While the noughties may have been a relatively fruitless decade for Louth football supporters with only minor successess in the National League and O'Byrne Cup to celebrate, it was a decade in which club football in the county changed dramatically with the introduction of the league system into the Club Championship which was dominated by Newtown Blues, Mattock Rangers and St. Patrick¹s at senior level, with each club winning the Joe Ward Cup three times.

As we enter a new decade, The Argus and Drogheda Independent look back and with the help of three renowned Louth Gaels, Paddy Clarke, David Reilly and Niall Lambert select a Club Team of the Decade.

We will reveal our selection in the coming weeks, with a prize on offer to the reader who matches or comes closest to our selection.

This week we start off our selection process with a list of players who were most impressive with their clubs during the past ten years.

Next week we will reduce the list below to our final nominees from which we will name our Louth Club Team of the Decade.

If you feel we have omitted a player worthy of consideration from the list below, please email johnsavage@argus.ie by noon Thursday, January 14.

The Contenders

Lannleire - Martin Farrelly, Nicky Malone, Carlos Lambe, Alan Murphy

Cooley Kickhams - Alan Page, Jason Malone, Seamus Quigley, Brian White, Sean O¹Neill, John Kane

Clan na Gael - Niall O¹Donnell, Seamus O¹Hanlon, Cathal O¹Hanlon, Mark McGeown, JJ Quigley

Hunterstown Rovers - John Levins, Dessie Levins, Paddy Matthews, Paul Carrie

Newtown Blues - Colin Kelly, Colm Nally, Breen Philips, Simon Gerrard,

Raymond Hughes, Keith Lynch, Hugh McGinn, Colm Judge Mattock Rangers - Michael Englishby, Christy Grimes, David Reid, David Brennan, Mark Brennan, Gerry Hanratty, Ernie Roche, Sean Gilsenan, Adrian Reid

St. Joseph's - Ollie McDonnell, Stephen Melia, David Reilly, Mark Gorham, Declan O¹Sullivan, Enda McKeown, Paudie McEnteggart, Derek Mulligan, Martin Farrelly

Dundalk Gaels - Ray Rooney, Aidan Delaney, David Coleman, Davy McDonnell, Peter McGinnity, Derek Crilly

St. Mary¹s - Alan Rooney, Niall Sharkey, Alan Doherty, Darren Clarke, Ronan Carroll, Niall Carroll, Robbie Keenan, Paul Malone, Brian Keenan

St. Brides - Aaron Hoey, Ray Kelly, Barry Corcoran, Paul Kirk, Pearse Murphy, David Dunne

Stabannon Parnells - Ken Reilly, Pat Butterly, Aidan Shevlin, Martin King

Geraldines - John Sands, Nicholas Browne, Dermot Rogers, John Neary, Joe Corcoran, Paudie Lynch

Sean O¹Mahonys - Pascal Sage, John O¹Brien, David Dowling, Brendan Nordone Naomh Malachi - Miceal Daly, Feidhlim Daly, Ruaidhri Daly, Colin Murtagh, Ronan McElroy, Ronan

Greene O¹Connells - Stuart Reynolds, Mark Stanfield, Paul McKeever, Colin Kearney

St. Fechins - Nigel Beirth, Bevan Duffy

Roche Emmets - Aidan O¹Neill, Dermot Craven, Kevin Callaghan

Dreadnots - Gary Shevlin, Paddy McGuigan, Derek Shevlin, Fergal McGuigan, Chris Mulroy, Colin Kelly, Darren Malone

Kilkerley Emmets - Shane Lennon, James Fagan, Donal McElroy, Frank Noonan

Glyde Rangers - Gerard Sheridan, David Devaney, Anthony Nulty, Trevor O¹Brien, David Martin

St. Patrick¹s - Colin Goss, Dessie Finnegan, Ray Finnegan, Paddy Keenan, Darren Kirwan, Johnny Keenan, Johnny Holland, Eamon Carroll, Sean Connor, Owen Zamboglou

St. Kevins - Niall Treadwell, Liam Boylan, Mark Boylan, Michael Grogan

John Mitchells - Des Halpenny, Carl Courtney, Brendan Reilly

Naomh Mairtin - JP Rooney, Nicky McDonnell, Eddie Martin, Francis McCullough, James McDonnell St. Mochtas - Gervaise Marron. Colin Hoey, Nicky Browne, Martin McGahon, Gareth O¹Reilly, Conor Ryan Na Piarsaigh - Cormac Malone, Alan McCartney, Ronan McCartney, Robbie Nash, Donal Hegarty, Mark Larkin, Shane

Callan O¹Raghallaighs - Eoghan Farrelly, Craig McEnteggart, Andrew Rogan

Oliver Plunketts - Johnny Kermath, Davy Boylan, John Moroney, Emmet Kelleher

Sean McDermotts - Brendan McGahon, Patrick Osborne, Kevin Carroll, James Woods, Kevin McMahon

Naomh Finbarra - John Doyle, Nigel Shevlin, Bernard Osborne, Mark Devlin

Annaghminnon Rovers - Tony Martin, Tony Kelly Dowdallshill - Gerry McShane, Ciaran O¹Callaghan

Dundalk Young Irelands - Aaron Rogers, Derek Maguire

Glen Emmets - David Bracken, Joey Carolan, Eamon Taaffe St. Nicholas - Andrew Tinley, Johnny Carter

Westerns - Clint Sweeney, Terence Sweeney, Dermot McArdle Wolfe Tones - John Kelly, Kevin Bull