Big anniversary looming for soccer league

Local under-age soccer officials will be busy over the next few months making plans to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Meath Schoolboys" League which kicked-off under the auspices of the Meath & District League initially before an official structure was put in place in 1984. Tremendous progress has been made in the intervening period with the fledgling Meath Schoolboys" League satisfying a demand for structured competitions outside Dublin and the traditional areas of Drogheda and Dundalk in the north east. Following a period of rapid growth, the Meath Schoolboys" League became the North Eastern Counties Schoolboys" League and affiliated to the Schoolboys" Football Association of Ireland (SFAI) and the Leinster Football Association for u-17 and u-18 teams in 1991. Apart from Meath, clubs from Louth, Cavan, Monaghan and for a brief period, Longford and Leitrim affiliated to the rapidly expanding under-age league and one man who has a remarkable record of unbroken membership at committee level is current vice-chairman Gerry Browne. The popular Navan official was elected to the inaugural committe at a meeting which took place at the old Central Hotel, Market Square, Navan in 1984. Among the officers elected to management positions were well-known sports journalist Cathal Dervan as well as Des Clancy, John Harte RIP, Frank Murray, John Gorman, John Finnegan, Gerry Gorman and John Holden RIP. FAI"s Meath Development officer Mark Scanlon gave a full report on the assistance now available to MDL clubs at a management meeting last week. Apart from the various coaching courses from kick-start one right up to UEFA B level, a lot of emphasis was put on the administrative side of clubs in the form of volunteer management and fundraising workshops that are now widely available. The next two courses in the Meath area are a goalkeeping introduction course on Saturday, 21st February, 9.0 to 5.0. and a volunteer management course on Monday, 23rd February, 7.0. New efforts are in the pipeline to establish a local ladies league. Application forms have been issued to all clubs by e-mail and the closing date for entry is Wednesday, 25th February. Along with prospective new teams, all existing sides from within the north east area, who for the most part participate in the Dublin Ladies League, are encouraged to make an application. The league is open to all teams from within the north east area, with or without present MDL or NECSL connections. The north east ladies football co-ordinator Eoin Killacky was present at the recent club management meeting, and he urged the clubs to give maximum attention to sourcing teams for the forthcoming league The 2009 FAI annual meeting will take place in Monaghan on Saturday, 4th July. The meeting will conclude a week-long list of events aimed at promoting the culture and football-related matters withing the county of Monaghan and it is expected that NECSL teams and officials will be involved Johnstown have been drawn at home to Kildare League side BBC Utd or AUL outfit Whitechurch in the semi-final of the Leinster Junior Shield. However, the MDL side, who reached the last four of the competition last season must first overcome Dublin outfit Boca Rovers and Westmeath opposition Rochfortbridge, who play in the Combined Counties League. Current MDL rules do not allow for any registration and transfer of players after 31st January in each season. The deadline for transfer of players appears to be universal throughout organised amateur football and applies to those leagues which start in August / September. However, the registration deadline is at variance with FAI rule 33A which allows for new players to register up to the 31st March. As a result, the FAI ruling was adopted at the recent club management meeting, and the MDL rule shall be altered at the annual meeting in June.