The AGM of the West Waterford/East Cork Soccer League took place on Monday night last at Lismore House Hotel. Paddy Tobin, league chairman welcomed all the clubs to the meeting and a special welcome for Denis O’Driscoll, Munster Football Association.

The reports of the hon secretary and the hon treasurer were adopted by the delegates. Paddy Tobin, chairman, stepped down as chairman having served his three year tenure and Alan McNamee, Inch Utd, was elected as the chairman for 2013/2014 season. The committee for the new season was also elected and the committee will elect the officers of the league at their first committee meeting.

The new National Draw by the FAI was discussed and the general consensus is that it is a wonderful innovation by the FAI and will help all the clubs financially. We will give a full report of the AGM in our notes next week.

This week we publish the report of hon secretary, Paddy Pollard, as follows:

‘I submit my report to you on the workings of the West Waterford/East Cork League for the past season 2012/2013.

We commenced our season weekending 19th August with the opening round of the Tony Bolger Cup and played both semi-finals on Sunday, 9th September.

As is the custom for the past number of seasons we play the final of the Bolger Cup and Plate over the October bank holiday weekend.

The Plate final was played on Saturday, 27th October in Lismore with Inch defeating Cappoquin, while the Cup final was played on Monday, 29th October at Kinsalebeg, with Brideview defeating Pinewood.

The league commenced on Saturday, 16th September and the last league game was played on Sunday, 27th April. The season finished with the Fitzgerald Cup final on 11th May. Considering we lost four weekends through the season due to the bad weather, great credit is due to the clubs, referees and the fixture secretary, that we were able to finish the season only a week later than last season.

The Premier league was one of the most exciting for many years, the title going to the very last game with Valley Rgs. defeating Brideview in Tallow and thus becoming only the second club in the history of the league to retain the Premier title.

Kilworth and Cappoquin were relegated to the 1st Division.

Mogeely won the 1st Division and Castlebridge were runners-up, and both teams will be playing Premier football next season. Valley Rgs B won the B Section, adding to the Premier title the first team won, culminating in a wonderful season for the Conna club.

In the Ned Barry Cup, Lismore defeated Pinewood in the final, winning the cup for the 2nd consecutive season.

The last game of the season was the final of the Liam Fitzgerald Cup played in Tallow on Saturday, 11th May, with Mogeely defeating Caherdrinna in an exciting penalty shoot-out 7-6 after the game ended 1-1.

Kilworth won the Youth League, while Cappoquin won the Fraser Cup

We had clubs competing in the FAI and Munster Junior Cup competitions, while Valley Rgs, as league winners represented the league in the Munster Champions Cup, losing at home to Tramore FC. Valley, as league champions, will again be our representatives this coming season.

The management committee of the WW/EC made a decision last season not to enter a team in the Oscar Traynor Cup. This arose from having to give a walk-over the previous season to the Wicklow League. Some players approached the committee during the season asking if we might enter a team next season.

No decision has yet been made, but the committee will have to be guaranteed total commitment from players and their clubs if we are to be playing inter league football again. We do not want to have the same embarrassing situation to arise again.

Our Youth Inter League team played three group games, losing at home in Cappoquin to Kilkenny, losing away to the TS&DL in Clonmel, and losing in Cappoquin to the Waterford League, who went on to reach the final, losing to the Wexford League in a penalty shootout.

While we failed to win any of the three games, great credit is due to all the players for their commitment. The management team of Liam Fraser, Jason Browne and Tom Downes must be complimented for the time, effort and commitment they gave to the team.

In my reports for the past few years I have spoken of the necessity of coaching within the clubs, and I repeat this again tonight. Coaching improves the standard of players and this of course improves the quality throughout the league.

Many clubs have their own academies which they run and organise on a weekly basis. This is future thinking and those clubs will see the benefit of the work at underage level in years to come. I have always been of the opinion the clubs that do not invest in underage football will find it difficult to survive in the future. The academies lead to schoolboy football and this in turn leads to youth football and then to the junior game.

I am delighted to see clubs developing their grounds and facilities, facilities that will enhance the club in the community. Facilities have become a very important part of the club in the modern era, as the club is now attracting families with young children to our games. Last November I suggested that clubs be to the forefront in 2013, the year of The Gathering. This is a wonderful opportunity for the clubs within the league to be seen as leaders in their own community, and this in turn will lead to many new members joining the club. It is important that the club and community work hand in hand and both will benefit from this co-operation.

The world has much changed since the league was founded in 1972 and we live in a much faster world today and many find it difficult to give of their time through work and family commitments. While we strive to improve the league at all levels, on and off the playing field, and organise the league in a professional manner, we must never forget that we are all volunteers who give a huge amount of time and energy as games are organised throughout the season.

For all of us the rewards are enjoyment and pleasure and the friendships we make that will last a lifetime, but I appeal to clubs to try and attract younger people onto their committees and we can pass on our experience to the next generation and help them, but we must also listen to their ideas and suggestions for the way forward.

Unfortunately there are clubs within our league that are content to continue as they have since they became members of the league, and this is a pity, as in those clubs there only two or three individuals who try to keep the club operating, and this has to change or those clubs will go out of football

The economic climate that prevails at present is not helping clubs with so many players emigrating, but hopefully this climate will change sooner than later and those players can return home to their families and be back as part of the club again.

This year again I appeal to team managers to speak to their players to stop the abuse of referees. The past season has, thankfully, seen an improvement in the respect for referees from players and team management, but there is still room for improvement. Once again I ask clubs to try and get former players or some present players, interested in taking up refereeing. As I have said on numerous occasions, without referees we will have no league.

For the third consecutive year we held the John Giles Walk and Family Fun Day in Lismore. To say it was a success is putting it mildly. We had 900 walking the streets of Lismore and this was helped by the visit of John Giles himself. John made a promise last year that if at all possible he would come and spend the day with us, and on Sunday, 7th April he kept his promise. He proved to be a wonderful ambassador for the Association, leading the walk, posing for endless photos with young and not so young and as he himself remarked, each child is an individual. We thank John for his visit and the time he spent with us on the day.

I want to thank the league committee, the Blackwater Community School, the Schoolboy League and Women’s League for their participation and of course all the parents for making the walk and family fun day the success it was, and hopefully the clubs that participated will be that bit more financially secure through the sponsorship of the walk.

Last month the FAI launched the Irish Football National Draw which has been designed in partnership with affiliated leagues and clubs with all profit going to participating club/leagues/affiliates. The country will be split into four regions to ensure prizes are spread across the country. With club sponsorship harder to come by in the current climate, this draw is a very welcome risk free way for clubs to raise funds and develop their facilities.

Without sponsorship the WW/EC League would not be able to operate and we thank Mari Mina Pharmacy, The Dungarvan Leader, Lismore House Hotel, The Red Store, Alan McNamee, Plumbing and Heating, Centra Store Castlemartyr, the Fraser family and O’Neill’s Sports.

To the local press, the local radios, WLR and CRY, for the wonderful coverage they give our league each week. Declan Barron for all his help to me and the many others who are always willing to help when called upon, to each I say many thanks.

At inter provincial level I want to thank Ger Delaney, administrator/secretary of the Munster Football Association for all his help and advice throughout the season.

Finally, I want to thank my fellow officers and committee members for their time, commitment and dedication to the league.

I take this opportunity to wish each and everyone in the WW/EC the very best in 2013/2014 season.’

BEST OF LUCK

We wish the very best of luck to the Kennedy Cup squad that is playing in Limerick this week. The league have been drawn in the toughest group in the competition, playing against the DDSL in the opening group game which was played last Monday evening.

The DDSL is regarded by all in schoolboy football as the best and biggest league in the country with over 17,000 registered players and have won this prestigious tournament more times than anyone else.

REFEREES BEGINNERS COURSE

There will be a referees beginners course taking place this coming Saturday, 15th June and Sunday, 16th June in Waterford. This is an ideal opportunity for those interested in taking up the whistle and the WW/EC League will be delighted to have more referees available to the league. For more information please contact referees observer, Len Fraser on 086 3173150.

MUNSTER SENIOR CUP FINAL

This Wednesday night, June 12th, at Turner’s Cross Cork, the final of the Munster Senior Cup will take place between Avondale, Munster Senior League and Waterford Utd from the Airtricity League. Waterford last won the trophy in 2010 when defeating Midleton in the final which was played at the RSC Waterford.

Avondale have won the FAI Intermediate Cup for the third consecutive year last month and last Sunday at home in the FAI Senior Cup lost to Sheriff YC 2-1. On Saturday night last Waterford defeated Salthill Devon 3-2 at the RSC in the 1st Division.

Wednesday night’s game has the makings of a wonderful game between two attack-minded teams. Kick off at Turner’s Cross is 7.30pm.

MUNSTER FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION AGM

The AGM of the Munster Football Association will be held this Saturday, June 15th at Rochestown Park Hotel Cork commencing at 2.30pm. Any club wishing to attend the AGM, please contact the league hon secretary as admittance is by ticket only.

LOOKING BACK

In the next few weeks we will have our annual look back at the season just finished. As usual it will be a look back as seen by ourselves of the 20 teams that competed in the two divisions and we will then round up the season by selecting our eleven players that we feel were the best as seen by ourselves each weekend.

This normally draws a reaction from a few readers, but like any team selection, it is as seen through the eyes of an individual. The team we have selected we feel would be a very good side for an Oscar Traynor team, but all this in a couple of weeks.