Achill rovers named aviva club of the year by the fai

MAYO League club Achill Rovers FC have been named the Aviva Club of the Year by the Football Association of Ireland (FAI).

 

The announcement was made in Sligo during the FAI's annual general meeting weekend.

 

Rovers were one of eight clubs nominated for this year's award, which recognises and rewards those across the country who have shown excellence in club development this year.

 

This is the 10th year of the award and it recognises four separate areas of progression in clubs: coach education, community, participation, and club development. Rovers were nominated in the participation category - securing a cheque of €1,500 for that nomination - for increasing membership numbers despite a falling population and building a club that is open to all the community, actively encouraging new residents to become involved in all aspects of club life.

 

To win the overall award, and with it a cheque for €5,000, Achill had to beat off stiff competition from Greystones United (Wicklow), Strand Celtic (Sligo), Moyross United (Limerick), Baldoyle United (Dublin), Clonmel Celtic (Tipperary) and Park Rangers AFC (Waterford).

 

Each club had to make a presentation to a judging panel headed by Donal Conway, chairman of the FAI underage committee, that also included representatives from FAI Club Development, Dublin City Council and Aviva.

 

In winning the Aviva Club of the Year title, Achill Rovers join Manulla on the roll of honour, who achieved the feat in 2007.

 

Making it an even more memorable weekend for Mayo, the best website category in the FAI Grassroots and League Communications Awards went to Sean Garvin (app developer) and Padraig McHale (league chairman) for the Mayo League App, while Swinford's Donal Benson was awarded the John Sherlock Service to Football Award.