Last week we told you about Castle Villa FC Girls at Football Cup Barcelona. This week it was the turn of three more Irish teams travelling with DB Sports Tours, and the weekend of 24 and 25 October gave them plenty to remember.
Passage AFC from Cork, Ballina Town from Sligo and Castle Villa FC from Kildare, all headed to Salou for the October edition of Football Cup Barcelona, a youth football tournament. Three different age groups, three different stories, and teams from Sweden, Norway, Brazil, England, Scotland, Finland, France and Catalonia standing in their way.
Here’s how it all went.
Passage AFC (Cork) Take Third Place in the Girls 2009 Section
Passage AFC were in the Girls 2009 section, a six team competition where every team played each other once before the placing games. Fellow Irish side New Oak AFC were in there too, along with four Swedish clubs.
It started with a narrow 1-0 loss to Smedby AIS, who went on to win the whole thing. The girls responded straight away with a 2-0 win over New Oak AFC, Chloe Murray scoring both goals. A 2-1 win over Viggbyholms IK FF followed later that day, with Roisin Hanlon scoring twice.
Sunday brought two tough ones. A 1-0 loss to Brommapojkarna IF and a 2-0 loss to Ytterby IS meant the group finished with two wins and three defeats. Look at those first two losses again though. Smedby AIS and Brommapojkarna IF finished first and second in the section, and Passage lost to each of them by a single goal.
That left the third place game and a rematch with New Oak AFC. Passage won it 2-1, with Chloe Murray and Sarah Hendrick on the scoresheet, to finish third in the section.
| Match | Opponent | Result | Scorers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group, Saturday | Smedby AIS (Sweden) | 0-1 loss | |
| Group, Saturday | New Oak AFC (Ireland) | 2-0 win | Chloe Murray (2) |
| Group, Saturday | Viggbyholms IK FF (Sweden) | 2-1 win | Roisin Hanlon (2) |
| Group, Sunday | Brommapojkarna IF (Sweden) | 0-1 loss | |
| Group, Sunday | Ytterby IS (Sweden) | 0-2 loss | |
| 3rd place game | New Oak AFC (Ireland) | 2-1 win | Chloe Murray, Sarah Hendrick |
Chloe Murray finished the weekend with 3 goals, one of the top scorers in the section, and Roisin Hanlon added 2. A brilliant bronze medal weekend for the Cork girls.
Ballina Town (Sligo) Win the C Final in Boys 2013
Ballina Town FC lined up in the Boys 2013 section, 12 teams from 6 countries split into three groups of four.
Group C was a close one. A 3-0 loss to Club DC Dynamic Coaching, who went on to finish second in the whole section, was followed by a 1-0 win over Käpylä United 1 from Finland. Then came a 4-1 defeat to Step into Sport from England. All four teams in the group finished on 3 points or more, and goal difference was what separated them.
Sunday was a different story entirely. In the C Final semi final, Ballina Town hit Ballyoulster for 13 without reply, a result that put them straight into the C Final against Step into Sport. It finished 0-0 after full time, and Ballina won the penalty shootout 4-3 to lift the C Final.
| Match | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Group, Saturday | Club DC Dynamic Coaching (Ireland) | 0-3 loss |
| Group, Saturday | Käpylä United 1 (Finland) | 1-0 win |
| Group, Saturday | Step into Sport (England) | 1-4 loss |
| C Final semi final | Ballyoulster (Ireland) | 13-0 win |
| C Final | Step into Sport (England) | 0-0, won 4-3 on penalties |
Scott Clarke scored 3 goals, with Jack Maughan, Jack Molloy and James Syron each adding 2. The team scored 15 goals across the tournament, the fifth most in the section, and conceded 7, the fourth best defence. They also finished the tournament without a single card.
Castle Villa FC Boys Finish on a High in Boys 2011
The Boys 2011 section was the biggest of the three, with 16 teams from 7 countries, and Castle Villa FC Boys were drawn in a tough Group C.
They opened with a 0-0 draw against Boo FF from Sweden, then took on two of the strongest teams in the section. Wealdstone Youth FC from England and SK Brann from Norway, who went on to win the tournament, were tough opposition and a great test for the boys.
Sunday brought a close game against CE Mas Iglesias from Catalonia, then the best performance of the weekend. In their final game against Sementes do Futuro from Brazil, Castle Villa FC Boys put 5 past them for a 5-1 win. Harry Butilear scored twice, with Eoin Killalee, Fionn Brophy and Ryan Poole getting one each.
| Match | Opponent | Result | Scorers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group, Saturday | Boo FF (Sweden) | 0-0 draw | |
| Group, Saturday | Wealdstone Youth FC (England) | 0-3 loss | |
| Group, Saturday | SK Brann (Norway) | 0-6 loss | |
| Sunday | CE Mas Iglesias (Catalonia) | 0-1 loss | |
| Final game, Sunday | Sementes do Futuro (Brazil) | 5-1 win | Harry Butilear (2), Eoin Killalee, Fionn Brophy, Ryan Poole |
A great way to finish the weekend, and plenty of valuable experience against some of the best age group teams in Europe.
Why Irish Teams Keep Coming Back to Football Cup Barcelona
This is the kind of weekend that stays with players. They play against teams from different countries, in different styles, in a tournament that’s organised properly from kick off to trophy presentation. Then there’s Salou and Cambrils itself, a Mediterranean holiday town that turns a football tournament into a proper team trip.
DB Sports Tours takes Irish teams to Football Cup Barcelona, and our exclusive partnership with Cambrils Park Resort for Irish team training camps has just been extended for another three years. If you’re an Irish club or academy thinking about a youth football tournament in Spain, or a warm weather training camp, it’s worth talking to us.
Football Cup Barcelona 2027: April Is Sold Out, October Is Open
Demand for Football Cup Barcelona is high. The April 2027 tournament (3 to 4 April) is currently sold out, with a waiting list of teams hoping to get in.
We are now taking bookings for October 2027:
- 23 to 24 October 2027
- 30 to 31 October 2027
It’s an all in package, with flights, accommodation, meals, transfers and tournament entry looked after in one place. We can also add extra nights or build a training camp around the tournament, and every package can be tailored to your numbers, dates and budget. The earlier you book, the more time you have to plan and spread the cost.
Passage AFC, Ballina Town and Castle Villa FC have shown what a weekend in Spain can do for a team. Maybe yours is next.
Ready to enter Football Cup Barcelona October 2027? Find out more and start planning your team’s trip
