LSGL ready to get back to action

FOOTBALL is coming back, at elite level and also at under-age level across the country.

The FAI return to football protocols have been shared with all of the clubs and leagues and Covid-19 compliance officers all over the country are busy marking out training areas and ensuring we get back playing football in the safest possible manner.

Locally, the Louth School Girls League (LSGL), which is coordinating underage girls soccer in the county, has prepared a schedule for getting back to playing competitive fooball.

This is the LSGL’s second year in action, and despite the circumstances the league is trying to build on the success of 2019 and ensure that talented young players have one of the best girls leagues in the country on their doorstop.

The FAI recognised the impressive first year and invited the league to address the National Conference at the annual festival of football event.

The Louth PPN also awarded the LSGL a Community & Voluntary Sports award for 2019.

All of this has meant a growing reputation throughout soccer circles in Ireland, on the back of which there are six new clubs joining the league this year - Bellurgan, Blayney Academy, Boyne Rovers, Drogheda Town, Glenmuir and Termonfeckin, strengthening its coverage across the county.

They will compete alongside the existing clubs Albion Rovers, Ardee Celtic, Castletown Belles, East Meath United, Glen Magic, Quay Celtic, Rock Celtic and Walshestown.

One of the advantages that the LSGL has is that they play summer league football, so the delays caused by the Covid-19 situation have only cost about a third of its playing time.

Match schedules will now run from August 22nd until November 30th and the league will still be able to fit in the League and Cup schedules for the Under-12s.

Initially, the league will use Northern and Southern conferences to minimise travel, but they say this is only temporary and they’ll be returning to county-wide soccer ‘within a month or two’.

Each conference will have six teams in it and will play 10 leagues matches, home and away.

For the Under-10s, similar Northern and Southern conferences will apply when the league starts back on August 22nd.

The Under-10s, which boasts the largest group of players, are still non-league playing at that age, but if last year is anything to go by those girls enjoy practising their skills on the pitch as well as earning their place on the ladder.

The Under-8s age group is also growing nicely and there will be blitzes arranged for them in Dundalk and Drogheda.

More information can be found on the league’s Facebook page (Louth School Girls League).