UEFA Women's Champions League

Apologies if this is the wrong place for this, but looking for some blatant promotion of a fantastic performance from an Irish club side in the UEFA Champions League.

St. Francis Women, who qualified by winning the 2009 FAI Senior Womens Cup secured second place in Group 6 of the UEFA Women's Champions League, and only missed on out progression to the knock out stages on goal difference as one of the best runners up.

Results from this years group stages

St. Francis 4 - 1 Dezembro (Portugal) -
Match Report

St. Francis 0 - 9 Rossiyanka (Russia) - Match Report

St. Francis 5 - 3 Osijek (Croatia) - Match Report

Further Information - UEFA Website

I've read the reports, and I'm guessing you might be the head coach?

Congratulations on a fantastic showing!

Rebecca dowling that came on as a second half sub used to play on my team

So Ciaran W you used to play for Kilnamanagh then.
I was surprised to see her only on the bench she usually starts for them and was "man" of the match in the cup final last year.
well done to the Francis team after being well beaten in all 3 games last year its a huge improvement.
Peamount won the cup this year and will be Irelands entrants next season.

Ye i played for them for 11 seasons :D

Rossiyanka are a fantastic team, they tonked their rivals in Russia last year - I had the good fortune to see them play in a full indoor tournament with some decent teams from other ex-CIS countries, nobody came within 7 goals of them in 4 games.

Likewise Croatian women's football has been traditionally good and Osijek have lots of experience.

Side question, how many of our players (female) are playing abroad?

To put things into perspective, the Russians annual budget is somewhere between $5 and $6 million USD. They get an average home crowd of 3,500. Their purpose built stadium (Capacity: 5,000) is for Women's Football only, and the Russian national team play all their fixtures there.

Couch Potato, You are correct, Peamount are the FAI Cup holders, but there is talk of a national league starting this season, and i think it will depend on the format and time frame for that competition who enters the european competition next season. If it is set up and run before May, I can't see the Cup holders being put through ahead of the league champions. Although I'd imagine Peamount will be one of the front runners for any national league title also. Can't see the league being complete by May though, so will more than likely be Peamount with the 2011 League Champions competing in 2012.

Spudulika, Most of our Senior International squad are based in either the UK or the USA. In the absence of a national league I'm afraid that practice will continue, hopefully the new national league will give those girls a reason to stay in Ireland.

How do you purpose-build a stadium for women's football? Are the toilet seats welded down?

So a womens' team from Russia gets a better average attendance and higher budget than most top flight male teams in Ireland? It's a very good thing we're not competing with them for player signings!

Has an LOI club ever considered trying to sign a female player?

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Originally Posted by peadar1987

Has an LOI club ever considered trying to sign a female player?

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Bohs have signed Cillian brennan

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Originally Posted by pineapple stu

How do you purpose-build a stadium for women's football? Are the toilet seats welded down?

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Kev, I think that's possibly the funniest quote i've ever heard from you, how goes life old mate, long time no see, hope you're enjoying the lofty heights that the students are providing for you!!

Not bad. Saw the Rijeka result in the feeds here; mad sounding game. It was only on Wednesday though that Aberdonian Stu was telling me that you were the manager. Nearly choked on my drink! But congrats. UCD have been there a few times and did well to get a win in our last campaign I think, so two wins really is quite an achievement.

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Originally Posted by pineapple stu

How do you purpose-build a stadium for women's football? Are the toilet seats welded down?

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Alternatively the seats could be fitted with a hinge mechanism whereby they could be quickly and easily (there'd even be gravity assistance) returned to the down position should they be found to be otherwise for any reason.

In such a circumstance anyone who complained could surely be dismissed as a deranged lunatic.