New league committee keen to foster links with Dundalk and Drogheda
DUNDALK & District Junior League chairman Robbie Rafferty told last week’s meeting that this was a special year, given that 2019 marks the 100th anniversary of junior football in the town.
An enlarged top table has been put in place, with Robbie Rafferty jnr, Andrew Carroll, David Duffy, Cormac Malone - one of eight locally born players to feature on the 2002 Dundalk FAI Cup-winning team - and Ciaran Caldwell joining the committee.
The committee hopes to build links with local League of Ireland clubs Dundalk and Drogheda to help these underage players to progress, and to gain the senior clubs’ cooperation to stage showcase games at Oriel Park and United Park.
An Over-35 league and a ladies League are also on the agenda and the committee propose to enter the Oscar Traynor national inter-league competition, while clubs will be encouraged to enter the Leinster Junior Cup and FAI Junior Cup.
The league also are looking to develop links with DkIT and other institutions.
David Duffy spoke of the strategy to market, publicise and promote the league, and Robbie Rafferty jnr said the restructured league made ‘complete sense’ for local clubs - financially and geographically. Fellow committee member Cormac Malone felt the structure gave players more scope for involvement in other sports, and enabled them fulfil personal commitments.
The league would offer flexibility for clubs to arrange games at times that suited, and they wouldn’t be fixed to clash with Dundalk or Drogheda United matches.