ST PATRICK’S ATHLETIC have announced a football partnership with Cherry Orchard FC.
“The aim of this new long-term single club football partnership is to provide players from Cherry Orchard with a pathway to academy and senior League of Ireland football for both boys and girls,” a statement from the Saints reads.
We are delighted to announce a football partnership with @CherryOrchardFC
— St Patrick's Athletic FC (@stpatsfc) June 22, 2022
▪️Player development pathway for boys & girls
▪️Expression of interest for 2023 U17 Womens National League
▪️New full time Football Partnership Manager role
More info ➡️ https://t.co/R8NOfi4Oni#StPatsFC pic.twitter.com/yyoV1gYNkG
The SSE Airtricity League Premier Division outfit has also opened applications for a new full-time Football Partnership Manager role, and confirmed its intention to put forward an expression of interest to field a team in the Women’s National U17 League from the 2023 season onwards.
“We are delighted to be entering in to this partnership with Cherry Orchard,” St Pat’s Academy Director Ger O’Brien said. “Cherry Orchard have played a huge part in developing players that have come to our academy over the last number of years.
Players such as James Abankwah, Glory Nzingo and Ben Quinn all came from a very talented 2004 team and have all moved on via St Pat’s to professional clubs in Europe and the UK.
“Recent Ireland senior international Jamie McGrath also played for both clubs, with many other examples.
“Cherry Orchard have excellent foundations in place for boys and girls football and we want to help them grow in this area over the next number of years.”
“We look forward to working very closely with the players and coaches of Cherry Orchard, and supporting and developing the next generation of players,” Saints Technical Director Alan Mathews added.
And Stephen O’Brien, Underage Section Chairman of Cherry Orchard, also hailed the “very fruitful partnership,” pointing out:
“Cherry Orchard have a rich history of developing players who have gone onto have very successful careers in the professional game.
In the last week our former player Nathan Collins has been making big headlines for our international team, in addition one of our female players Jessie Stapleton has just made her debut for our Women’s National Team.
“To now have the advantage of a player pathway from Cherry Orchard FC into the professional National League academy structures at St Pat’s bodes very well for the future development of our players.”
You can read more about the partnership and the new role, along with further quotes from Mathews and O’Brien here.
