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Sporting Fingal club launched at Corduff Sport Centre

The great and good of the grand old county of Fingal were at Corduff Sports Center recently for the launch of the League of Ireland newest club Sporting Fingal. In a move that has shades of the old North American Soccer League about it, this is effectively a franchise with the County Council as the main backer.

It was the official recognition of a plan that began being hatched a few years ago and has now come to glorious fruition in a manner which could not have been expected as the team now goes directly into the first division to replace the departing Kilkenny City. The creation of this new independently funded club and the proposed development by Fingal County Council of a football academy complex are part of the Council's Football Development Plan which has some way to go yet.

Players showed off their skills under the lights on the excellent surface at Corduff as the legendary Johnny Giles was on hand to give the evening an extra special presence. Though he was swamped by the media pack looking for views of the new Irish soccer manager he was happy to give the new Fingal set-up the thumbs up, noting the difference a strong sporting presence such as this in the area would make for the young people especially.

Speaking to Community Voice, John O’Brien of Fingal County Council welcomed the official arrival of the club before noting the amount of effort that had gone into getting things to this stage. “Essentially this is a flagship team for the county of Fingal. We hope it will help to create a sense of identity in the area. It is unrealistic to expect that we will ever have a Fingal GAA team so we will look to develop the county’s name through this avenue.”

He remains hopeful that the club will acquire its own facilities after its time using Santry Stadium. “Naturally we would hope that would happen. We are delighted to have a facility like Morton Stadium available, but of course we hope to provide a purpose-built facility at some stage. Getting a suitable location will be a key matter in that sense but it certainly is an aspirtation.”

FAI Technical Director, Packie Bonner, brought memories of Italian nights nearly twenty years ago flooding back when he appeared. His own mind however was very much on the future in respect of the new club. “This is massively encouraging for us. We are trying to spread the game as much as we can and that is about enhancing communities and trying to provide facilities and healty options for young people. The value of a team like this which young people can admire locally and to which smaller local clubs can look is invaluable. We would thank Fingal County Council for their initiative and have great admiration for all involved in the club.”

The new club, which sees former Irish International player, Liam Buckley, as Director of Football is privately funded by a team of owners and investors who came together in response to an invitation for expressions of interest advertised by Fingal County Council. The progress to this stage has been remarkable and if enthusiasm and effort is any indicator of future returns then the club is in safe hands.

While the official launch of the club had the feel of a final destination, the journey continues apace. It is but another element – albeit a crucial one – in the overall development plan for the football academy in Fingal. The final element of the Council's proposed Plan would see a long-term plan being put forward to facilitate the construction of a small sports stadium.

The Academy facility, estimated to cost over €10 million, will encompass indoor and outdoor all-weather facilities and will serve as a centre of learning for the 60 football clubs in the Fingal area. The complex will cater for all county clubs and act as a tool to increase participation levels across ages, genders and cultures in Fingal.

The Sporting Fingal Football Academy Complex will offer

- Free coaching for Fingal clubs,
- Training and education facilities for almost 1,000 coaches in Fingal
- Community-only time for other teams and other sports
- An invaluable resource to encourage further volunteers through the active involvement of parents and helpers of the County's 10,000-plus young football players.

Specifically, the complex will be used to target more girls playing football and to promote strong and long-lasting community integration in Ireland’s fastest growing and most diverse County.

The centre is also expected to serve as an FAI approved, 'Regional Centre' where the range of FAI approved coaching programmes can be delivered for Fingal footballers.

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