A hectic preseason of transfers will begin to take a more formal shape this week with the first round of the Neville Cup tipping off in the coming week. The tie of the round takes place at the unfamiliar surroundings of Alexandra College as YMCA host Three Rock Rovers.
YM all but put paid to Rovers’ league chances last time out, drawing 2-2 twice in the league run-in and if they can continue their post-Christmas form into the 2009/10 season, they may have quite a say in the race for IHL qualification.
Jacob Webber was a big factor in that run and YM will hope Aussie imports Simon Mills and Todd Gill will be able to take up that momentum. Cliff Bailey also makes the move up the Dart line from Bray.
David Robinson and Andy Walker have missed much of a preseason that brought wins over Clontarf, Avoca, Railway, UCD and Bristol Uni but should be fit for Saturday’s tie.
They will hope that training and playing on the more player and spectator friendly Alex water-based will aid their quest. Patrick Good, however, has made the short hop back to Pembroke while Rob Anderson and Jamie Tobin are set to join UCD.
Rovers, for their part, have endured a tough summer which has seen Mitch Darling and Phelie Maguire take up contracts in Belgium, Andy McConnell move to Pembroke and assistant coach Lucas Piccioli move back to Corinthian.
Sven Galjaardt comes in from Holland while Pieter Steins-Bisschop lands in Dublin tonight in the club’s efforts to fill the gaps. Peter Blakeney and Mick Maguire are still in Australia where they contested a state final.
Rovers have had a decent pre-season, results-wise, beating Fingal and Cork Harlequins twice a piece as well as former coach Turloch O’Siochain’s Bristol Uni outfit.
Fingal, buoyed by the arrival of Gary Sharman, Hugh Kelly, Stephen Thompson (right) and Mark Sandell, face a new-look UCD in the round's other all-division match-up.
Tom Manning and Derek O’Gorman will also add to the former Kilkenny contingent in due course but are still involved with Dicksboro in the current Kilkenny inter hurling championship which has the potential to stretch into October.
It will be UCD’s first game with John McInroy at the helm and they have already undergone an intense physical ‘boot-camp’ in their bid to escape the nether regions of division one.
Ronan Flannery is the biggest addition. An injury-free version of the Pembroke player would be an excellent addition to any division one side and the students will hope he can return to his form of two seasons ago.
Tim Hill and Ross Gribben have also come in while Stephen O’Keefe has departed for Railway Union.
In Saturday’s other tie, Frank Byrne gets an immediate chance to pit his wits against Arul Anthoni, the man he assisted last year, as Suttonians face Glenanne.
Paul Revington’s guidelines for international outfield players means Stephen Butler, Joe Brennan and Graham Sh
aw will not be on show at St Mark’s but there could be debuts for Mick McGuinness – facing one of his former clubs – and Filip Jaros (left).
In the ties up for decision next week, Alan Browne's Weston debut sees Pembroke visit Lucan. A trip to England and international players stipulations means the line-up for the Serpentine Avenue club is currently up in the air.
Corinthian face an Avoca side who have been busy in preseason, too, while Monkstown should have too much for a Dublin Uni side, who installed Niall Denham as their trainer for the season, whose college term does not begin for another three weeks.
Neville Cup Round 1
Saturday, September 12: UCD vs Fingal, 1pm, Belfield; Glenanne vs Suttonians, 2pm, Glenanne Park; YMCA vs Three Rock Rovers, 2pm, Alexandra College, Milltown
Tuesday, September 15: Weston vs Pembroke Wanderers, 7.15pm, Esker Lucan
Wednesday, September 16: Corinthian vs Avoca, 8.15pm, Whitechurch Park
Thursday, September 17: Dublin University vs Monkstown, 7.30pm, Santry Avenue
Winter Aid - The Murmur of the Land
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17 comments:
what are the international restrictions that you're talking about here steve? I thought Revs hadn't defined any limitiations like Passmore had, no?
I'll post a fuller story on this in due course.
Paul Revington, though, has issued a document to the Branches and club coaches for the period up to the World Cup qualifiers.
In it, players are cleared to play in all provincial league, ISC and IHL fixtures.
However, Irish senior squad players "are not permitted in other regional cup competitions during the period 7 September - 29 November 2009".
The policy, though, does not apply to goalkeepers unless requested to by Revington. Senior squad goalkeepers are "encouraged to play as often as possible".
I had heard speculation that webber was returning for YM .... this must not be the case now as they have two other aussies and the season is kicking off. Can anyone confirm?
I received a text yesterday afternoon after posting this story that says Jacob Webber will be back in the country on September 16.
Excellent news for ym! Thanks Stephen
disgraceful that YMCA are bringing in all of these foregin players to the league.What about all the young talent that will be harmed now in YMCA that won't get a look in.Should be playing their homegrown players ahead of the foreginers,otherwise they could see a lot of excellent young players leaving.
Baileys 4th different top flight club now?...also believe YM preseason vs Avoca was a draw.
Informative stuff in the Irish Times today!
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2009/0911/1224254278352.html
!!! why bother?
Disgraceful?You make me laugh.Bringing over a few young Ozzies to boost morale and competition for the talented core of loyal YM players is just a taste of what the team needs to move forward.Very uneducated post,and wide of the mark on all fronts.
yeah, you see the positive influence some of the imports have brought to clubs; look at Bert Vreeken, Craig Fulton, JB and Cronje looks like a great acquisition.
They can really help the game locally if they are the right type of person who can try and raise the standard of those around them. Always a risk but nothing ventured, with many clubs pulling players from all over the place - why not?
So now its suddenly a disgrace that ym are doing what everyone else in the league has done? Complete double standards.
You look at Rovers they have brought in a Dutch coach and have two Dutch players this season. Pembroke have Ned and have had McInroy and Symmons in the past. The Glens have Jaros playing with them. Corinthians have Cronje, and the SA lad who played up front is also returning this season.
Don't understand what the complaint is about, you think people would be happy that there is more competition in the league now.
If you want to get anywhere you need to bring in foreign players. Thats what its like in Europe so thats what we need here.
I think someone just bought a big spoon on special in Lidl and wanted to stir!!!
There is no doubting that a sprinkling of foreign players brings something extra to the mix that homegrown players can learn and benefit from.
The fine balance for clubs is not becoming too over reliant on these players to the detriment of up and coming players.
Leinster club hockey has been clear winners in this regard by attracting good quality foreign players that add to and improve skills levels, in comparision to Ulster and Munster clubs.
1:33pm. Two of the best teams in Ireland and Leinster have foreign coaches and players. Glens and Pembroke. Corinthian have brought in the odd one or two over the years. Rovers the same. Railway back in the early 2000s.
All the clubs above have focused on their homegrown talent and you see the young guys being blooded in the whole time across all teams. So what if there are one or two foreign players in a team? If the team benefits or not, its great to have different players in our leagues.
Leinster League teams as a whole get more benefit as we, I would say, attract overseas players more because of the location.
Also, Revington is the national coach now and I don't think any of the Irish players are complaining now after the great summer of hockey they have had...
Shame on your pathetic comments.....
AP..
We've got biters!!
Well said questo!!!
UCD have made a few good looking signings! now their team is definitley best looking! GID
Not quite a State Final that the boys are playing out in Australia, more like promotion games to try and get into the top league.
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