Airtricity Elite U19 fixtures released

The fixtures for the 2013-14 Airtricity U19 League Elite Division have been published and games will commence on the weekend of Sunday, August 18.  The fixtures for the Northern and Southern Divisions will be released next week.

Holders Cork City, who completed a double-double last season, will open their campaign at home to Bray Wanderers while last season’s Northern Division winners Sligo Rovers will meet Southern Division champions Athlone Town in their first game.

Looking forward to the new season the Chairman of the FAI’s National League Executive Committee, Eamon Naughton said: “The Airtricity U19 League has firmly established itself over the past two seasons as an important element in the player pathway for elite players and the numbers who have graduated from the U19 League into the Premier and First Division of the Airtricity League is extremely encouraging. Last season’s Elite Division was extremely competitive and I am looking forward to watching another exciting campaign unfold as Cork City bid for a third consecutive title.”

Airtricity remain as sponsors for the 2013-14 season and will continue the Airtricity Player of the Month Award which was introduced last season.

“Airtricity have been great supporters of the U19 League since the beginning and we are looking forward to working with them over the season to promote and develop it further,” said Naughton.

Cork City manager Stuart Ashton is looking forward to the new season and believe the League is going from strength to strength.

Ashton said: “It is a great league for lads to play in and every team in it tries to play the game the right way. For us as coaches we want to see as players as possible progress through the League and into the League of Ireland.

"We would love to win it again but we know everybody will be out to beat after winning it two years in a row. However, we are the same boat as most of the other teams as we have a new squad of players because the majority of last season’s squad are over-age. We‘ll take it one game at a time and see what happens.”

Michael Collins, manager of Athlone Town, one of the Elite Division’s new teams, is relishing the challenge of playing at a higher level this season.

Collins said: “We are all looking forward to it. It is a big step up from where we were last year and we have only four or five of last year’s squad under-age for this season. But the players we are bringing in are looking forward to playing the likes of Cork City, Shamrock Rovers, Sligo Rovers and the others. It is a great league.”

Please note that the dates and times will change for many games, we will update the fixture list weekly. 

Full Fixtures Listing

http://extratime.ie/fixtures/future/158/2016/

Breakdown by Club

Athlone Town - http://extratime.ie/fixtures/teams/team/100182/2016/99999/

Bray Wanderers - http://extratime.ie/fixtures/teams/team/100188/2016/99999/

Cobh Ramblers - http://extratime.ie/fixtures/teams/team/100179/2016/99999/

Cork City -  http://extratime.ie/fixtures/teams/team/100187/2016/99999/

Drogheda United - http://extratime.ie/fixtures/teams/team/100192/2016/99999/

Salthill Devon - http://extratime.ie/fixtures/teams/team/100191/2016/99999/

Shamrock Rovers - http://extratime.ie/fixtures/teams/team/100193/2016/99999/

Shelbourne - http://extratime.ie/fixtures/teams/team/100190/2016/99999/

Sligo Rovers - http://extratime.ie/fixtures/teams/team/100177/2016/99999/

St. Patrick's Athletic - http://extratime.ie/fixtures/teams/team/100189/2016/99999/

UCD - http://extratime.ie/fixtures/teams/team/100186/2016/99999/

Waterford United - http://extratime.ie/fixtures/teams/team/100196/2016/99999/