Lansdowne FC Newsletter Update August 2021.
August is typically a month where we catch up on holidays, head for foreign shores or the 4 corners of our own wonderful country so hopefully you have all had or are currently enjoying some down time and getting in some quality family time or time to yourself. There has been nothing typical or usual about the last year so enjoy your break while you can.
August this year gives us a sense of optimism with the publication of the Energia AIL fixtures and Metro League & Cup Fixtures all are available on our website for you to download to your phones calendars so no excuse to miss a game over the next few weeks and we have a dandy for the traditionalists to start off with in the Leinster Senior Cup with a Friday Night Lights away tie v Wanderers FC in Merrion Road on the 20th of August. Our first fixture at senior level in 10 years which is sure to be a great evening of cup rugby and banter!
We are still trying to complete last year’s Senior Cup and it is a real shame that the branch have allowed this once great competition to descend into a token competition. We were due to play Clontarf on the 14th of this month in the semi final of last years 2020 cup but with Trinity withdrawing as finalists in the other section, the branch are arguing ourselves and Clontarf should not be allowed play a final between us, crazy stuff but if the powers that be put the same effort into the Senior Cup as the Towns Cup I have no doubt that this competition would return as the prestigious and much loved tournament that it once was and should be again. I will continue to push this at branch level but when traditionally great Senior clubs such as Old Belvedere, St. Mary’s, Trinity, UCD etc decide not to enter it is very disappointing and certainly devalues the Leinster Senior Cup but hopefully that changes in the very near future and clubs can embrace it as a worthwhile and relevant competition.
Another Friday Night Lights at home in Lansdowne for your Calendars, is Friday September 3rd , when we host Terenure RFC in the Senior League at home in Lansdowne Road and we look forward to welcoming members back to the club that night, the clubhouse has been far too quiet for long enough so lets make an effort to have it rocking that night all in line with whatever regulations we must follow.
September sees the start of all sides in cup action with McCorry, Harry Gale, Metro, O’Connell & Moran Cup matches all taking place so plenty of action early season for all to catch up on.
The much changed and very different Lion’s series concludes this Saturday and Elayne is happy to take bookings for any of you that want to come down and watch it in the club, all of your support is most welcome. It is a real shame we won’t get to see clubmen Tadgh Beirne or Ronan Kelleher in the final test, but I have congratulated both on your behalf on their superb achievement of making a Lion’s squad which is the stuff of dreams. A big battle on Saturday and I am really looking forward to it.
As we look forward to returning to club rugby and getting back to a somewhat normal clubhouse and use of our facilities, I really hope that you, like me, have missed club rugby so much that you come out in numbers to physically support all of the club teams this season, a club is nothing without its members and if we don’t have numbers at games you sometimes wonder what it is all about and what it is for? We sadly lost two great supporters over the last few weeks in Donal Ryan and Paul Ledwith who were permanent fixtures at home games and indeed Donal on away games as well and constant faces in the club house, they were great supporters, great club men and they will be missed.
All of the senior teams are back in pre-season training and as always, we have lost some players but gained a few more and you will get to see them all in the near future. Covid robbed us of a pastime we all know and love so as we get closer to our 150th year celebrations next season, let us do our best to support our great club and ensure we have another 150 years ahead of us, we owe that to the next generation coming behind us. As the saying goes, we will continue to
“Work hard in silence. Let success make the noise”
Colin Goode
Club President 2020-22
