Build it and they will come: Doire Trasna’s ladies football story

By Michael McMullan

DOIRE Trasna turn 25 in January and they will mark the anniversary by fielding a senior ladies’ team for the first time.

An u-14 boys team started off in 2001, knocking Sleacht Néill out of the Féile the following season, a team that included former Derry captain Chrissy McKaigue.

It was a Doire Trasna group that went on to form the backbone of their senior team that now have sons and daughters representing the club.

It’s the same ‘build it and they will come’ mantra with the ladies’ teams. Paul Simpson started the ball rolling 15 years ago with sisters of the boys given an avenue to play for the first time.

“Paul started it off in Glenaden Hall, at the top of Gobnascale,” recalls Alan Nash, one the coaches heavily involved in the growth.

“It was an old green-carpeted venue that someone had made into a business, trying to get five-a-side soccer going.”

Every Friday night, a dozen girls would play before moving to surrounding clubs who had the numbers and established teams. As the years passed, Doire Trasna arrived at a crossroads.

“About 10 years ago, we made the decision to get them playing competitive football rather than just a Friday night training session and make them feel more part of the club.”

Regular outdoor Sunday training on grass began, leading to a few unofficial challenge games arranged to test the water. They were ready. It was time to join the growing Derry LGFA family.

“Paul Simpson, his daughters and Joanne Ferry would have been the main pushers of ladies football within the club,” Nash added.

Another factor was the drive of Craigbane man Conrad McGuigan who pushed the game in feeder school Sacred Heart Primary School.

“My daughter Saoirse would have played and then became PRO. She got a passion for girls sport and told me I needed to get involved.”

Nash took charge of the u-10s, with Simpson looking after the older team. It progressed into an u-14 side before there were enough players for two u-14 teams.

“Between Paul Simpson and Eoghan Carlin, I would say they’ve had a hand in every girl that’s played for the club,” Nash said.

“Either coaching within the schools with Eoghan being the GPO or Paul who has just been the leading light of LGFA within our club.”

Simpson, who also had success coaching Derry underage teams, is the minor manager. Nash is among a group of four who look after the u-16s. They lost a recent shield final with all but two players still underage for 2026.

“We have between 40 and 50 girls at both u-10 and u-8,” Nash added. “The numbers, girl-wise, has it just exploded within the club because there’s competitive football for them.

“They’re all at different levels. You have some that are extraordinarily talented. There are others who love being out, doing cartwheels and playing games.

“They are messing about with their friends for an hour and having fun. The whole plan is to just keep this building.”

The concern numbers would drop away after Covid never materialised. Now, they simply don’t have enough grass.

After opening their new pitch in recent years, they could do with another one. It’s changed times since a dozen girls squeezing into a hall for Friday night football.

Chairperson Mark O’Doherty was key to getting the pitch during his time as development officer. A clubhouse and gym are next on the horizon.

“We’re now in a situation where we can only book the Waterside Shared Village two nights a week,” Nash said of their search for additional training facilities.

“To be truthful, we could probably book it four or five nights a week on top of what we’re using in our own pitch.”

Every team, boys and girls, have their slot once a week. From a club finding its feet, now it’s all about which step to take next.

Outside of the competitive games, there is a Mothers and Others team. They’ve the Dads and Lads.

If you want a game, there was a team for everybody until a quick survey flagged up 12 girls moving out of minor. Another crossroads.

In the past, girls would fall in with whatever team they fancied. This time a club senior ladies team was firmly on the committee table.

“The decision was made a few months back, we’d put out an expression of interest for a senior team,” Nash points out.

“It was decided to hold off until the end of the season, when everybody had their football played.”

In recent weeks, they pushed send on a proposal for a senior team. Nash’s phone lit up and kept lighting up. At the time of writing, he has 32 players on the books for next season.

“Some have come from different parishes,” he said. “Some have come from different counties. Some have never played before but really have a passion for the culture and really want to get involved. Then we’ve got ones that haven’t played since secondary school.”

It’s exciting times. The next stage is to meet the girls and start the wheel turning ahead of next season.

“The whole plan is to connect that whole pathway, from nursery right through. That our younger girls now can go and see the oldest girls playing football. It shows them there is an avenue for them to play when they’re older.”

An announcement of planning for another 200 houses on the doorstep of their pitch means the club is only going one way. The graph is pointing up. In the beginning the problem was numbers. Now it is a lack of grass and scope for growth.

Until this year, any girl above minor age had a decision to make – quit or play for someone else. Not anymore. Doire Trasna’s senior ladies dressing room door is open. Build it and they will come.