Roland's lead role for boys in blue

0 - 0 • Published 3 Jun 2009 14:00

FORMER Inverclyde man Roland Fabiani has helped guide the British Police team to the European Championships in Athens next summer.

And, into the bargain, as player-manager, he helped the Strathclyde side to victory in the British Police Cup.

Fabiani, 37, was a senior footballer with Falkirk, St Mirren and Dumbarton before joining the police force and, at the same time, Greenock Juniors.

He said: 'At that time I realised I wasn"t going to make any real money out of football and decided to join the police.'

There then followed moves from Greenock to Pollok, Kilwinning, Bellshill and, most recently, Maryhill Juniors.

But at the same time Roland has also been a mainstay of the Strathclyde Police team who have just enjoyed a fantastic season. As player-manager, Roland led them to the final of the British Cup. In the quarter-finals Strathclyde"s finest beat their Northern Irish equivalents 1-0 and the scorer was none other than Bryan Slavin, the former Morton player who joined up at Cappielow from Dalry Thistle in 1997.

Slavin was again on target in the semi-final against the favourites, the Metropolitan Police, in a 1-1 draw which Strathclyde went on to win on penalties.

For the final, Fabiani was dropped - by himself as manager. He explained: 'We had a full squad of players for the final and I thought it was only fair.

'My assistant Ian Cameron, who also played for Greenock Juniors, was against my decision but it worked out okay in the end with us winning.'

Strathclyde beat West Yorkshire 1-0 in the final in Leeds.

Fabiani is also manager of the Scottish police team, and co-manager of the British side. It was in the latter role that he helped the British team beat Romania 1-0 in the qualifying round of the European Championships which take place every four years.

As if that were not all enough, Roland scored twice in a 4-2 win for the Strathclyde team against West Midlands in the Over-35 national competition final.

He said: 'That"s the first time Strathclyde have won both trophies in the same season.'

And Roland also revealed that he may make his swan song as a footballer in a Greenock Juniors strip. He said: 'I have had Steven Mooney on the phone asking me to go to Greenock and I am swithering about it at the moment.

'It would be nice to finish my caree where it started and give something back to them.'

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This article appeared in Greenock Telegraph 03 Jun 09

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