Fanad delight at 'A' Championship place
Credit: Extratime Team (ETPhotos)
Fanad United manager Ollie Horgan has paid tribute to the club’s volunteers after they were yesterday awarded an A Championship licence for the upcoming season.
The side from Triaghalough on the Fanad peninsula in Donegal were joined yesterday by Cobh Ramblers, Galway United, Carlow, Tralee Dynamos in picking up A licenses and will take part of the regionalised A Championship, which is essentially the third tier in Irish soccer.
Reserve teams from the likes of Finn Harps, Derry City, Sligo Rovers and Drogheda United will compete with Horgan’s side, who will also honour their Ulster Senior League commitments, in the regionalised opening northern section of the competition.
It is mandatory for clubs in the Premier Division to enter teams into the A Championship, while clubs in the First Division are invited to do so. Clubs from outside the Airtricity League, like Fanad, who wish to enter into the A Championship must meet certain club licensing criteria before in order to gain entry to the division.
“We’re delighted to be accepted,” Salthill native Horgan said on Monday. “To be honest, the hard work starts now as the standard of football has certainly gone up and we have to put in a big effort to compete.
“The people who have worked hard behind the scenes deserve great credit for this as these licenses are not easy to get.
“We applied for this three years ago along with Sporting Fingal, Salthill Devon, Mervue United and Tullamore Town and of the five teams, we were the only unsuccessful bid. There were a couple of teams in for it this time so we’re delighted that our application was successful. It’s a great achievement for a rural club and an opportunity for us.”
The inaugural A Championship was won by UCD, who defeated Bohemians in the 2008 final. Shamrock Rovers defeated Salthill Devon in the year afterwards before UCD again defeated Bohemians last season. Newstalk 106-108FM have sponsored the competition to date.
Article originally appeared in the Donegal Democrat newspaper
The side from Triaghalough on the Fanad peninsula in Donegal were joined yesterday by Cobh Ramblers, Galway United, Carlow, Tralee Dynamos in picking up A licenses and will take part of the regionalised A Championship, which is essentially the third tier in Irish soccer.
Reserve teams from the likes of Finn Harps, Derry City, Sligo Rovers and Drogheda United will compete with Horgan’s side, who will also honour their Ulster Senior League commitments, in the regionalised opening northern section of the competition.
It is mandatory for clubs in the Premier Division to enter teams into the A Championship, while clubs in the First Division are invited to do so. Clubs from outside the Airtricity League, like Fanad, who wish to enter into the A Championship must meet certain club licensing criteria before in order to gain entry to the division.
“We’re delighted to be accepted,” Salthill native Horgan said on Monday. “To be honest, the hard work starts now as the standard of football has certainly gone up and we have to put in a big effort to compete.
“The people who have worked hard behind the scenes deserve great credit for this as these licenses are not easy to get.
“We applied for this three years ago along with Sporting Fingal, Salthill Devon, Mervue United and Tullamore Town and of the five teams, we were the only unsuccessful bid. There were a couple of teams in for it this time so we’re delighted that our application was successful. It’s a great achievement for a rural club and an opportunity for us.”
The inaugural A Championship was won by UCD, who defeated Bohemians in the 2008 final. Shamrock Rovers defeated Salthill Devon in the year afterwards before UCD again defeated Bohemians last season. Newstalk 106-108FM have sponsored the competition to date.
Article originally appeared in the Donegal Democrat newspaper
