Irish players are known for their skill on the field but who knew that some of them also have a good hand at playing at their local casinos? With the amount of stress and pressure that Irish footballers need to endure to play at the high level that is expected of them, it is only natural that they need some time to blow off steam and relax. For athletes who are used to an exhilarating and competitive career, it’s only natural that they will be drawn to the thrilling experience of playing a game at their favourite casino.
Aaron Traynor
Aaron Traynor, an Irish Football League, now plays for Portadown FC and during his more than 15-year career as a professional player, he has been known to enjoy a game or two at the casino. His interest in laying a wager started at an early age during his teenage years when he would bet with his friends on whether or not he’d made a play or be able to score a goal from a certain distance. Needing to achieve from a young age, to win the bet but also to prove his friends wrong gave him his first taste of performing under pressure. This is why he enjoys playing a game or two on casinos.com where he can choose the game that suits him best and let off some steam. After having the excellent football career that he has had, it is only natural that he needs to blow off some steam before games.
Oisín McConville
A massively famous player in the 90s and early 2000s, Oisín McConville enjoyed spending time at casinos or at sports betting events to take the pressures of performing at such a high level. McConville played at a senior level for the Armagh County team, with countless newspaper clippings that hailed his excellent play to prove that he was the real deal. He even won the ‘All-Ireland Senior Football Championship’ medal at one stage. He also won seven Ulster Championships and a National League title with the county. Performing at this level was not always easy, which is why he enjoyed taking a stab and placing a bet. Oisín McConville is now an Irish Gaelic football manager and manages the team Wicklow County and has been doing so since the year 2022.
Trevor Carson
A goalkeeper who enjoys his hand at placing a bet at the gambling table. Carson first started playing during his youth, when he was part of the team Killyleagh Boys. He excelled during his time there and at the age of 16 he started playing for Sunderland. He was officially signed with Sunderland at the young age of 18 and was on loan to exceptional teams such as Hull City, Chesterfield and Brentford. Carson stuck with Sunderland and played with them for six years till the year 2012. Thereafter, his career took many turns, moving from team to team. He then moved to play two seasons with Bury, where he was also on loan with Portsmouth. After two seasons with Bury, he was then signed by Cheltenham Town. This is where he experienced most of his success. He was awarded Player of the Year for his time with Cheltenham Town. He went in and out of a few different teams thereafter, finally landing with the Scottish Premiership, Dundee.
Scott Davies
Davies was spotted by a scout during a game for the Aylesbury senior team. He played for the Wycombe Wanderers in the early 2000s and then moved on to Reading in 2002. He played for Reading for four successful years, managing a lot of stress and pressure from the excellent team. He joined Yeading on a loan for a year before ultimately settling on Aldershot Town in 2007. Davies enjoys playing a game at the local casino, in good fun and spirits against his fellow teammates who are also looking to blow off some steam.
The take away
It’s not easy being a professional athlete. There are a lot of prying eyes and sometimes players say that they feel like commodities that managers can move back and forwards like pawns in chess. This is the reason Traynor, McConville and Carson, like many other footballers, enjoy a game of poker, blackjack or roulette, as it gives them a moment to be completely immersed in a completely different field of play and allows them to calm down for a second.
There was a lot of stress put on players, especially during the late ’90s and early 2000s years, before more care was taken in terms of human resources and ensuring that players were receiving the right amount of attention. The level of stress that players received back then, without the correct management style or days off would surprise athletes nowadays. Many players all over the world partake in casino games or innocent bets, they have the financial means to lay a wager and when done in a friendly and uncompetitive manner, it’s their way of letting off steam.
