JUST HOW HAVE Athlone Town become so successful in Irish women’s football?
The Midlanders securing back to back league titles is a remarkable achievement, but somewhat of an anomaly.
Fallen giants Wexford were the last team from outside Dublin to win the League of Ireland Women’s Premier Division in 2018.
Capital clubs have dominated the men’s side in recent years, with Dundalk (2019) the last from further afield to triumph before Shamrock Rovers’ reign of terror, which was interrupted last year by Shelbourne. The Lilywhites have since plummeted to the First Division, which they won last night.
In England, the big city sides have also ruled the roost. Leicester City’s fairytale success in 2015/16 was a deviation in recent Premier League history. The Women’s Super League has only ever been won by teams from London, Manchester and Liverpool; Chelsea monopolising of late.
Look at rugby: Leinster domineer the other three provinces. In modern sport, investment is key, and money generally flows to the bigger, more populated cities, and their clubs.
Athlone Town’s rise since the inception of their women’s team in 2020 is, of course, multi-faceted, but financial backing has played a major role in this rural underdog story.
Half of the professional players in the Women’s Premier Division play for Athlone, The 42 understands.
It’s believed they have 12 professionals on their books, with the others at Shamrock Rovers (10), Treaty United and Wexford.
Pro contracts were introduced to the women’s domestic game in December 2022, and Athlone are leading the way.
The champions will again lift the title this evening after their final league game against Sligo Rovers in Lissywollen, while their dream of a first ever domestic double remains alive.
Bohemians await in their fourth successive FAI Cup final next weekend, as Athlone aim to finish a historic season in which they also played European football on a high.
This is all while their men’s team flail at the bottom of the First Division, the glory days of the 1980s a distant memory.
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Izzy Groves leads the celebrations during Athlone's Champions League adventure. Lorraine O”Sullivan / INPHO
Lorraine O”Sullivan / INPHO / INPHO
Athlone have a sizeable international contingent, with five US-born players, one Cypriot and a Jamaican international in their XI the night they wrapped up the league in Cork.
American-born, Irish-qualified Kelly Brady — the Golden Boot race leader — recently told Off The Ball that “girls are getting paid to play” in the league. Many will dispute that comment.
It’s understood 85-90% of players in the Women’s Premier Division receive just expenses.
While the minimum wage for players from outside the EU is expected to be over €500 per week, in line with national rates, domestic pros earn €200 to €350 on average. €130 is thought to be the minimum wage for part time professionals, while many players across the country are students. Some international players could be on graduate visas.
The vast majority of players in the league are in full-time employment outside of football. Athlone defender Kayleigh Shine, for example, works in An Post Insurance.
Athlone underwent a change of ownership this summer, with American businessman Nick Giannotti and Redball Energy taking over from Valeo Futbol Partnership.
Some of Athlone's US-born stars, Kelly Brady, Madie Gibson and Hannah Waesch. Bryan Keane / INPHO
Bryan Keane / INPHO / INPHO
Athlone joined the Women’s Premier Division ahead of the 2020 season, having competed in the U17 league from its inaugural year in 2018.
The nearby Bealnamulla LFC has a strong women’s football tradition, having contested the 2000 FAI Cup final, and several players, including Shine, crossed the border from South Roscommon.
Others from the Midlands region and further afield — like Kellie Brennan from Galway WFC — joined local players to form a base, and build from U17 to senior.
Year on year after their debut 2020 campaign, Athlone added to their squad: Former captain Laurie Ryan — this week appointed Treaty United manager — and Róisín Molloy were among those recruited from open trials, which appealed to students and lecturers alike in Athlone IT, now Technological University of the Shannon.
A core group stuck together, and the the arrival of American duo Dana Scheriff and Madie Gibson in 2022 was transformative – others followed from Monmouth University — as Athlone proved a surprise package in the title race and reached their first FAI Cup final.
“That was kind of a gateway then: ‘Well if you get another two, maybe we can really compete,’” as Ryan tells The 42. “It kind of just took off from there where we blended the international players with the local girls.
“Obviously the club really backed it, because we proved we could compete after making that first cup final. We went and won the cup (2023), and then we won the league (2024), and now this year, they could do a double. When things start to pay off, and you can see that it’s working, it’s easy to stick with it.”
While there have been changes of management through the years, with Tommy Hewitt, Ciarán Kilduff, Colin Fortune and now John Sullivan all spending stints at the helm, training standards are said to have remained high at all times.
Ex-skipper Ryan describes the environment as “extremely competitive” as she recounts her four seasons involved.
“Everyone’s fighting for places at the end of the day. Although we’re the best friends off the pitch, the minute you go out training, you’re going hard into every tackle and there’s no let up.
“We used to this do thing, football tennis, at the start of training, and oh my God, I’ve never seen as many fights in a training session as that first 10 minutes. We were all out. There was tears, like. Just trying to win it – and there was no prize for winning, it was just pride.
Laurie Ryan lifting the league title last year. Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
“That kind of set the standard that everyone wanted to win every battle at training, and carry through then into matches that every time we went into a tackle, we wanted to win, we wanted to be the best.
“You’d play small sided games, and again, it got to the point where it was becoming so aggressive — people wanted to win because there was a photograph at the end of it.”
Athlone are just the fourth different holders of the Women’s Premier Division since its inaugural season of 2011/12. Peamount United, Wexford and Shelbourne (previously Raheny United) all boast multiple titles.
Dublin dominance had come to the fore after Wexford’s golden era, with Shelbourne competing year on year and taking a stranglehold of the league in 2021 and 2022.
That they have no fully-professional players on their books is striking, the legacy of long-serving stalwarts and students appearing to be their modus operandi.
Peamount are one of the only clubs not affiliated with a League of Ireland men’s team, alongside DLR Waves, and face obvious challenges having slipped back the pecking order either side of their standalone 2023 victory.
Athlone’s success is commendable, but is it sustainable?
In five years, will they stay competing with the likes of Shelbourne, Shamrock Rovers and other rising sides like Bohemians?
Or might this be the last throw of smaller clubs reigning supreme for a sustained period? Investment will continue to prove pivotal across the board.
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How Athlone Town have upset the trend of big city teams dominating titles
JUST HOW HAVE Athlone Town become so successful in Irish women’s football?
The Midlanders securing back to back league titles is a remarkable achievement, but somewhat of an anomaly.
Fallen giants Wexford were the last team from outside Dublin to win the League of Ireland Women’s Premier Division in 2018.
Capital clubs have dominated the men’s side in recent years, with Dundalk (2019) the last from further afield to triumph before Shamrock Rovers’ reign of terror, which was interrupted last year by Shelbourne. The Lilywhites have since plummeted to the First Division, which they won last night.
In England, the big city sides have also ruled the roost. Leicester City’s fairytale success in 2015/16 was a deviation in recent Premier League history. The Women’s Super League has only ever been won by teams from London, Manchester and Liverpool; Chelsea monopolising of late.
Look at rugby: Leinster domineer the other three provinces. In modern sport, investment is key, and money generally flows to the bigger, more populated cities, and their clubs.
Athlone Town’s rise since the inception of their women’s team in 2020 is, of course, multi-faceted, but financial backing has played a major role in this rural underdog story.
Half of the professional players in the Women’s Premier Division play for Athlone, The 42 understands.
It’s believed they have 12 professionals on their books, with the others at Shamrock Rovers (10), Treaty United and Wexford.
Pro contracts were introduced to the women’s domestic game in December 2022, and Athlone are leading the way.
The champions will again lift the title this evening after their final league game against Sligo Rovers in Lissywollen, while their dream of a first ever domestic double remains alive.
Bohemians await in their fourth successive FAI Cup final next weekend, as Athlone aim to finish a historic season in which they also played European football on a high.
This is all while their men’s team flail at the bottom of the First Division, the glory days of the 1980s a distant memory.
Athlone have a sizeable international contingent, with five US-born players, one Cypriot and a Jamaican international in their XI the night they wrapped up the league in Cork.
American-born, Irish-qualified Kelly Brady — the Golden Boot race leader — recently told Off The Ball that “girls are getting paid to play” in the league. Many will dispute that comment.
It’s understood 85-90% of players in the Women’s Premier Division receive just expenses.
While the minimum wage for players from outside the EU is expected to be over €500 per week, in line with national rates, domestic pros earn €200 to €350 on average. €130 is thought to be the minimum wage for part time professionals, while many players across the country are students. Some international players could be on graduate visas.
The vast majority of players in the league are in full-time employment outside of football. Athlone defender Kayleigh Shine, for example, works in An Post Insurance.
Athlone underwent a change of ownership this summer, with American businessman Nick Giannotti and Redball Energy taking over from Valeo Futbol Partnership.
Athlone joined the Women’s Premier Division ahead of the 2020 season, having competed in the U17 league from its inaugural year in 2018.
The nearby Bealnamulla LFC has a strong women’s football tradition, having contested the 2000 FAI Cup final, and several players, including Shine, crossed the border from South Roscommon.
Others from the Midlands region and further afield — like Kellie Brennan from Galway WFC — joined local players to form a base, and build from U17 to senior.
Year on year after their debut 2020 campaign, Athlone added to their squad: Former captain Laurie Ryan — this week appointed Treaty United manager — and Róisín Molloy were among those recruited from open trials, which appealed to students and lecturers alike in Athlone IT, now Technological University of the Shannon.
A core group stuck together, and the the arrival of American duo Dana Scheriff and Madie Gibson in 2022 was transformative – others followed from Monmouth University — as Athlone proved a surprise package in the title race and reached their first FAI Cup final.
“That was kind of a gateway then: ‘Well if you get another two, maybe we can really compete,’” as Ryan tells The 42. “It kind of just took off from there where we blended the international players with the local girls.
“Obviously the club really backed it, because we proved we could compete after making that first cup final. We went and won the cup (2023), and then we won the league (2024), and now this year, they could do a double. When things start to pay off, and you can see that it’s working, it’s easy to stick with it.”
While there have been changes of management through the years, with Tommy Hewitt, Ciarán Kilduff, Colin Fortune and now John Sullivan all spending stints at the helm, training standards are said to have remained high at all times.
Ex-skipper Ryan describes the environment as “extremely competitive” as she recounts her four seasons involved.
“Everyone’s fighting for places at the end of the day. Although we’re the best friends off the pitch, the minute you go out training, you’re going hard into every tackle and there’s no let up.
“We used to this do thing, football tennis, at the start of training, and oh my God, I’ve never seen as many fights in a training session as that first 10 minutes. We were all out. There was tears, like. Just trying to win it – and there was no prize for winning, it was just pride.
“That kind of set the standard that everyone wanted to win every battle at training, and carry through then into matches that every time we went into a tackle, we wanted to win, we wanted to be the best.
“You’d play small sided games, and again, it got to the point where it was becoming so aggressive — people wanted to win because there was a photograph at the end of it.”
Athlone are just the fourth different holders of the Women’s Premier Division since its inaugural season of 2011/12. Peamount United, Wexford and Shelbourne (previously Raheny United) all boast multiple titles.
Dublin dominance had come to the fore after Wexford’s golden era, with Shelbourne competing year on year and taking a stranglehold of the league in 2021 and 2022.
That they have no fully-professional players on their books is striking, the legacy of long-serving stalwarts and students appearing to be their modus operandi.
Peamount are one of the only clubs not affiliated with a League of Ireland men’s team, alongside DLR Waves, and face obvious challenges having slipped back the pecking order either side of their standalone 2023 victory.
Athlone’s success is commendable, but is it sustainable?
In five years, will they stay competing with the likes of Shelbourne, Shamrock Rovers and other rising sides like Bohemians?
Or might this be the last throw of smaller clubs reigning supreme for a sustained period? Investment will continue to prove pivotal across the board.
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Athlone Town back-to-back LOIW success WLOI Women's Premier Division