This article is from page 106 of the 2010-02-16 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 106 JPG
A TOURNAMENT featuring clubs from Clare and across Europe may form part of the schedule for the Football Association’s of Ireland (FAT) 2011 annual general meeting.
Outlining details of the event, which will comprise a weeklong festival of football events and the association’s AGM, FAI Director of Football Services; Gerry McDermott urged club’s to submit their own ideas for the event.
He said the tournament, which would involve local teams and clubs from towns twinned with towns in Clare, could help boost tourism in the County
“It’s an idea that Jim Madden (CDSL Chairman) put forward and it’s the kind of things we are looking to do for the week. I would love to see it extended to a bigger competi- tion to be played during the week. I think something like would really benefit the tourism connection in the county”, he said.
McDermott was addressing mem- bers of Clare’s soccer fraternity as well as representatives from the busi- ness and tourism sectors at the AGM launch in the West County Hotel, En- nis, last Thursday.
Outlining details of the event, which is due to be held in Ennis from June 27 to July 2, FAI events manag-
er Siobhan McKenna said that a local organising committee would meet once a month prior to the event, to draw up a festival of football sched- Wa on
The AGM will be co-coordinated between a number of agencies in- cluding the FAI, local authorities; lo- cal sports partnerships, Shannon De- velopment and other tourism bodies.
“We want to get and meet as many people as possible and see as many clubs as possible and to raise the pro- file of soccer in Clare’, she said.
McKenna added that the FAI hoped
to “takeover” large areas of towns for football activities including tour- naments, coaching clinics and work- shops.
Clubs, said McDermott, would be critical to the event’s success. He urged local teams to apply for fund- ing through the FAI’s club support eyuescau:besbesles
He said that grants totaling €100,000 would be available to clubs to improve facilities and the purchase of equipment.
Cheques will be presented to suc- cessful applicants during the week- long series of events. The meeting also heard that since 2007, the FAI has invested €218,342 in developing facilities and programmes in Clare.
“T would encourage clubs to think and plan out their applications. Hope- fully the festival of football will help concentrate minds and get people fo- cused to apply”, said Mr McDermott. He added, “We see it as a celebration of football in the wider community”’.