Description
Granada Football Club is one of the largest schoolboy/schoolgirl clubs in Dublin. We have over 400 players every weekend playing football. Club Origins
It began one Saturday morning in 1970 when a group of young boys from Granville Park in Blackrock asked Allen Hughes to train them as a team and arrange matches against other teams. The first game - which they lost - was against the boys across the road in Ardagh Park. A short time after this historic event, Allen managed to enter one under 12 and one under 14 team in the South County Dublin District League.
'Big-time' football stretched the player resources of Granville Boys so after negotiations with Ardagh Boys, Granada F.C. was born. That fortuitous initial encounter helped generate one of the more romantic names in Dublin schoolboy football. If only we had the weather to go with it!
The club still had no pitch and no kit. Surprisingly in those days green shirts were hard to get and had to be custom-made. A pitch took a bit longer and the first season all games had to be played 'away', but the following year a home was found after another amalgamation - this time with Sean Compton's Holly Park team. It was reasonably flat ground if you discounted the manhole in the middle - which was magically reduced in height overnight!
It took a few more years, including a sojourn in Cornelscourt, before the current Hollypark pitch came into existence. A lot of footballs have crossed the line in the intervening period: the most successful year for the club was probably the 1991-1992 season. In that year our Under 15s did the treble, the Under 10s the double, the Under 9Bs won their league and the Under 14s got the shield. In 1998-1999 the Under 11 Premier team brought home our first 'foreign' trophy by winning the Solar Travel World Cup in Liverpool.
The club is a founder member of the South Dublin League (SDFL) and is one of the biggest club in that league. The club also fields teams in the Dublin District & Schoolboys League (DDSL).
We never forget that success is not everything: many Granada teams over the years have continued to compete without winning trophies, but enjoy playing football. As long as the children of our community want an outlet to play and enjoy football Granada F.C. will be there for them.
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facebook.comBest of luck to our U12 premier team who are playing in the final of the Pat White cup on Saturday 30th September out in SDFL complex. KO 10.00.Adults 3 Euros on the gate, kids are free.
U16 premier team are playing the semi final of the John Giles Cup in SDFL complex ko 7.30 on Thursday 7th September. Any support would be hugely welcome, as David and Mick's team try to get to the final, where they will be attempting to win this prestigious trophy, which Granada teams have won for the last 2 years running. Adults 3 Euros on the gate. Kids are free.
Our man Les getting a special gift at the shamrock rovers v cork game tonight. Signed jersey with his new milestone on the back. Will be on display over the weekend at the club house, where he will be modelling it.
Another Blitz comes to an end. Thanks to all the players for giving us all great enjoyment watching you enjoy yourselves. Too many people to thank by name but .... all the bakers, bbq helpers, managers, shop helpers, pitch set up/down helpers, refs, score keepers, face painter, age coordinators, and of course Les and Elenor, and last our Head Coach Gary. Super effort all. Training resumes this week, and next weekend sees return for all development teams and matches for teams.
Great day. Well done to all the boys and girls. Early to bed see you all in the morning. 10am start for all 8 pitches so need plenty of help to get them set up. Thanks Carmel for all the face painting. Thanks to all the people who helped out.
Great turnout this evening for registration and jersey collection. Rough times to be in attendance, Girls tournament @ 09:10, u7/8/9/10 tournament @ 09:30, u11/12/13/14 20 mins before ko of first game.
Blitz all ready to go for weekend. Plan is as follows: Reg and collect jersey from 7.30 to 8.30 tonight Friday from club house. You will find out your fixtures too. Rough start time on Saturday, Girls meet @ 09.10, u7-u8 boys meet at 09.30. Rest of players should arrive just after 10. Weather looks good.
We had an international friendly tonight in Holly Park. Nether United from Philadelphia took on an U11 select side from Granada FC. It was a great game with only the odd goal between the teams throughout. We wish Nether the best of luck with their tournament this weekend.
Another great week. Well done boy and girls. August camp is filling up fast so if anyone is planning to attend they should get onto epp and register to make sure of their space. Details on our August Blitz will be circulated soon. Enjoy the rest of summer.
60 happy boys and girls after the first summer camp. Well done to Gary and all the coaches for making it a really enjoyable week for all the kids. The kids skills level really improved playing every day.
Well done to all the Mam's who took part in a challenge match with Granada Girls this morning in Holly Park. Some great goals scored, but they were beaten in the end 5:3. Gary had them well set up from the start and they went ahead. The ref was a bit dodgy, accidentally getting in the way at key moments !!!! No injuries to report, so all in all a good run out. There will be a return match, and a game against the Dads will be on the cards for the girls after summer break. That will be a handy win....
The change in weather did not take away from a cracking U11 tournament tonight. Great skills, great goals and very even matches were served up by the boys. Well done to Ian Connaughton and all the managers. Then to top it off, former Granada player and current Leinster and Irish Rugby international Gary Ringrose came to close the festival down and present the lads with their medals. Thanks Gary.
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