AIT to Host Colleges FAI Finals

John Hayden Chairman Athlone Town FC, Maz Sweeney AIT/FAI Soccer Facilitator, Ciaran O Cathain, Joe O Brien (CFAI Chairman), Paddy McCaul President FAI,  Gordon Brett, John Croughan Athlone Town FC

John Hayden Chairman Athlone Town FC, Maz Sweeney AIT/FAI Soccer Facilitator, Ciaran O Cathain, Joe O Brien (CFAI Chairman), Paddy McCaul President FAI, Gordon Brett, John Croughan Athlone Town FC

AIT to host 2014 Colleges FAI Finals

For the first time since 2003 AIT will be hosting the Umbro Colleges FAI finals. Four colleges finals will be held in Athlone on the 3rd and 4th of March. Athlone Town Stadium will host the Umbro CFAI Senior Cup final and at present the AIT first team are still in with a chance of qualifying for this final. AITs participation will depend on the outcome of their semi final this coming Thursday the 13th of February where a strong IT Tallaght will be the opposition. The current team is very capable of bridging the ten year gap in cup success. Garvan Broughall, Neil Harney, Ian Sweeney and David Brookes are very experienced having won Airtricity League First Division medals with Athlone Town FC last season while Willow Parks Sean Brennan and Salthill Devons Jason Lyons are capable of scoring the goals to bring the cup back to AIT. Other local talent to backbone the team include Stephen Relihan, Brian Gill, Nicky Kelly and Longfords Sean Flannery. The team is managed my Michael O’Connor and he is ably assisted by Colin Fortune and John Stacey.
The three other competitions to be decided are the Umbro B Cup final, the Umbro Plate and the Umbro Bob Eustace Cup for third tier teams. AIT is a founder member of the Colleges FAI which was incepted in 1972. AIT has won this competition four times in their history. Derek Kenna captained the team to victories in 1984 and 1985 while Gordon Brett and Damien Rushe skippered the teams to success in 1998 and 2004 respectively. Previous AIT managers to taste success in this competition are Jackie Quinn (1984 & 1985), Colum McDaid (1998) and Padraig Dully (2004). Hopes are high that a 5th success can be engineered this season.
The full schedule of fixtures for the four finals will become clear in the coming two weeks as quarter final and semi final ties are decided.