FC Isle of Man can confirm that captain Seán Doyle will be leaving the club at the end of the current season. After four memorable years in a Ravens shirt, Doyle departs having made 120 appearances and scored 89 goals.
Seán has been at the heart of everything we have achieved since our inception. His leadership, character and finishing ability have helped shape the identity of this club both on and off the pitch. We also caught up with Seán, who recorded a personal message for fans which you can watch here:
Doyle is not the only player departing. Jack McVey and Ronan McDonnell will also be stepping away at the end of the campaign.
Jack has been ever-present for the Ravens, clocking up 137 appearances and scoring 34 goals across multiple seasons. His commitment and consistency have been a credit to the club and his influence will be missed. He had this to say:
“My favourite memory has to be scoring the first ever goal against Guernsey in the Skipton Cup in front of a sell-out crowd. That first season stands out for obvious reasons. It was a special time. I have no firm plans at the moment. It is a busy spell coming up, with a few trips away and my wedding in July, so I will have plenty on. I will play for St Mary’s locally when I can, but nothing is set in stone just yet.”
Ronan, who featured 73 times and scored three goals, leaves due to work commitments but has left a lasting impression with his professionalism and team spirit. Reflecting on his time with us, Ronan said:
“It’s been a privilege to play for the Ravens over the last few years. I have enjoyed testing myself against some top players that I wouldn’t have otherwise had the opportunity to come up against. My favourite memory would have to be being part of the squad to win the First Division Challenge Cup. The call-up came from nowhere at the time, and we were pretty much expecting to get knocked out straight away so to go on and win it at home in front of a full bowl was amazing. Although I’ll be stepping away from FC IOM due to work commitments, I will still be playing in the local game, but I will definitely be supporting the lads as much as I can. The players, coaches and volunteers of FC Isle of Man pour so much time, dedication and passion into this club. Their tireless work, on and off the pitch, makes everything possible and they truly deserve all the support we can give them.”
Chairman Gill Christian and Vice-Chairman Lee Dixon have also shared their thoughts on the departing players, as well as the lessons learned from previous campaigns and how the club is evolving in its approach to player departures. That conversation is available to listen to here:
Finally, look out for more updates later this week, including further news on departures elsewhere in the club and we have an extended interview with manager Paul Jones discussing all the news from the last week coming ahead of kick-off in Saturday’s match.
Everyone at FC Isle of Man thanks Seán, Jack and Ronan for their efforts in a Ravens shirt and wishes them all the best for what comes next.
A huge thanks also goes to Ian Strodder for keeping and providing us with the impeccable stats.
