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History of League

Following a rejected late entry to the Louth & District League and The Leinster Junior League from Kilmessan AFC. the then elected Chairman of the newly formed Club Vincent Brennan placed an ad in the Sports page of the Meath Chronicle in September 1980 which simply read ‘It is proposed to start a Soccer League in the Mid Meath area, for further details contact Vincent Brennan Kilmessan‘ and following a large interest The Meath & District League was formed by members of Kilmessan AFC initially with a membership of seven Clubs representing eight teams, Kilmessan who had two teams, along with Moynalvey, Skryne, Cosmos, Dunshaughlin, Robinstown, and Turmec.

For the second season, there was an increase to fifteen Clubs representing seventeen teams. For the first two seasons, the league was known as the Mid Meath League with all the Clubs cantered around a fifteen to twenty miles radius.

In 1982 through the great help and assistance of The Leinster Football Association Secretary Me George Briggs, The League was affiliated to the F.A.I. through the provincial association, the name was changed to the Meath & District League

The NEFL presently has a membership of fifty-one Clubs representing seventy-one teams (adult), while the NECSL has a membership of forty-one Clubs representing One Hundred and seventy-eighth teams (U 7 to U 17 Boys and Girls. Combining both Leagues membership taking an average of twenty participants per team the full total equates to over 6,000 playing members alone.

The present Executive Committee includes John Gorman, Gerry Gorman, David Tully, Eugene Lynch, Derek Coogan, Brian McCreary, Tommy Melia, Damien Smith, Andrew Matthews, Declan Jordan, Damien Clarke, Steve Laverty, Mark McGuinness, Stephen McCabe, and Danny Doyle. Present Committee members Gerry Gorman, and first cousin John Gorman who represents the League on the FAI Key Junior Committee, along with Eugene Lynch who served as Chairman for eleven Years have been ever-present since the early days, as has well known and popular groundsman at the MDL Gerry Moore (Muller)

Thanks very much to The Meath Chronicle for their incredible assistance with the history of the league and in particular thank you to Conall Collier.

TIMELINE

1980-1989

THE FIRST DECADE 1980 – 1990

Some 40 years ago, the North East Football League, as it is now known, was taking its first tentative steps in the form of the Mid-Meath League that kicked-off with eight teams in 1980.

The build-up to that first round of action on 23rd November 1980 began around May 1980 with a crew on enthusiasts from Kilmessan who were eager to play the ‘beautiful game’ and they talked about entering teams in local seven-a-side tournaments during the summer months when the traditional soccer season was closed.

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Presentation to Cathal 1987 — Meath & District League chairman Donal Gaynor made a special presentation to Meath Chronicle reporter Cathal Dervan prior to his departure to take up a position with the Sunderland Echo in 1987.

1990-1999

Time of growth and a place to call home

Thornes Lounge in Kilmessan was the venue for the weekly committee meetings and for the purpose of checking the weekly forecast cards each Saturday night as part of fundraising for the development of facilities at the sports complex outside Navan that is now known as the MDL.

The closing years of the first decade saw the committee encounter problems obtaining planning permission for the 22-acre property that was purchased in 1988.

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Dunderry Panel — The Dunderry panel that won the MDL Challenge Cup in 1998 / 1999 and set a record by not conceding a goal during the competition.

2000-2009

Surviving emergencies and building a lasting legacy

One highlight from the early part of the third decade was the 21st anniversary (1980 – 2001) banquet at the Headfort Arms Hotel, Kells on Friday 23rd November 2001.

At that event, attended by FAI chief executive Brendan Menton, the MDL also launched a commemorative publication that covered all aspects of the first 21 years (1980 – 2001) – Not Just Another Brick In The Wall.

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2010-2019

Riding out the storm

Decade number four covers 2010 – 2019 and the final piece of the jigsaw will feature an interview with Gerry Gorman who was, and remains, a driving force of the development since it started in November 1980

The fourth decade ended on a positive note in terms of affiliations with a total of 69 teams representing 48 clubs in the first calendar-year season during which the top honours went to Meath with Trim Celtic dominating.

The introduction of the calendar-year season in 2019 was the first of summer soccer. The Summer of 69 perhaps!

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Testimonials

Conall Collier

Organised soccer across Meath was a new concept in 1980, but in 2020 it can be described as a success with vibrant adult and under-age leagues and a fine sports complex outside Navan testament to the efforts of so many people over 40 years.

Sports Editor

Meath Chronicle

Cathal Dervan

Little did we think when we first sat down in Thorne’s all those years ago where football in this region could go – it is a credit to all involved ever since so well done. Please keep carrying that flame.

Director of PR and Communications
Football Association of Ireland