Waesch and Clarke confirmed as Athlone Town captain's for 2026 season
Kevin O'Neill
Athlone Town FC have announced that Hannah Waesch and Brendan Clarke are to be the senior women's and men's team captains, respectively, for the 2026 League of Ireland season.
The Texas-born Waesch joined Athlone last December after her graduation from the University of Texas, and the midfield maestro played a dynamic role in helping the Town win both the SSE Airtricity Women's Premier Division title and the Sports Direct Women's FAI Cup.
Waesch, who also holds a German passport, also proved a picotal performer in Athlone's European adventures last season, scoring in the ties against Cardiff City and Croatia's ZNK Agram.
Clarke, meanwhile, is a vastly experienced goalkeeper in the League of Ireland, and will be hoping to offer Athlone a solid base on which to build on from the back. Now 40, Clarke has an impressive back catalogue of experience to draw on, having won the Premier Division with St Patrick's Athletic, in 2013, and also helping them to win the FAI Cup, which he has also won with Sligo Rovers.
The Dubliner has also helped two teams, Galway Utd (his most recent club) and Shelbourne, to the First Division title. Clarke has also twice been chosen in the PFAI Team of the Year, including as recently as 2024.
Clarke will be hoping to be involved tomorrow night (Friday, January 30) when the Town complete their Leinster Senior Cup group stage campaign against local outfit St Peter's (Athlone Town Stadium, 7,45pm). St Peter's, with three points from their opening two group fixtures, still have an outside chance of qualifying for the knockout stages while Athlone, with two heavy losses under their belts against Premier Division Dundalk and Shelbourne, have little but local pride and pre-season fitness to play for.
Athlone will then begin their First Division league campaign against Finn Harps on Friday, February 6 (Athlone Town Stadium, 7.45pm). Athlone's all-conquering women's team will begin the defence of their league title when they face Sligo Rovers in mid-March. Their first home game will be against DLR Waves on March 21.