As the September trip to Sarajevo edges closer the Galway & District League Ladies team continue their diligent preparations with a charity function to help enslaved chidlren in the Philippines.
The Galway squad will depart on September 2, but the previous evening at the Western Hotel in Prospect Hill a farewell gathering has been scheduled. This event is open to the public, and is being supported and co-organised by the children's rights group PREDA Galway with local band Apartment 44 providing the music.
Apartment 44 will be releasing a benefit single entitled 'Circles' for PREDA in September.
PREDA Galway wish the squad every success and are delighted that such tremendous ambassadors have lent their support in the fight for freedom for enslaved children in the Philippines.
Stephen Lally's promising team are drawn in a tough group with WFC Universitet Vitebsk (Belarus ), ZNK SFK 2000 Sarajevo (Bosnia-Herzegovina ), and FC Zurich Fruean (Switzerland ). Whoever advances from the group will join Arsenal and Olympic Lyonnais in the second round.
Lally is adamant that Galway can make an impact at this level next month. “Since we won the FAI Umbro Cup last year, we have strengthened our squad with a number of young players who have obtained international experience with Noel King’s Irish under 17 team and Susan Ronan’s under 19 team, who were both competing in the UEFA Championship, elite qualifying phase.
"In my opinion, that international experience will be extremely valuable as we bid to become the first Irish team ever to advance past the first round in the competition. I have no doubt that we are travelling to Sarajevo to win the first round of the competition, this team is well capable of competing against Europe’s top teams and we are looking forward to that challenge," added Lally.
