Maryland Wheelers

For those within the club that were not aware Maryland Wheelers were asked to give some input into Isobel Woods next book. The book is about Ulster Cyclists and a section of which will be devoted to Davy. Alan hodgen and Phil Holland have constructed this piece for it, it is also on our club message board.

 

David McCall was a top class cyclist at International, National and Club level throughout his life on the bike with many road and track honours, plus three Commonwealth Games appearances.

Following his retirement from international racing, he served as an Executive of the Ulster Cycling Federation (Cycling Ulster) for several years. He qualified as a Level Three Coach and Commissaire, plus was the driving force behind the motorcycle marshall training scheme which he launched. He was the inspiration and founder of SportActive cycling, walking and triathlon camps and continued to promote the sport he loved until his sad and very untimely death in August 2008. He was involved with Scottish Cycling and the Braveheart Fund, which raises funds to help young riders achieve their potential. In 2007 he along with the Blazing Saddles charity cycled the length of Ireland in less than 24 hours purely to raise money for charity. David made an equal impact off the bike with a large and enthusiastic personality that will be fondly remembered by everyone who knew him.

During the 70's David attended Knockmore Primary and Lisnagarvey High school when he started cycling with Maryland Wheelers under the guidance of Mervyn McComb and Joe O'Neill, at this time he and another schoolboy in Maryland, Eric Mackin became quite dominant within the sport and won many school-boy races in Ulster and around Ireland.

As a junior David had less success in the sport but when turning senior he started to raise his game and within a couple of years was promoted to senior 'A' which in later years became recognised as 1st category a licence he held for the full 20 years or so it took to reach veteran class.

During his time as a senior rider there weren’t too many of the major one-day races in Ireland that David either didn't win or almost won , well that’s what he liked to tell everyone because David was more than just a very good cyclist, he gave his utmost in each and every race and had a good story to tell about it.

David had a long career at a high level in the sport of cycling by anyone’s standards but if I was asked to narrow down the period he was most dominant I would have to focus on the period from ‘83’ until the early ‘90’s’. During this period David rode for Maryland Wheelers, Banbridge C.C., then formed the sponsored ‘Kieran Trainor Solicitors racing team’ before returning to Maryland Wheelers in 93 where he remained for the rest of his cycling career. David won over 76 Open races in Ireland with approx 60 of these between ‘83’ and ‘93’, he also rode the Rás Tailteann on at least 6 occasions during this period and although a stage win eluded him he always finished well in the overall general classification and earned himself a reputation among his peers of being a ‘hard man’ on the bike who you could always depend on to ride for his team.

Joe Smyth (a cycling legend himself) managed the 1989 Rás team which David rode for that year, Joe had great praise for David’s ability to give his last ounce during the race which saw the team with three top ten finishers overall in GC while David finished that year in 15th overall, David and Joe were to remain great friends, their mutual respect for each other would remain a feature of the ' dunmurry run ' in the 80's and 90's, David and Joe's combined physical and mental strength was an endurance test for all the regulars who turned up for those wednesday and saturday runs over the hardest runs imaginable. Many turned up once or twice and were never seen again but those who stuck it out went on to be champions.

Of the many highlights in his career David was particularly proud to have represented Northern Ireland at 3 Commonwealth Games, Edinburgh '86, New Zealand '90 and Kuala Lumpur '98.

1990 Commonwealth Games Team, Auckland, New Zealand

Known as a great motivator and very knowledgeable tactician to his fellow cyclists and club-mates, one particular period would have been in the mid nineties when Scott Hamilton was dominant in all championship time-trials in Ireland, while he was winning all before him David encouraged Maryland Wheelers to be part of the success, backed up by Tom Mateer, Billy Bothwell and Billy Knowles Maryland won all individual golds in Ulster and Ireland in 95 (Hamilton) in 96 the club helped themselves to team golds for all championship time-trials in Ulster and Ireland, Hamilton, McCall with Phil Holland, Alan Hodgen and Alan Quinn, the Ulster road-race championship was the prize of Denis Easton, McCall and Hamilton. We would not have been that successful without his drive and self-belief.

Phil Holland, Scott Hamilton and David McCall

In later years Davids enthusiasim helped Mark Greer, Peter Wilson and more notably Heather Wilson achieve great success at home and abroad.

In 2000 David founded ‘Sport Active’ a holiday company which provided specialised cycling and walking holidays. David’s passion for people and sport quickly developed this new enterprise into a successful company. As the company grew David talked Sean Kelly into joining him for a few weeks in Majorica during one of his camps now Sean is a regular member of the Sportactive team.

Of his many nicknames, 'Morale' was one that suited him best, an enthusiastic club secretary for many years he was behind the success of the Maryland / Phoenix club league and the Motorcycle Marshalling Team and in earlier years a member of the UCF executive.

David left behind a legacy quite unsurpassed in not only cycling but with his many friends and family. In the late 80's David married Shirley and they had 2 daughters Carolyn and Emma.