Terry
27/04/2005, 10:18 AM
The inaugural Galway International Soccer Festival will be held at Salthill Devon’s new facility at Drom, Galway next August. The festival is being organised in conjunction with the Event Company who run a number of highly successful tournaments in the UK such as The Wales International Soccer Tournament.
The tournament will cater for boys and girls for the ages 8 to 17. There will be eight age groups with approximately 100 teams participating in the event. The Under 15 age group will be aimed at professional clubs and representative teams i.e. teams representing a county, city or region. Teams confirmed for the elite competition include Glasgow Celtic, two FAI representative sides, top Canadian side Calgary Foothills FC (previous club of England International Owen Hargreaves) and ex-Chelsea and Glasgow Celtic player Paul Elliot’s soccer academy FC Yarnton.
The Festival will be the first major youth international soccer tournament to be held in the Republic of Ireland and aims to fill this gap in the market by providing a high quality event. We are confident that the tournament will establish itself as a focal point within the Irish youth soccer calendar while also furthering the development of soccer in the West of Ireland. As well as being a sporting occasion, the festival will also incorporate a cultural dimension with entertainment and excursions provided for all visitors.
Galway over the years has established strong relationships with numerous cities in North America, the UK and Europe. The Galway International Soccer Festival will be an opportunity for the city to both renew and celebrate such ties through cultural and sporting exchange. The festival will provide a significant boost to local tourism. Ireland West Tourism has acknowledged the tournament’s potential and have given the club their full support in staging the event.
The tournament will cater for boys and girls for the ages 8 to 17. There will be eight age groups with approximately 100 teams participating in the event. The Under 15 age group will be aimed at professional clubs and representative teams i.e. teams representing a county, city or region. Teams confirmed for the elite competition include Glasgow Celtic, two FAI representative sides, top Canadian side Calgary Foothills FC (previous club of England International Owen Hargreaves) and ex-Chelsea and Glasgow Celtic player Paul Elliot’s soccer academy FC Yarnton.
The Festival will be the first major youth international soccer tournament to be held in the Republic of Ireland and aims to fill this gap in the market by providing a high quality event. We are confident that the tournament will establish itself as a focal point within the Irish youth soccer calendar while also furthering the development of soccer in the West of Ireland. As well as being a sporting occasion, the festival will also incorporate a cultural dimension with entertainment and excursions provided for all visitors.
Galway over the years has established strong relationships with numerous cities in North America, the UK and Europe. The Galway International Soccer Festival will be an opportunity for the city to both renew and celebrate such ties through cultural and sporting exchange. The festival will provide a significant boost to local tourism. Ireland West Tourism has acknowledged the tournament’s potential and have given the club their full support in staging the event.