Teams buckle-up and are ready for another for busy AUL soccer season

IT IS all systems go as we look forward once again to another exciting season in the Cork AUL, sponsored by Murphy’s Irish Stout (Heineken Ireland).

And before going any further, there are a few points of note to observe.

The format for the Munster Junior Cup has changed this coming season.

There is a new competition being introduced by the MFA this season called the Munster Junior Shield.

This new competition is aimed at teams from League 1, 2 and 3 to take part in, if they so wish.

I believe this is an excellent idea as it gives teams from the lower sections a chance to pit their wits against others who are in a similar grade elsewhere.

In the domestic front and following on from last season, the Mossie Linnane cup will be run for Premier teams only and will be a knockout cup competition again this coming season.

Premier A will once again have its own cup to play for this coming season with its new name identified as the Henry Healy Cup and it is expected that these two competitions will kick-off at a very early stage of the season.

I paid my usual calls to some of the managers across the various league sections to see how their thoughts were on the coming season ahead.

My first port of call was Grangevale where I spoke to their manager Diarmuid O’Neil.

“We are really looking forward to playing in the Premier for the first time.

“It's a massive reward for the players, management and committee who have put in a huge effort over the last few years.

“To put things into perspective, 18 players who won League 3A in 2019, lifted the Premier A title in 2023.
“A big addition to the new season will be our new kit, sponsored by Dennehy's Health & Fitness.

“We'd like to thank Luke and Steve for the generous sponsorship and we will use the gym again for the season ahead.
“We will play our home games in Mayfield United Astro which suits us well.

“We will aim to compete in the domestic competitions and will be trying hard to get out of Cork in the nationals Lifting a trophy would be very rewarding in what will be a very competitive league.

"Eoghan Jeffers, John O'Connell, Timmy Hayes and myself will continue in what will hopefully be another successful management team. Donie Cronin, Bernie Williamson, Davy Hayes, Eoghan Jeffers, Colin McKeon, John O'Connell, Finbarr Buckley and Diarmuid O'Neill will make up the committee that will be responsible for steering the club to further success,” said O’Neill.
Diarmuid went on to tell me that there will be around 25 players in the squad starting out for the new season with lots of challenges going on for the various positions in the team.

“For the wing positions we have Philip Sweetnam, Corey Harris, Ross Kiely and Jacob Moleli – with the same kind of competition going on in other areas of the team.

“This is such an important luxury to have as it keeps everyone on their toes and helps to ensure that for every game, players know they will have to compete if they are to figure in the team on a regular basis.

“Also, it is a terrific advantage to know you have good subs on the bench to facilitate any necessary change.

“What's brilliant about this group is the ability and willingness to improve.

“Unfortunately, we are losing Aaron Baldwin, Mikey Hennessey and Pablo Mira to emigration and Gary McCarthy who is moving back to his boyhood club Tramore Athletic.
“I won't look forward to the lows of a bad result, but the highs are worth it when we win games.

“New teams, rivalries and challenges await and if this group can win something this year again, then they may very well go down as the best group in the club's history.

“The 1979 AOH winners would only be delighted for us to take that crown, I am sure.
“Training and pre-season has been going well and there are clear signs that the lads are improving still and aren't fed up of listening to me yet,” concluded O’Neill.