Minister for Social Development, Mervyn Storey MLA, Has Officially Opened a New £513,000 Sports and Community Facility at Lurgan Town Football Club
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Minister for Social Development, Mervyn Storey MLA and members of the club’s Academy at the official opening of the new facility at Lurgan Town Arena Minister for Social Development, Mervyn Storey MLA, has officially opened a new £513,000 sports and community facility at Lurgan Town Football Club. The new facility includes a clubhouse and a 3G youth football pitch, with upgraded lights and car parking facilities. It will be used both by the Club and also by schools, youth clubs, sporting, voluntary and community organisations within the Lurgan and Brownlow Neighbourhood Renewal areas. Minister Storey said: “Lurgan Town Football Club is an excellent example of a sporting organisation which is at the heart of its community. It provides opportunities for young people regardless of their background or ability. With 400 members and 40 volunteers, Lurgan Town Football Club is a key player in the local community and these new facilities will enable them to continue to deliver even more programmes to improve social and community regeneration.” Since March 2007 the Department has invested over £8.7million in a range of projects and programmes in the Lurgan and Brownlow Neighbourhood Renewal area to help enhance the physical… Continued on Page 2 Lurgan Town Arena, 83 Glenavon Lane, Lurgan, Co Armagh, BT66 8TN NEWS IN BRIEF ARENA OFFICIALLY OPENED AUGUST RESULTS Continued from Page 1… environment, and also improve the health, 31st August 2015 education and employability of its residents. U16 NL 3-1 Ballymena Utd (Ryan Finlay, Adam Loughran, Nathan Hamilton) The Minister added: “I fully appreciate the importance of sport in 29th August 2015 our community and the role it has to play in helping to address 1st Team 5-1 St Marys (Geoff Greenaway) disadvantage. The links between sporting activity and improved health and well-being are clear, but there are also other benefits 28th August 2015 which help create structure and discipline for those who might U19 MU 11-0 Bournview Mill (Philip Bingham otherwise become disengaged from society. x5, Adam Wing, Scott Wilshire, Josh Law, Sid Tavares, Eamon Coleman, Harry Wilson) “Sport helps contribute to community pride and promotes and U13 NL 1-7 Ballymena Utd (Rhys Emerson) nurtures volunteering; something which has been exemplified by 26th August 2015 Lurgan Town Football Club and their community partners.” U19 MU 7-0 Tandragee Youth (Philip Bingham GIRLS ACADEMY x3, Tom Brown x2, Matthew Hagan, Jake Kerr) As numbers continue to grow at the Lurgan Town Girls Academy 22nd August 2015 and with girls coming back from holidays and numbers expecting 1st Team 0-1 Wellington Rec to get bigger, we are currently looking for coaches and volunteers U19 MU 2-5 Cookstown Youth (Philip who would like to come and give a hand so we can coach the girls Bingham, Matthew Hagan) in their different age groups. Anyone interested in getting involved please send a private message to the Lurgan Town 19th August 2015 Facebook page or email [email protected]. 1st Team 1-1 Oxford Sunnyside (Matt Irvine) 15th August 2015 Any new players that are interested joining it is currently for 5 1st Team 5-0 Laurelvale (Matt Irvine x2, years old up to the age of 14. We train from 6pm to 7pm every Andrew Houston, Sammy Wright, David Thursday at the Lurgan Town Arena. Hamilton) 11th August 2015 1st Team 4-0 Seagoe (Nathan Crozier, Kyle Cousins, Matt Irvine, Andrew Houston) 8th August 2015 1st Team 1-1 Markethill Swifts (Sammy Wright) SENIOR MATCH SPONSORS 1s Team v St Marys - Gilford Tae Kwon Do 1st Team v Wellington Rec - Nigels School of Motoring 1st Team v Oxford Sunnside - DM Laser Fab Ltd 1st Team v Laurelvale - Lurgan Darts Distributions 1st Team v Seagoe - www.anfieldtrophies.co.uk 1st Team v Markethill Swifts - www.thebeautifulgame.eu Want to sponsor a game? Get in touch. £20 per match. Email [email protected] McDONALDS REGIONAL AWARD The year of 2015 just gets better for Lurgan Town FC as we recently found out we are to receive the award for McDonalds Regional IFA Accredited Community Club of Year. Lurgan Town FC representatives received their award from Northern Ireland legend and McDonalds Ambassador Pat Jennings on Friday 7th August. “This is an award everyone connected to the club can be proud of from committee, volunteers, players and parents,” said club secretary Philip McKinley. “The desire of the committee to make Lurgan Town FC a club for the community and wider areas is very much number one on the list. We have a commitment to provide a service that everyone can feel a part of and we also strive to provide facilities that shows the club’s ambition to keep moving forward. We would also like to thank McDonalds for this award in which it gives the club a feeling that things are being done the right way.” The club will now go up against all other Northern Ireland regional winners later in the year to find out if we will be named the National winners. MILK CUP REVIEW Milk Cup Junior Squad: Tyler Boyce (GK), Ben Davison (right of GK), Darragh Gray (front left), John Lee McAfee (front row 2nd from right) Junior Results Congratulations to Ben Davison, Tyler Boyce, Darragh Gray, Declan Group Games Swindon Town 1-3 Co. Armagh O'Neill (Junior Squad) and Tiarnan Judge (Senior Squad) on their Co. Tyrone 2-1 Co. Armagh selection to the Co Armagh Milk Cup Squads. The boys have taken time Co. Armagh 0-0 Right to Dream out to answer a few questions for WIE about their experience in Northern Irelands most prestigious youth football tournament. Dale Farm Bowl Semi Final GPS FC Bayern 1-1 Co Armagh (5-4 Pens) WIE: How did you find out you had made the squad? Ben Davidson: At the final trial I was told by the manager and coaches I had made the Dale Farm Bowl 3rd/4th Place Play Off squad. WIE: What team where you looking forward to playing against Co Armagh 0-2 North Dublin SL the most? BD: Right to dream. WIE: What was it like to play in the tournament? BD: A fantastic experience, living like a professional Senior Results footballer for the week. WIE: What was your favourite game? BD: Group Games Real Sociedad 1-0 Co. Armagh Swindon Town - it was a great win and a good start to the tournament. Co. Armagh 2-1 Alset Colombia WIE: What would you say was the best thing about playing in the Co. Armagh 2-0 Otago Academy tournament? BD: The challenge of playing against footballers from all over the world. WIE: As a player what did you learn? BD: That you have Dale Farm Vase Semi Final to give 100% for every second of every match. Co Armagh 0-0 Motherwell (5-4 Pens) New signing John Lee McAfee also answered a few questions. WIE: Dale Farm Vase Final How did you find out you had made the squad? JLM: There were 24 Co Armagh 1-6 Right To Dream players in the changing room and they called 6 out to let them know they didn't make the squad, then they came into Us and told us we made the final 18. WIE: What team where you looking forward to playing against the most? JLM: Right to Dream because they were unbeaten in 32 games. WIE: What was it like to play in the tournament? It was such an experience. We were treated like pro- fessionals, getting a massage before a match an a ice bath after the match, kids asking us for our autographs and getting photos taken, it was just unreal. WIE: What was your favourite game? JLM: Has to be Swindon town as I got a goal and played well. WIE: What would you say was the best thing about playing in the tourna- ment? JLM: The experience and meeting loads of new people. WIE: What did you learn as a player during the week ? JLM: I learnt a lot of things but the main one has to be, when you work as a team you will achieve. MIK CUP REVIEW WIE: How did you find out you had made the squad? Tiarnan Judge in orange Tiarnan Judge: We where sat in the changing rooms and they called out each player that was getting cut which was pretty scary. Then the coaches came in and told us we had made the squad. WIE: What team where you looking forward to playing against the most? TJ: Real Sociedad because they are a massive club around the world and were going to be a great footballing side. WIE: What was it like to play in the tournament? TJ: It was a great experience and I got to play against some of the best players in the world at my age group. WIE: What was your favourite game? TJ: Motherwell - it was played at a high intensity and winning on penalties was a great feel- ing. WIE: What would you say was the best thing about playing in the tournament? TJ: Seeing where you stand compared to the professional players around the world at your age. WIE: As a player what did you learn? TJ: The way in which different cultures player their football and how important it wad to adapt to playing against these different cultures. WIE: Tiarnan has recently joined Portadown FC following 3 years at the club including his debut season with the senior side. We would like to wish him all the best in this new challenge. WIE: How did you find out you had made the squad? Darragh Gray: It was very nerve-wracking, after training they called us in 1 by 1 to tell us if we had been selected, then the next Saturday we were given a letter confirming this.