Belmont Under 8 football team: Last post of 2009: a roundup of important events during the year!

Belmont in 2009: A view from the sideline
Six wins, two draws and one loss in their first campaign. Growing up can be difficult, but this under-8 Belmont team has improved greatly over the past four months. Having lost their first match 9 –1 at home to St James’ Athletic, many thought the team would end up at the bottom of the league or, at best, languish in mid-table. However, the players began to gel almost immediately after the first match and they drew their second match against Wayside Celtic before going on to score three straight wins against Granada, Railway Union and Cabinteely. This was followed by a fantastic home draw against top of the table St James Athletic before another series of three wins against Wayside Celtic, Railway Union and Cabinteely. All in all, 32 goals for and 16 goals against, with more than half of the goals against coming in their opening match! Any business would be proud of the rapid progression over the year!

There have been a couple of factors responsible for the team’s improvement. Firstly, their defence, increasingly based around Sheehan and Cloonan, has been wonderful at closing down the opposition and has rarely allowed both ball and man past them. Because of this, their goalkeepers have often been bored silly with little to do for long periods of the game. The defence have also been helped by a number of midfield players who regularly track back to help out when they sense danger. Their midfield and attack has also progressed and Sherwin, Fahy, McNulty, Booth, Dempsey, Cuddy, Boggan and Mulcahy have all played well throughout the season, improving and adapting well to different teams. Most players are now passing with confidence and the managers should be making great efforts to ensure that all players continue to develop their passing skills as the season progresses. There are some excellent goalies on the team, but it is not necessary to have a regular goalkeeper, at least for this season and probably next season as well. However, perhaps the most important factor in their improvement has been the regular Wednesday coaching sessions in UCD. Because of this, the managers should try and get their trainer, Gerry, to take one or two Saturday coaching sessions in Herbert Park on days on which there is no match so that he can see all of the players together. This should further improve their shape and consistency as the season continues. One further home match against Granada and if they win that they finish second in the league! This would give them a spot in the semi-final of the cup and allow them to move up a division for the rest of the season. As they say in politics, a lot done, a lot left to do! Happy New Year to all.

The following pictures and text appear courtesy of DIA DHUIT!

celebrity news
PAULA BOGGAN and MARTHA MULCAHY join their husbands to celebrate under 8 management awards in style
BELMONT MUMS AND DADS talk about football, fashion and fun

DIA DHUIT! brings you all the news about Belmont Football Club. This stuning South Dublin club has just about everything - fashion, style, elegance, fun people, oh, and some football as well...

At A star-Studded Under 8's award ceremony, Hugh Mulcahy, Liam Boggan and other managers receive glittering awards!

There was mounting excitement as the cream of football managers arrived at the annual Under 8 Football Award Dinner in late December – seen by many as the premier event of the Irish winter social season. Both Hugh Mulcahy and Liam Boggan won top honours, as did their beautiful and acclaimed wives, Martha and Paula. DIA DHUIT! caught up with them during the dazzling event.
Hugh, what does this Golden Shin Guard award mean to you? Everything really. Martha has been so supportive and the Under 8 kids have been little saints. My life is changing so fast I’m even thinking of entering the X-Factor next year.
Liam, with all your success, do you still have your feet on the ground? No, I now feel quite exceptional and special. I have everything. A super personality, good looks, a wonderful footballing brain with an award to prove it - and I’m a sub 2 hour 40 minute triathlete.
Martha, what’s it like being married to someone like Hugh? Wonderful. We may seem like a bit of a showbiz couple but we don’t like flattery. I knew the moment we met all those years ago that I wanted him to manage my unborn children. I respect him deeply.
Paula, has management success changed Liam at all? No, not really. He’s a wonderful dad, a thoughtful partner and a first class triathlete. I’m so proud of him I really could burst.

Glitterati turn out in force for Christmas Pro-Celebrity football match!

They may be known for their dazzling social lives, but the Belmont over 35 soccer team proved they have A-list hearts of gold as they took time off to play a fun match against their kids in Herbert Park before Christmas. Trading their suave Armani suits and Gucci dresses for football kits and Santa hats, these generous and unassuming parents braved the wintry weather to spend some quality time with their darling children. Even after being roundly thrashed 3-2, the smiling and relaxed uber cool mums and dads still found time to laugh and joke about their busy football season in an exclusive interview with DIA DHUIT!
How did the idea of this Christmas football match come about? We all have very busy schedules, always in a rush and with multiple conflicting agendas. Organising this match, like organising our kids team, was really just a lifestyle choice. It all happened upstairs in Donnybrook Fair over a latte last Thursday. We realised that this Christmas game was a crucial parenting task but don’t get us wrong, we refuse to take ourselves too seriously and sometimes even like to laugh at ourselves!
Tell us a bit about working with the present under 8 managers, Liam and Hugh. Liam and Hugh are seriously supportive guys. Liam’s real fun, yet modern and refined. He’s quite glitzy and cheeky and that’s reflected in his management style - he just wants the kids to go out and play free-style football but not be perfect. We love his crazy Laissez-faire attitude. Hugh’s much more thoughtful and that comes out in his personality. It’s also fantastic that he’s neither superficial nor shallow. A bit of a prat really.
What do you think of your home ground, Herbert Park? This place has just about everything going for it. Great coffee in Insomnia, contemporary dining in The French Paradox, fantastic and reasonably priced shopping in Donnybrook Fair and, of course, the Butler’s Pantry. None of us have cooked at home for years! Actually we’re only teasing, some of us did cook this year.
What has been the highlight of the football season so far? Oh, unquestionably wearing our super chic Santa hats today with our football gear. They were made by Dolce & Gabbana don't you know and made us feel very special. Another highlight was when we realised that we’re all individuals and yet very lucky to be able to work as part of our over 35 team. It’s a very cool attitude to have. Another undoubted highlight was our group recognition that we gave wonderful support to our children during the season, even when the weather wasn’t perfect and we had to wear overcoats. Oh, and another highlight may be that our children have won almost all of their matches and are only a game away from the semi-final. We’re not really sure if that was a proper highlight though. You know, like whatever.

No Christmas cheer as Belmont over-35 player manager Kate Cloonan lashes out at manager Mulcahy and referee Boggan in post-match interview

Belmont over 35’s capitulate to under 8’s in Herbert Park Thriller

Belmont U8's 3 - Belmont O35's 2 (HT 1-2)

By our War Correspondent

Player manager of Belmont’s over 35 squad, Kate Cloonan, reacted angrily to Under 8 manager Hugh Mulcahy’s assertion that her over 35 team “simply wasn’t up to it” after being beaten 3-2 by Belmont’s under 8 team in Herbert Park on Saturday. Following a match overshadowed by controversy, Mulcahy said that the over 35’s “failed to deliver the goods” and “were hammered by my lads”. Cloonan later countered “this under 8 team was overtly physical and cynical……their attitude and play overstepped the mark between sportsmanship and gamesmanship in a number of areas”. Meanwhile, in a sensational development she later said “I saw an envelope passing between an unnamed under 8 player and referee Boggan just after we went one nil up. I’m not saying it wasn’t a Christmas card, but most Christmas cards I’ve seen have come in white, not brown, envelopes”.
Paradoxically, the match started out as a simple 7 a side knockabout between the Belmont under 8’s and their parents. Yet by the end of the match it resembled a battle scene from Ben Hur with as many as FOURTEEN players on the over 35 team fighting it out at one stage for footballing bragging rights with their children. The Belmont team, managed by Hugh Mulcahy, started with Mulcahy (J) in goal, Sheehan and Sherwin in defence, Fahy, McNulty and Cuddy in midfield and Boggan in attack. In contrast, the only semblance of structure that could be seen in the over 35 team was Fahy (F) in goal, with other players including Mulcahy (M), Cuddy (L), Sherwin (J), McNulty (D), Cloonan (K), Sheehan (J) and Sherwin (M) scattered randomly about the field. “Their players were aimlessly running up and down the pitch. Headless chickens weren’t in it” commented Mulcahy later. The early exchanges were frenzied, with some fine play by the over 35’s on a cold crisp day. Indeed, they made all the initial running and within four minutes were one nil up after a through ball from Cuddy (L) found Mulcahy (M) unmarked in the 6 yard box. Although the ball appeared to be drifting out of play, Mulcahy managed to get in a snap-shot to beat her flailing son, John, before taunting him by shouting “Catch me if you can, sonny”. It was shortly after this that manager Boggan was seen chatting and laughing with one of the under 8 team before apparently palming a bulky item into his left front pocket. Within minutes, the whole tone of the game began to change, with the over 35 team being warned by the referee about their throw-in techniques which looked perfectly legal to this correspondent. Within five minutes, an eighth under 8 player had appeared on the pitch in the shape of Cloonan (M). Cuddy (B) struck shortly afterwards with a low drilled shot to level the scores. However, the over 35’s were having none of it and launched a swift counter attack in the 10th minute with Sherwin (M) cutting into the area before picking out Sheehan (J) who coolly dribbled passed two defenders before passing to Cuddy (L) who tucked it home for a 2 – 1 lead. Scenes of rapture ensued with further taunts as Sherwin (J) received a yellow card for performing a double back flip in celebration.

Nerves became frayed as the match went on and the pitch became increasingly crowded with the introduction of several more players on both sides including Dempsey (C), Dempsey (L), Mulcahy (L) and Cuddy (R) to name but a few. Yet this didn’t stop the under 8’s from fighting back again when Sherwin (P) received the ball in space and slotted home to the delight of his team. With only minutes to go, the match became a melee and it was only by cool work from the under 8’s that they managed to fashion a chance for Sheehan in the crowded penalty area. He let rip with a thunderous right footer that left Fahy (F) with no chance. A last play which ensured that the under 8’s went home feeling they’d had a good day at the office. Incidentally, Referee Boggan appeared to have played 17 minutes of injury time and blew up the game immediately after Sheehan's strike. Alex Ferguson might have been proud of him.

After the match Mulcahy said “I’m particularly pleased for the lads today. It was a big ask for them to play against this team, some of whom were 35 years older than them. They gave 110 percent and I’m very proud. Santa will definitely be coming to them this Christmas”. A fuming Kate Cloonan later lambasted the opposition manager and referee. “This was a particularly difficult match for us", she said "played in difficult circumstances, with a smug opposition manager, a ruthlessly efficient under 8 team and with a referee whose decisions beggared belief” Meanwhile, in a statement released through his solicitor, Referee Boggan maintained he had nothing to be ashamed of. “I unreservedly reject the assertion that I accepted an irregular payment from the under 8 team. I never have, and never will succumb to a financial inducement in order to influence a game” he said before driving off in a new Ferrari 458. Goalkeeper Fergal Fahy summed up the feeling of the over 35’s when he said “It’s a shame that we train endlessly for the big league only to be beaten by a soft goal and a hard referee. We’re gutted”.

Just when we thought Irish weather couldn’t get any worse, along comes hurricane Belmont to devastate Cabinteely!

Belmont 4-Cabinteely 1 (HT 3-1)
By our meteorologist
Photographs courtesy of Fahy F
The sleepy south county Dublin village of Cabinteely (‘kab-in-tee-lee’) became the latest victim of Ireland’s appalling spate of weather yesterday when their under 8 football team was demolished by hurricaine Belmont in Herbert Park shortly before midday. “November was a dreadful month with flooding and relentless rain, but nothing could have prepared us for the tragedy that struck us today” wept a distraught Cabinteely parent as he wandered dazed through Herbert Park shortly after the storm had passed. The Belmont team, upgraded from a tropical storm to a category 1 hurricane with the introduction of Robert Cuddy as manager, displayed breath-taking power in crushing a team that appeared totally unprepared for the calamity. Cuddy afterwards described the event as “The full majesty of nature unleashing its awesome force against an unsuspecting populous” and predicted that “The Cabinteely players may struggle for hours, or even a day, to rebuild their lives after this catastrophic event.”
Ironically, the match was played in warm December sunshine with guest manager Cuddy playing a familiar 2-3-1 formation with Sherwin in goal, Cloonan and Sheehan in defence, McNulty (C), Cuddy and Booth in midfield and Boggan in attack. The match started tamely enough with the highlight being some excellent passing manoeuvres by the Belmont team without really threatening devastation, or even minor damage to Cabinteely. Cloonan and Sheehan presented a cold front in defence as usual, which allowed their midfield and attacking players to push forward without fear of counter-attack. There was some neat play throughout the team and it was clear that storm clouds were gathering with some scattered interchanges between McNulty, Booth, Cuddy and Boggan beginning to cause some mild structural damage to the Cabinteely team whose defence was weakening slowly. Disaster finally struck on 9 minutes when a fine through ball from Mulcahy found Boggan in a relatively small low-pressure area just inside the penalty box from where he rifled the ball with lightning speed into the right corner of the net. “It was like an explosion” said a grief-stricken Cabinteely manager “We had no forewarning, no inkling, no idea of what was going to take place and were in total shock. This is a disaster”.
The initial goal was followed by a sustained increase in attack speed from the Belmont team as cyclones Fahy and Cloonan made their presence felt and a further onslaught from left midfield again found Boggan clear of defenders. As one might expect, he immediately shot past the Cabinteely goalkeeper with a fine right footed thunderstorm into the net. Yet, Mother Nature has a way of compensating for her cruelty and in the 18th minute she provided some respite for Cabinteely when they staged a brief comeback with a fine goal from their centre forward. Although this provided an apparent initial challenge to Belmont, Mulcahy shot home from close range on 19 minutes and the Cabinteely players and supporters took on an even gloomier air.
Half time provided some respite and the initial stages of the second half were quiet as the eye of the storm passed over. Yet, a further ridge of high pressure began to develop in Belmont’s defence and midfield with deft passing and running throughout and Cabinteely’s depression deepened further when Mulcahy unleashed a microburst from the edge of the penalty box on 30 minutes, after fine play from Sherwin and Fahy, to complete Cabinteely’s devastation. It is clear that the best, and only, way to win a football match is by passing to a teammate rather than trying to beat an opposition player and Belmont appear to be taking on this passing tactic more and more as the season progresses.
Overall, this was a fine performance from a team that had not played together competitively since late October. Their supporters were in upbeat form as photographer Fergal Fahy said “After some character building exercises of pitch lining, grass cutting and goalpost building, the team was still not too tired and went out to show the managers that they can produce the goods even against all the odds. Victory was never in doubt from the start and Belmont, despite their lack of match practice over the last few weeks, worked brilliantly together to achieve another great result”. Another supporter, who declined to be named, said “It’s also interesting to note that this victory took place against a background devoid of both Liam Boggan and Hugh Mulcahy, whose management positions must now be under some threat.” Neither Boggan nor Mulcahy were available for comment at the time of going to press and this correspondent feels that this is entirely in keeping with their ill-mannered attitude towards a wonderful team. Conditions may well be deteriorating for them and the long term forecast now suggests further unsettled weather…. Watch this space.