STRADBALLY A.F.C.
Strad Bally Faha S.F.C.
WHO ARE WE?
We are the soccer club of this parish. Stradbally A.F.C was set up in 1968 and is the adult club of the area. Strad Bally Faha Schoolboy Football Club was set up in 1997 to cater for the young of the area. This club was named Strad Bally Faha to appeal to all in the areas of Stradbally, Ballylaneen and Faha
OBJECTS
The object of the club is to promote, foster and develop the game of soccer in the general Stradbally area and to give the young an outlet over the winter months as well as other seasons.
ACTIVITIES
* Every year we field one to two adult teams in the Waterford Junior League. Each team competes in a league involving teams from all of Waterford and also South Kilkenny. Each team could play over twenty matches from late August to mid-May playing each team in their league home and away.
* We organise the annual Christmas swim at the Cove, Stradbally, which raises between £500 and £2000 annually for a local charity or a charity with a local interest or contact. Last year £2000 was raised for "Bus Men for Bosnia" which was a charity formed by a group of Bus Eireann drivers including local man Michael Power which transported supplies to Bosnia.
* Every second year we organise a club tournament, which involves inviting up to 16 clubs from Waterford and South Kilkenny to enter our tournament during the summer.
* In 1995 we organised the start of what is now an annual Parish tournament. Betty O'Reilly presented the club with a cup in memory of her late husband Raymond of the Cove Bar, Stradbally to be played for. We therefore organised this tournament which is based on the parish of Stradbally, Ballylaneen and Faha. Teams are formed from townlands or housing areas etc. Past winners have been Carrigahilla, Ballydwane and Ballylaneen.
* The underage club Strad Bally Faha S.F.C. is affliated to the Waterford Schooboy league. Our under-11 and under-13 teams play in this league while our under-9 team plays challenges against local teams such as Seaview Celtic, Ballinroad, Ballyduff, Abbeyside etc. Matches are usually every second Saturday while training takes place every second Saturday when matches are not on. Therefore there is soccer available every Saturday (bar Christmas day this year) from late July until the end of May. This club was set up in 1997 when we entered an under-11 team.
In 1998 we had two teams, under-10 and under-12. In 1999 we have three teams, under-9, under-11 and under-13. Within a few years we want to have a team at every second age group therefore catering for everyone, u-9, u-11, u-13, u-15, u-17. After under-17 there is adult level. At the moment we have three of the five age groups catered for while the adult club will take over seventeen-year-olds. The only gap to be filled is from 14 year olds to 16 year olds but we will get there.
