The Clare league lost a few handey players in the last few years though in fairness...O'Grady eade O'neill and Shane O'Connor as well as davey wall so fair play for having 2 teams in the last 32
The Clare and district league went down 1-0 to the Cork AUL side at Digifone Park in Ennis in the Oscar Traynor Cup and therefore last season's champions failed to qualify for the knock out stages of this season's competition.
The door was finally close when news came through from Leeside that the West Cork league had beaten the Cork Shipping league 4-1.
Total disaster this considering the players available to be picked.
On another note Bridge Celtic & Newtown are the only Clare sides left in this years FAI Junior Cup. Hard to believe really considering the Bridge are a 1st division side & Newtown are not great.
The likes of Bunratty,Bridge Utd,Newmarket & Avenue should be doing a hell of alot better than they are in the national competition.
The Clare league lost a few handey players in the last few years though in fairness...O'Grady eade O'neill and Shane O'Connor as well as davey wall so fair play for having 2 teams in the last 32
Its great to see Bridge Celtic do well but they pulled a lot of players from the Tipp league for this season. If they do not get promoted this year they never will. As for Newtown....has any team ever got an easier Fai draw. I mean they have beaten no-body so far and who knows anything about West Utd who they play next. If they get thru them they will be home to a team a division below them in theur own league. I'd fancy Bridge Celtic to wax Newtown though if Newtown beat West.
As for the other "big" teams in Clare. Newmarket have not put a Munster or Fai run together in the last 10 years. Bridge Utd and Bunratty are trying to re-build teams. Bunratty lost 8 of last years double winning team so thats hard to recover from. Declan Adams was a big loss and he scored the winner in the Oscar Traynor final last year and cant nail a place down for Park Rangers now... Strange really. Avenue have a very young team this year and are trying to re-build too.
I agree Cous with you about Bridge Celtic. If they don't get promoted this year they never will. They have a hell of a good side this year. They are very strong at the back especially. Played them this year in the 2nd round of the FAI & while they were lucky enough to beat us with a deflected goal I thought their defence was absolutely excellent. They were up against the 2 Donnellans (both ex Limerick City) who are as you probably know excellent players & the lads didn't get a sniff of a chance. Match could have gone either way but I think they probably deserved it overall. Great to see them do so well in the FAI & if Newtown do advance I think they'll easily dispose of them.
Bunratty are fairly screwed this year allright.
To lose so many is next to impossible to recover from.
Don't know if I agree entirely about Bridge Utd rebuilding a team.
Most of the players are the same as whats been there for the last few years.
You'd have to fancy them to win the league again.They've won all their matches so far.
Again I'd agree with you about Avenue.Alot of young lads there. Have to say that their B team is feckin class. Can't really understand why some of them aren't playin premier football. Alot of those guys have won everything there is to win in Clare Football. Seems that they formed the B-Team just to complete their medal collections. They absolutely ****ed the 3rd division last year & will probably do the same in the 2nd.
As for Newmarket don't get why they don't do better with the pick they have.
Always there or there abouts but never really gettin anywhere.
Anyway Predictions for this year in the CFL are as follows
I'll probably get slated but sur so what
Premier Champions--Bridge Utd
Runners Up---------Newmarket Celtic
Relegated----------Connoly Celtic
Relegated----------Cratloe Celtic
Relegated----------Lifford/Oldtown
1st Division Champs-Bridge Celtic A
Runners Up---------Kilkishen Celtic A
Also Promoted------Corofin Harps
Relegated----------Kilrush Rangers
Relegated----------Bunratty B
2nd Division Champs-Avenue Utd B
Runners Up----------Hermitage
Relegated-----------Cratloe Celtic B
Relegated-----------CooraClare Celtic
Relegated-----------Bridge Utd B
3rd Division Champs--Kilkee
Runners Up----------Ennistymon Town
Also Promoted-------Shannon Olympic B
QUOTE - CousinSylDolan - "Its great to see Bridge
Celtic do well but they pulled a lot of players from
the Tipp league for this season".
Bridge Celtic only got 1 player from Tipp league
(David Hickey from Ballina/Killaloe) and 1 player
from Killaloe (Ricky Moatt) who played with Kincora
last year in Clare 2nd Div.So to say they pulled
alot of players in from Tipp league wouldn't be
accurate.Any other "new" players are young local lads.
On another note, Its a shame to see Clares oscar
traynor side out..Its always good to have your
County represented in the big competitions.
Murphman do you know what happened with Kincora
Are they gone ???
Declan Adams was a big loss and he scored the winner in the Oscar Traynor final last year and cant nail a place down for Park Rangers now... Strange really.
As I have posted on the LDMC thread , went to see Park Rangers today and Declan Adams WAS playing. He played very well and caused all sorts of problems for Summerville. Did miss a sitter though but was impressed with him. Had not seen him much at all this season in the Lim League.
I see Newtown were dumped out of the Fai by West Utd from Galway. 2.0 in Doora....
I hear it was a most awful game and 2 very bad sides. 2 mistakes by Newtown gifted 2 goals by all accounts. Bridge Celtic now travel to Galway looking for a place in the last 16. Lets hope they can do it. The only info I got on West Utd were that they are strong and physical but do not have many decent players. Their keeper was their best player.
Pauliwallnuts - "Murphman do you know what happened with Kincora
Are they gone ???"
Killaloe has no soccer team at the moment, Kincora folded last year due to lack of interest..Players weren't fully committed, eventhough they have some great players in the area.
Not forgetting in recent years that killaloes first soccer team Derg rovers also folded in recent seasons.
Both of Bridge Celtic's latest signings as mentioned in earlier comments played with kincora and Birdhill(Tipp League).
Most of the players from Kincora are now playing with Boher F.C (From Ballina) in the bottom Tipp league.
I went to see the F.A.I game between Newtown and West last Sunday - very windy day and both teams didn't play great football.In my opinion Newtown were unlucky, the first half was bad and neither team deserved to be leading at the break but it was a mistake that left West in for the opener. In Fairness to newtown they came out in the second half and imposed themselves on the game and deserved an equaliser...but as so often in these close games a defensive slip can cost you.With newtown well up the pitch they were caught on a breakaway attack and West got the decisive goal.
West are physical and the keeper probably did look their best player eventhough he had very little to do - he looks confident and sharp.
Hopefully Bridge Celtic can get that priceless spot in the last 16, it would some achievement for a small club and area and not forgetting they are now the only team left representing the Clare League.
On another note - fixtures for clare first division look interesting...
Next sunday Kilkishen V's Bridge Celtic (surely the biggest game of the season so far) and Rock Rvrs v's Corofin(recently beaten by Bridge Celtic in Shield final)
Kilkishen vs Bridge Celtic is a huge one in the 1st division. Rock and Corofin is a hard one to call too though. I'll go for 2 away wins....
Bridge Utd could have a sticky one in the Premier to keep the 100% record going....away to Rineanna.
2 big games allright if the rain holds off a bit.
The forecast ain't too good & pitches can't be too healthy at the moment.
I'd fancy the Bridge to beat Kilkishen as Kilkishen are missing a load of players.
I'd fancy Rock to beat Corofin based on what I've seen from Rock.
On the otherhand I haven't seen Corofin this year so I don't really know.
I saw Corofin once this season and they were only alright. Same as every other year really. Not many great players but they fight hard for everything and if its a row you want then there is no better team to play.
Rock will be missing Shane Daniels though as far as I know as he was called into the Clare Senior football team. Not a great sign for Clare football I know. I think they are playing UCC in the McGrath cup on Sunday so he will be on that team. He will be a big loss to Rock Rovers.
Weather not promised good though so dont be surprised if its another blanket call off.
Who are Kilkishen missing??????? They will need all the big guns this weekend for that game vs Celtic. Kilkishen look good going forward with the Donnellans, Canny and Paul Murphy but are they still weak at the back. They have never really had a decent keeper either. Bridge Celtic might have one eye on the Fai game in Galway the following week so might be a good time to play them.
True about Kilkishen being weak at the back but they have just signed the Lifford Keeper who was on the Oscar Traynor team before Radu Sulc. Can't remember his name now but he had lost his place to the guy who played in this years Oscar traynor team. I've never seen him but I hear he's handy.
They also signed Denis Murphy from Tulla at the begining of the season & he's a big addition.
All 3 Donnellans are out. Stevie dislocated his shoulder against Kilmaley & is out for some time. Brian & Paddy are playing football for Clare don't know for which teams. Theres a few more out as well but not sure who.
All in all they are down to the bare bones.
So if this weeks games happen the Bridge should definately win but you never know.You could be right in saying they may have their eye on the FAI game but I'd say promotion is their no.1 aim
All games in Clare this weekend are called off because of the weather,
Good call really as pitches would in ****e if any games were played...
I dont see why he would want To...He seems to be getting on great with Fairview and plays all the time...Excellent player and he would be a big loss to the view as he scores a lot of goals for them.
Does anyone know did Bridge Celtic win in Galway vs West Utd in the Fai yesterday.
Bridge Celtic lost 3-1 yesterday. They took the lead after 30 seconds but could not hold on.
Thats a pity but at least they can concentrate on promotion ambitions. Realistically they were not going to get much further in the fai anyway....
They are away to Kilmaley next Sunday.... Kilkishen are home to Special Olympic.....
Have the next weeks fixtures been posted up somewhere.
Weather is to be bad again this week matches may not go ahead.
Jim Madden was speaking over the weekend about trying to change
the season to the summer months same as league of Ireland
not sure if this would work, soccer would be in direct competition
with the GAA then?
I get the fixtures every Monday off Ml Lydon....
They are as follows....
Lynch Hotels Clare & District Soccer League Fixtures
Saturday 22/01/05
F.A.I Youths Inter League Cup
Digifone Park: Clare V Galway
Referee: P.Markham 2.30
Assistant Referees: P.Cullen, M.O`Halloran
Sunday 23/01/05
Munster Junior Cup 4th Round
Ruan: Lifford A.F.C. V Maymount Celtic (Cork)
Referee: M.O`Brien 2.00
Assistant Referees: D.McCarthy, P.Dunne
Note: In event of a draw 10 mins e/w extra time & penalty’s if necessary.
Maloney Hardware Shannon Premier Division League
Bunratty: Bunratty A V Connolly Celtic
J.Deniffee 2.00
Newmarket: Newmarket Celtic A V Rinnanna Rovers A
P.Cullen 11.00
Sixmilebridge: Cratloe Celtic A V Bridge United A
P.Markham 11.00
Fairgreen: Avenue United A V Newtown A
M.O`Halloran 11.00
Clare Hire & Sales First Division League
Tiermaclane: Kilmaley United V Bridge Celtic A
P.Mulready 11.00
Kilkishen: Kilkishen Celtic A V Shannon Olympic A
A.Murphy 2.30
Tiermaclane: Rock Rovers V Bunratty B
F.Coote 11.00
CBS Kilrush: Kilrush Rangers V Mountshannon Celtic
T.McInerney 2.00
SEL Print Second Division League
Kilmhill: St.Pats A V Cratloe Celtic B
J.McCarthy 2.00
Kildysart: Kildysart Celtic V Tullycrine Celtic
J.McCarthy 11.00
Fairgreen: Hermitage V Bridge United B
M.O`Halloran 2.00
Cooraclare: Cooraclare Celtic V Avenue United B
T.McInerney 11.00
Doolin: Burren United V Turnpike Rovers
J.Stanford 11.00
Suttons Lighting Third Division League
O`Briensbridge: Bridge Celtic B V Newmarket Celtic B
D.Brosnan 11.00
Kilkishen: Kilkishen Celtic B V Rinnanna Rovers B
A.Murphy 11.00
Quin: Rhine Rovers V Shannon Olympic B
P.Markham 2.00
Ballycasey: Newtown B V Ennistymon Celtic
D.Cunningham 2.00
Tiermaclane: Manus Celtic V Kilkee
D.Cunningham 11.00
Note: would all home teams ring in results immediately after games to Michael Lydon 065-6839349. Failure to do it will result in an automatic 30 euro fine.
Note: Any club seeking a free weekend must do so at least two weeks in writing to Michael Lydon for Consideration, also once fixtures appear in the paper under no circumstances will games be called off.
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