Intervarsities

[Countryripple]

Anyone any info on how they went? If they went ahead at all with the crappy weather.

[nalsa]

Yeah it did go ahead despite the weather and DCU put on a bloody good tournament which was very well organised, its only a pity we can't say the same about the shambles that is the WSCAI. Inchicore and DCU got into the plate final, with Inchicore coming on out top by just the one goal and from what I hear it was a very tight match and DCU could have nicked an equaliser. In the cup a big shock as UL and UCD made it to the final instead of Sligo and UL who everybody had predicted-even a report on a2zsoccer says UL hope to get through their group where they will possibly play Inchicore and if they win it they would be playing sligo in the final! The only people who seemed to believe this wouldn't happen were UCD a fact demonstrated at the final the next day. In another tight match one wonderful strike from a UL player from about 30 yards out was all that separated them, with UCD hitting the post and having the ball cleared off the line in the dying miniutes. The behaviour of everybody there it seems bare three Inchicore players was utterly dispicable. Sligo players jeered and booed UCD throughout the match obviously unable to accept that they were beaten by a better team on the previous day-sore losers does not even come close as they even jeered a UCD player who was on the ground in agony after a UL player took her legs from under her receiving a yellow card in the process. There is no place in women's soccer for that kind of behaviour and Sligo along with WIT amongst others were an absolute disgrace to their colleges. The fact that the all the members of the executive committee of the WSCAI stood on UL's side of the pitch for the duration of the match is a sad indication that standards don't appear like they will improve anytime soon. Fair play to both UL and Inchicore for their respective wins.

[Countryripple]

Cheers for the detailed report there. Sounds like a very ill-hearted affair altogether. Glad i decided to stay in and watch the rugby so!!!! The whole year has been very poor show on a lot of different levels from what i have seen, heard and experienced.

Roll on the revolution!!!!

[CollegeTillIDie]

nalsa

Well done on the report and highlighting the blatant anti-Belfield bias of the executive of the WSCAI. This has gone on for the past number of years.
Not 100% sure why, but I have my theories.

On a purely historical note a UL V UCD final was a repeat of the First Intervarsities Final when Thomond College ( later became UL when merged with NIHE Limerick) beat UCD in the first ever final by a 1-0 scoreline.

Despite what many people might think UCD do not dominate either the Leagues or Cup competitions in the WSCAI run tournaments. In fact UCD to my knowledge have only won the Women's Intervarsities on 2 occasions.

They won the League in 1994/95, 1996/97 and 1997/98 but as far as I can recall a second placing in 2001/02 was as good as it got this century which if I am correct, and I am a little out of the loop in these matters, has been dominated by IT Sligo.

[CollegeTillIDie]

nalsa
It is a sad reflection that such poor sportsmanship has crept into Womens intervarsities football. Especially in Third Level where one would imagine the intellectual level would be just that teensy bit higher. But then again these are IT students...

[Number9]

So, is this the end of the season for the ladies at college? Any Celtic League or "Home Nations" championships like the u15 schoolgirls do?

[Countryripple]

Whoooooaaaaa there Declan!!!!! Lets not start any more discrimination within this league!!!! The I.T.'s in this country produce some of the best minds we have......without the added snobbery!!!!

[CollegeTillIDie]

COuntryripple

I was borrowing from the report it was Waterford IT and IT Sligo students whose behaviour was reprehensible... the PLC that is Inchicore College were above reproach if my memory of the posting serves me right.
And I can't be a snob I'm a Northsider

[greenumbro]

Have to agree fully with Nalsa. Fair play, bang on report from what i can see. WIT and Sligo were a disgrace at the final. Fair play to UL, 'twas a good tough game, they came out on top but the jeering from others was uncalled for!!! All that seperated the teams was a good goal, nobody should be jeered about that, should they?! The attitude towards UCD at the banquet on Saturday nite was also totally uncalled for.... This UCD team entered this competition purely to play good clean football, there was no trip away for this team, no nights out - just football! Each girl travelled across the city every moring to play their match and then went home again... But yet all these girls got for it was hassle both on and off the pitch, can ANYONE give me ANY reason as to why this was?! Some people will also know that it wasn't just at the final and banquet that the UCD girls got hassle... So... What did the UCD girls do to deserve such a raw deal through out this t'ment?

[CollegeTillIDie]

greenumbro

All I know is that the WSCAI tried to kick UCD out of the tournament on a technicality. Then when another College withdrew from the tournament they were invited back with the stipulation that they had to play a pre-qualifier against DIT at DCU in advance of the tournament proper. From what I was told there were difficulties in organising the game, caused mainly by the WSCAI executive. Now whether the other Colleges were anti-UCD because they believed they should not be in the tournament or not I don't know but it certainly must have contributed. From what I was told IT Sligo were just poor losers and couldn't take their beating 1-0 in the Semi-final. IT Sligo have been beating UCD in League matches on a consistent basis and expected to do so again.... tough girls, you can't win them all!

By the way as an aside I was told the entire WSCAI executive members who were present at the game stood on the UL side of the pitch. I thought governing bodies were supposed to be impartial?

[greenumbro]

Yea, CTID, everything you said there is bang on... UCD were to play DIT the week before the varsities but the WSCAI made it too awkward for them to play (icluding giving less than 2 days notice of the match!?) UCD didn't know what to think about being told they were back in, I know some people may have felt like the WCSAI were to go but at the end of the day, like I said before, all the UCD girls wanted to do was play football so they went along with what was happening, no matter how awkward or annoying it was for them (to be told they were in, then out, then appeal and be told no chance and to be told they are in again!?) Having said all that though, I don't know if the other teams (Ie. WIT and Sligo IT) knew about all this controversary before the competition? If they did maybe this added to the agro but again it was hardly the girls faults that such complications occurred, why should they get jeered?!

The committee are an entirely different kettle of fish when it comes to fairness of play!!!! UCD were now filling in for another IT which pulled out (and helping the WSCAI by doing so as they made up numbers!) However, from what I have been told, the draw for the league basis had been made before UCD were recalled, however upon UCD returning, the draw was "re-done" instead of slotting UCD into, what some would say would have been, an "easier" section from which the original IT team had been selected....

And yes, all the committee members did stand on the UL side (with the trophy) the whole way through out the game!!! Fair play and all that! I don't know, I just personally feel that it is a very sad day when a team of girls can't just go out and play a final that they deserved to be in and lose the game in good spirit (as the UCD girls did) despite the hassle and jeering. At the end of the day, if all this is coming down to is the fact that certain people feel UCD shouldn't have been playing in the first place, I feel that if anyone should be getting hassled over this, its the WSCAI, the UCD girls just did what they were told by the committee....

Its so sad, the UCD girls lost the varsities final by a good goal to UL, however who is getting talked about - Sligo IT and WIT not UL... Should we not be talking about what a good game it was ON the pitch and talk about the two teams who really mattered -> UL and UCD...??? All that is happening here is we are letting Sligo take the lime light from UL and even from UCD, who lets remember did put sligo out against all the odds... I have to agree with CTID again in that I feel Sligo felt like they just had to play the match on Friday afternoon(semi-final) as a formality but their real match was going to be against UL in the final and I feel that UCD should get some credit for going out with the confidence to beat Sligo and for being able to do the job which lets face very few believed anybody would do this year...

I could go on and on and on here because I am fuming at the disgrace that has now marred what was a very well ran t'ment (congrats DCU) and what was three days of very high standard female football......

[Countryripple]

Thats pretty much the reason for the jeering i think. The WSCAI made a right mess of things for a couple of colleges in the run up to the tournament regarding their entry. A few years back i was standing on the pitch at halftime in UL with my college team, a disagreement over something came up. An excutive member of the WSCAI, who was also standing on the UL sideline came over, i talked things over with her, pointed out rules etc that were about to be breached. She told me to get on the pitch or forfeit the game that we didnt have a leg to stand on and no report would be entertaind because she was there at the game!

That is just ONE of my encounters with the WSCAI. I have nothing against UL, they are a super college and have very good teams. But as far as the Exec's association with them goes.......well........there shouldnt be an association should there?

[CollegeTillIDie]

Well said Countryripple and thanks greenumbro for the detail of what took place. I didn't know the Intervarsities was on that weekend in Dublin of all things and on the Northside. There was a time I would have known everything that was happening.
It is a great disappointment to see how things have changed.
I used to be the League delegate for UCD ( 1997/98 and 1998/99) and served them as Club secretary also for one season.
I tried my best in doing so to co-operate with all our opponents and by and large UCD had harmonious workings with the other teams and the Executive ( some people have moved on since my time) . My view then was that as the only Nationally run League in the country for Women's soccer( a 32 county one at that) it was important that the League have a decent profile so as to encourage up and coming young players doing their Leaving Certs etc to come and play when they made it to Universities, I.T's. or P.L.C.s which were WSCAI members. It was easier to be involved as most of the games took place on Sundays at the time I had already graduated and was working full time as was the coach.

I always helped other Colleges raise their profile when I was PRO of the LFAI ( now WFAI) from 2000 to 2002 and compiled a list of Premier Division goalscorers for a number of years, getting it published in a few national papers, until a serious illness prevented me being involved one season. Earlier this season I found a coach to help out Trinity College's Ladies team so when asked I still contribute in whatever way I can.

I know the present coach and all of his predecessors since my time when Ian Nesbitt was coach.
And when I was in College in the early 1980's one of my friend was dating (as the Yanks say)the captain of the team at the time Orla Coyne. She played in the 1983/84 W.S.C.A.I. Intervarsities Final against Thomond .

[Numero]

i think this whole discussion shows some of the major problems in the organisation of women's football in this country - in-fighting, little transparency, basic sporting values ignored by some...
And CTID, judging from your knowledge and interest in the women's game, it is a real reflection on the intervarsity 'organising' people that you didnt even know about the tournament.

I hope the powers that be are following the discussions on women's football. Because sooner or later the **** is really gonna hit the fan

[greenumbro]

I have to agree with you there Numero... Very few people realised that not any college can enter the intervarsities in the first place... If I'm correct, I believe that a college may only enter if they are a premier team or if they finished in the top two places of the first division, I'm open for correction here? This shows straight away that these teams are serious footballers in my opinion and I feel that when teams are playing at such a standard, the organisation needs to be top class and know what it is doing to ensure that these teams grow and progress and to keep interest there.... I'm afraid that I feel that this can NOT be said about the WSCAI!!!!

Should this competition not be highlighted as one of the biggest t'ment in the college sporting here for female footballers? Of course it should but yet UCD were told TWO DAYS before hand that they were even playing!? When telling some of my male friends about the varsities, many of them thought - ha female soccer... However, I encouraged a few of these friends to come out and watch and they were pleasantly surprised (much to my relief!!!!) I feel that if this t'ment was hyped up a bit more, PRIOR to play, more people would support (if the way that we want/need SUPPORT!!!!) If there is more people at m atches, more complaints may be made about what a shambles certain things are, therefore MAYBE (insert wishful thinking here) some improvements amy be made...????!!!!

Another thing that I feel shall prove "interesting" is watching some of these players now play with or against eachother on proviencial teams at the inter-pro's at the end of the month (which for those who may wish to support.... will take place in Sligo on the 31st March-1st April, from what I recall....???)

[nemi7]

well we (nui maynooth) were allowed enter the competition and we are in the leinster division so im not really sure what the criteria is to be honest. bu we have been messed around too. a few weeks back us and a few other teams (inchicore trinity and another team i cant rememebr) were meant to play each other on a saturday and the top 3 teams wud have gone through to the intervarsities. 4pm friday afternoon we all get told the games are cancelled because ucd (at the time anyway) had been disqualified and so we all qualified automatically.
i know we shouldnt be moaning about that part of it cuz we qualified but the pure lack of any sort of organisation or common sense really astounds me. do they know how hard it is for country colleges's players to get a weekend off work(usually the only bit of money gettin them through the week)?? or to have to sort out the mass organisation and movement of players with buses etc?? and it wasnt only our team, i know of girls from other colleges who cancelled flights to play on that saturday!only to be told less then 24hrs before that its off..
its a shambles really and just another example of what u have all been talkin about.

and actually speaking about bad behaviour i just want to mention the bad sportsmanship we experienced playing UL during the tournament. now im not blacklisting all players of course but theres definately bad vibes in that team and most DEFINATELY in the management.
its all about reputation with them unfortunately.

[greenumbro]

Is there ANY team out there that WASN'T messed about by "our organisation" before the varsities???????

[nalsa]

At least im not alone in believing the anti-UCD bias throughout womens college soccer is uncalled for. You are correct in saying Sligo IT have dominated colleges soccer for the last few years CTID, they have won the league three years in row and the intervarsities once in that time and got to another final in the process. UCD have not done anything major in years, a sad but true fact and yet they are consentently faced with a barrage of ill-will towards them. People have asked me before why it is that UCD is hated so much and I honestly can't say why , I think it may be partially to do with how well the summer team has done in the DWSL and UEFA but people don't understand that they are two separate teams. As sad as it is to say many of the members of that team do have egos a hell of a lot bigger than they should have but they have absolutely NOTHING to do with the college team. three members of the college team also play on the summer team out of a squad of about 22. As regards the intervarsities, maybe other teams did feel UCD didn't deserve to be in the intervarsities but it was over a technicality, of sending in a form with 200 instead of 400 euro because somebody simply read the form wrong. It had nothing to do with soccer and therefore why did players from WIT and Sligo insist on bringing it onto the football pitch by jeering players while they attempted to play probably the biggest match of their college careers?? What hurt a lot of the older UCD players too was the fact that last year at the intervarsities in GMIT we cheered on Sligo at the final against UL even though traditionally we would have sided with UL. In the group stages UL had fielded their second team in the second group match because they knew they were through on goal difference anyway, this was totally against the ethos of the competition so we cheered Sligo on. Our repayment was the treatment we got at the final this year. And remember UCD had lost to Sligo on penalities for the second year in a row when we choose to support them at the final too.
Im not saying UCD are saints fair from it but this culture of everyone against UCD is demoralising and downright painful to be honest. Sport is meant to be played with a will to win but also a spirit of goodwill. Football is just a game and when the whistle goes that should be it. Im only glad this is my final year of football so i won't have to endure it anymore, but no doubt there will be more first years leaving the banquet next year as they did this year asking when all the other teams were treating is so badly? I wish I could say I hope the situation changes but the WSCAI are a shower of no-hopers who will wink at UL and tell all the other teams to go stuff it when they ask for anything. Roll on the the summer season, funny how mal o'reilly can orgainse 9 leagues in the DWSL without all the fuss of the WSCAI maybe we could beg him to run it!!!

[rasper]

any one with sligo or wit willing to explain what happened with ucd and why it is claimed that they acted so unsporting

[Countryripple]

Holy cr@p!"!! If you honestly think there is a better job being done in the DWSL you are way way wrong!!! That league is just as much of a joke as the WSCAI, in fact i would probably go so far as to say it is worse. Because of the fact it is only run for barely four months of the year, has someone employed FULL time......meaning he has the other eight months of the year to twiddle his thumbs from what i have seen!! Plus they also have CE workers working for them who i imgine do most of the admin work. Please lets not get into the DWSL......it makes me feel ill.

If we go back to the intervarsities, any team in any league can apply to play in the tournament. A certain number of teams are automaticly given places depending on their final placings in the tournament the previous year. Anyone else has to play in a qualifying tournament. I feel that no team should be given an automatic right into the tournament. Every team that wants to have a bash should either be let in, or play in a qualifing tournament.

I know of another college who received the tournament application form three days before the cut off date!!!! Sent it off straight away, with the correct ammount of money, to be told it was received a day late!!!! Of course this was appealed, mainly due to the date of receival of the actual application form. The college still didnt get into the tournament!!

And do you think they got their 400 euro back either!!!!

On this basis and the evidence we are hearing from other college associates, i do not think there is an Anti-UCD movement going on. I think there is some GAA moles in the WSCAI trying to destruct the female soccer league!!!