Donegal football club receive Texaco support for sport funding

A Donegal soccer club is to benefit from the Texaco Support for Sport initiative.

The initiative was launched in September past  by Valero Energy (Ireland) Limited, the company that markets fuel in Ireland under the Texaco brand.

Inishowen's Gleneely Colts FC Sports & Leisure Club is to receive €5,000 funding, under the Texaco Support for Sport initiative.

Open to sports clubs across the 26-counties, irrespective of sporting discipline, size, membership, age, cultural appeal or gender, the initiative saw a fund of EUR130,000 being made available by Valero for distribution in equal amounts of EUR5,000 to successful applicants chosen on a county-by-county basis.

Congratulating Gleneely Colts FC on its success, James Twohig, Director of Ireland Operations, Valero Energy (Ireland) Limited said: “A feature evident in almost all applications was the pressure felt by clubs in the current circumstances to expand their role within their local communities with increased membership demands and the need for extra equipment and improved facilities.”

“The purpose of our initiative is to help clubs to overcome these obstacles so that they can continue to remain active and at the very heart of their local communities. This is why we believe our initiative has been so warmly welcomed by sports clubs nationwide in its launch year,” he added.

Gleneely Colts FC Sports & Leisure Club - one of almost 400 clubs countrywide to make application under the scheme - has a growing membership. In the last five years its youth structure has been developed to a stage whereby current numbers exceed 100 children.

Its clubhouse was built by volunteers in 2004 and this milestone was followed by the development of the pitch, flood lighting, security fencing and wheelchair access in more recent years.

The EUR5,000 award made to it under the Texaco Support for Sport initiative will be used to upgrade the club’s ground maintenance equipment with the aim of creating ‘a better and more regular’ playing surface - a purpose that their application said ‘would greatly reduce the time devoted to grass cutting and allow club volunteers to concentrate on their coaching skills’.

Overseeing the adjudication process was Texaco Support for Sport ambassador, former Irish rugby international and broadcaster, Donncha O’Callaghan. Commenting, he described the Gleneely club as ‘a really worthy winner’ pointing to its “very strong sense of community and its importance as a place to play sport and socialise”.

Because of the current Covid-19 travel restrictions that are in place, it is intended that award presentations will be arranged on an individual club-by-club basis once permitted and when appropriate.