MAYFIELD UTD JAN 2001

Mayfield Utd




Mayfield United's juniors, who play in AUL 1B, had a happy Christmas and the celebrations continued into the New Year when they were presented with the Murphy's Stout Team of the Month Award for December.



Bernard O'Neill, who heads up the management trio which also includes Laurence Sexton and Tadgh O'Neill, says they knew they had the bones of a very good team at the end of last season but that it needed strengthening: "Over the last 3 years we had won two leagues and adding some new faces meant increased competition in the squad. We recruited Ray O Mahony, Brian Atkinson, and young Raymond Atkins, Liam Dunnacliffe, Alan Costello, and Padraig Fitzgerald. The squad has been substantially strengthened from last year".



It was skipper Mark Looney who had the honour of picking up the Murphy Award from Aidan Cotter of Murphy's. Mark's attitude and commitment is second to none and he is without doubt one of the most respected and popular members of the squad. The leading scorers this year are Brian Atkinson and Raymond Atkins both with 8 goals, followed closely by Simon O Leary with 6.



Player of the year for 2000 was Mark Bolger. Mark played as centre-half and was superb for the entire season. He has continued that this season but the club may now lose him for a large part of the remainder of the season due to his work

commitments as a new Garda.



Bernard, who is also the club secretary, says that the best win to date was the away league win over Greenwood in November: "We had been beaten by Greenwood 3-0 at home in September and so I was anxious to atone for that defeat. We won on a scoreline of 3-1 and I think the manner of the victory was the most satisfying so far. We played some great football and scored some great goals against a team I rate as one of the best in our division. Our attitude was superb and the lads were on a high afterwards".



It is always nice to have a run in the cups but it is a bonus, according to O'Neill. "The league is without doubt our priority. For me Temple are the team to beat and I keep telling the lads that. I felt that last year the panel was a bit too small to last the pace but with the increase in strength and depth this year we can go very close provided we get that little bit of luck that's always needed".



Bernard's longer-term aim is to take this team to the Premier Division: "We should be up there competing with all the best teams in the AUL for all the top trophies. There are exciting times ahead off the field for Mayfield Utd. And we want it to be the same on the field".



The team of the month presentation took place in the Ashburton Bar, owned by the club's main sponsor Jerry O'Connell. Tadgh O'Neill, through Waxys Bar, is the kit sponsor of the club's adult teams.



The panel: Eric Walsh, Mark Bolger, Declan Keane, Ray O Mahony, Ger Forde, Simon O'Leary, Mark Looney (Capt.),Brian Atkinson, Noel O'Brien, Raymond Atkins, Brian

Mc Sweeney, Keith Hegarty, Alan Long, Alan Costello, Padraig Fitzgerald, Alex

Walsh, Paul Scannell, Liam Donnacliffe.


MAYFIELD - the club's own notes for the above...

We knew last year that we had the bones of a very good team but that we



needed a few new faces to strengthen our hand and also to freshen things


up.Over the last 3 years we had won 2 leagues and adding some new faces


meant everybody got a bit of a boost and it increased the competition in the


squad.We added Ray O Mahony from Tramore Ath. who plays as our sweeper and


has been a great success for us this year.In Midfield Brian Atkinson


returned home after being travelling for the last 2 years and rejoined the


squad and to date has been our joint top scorer with 8 goals,not bad from


Midfield.Another big addition to us was Raymond Atkins.Raymond is still


eligible for youths this year but due to the fact that we have no youth team


we were afraid we would lose Ray.Fortunately for us we didn't and along with


Brian Atkinson he has been the top scorer this year.His pace has caused many


a team problems so far.Brian McSweeney also returned to us after only being


able to play a bit part last season and his strength and pace up front has


given us some extra options.Liam Donnacliffe aslo joined us in the


summer.Liam hadn't played for a while but you can see as he trains that he


will have plenty to offer us during the season.In the last couple of weeks


we signed Alan Costello,who was out with a long term injury and also Padraig


Fitzgerald who was one of our best youth players last year.All in all the


squad has been substantially increased and strengthen from last year.






The management team.






There are three of us involved in the running of the team which is


important.It is very hard for one person to do it by themselves as there is


so much to do.There are myself ,Lawrence Sexton and Tadgh O Neill.Lawrence


ran the team himself until about 2 years ago when work commitments made it


hard for him to give the time he wanted so after he won the 3B league in


1998 I took over and we won the 2B League in 1999 with Lawrence giving me


all the help he could.Lawrence then returned full-time to it himself last


year and we ran the team between us.Tadgh has been involved with Mayfield


teams almost since day one but he had taken a break for a year or so.In the


summer I approached him to get involved again and I was delighted when he


agreed and now the three of us work very well together.We do say however


that it is an easy team to organise as the attitude of the squad of players


makes it very simple for us to run.They are a great bunch of lads who do the


club proud whether on the field or supporting the club in events off it.






Leading Scorers.






Our leading scorers this year are Brian Atkinson and Raymond Atkins both


with 8 goals,followed closely by Simon O Leary with 6.






Captain.






Our captain this year is Mark Looney.Mark's attitude and commitment is


second to none and I think he is without doubt one of the most respected and


popular members of the squad.He never misses a match or training and his


performances get better each year.






Player of the year and similar awards.






Our player of the year for 2000 was Mark Bolger.Mark played as Center-half


and was superb for the entire season.He has continued that his season but we


may now lose him for a large part of the remaining year due to his work


committments,having just joined the Gardai.






Best victory to date this season.






We have had a number of big victories this year,twice scoring 7 goals,but I


would have to pick the league game away to Greenwood in November as the


best.We had been beaten by Greenwood 3-0 at home in September and so I was


anxious to atone for that defeat in the away fixture.We won on a scoreline


of 3-1 and I think the manner of the victory was the most satisfying so


far.We played some great football and scored some great goals against a team


I rate as one of the best in our division.Our attitude was superb and I


think the lads were on a high after the game as they knew themselves we had


done well.






How things are going in the League and cups.






We have won 3 out of 4 in the league the only blip being the 3-0 home loss


to Greenwood in September.And we are in all the cups bar the St. Michaels


where we lost to Pierse Celtic on a day when I had to tog out myself so


short were we and we are out of the AOH,beaten 1-0 after extra time by


Temple who are without doubt the best team we have played this season,but I


felt we more than held our own against them and it could so easily have gone


either way.We are still in both the FAI and Munster Junior cups but we face


a very hard tie in the Munster Junior against Coachford.Still though on the


whole things are going well and we have a lot to play for.






The Panel.






Eric Walsh,Mark Bolger,Declan Keane,Ray O Mahony,Ger Forde,Simon O


Leary,Mark Looney (Capt.),Brian Atkinson,Noel O Brien,Raymond Atkins,Brian


Mc Sweeney,Keith Hegarty,Alan Long,Alan Costello,Padraig Fitzgerald,Alex


Walsh,Paul Scannell,Liam Donnacliffe.






Ground Situation.






We are lucky to have one of the best if not the best set-ups in the AUL.At


Mayfield Utd. Park.We have 4 playing pitches and dressing room


facilities.Sometimes we take it for granted but when you travel to some


teams where you still tog off by the side of the road it brings it home just


how lucky our players are with the facilities that we have.






Training arrangements.






We train 2 nights a week,Tuesday and Thursday.Tuesday nights are spent on


the All-weather pitch in Mayfield Community School from 7-8pm where it is


all ballwork and Thursday nights is over on the hill in Innishowen where our


senior team manager Richard Keating takes the session from 7.30-8.30 and no


ball is in sight.The lads really enjoy this night!Response is excellent on a


Tuesday but we need to do a small bit of work on the Thursday night.






Aims for the season.






It is always nice to have a run in the cups and going far in anyone of them


this year would be a bonus.However the league is without doubt our


priority.For me Temple are the team to beat and I keep telling the lads


that.I felt that last year the panel was a bit too small to last the pace


but with the increase in strength and depth this year we can go very close


with that little bit of luck thats always needed.






Longer term ambitions.






I think with a club the size of ours and with the facilities that we have


then we should always look to be in the highest divison possible.Even though


we are the second team in the club we should be aiming to be in the premier


division of the AUL and winning a trophy on a regular basis.With no


dis-respect to the teams in the 3rd divison I don't think we can ever go


back to the days when our only AUL team was in that divison.We should be up


there competing with all the best teams in the AUL for all the top trophies


week in week out.There are exciting times ahead off the field for Mayfield


Utd. and we want it to be the same on the field.






Committee members.






We have at the moment a very large and hardworking committee.Pat Quirke is


our chairman and to say Pat is a special Character is understating matters


somewhat.From chairing meetings to being the MC and entertainment at club


nights out he has many talents.His passion for the club and his easy going


manner make him a man who gets the best out of people all the time.He does


however like to be referred to as "Mr Chairman".Joe Kennedy is our treasurer


and I think everybody would agree that the current healthy state of our


finances is in most part down to Joes incredible enthusiasm for the club.His


"Super Draws" have become famous but not many people realise the time and


effort that goes into these draws on Joes behalf to make them the success


they are.Sean Lane is our Secretary and the man who is constantly seen with


the pen behind one ear and the phone attached to the other.Sean makes an


incredibly hard job look very easy and he does it in his usual good natured


way.Ernest O Mahony is our vice-chairman.Ernest stepped down as chairman


last year to let Pat Quirke into the limelight but Ernest who along with Joe


founded the club in 1971 continues to be one of the "main men" in the


running of the club and I hope always will.The remainder of the committee is


made up of Richard Keating,Pat Saville,Bernard O Neill,Kieran McCarthy,Tony


Carroll,Kieran O Leary,John O Reilly,Trevor O Leary,Noel Coughlan,Leon


Cramer,Tony Harris,Denis Creed,Ger Byrnes,Peter Fleming,James Carroll and PJ


Brennan.






Sponsors.






The clubs main sponsor is Jerry O Connell of the Ashburton bar.Jerry has


been a very good friend to Mayfield Utd. since he took over the bar in 1991


and we hope he will continue to do so.Our team is lucky to also have Tadgh O


Neill of Waxys bar of Marlboro street as a sponsor.Our adult teams are all


kitted out by Tadgh and it's a very welcome help to what is one of our


biggest expenses.






Last weekends game and next weekends game.






We were beaten last weekend by Temple in extra time in the AOH Cup in a game


I felt we could have gotten something from.We hadn't played for 6 weeks but


I was pleased with the attitude of our lads which is always excellent and I


thought we were more than a match for Temple on the day.They are a very good


side and I think it will take a very good side from any division to beat


them.Next week we are at home to Coachford in the Munster Junior cup which


is another big test of how far we have come.As underdogs we have nothing to


lose and I would be confident of giving them a serious run for it.