Mayo Women's Football League

The Mayo Women's Football League is a women's association football league featuring teams from County Mayo. It is the sister league of the Mayo Association Football League. It has previously been known as the Mayo Ladies League. The league is a summer league, beginning in March and ending in September. In 2015 the league was sponsored by Artec Facilities Management, a company based in Belmullet. Teams from the league also compete for the Mayo Cup, the Mary Walsh Cup and the Mayo Shield. They also enter the Connaught Cup and the WFAI Intermediate Cup.[2] The league's representative team won the 2006 FAI Women's Cup and then represented the Republic of Ireland in the 2007–08 UEFA Women's Cup.[3]

Mayo Women's Football League
Founded2000[1]
CountryRepublic of Ireland Republic of Ireland
ConfederationUEFA
DivisionsSuper League
Premier Division
Under 16
Under 14
Under 12
Domestic cup(s)WFAI Intermediate Cup
Connaught Cup
League cup(s)Mayo Cup
Mary Walsh Cup
Mayo Shield[2]
WebsiteMayo Women's Football League

2015 teams

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Super League

Team Home town/suburb Home ground
Ballina Town Ballina, County Mayo Belleek Park
Castlebar Town Castlebar
Killala Killala
Kilmore Erris
Manulla Manulla

[4]

Castlebar Celtic had planned to enter a team for the 2015 season but withdrew due to a lack of players.[2]

List of recent winners

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Season Winner Runners-up
2016
2015
2014 Manulla Castlebar Town
2013 Manulla Castlebar Town
2012 Kilmore
2011 Castlebar Celtic
2010
2009 Castlebar Celtic
2008 Ballinrobe Knock/Kiltimagh

Source:[2][5][6]

Representative team

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FAI Women's Cup

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In 2004 the Mayo Ladies League entered a representative team in the FAI Women's Cup for the first time. In 2005 they reached the semi-finals but lost 2–1 to Peamount United. In 2006 Mayo went one stage further and reached the final after defeating the Limerick Ladies League, Wilton United and Lifford Ladies. In the final at Richmond Park they played a UCD team featuring Nicola Sinnott and Sylvia Gee. Mayo won the cup after defeating UCD 1–0, with Aoife Herbert scoring the winning goal after just thirteen minutes. In 2007 Mayo were quarter finalists, losing 2–1 to Lifford Ladies.[3][7][8][9][10][11]

2007–08 UEFA Women's Cup

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As a result of winning the 2006 FAI Women's Cup, the Mayo Ladies League qualified to represent the Republic of Ireland in the 2007–08 UEFA Women's Cup. They were drawn in Group A3 along with Neulengbach, Hibernian Ladies and Gol Częstochowa. The competition format saw Mayo travel to Austria in August 2007 to play in a mini-tournament to decide who would progress to the next round.[1] In addition to playing association football, several members of the Mayo squad including Yvonne Byrne, Aoife Herbert, Cora Staunton and Michelle Ruane also played Gaelic football and were prominent members of Mayo senior ladies' football team during the 2007 All-Ireland Senior Ladies' Football Championship. The UEFA Women's Cup tournament clashed with a quarter-final game against Monaghan. Byrne, Herbert and Staunton all returned to Ireland during the tournament to play for the Mayo Gaelic football team and as a result were not available for all three games. Byrne, Herbert and Staunton all went on to represent the Mayo GAA team in the 2007 All-Ireland Senior Ladies' Football Championship final.[12][13][14][15]

Squad

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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK   EIR Yvonne Byrne
  EIR Karen Lilly
  EIR Anne Moran
  EIR Michelle Ruane
  EIR Aine McLean
  EIR Katie Walsh
No. Pos. Nation Player
  EIR Jackie Mulligan
  EIR Cara Cooke
  EIR Anne-Marie Davenport
  EIR Patricia Coyle
  EIR Cora Staunton
  EIR Aoife Herbert

Source:[13][14][16]

Matches and final table

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1   Neulengbach 3 3 0 0 15 4 +11 9
2   Hibernian Ladies 3 2 0 1 15 5 +10 6
3   Gol Częstochowa 3 1 0 2 6 13 −7 3
4   Mayo Ladies League 3 0 0 3 1 15 −14 0
Source: [citation needed]
9 August 2007
Gol Czestochowa 4–1 Mayo Ladies League
Otrebska   4', 90+2'
Stobba   49', 83'
Staunton   69'
0
11 August 2007
Neulengbach 3–0 Mayo Ladies League
Burger   7', 45'
Novotny   33'
14 August 2007
Hibernian 8–0 Mayo Ladies League
Kennedy   7'
Little   33', 55', 60', 90+1'
Kerr   45'
Ross   52', 77'

References

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  1. ^ a b "Mayo Women for Europe!". www.castlebar.ie. 19 July 2007. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
  2. ^ a b c d "Mayo women's league season gets ready for kickoff". www.con-telegraph.ie. 22 March 2015. Retrieved 14 March 2016.
  3. ^ a b "Mayo Women's League History". inform.fai.ie. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
  4. ^ "Mayo womens [sic] league season gets ready for kickoff". www.con-telegraph.ie. 22 March 2015. Retrieved 14 March 2016.
  5. ^ "Castlebar Celtic – Roll Of Honour". www.castlebarceltic.com. Archived from the original on 4 April 2016. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
  6. ^ "Ireland (Women) 2008". RSSSF. Retrieved 16 February 2016.
  7. ^ "Ireland (Women) 2005". RSSSF. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
  8. ^ "Ireland (Women) 2006". RSSSF. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
  9. ^ "Mayo ladies make glorious history". www.mayonews.ie. 5 December 2006. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
  10. ^ "Herbert Secures Cup For Mayo". www.irishtimes.com. 4 December 2006. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
  11. ^ "UCD v Mayo League - Women's FAI Senior Cup Final Photos". Retrieved 12 March 2016.
  12. ^ "Mayo Women's Soccer 2012". mayoladies.webs.com. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
  13. ^ a b "Women aim for glory". www.mayonews.ie. 7 August 2007. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
  14. ^ a b "Ladies ready to go". www.mayonews.ie. 7 August 2007. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
  15. ^ "Cork v Mayo - TG4 All-Ireland LSFC Final Photos". www.sportsfile.com. 7 August 2007. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
  16. ^ "Mayo FC (Women)". www.uefa.com. Retrieved 13 March 2016.