Divided views on proposal for summer soccer
by Jimmy Geoghegan Updated: Wednesday, 6th January, 2010 4:55pm
Torro Utd manager Joe Price.
There appears to be plenty of support for the idea of a Meath & District League Summer League according to a survey of clubs conducted by the Meath Chronicle this week.
Of the eight club officials who were contacted on the issue the majority felt it was time to take a serious look at the idea of a league programme during the summer months.
The concept of a Summer League was floated earlier this season with Torro Utd manager Joe Price among the main movers behind the idea. A meeting to discuss whether the idea can be developed further will take place at the MDL on Wednesday, 20th January.
The main thrust of the argument put forward by those in favour of the Summer League is the shortage of games at this time of the year because of adverse weather. Usually the problem is heavy rain, this year the issue has been frost. Some teams are now looking at their fifth week without seeing any competitive action.
Those against the idea expressed their reservations about how any Summer League could be run when the GAA season is in full swing. Many teams would find themselves without their best players who would invariably be in demand from local hurling and Gaelic football clubs.
There was also the question of cup competitions and how teams could manage to field teams in knock-out events in winter yet play their league programme during the summer.
Those in favour of a Summer League include Ian Sheridan (Johnstown Celtic), Patrick Matthews (Kells/Blackwater), Robert Ryan (Park Celtic Summerhill), Jim Markland (Parkvilla) and Paul Mulligan (Trim Town). Those with serious reservations about the concept included Catherine Coyle (Rossin Rovers), Dermot Carty (Skryne/Tara) and BMC's Ollie Melia. Many who put forward an opinion emphasised it was personal viewpoint rather then their club's.
According to Sheridan his club would opt to go for summer football. Johnstown Celtic's first team, he says, hasn't played a game since mid-December. Before that they went four weeks without any action.
Sheridan says that there are strong reasons to go either way but the weather patterns of the past few weeks has convinced many that the summer option is the way to go.
Park Celtic Summerhill's Ryan pointed to the last time an attempt was made to push forward the summer soccer and the concept was only narrowly defeated.
He felt that the weather of recent weeks could convince many clubs to take it a step further this time around.
Stressing that there was no club policy on the issue at the moment Parkvilla's Markland indicated that his personal viewpoint was that summer soccer should be seriously looked at. He conceded there were strong arguments on both sides
Kells/Blackwater's Matthews says that the ideal solution would be more all-weather pitches although this is unlikely to be an option in the near future. He felt that in the overall scheme of things the time has come to give the summer option a try.
One of the clubs that have been strong advocates of the concept is Trim Town. Clubman Mulligan pointed out that Town voted for the idea the last time and would have no problem in taking the same route again.
Emphasising that it was very much her personal opinion Rossin Rovers secretary Coyle went with the view that summer soccer has to be considered but that overall it would be better to stay with the status quo.
Skryne/Tara's Carty said that the quality of a Summer League would be seriously diluted because many of the best players would simply not be involved as they would be on GAA duty.
Strongly opposed to the idea of summer soccer is BMC's Melia. He felt that it just wouldn't be possible for his club to field teams when the GAA season was in full swing.
"The vast majority of our players are involved with Gaelic games," he said. "Would players leave one club and join another and then return again when the seasons change? I suppose it is worth a try but for us it just wouldn't be an option," explained Melia.
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