Originally Posted by
CraftyToePoke
As they are mentioned, in 1984, a year before Newcastle West joined LOI in '85 Newcastle Rovers were formed and the two clubs have been big Desmond League rivals since NC West dropped out of LOI and back into DL in 1990. They amalgamated underage last year, a new club called Newcastle West Town FC came into being. They already have an U15 FAI Cup South West win in their first year, the first DL club to win a regional competition. This coming DL season, the clubs will fully amalgamate and the town will put one junior side out. It's very possible this club will have a lot of their own way at DL level.
The town now has a population of around 6,600. The urban area has passed well beyond the old town boundaries which are due for redefinition.
The old LOI ground is a lot more developed than it was in the LOI days, a much better facility although obviously probably still short of national league current standards.
Also current LOI players Liam McCartan (Wexford Youths) Killian Brouder (Limerick FC) Gary Shanahan (Galway) are all ex NCW AFC players. In addition to this, Paudie O'Connor (Leeds Utd via Limerick FC) Anthony Forde (Rotherham United) & John McGrath (ex Villa / Doncaster / Burton and Ireland U21s) are all ex DL players from very nearby.
So,here you have a club founded in 1948 originally with good tradition and real presence in the area, an area which produces players of a capable standard clearly, and who also have previous in the LOI. You also have a good underage set up and a forward thinking amalgamation for the good of the game in the town as they combine their facilities, infrastructure and efforts.
Is the potential here for a LOI Div 1 club ? Absolutely, yes in my opinion.
What do you not have ? A staged pathway to that goal, or the remotest motivation for those at the club to put the club under that financial pressure just to have the status of 'LOI'
What do you also not have ? A governing body who will address the two above issues.