Article in the Irish Indo

[endabob1]

http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-football/westmeath-board-to-tackle-athlone-numbers-game-2047356.html

Very interesting article about football/GAA/Rugby club numbers I Westmeath but particularly Athlone. I know the town has always been a football town with good underage structures, but it's just an interesting read.

[drummerboy]

It makes out the soccer clubs are run out of the back of trailers in housing estates. But if you go down to Mullingar you will see a huge club in Mullingar Athletic with state of the art facilities. Mullingar Town are a huge club also with a long tradition. However what has befallen football around the country, especially in Dublin, is the amount of mickey mouse clubs starting up out of disputes and such which have only bled the established clubs.

[endabob1]

I went to the RTC in Athlone many years ago and played underage against Peters so I know the strucutres in Athlone are sounds and arre long established, I get what you're saying about the splinter clubs but this to me is the downfall of the current system, any moron can start a club and hey presto. There are some very good junior set ups in the midlands and what's neeed is a bit more interaction between the LOI & the junior clubs.

[Fr Damo]

I went to the RTC in Athlone many years ago and played underage against Peters so I know the strucutres in Athlone are sounds and arre long established, I get what you're saying about the splinter clubs but this to me is the downfall of the current system, any moron can start a club and hey presto. There are some very good junior set ups in the midlands and what's neeed is a bit more interaction between the LOI & the junior clubs.

The barriers to entery for Soccor "clubs" is practically nil. Farmers field, borrowed goals / set of jerseys and public liability insurance whic costs around 200 - 300. It's a situation that is facilitated by the Urban leagues and by default the FAI. It's often thrown about that it's keeping kids of streets etc when a club is being formed but it's also diluting the talent, resources and infrasturucture when it's allowed to happen. Endabob, peters now have no schoolboys as there was a split in 2006 that required the intervention of the FAI. What's left behind though regrettable is 100 times better than it was, even though they are down to 2 adult teams at present. The school boy section followed a "piper" and hired a ground off the Army and played in the Athlone & District schoolboy league. Peters went on the FAI Junior cup final, nuff said. The kids who spilt will now finsh football at 15 / 16 instead of staying in the game with St Peters and perhaps developing as adult players and perhaps stepping up to play LOI. I can name four or five players who while average schoolboys went on to become great adult players and play for Athlone at some point or another.

Also I'd like to look at the movement of players from one club to another, the soccer faternity could learn a lot from the Dublin County Board!

[endabob1]

peters now have no schoolboys as there was a split in 2006 that required the intervention of the FAI
WOW. I don't know the politics of it but that underage set up basically was the supply chain to Athlon Town, from my era, Chris Malone, Poggie Moran, Davy Dowling off the top of my head came through and ended up at the Town one way or another, plus others who went elsewhere Hugh Carolan was capped at underage before turning to GAA & Rugger.
Does Athlone Town have its own under age set up?

[Ash]

WOW. I don't know the politics of it but that underage set up basically was the supply chain to Athlon Town, from my era, Chris Malone, Poggie Moran, Davy Dowling off the top of my head came through and ended up at the Town one way or another, plus others who went elsewhere Hugh Carolan was capped at underage before turning to GAA & Rugger.
Does Athlone Town have its own under age set up?

In a word ... No.
There is an affilate underage club St Joesphs who play in the ADSL.
Last season the U17 team was scrapped as they couldnt field a team for 1 reason or another

[Ash]

Also I'd like to look at the movement of players from one club to another, the soccer faternity could learn a lot from the Dublin County Board!

I dont know the lad at all and have no idea of the reasoning behind it but I was shocked to say the least to see a lad who missed a peno for Peters in the league decider shootout against Willow one season, tog out for Willow the following season!

[Fr Damo]

That's football I suppose Ash. Look at Tevez this year?

Although nationally we appear to be doing well, Neil Harney , G Broghal, J Carty etc schoolboy football in Athlone is alot poorer thatn it was in the good auld days. In my First year of youths Athlone had two Teams, Peters had two teams and Mount temple had a youths team. Th's close to 75 players all over 16 but less than 18 playing football weeke in week out. What have we now? Why?

Obvioulsy the celtic tiger ment guys had Saturday jobs and fellas perfered to spend their money on a saturday rather than play football but I think the fact players could have three or four clubs by the time they were 16 also helped to fuel the rot. The ADSL facilitated this and continue to do so.

Endabob, I remember MOC played 20 locals out of 24 players in the 1991 - 92 season. Athlone Finished midtable! Last game of the season against James Gate, R O Connell, D Cuneen, Colm Muldoon, T Sullivan, Warren Parkes, K Reyonolds, I Kiernan, Adrian Quinn Ian Cahill, Davey D all played I think

[Ash]

That's football I suppose Ash. Look at Tevez this year?

Didnt think Willow could offer that much money ;)



Although nationally we appear to be doing well, Neil Harney , G Broghal, J Carty etc schoolboy football in Athlone

Plus Robbie Benson and Tom O'Halloran.



I remember MOC played 20 locals out of 24 players in the 1991 - 92 season. Athlone Finished midtable! Last game of the season against James Gate, R O Connell, D Cuneen, Colm Muldoon, T Sullivan, Warren Parkes, K Reyonolds, I Kiernan, Adrian Quinn Ian Cahill, Davey D all played I think

I could well be wrong but that looks more like the line up from the old 'B' Division side

[Fr Damo]

Probably was the main stay of the B Div side but FAIK they played in that last game. Connor F prob playing too.

Players from the ADSL now havn't suddenly got all that much better, some are very good I agree, but the main reason for these guys getting to national sides is back in the 80s and 90s, Joe McGrath used to get a nose bleed if he left the DDSL. This started to change when Nicko got involved with the FAI. If lads are good now they can get into talent programmes etc and on that front, things have certainly improved.

Back on topic, I believe Athlone have an excellant under 20s this year so hopeflly we'll see a cuple of those lads encouraged to progreess and stay on to become better players.

[endabob1]

Not sure about the side because it was before I went, but I think they went down in 91/92 because they were in the first division in 92/93 & got promotted again in 93/94 when they just missed the title behind Sligo....ahh those were the days!

[Yard of Pace]

Nice post over at the Guardian's Joy of Six, which featured the home game against Milan.

TheSaintandSinner (http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/TheSaintandSinner)
2 Apr 2010, 1:47
As a 15 year old I was in St Mel's Park to see the mighty AC Milan humbled. It was an era before regular televised football. To most of us who followed football the Italian players were names to which we put faces on every four years when the world cup was on. We were very familiar with most English clubs and players thanks to Shoot and Match of the Day so for a lot people there was a tinge of disappointment that Milan had beaten Everton in the previous round. The anticipation and atmosphere in the town in the build up was incredible. Italian fans with flags, banners and horns were spotted in various parts of the town, - something that was way beyond our experience.
I was at the game an hour and a half before kick off to get my usual place at the fence behind the goal. When we got the penalty the whole ground had it in the net before it was taken. The fact that we had missed 2 penalties in previous weeks should have been a pointer for us. Johnny Minnock, of the long flowing red hair, a hero to every schoolboy in the town looked uncomfortable from the moment that he was given the ball to take it and his shot was weak to say the least. The consensus afterwards at my end of the ground was that we might only have got them angry if we scored !
What shocked me most about the Italians was how dirty they played. I had never seen The Town's midfield maestro Carl Humphries was kicked and pulled so many times in the rough and tumble of a League of Ireland game. They seemed so shocked by the closeness of the crowd and the whole experience that played like they just didn?t want to lose. I cant recall the keeper, Mick O'Brien, make a save the whole game.
The second leg defeat seemed inevitable as we listened to the inimitable Philip Greene's commentary on the second leg on radio at study in school. As special dispensation we had been allowed bring transistor radios, provided we kept them down low. By half time the whole hall was full of the noise as we dreamed the impossible. It was not to be - but what a time to follow your local team.
No mention of that team would be complete with reference to Micko the keeper - what a character ! In the final game of the previous season when we needed a draw to qualify for Europe he was booked. His offence ? He ran out and kissed the opposing striker who had just put a penalty wide. Missed penalties must have been part of our fate in those days !
Thanks for dredging up this memory, Scott.
I can only recommend to everyone that you follow your local team whatever their standard - to be part of a small number of supporters and experience one day of glory like this must be worth 100 premier leagues.