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Changes on league executive


Delegates at the AGM. Photograph by John KellyAS exclusively revealed in The Clare Champion two weeks ago, the league has a new chairman for the coming season.
Paul Tuohy was the only candidate for the post vacated by Jim Madden while Gerry Scanlan is the new PRO and he, too, was the only candidate for the position. The Hermitage clubman was unable to attend Monday’s meeting but chairman Tuohy confirmed that he had spoken to him and he (Scanlan) was available to take up the position.
Jason Ryan from Kilrush is the new youth liaison officer and he was unopposed for this new post on the executive.
There were three contests on the night. In the first of these, Leo Murphy from Bridge United defeated long-serving Frank Healy for the position of registrar.
Jim Madden retained the position of delegate to the FAI when he defeated Donal Magee while Tomas Leahy is the new Munster association delegate, succeeding his father Michael. Leahy Junior also defeated Donal Magee for the post. The final count was not announced in any of the elections.
Magee, currently manager of Bunratty, was elected to the league executive.
Vice-chairman Donie Garrihy, secretary Oliver Fitzpatrick, treasurer Mike McInerney and fixtures secretary Michael Lydon were all re-elected unanimously.
On his election, Paul Tuohy paid tribute to predecessor Jim Madden. “He has made Clare soccer more attractive and better. He did a lot of work in addition to his committee work,” he said. Tuohy also paid tribute to Frank Healy for his work for the committee over a long number of years.
The new chairman went on to pay tribute to his club, Newmarket Celtic. “They are responsible for me now being in this position,” he told the delegates.

Financial matters
The Clare soccer league had an excess of €16,308 in income over expenditure for the past season.
Treasurer Michael McInerney, who was unanimously returned for another term, expressed satisfaction with the position.
Affiliation fees for the year under review amounted to €42,875, an increase of €3,000 on the previous year. Fines brought in €4,730 while gate receipts amounted to €4,540. On the expenditure side, work on the clubhouse and pitch development amounted to €11,245 while team expenses came to €8,923.
The league’s balance at the end of May was €334,585.

End of an era
Having being involved in Clare soccer for 44 years as a player, mentor, and officer, Michael Leahy stepped down from the Clare executive on Monday night.
The first and only Clare man to hold the position of chairman of the Munster association told the meeting that it was a sad time, as he had enjoyed his involvement.
“One of his big disappointments was Newtown FC and the way they have treated this league. I am also disappointed with the Shannon clubs that play in Limerick as they don’t support their own county.”
He paid tribute to the Clare clubs for the work they have done in regard to the development of facilities and he wished the incoming league every success.
He concluded by expressing his delight that they now had a league team in Ruan.
Another outgoing official who paid tribute to the clubs of the county was Jim Madden. He said that the highlight of his time as chairman was when the Clare side won the Oscar Traynor Cup. He spoke of the great loss suffered by the league because of the sudden death of Hugh Kelly and he spoke of plans to have a cup in memory of the Derry native played for next season.
He announced details of a three-year sponsorship deal for the league with Lynch Hotels. He, too, wished the incoming league well in the coming season.

Fair play award

Shannon Olympic B were the best-behaved club in Clare last year, picking up just five cards during the season. The worst club (not named) picked up 73 points.
Shannon Olympic B were top and others in the top 10 were Ruan with 12 points; Mountshannon with 13 points; Ennistymon with 15 points; Hermitage B and Kilkishen with 16; Cooraclare and Cratloe with 18; Tulla B with 18 and Rhine Rovers with 20.
In his address to the meeting, outgoing registrar, Frank Healy warned clubs that times had changed and that it was no longer good enough to be calling on a Sunday morning asking to have a player registered. “Players must sign the registration form themselves and every effort must be made to have the registrations filled out in a legible manner,” the Kilmaley man said.

Aviva Stadium
Former League of Ireland player, Noel Mooney, now a member of the FAI staff, addressed the annual meeting with regard to the sale of tickets for the Aviva Stadium. The Cappamore man spoke of the excellent stadium and appealed to clubs to arrange to meet with him so that he could explain how tickets for games at the new soccer headquarters can be purchased.

New clubs
There will be two new junior clubs in the Clare Soccer League next season. Treaty Celtic and Coole FC will join the league in September. Coole FC, from Gort, already compete at schoolboys level.

Secretary’s report
In his report, secretary Oliver Fitzpatrick said the highlight of the season was contesting the Oscar Traynor final and hosting the game at the County Grounds in Doora. He recalled Clare’s passage to the final and the shock all suffered at the untimely and sudden death of team manager Hugh Kelly.
Turning to the youth team, Mr Fitzpatrick said, “For the first time since the 1970s they reached the knockout stages with great victories over Roscommon and the combined counties. The team was unlucky to lose to Mayo in the last 16,” he said.
The secretary went on to deal with the various competitions promoted by the league and paid tribute to the winners in each case. He congratulated Hermitage on their 50th celebrations.
He also paid tribute to the work done by development officer, Denis Hynes and also by groundsman, Mike Hohey at the County Grounds
Before concluding, he paid tribute to Jim Madden and Mike Leahy, both of whom had announced their decision not to seek re-election as chairman and Munster delegate respectively.

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