League giants dwarfed by FAI Cup champions
SUCCESS REMARKABLE FOR NEW TEAM
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SPORTING Fingal's achievements are in even more remarkable when the history of the FAI Cup is examined more closely.
While the newest kids on the block took the trophy home in only their second season, some of the giants of the domestic game haven't fared so well, a point club secretary and senior council official, John O'Brien, touched on.
'It's difficulty to appreciate what an achievement the club have accomplished this year,' Mr O'Brien said. 'I'm a life-long League of Ireland supporter.
'I was a Waterford supporter - I'm not any more. In their most successful spell, they won the league six times in eight years. What they never did in that period was win the FAI Cup.
'Big clubs like Shamrock Rovers, who are the cup specialists, they haven't won the cup for 20 years. St Patrick's Athletic, it's nearly 50 years since they won the cup. We won it in our second year.' Mr O'Brien thanked Sporting's many sponsors and referred to the club's ongoing work off the pitch, through its schools programme and wheelchair and special olympics teams, thanking the players for their input as 'terrific ambassadors'. He also thanked the local councillors who backed the local authority's initial plans to establish a club, as well as the numerous volunteers working behind the scenes.
'Three years ago, when we started to put this together, we got tremendous encouragement from our councillors and a lot of them are here tonight.
'The council recognise the importance of sports and would encourage an initiative like the creation of Sporting Fingal. Special mention must go to our volunteers who helped us get where we are. Without all our team of volunteers we wouldn't be able to exist.
' The biggest round of applause should be saved for these boys - Liam (Buckley) and John Devine and everybody associated with the backroom staff and the players. It's really astonishing.
'It's been a long, hard season, we had a lot of injuries. But they persevered, they had a very intense four weeks, between the final league game, the play-off, the cup semi-final and the cup final. They deserve every credit.'
- Robin KIELY
