Paddy vs The World

Leagues Loaded:



2 leagues loaded from England & Ireland
1 league loaded from Australia, Brazil, Italy, Scotland, South Africa, South Korea, Spain & USA


Republic of Ireland's Waterford United have just hired Paul Grundy as first team manager, it's the young Irishman's first ever job in football management but there is still a sense of optimism around the First Division clubs 8,000 capacity Regional Sports Centre ground. The media have predicted a 3rd place finish for United & the board expect a minimum of a top 3 finish & qualification for the promotion play offs.

Waterford United's wage budget is set to £3,300 p/w but they are currently spending £3,500... so Grundy will have to cut the squad down while still improving it in time for their season opener on Friday 5th March away at the bookies favorites to go up: Derry City.

The Irish media met Grundy earlier & the rookie boss told the press that no one's contract here is safe: "Every player & member of staff will need to prove themselves instantly because I'm not messing around here. I'm only interested in getting the best talent in that we can so we can be the best we can." Grundy is expected to announce his pre-season schedule within the next couple of days, along with the evaluation of his back room team & the early departures from his squad.


The first announcement from the new boss at Waterford Untied was a 'preliminary list' of pre season opponents, including a mini-tour to northern England taking in the sights of Morecambe, Hereford & Huddersfield. English Premier Division outfit Everton will visit the Regional Sports Centre twice within 30 days & Irish Premier side Shamrock Rovers also come to the Regional Sports Centre in a busy 8 game schedule that Grundy has hinted on expanding if needs be.

The full pre season fixture list is currently as follows:

Northern English Tour:
Mon 11/01/2010 v Morecambe (English League Two), @ The Globe Arena
Wed 13/01/2010 v Hereford United (English League Two), @ Edgar Street
Sat 16/01/2010 v Huddersfield Town (English League One), @ The Galpharm Stadium

Remaining Pre Season Schedule:
Tue 26/01/2010 v Everton (English Premier Division), @ RSC
Mon 08/02/2010 v Waterford Bohemians, @ Treacy's Field
Sun 14/02/2010 v Shamrock Rovers, @ Regional Sports Centre
Sat 20/02/2010 v The New Saints (Welsh Premier Division), @ RSC
Thu 25/02/2010 v Everton (English Premier Division), @ RSC

The reason behind the double booking of Everton is to see how the squad have come along between the end of January & the end of February. The 2 fixrures are also expected to boost the finances at the Regional Sports Centre.


Paul Grundy has had a busy first 3 days at the Regional Sports Centre. He got the job 2 days ago, arranged his pre season schedule yesterday & today has made the first steps to bring his wage budget down to the required amount.

2 members of staff have left the club after their contracts were mutually terminated: Ray Moran, one of the 2 assistant managers & Vivienne Keller, one of the physios.

3 players have been released on free transfers after Grundy decided they were not good enough for the squad: 23 year old right sided defender/midfielder Kieran Fitzgerald, 20 year old midfielder Paul Carey & left back Declan Woodgate (20). Youth team centre back Alan McCann has also left the club due to his contract running out.

The wage budget now stands at £3,259 of the £3,300 alowed. Grundy has been quoted in saying a few more players will have to leave in order to bring anyone of sufficiant calliber in.


Waterford started off brightly getting a corner & headding just over the crossbar in the first 5 minutes, but it was Morecambe who took the early lead, heading in their own corner on the 9th minute. With no more real action untill just before half time Waterford striker Stephen Grant burst into the penalty box after a good couple of passes from the visitors, only to be downed by a Morecambe defender & a penalty was awarded. Vinny Sullivan stepped up & cooly converted the penalty to draw Waterford United level at the half time whistle. With 10 minutes of the 2nd half gone, Stephen Grant picked up the ball just outside the penalty area & struck a perfect shot at goal, leaving the Morecambe keeper with no chance as the ball flies into the top corner of the goal to give Waterford United the lead in this friendly match. With the match looking all but over, Morecambe rattled Chris Konopka's crossbar on the 79th minute. Sub Paul Walsh almost extended Waterford's lead but saw his shot go just wide of the goal. Liam Kearney struck Morecambe's crossbar 2 minutes into injury time as Waterford United try to play the game out to victory. The game ends with Waterford United winning 2:1 & Stephen Grant earning man of the match award for his amazing strike that put Waterford 2:1 up.


21 year old centre back Dean Lawrence has joined Waterford United on a free transfer. The young defender was previously at Shamrock Rovers & spent a season on loan at Shelbourne.

Paul Caffrey, 26, is a centre midfielder joining the club on a free transfer. Caffrey has played for Shamrock Rovers, Bray Wanderers & Sporting Fingal.


New United signing Dean Lawrence gets the nod at centre back while the other new face at the club, Paul Caffrey, is on the bench. Hereford took the lead with only 58 minutes on the clock thanks to some sloppy defending alowed their striker a clear shot on goal that left Chris Konopka wondering what had happened. 6 minutes later & Waterford United found an equaliser after Paul Walsh swung a corner in & found the head of Kevin Murray, who calmly nodded the ball past the Hereford keeper. The next 15 minutes saw a period of heavy pressure from the English hosts, which they capitolised on aftre a good ball from the wing was controlled & fired into the net by the Hereford striker to put them 2:1 up. Waterford almost equalised again through Kevin Murray, but his headder went narrowly wide of the far post. At half time Hereford United are on top 2:1. Hereford started the 2nd half the better of the 2 teams & were denied an extension to their lead on 50 minutes by a fine Chris Konopka save. 7 minutes on from the last incident, Hereford United extended their lead with a sublime volley inside the box from a well placed cross. The rest of the game played out fairly evenly with substitutions for both sides constantly stopping the flow of the game. Hereford win 3:1.


Experianced central midfielder Davy Byrne has signed for Waterford. Byrne has played for many clubs including Dundee United, Shelbourne & St. Patricks Athletic.

Midfielder Gary Dnuphy (22) has been released from Waterford United. Dunphy started his career off at Scottish giants Celtic before joining Waterford in 2004.

21 year old midfielder Joey Mulcahy has been released from his contract at the club. The young midfielder was a youth product of Waterford & made 15 appearances last season.


Paul Caffrey & Davy Bryne start in their first games wearing Waterford shirts. Waterford had the best of the opening exchanges & Vinny Sullivan came close to scoring before the 2nd minute with a shot that went wide. Sullivan showed some more moments of class in hte 9th minute when he rounded a Huddersfield defender but only to shoot wide of goal once more. 12 minutes in & new signing Dean Lawrence got on the end of an Alan Carey cross to give Waterford an early lead. Willie John Kiely almost doubled Waterford's score but his strike was chalked off because Sullivan was offside. 24 minutes in & Huddersfield missed a great chance to equalise, with their striker shooting wide. Soon after, Huddersfield got their equaliser when Konopka parried a shot away only for it to fall to another striker who slotted the ball home from a tight angle. Captain Alan Carey picked up an injury on the 39th minute & had to be replaced & the teams went in level at half time. Huddersfield were on top in the second half & saw a couple of shots go just wide untill they finaly scored on the 75th minute after a period of good possesion. Substitute Timmy Knight almost found a way back into the game for Waterford but his lobbed shot went over the keeper & the crossbar. Huddersfield extended their lead on the 78th minute when a shot hit the post but fell to another striker who put the ball in the net. Waterford United didn't go down without a fight & pulled a goal back on 83 minutes after a good cross from sub Daryl Kavanagh met the head of another sub Kevin Waters. Huddersfield continued the free scoring mood of the 2nd half by going 4:2 up on the 88th minute.


18 year old left sided defensive player Ryan Connor joins Waterford United on a free transfer. The young English player was a youth product at Premier Division side Stoke City.

Alan Murphy, a 31 year old full back signs for the club on a free transfer. Murphy is a Longford legend having played 7 seasons there & has also turned out Drogheda United & Shelbourne.


Kevin Burns made a good start between the sticks in his first appearance for new Waterford boss Paul Grundy, making a good save from a long range effort in the 9th minute. Everton almost took the lead on the 23rd minute but Leighton Baines struck the ball just wide of Burns' goal. Everton soon showed their class, going 1:0 up in the 31st minute after a good string of passes & some poor marking from the hosts. Less than 5 minutes later Everton doubled their lead after a powerfull headder from a good swinging cross & it could have been 3 soon after that but the linesman flagged for offside. As the first half drew to a close, Burns made another fantastic save only for Dean Lawrence to bring down the striker & the ref to give a penalty to Everton. Jagielka stepped up for Everton & comfortably scored the spot kick to put the visitors 3:0 up at half time. Waterford came out of the blocks fast for the 2nd half & after a few quick passes up the field, Vinny Sullivan found the space to thump the ball from outside the box & his shot struck the crossbar & was cleared. Sullivan had the chance to steal the show again with 3 minutes left to play but his long range shot was inches wide of the post. The ref blew for full time & Waterford United can be very happy with their 2nd half display.


Waterford United boss Paul Grundy has announced 2 more pre season games to be played this Sunday & Tuesday. Grundy will use this as a chance to look at players that have not yet featured in pre season.

Sun 31/01/2010 v Turiff United (Scottish Lower Leagues), @ The Haughs
Tue 02/02/2010 v Ballymena United (Northern Irish Premiership), @ RSC


18 year old Irish striker Tommy Amos has joined Waterford United on a free transfer afrer leaving English Premier Division outfit Wigan Athletic at the end of last season. Amos will go straight into the starting line up for Sundays trip to Scotland.


New signing Tommy Amos set up Timmy Knight for a clear shot at goal on the 4th minute but the Waterford striker miss-kicked his effort & the shot went well wide of goal. The next 20 or so minutes saw both sides work their way to good shooting positions but there were no shots on target. With 30 minutes on the clock Timmy Purcell set up Timmy Knight with a cross to the near post which the striker nodded in from close range. The new boy in United's attack doubled the lead just before half time with a low shot from just inside the box. Half time & Waterford are coasting. Just over 10 minutes into the 2nd half sub Paul Walsh played an excellent through ball to Knight who beat the Turriff offside trap just past the half way line & sprinted towards goal, slotting the ball calmly under the advancing goalkeeper. 68 minutes in & Turriff pulled a goal back when Chris Konopka couldn't reach a lobbed shot from just inside the box. On the 70th minute Walsh set up Knight again to give the striker his hat-trick & put Waterford 4:1 up. Amos almost extended Waterford's lead further with 2 minutes to go but his shot came back off of the crossbar. Waterford hat time for just one more shot, courtasy of Walsh, that forced the keeper to make a good save.

The first 20 minutes of the game saw both sides struggle to retain possesion but it was Ballymena who managed to get the games first shot off. On the 25th minute Alan Murphy set up Stephen Grant who knocked the ball past the keeper in what was Waterford's first chance on goal. The 2 Murphy's on the right flank linked up well to get the ball into the box on the 30th minute but Vinny Sullivan couldn't get his head to it & Davy Byrne shot wide from outside the box soon after. Ballymena struck the crossbar from a corner on the 35th minute. Stephen Grant almost doubled his talley a minute later when he dispossesed the Ballymena keeper & passed the ball into the empty net but his challenge on the Northern Irish keeper was deemed too harsh & earned him a yellow card. With just over 5 minutes to go of the first half Grant picked up the ball on the left wing & sent it in to Vinny Sullivan who got his head to it & scored. The visitors from across the boarder almost pulled a goal back instantly but the striker just his shot. With just one change form the hosts the 2nd half kicked off. Ballymena started the 2nd half the better of the 2 teams having a couple of shots but nothing on target. Alan Murphy had to be subbed off half way through the 2nd half due to an injury. Waterford conceeded a goal on the 66th minute through no fault of their own, the Ballymena striker shot from well outside the box & there was nothing the keeper could do about it. Soon after the goal, Waterford re-extended their lead when Paul Murphy crossed the ball in to Vinny Sullivan & the striker did what he seems to do best: score with his head. Davy Byrne was the 2nd Waterford player to go off injured on the 77th minute. Ballymena then pulled another goal back to set up an exciting final 10 minutes & that it was! Vinny Sullivan rounded off his hat-trick with a superb solo goal, beating a defender then striking the ball past the advancing keeper to make it 4:2 to Waterford. One minute later Sullivan bagged his 4th goal of the game, steaming into the box to slide into a cross from Willie John Kiely. The game ended 5:2 to Waterford & Vinny Sullivan has just shown that he must be an integral part of the side's push for promotion.


Alan Murphy & Davy Byrne both picked up injuries that will see them miss the rest of pre season & possibly the first game or two of the league season. Alan Murphy picked up a groin strain that will see him out for about a month & Davy Byrne will be out for anything between 7 weeks & 2 months with a sprained ankle.


Striker David Grincell & midfielder John Kearney have both been released from their contracts with Waterford United.