Merville United

**MervilleUnited** · 10/12/2006, 2:26 PM

Hello All,
No idea is this allowed, but I just thought that a link for our club on Irelands Best Footie Forum might open up debate and ideas on all aspects of football for young people, and maybe produce better players in the future

I have linked to this page from our own site, so lets see

**feo123** · 12/12/2006, 10:04 PM

being a player myself at underage level, in my opinion, even at ages younger than my own (u18) i feel that the referees are too picky, in the S/L league anyway!? such small things like a young child playing with a ball on the sideline or wearin a rubber band on your wrist etc. small things that make no difference to anybody yet the refs always pull players up on it, IMO some of the referees are too serious and choosy....another example is with goalposts, or lines on the pitch being a few metres less or more than required! we once had a game called off 5 minutes before kick-off with both teams (the away team travelled 45 minutes) on the pitch because the grass was a bit too long, like its not the premiership, its local youth football! small picky things they always seem to pull you up on...bicycle shorts being a diffrent color to your team shorts...ya can hardly see them but yopu must leave the pitch and remove them....somday this will dis-courage youngsters away from the game IMO and they need to lighten up and get wqith the real world, stop living a dream their reffin at places like hazelwood, merville and riverstown...not anfield or old traffors or the nou camp!

**Red&White Rover** · 13/12/2006, 8:18 PM

Originally Posted by feo123

being a player myself at underage level, in my opinion, even at ages younger than my own (u18) i feel that the referees are too picky, in the S/L league anyway!? such small things like a young child playing with a ball on the sideline or wearin a rubber band on your wrist etc. small things that make no difference to anybody yet the refs always pull players up on it, IMO some of the referees are too serious and choosy....another example is with goalposts, or lines on the pitch being a few metres less or more than required! we once had a game called off 5 minutes before kick-off with both teams (the away team travelled 45 minutes) on the pitch because the grass was a bit too long, like its not the premiership, its local youth football! small picky things they always seem to pull you up on...bicycle shorts being a diffrent color to your team shorts...ya can hardly see them but yopu must leave the pitch and remove them....somday this will dis-courage youngsters away from the game IMO and they need to lighten up and get wqith the real world, stop living a dream their reffin at places like hazelwood, merville and riverstown...not anfield or old traffors or the nou camp!

i myself am an underage player in SLYSL and understand where your coming from feo, but remember without refs there would be no games for us...somethings are a bit picky alright, but still are within the rules and they are only acting the directives they are giving...it's the toughst job, because no matter what they are always wrong, and credit has to be given to them fo enabling youth soccer..

**feo123** · 14/12/2006, 10:19 PM

I agree with you to a certain extent, but in fareness...they get payed for it aswell €45 a game i think or there abouts...but i just think they could take some tings a little less seriously, i agree though without them there wouldnt be any games and its a tough job...but FIFA wont be checking to see if joe bloggs from the S/L u-12 league was wearing the same color shorts as everyone else or if the centre cirlce were the exact FIFA measurments!

**Red&White Rover** · 17/12/2006, 1:14 PM

Originally Posted by feo123

I agree with you to a certain extent, but in fareness...they get payed for it aswell �45 a game i think or there abouts...but i just think they could take some tings a little less seriously, i agree though without them there wouldnt be any games and its a tough job...but FIFA wont be checking to see if joe bloggs from the S/L u-12 league was wearing the same color shorts as everyone else or if the centre cirlce were the exact FIFA measurments!

the centre circle only seemed to happen at the start of the season and that was a directive from the head of Irish Refs i think...and yes that was a bit ridiculous

**MervilleUnited** · 17/12/2006, 8:52 PM

Need to watch the Ref Bashing Lads!

Big Brother is watching!

I agree it looks a bit petty a lot of the issues raised, but the mantra is a raising of standards locally is the aim. The theory is that if you have different interpetations of the regulations, protests could follow, bringing the league into disrepute. In fairness a lot of the refs do excercise a lot of common sense, but I do also take on board that the persons involved in youth Soccer recieve no payment for preparing pitches, have full time jobs, and in the majority are fighting the weather for most of the season.

Do not start me on Summer Soccer Again!

The battle has already been fought, and lost!

**johnsie** · 20/12/2006, 1:50 PM

Even though the fight was fought and lost not everything is lost yet if there is enough support for summer soccer the fight can be carried on. With all the bad weather we have had so far this year all the leagues are up in a heap and it looks like the leagues are going to run into the summer season anyway.
It is the kids we have to think about here bringing them out in all this bad weather, and also there are teams in the league who have only played one game so far this situation can not continue can we not try summer soccer for one or two years and see where we go from there. Mayo tried it and it is very successfull are we going to bury our heads in the sand or stand up and be counted after all it is our kids that will benefit in the end who are we doing it for???????........... Comments please.......

**feo123** · 21/12/2006, 9:36 AM

totally agree...whats wrong with giving it a go, it would attract mote youngsters as the weather would be better and they have more time to do it in the summer! its much better in the summer....better pitches, better weather better everything really! the season will go into may/june anyway at the rate its going with all the postponements! i think they have to try it out for at least one season they've nothing to lose!

**geraldo1977** · 21/12/2006, 12:00 PM

Heres an interesting point then for Summer football...

What do you do if your team is playing in a final of a cup and your manager adn two best players on on Holidays?

**feo123** · 21/12/2006, 10:38 PM

that is a dpwnside but its all hind site (exuse the spelling) IMO...like what if there away skii-ing in the winter?

**geraldo1977** · 22/12/2006, 9:08 AM

Well in fairness if they were away in the winter Ski-ing than that would be fine as every league is closed for xmas. There would be a really strong possiblility that for most weeks during the summer that a team would be without a player for being on holidays.

I am all for a summer league but for 7 a side kids first, this would free up allot of Refs and playing areas then.

**MervilleUnited** · 23/12/2006, 10:47 PM

Originally Posted by geraldo1977

I am all for a summer league but for 7 a side kids first, this would free up allot of Refs and playing areas then.

This Idea has come up in the Eamon Dunphy Thread, and on reflection it does have some merit. If the European Model is 7 - A - Side till U14, and it was done in the summer evenings and slightly less freezing weather (Using two half pitches - so double the games) and the smaller goalposts (Increasing Goalkeeper Confidence and Development at a young age) why not?

And the answer is GAA Rules

**feo123** · 24/12/2006, 12:11 AM

ya the f****n GAA!! such crap! gaelic would be more suited to the winter coz its nothing but boggball way more skill involved in football and the pitches need to be better for football because its not just caught and hoofed half way up the pitch in the air!

**MervilleUnited** · 29/12/2006, 7:08 PM

Hello All,
Just recieved this bit of post christmas cheer:

RESULT WESTERN CUP UNDER 18 FRIDAY 29TH DEC 2PM MC SHARRY PARK
SLIGO LEITRIM LEAGUE 3 MAYO LEAGUE 0 (MAYO FAILED TO SHOW)

You can be sure that would not happen at representative level in Rugby GAA etc.

Soccer Really is the Third Game of choice at the moment

**feo123** · 29/12/2006, 9:38 PM

thats a joke! arn't they meant to be the 'best' team in that age group in connaght! very poor!!

**Red&White Rover** · 30/12/2006, 1:00 AM

Originally Posted by MervilleUnited

Hello All,
Just recieved this bit of post christmas cheer:

RESULT WESTERN CUP UNDER 18 FRIDAY 29TH DEC 2PM MC SHARRY PARK
SLIGO LEITRIM LEAGUE 3 MAYO LEAGUE 0 (MAYO FAILED TO SHOW)

You can be sure that would not happen at representative level in Rugby GAA etc.

Soccer Really is the Third Game of choice at the moment

We had a connacht cup game in Tuam tonight! It has been called off 3 times before and possibly should have been tonight as well because of the conditions. Pouring rain, and wind so strong that our kickouts didnt go further than 3 yards out side our own box!

**MervilleUnited** · 18/02/2007, 9:14 PM

Hello all,
Just to say this is your opportunity, wherever you are, to voice opinions on youth/schoolboys soccer in this country, or anywhere.

With over 2000 players in SL, never mind the coaches, come on and get involved!

By the way, Coaches: It has been suggested to me that an inter-club table quiz, footie questions only, would be a idea to raise funds for the inter league teams. Toffs would be the ideal venue. with 22 clubs plus Junior interest, it would some rivalry!

Any thoughts!

RD

**MervilleUnited** · 12/03/2007, 9:59 AM

Just a quick line to compliment all involved with College Corinthians A of Cork who we hosted last saturday in the FAI U17 Cup, here in Sligo. The conduct and sportsmanship of the management team and the players was impeccable. Only the result was a downer!

A credit to a great club.

May I take this opportunity to wish them the best of luck in the next round.

RD

**johnsie** · 15/03/2007, 2:51 PM

I would also like to compliment all involved with college cornthians all the players of their U17 team that visited Sligo on Sat last and also Len Hackett and John O'Regan thanks lads for a very sporting game and all the very best for the next round.
One other point I would like to get across WHY did the SLIGO LEITRIM LEAGUE
schedule 2 major matches for the same day it would not happen in any other league in the Country have they any consideration for the players involved, obviously not, and to say it was the Connaught Council or the FAI's decission that is a cop out. As it turned out on Sat last it was not Merville that lost out it was the Sligo Leitrim League and the players involved. It is about time that the committee of the Sligo Leitrim League started puting the welfare of the players first and not themselves and their positions we need a change of committee NOW..........

**MervilleUnited** · 25/03/2007, 11:18 AM

Continuing the Complimentary theme of the thread, may I on behalf of all at Merville thank the club members and mentors of Barna FC who we played on the 24th March in Merville, and wish them all the best in the next round. They, as ourselves, were simply amazed at they way the game panned out, and only the spirit of the players made it worthwhile in the end.