U-17 project worthwhile

The Kerryman’s soccer correspondent Mike Rice has an end of season chat with KDL chairman Sean O’Keeffe about the current state of the game in the Kingdom

WITH the league season over and just three more cup finals to be played it is an appropriate time to have a look back at the season that is gone and get the views of the chairman of the Kerry District League Sean O’Keeffe.

Another season has gone by, what are your thoughts looking back at it?

I think it was a very good season. We had fifty-three senior teams that competed in our leagues in six divisions. And twenty-three teams at U-17 and Youth level. Our Ladies League in Kerry has four teams and we also ran an Over-35s competition with three teams. This was our first season using our new all-weather pitch at Mounthawk Park and it proved a great success.

Are you be pleased that the season has ended two months earlier than last year?

Yes it was great to get our Leagues finished early and most of the cup competitions as in the Euro 2016 year a lot of people were travelling to France and we needed to have our competitions over. The new all-weather pitch was a huge factor as well, this allowed us to play multiple games in Mounthawk Park each week and meant that we could keep ahead with our games.

Fixtures are always a thorny issue. Were you happy the way they went this season?

Well fixtures are our toughest challenge, we have a good system in place with clubs playing their part in informing our fixtures Secretary each Sunday evening of their requests for the following week then the fixtures are made and posted up on Sunday night. The KDL website is key getting this information to clubs on Sunday. No system is perfect and some clubs have not been as good as others in co-operating with the league. The fixtures were compiled this season by Tommy Naughton and he did a great job and I would like to thank him for all his efforts in making it all work.

There was a lot of walkovers last season. Have the KDL any plans to address this issue?

No club or team manager sets out to give a walkover but unfortunately sometimes they happen, these are difficult times for clubs with so many clubs struggling with numbers. All we can do is work with clubs to support them and encourage and develop players coming through to play our sport.

Kerry failed to get to the latter stages of the Oscar Traynor Cup. What can be done to enhance their chances of winning the national competition?

The Oscar Traynor Cup is one of the elite competitions for Junior soccer players and is like all national competitions difficult to win. We have been to the final twice in our history but lost out narrowly on both occasions. We have great talent in Kerry but there are a lot of demands on club players so getting them to play for the county team can be difficult at times,

Kerry sides did not go as far in the FAI Junior Cup as they would have liked to. Is there a way of addressing this?

The FAI Junior Cup is a huge competition, the biggest in Europe. The clubs in the cities and clubs that are focused solely on playing soccer are the ones that progress to the latter stages. It will be difficult for our clubs in this competition as you need a big squad and a lot of luck with the draw as home advantage in the latter stages makes all the difference.

How do you rate the standard of the game in Kerry at present?

Pretty good. We had some great league and cup finals after a good season. A lot of well coached young players are now coming into our junior teams as a result of all the work put in at Schoolboy and development level.

How do you rate the standard of refereeing in Kerry?

Possibly as good as I have seen in many years. So many referees are approaching their role in a professional way and are doing a great job for us, so top marks to all involved in the Kerry Referees Society.

What are your thoughts on Under-17 and Youths soccer in the county?

This is a difficult age group to keep involved in the game with so many distractions. However I see so many players looking for pathways into elite football and wanting to play at a higher level which is great to see. There is huge respect for Kerry players since so many have made successful careers in the game.

Entering a team in the SSE Airtricity U-17 league was a major venture for the KDL. Has it been worthwhile?

It certainly was. The objective is very simple - to develop players for our clubs and the league. To also give players that want to develop their talents at a higher elite level and look at having a career in the game and choose soccer as the sport they want to concentrate on.

Yes it has been positive and we are learning a lot as well. The support from staff, parents and the players has been fantastic and we have players called into national development squads which is fantastic.

The attendances at some of the games have been disappointing. What can be done to try and entice more people to support the team?

The games are full of quality football and people will see the best young players in the country on show. Not long ago Daryl Murphy, current Republic of Ireland striker, played for Waterford Utd in the U-21 League against us in Mounthawk Park.

What end product is being sought from entering this national competition?

Produce quality Kerry soccer players to benefit our League and our clubs into the future. A lot of work goes on behind the scenes keeping the show going at Mounthawk Park.

It must be pleasing to see so many teams coming through the gates?

Yes but we need more help and volunteers to run the Park.

How do you rank the media coverage of games?

Excellent with all the local media fully supporting us and giving us great coverage both in the print media and on Radio Kerry.

Social Media is another way of promoting the game are you happy with that?

Yes as it is an instant way of getting a report on a game out and a result or fixture change. It is a big help to us and we have lots of positive reaction from our Facebook page and our Website receives hits from all across the world which is very welcome as no matter where in the world people are they can check results, fixtures and news.

The town of Tralee is saturated with clubs yet there are only a few Under-17 and Youth teams in the Kerry capital. Can anything be done to get more players of these age groups playing the game at competitive level?

Yes only St Brendan’s Park, Youth and under-17s, and Tralee Dynamos at Under-17 competed. A lot of the new teams in Tralee seem to be made up of young players so perhaps they are moving into senior soccer early and just want to play in these leagues. We had to drop the Kerry Youth team this year but we are very encouraged by our U-17 League of Ireland team.

Looking to the future what takes priority for the KDL in the seasons ahead are there specific targets to aim for?

Developing the game across Kerry, working with all our clubs and looking at some more projects at Mounthawk Park. Winning a national title and developing young players.

The same group of dedicated people have been running the KDL for a long time now. Is it time to get some young people on board with new ideas?

We have a great team and we recently got Tommy Naughton and Kieran O’Regan on the committee and both are a breath of fresh air and do great work for us. So if any young people wish to put their name before the AGM we will look at their application.

What are the long term plans for the KDL over the next decade?

Promote and foster the game of association football across the county of Kerry.