CWSSL enjoys a great year of growth on and off the pitch

Growth has been the defining theme in what has been another landmark season for the Cork Women’s and Schoolgirls’ Soccer League (CWSSL), with competition on the pitch matched by continued expansion off it.

Title races that ran to the wire, representative success across multiple age grades, rising participation numbers and an infrastructural vision all show that the CWSSL is continuing to push its boundaries across Cork. 

Chairperson Brian Murphy says the progress is built on a simple, enduring principle.

“It’s been another great year for Cork. It's kind of hard work, growth and fantastic football across all the age groups. Our biggest focus, as always, is our leagues,” he begins. 

“That's where all the players can show off their skills and love the game weekly.

“The players are the heartbeat of the CWSSL, all the teams. I suppose this year presenting the titles was slightly difficult for us because the league tables were so tight.

“It was going down to the wire in a lot of the games where we didn't know which game to attend to present. So that was kind of a great problem to have,” he remarks. “It just shows how good the league is going.

“Our cup finals are always a special day. We kind of get great crowds for them every year. I suppose in terms of our growth, over the last five years, we would have had probably 92 teams and 1,600 players.

“Now we have 288 teams and nearly 5,000 players. We had 26 clubs and that's after increasing to 40 again over the five years. So there's huge growth and we probably see more growth again.” 

Those figures do not include the club academies catering from U6 to U11, where demand continues to surge. Crucially, the CWSSL is also seeing improved player retention beyond U16 – a longstanding challenge across women’s sport nationally.

“Our senior league even this year, has grown to three divisions, which is brilliant to see the players coming through and moving up along and going all the way to senior,” Brian explains. 

“If we can keep that trajectory up, our senior league is going to be massive, and really high quality in another couple of years.

“The quality is there as it is, but the numbers are smaller. Increased numbers is going to help that as well, and there’s a pathway for everyone.” That pathway has also been reflected in strong inter-league performances throughout the season.

“The U12 white reached the cup semi-final, the U12 reds got to the quarter-final,” Brian outlines. 

“The U13 red team reached the semi-final, the U13s white made the quarter-finals, the U14s won theirs and they finished third in the Gaynor Trophy, which was the best finish for a number of years, so we were delighted with that.

“The U16s got all the way to the semi-finals. In the Munster competitions then, our U12s red and white both made the final. The red team won that.

“The U13 red and white also contested the final, with the reds winning, so that was actually brilliant for us because we don't have an A and a B team, we just divide two squads evenly.

“The U14s won the Munster final and the U16s reached their Munster final as well too,” says Murphy. 

“So the results speak for themselves really. Semi-finals and finals, is brilliant for our representative teams.

“Recently, we've had trials for an U15 team who will play a couple of games at the end with a trip away – possibly to England – and play against the academies over. So that's kind of another first for us, which is again brilliant for the girls.” 

With an U19 inter-league competition confirmed for January, and preparations under way for management and trials, that expansion shows no sign of slowing. 

Added to that is the league’s collaboration with Coerver Coaching – spearheaded by Derek Coughlan and Denis Behan supporting the U6 to U11 age groups – and the long-term ambition centred on Casement Park.

“The other big things then was Casement Park,” he says. “And securing the lease for that and funding this year as well for it.

“We'll be hoping to start work on that as soon as we can.” 

At the heart of it all, Murphy stresses, is a volunteer base whose commitment makes such progress possible, and especially Helen Noonan, whose retirement from the CWSSL committee has seen her role filled by multiple people, such was her contribution.

“The dedication of the coaches, the mentors, the parents and volunteers, everyone who can make that possible,” Murphy remarks. 

“Our committee members, the work that goes on and on, they're tremendous.

“The work has increased, but we've also increased our committee as well, so it's great to have all the new people in on board with us and helping for the year again ahead.

“If the committee wasn't so strong, we wouldn't be able to do all these things,” he explains. 

“Securing a home was a big, huge thing there in Casement. So we have a place that we can call our own, because at the moment all our inter-league teams are training all over the place and it's the generosity of the clubs providing venues for us, when they're at capacity as well.

“So we're delighted and grateful to all the clubs that have supplied the pitches to us. And given us slots on them because we know how hard they are to get. 

"So, hopefully we won't have that problem next year.”