The Ulster Senior League has stated it is “saddened” by the withdrawal of Drumkeen United from the league this week but insisted the show must go on with the remaining six clubs.
The club from St Patrick’s Park (pictured above when they face Bohemians in the FAI Cup in 2012) announced on Thursday that, with regret, they were pulling out of the league. A club statement read: “We quite simply do not have enough players of the caliber necessary to compete at that level.
“We wish to apologise to the Ulster Senior League for any inconvenience caused and we wish them all the best for the season ahead.”
Drumkeen have a team registered in the Donegal Junior Football League and will take part in the Saturday Divisions for the coming season.
The Ulster Senior League – who will have Letterkenny Rovers, Cockhill Celtic, Bonagee United, Swilly Rovers, Fanad United and Derry City reserves for the campaign ahead – this afternoon released a statement of their own.
It reads: “We were saddened to learn on Thursday morning of Drumkeen United’s decision not to participate in the 2015/16 Ulster Senior League season that marks our return to a winter football calendar. We fully understand the position that they find themselves in and we hope that it is a temporary situation for a long standing member of the Ulster Senior League.
“It is the hope of the league that they can use the upcoming season to consolidate their club’s position through their participation in the Donegal Saturday League with a view to re-joining the intermediate ranks in the future. The club has a solid foundation with the great facilities they have developed and the good underage structure that they have in place.
“While it is too early to speculate on the implications for the future of the Ulster Senior League and intermediate football here in County Donegal, it is the intention of the Executive to continue with the six teams that have committed to playing in the 2015/16 season to ensure that they and we can offer football at the highest local level possible for the upcoming season. A new set of fixtures will be issued in the coming days to the remaining clubs.
“We will have dialogue with our member clubs throughout the winter to establish the best way forward to retain Intermediate football here in the north-west corner of Ireland.”
In a bid to bolster the numbers in future seasons, the Ulster Senior League has asked successful junior clubs to consider joining the intermediate bracket, especially with the representative sides doing so well on a national stage.
Last season the Inishowen League won the coveted Oscar Traynor Cup and the Ulster Senior League inter-provincial  side has won the Michael Ward Trophy in each of the last two years.
The statement continues: “It is our goal to attract more clubs into our league, there is no hiding the fact that we have lost several members over the last five years and we would appeal to the clubs that win their respective Junior Leagues to give serious consideration to joining the ranks of intermediate football and testing themselves and their players at a higher level.
“We’d love to see more clubs from south Donegal and Inishowen compete in our league as these are two areas that have had little or no representation in the USL in recent seasons.
“The success of the Inishowen League in the Oscar Traynor Cup in recent seasons would suggest that there are a lot of players there capable of making the step up to Intermediate football, yet there is only one club – double, double winners Cockhill Celtic –  from Inishowen competing in the USL at present.
“The USL has been very successful at inter-provincial level in recent seasons having won the Michael Ward Trophy over the past two seasons under the guidance of Donal O’Brien and Trevor Scanlon, so it would be nice to build on that success by expanding the number of teams and players competing in the Ulster Senior League.
“The recent inter-provincial successes are proof that we have quality players in our league – in recent seasons several players have also made the jump cross channel from Derry City Reserves having plied their trade in the USL.”
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