The Waterford and District Junior League will enter a short season starting with the Presidents Cup final between league champions Villa and cup champions Hibernians on August 1 with the new one-round campaign to begin on August 7.
It comes after clubs in the league voted in favour of a change to calendar football from 2025 with the short one-round season to be played in order to ensure games up to the end of November where there will be no relegation or promotion in the Premier Division for that short season.
With the FAI set to implement the playing of calendar football in 2026, the league committee gave the clubs the option of moving the season earlier in order to look at the optics ahead of the proposed changed. The option of a move back to the traditional winter season will also be looked at if required.
It comes after the weather played havoc with the fixture schedule last season with a number of leagues not finished to conclusion when they were won, but following a mammoth effort from clubs, players, referees and administrators, the season finished only a couple of weeks behind the same period last year.
The 2023/2024 season was a busy one for the league with the Centenary celebrations that saw the implication of the Presidents Cup, the release of a book written by Cian Manning, a centenary dinner dance before concluding with a celebratory awards night last weekend.
At the AGM of the league last week, it was revealed to clubs that the league is currently in the process at purchasing the grounds at Ozier Park, workLAB Connors Park – the home of Villa FC, and also Ben Wadding Park – the home of Bohemians over the coming months with more to follow on that in the future.
Commenting on the Centenary season just gone, league chairman Damien Tiernan said: “I would like to thank everybody who contributed to a brilliant season for our league. The league committee got through a trojan amount of work not just to get the season finished, but also with the many events to mark our centenary.
“As club delegates, you can be rightly proud of the part you all have played not just over the past year but over the past 100 years – especially those of you who were delegates back in 1924 and continue to represent your clubs.
“I want to thank you the clubs for everything ye have done to help and support us in our work, the referees for all their hard work and assistance, to the Schoolboys League, and Women’s League. We believe we have established good working relationships with as we promised here last year with both bodies.”
Tiernan continued: “We are very excited with the year ahead with delegates voted overwhelmingly 60 votes to 29 at the EGM to change our season to Calendar year football from 2025 Committee members have been working very hard and on the short season coming up to allow the change next year.
“Committee members also working very hard with representatives of the Holy Ghost, with whom we have a lease for Ozier, Connors Park and Ben Wadding Park. We are in the process of organising the sale of the properties to the Waterford and District Junior League.
“We’ll have updates on the sale process as it happens, and this will give security of ownership to the League for generations to come. This is another example of this committee not just looking back and celebrating the past but looking forward to the future footballers and footballing families.”
The league held the end of season Centenary awards at the Tower Hotel in Waterford on Saturday last with a special presentation made to John O’Shea. 37 awards were presented during the evening and the full list of award winners is below
LEADING GOALSCORER AWARDS
Premier League Mark O’Keeffe Hibernians 16
Division 1A League Eoin Smith Piltown 22
Division 1B League Jamie Burns Seaview Celtic 14
Division 2A League Eoin McGrath Brideview United 15
Division 2B League Robbie Allen Portlaw United 16
Division 3A League Danny Murphy Carrick United 16
Division 3B League Ben O’Donovan Dungarvan Celtic 15
Division 4A League David Condon Dungarvan United 16
Division 4B League Stephen Dalton St. Saviours 20
Youth A League Jack Caulfield Tramore AFC 14
Youth B League Daragh Poyner Tramore AFC 12
Under 17A League Joshua Roche Tramore AFC 16
Under 17B League Gavin Keane Park Rangers 8
Conor Murphy Park Rangers 8
PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARDS
Premier League Luke Walsh Villa FC
Division 1A League Glenn Hawe Tycor AFC
Division 1B League Robin Brophy St. Paul’s
Division 2A League Barry Whelan Stradbally
Division 2B League Leigh Quilty Tramore AFC
Division 3A League Danny Murphy Carrick United
Division 3B League Lee Lannon Dungarvan Celtic
Division 4A League Eddie Hynes Dungarvan United
Division 4B League Ger Flynn Ferrybank AFC
Youth A League Jack Ahern Tramore AFC
Youth B League Jamie Clancy Tramore AFC
Under 17A League Joshua Roche Tramore AFC
Under 17B League Ryan Connell Ferrybank AFC
OSCAR TRAYNOR PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Luke Walsh Villa FC
YOUTH INTER LEAGUE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Ben Hennessy Southend United
MUNSTER FA WINNERS
In recognition of representing the Waterford and District Junior League in the victorious Munster FA Region Cup team 2024
Mark O’Keeffe Hibernian FC
Craig Dunphy Villa FC
Conor Kilgannon Villa FC
Luke Walsh Villa FC
SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARDS
Vincent Tobin Ballinroad FC
Paddy Kirk Ballyduff FC
Michael Lynch Ferrybank AFC
Brian O’Keeffe Hibernian FC
