This article is from page 56 of the 2011-07-05 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 56 JPG
TWO legends of Irish soccer will lead the FAI invasion of Clare next week.
Ray Houghton and John Aldridge will be among the guests of honour for the FAI Festival of Football and Agm, which kicks off in Clare on July 11. FAI Chief Executive Officer, John Delaney, who has strong Clare connections, FAI President Paddy McCaul, Ireland Under 21 manager Noel King and Ireland women’s senior manager, Sue Ronan will also be touring the banner county as part of the week long celebration of the beautiful game.
Ireland manager Giovanni Trappattoni and his assistant Marco Tardelli are expected to visit the Cliffs of Moher during the festival, while coaching clinics and tournaments will take place across the county while € 100,000 in grants will be available to clubs in Clare.
Clare FAI Delegate and former league chairman, Jim Madden has described the occasion as “the biggest sports event to take place in the county this year.”
Events including soccer schools, coaching clinics and football fun days will take place at over 20 venues throughout the county.
The event runs from July 11-16 with 300 delegates expected to attend the FAI Agm at the West County Hotel beginning on Friday July 15. The festival culminates on Thursday July 14 with a Civic Reception hosted by Ennis Town Council at Glór.
FAI boss Delaney has said that the aim of the event is to ensure a closer connection between the FAI and grass roots football. Speaking at the festival’s launch in May, Michael Guilfoyle of the Clare Schoolboys Soccer League (CSSL), paid tribute to the work of former Munster Council and Clare League Chairman, Michael Leahy, whom he said had done a lot of the “ground work” for the Clare bid.
The festival will round off in Tulla on Saturday, July 16, with an FAI workshop on player development (10am). Later that day the association’s acclaimed emerging talent programme will be in Tulla (3pm).