Galway FA chairman Tom Trill is delighted that 1,113 games were completed in 51 leagues during the past six weeks.
The return of juvenile and junior local action brought significant joy with the Galway FA pushing hard to ensure the 2020/21 season was completed.
Trill praised the clubs throughout the county ensuring football was provided for so many players, who had not been able to line out in competitive fare since last October.
“People behind me do all of the work, Terry Lee, our fixtures secretary, I got the numbers - 51 leagues, 1113 games have been played in the last six weeks,” Trill says.
“We had 1,300 scheduled, we had 187 conceded matches. There was a lot of talk about that, but when we went through the numbers 55 of those were in the Junior reserve league, Terry and I have issues with that league going back a while now.
“When you look at the amount of work he did with the clubs. Some of the big clubs with 16, 17, 18 teams out on the pitch every day of the week, trying to organise that, it was a big job for everyone. In fairness to Terry and all of the clubs they got through it.
“We've got results, we've got tables so for next season we can rejig everything. At least we have information and data that we can work on to get football back on track after the pandemic. That was the main goal.”
The Galway FA AGM takes place this evening and Trill expects a decision to be made on promotion and relegation issues in the coming days.
“We will make recommendations to the incoming committee,” Trill adds. “What normally happens
is the week after the AGM the committee normally meets and they discuss these couple of matters.
“Obviously promotion and relegation is a big hot topic of conversation now, particularly with junior teams. At the AGM we will be very pragmatic about how we approach the situation. As it stands the three officers of the league are the only ones to have gone forward for the positions so we are going to be there again next year.
“We have to take that as a positive and hopefully the clubs will understand that we have always done right by them.”
Athenry were crowned Western Hygiene Supplies Premier Division champions and the fact that the trophy awarded is named after Trill’s grandfather, Brod Trill, illustrated the manner in which an appreciation for the game has been passed down through the generations.
“It just highlights the importance of grassroots football, especially here in Galway,” Trill says. “It just goes back so much into our DNA when it comes to a love and a grá for the game. We have respect for people who gave so much time, effort, and energy into the game.
“My last presentation on Sunday was the Bernard Concar trophy, the family allowed us to present it. The Galway FA gave it for the U18 league and it was just poignant - Bernard himself passed away after a match - just when you see all these people who put so much effort into the game.
“Then you have stories that go on for 30, 40 or 50 years locally. It just means so much to so many people. It just matters.”
That was proven throughout a month and a half stuffed with matches.
