Bill Casey curated by Patrick Coffey

Moving From Schools Competition to Club Competition 1958 - 1960

From 1958 - 1960, there were quite a few fellows playing basketball under Brendan Buckley. Noteably, some of these players were not your typical GAA player but were a different class of player and basketball suited them. These players formed a team for the Leinster colleges.

The Leinster colleges had only two grades - under 16 and under 18. In fact, it was a once off knock out single elimination taking place after Easter (between Easter and Summer). That was the extent of basketball at that time. This changed. You don't play basketball from April until May anymore, you play basketball all year round.

A few players including Bill made enough progress to make it into the Irish Youths team and the Dublin inter-county teams.

When 1960 came, Bill graduated from St. Vincents. The next September, Bill got a phonecall from Brother JC Burke. Brother Burke told Bill that all his good work he did for basketball was going to evaporate because Brendan Buckley is gone back to Tralee to live permanently. The coach and continuity was gone. Brother Burke told Bill that he was the only one who had been through it and asked Bill to coach the school team. Brother Burke persuaded Bill in two ways;
1. Brother Burke explained that the best athletic talent was coming up from the primary school.

2. The Leinster Colleges are after introducing an under 14 Leinster Colleges and we have loads of fellows for that.

Brother Burke also guarenteed that the yard would be full of fellows who want to play basketball. A designated Christian Brother would also be given the job to support Bill every time he came to train the fellows... Bill couldn't refuse this offer. Bill even wanted to get the under 14s out training before the normal April start.

In 1961, the under 14s won the Leinster Colleges. The under 15/16s made great progress aswel. They didn't win but they were decent players.

In September 1962, it was decided that enough players had come through the programme and that a club could be started. A club was then founded in September 1962.

At that time, Bill was playing with St.Josephs. A club that played in Fairview park. A club that brought their own baskets on Sunday and put them up in Fairview park. Bill played with this club as Brendan Buckley brought him into the club. If you check the records, you'll see that St. Josephs won the Dublin league and Senior Championship in 1962 in the month of June.

In the next September, Bill left St. Joesphs and founded St.Vincent's. They put alot of time in building the under 14s and gave them alot of tutition. It paid off as most didn't give it up. In 1964, St. Vincent's were the Dublin Junior Champions and in 1965, St. Vincent's were Dublin Senior Champions.