Suncroft A.F.C.

Suncroft Athletic Football Club () is an Irish, Kildare & District Football League Senior Division, football club based in Suncroft, Co. Kildare, Ireland.
History
Suncroft A.F.C. was founded in 1975 but did not enter the Leinster Junior League (LJL) until 1977 under the name Churchview Athletic. The manager at the time was Pat Farrell. Among the founding members were Johnny Kelly, Paddy & Eamon Doyle, Mick McDonagh, Joe Dunne Snr, Brian & Patrick Kelly, Damien Carroll and Josie Dunne.
In 1980, Josie Dunne took over as manager and the club changed its name to Suncroft A.F.C. Suncroft continued to play in the LJL Counties divisions throughout these years and it wasn’t long until the first piece of silverware arrived at the club. During the 1982/83 season, Suncroft won the LJL Counties Division 2 league title.
After promotion to Division 1, Suncroft narrowly missed out on promotion to the Premier Division in the 1984/85 season. The following season they reached the final of the Counties Cup but were beaten by Clara Town. This season also saw the formation of Suncroft's Second team.
Success wasn’t far away, at the end of the 1986/87 season Suncroft won the Division 1 title. Suncroft went the whole season unbeaten, recording the highest scoreline in the process, 14-2 against Oghter Utd. They also finished Runners-Up in the Kildare Championships.
During the 1987/88 season, the disappointment of the previous years defeat in the Kildare Championships final was overcome when they won the competition with a 3-1 win over Straffan in Castledermot.
1988/89 brought one of the greatest victories in the clubs history. Suncroft reached the FAI Junior Cup Midlands Area final where the opposition were Newbridge Town, who were overwhelming favourites. Against all the odds and thanks to a solitary Robbie Doyle goal, the trophy was Suncroft's. This day is still remembered fondly by all involved and put the club on the map in Leinster.
This victory was followed by a match in the Quarter Final of the FAI Junior Cup where Dublin’s Tolka Rovers ended Suncroft's run. Also that season they were beaten in the replayed final of the Sheeran Cup by Castle Villa having drawn the first game 1-1 in Dalymount Park.
The following season, 1989/90, was a very successful one for the club. Suncroft won the LJL Counties Premier Division, the top tier in the league. Following this they went on to win the Counties Cup with a 2-1 win over Rosenallis in Portarlington. Man of the Match was Denis King, who scored an amazing 35-yard goal. Nicky Morris was the other scorer on the day and Tom Confrey captained the side. The treble was completed with a 6-2 win over Leixlip in the Kildare Championships final.
The First team joined the LJL (Dublin) Premier Division the following season and became the first team from outside Dublin to win this division in the 1991/92 season captained by Freddie Darling. Peter Stafford scored 20 goals in 16 games to help lift the title. The Second team were beaten in the final of the Giffney Cup that year.
The 1993/94 season saw Suncroft's Under 14 side being entered in the Kildare Schoolboys League. Two of the Under 14's players were selected in the Kildare League Kennedy Cup squad; Neil Barnby & John Finnegan. The 1994/95 season saw this number rise to five with Mikey Daly, Joe Dunne & Brendan McDonald joining the other two in the teams journey to the Quarter Final where they were beaten by Galway. The Under 12 side was entered in the league this year under the management of Colm Slattery. On the Senior end of things, the Kildare League Cup (Lumsden Cup) was won for the first time with goals from Paul Hanley (2) & Johnny Burke in a 3-1 win.
The 1995/96 season brought the clubs first underage success with the Under 15’s winning the Cup with a 2-1 victory over Kildare Town. They also finished Runners Up in the league whilst the First team finished second in the Kildare League Premier Division and were Runners Up in the League Shield. The following year brought success for the clubs Under 18’s team when they beat Naas in the Cup final captained by Neil Lynch and managed by his father Padraig.
The First team were beaten again in the League Shield Final in 1998/99, while the Seconds were beaten in the Division 2 Cup final in the same year. Success did follow however in the next two seasons with the Premier Division Cup been won and in 2001 the clubs second Lumsden Cup victory followed with a hard fought win over Curragh Rovers, 4-2 on penalties after a 2-2 draw. Goals that day came from Colm Slattery & Ray Aulsbery with Paul Sinnott scoring in the shootout and also saving the winning penalty.
A barren few years followed for the club with Runners Up spots been taken in the Senior Division Cup and League Shield again. 2008 saw the Under 17 team do a League & Cup double and they followed this up the next year by finishing Runners Up in the Youths League. 2009 brought another double, this time for our Second team who completed their double winning the League & Republic of Ireland Supporters Club Cup. On an individual level, Under 18's player Ian Byrne was named Kildare League Youth Player of the Year.
2010 saw the Under 18's team go through the league unbeaten to claim the title and were unlucky to lose in the Cup final, going down 2-1 to Naas. Twelve of this squad were selected on the Kildare League Under 18 team and goalkeeper Terry Smith followed up the success of the previous year by been named as Kildare League Youth Player of the Year.
Club officials
* Chairman: Larry Hanlon.
* Vice-chairman: Eamon Doyle.
* Secretary: Kevin Kelly.
* Treasurer: Josie Dunne.
* Committee Members: Alan Barry, Brian Vardy, Danny Whelan, Gary Connolly, Kieran Phelan & Peter Ennis.
* First Team Manager: Gary Connolly.
* Second Team Manager: Brian Vardy.
* Youth Team Manager: To be decided.
* Over 35's Team Manager: Alan Barry.

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