Best Kids Club in Ireland?

[MervilleUnited]

Just thought I would throw out this Question :p just to see if any of the members actually have a knowledge of where it all starts? Here in Sligo we had the privilege of seeing Damian Duff a few years ago on our ground, live and in the flesh. Marked out of the game as far as i recall..... :D !!

Any takers?? :)

[Seagull]

Just thought I would throw out this Question :p just to see if any of the members actually have a knowledge of where it all starts? Here in Sligo we had the privilege of seeing Damian Duff a few years ago on our ground, live and in the flesh. Marked out of the game as far as i recall..... :D !!

Any takers?? :)
Wolfe Tone Youth Club in Bray. Tarzan O'Brien, Robert Doyle, James O' Connor, Danny O'Connor all started here. http://www.wolfetoneyouthclub.com

[MervilleUnited]

Looks like great work there, must organise a challenge!! :ball:

Have a Look at:

http://homepage.eircom.net/~mervilleafc/

[Superhoops]

Any takers?? :)
Three of the best must be:
Joeys of Sallynoggin, Kevins of Whitehall and Belvedere of Fairview who have been responsible for producing a considerable number of internationals players and managers/coaches at all levels.

[KR's Post]

Wolfe Tone Youth Club in Bray. Tarzan O'Brien, Robert Doyle, James O' Connor, Danny O'Connor all started here. http://www.wolfetoneyouthclub.com
Played with them myself, but they have declined dramatically lately..... Don't like saying it but Ardmore are looking good....

[Derek]

What is the critera to be crowned best?

[drummerboy]

Although Home Farm are the obvious choice, what about St Kevins

They have had Liam Brady, Stephen Carr, Damien Duff, Alan Maybury, Ian Harte to name a few. There are also a host of EL players like the Lynch brothers and many many more

[MervilleUnited]

Yes Derek :eek: What Criteria?

Could be the obvious, such as consistent production of Professional Players. Or maybe the most sucsessful at Youth/ Schoolboy Level?
Or, Just a Personal Reason, such as enjoyment!! We at Merville United in Sligo try to do all of the above, a task virtually impossible due to lack of resources. Our latest introductory model for young kids, Friday Street Leagues, caters for a wide range of children locally, of all talent, ability and backgrounds. Those who stay interested go on to proper coaching :ball: .

In the era of UEFA Licencing having a Academy Requirement, who is going to take it on? :) :eek: !!!!

[Seagull]

Played with them myself, but they have declined dramatically lately..... Don't like saying it but Ardmore are looking good....
Looking good for what exactly? And, where's Tarzan's young lad playing? :D

[Seagull]

Yes Derek :eek: What Criteria?

Could be the obvious, such as consistent production of Professional Players. Or maybe the most sucsessful at Youth/ Schoolboy Level?
Or, Just a Personal Reason, such as enjoyment!! We at Merville United in Sligo try to do all of the above, a task virtually impossible due to lack of resources. Our latest introductory model for young kids, Friday Street Leagues, caters for a wide range of children locally, of all talent, ability and backgrounds. Those who stay interested go on to proper coaching :ball: .

In the era of UEFA Licencing having a Academy Requirement, who is going to take it on? :) :eek: !!!!
I did the FAI Kick Start 1 coaching course which caters for age 6-9 and I have to say it's an excellent course. Professionally put together and presented, maybe the FAI are finally getting it right at this level?

[KR's Post]

Looking good for what exactly? And, where's Tarzan's young lad playing? :D
Lookikng good to produce players. Randolph with Charlton is 1 and a couple others with potential up there.... Tarzans young lad is only 4, doesn't have a club at the moment, but i can see already when being with him that he is made to play football, strong left and right foot. Tarzans teaching him a good lot. ;)

[the 12 th man]

[QUOTE=drummerboy]Although Home Farm are the obvious choice OTE]


was involved for a few years and while they are a good club i think belvedere
are probably the best imho :)

[Derek]

The problem in picking a best club is how do you decide on what is the correct way to run a club.

Take the big clubs which I don't want to name but they know who they are.
They will sign a mountain of players, play the best and forget the rest. This can be an unfortunate way to deal with the kids as the kids who do not "make it" can have a dent put into there confidence.

Then you have the smaller clubs who are caught in between the community based football and the "A" rated football. This is a good way to be but it can cause problems within clubs because some want to win at all costs and some want to have fun.

Then there is the small clubs who take whoever thay can and play in any league that will let them in. The problem here can be the lack of ambition and that can be almost as bad as too much ambition.

All that said I think the best way to judge and this is probably mostly aimed at younger kids say from 5/6 upto maybe 12/13 is to look at how much they enjoy the game of football. If they are smiling after every game win, lose or draw, safe environment where they can build friendships and improve confidence levels. If you see any of those things in a club then something is going right and you maybe looking at one of the best clubs in the land.

When you get into the older age groups it gets more serious, the fun part seems to be less and less important, winning is the important fact. If you see away for the kids to show there talents and the get exposure to maybe a career in football then you maybe looking at one of the best clubs in the land.

Anyway I think St Pauls Artane FC based on Dublin's Northside is a club that contains the elements that I have outlined. They would be I think one the clubs who fall into the medium sized clubs that would have ambitions to become a big club. They have not had many players who went onto the professional game but the do produce happy kids who enjoy football :) .

Derek.

[drummerboy]

You have to admire clubs like Kevins and Tolka Rovers who field many teams. For instance Tolka Rovers have 3 under 7 teams. It would be a lot easier for them to take the best twelve or 13 players and have 1 under 7 team but to their credit they manage to field 3 teams, all of whom enjoy themselves. Other clubs concentrate on one team per age group. Their motto would be “quality over quantity”, harsh.

[ihatejam]

Cherry Orchard are without any shadow of a doubt the best schoolboy club in the country, they have won the most leagues/cups at the past 4 ddsl awards ceremony.they may not have produced any world beaters as of yet but the likes of Willo Flood & Mark Yeates are surely the next Duff and Keane! Also current Irish internationals include Andy Reid, Alan Quinn and Alan Lee not to mention numerous success stories in the Eircom league

[GK for the Town]

Have to say that when i was playing Schoolboy football, whenever the teams the Orchard, Home Farm, Joeys or belvo came up against us, there was a certain awe factor. This comes from respect because they were always challenging for honours and were/are brilliant underage clubs, which in my opinion is one way to pick out the best clubs-they command respect.

[Seagull]

Lookikng good to produce players. Randolph with Charlton is 1 and a couple others with potential up there.... Tarzans young lad is only 4, doesn't have a club at the moment, but i can see already when being with him that he is made to play football, strong left and right foot. Tarzans teaching him a good lot. ;)
Export players you mean? And Tarzan's lad does have a club, but it ain't Ardmore. :)

[Mad Moose]

Our latest introductory model for young kids, Friday Street Leagues, caters for a wide range of children locally, of all talent, ability and backgrounds. Those who stay interested go on to proper coaching :ball: .


Thats fantastic and its everything the game should be.I involve myself with underage football and it takes 2 nights in the week and most of every saturday. Its all about enjoyment and its often a case that kids often love football, the social interaction's etc without ever been good enough. For those that are good enough the opportunity is their to go up through the different age groups or to be poached by other clubs. I base success on the ability to include just about every boy or girl who has ever wanted to kick a football but doesn't know whether they are good enough or not. They enjoy it, I enjoy it. Its all good.

Brendan

[KR's Post]

Export players you mean? And Tarzan's lad does have a club, but it ain't Ardmore. :)
What club is he at???? First i've heard!!!! And he is my cuz..... :confused:

[Seagull]

What club is he at???? First i've heard!!!! And he is my cuz..... :confused:
Wolfe Tone, Saturday mornings. I've seen him in action, all that practice down the Carlisle is paying off! You should go back there, help is always needed. How would be fixed for reffing? :D

[KR's Post]

Wolfe Tone, Saturday mornings. I've seen him in action, all that practice down the Carlisle is paying off! You should go back there, help is always needed. How would be fixed for reffing? :D
Ah sure i know that... Saturdays, ye he is quite good.... I should go back there?? ye right....

[Seagull]

Ah sure i know that... Saturdays, ye he is quite good.... I should go back there?? ye right....
Hang on, he really is down there in their Saturday morning Academy. He's in the Academy photo on the website. http://www.wolfetoneyouthclub.com And yeah, you should go back, we need all the help we can get. Interested? :ball:

[KR's Post]

And yeah, you should go back, we need all the help we can get. Interested? :ball:
I'd love to, but unfortunately i don't have the time... Whoever SEAGULL is!!!!! The club is not what it used to be, is it??? :(

[stojkovic]

Cherry Orchard are without any shadow of a doubt the best schoolboy club in the country, they have won the most leagues/cups at the past 4 ddsl awards ceremony.they may not have produced any world beaters as of yet but the likes of Willo Flood & Mark Yeates are surely the next Duff and Keane! Also current Irish internationals include Andy Reid, Alan Quinn and Alan Lee not to mention numerous success stories in the Eircom league
With the odd exception, the Orchard poach and steal players from all their neighbouring clubs who have coached and moulded these players from the age of 6 or 7. The Orchard come along and poach them when they are 13 or 14, keep them for a year or so and then sell them across the water.

The Orchard have no pitch of their own and have no clubhouse (apart from a dingy bar).

I think clubs like Home Farm and Joeys lead the way in Dublin with what they plough back into their club for their players and mentors.

[anto eile]

The problem in picking a best club is how do you decide on what is the correct way to run a club.

Take the big clubs which I don't want to name but they know who they are.
They will sign a mountain of players, play the best and forget the rest. This can be an unfortunate way to deal with the kids as the kids who do not "make it" can have a dent put into there confidence.

Then you have the smaller clubs who are caught in between the community based football and the "A" rated football. This is a good way to be but it can cause problems within clubs because some want to win at all costs and some want to have fun.

Then there is the small clubs who take whoever thay can and play in any league that will let them in. The problem here can be the lack of ambition and that can be almost as bad as too much ambition.

All that said I think the best way to judge and this is probably mostly aimed at younger kids say from 5/6 upto maybe 12/13 is to look at how much they enjoy the game of football. If they are smiling after every game win, lose or draw, safe environment where they can build friendships and improve confidence levels. If you see any of those things in a club then something is going right and you maybe looking at one of the best clubs in the land.

When you get into the older age groups it gets more serious, the fun part seems to be less and less important, winning is the important fact. If you see away for the kids to show there talents and the get exposure to maybe a career in football then you maybe looking at one of the best clubs in the land.

Anyway I think St Pauls Artane FC based on Dublin's Northside is a club that contains the elements that I have outlined. They would be I think one the clubs who fall into the medium sized clubs that would have ambitions to become a big club. They have not had many players who went onto the professional game but the do produce happy kids who enjoy football :) .

Derek.

st. pauls artane,my old club.play at the top of my road. have a good set up,training pitches and a nice clubhouse with a nice bar too

[stojkovic]

st. pauls artane,my old club.play at the top of my road. have a good set up,training pitches and a nice clubhouse with a nice bar too
Not where your schoolboys play mate.
Its down beside the stream. Pitch on both sides, shocking pitches with slopes. Have to get changed on the side of the road outside peoples houses. This was only a couple of months ago (this season).
You are perhaps talking about the senior side which is not the title of this thread my friend.

[MervilleUnited]

Posted by Derek

They have not had many players who went onto the professional game but the do produce happy kids who enjoy football :) .

Absolutley the best criteria! And happy kids do less anti social behviour, resulting in less crime etc. The good food message can be pushed too, to make players better!

Thats the secret! And the point of this thread! if a one man operation in the sticks can produce happy kids who enjoy football, :D job done!!

Forgive the spelling!!

[Derek]

Not where your schoolboys play mate.
Its down beside the stream. Pitch on both sides, shocking pitches with slopes. Have to get changed on the side of the road outside peoples houses. This was only a couple of months ago (this season).
You are perhaps talking about the senior side which is not the title of this thread my friend.

The state of the pitches is down to to corpo who have problems maintaining the basics. The changing rooms are about a 4/5 minute walk from the pitch.
If you had asked for somewhere to change we would have obliged(complete with showers) as we have four changing rooms currently. If you noticed the Pauls players did not change on the side of the road.

visit St Pauls Artane FC at www.StPaulsArtaneFC.com

[anto eile]

Not where your schoolboys play mate.
Its down beside the stream. Pitch on both sides, shocking pitches with slopes. Have to get changed on the side of the road outside peoples houses. This was only a couple of months ago (this season).
You are perhaps talking about the senior side which is not the title of this thread my friend.
youre splitting hairs but yeah youre right. the schoolboys play on the old st. anthonys pitch beside gardini lane and also ,i think, on the old gardenville pitch on the other side of the harmonstown road.though the senior pitch is basically at the top of my road and the others are just round the corner from the bottom of my road

[MervilleUnited]

Just read in the Sunday Times that Home Farm have secured a one million euro sponsorship deal, with Renault, Dept of Sport and Sir Tony O'R putting in the cash!! :eek: :D

And I thought my fundraising table quiz on Friday Night in Mooneys Bar (Opposite the Showgrounds, home of Sligo Rovers) raised a tidy sum :D !!

Good Luck to them!! :ball:

[Mad Moose]

Posted by Derek

They have not had many players who went onto the professional game but the do produce happy kids who enjoy football :) .

Absolutley the best criteria! And happy kids do less anti social behviour, resulting in less crime etc. The good food message can be pushed too, to make players better!

Thats the secret! And the point of this thread! if a one man operation in the sticks can produce happy kids who enjoy football, :D job done!!

Forgive the spelling!!

Here here. Likewise this is exactly as I measure success. At underage level the satisfaction lies in seeing happy kids, boys and girls who enjoy the game. Obviously for our club the survival of the club depend's in no small part on the numbers participating. The kids are well looked after, always encouraged. Kids appreciate that and they come back where they know they are made to feel welcome.

Keep up the good work. Since your only down the road Merville if you would like a friendly game sometime.

Brendan

[Beavis]

Posted by Derek

They have not had many players who went onto the professional game but the do produce happy kids who enjoy football :) .

Absolutley the best criteria! And happy kids do less anti social behviour, resulting in less crime etc. The good food message can be pushed too, to make players better!


In that case I'd have nominate WFTA (West Finglas Tenants Association).A club in a very tough area that have managed to produced some good schoolboy sides.Remember one of there teams shocked everyone when they got to the All Ireland final one year from playing in one of the lowest leagues.Cherry Orchards influence in Ballyfermot also deserves recognition,and if I had to pick,I'd say they are probably the most esteemed underage club in the country.

[Mad Moose]

F.A.O Merville Utd. Thanks very much for the response.

Brendan

[parnell ranger]

Posted by Derek

They have not had many players who went onto the professional game but the do produce happy kids who enjoy football :) .

Absolutley the best criteria! And happy kids do less anti social behviour, resulting in less crime etc. The good food message can be pushed too, to make players better!

Thats the secret! And the point of this thread! if a one man operation in the sticks can produce happy kids who enjoy football, :D job done!!

Forgive the spelling!!

couldnt agree more-my own club Willow Park Boys in Athlone cater for every age and standard of player,girls and boys.
emphasis is on enjoyment but the serious minded are also looked after-we have an under 14 side playing in the SFAI cup last 16 this weekend.
I have to say the best clubs ive visited in the last 14 years in terms of facilities,making one feel welcome etc etc are Manulla in Mayo and Keadue rovers in Donegal.it was a pleasure visiting both clubs and our players/mentors will never forget it.
a club should be judged on how they develop players from age 6 on-not how many players they poach and flog across the water.
I particularly admire Home Farm-the cream of the crop and up there with the top schoolboy clubs in the world.

[MervilleUnited]

Just thought i would let all know :D that following contact made through this thread with HarpsBear, Our U10 and U8 players are getting an early taste for 2005 of the game we all love!! :o
Here in the north west it is difficult to get games for this level, so if any club within range of Sligo wish to get in touch, send me a message. :D

Its for the kids you know!! And my thanks to HarpsBear!!

See you Sunday!!

[Derek]

Just thought i would let all know :D that following contact made through this thread with HarpsBear, Our U10 and U8 players are getting an early taste for 2005 of the game we all love!! :o
Here in the north west it is difficult to get games for this level, so if any club within range of Sligo wish to get in touch, send me a message. :D

Its for the kids you know!! And my thanks to HarpsBear!!

See you Sunday!!

Does your post mean you got some sponsorship and are now looking for games?

I coach a good U8 team in the big smoke and maybe we could organise a day out to play you lot, we have teams at every age group so maybe we could fix up a few games.

[Mad Moose]

Just thought i would let all know :D that following contact made through this thread with HarpsBear, Our U10 and U8 players are getting an early taste for 2005 of the game we all love!! :o
Here in the north west it is difficult to get games for this level, so if any club within range of Sligo wish to get in touch, send me a message. :D

Its for the kids you know!! And my thanks to HarpsBear!!

See you Sunday!!

I was just about to post the details of this fixture. With thanks to the wonderful footballing outlet that is foot.ie a fixture has indeed been arranged between Donegal League outfit Drumbar United and Merville United in the actual shadow of the Sligo Showground's. I think Merville might have a little more than home advantage in that they may have a few extra participant's but we can work around that. I'm gathering my U-8's and U-10's for the relatively short trip down the road to Sligo. Anybody with a bit of spare time on sunday might be interested in turning up to this one. Our U-10's participate in the South Donegal Schoolboy's league we are involved in alot of competition which more often than not is what its all about for some clubs. The meeting on sunday is a reward for our work this season and I think our kids are looking forward to this.

Unless there's a mass brawl or abandonment of the fixture there will be return fixture in the future. :D

A big thank you to Merville United. Here's hoping things go according to plan.

Brendan

[Mad Moose]

couldnt agree more-my own club Willow Park Boys in Athlone cater for every age and standard of player,girls and boys.
emphasis is on enjoyment but the serious minded are also looked after

Good stuff parnell. I've found it particularly encouraging regarding the number of respondents to this thread of the same footballing ethos as myself which is all about enjoyment.

Nice to see the mention for Keadue Rovers which would be a particularly good club within the Donegal League.

The great thing is there are so many individuals out there willing to make underage soccer a success by getting involved with underage club's out there. It would be an idea to get a list of clubs and contact's so as Merville United says fixtures may be organised where an organised league structure doesn't exist. While I had heard of Merville United I wouldn't have known about the underage structure and its similarity to ours. Thanks to the outlet that is foot.ie.

Brendan

[MervilleUnited]

Just to say thanking Brendan and his club for coming down to Sligo Today for the challenge: Drumbar United and Merville United :D
Played in sticky conditions, both sides are to be applauded for what were bruising, but fair contests. Today, over 50 children enjoyed football, that simply would not have happened without forum such as this :)

However, I am looking forward to the return, when I get to do a bit of coaching, without the pressures of parental stress!!

Derek: I will be in touch shortly about your offer! Looking forward to it :ball:

[Mad Moose]

The question originally and thankfully posed related to the best kids club in Ireland. No such acclaim can be afforded any one club as was evident to everybody who turned up at Merville Utd today. An enjoyable fair on what can kindly be described as 'sticky condition's' (heavy aul Sligo soil :D ). A big thank you to Merville United for the invitation and we left Sligo to return north with 22 very happy and proud wains. The games were every bit as 'friendly' as they should be and a huge credit must go to everyone at the club who organised the pitches.

I'm greatful for having found this thread and I'm particularly delighted at having been able to give back to the game in same measure as I seek from it. A return fixture will be organised on the somewhat drier Donegal turf in the coming months.

What Merville Utd failed to mention was the results of the games and so I'll say no more on that ;) I think there were a few rendition's of 'We are the Champion's' on the way home but that was not what the occasion was about.

I'll be back one of the days to clean up the dressing rooms.

For anybody who would like to find out a wee bit more about our club I can be contacted by PM through this forum.

Brendan Grufferty,PRO
Drumbar Utd,
Donegal Town.

[Mad Moose]

And of course a big thank you to foot.ie for hosting this thread.

p.s I'd love to see a return to a section on underage football.

Thanks

Brendan Grufferty,PRO
Drumbar Utd,
Donegal Town.

[harpskid]

Keadue Rovers - facilitities..... ye must be jokin! :eek:

[parnell ranger]

Keadue Rovers - facilitities..... ye must be jokin! :eek:
maybe not the facilities but in terms of how they welcomed us and looked after us,as good as anything we experienced countrywide.

[harpskid]

maybe not the facilities but in terms of how they welcomed us and looked after us,as good as anything we experienced countrywide.

Yep, great bunch of people down in Burtonport

[Mad Moose]

maybe not the facilities but in terms of how they welcomed us and looked after us,as good as anything we experienced countrywide.

And that parnell is more important than anything. Its not the club facilities make the club a good club as I found out yesterday. The kids didn't care too much about the muck and the wet weather. Facilities aren't everything Harpskid, just look at Finn Park!!!. Having said that Merville have a lovely wee set up. just too close to the Showground's :D

Brendan

[harpskid]

. Facilities aren't everything Harpskid, just look at Finn Park!!!.

Never said they were everything! Was just pointing out that Keadue aint exactly a club you'd point to whilst talking about good facilities.

Fanad United would lead the way in Donegal, although a heap of clubs up here have made huge strides in terms of upgrading facilities.

Still a shame that two clubs (Raphoe & Kerrykeel) are being threatened with expulsion from the Donegal League due to lack of the necessary infrastructure

[Mad Moose]

Never said they were everything! Was just pointing out that Keadue aint exactly a club you'd point to whilst talking about good facilities.

Fanad United would lead the way in Donegal, although a heap of clubs up here have made huge strides in terms of upgrading facilities.

Still a shame that two clubs (Raphoe & Kerrykeel) are being threatened with expulsion from the Donegal League due to lack of the necessary infrastructure

The facilities aren't ideal at Drumbar United but we are not lacking in enthusiasm and effort. The setting of the club is beautiful, the bluestacks to the fore. Its not our facilities that make us the club we are.Kids want to come and play for us because they know we will look after them.I'm just off the phone to a parent of a child related to Harps no. 9 who has been missing at the club due to illness because I wanted to see how he was progressing.The kids and parents appreciate the care. We dont have a separate shower for the referee but sure they dont even have it at Finn Park at our League of Ireland representatives. Granted we dont have a lock on the door of the referee's changing room so no fear of him getting locked in.

Brendan Grufferty,PRO
Drumbar Utd,
Donegal Town

[Mad Moose]

Still a shame that two clubs (Raphoe & Kerrykeel) are being threatened with expulsion

There not the only one's but for different reasons!!! ;) Any word on the situation at Cappry Rovers. Niall promised my U-10's a wee trip over for a floodlit fixture. I refused a certain Kildrum Tigers for a friendly, wains were reported to be far too rough :D :D

Brendan

[harpskid]

. We dont have a separate shower for the referee but sure they dont even have it at Finn Park at our League of Ireland representatives.


Yes they do!

Not sure what the story is with Cappary. They'll get a heavy fine anyway I suspect. I'd imagine that one could go to court

[harpskid]

Thread on Cappary situation HERE (http://foot.ie/showthread.php?p=236145#post236145)