Readers of The Clare Echo have chosen what they regard to be the county’s best soccer team of the past three decades.
Voters in their thousands availed of the one week window to have their say and submit their preference on who they felt should be included on Clare’s greatest soccer team of 1990 to 2020.
As is par for the course following a public vote, there will be disagreement with the final selection. Only two Clare footballers have been named as FAI Junior International of the Year and surprisingly neither Stephen Kelly or Eoin Hayes received sufficient votes by the public to be included in the team.
Ennis Town’s Darryl Eade, Avenue Utd trio David Russell, Gary Flynn and Eddie McCarthy came close in their positions as did Newmarket Celtic’s Kieran Mahony and Christy O’Donoghue of St Pats.
Each player that received the highest amount of votes for the position in which they were nominated in was selected on the final team.
Avenue Utd lead the way with four players selected, followed closely by Newmarket Celtic’s three with representatives from St Pats, Connolly Celtic, Newtown and Moher Celtic completing the lineup.
Clare’s greatest soccer team (1990 – 2020) as voted by the public:
1: Johnnie Purtill (Avenue Utd) 1,471
2: Alfonso D’Auria (Avenue Utd) 5,743
3: Kieran Browne (St Pats) 7,013
4: Paddy Purcell (Newmarket Celtic) 2,355
5: Kieran Dillon (Connolly Celtic) 2,564
6: Noel Collins (Newmarket Celtic) 7,399
7: Paul Carr (Newtown) 1,088
8: Johnnie Daly (Moher Celtic) 1,357
9: Martin O’Neill (Newmarket Celtic) 10,161
10: Mickey Byrnes (Avenue Utd) 4,500
11: Kieran Ryan (Avenue Utd) 2,331
