Bobby Burns is enjoying his time on the west coast of Ireland.
When asked if he has settled into his new surroundings in Salthill? His response is: “I’m heading off to enjoy the Galway Races this weekend with some of the lads from the club.” All good by the sounds of it then.
After playing in Scotland, the A-League in Australia; and most recently with Glentoran in the Irish League, the Crumlin native is once again off to pastures new with Galway United in the League of Ireland.
After receiving a number of offers, it was Galway that appealed to Burns the most and he hasn’t regretted the move so far.
“For me this was the easy choice,” he said.
“To come to a club that was just promoted last year to the top flight puts a few perspective on things.
“It’s not necessarily about going for the title but the feeling of building something here that attracted me and although I have only played a small part in the season so far, I am really enjoying getting to know the players.”
Coming to a vibrant city like Galway is buying into a bigger project than just the football club. It is the lifestyle and surroundings that are also a huge draw for any perspective player, and this was also a defining factor in bringing the Co Antrim man out west.
“I love to spend some of my free time on the north coast or in Donegal in the ocean and Galway is a fantastic place for that,” said Burns.
“I have loved going swimming down here, but I got some strange looks when I ran onto the beach in a wetsuit as everyone goes in swimming in their shorts even though it is freezing, they are made of hard stuff in these parts.
“I have also been caught up in All-Ireland fever, buying a Galway shirt for the final, and although they lost, it was great to be a part of such a buzzing, multi-cultural city for the weeks in the build-up.
“It feels like a breath of fresh air for me and I’m inhaling it.”
There were times during last season at the Oval when Burns must have felt like he was running out of oxygen.
Troubles on and off the field left thing the club in disarray and, more importantly, a mammoth 30 points behind eventual league winners Larne in the title race, as they laboured to a fifth-placed finish.
But, after a summer clear out, he was one of the departures which garnered sympathy and disappointment from Glens fans after turning in some superb performances in his time in east Belfast, including winning Player of the year in 2023.
“I really enjoyed my three years overall at the Oval,” the ex-Hearts man said.
“I want to put on record how well I was received in the east and how friendly the people were. Through the club’s social partnership, I played a small part in helping out in the community. It’s a great scheme that gets little coverage, just a lot of volunteers working hard and they are a credit to the club.
“I had some great times there and I always felt that the fans were so passionate about getting results.
“Unfortunately, we couldn’t deliver that on the pitch and that disappoints me.
“I would say that it was not just a tough 12 months but a tough 24 months. Mick McDermott left after a tough time and then Rodney [McAree] came in and did a great job but was gone after six months. Then Warren came in and from the start I’m not sure he was ever fully accepted by the fans.
“I actually liked all three managers and got on well with them, but the constant chopping and changing is not productive to a well-performing side.
“New managers have their own ideas, systems and preferences and sometimes they may see you as part of their plans and some don’t so it can be an emotional rollercoaster.
“I think for me, Deccy has come in and has his plans going forward and, with not making Europe, some decisions needed to be made in relation to the finances of the club.
“For me, I think in the last weeks of the season my mind was made up that I needed a fresh start and thankfully the club worked with me to let me go away early to Galway. But good luck to Deccie and the club, I really wish them well and who knows at some point in the future I might be back.”