With the knockout stages of the u13 and U15 SFAI Subway Championship and Plate competitions well underway, this weekend will see several provincial semi-finals take place.

Meanwhile in Ulster, Sligo/Leitrim welcome Inishowen to the Showgrounds for their U13 Ulster SFAI Subway Plate Final.

Both teams have already faced off this season in the group stages, and they will meet to play for the Plate, with the winners progressing to national semi-finals.

In Munster, Limerick Desmond host Waterford and Cork welcome Limerick District in the U13 Munster SFAI Subway Championship semi-finals, with Cork and Waterford already having made the U15 Final.

In the U13 Munster SFAI Subway Plate, West Cork and WWEC will play in the semi-finals as will Kerry and South Tipperary.

In Connacht there is one game, and that will see Athlone and Longford battle it out for a place in the U13 Connacht SFAI Subway Plate Final – with the RDYSL waiting for the winner.

The U13 Leinster competition will also be busy this weekend, as Carlow and the DDSL play host to Kilkenny and Drogheda respectively.

Meanwhile, in the U13 Leinster SFAI Subway Plate, KDUL take on Midlands SL and NDSL play NECSL in the Plate seim-finals.

Finally, in the U15 Leinster SFAI Subway Championship, the DDSL host NECSL and KDUL are at home to Kilkenny.

Check out the full list of fixtures below…

Fixtures 12^th/13^th January 2019

U13 Connacht Subway Plate

ADSL v Longford TBC

U13 Connacht Subway Plate Final

12/01/2018 Sligo/Leitrim v Inishowen 3pm – Showgrounds Astro

U13 Leinster Subway Championship

13/01/2018 Carlow v Kilkenny 1.30pm – Graiguecullen

13/01/2018 DDSL v Drogheda 11am – Abbotstown

U13 Leinster Subway Plate

13/01/2018 KDUL v Midlands SL 12pm – Naas Sports Centre

12/01/2018 NDSL v NECSL 1pm – Oscar Traynor Centre

U15 Leinster Subway Championship

13/01/2018 DDSL v NECSL 1.30pm – Abbotstown

13/01/2018 KDUL v Kilkenny 2pm – Naas Sports Centre

U15 Leinster Subway Plate

13/01/2018 Wexford v Midlands SL 2pm – New Ross Celtic

13/01/2018 Carlow v NDSL 1.30pm – Graiguecullen

U13 Munster Subway Championship

13/01/2018 Limerick Desmond v Waterford 2pm – Rathkeale

13/01/2018 Cork v Limerick District 2pm – Ballea Astro

U13 Munster Subway Plate

13/01/2018 West Cork v WWEC 2.30pm – Canon Crowley park

13/01/2018 Kerry v South Tipperary 2pm – Mounthawk Park

This weekend sees the first of the knockout games in the U13 and U15 SFAI Subway Plate take place, with ties in both Leinster and Munster.

In the U13 Leinster competition, the KDUL welcome the SDFL, while the NECSL and Midlands SL play at home to Wexford and Wicklow, respectively.

The NDSL have received a bye into the semi-finals, and they will play the winners of the NECSL/Wexford game the following weekend.

Meanwhile in the U15 competition, Wicklow host the NDSL, with the winners travelling to Carlow in the semi-finals – Wexford and the Midlands SL play in the other semi-final.

There are three ties up for decision on Sunday (January 6th) in the U13 Munster SFAI Subway Plate – West Cork face Limerick County, Clare play South Tipperary and WWEC welcome North Tipperary.

Kerry have received a bye into the semi-finals and will play the winners of the Clare/South Tipperary match the following weekend.

Check out the full fixture list below and the full breakdown of the draw HERE (best viewed on tablet/laptop/desktop).

Leinster U13 SFAI Subway Plate (06/01/2018)

KDUL v SDFL – 2pm – Togher Park
NECSL v Wexford – 2pm – MDL Grounds
Midlands v Wicklow – 1pm – Gainstown

Leinster U15 SFAI Subway Plate (06/01/2018)

Wicklow v NDSL – 3.30pm – Arklow Town FC

Munster U13 SFAI Subway Plate (06/01/2018)

West Cork v Limerick County – 2pm – Cannon Crowley Park
Clare v South Tipperary – 12.30pm – Cassidy Park, Ennis
WWEC v North Tipperary – 2pm – Blackwater CS

The DDSL gathered in Abbotstown on Thursday evening to recognise the achievements of both their 2017 and 2018 SFAI New Balance Kennedy Cup winning squads.

As is tradition, the DDSL Kennedy Cup squads receive a blue cap, and both FAI President Donal Conway and former DDSL Kennedy Cup player and newly appointed Republic of Ireland U21 Manager Stephen Kenny, were on hand to make the presentations.

Most of the 40 players involved over the two years were present, and DDSL Chairman Paddy Dempsey took the opportunity to remind them of the significance of receiving the cap.

Addressing the fledgling footballers he said: “As DDSL legend Fran Ray would always say, you may very well pick up several green caps in your time playing football, which we hope you do, but you will only ever get one blue cap – you should be very proud of it.”

Republic of Ireland U21 Manager Stephen Kenny then spoke to the players, and he shared his own experience of playing in the 1984 SFAI Kennedy Cup, where he faced Roy Keane who captained the Cork side which went on to win it.

Speaking to the players Kenny said: “I was not lucky enough to win the competition when I played, you should all be very proud of what you have achieved.
“As young people it is important you focus, not just on your football, but also on your school work and on becoming good people as you mature into adulthood.”

Several of the players there on the night from both the 2017 and 2018 squads have already gone on to represent the Republic of Ireland at U15 and U16 levels, and Kenny said he hopes to see some of them in the coming years across the ages as he takes up his new role within the FAI.

DDSL SFAI New Balance Kennedy Cup Squad 2017: Kian Moore, Darragh Lynch, Leigh Kavanagh, Bosun Lawal, Evan Caffrey, Roland Banya, Val Adeedokun, Darragh Reilly, Nathan Anyanwu, William Chelaru, Jeff Nwodo, Gavin O’Brien, Andrew Moran, Ben McCormack, Len O’Sullivan, Morgan Rice, Adam Wells, Ross Fay, Conon Noonan, Cian Kavanagh.

DDSL SFAI New Balance Kennedy Cup Squad 2018: Lee Morris, Craig King, Cian Kelly, Harvey Nugent, Sean Grehan, Belguy Manzambi, Callum Warren, Jamie Mullins, Evan Ferguson, Mathew Brennan, Ben Quinn, Thomas Lonergan, Glory Nzinga, Ben Curtis, Sean Bannon, Kyle Murphy, Alex O’Brien, John Finnerty, Jamie Kelly, Jack Ross.

It promises to be another exciting weekend in the SFAI Subway Championship, with games taking place around the country in the U12, U13, U15 and U16 competitions.

With the group stages in the U13 and U15 contests coming to close, those playing this weekend and next are jostling for position ahead of the knockout rounds which begin at the start of January.

See below the full list of fixtures for this weekend.

U12 Leinster

08/12/2018 Wicklow v Carlow 4.15pm – Evergreen, Kells Road
09/12/2018 Wexford v Midlands (1) 2pm – Curracloe United
08/12/2018 SDFL v Midlands (2) 12pm – SDFL HQ
08/12/2018 Wicklow v Kilkenny 3pm – Evergreen, Kells Road
08/12/2018 Drogheda v DDSL 11am – Drogheda IFE
09/12/2018 NECSL v NDSL 12pm – MDL Grounds

U16 Leinster

09/12/2018 NECSL v Wexford 2pm – MDL Grounds

U13 Ulster

08/12/2018 Sligo/Leitrim v Inishowen TBC – TBC

U15 Connacht

08/12/2018 Mayo v Galway 12pm – Solar 21 Park

U16 Connacht

09/12/2018 Galway v Mayo TBC – TBC

With the SFAI Subway Championship well underway in the U13 and U15 competitions, this weekend sees some crucial group games taking place around the country.

In Munster the U12 competition also gets underway this weekend, with many teams involved playing their first game.

Below are the confirmed fixtures at this time….

U12 Munster

02/12/2018 Limerick County v Limerick District 11am – Charleville
02/12/2018 Kerry v North Tipperary 1:30pm – Tralee
02/12/2018 Limerick Desmond v Clare 2pm – Woodfield, Newcastlewest
02/12/2018 South Tipperary v Waterford 3pm – Cahir Park
02/12/2018 Cork v West Cork 5pm – O’Shea Park, Blarney
02/12/2018 Cork v WWEC 12pm – Ballea Astro (Carrigaline)

U13 Munster

02/12/2018 Limerick County v North Tipperary 1pm – Charleville
02/12/2018 Limerick Desmond v Clare 2pm – Holycross, Rathkeale
02/12/2018 Limerick District v Kerry 2pm – University Limerick
02/12/2018 West Cork v Cork 2pm – Skibbereen
02/12/2018 Waterford v South Tipperary 2pm – WIT Arena

U15 Munster

02/12/2018 Cork v South Tipperary 12pm – Moneygourney (Douglas Hall)

U16 Munster

02/12/2018 Clare v South Tipperary TBC – TBC
02/12/2018 Cork v Waterford 12pm – Ballea Astro (Carrigaline)
02/12/2018 Limerick Desmond v Kerry 2pm – Pallaskerry

U13 Leinster

01/12/2018 Wicklow v Drogheda 12pm – Arklow Town FC
01/12/2018 SDFL v NECSL 12:30pm – SDFL HQ, Lucan
02/12/2018 DDSL v Wexford 12pm – Abbotstown
02/12/2018 NDSL v Midlands 1:30pm – Cityjet Park (Ratoath Harps FC)
02/12/2018 Kilkenny v Kildare 2pm – Derdimus Park

U15 Leinster

02/12/2018 Midlands v Kildare TBC – Gainstown
02/12/2018 NDSL v NECSL 11:30am – Cityjet Park (Ratoath Harps FC)

U13 Connacht

02/12/2018 RDYSL v Galway 12:30pm – Ballymoe FC
02/12/2018 Athlone v Longford 1pm – TBC