Copany Rovers, also known as 'The Cobras', currently caters for players east of Donegal Town spanning from Barnesmore to Laghey and Ballintra. Football had been played in the surrounding area at different venues over the years. In the thirties, there was a team from Tawnawilly near Lough Eske, the sixeties saw the emergence of a team from Clar and finally in the seventies, locals from Meenadreen and Ballykillone, led by enthusiast William McGirr formed what is now known as Copany Rovers F.C. Almost immediately the club sought membership of the Donegal League. Their first attempt in 1980 was unsuccessful due mainly to the fact that they had no available ground in the area. Over the next few years the club continued to play numerous friendlies against league opposition in an effort to help their cause.
In 1987, the club managed to secure their present ground at Ballykillone and this became a launching pad for another attempt at league admission. The following year their application was successful. Made up of almost all local players and little experienced personnel, Copany struggled through their first 2 seasons finishing bottom and 2nd bottom respectively. Roy Harron made history for himself by becoming the first player to score for Copany in league football in the club's first home match against Drumoghill in the 1987/88 season. A crowd of over 500 turned up for the first league encounter in the area in what was then a well supported debut by Donegal League standards in a carnival type atmosphere in October of that year. The Donegal League was represented by chairman, John 'Gorey' Curran (RIP), and the secretary, the Paddy McFadden (RIP) and both led the teams out onto the field. A month later they notched up their first league win away to Swilly Rovers Reserves when they beat the Ramelton side 5-3.
In 1989, the club began a major development of their pitch. The field was drained, levelled and re-seeded resulting in 2 playing surfaces by the start of the 1990/91 season. The the interim period the club moved to Brogan's field at Drumbar. The pitch was re-opened by League Chairman Joe Duffy and his assistant Denis Martin and a Finn Harps selection led by John Minnock provided the opposition for the day.
The managerial change which took place in the summer of 1990 was to have a significant effect on the clubs fortune over the next 5 years. John Joe Travers, a native from the area, returned from premier side Letterbarrow to manage the team. With him came one of the Donegal League's best known characters, John McCafferty. With Travers banging in the goals and McCafferty sweeping in defence the transformation in the club was astounding. The club went unbeaten in 18 matches in Division 3 that 1990/91 season winning promotion and the title - a feat only equalled by Letterkenny Rovers in 1981 and Letterbarrow Celtic in Division 3 in the mid-ninetys.
More success was to follow in the 1991/92 season with the club finishing 2nd in Division 2 and gaining promotion for the second year in succession. Having lost their first game of the season, they were only beaten again by eventual champions Gweedore United in the top of the table clash near the end of the season. A point seperated the 2 sides in the end but Copany rued two drawn games before the Gweedore match. Local teenager Steven Travers, who went on to join Finn Harps Reserves, joined in December and scored a few priceless goals in the promotion run.
John McCafferty took over the reigns from Travers for the 1992/93 season as Copany chased promotion for the third year running. Things looked good by Christmas as Copany led the Division but 3 consecutive defeats in February saw them lose out on promotion to the top flight.
1993/94 was the most successful season in the McCafferty era. In August, they won the Joe Houston Memorial Cup beating local side Cappry Rovers 1-0 in the final. This was followed with a win over the then league champions, Ardara Town in the Sportsman's Cup Area Final. The 3-1 scoreline was more than justified and the large crowd witnessed probably the best home performance by Copany in their 9 year existence. The aquisitions of Damien Dunnion and Matt Gallagher that season were very significant. Copany's league however was indifferent and they had to be content with another fourth placing in Division 1.
Their attentions then turned towards the Sportsmans Cup and they reached the final by beating Letterkenny Rovers Reserves 1-0 in the semi-final. The goal coming from a Matt Gallagher free kick.
The final itself was an epic encounter with all conquering Drumkeen United side who had already won the Donegal League and the FAI Junior Cup. Drumkeen scored first but Copany settled and a goal from Thomas Given put them back in the game. Drumkeen nosed in front again but a John Joe Travers strike left it all level at half-time. With 9 minutes of normal time remaining Drumkeen scored a third but once more Copany pulled the game out of the fire with a goal from substitute, Dermot Gallagher, with 2 minutes left. It took a scrappy fourth Drumkeen goal to win the cup but Copany could be well pleased with a five star performance.
The 1994/95 season saw Copany retain the Sportsmans Cup Area Trophy with another see-saw battle with Donegal Town which ended 4-3 in their favour again after extra-time. Their league campaign improved on the previous year as promotion got first preference again. A good run saw them go 9 games unbeaten but just like 2 years earlier 3 defeats and a draw late in the season saw them miss out on promotion again.
Future years saw the club managed by James Given, Ken McCrea and Francie Johnson amonst others, but the club could not match the success of the golden era, and eventually the club slipped to the CT Ball Division 2, where they would spend a large number of years.
Following a number of years in the doldrums, with the club only managing to exist due to the extremely hard work of a small number of individuals, Stephen Johnson and Russell Gorman took over from James Given in January '07. Immediately they stabalised the club, and introduced a number of young talented players - emphasising their commitment to looking to the youth to build the foundations of future success.
Stephen and Russells first full season in charge - the 2007/08 season, saw Copany surprise a lot of people by mounting an impressive start to the campaign. Victories in all four of their opening games led them to the summit of the CT Ball Division 2, and despite a strong finish to the season, a mid season slump in form led them to finish in a respectable fifth place finish, only seven points off the automatic promotion spot. Indeed, going into the final few games, a promotion place was a realistic possibility, but it was not to be.
After starting their 2008/09 season with a defeat to local rivals Donegal Town in the Brian McCormick Sports Cup Area Quarter-Final, 'The Cobras' opened their league campaign with three wins and a draw out of their opening four games. Three successive defeats followed, but Copany's season took a turn in Kerrykeel with an impressive 3-0 rout. A spell of three wins and two draws in the following five matches left the Cobras in the promotion mix-up with three games remaining, and Copany duly secured promotion for their first promotion in 17 years and third promotion in Copany's history by winning the final two league games against fellow promotion hopefuls Letterbarrow Celtic and Glenree United to finish runners-up in the C.T. Ball Division 2 behind a strong Cappry Rovers outfit that reached the final of the Brian McCormick Sports Cup.
