(Photo: Ballinasloe Town AFC Under-18 team, winners of the Galway league. BACK ROW (L-R): Kyle Keighery, Jack Brogan (Captain), Jayden Doherty, Dylan Caulfield, James Connolly, Lorcan Higgins, Calum O’Connor, Conor Cruise Maloney and Eoghan Dunne FRONT ROW (L-R): Patryk Nowicki, Matthew Blaire, Eanna Nevin and Feidlim Curran.)
Development works on the latest stage of the club’s development plan are due to commence at the club grounds soon. The next phase consists of the installation of a state-of-the-art 500lux LED floodlight system that is up to TV broadcast standard.
Meanwhile, the Club History Subcommittee of Johnny Walsh, Michael Riddell, Joey Walsh and Chairperson Bjorn Manning are extremely busy working on a book celebrating 75 years of soccer in town. They expect to launch the book later this summer.
On the pitch, the club are currently nearing the end of the season and it has been an eventful one to date. Both Senior squads did well. In their first season in the Galway League , the Senior Ladies’ squad reached the semi-final of the Galway F.A. Championship Cup. Meanwhile, the Men’s Senior squad just failed to secure a promotion play-off game but they have reached two club finals. They will meet Cam/Dysart FC in the Roscommon Shield Final and will face either Clonfad or Moylough in the Roscommon 1st Division Cup final.
The season is also coming to a close at underage level. At under-9 and under-10 level, both squads performed very well in the ‘Tempo Cup’ tournament in Limerick, with the under 10’s finishing in the top four out of 24 nationwide teams.
The under-11 squad reached the Final of the Kevin O’Power Cup. At under-12A level the squad reached the quarter final of the Connacht Cup. The under-12B squad finished in second place in the league and won promotion for next season.
The under-13C squad have had a fantastic season in their first year together, securing promotion for next season. They finished level with Craughwell United at the top of the table, but lost out to them in the playoff match. The under-13A, under-13B, and under-14C squads are all in contention for league honours and/or promotion.
The boys’ Under-18 team won the Galway League title and narrowly lost out in the semi final of the Galway divisional cup. They were unbeaten all season in their league campaign. The Under-17 squad need a win in their last league game to retain their status in their division but they did manage to reach the semi-finals of their divisional cup.
In their first season, the Under-21’s had a great cup run and reached the semi-final. They also finished in third place in the league.
The club committee and everyone associated with Ballinasloe Town AFC are extremely saddened at the passing of Club stalwart and long time club Officer Brendan (Skinner) Fahy. Everyone associated with the club wishes to express their deepest condolences to the Fahy family and to Brendan’s niece, Ellen Egan, who is the current club Treasurer.
(Photo: The under 12 girls who played against a Halewood boy’s team as one of the three games played for the recent 30th anniversary celebrations of the Halewood and Ballinasloe exchange.)
