As Johnny Logan sang What's Another Year I find the time passing quicker year on year. One thing that has not been quick is our new astro coming on stream. This time last year we were waiting on work to commence on our second astro but thanks to the Irish weather and various other reasons we find ourselves this week waiting for the final few pieces of this jigsaw to be completed. When we consider work on refurbishing the existing astro and putting in the second one began in August 2022 it has been a long road but finally we are within touching distance of having some of the finest facilities in the country. I must place on record my thanks to all who helped in bringing this project to a successful conclusion but especially Paula Flood and Joe McGing who bore the brunt of it. It has not been easy dealing with the various factions, some very helpful, some not so much. Kildare County council has been very helpful and we thank them for that and their advice during the process.
The second astro will be a huge help for matches and especially training during the dark winter evenings. We are currently fielding 42 schoolboy and schoolgirl teams, 3 senior men teams, 2 senior ladies teams and an over 35’s team. With the growing population of Leixlip and the surrounding areas we confidently predict we will be fielding over 50 plus teams in the near future. While the increased facilities will be a great addition, we also need managers and coaches to look after all these teams. We are extremely fortunate with the time and effort our coaches put into the club. It is not easy with work and family commitments to come and help out with our teams, and to all who do it - a huge thanks. We always need more coaches and managers so if you think you have a bit of spare time please contact us.
A big shout out to our CES workers who look after our grass pitches and keep the place clean and tidy. Every week we have nearly 50 fixtures home and away that our secretaries have to coordinate, so huge thanks go to Martin Scanlon,Austin Hutton, Kathleen Carr and our senior secretary Dave Kelly. Big thanks also to Deirdre Scanlon who prints the fixtures and sends them out to the managers.
The astro-build has been challenging for our teams with training curtailed and matches often postponed due to a shortage of space. It has been particularly difficult for our Premier and Major teams with the calibre of opponents they are facing week In week out. We need to find a way to support them in competing at that level while not compromising other teams’ rights to similar time and facilities. We are also looking at the idea of a Director of Football but realistically we need a couple of people to cover all areas.
The biggest success in our club over the last couple of years has been the huge Increase in girls playing and judging by our Academy that trend will continue over the next few years . One of the challenges facing girls football is the number of games that seem to fall through on a weekly basis. A number of our teams have only played a handful of games since September so hopefully that is something that will improve from January. I can see a situation where we will also have a D.O.F for the girls section going forward.
We are always looking to improve our current facilities at leixlip United and with this in mind we are engaging architects with a view to revamping our dressing room area and other buildings as well as refurbishing the 3 cages to help with our training requirements. All of this costs money so please support our fundraising activities and in particular at this time of year our Christmas draw. I once again reiterate that every penny raised goes back into our club. Our committee, coaches and managers are all volunteers who give their time willingly.
In conclusion I would like to wish our managers, coaches, players and parents a very happy Christmas and look forward to a great year ahead in our club.
Yours in sport
Paul Martin, Chairman
