Club History |
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Club Ethos
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In
2001 Edenderry Town Football Club celebrated it's 75th Anniversary. Formed in
1926 by the worker's of Aylsbury's factory, one of whom Paddy Maloney, was to
become the mainstay of soccer in Edenderry until he died in 1992. The
first 38 years were a particular struggle, with Paddy almost single handily
keeping the show going with help at various times from men such as Frank
and George Slevin, Willie Donohue, Joe Bergin and a handful of other's.
During some of those year's Edenderry did not play League Football, only
entering cup competitions. In 1964 an extra-ordinary general meeting was held
Nolan's hall and a new Committee was formed with Joe Morgan as Chairman, John
Reid as Secretary and Frank Clarke as treasurer. Whilst things picked up
at this stage the main problem still remained a settled home to play the
matches. During the 1960’s Edenderry town played football in Pollards field,
The Creamery, and Fay's field. The first turning point in the club's History came in 1971,when Paddy Maloney gathered a new look committee around him, Francy McGuinness as Secretary, Paud Maloney as treasurer. They appointed Tony Maher as Player- Manager and in their 1st season they won the Club's first Trophy, The Leinster Counties Cup in Athy on 6th of June 1972. From that turning point the club has gone from strength to strength. Edenderry Town won numerous trophies during the 1970’s, and just as important in 1973 they secured a long-term lease on the old rugby grounds in Derrycoris, since known as Fr Paul Murphy Park. So the club had a home after 47 year's.
Another
major development occurred in 1983 when the club formed a Schoolboy's section
with two team's u-12, u-15. This decision has had a profound affect on the
club ever since with a steady stream of talented player's coming through
from the schoolboy rank's to senior football. The number of team's increased
rapidly and the club now field seven underage team's, playing every Saturday.
Another feature of the schoolboy section is the Sunday Morning league's,
where boy's and girl's from aged 5 year's to 10 year's of age play matches on
over 40 Sunday's of the year. The excitement generated by these game's are a
major feature to the club. These dedicated men and women are laying the
foundation for the future of the club. The
1980's continued with the club winning trophies galore both senior and
underage. The club moved to The Leinster League in 1987 and bought 9.5 acres
of land adjacent to their leased ground at Fr Paul Murphy Park. In a Ten Year
spell the club lost four great servant's Frank Slevin, Joe Browne, Paddy
Maloney and Ollie Morgan all of who made a huge contribution to the development
of the club in their lifetimes. However their effort have left the club in
it's strongest ever position both on and off the field, with young
player's and enthusiastic committees to guide the club into a new millennium.
The
year 2000 saw Edenderry Town again take a major step with the development of
two all-weather five- a-side floodlight pitches in Paddy Maloney Park this
venture saw Edenderry Town fulfil the dream's of so many of it's
player's and mentors. The pitches where completed in time for the official
opening of Paddy Maloney Park in our clubs 75th anniversary year 2001. In
2003 further developments in the club saw the introduction of a safety
barrier around the First Team Pitch along with substitute benches and the
upgrading of the pitch to an extremely high standard. During the close season in 2005 drainage works to Fr Paul Murphy Park will see both these pitches brought up to the same standard as the First Team Pitch, which places the club in an extremely healthy position with 3 Full Size Pitches to a very high standard at its disposal. |
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