Excitement building ahead of new season
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KICK-OFF of the 2010 League of Ireland season is a matter of weeks away and the excitement is already reaching fever pitch as Sporting Fingal prepare for their debut season in the top flight.
After the heroics of their cup-winning campaign, where they also secured promotion to the Premier Division, Liam Buckley's men will return to action this week with a friendly in Portmarnock, while preparations are continuing off the field.
'We're looking forward to the start of the season and we have great expectations,' Sporting's general manager, Joe Corr told the Fingal Independent. 'We've launched our season tickets and we've had a great take-up so far with them.
' We're preparing for the season already, with a number of new signings and friendly games coming up and it'll be a fantastic opportunity for fans to see the new players in action.
' We're hoping to do well and there's a lot at stake, as well as defending our cup title, but we will be going out to win every game and do as well as we can in the Premier Division. 'To get promoted and win the cup was just a phenomenal, unprecedented achievement. We've set the tone and we want to keep the momentum up.' Success understandably breeds success and the club's following has grown steadily in the last few months, expanding on what was already a traditionally strong fan base in Swords.
Supporters clubs have also been set up in Balbriggan, Skerries, Rush, Lusk, Kinsealy, Dublin 15 and even Howth and Sporting are eager to see many more new faces down at Morton Stadium this season. At the same time, their roots in the community have continued to spread.
'What we do on the pitch will need to be supported by people coming to games,' Mr Corr continued. 'Our club promotion officer, Conor Cullen, is working tirelessly and we are expecting large numbers at our home games.
' We will be hosting such legendary clubs as Bohemians, St Patrick's Athletic and Shamrock Rovers and we're looking forward to it.
'This is a community club and there is a lot of onus on working in the community, through projects such as the Community Trust and the Pitstop Programme, or the players going into the schools with the FAI Cup to promote the importance of sport as part of a healthy lifestyle.'
- Robin KIELY
