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| History of RISSC (London)... 25 years and more | |
| How
it all began The Republic of Ireland Soccer Supporters Club (London) was founded in the summer of 1984, by Gerry Lappin from Longford. Its inaugural meeting was held at the Prince of Wales Feather Public House in Warren Street, Central London. Prior to its foundation, the founding members would often meet each other at international matches, having had to arrange their own tickets and travel, hence the formation of the club was a logical progression. The
Journey since foundatione
journey ]]New
heade Club members are very proud to be associated with the Republic of Ireland Supporters who were awarded the accolade of best-behaved supporters in Europe, in a vote conducted by European soccer magazines during 1996. Currently, the club has a membership in the region of 600. It is particularly pleasing that many members who have returned home or moved on from London, continue to support the club and maintain their membership. Support
and Travel For the 2002 World Cup finals in Japan and Korea, about 100 club members travelled, including 30 on a club organised trip. For the Euro 2004 qualifying tournament, almost 100 members travelled to Russia, 35 on the trip to Georgia and Albania and despite a shortage of match tickets about 100 travelled to Basle for the final game. In the summer of 2004, we were a major supporter of Ireland's games in the Unity Cup tournament played in London, selling over 500 tickets. Two days after the last game in that tournament over 110 club members travelled to Amsterdam for the friendly game against Holland. For
the 2006 World Cup qualifying game in Paris in October 2004, over 200
members travelled with 70 of those travelling on the official club trip.
The Easter weekend of 2005, saw 75 members descend on Tel Aviv for the
World Cup qualifier against Israel. In common with other supporter groups,
inclement weather conditions created havoc for many of our members who
embarked on the trip to the Faroe Islands. Despite the travel travails,
an intrepid 45 still made it to Torshavn. The closing stages of our
qualifying campaign witnessed some 190 club members giving their all
for team and country in Cyprus. During the current EURO 2008 campagn,
a very significant number of club members embarked on trips to Germany,
Cyprus, San Marino and of course the double header in Bratislava and
Prague. One of the primary club activities is raising money for charity. Over the years this has included helping sponsor the Irish Deaf Soccer team on their trips to successive World Deaf Soccer Cup Finals and supporting the Share a Dream Foundation. With the support of Gary Kelly, who donated a signed team shirt to raffle, club members donated generously to the benefit fund for the Leeds United supporters who tragically lost their lives in Turkey some seasons ago. We have also supported Leukaemia Research, the International Myeloma Foundation, and the National Council for the Blind in Ireland. In recent years, we have raised funds in support of St. Luke's Hospice, Kenton, Middlesex, in the memory of our late chairman, Tony Booth, who passed away there in January 2002, after a long illness. We are proud to have been a major contributor to the benefit fund, organised in 2002 by our colleagues in Birmingham, for ex-Ireland international David Langan, whose injuries sustained during his football career have resulted in disability. In 2004, we raised funds for Temple Street Hospital in Dublin, with one of our members running in the Dublin Marathon and with raffle proceeds from our anniversary Dinner Dance. Cricklewood Homeless Concern has been the recent benificiary of a donation from the Club. For the club year ending 31 July 2009, our membership has nominated 'Friends of Michael Sobell House' and 'Teenage Cancer Trust' to be the joint recipients of all charitable funds raised during the period. Club Sponsorship - St Kevin's Boys 2000 -2008 The club also actively supports the development of soccer talent in Ireland. In September 2000 we entered into what was initially a two-year arrangement with St. Kevin's Boys Club, one of the leading schoolboy and youth football clubs in Dublin. We sponsored two Under 8 schoolboy teams in the Dublin and District Schoolboys League. After league success in their first season, the teams progressed to Under 9 competitions where they were winners and runners-up in their respective leagues and had the unique honour of being the first teams from the same club to face each other in the DDSL Under 9A Cup Final. In recognition of this success, we agreed to continue sponsorship for a further two years and it was pleasing to see the boys have another great season taking league and cup honours at Under 10 level. In their first year in eleven-a-side competition, the team confirmed their status as the best of their age group in Dublin by winning the Under 11 Premier Division of the DDSL and the Under 11 Cup. The sponsorship arrangement was continued for the 2004/2005 season and again the boys did themselves proud by finishing league runners-up and winning both the DDSL Under 12 Cup and the SFAI Norton Cup. We agreed to maintain sponsorship of the St Kevins Boys team, and in the 2005/2006 season, the Boys completed the double of Under 13 Premier Division title and the SFAI Troy Cup while the 2006/2007 season saw the Boys collect both the DDSL Thunder Cup and the SFAI Goodson Cup while finishing runners-up in the Under 14 Premier Division of the DDSL. The 2007/2008 season, at Under 15 level, was the swansong of this particular group of players as a group. The team lifted the DDSL League Title together with the SFAI Evan Cup, the fourth successive season that the National Cup competition was won by St Kevin's Boys. Seven of the boys have now left the team and taken the first steps on the journey which leads to a career in professional football by joining senior football clubs throughout England and Scotland. We wish all of the boys, with whom we have been associated over the past eight years, the very best in their future careers and lives. 20th Anniversary RISSC (London) reached its 20th anniversary during 2004 and this special occasion was celebrated at a Dinner Dance held at the Irish Centre in Camden Town on 25 September, at which the guests of honour were, then National Team Manager, Brian Kerr, his assistant Chris Hughton and club founder, Gerry Lappin. The Irish Government was also represented on the evening. 25th Anniversary In October 2009 the Club celebrated its 25th anniversary and the event was marked with a Celebration Dinner at the Crown Moran Hotel in Cricklewood. The Club was delighted to welcome His Excellency, Bobby McDonagh, the Irish Ambassador to the UK together with his wife Mary. The Ambassador was also joined on the evening by John Delaney, Chief Executive of the Football Association of Ireland and former iconic international footballers Liam Brady, current Assistant Manager of our Senior Interrnational Team and our own new Honorary President together with Ray Houghton who currently performs an ambassadorial role for the FAI. Guest Speakers During 2005, we were pleased to welcome Vincent Butler, a long time club member and currently the Ireland Under 15 and Under 16 Manager, as a meeting guest. The Charlton Athletic, Education and Welfare Officer, Philip Gallagher was also a very welcome guest as indeed was top soccer columnist Gerry McDermott, who has subsequently become head of communications at the FAI. Each of those visitors provided attending members with an insightful analysis of their respective roles within the soccer community. The former international player and team manager, Eoin Hand who is now Career Guidance Officer with the FAI and soccer analyst with RTE, was the special guest at the February 2006 meeting of the club. In March 2006, the club was honoured by the attendance of the Chief Executive Officer of the FAI, John Delaney who was accompanied by Director of Corporate Affairs, Pat Costello and Honorary Secretary, Michael Cody. The surprise attendance of international team manager Stephen Staunton at the March 2006 meeting was a magnificent gesture which will always be greatly appreciated by all connected with the club. We were delighted to welcome FAI Technical Director and goalkeeping legend Packie Bonner together with Assistant Technical Director Richard Fahy to our June 2007 meeting. Packie and Richard provided the audience with an informative and instructive analysis of developments within all strands of Irish football. Former
Cork City and Shamrock Rovers goalkeeper Noel Mooney,
now Club Promotions Director with the FAI, provided members with a compelling
view of the League of Ireland, its revised structure and future aims
at our December 2007 meeting while UEFA referee Alan Kelly
provided a vivid illustration of 'life in the middle' when he joined
members at our gathering in January 2008. Service to Football Award 2007 On 6 July 2007, we were honoured with a 'Service to Football Award' from the Football Association of Ireland. The award was presented at the FAI AGM Delegates Dinner in the Malton Hotel, Killarney, County Kerry. Meetings and Membership We meet regularly on pre-arranged Fridays (usually prior to a senior international fixture). Meetings are held in the Crown Moran Hotel, Cricklewood Broadway, London NW2 and start at 8.00pm. We send a monthly newsletter to all members, by post or e-mail. If
you wish to apply for membership, please complete the application form
(available in Word
or PDF
format) and return it to the PO Box or bring it to a club meeting
along with two passport size photographs and the membership fee.
For
further information please contact: © RISSC (London)
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