THE old adage that the GAA has a monopoly on the emigrant sporting experience is being challenged by Irish soccer clubs recently set up in Britain.
A recent fixture between UCC Diaspora, based in London’s South Wimbledon, and the Irish formed Tooting Celtic, brought respite from the popular thinking that suggests the collective experience of Irish sport abroad is a GAA thing.
Chairman of UCC Diaspora Paul Williamson says that 90 per cent of the players in the clubs three teams are Irish and that the establishment of ‘Irish’ sports clubs outside the GAA represents the modern experience of settling overseas.
“It’s a sign of the times,” Williamson told The Irish Post before going on to explain that the club was established in 2010 by graduates from University College Cork.
Since the first team have been promoted to the Premier Division of the Wimbledon and District League and have added two more Saturday teams.
“I’d say the age sweep is from 22 to 35 with an average age of 27,” he said. “There’s a mix between members working in banking (finance) construction professionals mainly. In the beginning there were a lot from Cork but there are a lot from Dublin now. Many played a decent level at home and we have five or six established English players in the club.”
The chairman said many of the members live around London’s South West in Clapham, Tooting, Earlsfield and Wimbledon.
