This article is from page 63 of the 2008-08-19 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 63 JPG
SOCCER has been a big part of Brendan Wall’s life and the Shannon man has played a big role in develop- ing the game in Clare.
Last week, friends and colleagues gathered in Ennis to mark Wall’s 20 years of service to soccer in the county.
Wall moved to Shannon in 1977 and a year later joined the local New- town soccer club. In 1988, he joined the committee of the Clare School- boys Soccer League, then headed up by founder and Kilmaley man, Frank etry
In those days, schoolboy teams competed in just three age groups
under 11, under 13 and under 15. However, in the intervening years, schoolboy’s soccer has undergone a major transformation, with the num- bers playing the game now at record levels.
19 clubs, some fielding as many as three teams in one age group, now compete across 13 leagues. This summer saw the largest ever expan- sion of the league with the entry of 19 new teams.
Wall served for 15 years as league chairman and says the work of done by parents and coaches at club level is the driving force behind the growth of the game.
He cites the first time a Clare team entered the prestigious Kennedy Cup
in 1996 as one of the highlights of his long association with the game.
“That was a great experience,’ said Wall. “That and the year we drew with the Dublin District Soccer League. They went on to win it out, so that was a great result.
‘There was also the year when Edel Malone from Lifford, who is an Irish international now, captained Clare in the Kennedy Cup. We have a picture from the year of Edel and Katie Tay- lor (World Champion Irish boxer), who was playing for Wicklow at the nb slome
Wall said the appointment of Denis Hynes as FAI County Development Office for Clare and the opening of the Lees Road sports facility in En-
nis, were also major milestones for Or eaNeedoe
He also paid tribute to his col- leagues on the committee of the schoolboy league
He said, “They all do a great job. Ronnie Pyne does amazing work as fixtures secretary. The standard of officials on the schoolboy league is second to none. The newest recruit 1s Clive Slater, who’s work rate makes the job of Chairman a lot easier”.
Wall steps down as league chair- man this year but is still actively involved with soccer with Shannon. He is manager of the Newtown La- dies side that will play St Mochtas in the semi-final of FAI Umbro Junior Women’s Cup on August 31.