St. Kevin's Boys

**Charlie Darwin** · 13/09/2015, 11:24 PM

Originally Posted by mcgonigle

Santry not Whitehall. Not the same ground as Home Farm

Is that considered Santry? I always thought it was Whitehall. I know it's not the same ground.

**seand** · 14/09/2015, 10:00 AM

Their address is down as Shanowen Road, Santry. Not quite as far out as Morton Stadium, but north of DCU

**Kingdom** · 14/09/2015, 12:57 PM

Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

Is that considered Santry? I always thought it was Whitehall. I know it's not the same ground.

Much of a muchness, as you know yourself, there's loads of areas around Dublin that overlap - think of how big Tallaght is, same with Clondalkin.

I think this is great for football at all levels. I've never understood why so many juvenile clubs just stopped at under 18's. How can you invest time and money into kids and then just forget about them as soon as they leave schoolboy ranks.

With a bit of luck this will force other clubs into the same action. There has to be long-term thinking to this though as well,

**Ezeikial** · 14/09/2015, 6:00 PM

Originally Posted by Kingdom

I think this is great for football at all levels. I've never understood why so many juvenile clubs just stopped at under 18's. How can you invest time and money into kids and then just forget about them as soon as they leave schoolboy ranks.

Once players have gone past 16 /17 years the chances of UK clubs signing promising schoolboys has gone

**culloty82** · 14/09/2015, 8:10 PM

That leads onto a cultural debate as to why underage players should only be developing their careers with UK clubs, look at Ryan Gauld and Eric Dier who decided to try Sporting Lisbon, indeed rather than subjecting talents to the pressures of the UK rat race, perhaps they might make breakthroughs sooner in France, Belgium, Holland, Denmark or Switzerland if they wish to leave the LoI?

**KeepersBall** · 14/09/2015, 9:21 PM

Kevins facilities at Shanowen Road would certainly be on a par with most first division sides, although they do not have seating which I understand is compulsory.

**gufcfan** · 14/09/2015, 10:02 PM

Originally Posted by KeepersBall

they do not have seating which I understand is compulsory.

Depends whether the FAI feel like enforcing that or not.

**Charlie Darwin** · 15/09/2015, 10:21 AM

Originally Posted by Ezeikial

Once players have gone past 16 /17 years the chances of UK clubs signing promising schoolboys has gone

That's what I don't get. Why put all that money and effort into player development but then have nowhere for them to go once they've finished schoolboy level?

Originally Posted by KeepersBall

Kevins facilities at Shanowen Road would certainly be on a par with most first division sides, although they do not have seating which I understand is compulsory.

It's at the FAI's discretion. Cabinteely have only very rudimentary temp stand (benches really) and some steps. I'm sure Kevins could come up with something similar if needed.

**Mr A** · 15/09/2015, 10:30 AM

Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

That's what I don't get. Why put all that money and effort into player development but then have nowhere for them to go once they've finished schoolboy level?

Because many of these clubs are all about getting players across channel. They have not cared about senior football because senior football hasn't mattered to that ambition. But now you need to be a senior club to be in the U17 leagues, so these clubs have to pay attention.

**outspoken** · 15/09/2015, 10:46 AM

Originally Posted by culloty82

That leads onto a cultural debate as to why underage players should only be developing their careers with UK clubs, look at Ryan Gauld and Eric Dier who decided to try Sporting Lisbon, indeed rather than subjecting talents to the pressures of the UK rat race, perhaps they might make breakthroughs sooner in France, Belgium, Holland, Denmark or Switzerland if they wish to leave the LoI?

This 👍👍

**Ezeikial** · 15/09/2015, 2:39 PM

Originally Posted by Mr A

Because many of these clubs are all about getting players across channel. They have not cared about senior football because senior football hasn't mattered to that ambition. But now you need to be a senior club to be in the U17 leagues, so these clubs have to pay attention.

Agreed.

The U17 national league is bad enough - although they could probably live with being excluded from it; but it is really the anticipated U15 national league that concerns them. This could pull players to these national league clubs from as young as 13 years old and therefore completely shift the balance of attraction for the elite schoolboy players from DDSL clubs to national league clubs

**Mr A** · 15/09/2015, 2:42 PM

Exactly. We are actually making small but important steps on the road to putting some sort of shape on Irish football.

Scary in a way.

**Kingdom** · 16/09/2015, 9:46 AM

Originally Posted by Ezeikial

Agreed.

The U17 national league is bad enough - although they could probably live with being excluded from it; but it is really the anticipated U15 national league that concerns them. This could pull players to these national league clubs from as young as 13 years old and therefore completely shift the balance of attraction for the elite schoolboy players from DDSL clubs to national league clubs

8 years old. I know of a core group of kids that left two different non-LOI Dublin based academies to go to a similar set-up at a LOI Dublin-based club.

The likes of Kevins etc are terrified at the possible ramifications. While Bohs, Rovers and Shels might not be pulling up trees at schoolboy level, the fact of the matter is that they are established schoolboy clubs now, and with these rules, they're only going to become more influential. As they should be.

**Quayman** · 16/09/2015, 1:03 PM

The idea if Cabinteely joining may have sparked an upsurge and hopefully it will make the FAI contemplate the entry fee each year to entice a few more clubs into the league. Its a joke that the Northern league has about a 4 or 5 tiered league system and we cant get enough for 2 divisions.

Should be looking at enticing regional clubs back such as Kilkenny and Monaghan with lower fees involved etc.

**Darklordsbane** · 16/09/2015, 6:19 PM

Originally Posted by KeepersBall

Kevins facilities at Shanowen Road would certainly be on a par with most first division sides, although they do not have seating which I understand is compulsory.

Mervue did have seating at least I never saw them and I was there a few times I know they are gone but they were in the first division

**Longfordian** · 16/09/2015, 6:56 PM

Neither Mervue nor Salthill had seating as far as I know. As gufcfan says above it depends on whether the FAI feel like enforcing the requirements or not. I'm guessing they'd let Wexford away with it.