We Love the Underdogs!

Seville recently hosted a tournament for the Southern Iberia GAA League which had clubs from Gibraltar, Lisbon, and the Costa Del Sol in attendance. Playing off 5 matches per club for both Ladies and Men, it was a fantastic day of football and a great event.

On reflection though, we have to make something clear. While the winners will always, and should always celebrate their achievement, we believe it’s important to not only recognize the new clubs that have been formed and are competing, but also the new players who form these clubs.

Beginning a new club or squad, getting involved in a game for the first time, meeting new people in an unfamiliar environment, and taking on the challenge of playing a sport that can be complicated such as Gaelic Football is daunting. But it can and is exciting and rewarding.

The Challenges

To begin, you will no doubt face challenges, lack of matches or game time, difficult results and losses, injuries and frustrations. But each and every club you compete against has faced those same issues. To persevere, to challenge yourself further, to be resolute, and to develop a passion for the sport and the community will only serve to make you a stronger person, and a better club and overall create a much more vibrant and exciting competition for everyone.

So to all the ladies and men who turn up, keep turning up, who have lost matches but continue to train, who seek out others with similar interests and bring them with you on this journey, we want to say “Thank You”.

Without you, there is no future or growth for our games and community and we will continue to support you, and find more ways to keep you involved and engaged until you realize, suddenly, you are winning, you are growing, you are developing and the past has been left behind to a brighter and more stable future.

Remember!

The road to Heaven is well signposted, but it’s badly lit at night.

With resilience, character, fortitude, and determination, you will succeed as have all of us!

To the Underdogs. You know who you are.
We thank you!

Justin Parks and the Andalucian CCC
Andalucia, Gibraltar and Portugal GAA
On behalf of Iberia Gaelic Games