The Shamrocks will open their Cosmopolitan Soccer League Division 1 campaign with a tough away game at newly promoted Zum Schneider on Sunday September 11.

Ironically, this match-up will hand Kevin Grogan’s men an immediate opportunity to avenge the 1-0 League Cup final loss that ended last season against the same opposition who were promoted as Division 2 champions.

Half-time team talk during the 3-1 pre-season win v CPR Whites at Randalls Island on Sunday. Picture by John Riordan

The 8pm kick off at Icahn Stadium in Randalls Island will round off a busy opening day for the Rocks with seven teams beginning the season across the city.

Double winning Shamrocks Women will begin life in Division A of the New York Metropolitan Women’s Soccer League with a clash at NY Magic Reserves in East River Park at 3pm while the newly formed B team will head to New Utrecht for a showdown with newcomers Beyond FC at 1.30pm.

The Shamrocks Women will head into the season buoyed by their victory at the Beyond FC Pre-Season 7-Aside in Long Island City over the weekend and will welcome several impressive new signings on board for the difficult task ahead.

The successful Shamrocks women’s team that won Sunday’s Beyond FC 7-Aside Tournament in Long Island City.

Although the schedules for the Over 30s and the Legends have not been released yet, Shamrocks 1960 know they will face Ridgewood Romac at St Michael’s at 1pm, kicking off their Metro 1 challenge.

Fellow promoted teams Williamsburg International and Metro City Fury Athletic will be the other two opponents in September.

As for the first team, more than half of the busy league schedule will be complete by the winter break in December. The division now has 10 teams with each team playing every other team twice, home and away. Ten matches have been scheduled in the fall and eight matches will be scheduled in the spring. The top four teams will make the playoffs and the bottom two teams will be relegated.

Grogan’s men have enjoyed a productive pre-season with Sunday’s 3-1 win against CPR Whites at Randall’s Island offering some signings a chance to settle in with their new team mates. Goals from Alejandro Fritz, Jamie Clarke and Kwesi Mills-Odoi ensured the win.

NYAC will visit St Michaels on September 17 while the month will round out with a tough away trip to last year’s runners-up, Westchester Eagles. October will be Irish Derby month with away games at Manhattan Celtic (Sunday Oct 9) and Lansdowne Bhoys (Saturday Oct 22). Halloween weekend will then see Polonia visit St Michaels after the dissolution of United FC allowed the Greenpoint outfit a second chance at the top level.

There will be two games against Pancyprians before the year’s end with those home and away ties split by a home game against newly promoted Doxa on the Saturday before Thanksgiving.