A long and winding road

On Friday afternoon I had the pleasure of visiting the home ground of the Airtricity League’s newest team, Salthill Devon. And while there were six goals, three penalties and a sending off, it was a strange experience.

While only estimations can be made of the exact crowd, there’s no doubt it was below 300, with far more Cork City fans than home team supporters in attendance. Surprisingly, the whole travelling contingent made it to Drom in time for kick-off!

You see, while it is a good playing facility, with several superb surfaces, it is almost impossible to find. The usually trusty sat nav was not too reliable, telling us to take the fifth turning on a roundabout that only had three exits (!) and finding the complex was just a guessing-game that, thankfully, came off quite well in the end.

Eventually (we made sure to leave in plenty of time), after travelling down the narrowest of boreens, floodlights came into sight but with no signposts and no hint whatsoever that an Airtricity League game was about to take place, we could easily have ended up in the wild(er) west.

Nonetheless, while the facilities for supporters may not be the same as Tallaght or even the nearby Terryland Park, the people at the club are one of the friendliest around. The cheapest tea & coffee in the league with free biscuits in the social room above the dressing rooms eased the woe of getting lost en route, while the officials there are as helpful and accommodating as you could possibly imagine.

There’s a certain weird sort of charm about going to these apparently far-flung places and while fans of the top sides in the country are unlikely to visit unless they get a cup draw, there is some character at Drom making it certainly worth the visit.

On Sunday I was back on my travels, but this time to Kilkenny. No, it wasn’t for hurling, and yes, they do (occasionally) play some other sport. A spin past Buckley Park – which still looks in decent enough condition from the road outside – was a reminder of a previous era, but on arrival to my destination: Deen Celtic FC in Castlecomer, it was nice to see that there are also progressive local clubs.

While there were decent dressing rooms and an all-weather facility, what really stood out were the two grass surfaces that couldn’t have been in better condition. Granted, they were slightly narrow but the turf itself was brilliant. Having pitches of this standard in local clubs, where the bulk of players registered are our stars of the future, is a massive bonus.

Not only does it promote good football, but it also makes it all that more appetising for players to go to a game early on a Sunday morning. Would you rather play on a flat surface that is maintained properly, or would you rather end up with cow shit on your hands after taking a throw-in at a pitch that is rented out by the local farmer? There’s no need to answer that.

As I write this I’m just home from this evening’s EA Sports Cup tie between Wexford Youths and Cork City, travelling again to another worthy facility slightly off the beaten track. Ferrycarrig Park might not be the easiest to find if you’ve never been but once you drive in the entrance, it’s quite evident that Mick Wallace is doing things right for the younger generations.

A few pitches in pristine condition go a long way to nurturing our next collection of stars and most importantly keep them interested. I’ve lost count the amount of times in the past few months that parents have said “at least it gives them exercise, and gets them off the playstation.” But if we want that to continue, and get even more kids out playing football, then we need to have amenities there for them that are welcoming.