Shannon Olympic

Shannon Olympic F.C. are a football club based in Shannon, County Clare, Ireland. They were established in 1993 and joined the Clare League in the same year. For the 2007-2008 season they are members of the Clare Hire and Sales Division 1, after relegation in 2006-2007. The club was founded by Chilean refugees led by Móro Santino in 1993. The club has enjoyed mixed success through the years. In 2005 the club held a competition in the local schools to create a team mascot ("Wayn'O Wonder - Dog") to help change their fortune. This did ensure a quick turnaround although the club were unluckily beaten in the quarter final of the Inter-Toto Cup. The club has had its fair share of scandal and controversy over the years. Striker Jason Regan was banned for eight games and fined €300 for launching a violent shot at a pregnant female spectator, although he claimed he was aiming for the team's mascot. Defender Ronan 'Mad Dog' McGirl was infamously sent off for a viscious knee-high challenge against Lifford B. The tackle gave McGirl much coveted local publicity-albeit shortlasting. In an article in the Clare Courior about the 'tackle', he claimed the opposition players plotted to have him sent him off and teased him about his addiction to chinese food, though this was disproven due to none of the Lifford players actually knowing who he is.

James Bullman has trained the team since 1995, doing so in that time without a whistle. Promising midfielder David Collins turned down a lucrative contract to pursue a career as a rap artist under the name of Collie. http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=7850798 The team colours are red and blue and the team ground is "The Big Blue" with a capacity of 15,343. The highest attendance ever recorded was 152 against Rock Rovers on 13th March 2004.

External links

* [http://www.a2zsoccer.com/index.cfm/loc/3/hostorg_id/809278.htm League reference]