An academy structure involving Galway WFC and the Galway FA is set to be established soon.
A progressive move that will benefit the rapidly developing women’s game in the west will be launched in the coming weeks.
Galway WFC chairman Stephen Moran is hugely encouraged about the future of the game Corribside. “They have been very good to us,” Moran says about the partnership being forged with the Galway FA.
“The reason it is with the Galway FA is we do not want the clubs to feel we are poaching, what we are going to do is give the better players at U9, 10, 11, and 12 a chance to play with the better players from other clubs.
“Then they will go back to their clubs, but they are learning something. They are bringing back something more to their own clubs, it lifts teams locally, but it also gives them a chance to come up that bit better. Hopefully that will feed into the Gaynor [Cup] - that the Galway & District League teams will be successful.
“When they are finished the Gaynor then they will feed into our U17s and U19s and hopefully into senior. It is to streamline the whole thing. We are looking at it from maybe U7s right the whole way up.”
National underage leagues featuring Galway WFC outfits are currently played at U17 and U19 level, but Moran would like to see an U21 tournament introduced.
“What I'm pushing for really going forward is instead of going down to U15s in the League of Ireland, I would love to see an U21, to give the girls an extra two years to progress themselves,” Moran says.
“That extra two years would bring on a lot of players. At U19 if they are not picked for the seniors they are going to leave and won't go back to their own clubs because they think it is a step down. You lose them to football, that is terrible because they still have an awful lot to offer.
“It is something I do hope the FAI look at - an U21, it just gives them an extra two years to develop themselves.”
**Listen to the full interview with Stephen Moran on this week’s ‘Cian on Sport’ podcast available on Soundcloud, Spotify, and Apple podcasts.
