Teams assemble for Macron Cup 2013

Salthill Devon's annual underage tournament; The Galway Cup sponsored by Macron takes place in Drom from the 7th to 10th of August. This year however the tournament is extended to include a four team Under 19 Elite section, which is likely to feature significantly in the years ahead.

This quadrangular brings together four of the finest sides at this level in Ireland, Cork City, Limerick, Derry City and the hosts Salthill Devon. Cork City have been double winners for the past two seasons and come justifiably with a very big reputation. This section of the tournament comes as an ideal pre-season for the Airtricity League which starts the following week.

This year’s 15 Elite section will feature Republic of Ireland, Arvoll IL from Norway, Macabbi Haifa, from Israel, Torquay United Academy  and Dnipro from Ukraine.

Leeds United will headline the 13 Elite event joined by an impressive list of District league sides and clubs for every corner of the island.

Now in its ninth year, the Macron Galway Cup continues to prosper. The competition has been broadcast on national television Setanta Sports and RTÉ and has attracted teams from the UK, the US, Canada, Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, and Mexico as well as a strong representation of Irish clubs.

League of Ireland outfits such as Shelbourne, Derry City, and Bohemians have attended in the past, and have competed against UK academies like Ipswich Town, Glasgow Celtic, Aberdeen, Leeds Utd, Newcastle Utd, Fulham, Sunderland, and Leicester City.

The Macron Galway Cup targets the Boys Under 15 age group each year as the Elite cup – a competition dedicated to established academies. In 2005, the Football Association of Ireland walked away victorious, while it has been our friends from the UK who have claimed the title in the past four years – Aberdeen in 2006, and Ipswich Town, under the guidance of Sammy Morgan, in 2007.  2008 saw a strong Leicester City outfit emerge victorious from what was one of the strongest Elite groups to date, and Leicester City became the first team to retain the title by defeating Fulham in the 2009 final. Aberdeen were the victors in 2010, beating an impressive Ipswich Town in the final.

The 2011 renewal was captured by Glasgow Celtic, while last Year Dynamo Moscow added their illustrious name to the roll of honour, edging out the Republic of Ireland on penalties.

Over the last eight years, the foundations have been laid. The Macron Galway Cup Team is continuously working to improve the service and to provide an excellent experience for the teams that visit each year. Their goal is to become the number one underage football tournament in Europe, perhaps by not being the biggest, but by providing the best services and highest quality of football for all teams who attend.

So as the Macron Galway Cup family reassembles in Drom on August 7th,  many opportunities will present themselves for the young players to showcase their talent. Almost certainly some future professional and international players will be seen in action as they set out on a long and difficult road.