Joining his fellow graduates of the class of 2018 - Stephen Bradley, Alan Reynolds, Paul Osam, Stephen Henderson, Adrian Carberry, Colin O’Neill, Gary Cronin, Gerard Dunne, Gerard Nash, Graham O’Hanlon, Greg Yelverton, Jim Crawford, and Tommy Barrett - will be the recently appointed Academy Manager at Cobh Ramblers, Frank Kelleher.

The presentation of diplomas in the Rochestown Park Hotel represents tangible reward at the end of a series of intensive study blocks spanning two years which also incorporated workshops, visits to clubs in the UK and Europe and lectures by some of sport’s highest achievers, including Martin O’Neill, Mick McCarthy, and Jim McGuinness.

The graduates also had to deliver a final thesis, with Frank Kelleher submitting his on the subject of ‘Management Trends’ in the SSE Airtricity and Women’s National Leagues.

It’s an area in which he has no little experience himself, having led the Cork City women’s team to FAI Cup final success at the Aviva last November on a memorable day for the club when the men’s team also brought the silverware back to Leeside.

“I must say that the three seasons I had with Cork City Women’s Football Club were fantastic years,” says Kelleher. “I learned so much about the game and managing an organisation at senior level. And the success we had last year was probably my greatest achievement, really. It was great for the club, particularly with the men’s team also winning on the day.”

Steeped in youth football in Cork, Kelleher is now hoping to bring all his academic and practical experience to bear in his new role as Academy Manager (and U19 coach) at Cobh Ramblers.

“What I like about Cobh Ramblers is that they have a very good philosophy of promoting young players into their first team and that for me is one of the main reasons why I got involved,” he says.

“We’ve already started to look at some of the basic things, like player identification, profiling players a bit better, also looking at strength and conditioning.

“We’re organising a new nutritional programme for all the Academy players and generally looking at their lifestyles as young players to see how we can we help them with that. And I’ll be involved in a lot of the coach education as well.”

But successful football clubs work from the top down as well as the bottom up, and Kelleher has already seen the inspirational effect across all the levels at the club of Cobh’s historic victory over Dundalk in the EA Sports Cup semi-final.

“I was there on the day and it was absolutely incredible,” he says. “I would have coached a number of the players at youth level so I would know them quite well. I think it was an exceptional day with an exceptional performance by the team. And when I spoke to the U19, 17 and 15 players the following week, they were all talking about it and there was a huge motivation to try and get into that first team.

“It’s fantastic for the club because it does show that there is a true pathway from underage to first-team football.

“My job now is try to produce players for Stephen Henderson and if we get them to that level, then the future is very bright for the football club. It’s a good time to be involved in Cobh Ramblers.”

Ahead of this evening’s Pro-Licence Graduation, the FAI’s Festival of Football continues today with visits to Fermoy FC, Watergrasshill United, St Mary’s FC, Temple United, Everton FC, and Lakewood Athletic.