Cherry Orchard F.C.

Cherry Orchard

Full name	Cherry Orchard Football Club
Nickname(s)	The Orchard
Founded	1957
Ground	Elmdale Crescent Le Fanu Park
League	Leinster Senior League Dublin & District Schoolboy League Athletic Union League
Website	Club website
Home colours Away colours

Cherry Orchard Football Club is an Irish association football club based in the Cherry Orchard area of Ballyfermot, Dublin. Their senior team plays in the Leinster Senior League. They have also competed in the FAI Cup, the FAI Intermediate Cup, the FAI Junior Cup and the Leinster Senior Cup. The club also has reserve teams playing in the Leinster Senior League and enter teams in the Dublin & District Schoolboy League. The club's youth system has produced dozens of players who have gone onto play for clubs throughout Ireland and the United Kingdom. In addition, several have also gone on to represent the Republic of Ireland at various international levels.

History

Senior teams

When Cherry Orchard was formed in 1957, it initially only organised adult teams. They began playing in the Leinster Alliance League and then the Leinster Junior League before switching to the Athletic Union League in the mid-1960s. Cherry Orchard (also known as Orchard) first came to national prominence when they won the FAI Junior Cup in 1981–82. Between 1984 and 1985 and 1986–87, they also won the FAI Junior Cup three times in a row and then won it twice in a row in 1989–90 and 1990–91. During this time, Orchard also won the Athletic Union League five times. Based on these successes, the club decided to join the Leinster Senior League for the 1992–93 season. In their first season in the Leinster Senior League, Orchard gained promotion to the Senior Division. In 1993–94, in their debut season in the Senior Division, Orchard won their first Leinster Senior League title. In the 2015–16 season, the club won the Leinster Senior League Senior 1 Sunday Division and the Charlie Cahill Cup double. They also finished runners-up in the Leinster Senior League Major Saturday Division.

Youth academy

Cherry Orchard first began to field schoolboy teams in 1970. In the decades since, Orchard have won an assortment of schoolboy and youth league and cup competitions at both provincial and national level. In 1993, Cherry Orchard also won the Milk Cup, beating Rangers F.C. 4–2 on penalties after a 1–1 draw in the final played before a crowd of 10,000 at the Coleraine Showgrounds. All the previous winners of the Milk Cup had been academy teams of top clubs from England and Scotland. A number of Cherry Orchard youth players have played on Republic of Ireland schoolboy and youth teams. In 1998, when the Republic of Ireland won both the UEFA European Under-16 Championship and the UEFA European Under-18 Championship, both teams included former Orchard players. Andy Reid played in the under-16 team, while Alan Quinn scored in the under-18 final against Germany.

Grounds

Cherry Orchard play their home games at Elmdale, the Lawns (Le Fanu Park) and at St. John’s College in Ballyfermot. The facility in Elmdale has an AstroTurf pitch.

Notable former players

Republic of Ireland internationals

Keith Fahey Stephen Gleeson Wayne Henderson Dave Langan Alan Quinn Andy Reid Stephen Quinn Glenn Whelan

Conor Sammon Enda Stevens Anthony Stokes Mark Travers Mark O'Brien Jonny Hayes Nathan Collins Sinclair Armstrong

Republic of Ireland women internationals

• Jessica Stapleton

League of Ireland XI representatives

• Jackie Jameson
• Conor Kenna
• Aidan Price

Republic of Ireland B internationals

• Seán Dillon
• Paddy McCarthy
• Ger O'Brien
• Tony Scully

Republic of Ireland U23 international

• Greg Bolger
• Brendan Clarke
• Conor Kenna
• Ger O'Brien

Republic of Ireland U21 internationals

James Abankwah Sinclair Armstrong Conor Clifford Nathan Collins Seán Dillon Jon Daly

Dean Delany Mark Dempsey Lee Desmond Gary Dicker Willo Flood Danny Kane

Stephen Maher Paddy McCarthy Shane McFaul Jamie McGrath Brandon Miele Mark O'Brien

Stephen Paisley Conor Pepper Shane Redmond Tony Scully Mark Yeates

Republic of Ireland U19 internationals

James Abankwah Glory Nzingo Sinclair Armstrong Robert Bayly John Connolly Glenn Cronin

Gary Dicker Derek Doyle Evan Finnegan Tommy Lonergan Sean Long

Republic of Ireland U18 internationals

• Tommy Lonergan
• James Abankwah

Republic of Ireland U17 internationals

• Sinclair Armstrong
• Gary Dempsey
• David Freeman
• Darragh Markey

Republic of Ireland U16 internationals

• Barry Prenderville
• James Abankwah
• Tommy Lonergan
• Glory Nzingo

Republic of Ireland U15 international

• James Abankwah
• Glory Nzingo

Republic of Ireland futsal international

• Dane Massey

Ireland national Australian rules football team player

• Paul Sharry

Honours

Senior

• Leinster Senior League
  • Winners: 1993–94, 1994–95, 1996–97, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2006–07: 6
  • Runners-up: 1995–96, 1998–99, 2012–13: 3
• Athletic Union League
  • Winners: 1981–82, 1984–85, 1987–88, 1989–90, 1991–92: 5
• FAI Intermediate Cup
  • Winners: 1997–98
  • Runners-up: 2001–02, 2010–11, 2011–12: 3
• FAI Junior Cup
  • Winners: 1981–82, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1994–95: 7
  • Runners-up: 1977–78: 1
• Leinster Senior Cup
  • Runners-up: 1997–98: 1

Youth

• FAI Youth Cup
  • Winners: 1989–90, 1992–93: 2
• FAI Under-17 Cup
  • Winners: 1988–89, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1996–97, 1998–99, 2002–03, 2013–14: 8
  • Runners-up: 2012–13: 1
• Milk Cup
  • Winners: 1992–93: 1

Source:

External links

• Cherry Orchard on Facebook