settling into the area, Jamie wanted to be involved and with his uncle John heavily associated with local soccer club Killarney Celtic that’s where his football journey began.

“I settled there really quickly and made lots of friends with the local people soon after we moved. My uncle John is affiliated to Killarney Celtic and has been a manager and player there for years. He took me down there at 10 years of age and that’s when I started playing for Celtic, which I loved.

“A while after moving to the area I started at the Sem in St Brendan’s College where I made some very good friends and that’s when my allegiances were turned, which caused quite a bit of controversy at the time.

“I ended up switching from Killarney Celtic to Killarney Athletic which didn’t sit very well with my uncle John. I’m sure he was disappointed but I played a lot of my underage and youth football with Killarney Athletic, under-12, under-13 and under-14 then until I moved away again. That’s a big joke around Killarney with a few of my mates all trying to claim me for Athletic or Celtic but I enjoyed every bit of it.”

Second stint

Alongside his busy schedule around the soccer grounds of Kerry, Vermiglio tried his hand at GAA with Legion for a brief stint where he made his mark as well.

“I tried a bit of Gaelic football as well for a while with Legion but didn’t take to it as well as the soccer. I found the solo of the football tricky to master but I do remember I went on to score 3-3 in one game against Spa before I left it be which was a very proud moment for me as a kid.”

Vermiglio departed Kerry for Liverpool once more after a stay of four years but with the scenic surrounds of Kerry well ingrained in his mind at that stage, he returned once more at the age of 18 for another brief stay, this time lining out for the senior team of Killarney Celtic.

During his second stint as a resident of Killarney, he connected with a lot of people, many of whom he is still close friends with today. The connection has built so strong that a Chorley Supporters Group can be found within the schools of Kerry too.

“The story doesn’t really finish there though, I moved back to Killarney again then when I was 18. I was taking a year out before going to university and moved back to Kerry. The plan was for a year, I didn’t end up staying that long but I ended up going back to Killarney Celtic again with my uncle John and played for the senior team while I was there.

“My cousin Seán and his two boys have actually set up in their school an avid Chorley supporters group called the Chorley Ultras. I actually think they have membership of 40 or 50 kids at the school which is quite an amazing story to hear.

“I was only talking to the people who run the Chorley club shop in the last week or so and John told me they’ve actually sold out of jerseys in the run-up to yesterday’s game and most of them have bought by people with Killarney addresses so there’ll be plenty of our colours around the streets of Kerry for a while.

“I also proposed to my wife in Killarney over at Aghadoe Heights so it’s a place that’s really close to my heart and is somewhere I can’t wait to get back to when I can. I am hoping to take my Chorley team over to play against Killarney Celtic when the opportunity presents itself in the future and I’m sure Eamonn will sort us out with a hotel room or two during our stay.”