2022 FAI Cup

[JC_GUFC]

13 non-league clubs now qualified for the 1st round along with the 19 LoI sides - does anyone know when the draw is due to take place?

The non-league sides are (not a very exciting bunch for an away trip unfortunately)

Usher Celtic (LSL)
Killester Donneycarney (LSL)
Villa FC (Waterford)
Bluebell United (LSL)
Pike Rovers (Limerick)
Salthill Devon (Galway)
Bangor GG (LSL)
Bonagee United (USL)
Cockhill Celtic (USL)
Maynooth University Town (LSL)
Lucan United (LSL)
Malahide United (LSL)
Oliver Bond Celtic (LSL)

[total hoofball]

Nothing about dates for the draw. Looking back on 2019 the First Round draw was about a month before the ties so should be after mid-season break and before end of June before the European fixtures kick off

Last year the draw for the First Round took place on 13th July just 10 days before ties commenced on July 23rd but that was due to the preliminary ties involving the Inter/Junior sides only been completed on that previous week due to Covid.

[Kingdom]

It's good to see Bangor Celtic back on the big stage (even if they are now amalgamated with Greenhills and Glenmore). They were always a great intermediate side in the late 80s and 90s, even if I could never understand why they weren't officially lined up with Lourdes Celtic.

[D24Saint]

It's good to see Bangor Celtic back on the big stage (even if they are now amalgamated with Greenhills and Glenmore). They were always a great intermediate side in the late 80s and 90s, even if I could never understand why they weren't officially lined up with Lourdes Celtic.

Do they still play near nutgrove shopping centre ?

[JC_GUFC]

It's good to see Bangor Celtic back on the big stage (even if they are now amalgamated with Greenhills and Glenmore). They were always a great intermediate side in the late 80s and 90s, even if I could never understand why they weren't officially lined up with Lourdes Celtic.

I take it that was the club known as Glenmore-Dundrum for a time.

It's probably more a Dublin thing but amalgamations like these are probably a good thing to make clubs stronger and improve facilities overall.

It seems in football if you fall out with someone you can just set up a new club - I remember when I was refereeing in the AUL in the early 2000s there were 2 Sheriff clubs - Sheriff YC and Sheriff United - I'm pretty sure one of these was just a breakaway from the other because of a falling out but neither had a home ground!

[Burnsie]

Glenmore are nothing to do what is now "Bangor GG", as far as i know. The second G is for Greenpark, who had amalgamated with Greenhills before that entity joined up with Bangor a couple of years ago.

They play in Greenhills Park - Bangor used the Nutgrove pitch a bit until the merger, but the surface was brutal so they played their first team matches in James's Gate's ground, if memory serves

Far from the most convoluted merger in recent years. "Sacred Heart Firhouse Clover", who've just been relegated from the LSL top flight, is a combination of at least four different intermediate clubs which have morphed into one in a short span of time

[EatYerGreens]

13 non-league clubs now qualified for the 1st round along with the 19 LoI sides - does anyone know when the draw is due to take place?

The non-league sides are (not a very exciting bunch for an away trip unfortunately)

Usher Celtic (LSL)
Killester Donneycarney (LSL)
Villa FC (Waterford)
Bluebell United (LSL)
Pike Rovers (Limerick)
Salthill Devon (Galway)
Bangor GG (LSL)
Bonagee United (USL)
Cockhill Celtic (USL)
Maynooth University Town (LSL)
Lucan United (LSL)
Malahide United (LSL)
Oliver Bond Celtic (LSL)

Cockhill Celtic and Bonagee United would be good trips up to Donegal (though not as glamorous as Fanad).

I live in hope that Arranmore United qualify for the FAI Cup proper some year. That would be a hell of an away fixture for fans. Though the club are not likely to get to that level really.

[JC_GUFC]

Glenmore are nothing to do what is now "Bangor GG", as far as i know. The second G is for Greenpark, who had amalgamated with Greenhills before that entity joined up with Bangor a couple of years ago.

They play in Greenhills Park - Bangor used the Nutgrove pitch a bit until the merger, but the surface was brutal so they played their first team matches in James's Gate's ground, if memory serves

Far from the most convoluted merger in recent years. "Sacred Heart Firhouse Clover", who've just been relegated from the LSL top flight, is a combination of at least four different intermediate clubs which have morphed into one in a short span of time


Going off on a bit of a tangent here but whatever happened to Belgrove?

I've a memory that they landed a decent windfall from selling their ground and became one of the best Intermediate clubs - I see they won the 2002 Intermediate Cup. Did they end up merging with someone

[total hoofball]

Spent a couple of minutes below doing research of the LSL teams in the cup draw and where they currently are in their leagues with the season nearly over

You would expect all of the top division LSL teams to put it up to any of the part-time First Division teams and the teams outside of the LSL top flight are all doing well this season likely achieving promotions. Usher Celtic definitely the best achievement to qualify for the 1st around being a 4th tier Intermediate team, Oliver Bond who are 5th tier are Junior so qualified through FAI Junior Cup



Killester Donneycarney (LSL) - Senior Sunday, 3rd
Malahide United (LSL) - Senior Sunday, 4th
Bluebell United (LSL) - Senior Sunday, 6th
Bangor GG (LSL) - Senior Sunday, 8th
Maynooth University Town (LSL) - Senior Sunday, 9th
Lucan United (LSL) - Senior 1 Sunday, 2nd
Usher Celtic (LSL) - Senior 1B Sunday, 1st
Oliver Bond Celtic (LSL) - Major Sunday, 1st

[total hoofball]

Going off on a bit of a tangent here but whatever happened to Belgrove?

I've a memory that they landed a decent windfall from selling their ground and became one of the best Intermediate clubs - I see they won the 2002 Intermediate Cup. Did they end up merging with someone

Belgrove merged with Home Farm, they were called Belgrove/Home Farm for a while but now known as just Home Farm again and are in the LSL top division still playing out of Whitehall

As mentioned whopping amount of mergers in LSL over the past decade and still LSL teams being dropping out, former Dublin AUL teams have mostly absorbed these mergers/losses with Killester, Kilbarrack, Ballymun, St. Kevins, Swords Celtic, Ayrfield, Sheriff and some others now in LSL intermediate ranks. Sheriff surprisingly after being the top team in Junior football a decade ago struggling than most others in the LSL

[JC_GUFC]

Spent a couple of minutes below doing research of the LSL teams in the cup draw and where they currently are in their leagues with the season nearly over

You would expect all of the top division LSL teams to put it up to any of the part-time First Division teams and the teams outside of the LSL top flight are all doing well this season likely achieving promotions. Usher Celtic definitely the best achievement to qualify for the 1st around being a 4th tier Intermediate team, Oliver Bond who are 5th tier are Junior so qualified through FAI Junior Cup



Killester Donneycarney (LSL) - Senior Sunday, 3rd
Malahide United (LSL) - Senior Sunday, 4th
Bluebell United (LSL) - Senior Sunday, 6th
Bangor GG (LSL) - Senior Sunday, 8th
Maynooth University Town (LSL) - Senior Sunday, 9th
Lucan United (LSL) - Senior 1 Sunday, 2nd
Usher Celtic (LSL) - Senior 1B Sunday, 1st
Oliver Bond Celtic (LSL) - Major Sunday, 1st

I'd agree with that though yesterday I went to Liffey Wanderers v Salthill Devon and Salthill were fully deserving of the 1-0 win. Salthill are going for the title in the Galway & District League but I would have expected Liffeys to win that being 5th in Senior Sunday. Possibly they didn't have a full team out and sometimes motivation can be a bit questionable - did they really fancy an FAI Cup tie in July?

[EatYerGreens]

Belgrove merged with Home Farm, they were called Belgrove/Home Farm for a while but now known as just Home Farm again and are in the LSL top division still playing out of Whitehall

As mentioned whopping amount of mergers in LSL over the past decade and still LSL teams being dropping out, former Dublin AUL teams have mostly absorbed these mergers/losses with Killester, Kilbarrack, Ballymun, St. Kevins, Swords Celtic, Ayrfield, Sheriff and some others now in LSL intermediate ranks. Sheriff surprisingly after being the top team in Junior football a decade ago struggling than most others in the LSL

You mean 'HomeFarm-Drumcondra-Everton-Fingal-Belgrove' ? That club ? It's like when you put 10 small spiders into a room and come back a week later to find just one big fat one is left.

[Kingdom]

Do they still play near nutgrove shopping centre ?

I though they used to play in St Tiernan's school which is a good bit past Nutgrove.

I could be very wrong, but this Bangor Celtic amalgamated with Greenhills Boys who have a super compliant astro pitch up in up in Greenhills Park, so if they aren't using that then it would seem to be stupid.

[Kingdom]

I take it that was the club known as Glenmore-Dundrum for a time.

It's probably more a Dublin thing but amalgamations like these are probably a good thing to make clubs stronger and improve facilities overall.

It seems in football if you fall out with someone you can just set up a new club - I remember when I was refereeing in the AUL in the early 2000s there were 2 Sheriff clubs - Sheriff YC and Sheriff United - I'm pretty sure one of these was just a breakaway from the other because of a falling out but neither had a home ground!

Sorry, Burnsie is right - it's Greenpark not Glenmore (who were kingpins for a few seasons in the era following Bangor. The LSL really was tops back then.
GreenPark are the far-side of Greenhills (the part of Tymon that you see down the valley when you cross the M50 on the greenhills road) - sloppy by me.
And he's bang on the money about them using Guinness's ground too, but from what I can gather the land grab that Trinity did a few years ago has now come to pass, as St. James Gaels (spits should never have dropped the An Caislean name) have been turfed out of the Guinness grounds recently.

And to avoid derailing the topic altogether, agree totally with Burnsie on the SHFC. Clover were very decent in their first couple of seasons around (I knew a lad who played cf for them) and then merged with Firhouse and looked to be on the up. Didn't know they were relegated - that seems mad.

[The Bowler]

Anyone know when the draw likely to be made for the next round FAI Cup ?

[joey B]

Anyone know when the draw likely to be made for the next round FAI Cup ?

https://mobile.twitter.com/dlLambo/status/1538241766041825284

[EatYerGreens]

https://mobile.twitter.com/dlLambo/status/1538241766041825284

Good stuff. Am hoping to get to a few random games in the early rounds this year to visit new places, teams and grounds.

[The Bowler]

Thanks Joey, hoping for an exotic draw against one of the amateur teams, but not sure I'd be piling the cash on the students coming through. History says that the non league teams give a really good a count of themselves but then run out steam late on in games

[redarmyfaction]

Oliver Bonds vs Sheriff might be an interesting tie.

[Kiki Balboa]

How do these non-league teams qualify for the FAI cup? For some reason I thought it was related to the performances in the Junior and Intermediate cups? Can there only be 3 clubs from the junior (not the LSL/MSL/USL) leagues?

All, Maynooth University Town is the only club from a county without an LOI team.

[pineapple stu]

Yeah, it's something like the quarter-finalists from the Intermediate Cup and the semi-finalists from the Junior Cup. Not sure on exact mix these days

The Intermediate Cup was always a qualifying competition for the FAI Cup going right back to the formation of the State. B teams, who competed in the LSL top flight for decades, were in the Intermediate Cup but couldn't enter the FAI Senior Cup (except when UCD's LSL team qualified in 2009 - don't know how we got away with that in hindsight, but the rules were changed subsequently)

[EatYerGreens]

All, Maynooth University Town is the only club from a county without an LOI team.

Not surprising when most of them are Dubs. Also not surprising that non-league football is stronger in the areas where the senior game is also present - although obviously teams from other counties do make it to the First Round Proper every so often too.

[Mr A]

I do remember Home Farm Everton playing Home Farm in the cup previously which sounds kind of entertaining but wasn't.

[EatYerGreens]

I do remember Home Farm Everton playing Home Farm in the cup previously which sounds kind of entertaining but wasn't.

Which of them ended up dancing in the streets of Home Farm after the fixture ?

[thebronze14]

Which of them ended up dancing in the streets of Home Farm after the fixture ?

And the funny thing was that there wasn't a farm around the area to dance on

[JC_GUFC]

Yeah, it's something like the quarter-finalists from the Intermediate Cup and the semi-finalists from the Junior Cup. Not sure on exact mix these days



Pretty sure it was the last 16 of the Intermediate Cup and the Semi-Finalists from the Junior Cup.

Considering there are probably only about 50 Intermediate clubs in the country that's an a very high proportion of them.

There were 6 byes and 7 first round ties (I think) for those 20 clubs giving 13 qualifiers to join the 19 league clubs in the last 32.

[D24Saint]

Happy with the home game but it’s a potentially tricky draw.

[joey B]

Cobh v Cork might be a good tie but not a lot else to get excited about..

[brendy_éire]

Full draw:

Cobh Ramblers v Cork City
Treaty United v Usher Celtic
Salthill Devon v Malahide United
Sligo Rovers v Wexford
Dundalk v Longford Town
Lucan United v Killester Donnycarney
Bonagee United v Pike Rovers
Derry City v Oliver Bond Celtic
UCD v Cockhill Celtic
Drogheda United v Athlone Town
St Patrick's Athletic v Waterford FC
Finn Harps v Bohemians
Bray Wanderers v Shelbourne
Bangor Celtic v Shamrock Rovers
Bluebell United v Galway United
Maynooth University Town v Villa FC

---------------------------------------------------

Our wait for Cockhill away goes on.

Having a non-league side at home is handy for us, coming off the back of our ECL matches.

[brendy_éire]

Cobh v Cork might be a good tie but not a lot else to get excited about..

I know Harps aren't on a great run of form, but winning at home to Bohs is still entirely possible.

[joey B]

I know Harps aren't on a great run of form, but winning at home to Bohs is still entirely possible.

Yeah we definitely have a decent chance against them,just would have preferred a non premier division team….

[pineapple stu]

Cobh v Cork might be a good tie but not a lot else to get excited about..
Pat's v Waterford was upset material until Waterford appointed their new manager.

Are Cockhill any good? Would have preferred to have been away of course. That's Letterkenny, Pike Rovers, Janesboro all at home in the last couple of years, and only CIÉ Ranch away (which was a cracking game). Kind of defeats the point.

[ontheotherhand]

Yeah we definitely have a decent chance against them,just would have preferred a non premier division team….

If you do knock them out they won't have a chance to wear their cup jersey. So.....there's an incentive.

[joey B]

Pat's v Waterford was upset material until Waterford appointed their new manager.

Are Cockhill any good? Would have preferred to have been away of course. That's Letterkenny, Pike Rovers, Janesboro all at home in the last couple of years, and only CIÉ Ranch away (which was a cracking game). Kind of defeats the point.

Nigel would have a better idea of how good they are than me but I think they aren’t as good as they were maybe 3/4 years ago,they win their league every year pretty much but I’d say it will be a comfortable enough tie for you…

[joey B]

https://mobile.twitter.com/ShamrockRovers/status/1539231724604989441

Bangor Celtic have a very original crest :)

[EatYerGreens]

https://mobile.twitter.com/ShamrockRovers/status/1539231724604989441

Bangor Celtic have a very original crest :)

That is truly awful :D

There used to be a non-league club somewhere that had a crest very similar to Derry's old one. Which embarassingly enough was a rubbish crest anyway :o

[nigel-harps1954]

Pat's v Waterford was upset material until Waterford appointed their new manager.

Are Cockhill any good? Would have preferred to have been away of course. That's Letterkenny, Pike Rovers, Janesboro all at home in the last couple of years, and only CIÉ Ranch away (which was a cracking game). Kind of defeats the point.

Cockhill are decent. Handful of players that probably could have played senior football if they wanted to. Handful of others who played a bit of senior football, and a few others who played underage with either Harps or Derry.

Still expect UCD to win it fairly comfortably though. If the game was in Cockhill, I'd have fancied an upset, but in the Bowl, UCD should have too much, even with crap form contributing.

Interesting tie for Willie O'Connor though, it's his own home club, and he remained playing with them up until about three or four years ago.

[Jd2793]

cockhill really arent up to much. was very disappointed by them in the intermediate cup when i saw them. ucd should win by a few once kerrigan and co are still there.

[D24Saint]

https://mobile.twitter.com/ShamrockRovers/status/1539231724604989441

Bangor Celtic have a very original crest :)

Whats #SheWore ?

[pineapple stu]

Looks like it's just an online sport merchandise shop I think, though not sure what the connection with Rovers is

https://www.sheworeshop.com/pages/about

[RealJohn91]

It's a version of the Arsenal cup final song. I know Bohs and Rovers both have a version of it.

[D24Saint]

https://youtu.be/zNOwkiRaXJQ

I wonder how this became a Rovers thing ?

[The Bowler]

Pat's v Waterford was upset material until Waterford appointed their new manager.

Are Cockhill any good? Would have preferred to have been away of course. That's Letterkenny, Pike Rovers, Janesboro all at home in the last couple of years, and only CIÉ Ranch away (which was a cracking game). Kind of defeats the point.

Agree, would have preferred UCD to have been away, and would have introduced a bit of extra cup romance, while also a little bit of cup jeopardy. Think we win that one comfortably, even with Kerrigan departed

[blueblood]

Anyone know how Usher Celtic are in the FAI cup? They seem well down the divisions (AUL Major 1c Saturday). I don't know much about AUL but is Sunday League higher than Saturday League?

[EatYerGreens]

Anyone know how Usher Celtic are in the FAI cup? They seem well down the divisions (AUL Major 1c Saturday). I don't know much about AUL but is Sunday League higher than Saturday League?

Some people say the Saturday League is light years ahead of the Sunday one. But in reality, you're only talking 24hrs.

[NeverFeltBetter]

Anyone know how Usher Celtic are in the FAI cup? They seem well down the divisions (AUL Major 1c Saturday). I don't know much about AUL but is Sunday League higher than Saturday League?

They were Junior Cup finalists in 2020 weren't they? But I thought it was just the previous years competition that counted?

[culloty82]

They were Junior Cup finalists in 2020 weren't they? But I thought it was just the previous years competition that counted?

Appears that anyone who reached the last 16 of the Intermediate (bar Collinstown), and the Junior semis were either included in the first round draw, or got a bye to this stage:

https://www.fai.ie/domestic/news/fai-centenary-intermediate-and-junior-cup-draws-made

[WeAreRovers]

Whats #SheWore ?

Rovers fans have sung "She Wore a Green Ribbon" specifically for the FAI Cup for all the 40 years plus that I've been going. I think it's probably the oldest song still sung at Rovers.

[Calcio Jack]

Rovers fans have sung "She Wore a Green Ribbon" specifically for the FAI Cup for all the 40 years plus that I've been going. I think it's probably the oldest song still sung at Rovers.

I can vouch for 53 years

[Burnsie]

Appears that anyone who reached the last 16 of the Intermediate (bar Collinstown), and the Junior semis were either included in the first round draw, or got a bye to this stage:

https://www.fai.ie/domestic/news/fai-centenary-intermediate-and-junior-cup-draws-made

edit: ignore me , they must have changed the rules to allow last 16 of the intermediate cup - I forgot about the preliminary round