Alan Whelan

Then the owner of the Red Lion Pub, Dubliner Alan Whelan founded the Village Lions in 1989, as the various bartenders, bouncers and boozers from the bar pulled on the black and white jersey and took the pitch. With Whelan running the show, and bringing in rugby talent from all corners of the globe, the club promptly won Division III and then Division II, and developed a reputation as a team that partied as hard as it played.

Whelan, 65, has since sold the pub, and currently works in finance on Long Island while running the St. John’s rugby program. He made it out to play for the Old Boys on October 2nd, and ended up refereeing the match. Whelan shares his thoughts on the Lions past, present and future.

A PINT WITH: What compels you to come out all these years after founding the club?
A: It keeps me involved and in touch. I love the game. I love to see what we founded, and to see the guys. It keeps me young.

APW: How do you feel when you see the guys out, like Thierry Langlais and Mike Bainbridge, who helped you found the Lions?
A: These guys are the building blocks of the club. It’s indicative of the great spirit we had that these guys, at their age, are still here, still want to play, still want to win.

APW: Are you encouraged to see the club on solid footing today, with officers, strong organization, good turnouts, the tournament?
A: I’m ecstatic. It’s just fantastic to come out and see the club still going, because so many clubs over the years have folded or merged. Other clubs came to us and said, "You should throw your lot in with us." I said, "No, we’re going to stand, or we’re going to die on our own two feet." And that’s the spirit of the Lions. We are the Lions, and we’re gonna get in Division I and be a kick-ass team.

APW: What did you think of the A game today?
A: Rockaway is always a tough team. I’ve been playing against Rockaway since the ‘60s, and when they come to play, you better be ready for them. They’ll give you a run for your money. We played them tough today.

APW: What’s your best Lions memory?
A: Getting up into Division I. Winning Division II was incredible, beating the Albany Knickerbockers in a kick-off. We had a Russian guy, Vlad, who could kick goals with either foot, and we pulled that off. We were at our very height then; it was a great time for the Red Lion Pub, and for the Village Lions. It’s super for me to come back and see everything still going on.
And one of the great developments with the club is the ladies team. They’re a great asset to this club. They’ll help us get back to Division I.