Crown dedicates league title success to father

Crown stated he felt his father was looking down today and ensured they got that little bit of luck to deservedly clinch the league.

Stute players decided to let Crown and skipper Paddy McLaughlin collect the trophy from Northern Ireland League committee member Jackie Morrison.

“It definitely was an emotional day but it was a proud moment as well because I know that he was looking down on me and in my opinion that’s what got us there.

“It was great that all the family was at the game, my mother, sister, brother, aunt, uncle and cousin, they were all at the match, it was great just to go over to them at the end of the game and share in the celebrations.

“It was a great finish to the season and you couldn’t have asked for anything more from both ourselves and Bangor, but from a personal point of view things worked out for us.”

The talented defender, who for the last few months has been playing through the pain barrier with a knee problem, acknowledged those few minutes waiting on news from Bangor will live long in the memory.

“It definitely was the longest minute or so standing on a football pitch without playing,” he joked.

“I was standing on the centre circle waiting for the result to come in, the tension was madness but fortunately the result from the Bangor game went our way.”

Crown like everyone connected with the Drumahoe club can’t wait to be locking horns with the big guns from Belfast, but like the dedicated professional he is the versatile man is already looking ahead to pre-season training.

“I can’t wait to be playing against the likes of Cliftonville, Linfield, Glentoran and all those teams.

“I want to get a good pre-season under my belt and then see how it goes from there, it will be great to be playing again at the likes of Windsor Park, The Oval and Solitude, it’s also great for the club that we are back in the Premiership.”

As for boss Paul Kee he admits taking his home town club back into the top flight of Irish League football is his best achievement and he admits his style of football which served him so well in Championship One will tried to be played in the Premiership next season.

He also believes that the likes of Crown, Michael McCrudden, Darren McCauley, Aaron Walsh, Gary Henderson, Ryan Varma and most recently Stephen Curry all deserve their chance in the big league.

“This definitely the best achievement I have had in football,” he stated.

“It’s well documented that the club is amateur and the players have made big sacrifices, there isn’t a lot of financial reward and to get back into the Premiership on the budget that we are on, is a fantastic achievement, not just by the players but by the staff and committee.

“When the news came through that Bangor had drawn then there was obviously hysteria and I was really pleased for the players, staff, committee members and supporters.

“We definitely won’t be going into the Premiership to make the numbers up, we have a strategy which worked for the last couple of years, where we try to play an expansive game.

The fact that we have got such a good offensive game and we have mixed it in terms of us working hard and defending and that’s our platform for next season.

“I feel we have some players who deserve to grace the Premiership.”