In the Fall of 1981 Tom McDermitt had a vision of soccer being played in Shannondale and other areas in Jefferson County. He had heard of a gentleman in Tuscawilla Hills who shared the same goal of a countywide soccer league. At that time the only field was a small facility in that subdivision just south of Charles Town.

Tom knew that many young Shannondalians would fall in love with this great sport. And the ‘dale (then Shannondale Club Limited) owned the old recreational field behind the former Administration Building and across Furnace Run(what the old-timers called the Lower Picnic Area). The old ballfield had been languishing from neglect for more than a few years and Tom saw an area overgrown with four foot high grass and underbrush.

Anxious to determine what lay underneath, Mr. McDermitt, with permission from Club Ltd., took it upon himself to employ a contractor to bush hog the area and was pleasantly(to say the least) surprised to find the surface suitable for playing soccer! Saturday mornings would find Tom, his fellow soccer enthusiast, Joe Bound, and youngsters 8-11 years in age at the field kicking balls and learning the fundamentals of the game and scrimmaging.

The youngsters were athletically enthusiastic, excited by the play of the game even though field markers were plastic milk jugs. Tom was riding the crest of the wave of popularity that was to wash over soccer in the early 1980's. Our young ‘dalians were excited by the prospect of competitive play and interest was beginning to burgeon in Charles Town and The Shepherdstown areas.

Now anyone in Shannondale at that time knew that Tom was a Scotsman- he made it a point of telling you! He spent his first 18 years there and was a RABID Glasgow Celtic supporter. In fact, he remains a fervently enthusiastic fan of that team. It’s not surprising that he would name the teams of his young charges after his Scottish favorites.

Thus the Shannondale Celtic teams were "born". The kids eagerly awaited the time they could don the green and white uniforms of their namesakes in Glasgow carrying on a tradition of a championship team over 3000 miles away "over the pond". After substantial preparation it appeared the field by the Shenandoah held the promise of a full-sized, regulation soccer venue ready to rival facilities being constructed in other areas of the County.( And what a beautiful place to play, too!)

Now to be a soccer field, you need more than a flat grassy area. Obviously you need goal posts. It’s hard to score a goal with no posts! Help came from one of our S’dalians who worked for the telephone Company. He procured(don’t ask) 6 poles, had them cut to size and erected them at the playing field.. With several coats of paint, presto- chango, the Celtic had goal posts!. Every Play on Broadway has at least one financial angel and the necessary markers, netting, flags , etc. were purchased by the parent of one of the soon to be Celtic team.

Soccer in Jefferson County had come of age. The Jefferson County Youth Soccer League (JCYSL) came into being. Shannondale added two Celtic teams to the mix. In order to fill the rosters areas players from outside of the subdivision were recruited. No problem was posed on that front as the kids from the ‘dale attended Blue Ridge Elementary School and their schoolmates were overjoyed to join in the fun.

Equipment for players such as shin guards, Soccer balls and other items were furnished through the generosity of the Shannondale Women’s Club and a couple of generous spectators who had watched the boys practice. The first uniform shirts were picked from a Penney’s catalog. Despite the "higglety-pigglety" means that the players were equipped, they looked like pros and in short order showed other teams that they knew the play of the game.

The success of these first teams encouraged younger and older kids in the area to want to join in the fun. And it became essential to expand the facilities with the addition of a smaller field for the younger set. As has been said, Soccer explode onto the Jefferson County sports scene attracting the interest of the national organization, AYSO. This group provided needed consistency with coaching and refereeing manuals and official rules and regulations for the play of the sport.

As soon as the smaller field was ready for play, the Celtic expanded to five teams with approximately 75 participants! The fields at the river hosted games every other Saturday during the season. Sounds of soccer balls being kicked, whistles being blown by referees, and fans hollerin’ for their favorite teams filled the air!

To raise money(and for fun, too) the parents established a concession stand and fired up the grills to get money for equipment. Between the Spring and Fall seasons an awards banquet was organized a la picnic style replete with covered dish entrees and the "famous" and enormous Shannondale Celtic sheet cakes with appropriate decorations!

The event was highlighted by the players’ receipt of trophies and a big thank you from the coaches to all of their players. The looks on those youngsters’ faces holding those awards made all the effort that was put into the soccer program worthwhile. It was truly a wonderful time for the kids on the Mountain.

Mother Nature dealt a devastating blow to the program in 1985 when after a wet period, the remnants of a hurricane named Juan came up the Appalachian mountains and dropped nearly two feet of water into the headwaters of the Shenandoah River. The ensuing flood deposited acres of mud and debris many feet thick over the beautiful playing fields. And the costs of restoring the area was too prohibitive to continue.

Those five short years from 1981 thru 1985 were soccer’s happy days for our kids on the Blue Ridge who participated as the Shannondale Celtic teams. As we write this we’re awed by the fact that those youngsters are now mothers and fathers who are coaching their own kids and regaling them with tales of the days when Scottish "football" came to Shannondale and how sweet those days were!

Tom McDermitt may have been the catalyst that got the ball rolling(pun intended) with soccer in the ‘dale, but without the help and dedication of the many wonderful people involved, it would never have become a reality.

And now we break for a commercial from the webservant of your website. You all can make those memories more alive by helping to build a photographic history of the Celtic Teams and by telling your own stories about those days. The coach has done his duty, now you do yours!!!

Now, let the Celtic Show begin!!!.