Dundalk FC Magazine 2020 | Issue 5 | Shelbourne

OFFICIAL DUNDALK FC MAGAZINE | ISSUE 5 - €3

DUNDALK v SHELBOURNE FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11TH 2020

KICK-OFF 8PM

WE’RE IN GOOD HANDS AGAIN FOR ANOTHER GREAT SEASON!

A GREAT TEAM

CLUB DIRECTORY Honorary Club President Des Casey Chairman Bill Hulsizer Vice-Chairman Michael Hughes Board Michael Hughes, Bill Hulsizer, James Baboulas, Martin Connolly, David Samhat & Fred Spencer Chief Operating Officer Martin Connolly Finance Officer Elaine Duffy Chief Business Officer David Minto Media Content Officer Gavin McLaughlin Projects Manager Aaron Lawless Office Manager Ailish Kelly Office Admin Karen Travers, Gary Cronin Club Ambassadors Padraig McGowan, Paul Brown, Andy Connolly Player Liaison Officer Des Dunleavy Community Officer Liam Burns Press Officer Darren Crawley Child Protection Officer Aoife Burns Event Controller Regina O’Hare Bar Manager Kevin Carthy PA Announcer Michael Duffy DFCTV Chris Clarke

TEAM MANAGEMENT First Team Coach Filippo Giovagnoli Assistant Coach Giuseppe Rossi Opposition Analyst Shane Keegan Goalkeeping Coach Steve Williams Strength/Conditioning Graham Norton Kit Manager Noel Walsh Doctor Dr David Connolly Physiotherapists Danny Miller & David Murphy Sports Science David Maguire Videographer Shane Taaffe

DUNDALK FC MAGAZINE DFC Magazine Editors: Colm Murphy, Paul Dunne, Gavin McLaughlin DFC Magazine Contributors: Jim Murphy RIP, Ruth Hardy, Darren Crawley, David Farrelly, Tom O’Connor, Sean DeLoughrey, Martyn Hindley Sales: Helen Myers, Jimmy Neary, Roy Mackin, Stephen Neary, Patrick O’Neill Thanks to: David Caldwell Photography: Sportsfile, Ciaran Culligan Programme of the Year 2008 (First Division) / 2010 / 2011 / 2012 / 2013 / 2014 / 2015 / 2016 / 2017 / 2019 Dedication: The 2020 DFC Magazine is dedicated to Jim Murphy.

Note: The views expressed in this magazine are those of the individual contributors and not necessarily shared by Dundalk FC. Especially The Spectator... ©2020 Dundalk FC

DUNDALK FC V SHELBOURNE | 11.09.2020

IN THIS

ISSUE 4 Opening Shot

28 Patreon Membership

6 From The Dugout

30 Filippo Giovagnoli

9 Player Q&A

40 Europa League Preview

10 From The Dressing Room

44 1988: Red Star Belgrade

12 Fyffes Summer Camps

52 Jimmy Corcoran Interview

19 Welcome to Shelbourne

57 The Numbers Game

22 Shelbourne Pen Pics

58 2020 Fixtures and Stats

25 Played For Both

60 The Spectator

26 2020 Player Sponsors

62 Injury Time: Quiz

OPENING SHOT

4

SEPTEMBER 1ST 2020 | UEFA HQ | NYON, SWITZERLAND The draw for the third qualifying round of the Europa League.

If Dundalk can overcome Inter Club D’Escaldes in round two we will face FC Sheriff Tiraspol from Moldova

5

FROM THE DUGOUT

I

FILIPPO GIOVAGNOLI

n September we’ll play league games and we also have the Europa League but our main focus is on tonight’s game because it’s the start of an important period for us. I’ve watched Shelbourne play on video and we will respect them but we have to play our own game and we have prepared well over the past two weeks. We are ready and we want to put in a good performance.

players are excited to learn something different and to see soccer in a different way. Like I said before, we’re not going to reinvent the wheel but there are different ways of seeing soccer and we are sure that the way we play will make them learn, improve and be better players.

“

good to myself and Giuseppe.

They chase us, they call out our names and I want to give them back the team that they deserve. I want to make it fun for them to watch their team and one of our objectives is to make the fans happy.

I walk around the town every day with Giuseppe and we really like it. It looks like our town in Italy, Apecchio. We used WE’VE HAD LOTS OF MESSAGES OF to live in New York but we SUPPORT THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA come from a similar town in FROM ITALIANS IN DUNDALK AND Italy so I feel at home here.

PEOPLE LIVING IN TOWN. IT MAKES We’ve had lots of messages US FEEL AT HOME. I THINK THIS IS of support through social I have watched a lot A CLUB THAT HAS TO ACT LIKE A media from Italians in of League of Ireland Dundalk and people living FAMILY, TO WORK TOGETHER AND TO games over the past three in town. It makes us feel at FIGHT TOGETHER. I THINK WE CAN DO weeks and you can see that home. I think this is a club THAT AND REINFORCE THE FAMILY there is a kind of style that that has to act like a family, MENTALITY HERE. I’LL BE HONEST, I is consistent here in the to work together and to majority of the teams. We all FELL IN LOVE WITH THE TOWN AND fight together. I think we see soccer differently and we THE CLUB STRAIGHT AWAY AND I can do that and reinforce respect the way teams play WOULD LOVE TO KEEP WORKING the family mentality here. here but we want to play our HERE AND TO EXTEND MY STAY HERE. I’ll be honest, I fell in love kind of soccer. Of course, we with the town and the club will have to adapt to things straight away and I would but we want to go straight I also want to speak love to keep working here down our own road and not about my staff. I am super and to extend my stay here. follow the rest. We are going to happy with the professionalism do what we believe. of every one of them. Graham Dundalk is a successful club, (Norton), the strength and especially in this country, but I We had extra time to work conditioning coach, Willow think it can become successful with the players because the (Steve Williams), the goalkeeper internationally because the Derry City game was called coach, the two medical staff, potential that is here is huge. off and it went really well. The David Murphy and Danny Miller, With structure, you can build players reacted well in training Noel (Walsh) the kitman and something that can become a and we are excited to be the doctor (David Connolly). machine. Trust me, I have visited working with them. They are They are super, strong staff and many clubs in Italy, France and a good group of people and each of them has been really in England and Dundalk has the strong players and I am positive helpful to us.

I am so excited to potential to be comparable with and confident for this game. In be working with them. big clubs in Europe. I am going the end, if you work hard, the to do everything in my ability work will pay off. Always.

Tonight is my first home to stay and extend my contract game in charge of the team and try and have a project here.

Individually, I’ve had a lot and I wish the fans were here of good conversations with to watch it. To be honest, when Enjoy the game. the squad. We have a good I walk through the town the Filippo Giovagnoli connection and I think the supporters are really kind and

“

6

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COMMUNITY PARTNER OF DUNDALK FC

Supporting You, Supporting Community DUNDALKCU.IE

PLAYER Q&A

SEAN MURRAY

DFC Mag: What club have you supported since childhood?

Sean Murray: Chelsea.

DFCM: What’s your favourite dish?

SM: Carbonara.

DFCM: Who is the best player you have played with?

SM: Jack Grealish.

DFCM: Who is the dirtiest player you have played against?

SM: Joey Barton.

DFCM: Which teammate spends the longest in the shower?

SM: Sean Gannon.

DFCM: Who is your best friend at the club?

SM: Jordan Flores because he said me last week.

favourite ground you have played in?

SM: Etihad.

DFCM: Who is the best dressed in the squad?

SM: John Mountney.

DFCM: Your all-time sporting hero?

SM: Tiger Woods.

DFCM: Who is the worst dressed in the squad?

SM: Daniel Kelly.

DFCM: Your favourite holiday destination?

SM: Dubai.

DFCM: Who has the best music taste in the dressing room?

SM: I would say myself.

DFCM: Your favourite sport outside of football?

SM: Golf.

DFCM: What is the 9

DFCM: Who has the worst music taste in the dressing room?

SM: Not a clue on this one.

FROM THE DRESSING ROOM

BRIAN GARTLAND

I

t was important to get the players did wonder about it stage by stage with us to back to winning ways in them. There’s no point beating implement the way he wants Cobh recently. You can around the bush. I saw one of us to play. I like the way he’s never underestimate a win, Filippo’s first interviews and he doing it. He’s precise and clear no matter who you are playing. wasn’t oblivious to that. Getting in what he wants us to do and You have to beat what is in the job was a surprise to him. that’s a great base. We’ve got front of you. The conditions That’s probably a bit of the Irish good players here and people weren’t the best and I think we mentality and it’s probably us don’t become bad players adapted well. We conceded being set in our ways a little overnight. We’ve had a bit of a very few chances and probably bit because of the success bad spell but there should be an could have had a couple more we’ve had and the consistency improvement now. goals if we were a little bit we’ve had here. It’s important We’ve drawn Inter Club from more clinical in the final third. to have open minds and to give Andorra in the second round I thought it was positive and people a chance but that first of the Europa League. It’s not there was a great atmosphere impression is always vital and being disrespectful to say that and feeling about the dressing I thought that set the tone. He the draw is a lot better than room and it’s great was very impressive and any what it could have been. There to have that back. fears or questions we had were some big clubs and big It doesn’t matter were answered. names in there so we can take a who you are playing positive from that. At the same against, you can’t beat time, they’ll feel they could that feeling of winning have got worse teams than IT’S IMPORTANT TO HAVE OPEN together. us.

MINDS AND TO GIVE PEOPLE A They have a hell of a lot of CHANCE BUT THAT FIRST IMPRESSION There’s no doubt it internationals and they have IS ALWAYS VITAL AND I THOUGHT has been a strange period a lot of experience on their THAT SET THE TONE. FILIPPO WAS at the club, especially for side. A lot of them, have VERY IMPRESSIVE AND ANY FEARS the lads who have been here played international football OR QUESTIONS WE HAD WERE for the past seven or eight so this won’t be new to them.

ANSWERED. years. Things are completely Their seeding is low but different and it has taken a they’ll be no walkovers. It’ll be bit of getting used to but a tough game and more than you have to take the attitude I didn’t know likely a very tactical game. that this is football and anything Filippo was a centre-back. I There’s a positivity about the can happen. We’ve seen that must try and find out what players, the club and all of the with players leaving over the kind of centre-half he was! He’s staff together. The situation years. Ultimately, you just have played in Serie C which is a we ended up in recently wasn’t to get on with it. very high standard. You look at ideal but we just have to get on Filippo and Giuseppe have the likes of Krisztián Adorjan with it now. It has been surreal come in and it’s been very who we rated so highly - who for the past couple of weeks. good. They’ve been positive and came from there. Filippo has We’ve never been in this that confidence is a great base also been around different position before over the past to start off. They had a meeting environments at academies and eight years and we don’t want with us on the first day and different professional clubs so to be in it again. We have to Filippo addressed the players. it’s good to have new ideas and deal with it and make the best He told us what he wanted, how new ways. of it and that’s what the players he wanted us to do it and told We’ve gone back to basics a are doing. We’re in nearly every us the plan. They’re confident, bit in training which is no harm day, we’re working our socks organised, structured and know because the form we’ve been off and we want to finish the what they want. in, we have to build from the season off and do the best we That’s important because bottom up. Filippo is taking can do in every competition.

“

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COMMUNITY

FYFFES SUMMER CAMPS

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COMMUNITY

FYFFES SUMMER CAMPS

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COMMUNITY

FYFFES SUMMER CAMPS

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DUNDALK FC REMAINING FIXTURES Friday, September 11th - 8pm SSE Airtricity League Premier Division Dundalk v Shelbourne (eirSport) Thursday, September 17th - 6.30pm Europa League QR2 Inter Club v Dundalk Sunday, September 20th - 5pm SSE Airtricity League Premier Division Cork City v Dundalk

Friday, October 9th - 7.45pm SSE Airtricity League Premier Division St Pat’s Athletic v Dundalk

Friday, September 25th - 7.45pm SSE Airtricity League Premier Division Dundalk v Shamrock Rovers

Friday, October 16th - 5.45pm SSE Airtricity League Premier Division Dundalk v Bohemians

Sunday, October 4th - 5pm SSE Airtricity League Premier Division Dundalk v Finn Harps

Monday, October 19th - 7.45pm SSE Airtricity League Premier Division Derry City v Dundalk Saturday, October 24th - 7.30pm SSE Airtricity League Premier Division Waterford v Dundalk Friday, October 30th - 7.45pm SSE Airtricity League Premier Division Dundalk v Sligo Rovers Week ending November 15th FAI Cup quarter-final

#CMONTHETOWN 15

Light Up Your Nights

SSE Airtricity League

#LightUpYourNights

Coes Road, Dundalk, Co Louth, A91 EF6 Newgrange Business Park, Donore Road, Drogheda, Co Louth, A92 VR9Y

T: 042-9351333 T: 041-9894482

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WELCOME TO

SHELBOURNE FC

After a six-year absence, this is Shelbourne’s first season back in the Premier League. The Reds have had a solid return to the top flight and currently sit in fifth position in the table after 10 matches.

in all competitions since an FA Cup tie in 2016 when Daryl Horgan and current Shels striker Ciaran Kilduff sent us into the next round.

The north Dublin side started the season with two wins and two draws which made their return to the Premier League somewhat stress free and it looks as though they’ll come through the shortened season with their top-flight status very much intact.

The winners of the first division last year have assembled an impressive squad, adding real experience in Garry Deegan and Karl Sheppard. That has translated into some impressive results including a 0-0 draw away to Shamrock Rovers and a 1-0 victory over St. Patrick’s Athletic.

Since the return of the league, Shels have recorded one victory which came away to Finn Harps in the second match back but they have slipped to defeats against Sligo Rovers and Waterford.

Our previous meeting with Ian Morris’ men this season was at Tolka Park in February when Patrick Hoban and Andy Boyle secured us a 2-1 win. Deegan pulled one back for Shels, however, in difficult conditions we held on.

Their last three games have all ended in draws against Cork City, Derry City and Rovers respectively but they did beat John Caulfield’s Galway to book their place in the quarter-finals of the FAI Cup in November.

This will be the first time that we have met at Oriel Park in a league game since May 2013 when Tiarnan Mulvenna netted a late winner and it’s the first time 19

WELCOME TO

SHELBOURNE FC MEET THE MANAGER

IAN MORRIS (DOB: 27/02/1987)

One of the youngest managers in the league, Ian Morris is now into his second season as boss of Shelbourne.

He enjoyed a very successful first year, winning promotion from the first division.

This followed a long career in the UK as a player where he started out with Leeds United and moved to Scunthorpe Unitied and had loan spells at Carlisle United and Chesterfield, where he won the League Two title in 2011.

Torquay United and Northampton Town were the final clubs that he spent time

21 September 2019; Shelbourne goalkeeper Dean Delany celebrates with supporters following the SSE Airtricity League First Division match between Shelbourne and Limerick FC at Tolka Park in Dublin

20

with in England before he made the decision to return home in 2015.

St. Patrick’s Athletic were his team of choice and in his sole season in Inchicore he won the EA Sports Cup where Pat’s defeated Limerick in the final.

After a spell north of the border with Glenavon, the Leinster Senior Cup followed the year after with Bohemians.

At the end of the 2018 season, Morris called time on his playing career at the age of just 31 to take over Shelbourne and two years on, he looks set for a long career in management.

21 September 2019; Shelbourne players celebrate after Shane Farrell scored his side’s third goal during the SSE Airtricity League First Division match between Shelbourne and Limerick FC at Tolka Park in Dublin

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PLAYER PROFILES 2020

SHELBOURNE FC 1 COLIN McCABE

2 DANIEL O’REILLY

Bio: Goalkeeper, 23, Dublin ..........................................

Bio: Defender, 25, Dublin ..........................................

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A Dublin native had a spell with Fulham along with time at Hereford and Bishop’s Stortford. Bray Wanderers, Longford Town, Finn Harps and Eastbourne followed.

This gave him a move to promoted Shelbourne ahead of this season.

A former Celtic youth player, McCabe returned home to Bohemians after a spell with Stenhousemuir on loan and made a number of appearances in the lower leagues in Scotland, has been with Shels since the beginning of 2019.

4 OSCAR BRENNAN

5 ALEX O’HANLON

Bio: Midfielder, 24, Dublin ........................................

Bio: Midfielder, 24, Dublin ..........................................

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A winger who came to prominence with a move to Liverpool underage however returned home to St. Patrick’s Athletic in 2017. A brief spell with Glentoran followed and has been with Shelbourne since mid 2018.

The 24 year-old is in his second season with Shelbourne after moving from Bohemians. Spent time with UCD and Bray Wanderers before moving to north Dublin. Has established himself as a mainstay of the Shels team.

7 KARL SHEPPARD

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8 GARY DEEGAN Bio: Midfielder, 32, Dublin ..........................................

Bio: Forward, 29, Dublin ..........................................

An experienced professional, Deegan is in his second spell at Shelbourne. Won two leagues with Bohemians before time in the UK with Hibernian, Northampton and Cambridge United among others. Came home to Shelbourne this season. ...........................................

A seasoned League of Ireland striker, has won leagues with both Shamrock Rovers and Cork City as well as experienced the highs of Europa League group stages. Has also spent time with Reading, Accrington Stanley and Galway United. In his first season at Shels.

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10 RYAN BRENNAN

3 LORCAN FITZGERALD Bio: Defender, 31, Dublin ..........................................

A stalwart of the league, has won leagues and Cups with St. Patrick’s Athletic and Sporting Fingal.

Spent time with Bohemians from 2014 to 2017 and is currently in his second spell with Shelbourne having reached the FAI Cup final with the reds in 2011.

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6 DAN BYRNE Bio: Defender, 27, Dublin ..........................................

A centre-back who started his league of Ireland career with Bohemians in 2011 and made an immediate impact, injury saw him drop to Kilbarrack United before returning to Bohemians. He left Dalymount Park for Tolka ahead of the 2019 season.

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9 CIARAN KILDUFF Bio: Forward, 31, Kilcock ..........................................

A striker familiar with Dundalk, won the First Division with UCD 2009.

Won his first title with Shamrock Rovers and featured in Europa League group stages. Moved to St. Patrick’s Athletic, 2 league titles followed at Oriel Park and the immortal goals against Maccabi Tel-Aviv and AZ Alkmaar. In his second season with Shels.

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11 JAZE KABIA

Bio: Midfielder, 28, Drogheda .........................................

Another experienced midfielder, Brennan is one of the four brothers to have played in the league.

Spent time with Shamrock Rovers, St. Patrick’s Athletic and his native Drogheda United, winning the EA SPORTS Cup as well as promotion with Shelbourne.

Bio: Defender, 29, Strabane ..........................................

A striker who started his career at Cobh Ramblbers and progressed through the youth setup to the first team. Joined Shelbourne last summer and helped them to promotion.

A Strabane native, Friel spent time with Strabane Athletic which earned him a move to Athlone Town in the league. Spells with Wexford Youths, Longford Town and Finn Harps followed before joining Shels ahead of their promotion season last year.

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14 AIDAN FRIEL

Bio: Forward, 20, Cork ..........................................

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PLAYER PROFILES 2020

SHELBOURNE FC 15 KARL MOORE

16 DANIEL MCKENNA

17 SHANE FARRELL

Bio: Forward, 31, Dublin ........................................

Bio: Midfielder, 20, Dublin ..........................................

Bio: Forward, 20, Dublin ..........................................

An exciting winger, started as a youth with Manchester City and came home to UCD before joining Shamrock Rovers, spent two spells with Bohemians as well as Bray Wanderers before helping Shels to promotion.

An Ireland underage international, McKenna had a spell with Wolves in England and had time with Bray Wanderers in Ireland. Signed for Shels ahead of their promotion season.

Made his debut for Shelbourne in 2018 and has steadily progressed within the senior team.

Played a major part in the promotion season and signed a deal to keep him at the club until the end of 2021.

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18 DAYLE ROONEY

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20 AARON DOBBS

19 SEAN QUINN

Bio: Midfielder, 22, Dublin ........................................

Bio: Forward, 21, Dublin ........................................

Bio: Forward, 21, Dublin ........................................

A midfielder who joined Shelbourne almost five years ago in the underage setup. Made his first appearance for the side since 2017 and has been a regular feature in the first team since.

A regular with UCD U19’s through the 2018 season, that earned him a move to Shelbourne and has been a presence in the first team since signing in 2019.

A former Shamrock Rovers striker, moved to Shelbourne ahead of this season after spells with Wexford and most notably Longford Town who helped the midlanders to a promotion playoff.

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23 LUKE BYRNE Bio: Defender, 27, Dublin ..........................................

Formerly a left back at Shamrock Rovers, has now moved to centre half after a series of knee injuries.

As well as featuring for the Ireland U21’s, Byrne played for Bohemians also.

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26 GEORGIE POYNTON

25 JACK BRADY Bio: Goalkeeper, 23, Dublin ..........................................

Bio: Midfielder, 23, Dublin ..........................................

A goalkeeper now in his second spell with Shelbourne after playing for Limerick and Longford Town. Previously at Tolka Park from 2014-16 rejoined the club ahead of the current campaign.

A Dundalk youth graduate, has been Ireland underage captain up to U19 and left Oriel Park at the end of the 2018 season. A brief spell at St. Patrick’s Athletic was followed by a good season at Waterford. The versatile player joined Shels for 2020.

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31 MARK BYRNE

12 DENZIL FERNANDES

Bio: Midfielder, 31, Dublin ..........................................

Bio: Midfielder, 22, Cork ..........................................

Another experienced midfielder, Mark Byrne returned home to Dublin to sign for Shelbourne in the summer. A successful career in England saw him lineout with Nottingham Forest, Barnet, Newport County and Gillingham.

A midfielder who progressed through the Cork City underage setup and made senior appearances for Cobh Ramblers.

Joined Shelbourne midway through the 2019 season.

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OUR GAME KNOWS YOUR NAME

NEO X ELITE

THE OFFICIAL MATCH BALL OF THE 2020 SSE AIRTRICITY LEAGUE, FEATURING BESPOKE BALLS MADE FOR EACH CLUB.

UMBRO.IE

PLAYED FOR BOTH

DAVID CRAWLEY Dundalk and Shelbourne and have shared many players over the year and one of those is David Crawley who enjoyed success with both clubs. One of the more famous in recent times, Crawley was a youth player with Manchester City and decided to return to his hometown club of Dundalk in the early 2000’s. A left back, he captained the Lilywhites to the 2002 FAI Cup against Stephen Kenny’s Bohemians at Tolka Park.

Despite the cup win, the Lilywhites were relegated and his performances led to Pat Fenlon taking interest and bringing him to Shelbourne from 2002. He had a supremely successful

time at Tolka Park, the first time around. League titles followed with Shels in 2003, 2004 and 2006. The final of those seasons he didn’t feature as much as he would have liked however he will be best remembered for his part in Shelbourne’s successful European campaign in 2004.

A victory on away goals over KR Reykjavik was followed by a wonderful 2 legged victory over Hajduk Split. European giants Deportivo La Coruna followed in the third qualifying round however a 3-0 defeat over 2 legs sent them out to face Lille in the UEFA Cup but this ended in a 4-2 defeat on aggregate also. Crawley featured prominently in these ties and had firmly established himself as one of the best left backs in the league.

After his contract at Shels expired, he returned home to sign for John Gill at Dundalk in 2007 where the Lilywhites fell to Finn Harps in the promotion playoff. However they would go one better in 2008 when they took the first division title on a dramatic final day in Kildare and Crawley’s experience proved vital in getting the side over the line.

New manager Sean Connor deemed Crawley surplus to requirements and he returned to Tolka Park for one more season in 2009 and retired at the end of the campaign.

He then played for his home GAA club Sean O’Mahony’s in Dundalk for a number of years and most recently the Dundalk man has done 25

commentary for LMFM in both our European matches and domestic fixtures.

A player who is still adored by both Dundalk and Shelbourne, Crawley has fond memories winning two first division titles and an FAI Cup with the Lilywhites and he remains the last captain from Dundalk to lift the FAI Cup on that famous day in 2002. The three leagues at Shelbourne propelled him to the top of the domestic game however he will always remain one of the favourite players of Dundalk.

2020 SEASON

PLAYER SPONSORS Born: 25 Sept 81 Ex-clubs: Drogheda Utd, Dublin City, Bray Wanderers, Galway, St Patrick’s Athletic, Sligo Rovers

Away Sponsor Rós, Tim & Joe Connor

Home Sponsor Haughey’s Pharmacy

Born: 11 Jul 91 Ex-clubs: St Kevin’s Boys, Shamrock Rovers, St Patrick’s Athletic

Home Sponsor Paddy Fitzpatrick

Born: 15 Mar 94 Ex-clubs: Castleknock Celtic, Home Farm, Shelbourne, St Patrick’s Athletic

Away Sponsor Home Sponsor Bellurgan Precision Bellurgan Precision Engineering Engineering

7 MICHAEL DUFFY

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10 GREG SLOGGETT

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8 JOHN MOUNTNEY

Born: 04 Oct 95 Ex-clubs: Wigan Athletic, Blackpool, Chesterfield, AFC Fylde, Ostersund

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11 PATRICK MCELENEY

Born: 28 Jul 91 Ex-clubs: Mervue Utd, Bristol City, Clevedon Town (loan), Oxford Utd, Stevenage (loan), Grimsby Town (loan), Mansfield Home Sponsor Lumper’s Bar

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Away Sponsor Derek Pepper

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14 DANE MASSEY

Born: 26 Sep 92 Ex-clubs: Sunderland, Derry City, Dundalk, Oldham Athletic

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9 PATRICK HOBAN

Born: 22 Feb 93 Ex-clubs: Kiltimagh / Knock Utd, Ballina Town, Mervue Utd

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6 JORDAN FLORES

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Home Sponsor David & Daniel Humphries

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5 CHRIS SHIELDS

4 SEAN HOARE

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3 BRIAN GARTLAND

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1 GARY ROGERS

Born: 17 Apr 88 Ex-clubs: Bray Wanderers

Home Sponsor Cillian/Anita/ Mary/Olivia

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IF YOU WISH TO SPONSOR AN AVAILABLE PLAYER, PLEASE CONTACT ORIEL PARK. EMAIL office@dundalkfc.com CALL 042 93 35894

15 DARRAGH LEAHY

16 SEAN MURRAY

Born: 15 Apr 98 Ex-clubs: Coventry City, Nuneaton Borough (loan), Bohemians

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18 WILL PATCHING

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22 STEFAN COLOVIC

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29 DAVID MCMILLAN Born: 14 Dec 88 Ex-clubs: UCD, St Patrick’s Athletic, Olympic, Sligo Rovers, St Johnstone, Hamilton Academical, Falkirk

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23 CAMERON DUMMIGAN

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21 DANIEL CLEARY

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20 AARON MCCAREY

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17 NATHAN ODUWA

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27 DANIEL KELLY Born: 21 May 96 Ex-clubs: Bohemian FC, Bray Wanderers, St Pats CY, Crumlin United

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45 JOSHUA GATT

44 ANDY BOYLE Born: 7 Mar 91 Ex-clubs: Crumlin Utd, UCD, Shelbourne, Preston North End, Doncaster Rovers, Dundee, Ross County

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Born: 29 Aug 91 Ex-clubs: Rheindorf Altach, Molde, Minnesota United, Colorado Rapids, Detroit City FC

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PATREON MEMBERSHIP

In early June, Dundalk FC launched a new official membership scheme, aimed at growing and improving the relationship between the club, our supporters and the local community.

Since then, the uptake has been fantastic with over 240 members signed up thus far.

Like every business, COVID-19 has had a major, detrimental effect on the club’s plans for the year. In order to respond to the loss of match night earnings and sponsorship, we decided to introduce a high-quality membership service that we hope our fans and the local community will support.

For a monthly subscription, members will receive exclusive access to digital content on the Dundalk FC Patreon page that will bring them closer to everything

that happens at Oriel Park.

On top of that, members will also receive a host of benefits from the club and our selected community partners.

How much will it cost? €15 a month.

The fee is payable on joining and will then be charged on the first of every month. *Please note that prices exclude Patreon VAT rate of 23%.

How do I access it?

The content will be housed on the Dundalk FC Patreon page. www.patreon.com/dundalkfc What exactly do I get for my money?

Exclusive members-only digital content and a host of other benefits.

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What are the other benefits?

Dundalk FC Membership Card and Certificate Members sign-up pack includes: – DFC Snood – DFC Scarf – DFC Personalised Mug A 10% discount in the Dundalk FC Club Shop.

Discount offers at selected community partners.

Free monthly Dundalk FC surprise.

Monthly members draw.

Monthly members newsletter.

Exclusive access to members events. *More benefits will be added when the current restrictions around COVID-19 are eased.

How do I sign up?

Simply visit: www.patreon.com/dundalkfc

FLASHBACK | JULY 2008 Shelbourne’s Anto ‘Bisto’ Flood in action against Dundalk’s John Flanagan in an Eircom League first division clash at Tolka Park. The game ended scoreless with John Gill’s Lilywhites going on to pip Dermot Keely’s Reds to promotion on the final day of the campaign.

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Apecchio to Dundalk.... via NEW YORK

From the Italian village of Apecchio to the League of Ireland, via the Metropolitan Oval Academy in New York City, new Lilywhites interim head coach Flippo Giovagnoli has certainly had an interesting journey. Two days after being unveiled as the new Dundalk boss, Filippo, along with his assistant Giuseppe Rossi, met the national media for the first time and it’s fair to say he impressed everyone with his calm and confident manner. You can read the transcript of the press conference below.

Filippo, can you tell us how you ended up with the job?

FG: I got the call to say I was one of the coaches who were getting an interview. When I got the call, I didn’t wait. I started working as a manager, started to watch games and to understand what has been going on.

Who called you and why were you on the list?

FG: Maybe the club was looking for some name...

Of course, the owner is from the United States, they have friends and they look around and maybe somebody recommended my name.

You’re not aware of a direct connection? You don’t know any of the owners?

FG: No.

So who contacted you?

FG: Who contacted me? It was Bill Hulsizer.

Did someone contact you before Bill to say to expect a phone call?

FG: Yes. Who was that?

FG: We’re gonna talk about that later.

Was that connection through Metropolitan Oval?

FG: It could be.

What did you think when someone rang and asked you if you wanted to manage a football team in Ireland?

FG: I was surprised. I was at home in Apecchio, Italy waiting for my visa to go back to New York and do my job. I am a 31

person, I’m quick to change my mindset. I started to think like I was a manager. I learned that when I left Italy to go to work in New York. In New York you have to work fast, you have to make decisions fast because the city is really fast. My job there is really complicated. When you work in an academy and you’re a director with 20 coaches to manage, you have 400 families that want their kid to become the best player in the world.

Trust me, you have pressure.

Here you have fans, there you have parents. You have a federation, affiliation, you are there and you lead this process.

Same thing. If you do well, they keep you in the job. If you’re not doing well, you go home. It’s the same thing.

What did Bill say to you?

FG: He called me. We started to talk and he said there was an opening here. They tried to understand what kind of man I was, through discussion.

We had long conversations over two, three days, I spent hours and hours on the phone to them. I think the club appreciated the fact I started working day and night from there. I showed them I was really interested in the job. Ok, I say “I watched this game, in this minute we were like that, this was the tactical situation. This is what we need to do. This is the player I like.” I was giving them a lot of information. Maybe this convinced them. My excitement, my willingness to get the job. I don’t know.

When did you leave New York?

FG: I left on June 26th to come back to Italy for a vacation. I usually come back with the family for three to four weeks.

I was waiting for the visa to go back - and this happened.

You would have heard or read that Bill likes managers to get his ideas across to managers.

Are you able to handle this and this pressure?

FG: Yes, yes, I’m pretty sure. I didn’t know that Bill was doing that. To be honest, I don’t even believe that. If a president is coming to me and telling me ‘this player who has to play’, I’m going to be surprised if he does that.

What would you say if he tells you?

FG: I’m not going to do it, I will play who deserves to play.

There’s no problem on that.

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That’s not a deal at all.

The previous manager alleged that there was outside interference? You would dismiss this?

FG: When I said my mindset was on a ‘kamikaze mission’ I meant that I have nothing to lose, I just want to do well. So if I have people close to me who want to interfere then I am not going to accept it. I will keep doing my job because I have nothing to lose. I have only an opportunity to do well. I have no other option, I can only do well. I have a three-month contract. To do well is the only way for me, the only way for me is to build something for the future. So this is my mindset.

We have somebody here who is going to work so hard with the players to get the job done.

That’s it, finish.

Filippo Giovagnoli and his assistant Giuseppe Rossi

Have you had any assurances by the owners that if you do well the job is yours?

FG: No, no, because soccer is not like that. Sometimes you do really well and then they make another decision. But you have got to accept this, this is life and this if soccer so you must accept that.

Is your old job waiting for you in New York if this doesn’t work out?

FG: Let’s see, I don’t know.

I don’t care right now. I don’t think like that. If I think that I have another opportunity then

I am going to be less focused.

It’s not good. I have got to think that this is my job, this is the only thing I can do. Then I’ll do better.

You clearly believe in yourself.

Do you have the sense that the players believe in you?

FG: The only way that we can convince the players is when we go to the pitch. In the end, what is important is the pitch and what you entrust them with. When they work and they understand that the work is good and they understand what we are doing and what our 33

objectives are, we are improving to do that. When the message and information are clear then the players start to collaborate.

Of course, I’m adding a lot of individual meetings to understand their characters and personalities. I’m taking information from staff about their personality and character and how we are to talk with the players individually and with the group, in the office, outside.

These are all details that make the difference in knowing each other.

Is it your sense from those individual meetings that the players’ sense and respect you are a good guy?

FG: Yes, we’ve had good feedback.

How have you assessed Dundalk based on what you have seen on video?

FG: I saw a team that is clearly better than the other teams that they were playing. For example, even the last game (against Sligo Rovers) you can see clearly the difference of quality between the teams but sometimes when you lose confidence even the technical and tactical information that is coming to you starts to be confused. Players make a mistake and start to get frustrated so they do too much running or too little running and then there is no tactical connection in the team. This is what was happening, I think, so we are trying to rebuild this kind of confidence but with a tactical and technical understanding of the game and what our objectives are to achieve success.

There are a lot of players out of contract at the end of this season. Have you the authority to offer new contracts?

FG: This is a really good question. The only way I have to convince them if I’m going to get the job again is through the work. Of course, if I’ll be here everything is in my power to keep them and make them stay with another contract. In my last job, I was developing players.

Today, I had a conversation with one of the key players in the team. I’m not going to say who he is but we had a really good conversation and he told me ‘I’m really enjoying this and what we are doing now.’ I told him this is not only about winning games for me, but this is also about developing you.

I want him to have a better

contract next year so he can give his family more. I want to see him develop and become a better player. This is my character and this is what we do to develop people. When the players feel you want to help them then they’ll come with you because we are honest and we really want to do it. This is how we got this job.

What is your style of football?

FG: It’s about principle. More than formations, you can play 4-3-3 and be defensive, it doesn’t matter what the formation, it is about principle.

This is what it is about, I don’t want to talk too much about principle, we want to do it first.

You’re from Apecchio?

FG: Yes. A village. The region is Marche.

Are your family back home?

FG: Yes, my wife and son still live there. They will wait to see what I do here and maybe we will go back to New York, or maybe not. I don’t know. I don’t want to go back, I want to stay here.

You’re probably the most famous person in Apecchio?

FG: Probably right now, yes!

Who is your team?

FG: Juventus.

You worked with AC Milan..

FG: I was AC Milan’s camp director in Italy and around the world. They sent me to America and they offered me to stay and I was under contract with a team in Italy but anyway, short story, I decided to try this experience. I saw an opening to have a career there which I did and there is a lot of talent in America. In our academy, we have a lot of good players and one of our 2005 is in try out with Atalanta, Empoli and many teams want him. That is what we do, we develop players.

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Can you believe this journey?

FG: No, but yes. Sometimes when we woke up, we were like ‘Okay, we’re here.’ But this is not making us confused.

We are really focused, this is the mission, it’s not a problem where we are. We just really focus on what we are doing.

Do you remember the 1990 World Cup? FG: Of course.

Did you go to the games?

FG: No. I was 20 but you know at the time, you were watching the game in a town with your friends together, you were celebrating until the end and then we didn’t.

You’re managing adults now as opposed to an academy.

Does that change your mindset?

FG: No. First of all, when I started to coach, I coached adults. It was semi-professional and then I went back to the young because it was about opportunity. It’s a game, it’s about having knowledge of the game and principle. I managed players like I manage my coaches in New York. I’m leading a group so the mindset is the same. I have to help them to be better coaches, I have to help them to be better players.

If they are better players, then they can learn the way we want to play and then we can play better soccer and we can be successful. I don’t believe ‘Okay we have a good team’ don’t be organised, or lazy on the work, I really believe everything comes from what we do. Then we trust everything on the pitch in the game. It’s just this, in my mind, it’s simple. I manage my players like my family, they are young, they are working for me, for the club, like I manage coaches, I manage players. Like my family. They become like my sons. But we are working together, they are working for

me, they are working for the club. But I manage players the way I managed coaches, it’s the same thing.

You’ve changed the training schedule? What is your thinking behind that?

FG: It’s because when you plan a periodisation you need to get the job done. So, for example, I was planning to do two practices the first day, I did one and I was really upset because I couldn’t do two. But now we adjust the periodisation to get the job done. To have every practice with all the objectives that we put there to make sure that we cover everything. That is the idea.

Will you have two sessions every day?

FG: No. It’s not about having two training sessions. For example today we had a session with the defenders in the morning then the midfielders and the strikers in the afternoon, looking to meet the objectives.

It looks like Alan Reynolds and John Gill have gone, are you looking to bring another coach in?

FG: This is a discussion that is open with the club. We will see what Shane Keegan is going to do and then maybe yes, maybe we are going to need another assistant. But I am a manager that works a lot in the field myself. I am my assistant.

Who did you admire as a coach? Trappatoni, Sacchi, Lippi?

FG: Well, Lippi was a coach that in Juventus was really successful. He played a game of really intense soccer and you know, it changed a little bit and he was staying in the Juventus culture. In Italy now there are many many many good coaches. Unfortunately, Maurizio Sarri left Juventus. I believe that Sarri is a genius and

Marco Giampaolo (Torino) is another super important coach.

All the coaches who I was following during the summer, I would go to look at them when they were practising because I know the staff, I know many of the people there. And there is another coach who is doing really well...his name is Roberto De Zerbi. I don’t know whether you know this name, he is a guy who works with Sassuolo and this guy is doing an amazing job there so....there are a few coaches who are doing a really amazing job in Italy.

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Is Sarri an inspiration to you?

FG: Yeah, it’s not only about that. This is a guy that deserves what he got in his life because of the knowledge, his study, his everyday work…. but sometimes you do well, you win a league and then they fire you. In Juventus, this happened and it’s happening and you have to accept that.

Did you have a semi-pro or professional playing career?

FG: I was semi-professional and then I played professionally

but even when I was playing semi-professional, it was professional. In Italy, if you play in the fourth division, it is really good, trust me, especially when I was playing. When I played in the third division, Serie C, even there, teams were good.

I played with Andrea Barzagli and many players that were young who then had a big career.

Tell us about Barzagli?

FG: I played with him at Rondinella in Florence. The first 36

time he played centre half, it was with me. I was moving him like a baby! He was really good.

What type of defender were you?

FG: I was an animal. I was a killer! If I was reborn I would want to be born here in Ireland.

Giuseppe was telling me today, ‘you were perfect for this league where the defenders are big strong, fast, fighting’. I really like it here.

Have you conveyed this to

players? There’s a saying in Ireland: ‘Show us your medals’.

FG: I don’t know if they know. Now, young people they Google, they search. I don’t know if they know that I played.

Do you need to tell them about your own playing career?

Does that help with gaining respect?

FG: No, because they want more than me. There is nothing that I can show. The only thing I can show them is that I have knowledge. Maybe one day you

will interview one of them and they will tell you. Why don’t you go ask them, what kind of impression they have? That is the best thing you can do.

Your games will all take place behind closed doors..

FG: This is sad. The fans can kill me now because maybe they don’t know me but I will love to play here. I know the fans here are one of the best.

My friends in Italy text me and say this is the best fans that there are in Ireland. I miss this 37

situation and I would love to celebrate with them and have them here but that is not the case right now.

What is success at Dundalk?

FG: Eventually to play the kind of soccer that we think will be good. When you work with Dundalk you have to get results, but if I have to get results and don’t play the soccer that I want to play, I’m not going to be satisfied. It’s ‘how’, not only what you do. The how is important.

Champions of Ireland, we know what we are.

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11/02/2020 14:35

EUROPA LEAGUE PREVIEW

FOOTBALL IN ANDORRA

2018: Inter d’Escaldes announcing the signing of Ilde Lima, the captain of the Andorra national team.

Martyn Hindley gives an introduction to our Andorran opponents - Inter d’Escaldes.

for their maiden Andorran league championship rather than just COVID-19.

This won’t be the first column printed in recent history that spells out to you that the world has changed. In a usual year, AC Milan being drawn ‘away’ to Shamrock Rovers would have been labelled as one of the reasons for Zlatan having penned a contract extension, if only for the pint-sized bottles of Macardles just off Grafton Street (legend status truly confirmed if he follows one bottle off the shelf with one out of the fridge).

When the pandemic interrupted the league season, the eight-team league was split into two with Inter taking their three-point advantage into a “championship round” with the next three best-placed clubs, FC Santa Coloma, Sant Julia and rivals Engordany (no need for use of the word ‘local’ here in a country where the population is only 15,000 more than in Dundalk). Emerging successful by a single point, they terminated the six-year stranglehold of Santa Coloma on the championship silverware.

But this particular UEFA Europa League draw brings different stuff. I don’t just mean the single-leg ties but also the shift from focus on either Scandinavia or a former Soviet republic towards the sunnier south and Inter Club d’Escaldes, whose 2020 will be memorable

The team in blue and black thus faced a whirlwind summer, parachuted into a one-off UEFA Champions League tie against Kosovan title-holders Drita in which they were narrowly beaten before their opponents ran into COVID complications at the next stage.

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Andorran clubs aren’t really on the continental map when it comes to results in UEFA competitions, but it is an association hoping to benefit from the exposure to more competitive matches for the national team through the Nations League. Five Inter players – Josep Gomes, Emili Garcia, Cristian Martinez, Ludovic Clemente and captain Marc Pujol – started last weekend in a disappointing home defeat to the Faroe Islands which came off the back of a more encouraging 0-0 draw in Latvia. The latter were rubbing shoulders with Germany, Czech Republic and the Netherlands at a EURO final tournament as recently as 2004, which really puts the scale of that result into context.

As we know from Dundalk’s experience in Europe, it can often provide a steep learning curve. For Inter d’Escaldes, this is just the second step on that voyage of discovery.

EUROPA LEAGUE PREVIEW

FOCUS ON: INTER D’ESCALDES

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ll champion clubs aspire to have roots in their communities and to create some long and lasting legacies. No football fan is prouder than to see players emerge from short trousers and with kit stuffed in a rucksack to kick a ball around after school to play for the first team and win major honours.

But with one look at the Inter website, it strikes you just how rare that is. At the time of scribing this, the latest news item is about the importance of the ‘be with us’ campaign, targeting participation for an academy through online registration for anyone born between 2002 and 2015. It proudly boasts of its high standing in Andorran football.

The previous article celebrates the recruitment in the transfer window of Nico Medina, a 33-year-old striker whose claim to fame was playing in the 2007 FIFA U20 World Cup with his native Chile and earning a bronze medal.

Having shared that dressing room with Arturo Vidal, Alexis Sanchez and Gary Medel, it is with good reason that the club has proclaimed him as their first-ever signing with worldclass experience. At his official presentation, a great emphasis

Maribor knocked Celtic out of the Champions League in 2014

Nico Medina, Inter Club’s new 33-year-old Chilean born striker

was placed on the work that he will do with the grassroots department for the duration of his one-year deal. The website thus emanates a feeling of growth and development; a fresh start.

Not only are Inter d’Escaldes signing world-class players but they have managed to poach one from a rival heavyweight of the domestic championship too, with Jordi Rubio – capped almost 50 times for the national team – defecting from Santa Coloma to bolster the midfield.

With those two signings

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alone, Inter now boasts all the top four goalscorers from last season’s league championship with Medina and Rubio complementing Genis Soldevila and Bruno Lemichevski, both so crucial in earning the 2019-20 silverware.

When they take to the field against Dundalk, it will be special for a number of reasons.

The Joan Samarra Communal Stadium is the only venue in Andorra with natural grass rather than a synthetic surface and it will be the first time in over two years that the blue and blacks have been there. At this stage of their adventure, each stepping stone appears precious and each milestone is celebrated.

The stadium has previously hosted European matches of Santa Coloma and Engordany and when Inter d’Escaldes walk out to play there, they won’t only feel that their fans are with them, but the whole of the Andorran football family.

EUROPEAN QUALIFIERS

COVID sheds THE monotony of European football

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t doesn’t sit naturally to most folk to think about the ‘positives’ of a global pandemic that has taken so many lives and continues to wreak havoc with economies and jobs across the world. It forced the mighty UEFA Champions League behind closed doors and with a modified format.

And somehow, it was bloody good!

Single-leg matches produced cut-throat action and an element of unpredictability. Would

Barcelona have folded so dramatically had they been able to look forward to a second bite of the cherry the following week? After all, they recovered a 4-0 deficit against PSG a few seasons ago and were bitten on the backside themselves by Liverpool to cough up a 3-0 lead in 2018/19.

Would Atalanta have tried to run down the clock so criminally to lose a game against PSG that they had deserved to win if they would have had a second 90 minutes to look forward to?

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All hypothetical questions but we probably have a hunch as to the answer.

That’s the limelight end of the Champions League but the subsequent impact on this season’s qualifying format has brought shocks and surprises in equal measure. Clubs not used to progressing over 180 minutes – or more – have had their day in the sun and held their nerve.

Dynamo Brest are a great example. They managed to smash the stranglehold that

Welsh champions The New Saints secured a place in the Champions League second qualifying round with a 3-1 win away to Gibraltar’s Europa FC

BATE Borisov had over football in Belarus last season and all of a sudden, find themselves in the third qualifying round! They entertained the moneybags Kazakh champions from Astana at the first hurdle and leapt over that with a 6-3 success, following that up with by beating Sarajevo to earn a date with Maccabi Tel-Aviv.

Celtic were bundled out

by Ferencvaros and having narrowly escaped an upset against Linfield (winning 1-0), our old friends Legia tripped up in extra-time against the Cypriots of Omonia. A field that had once been predictable enough with national monopolies and a thinning of the opportunities with the splitting of the champions and league paths, has seen reignited interest.

This Europa League is working along the same lines and nothing can really be taken for granted on the pathway to the group stages.

ties. Lincoln Red Imps carry the hopes of football in Gibraltar on their shoulders as they head to a day in the sun against Steven Gerrard’s Rangers.

At a time of year when Welsh participation in international sport is focused on Heineken Champions Cup rugby and the autumn rugby Test Matches, what a boost for the round ball in the country that Bala Town turned over Valletta, so often champions of Malta. Zilina have been the standard-bearers for Slovakia in Europe and recently visited Chelsea in the group stages but they tumbled out in a 120-minute bout at The New Saints.

Bala’s reward is a date with Standard Liege, who reached the Cup Winners’ Cup Final in 1982. Tre Fiori will fly the flag of San Marino at this stage in the champions path against Riga and the league route boasts three Albanian clubs after various dramatic successes earlier in the summer.

Single matches have brought chaotic logistics in this COVIDinfluenced time but have made this stage of the Europa League resemble old-fashioned FA Cup 43

Coefficients will be impacted more than ever before as unpredictability opens the door to whoever takes the chances presented by a footballing world evolving in line with the various crises emanating from Covid-19. Let’s enjoy the drama!

RETRO: 1988 EUROPEAN CUP

RED STAR: THE FINEST SIDE TO GRACE ORIEL? Thirty-two years ago this week, the mighty Red Star Belgrade arrived in Dundalk to meet Turlough O’Connor’s 1988 double winners in the European Cup. With five internationals, including a young Robert Prosinecki, in their ranks, the Yugoslavians were one of - if not the - finest sides to have ever graced Oriel Park. Dundalk FC Magazine’s Gavin McLaughlin looks back at a memorable occasion.

Even in a pre-internet era, Red Star Belgrade held an allure to this writer, a then six, going on seven-year old, with a love of Manchester United.

Red Star was the club that played host to the Busby Babes in their last ever match, a European Cup tie that ended 3–3 on February 5th, 1958 in the Yugoslav capital.

I can still recall watching the old video footage of the game, amazed by the patches of snow on the pitch and, in particular, the red and white painted goals. A day later, Busby’s brilliant young side was tragically ripped apart, their plane careering off an icy runway in Munich after stopping to refuel.

The chance for me, and more to the point, my uncle

Thomas, to see them in the flesh arrived on September 7th 1988 when a squad packed with eight Yugoslav internationals arrived in town.

It was my first European night at Oriel Park. Sadly, I was too young to really appreciate how good Red Star’s performance was but, 44

from the archive footage and reports, those who were in attendance witnessed something special.

Dundalk FC was one of the 30 clubs in the European Champions Cup first round, first-leg draw which took place in Switzerland two months earlier. Holders PSV Eindhoven were handed a bye to the second round while the hat contained champions — and only champions — from each country.

There was one notable exception: England, the ban on clubs following the Heysel Stadium disaster entering its third season. No seedings, no group stages, just two-legged knockouts right through to the final. David v Goliath in an era where David actually had a sliver of a chance.

The International Hotel

Dundalk FC captain Joey Malone exchanges pennants with the Red Star Belgrade captain before the game at Oriel Park.

in Geneva is where Dundalk learned of their fate but there was real confusion amongst the travelling party of chairman, Eamonn Hiney, director, Enda McGuill and FAI official, Des Casey when the Lilywhites were pulled out second last, paired against ‘Crvena Zvezda’.

“We never heard of them,” explained Hiney afterwards.

It’s fair to say there was a huge sense of relief when it transpired that Red Star’s Yugoslav name had been called out!

Hiney was soon made aware just how big a fish Dundalk had landed. “When we were paired with Red Star there was a standing ovation in the room and we were surrounded by TV crews,” he said.

“I could not understand why, because it did not happen with any other draw, but it was explained afterwards to us that Red Star were regarded as a plumb draw and the one

that most clubs wanted.”

For Dundalk manager Turlough O’Connor, Red Star — after AC Milan and Celtic — was the team he wanted his double winners to test themselves against. Red Star were beaten by Real Madrid on away goals at the quarterfinal stage two seasons earlier 45

so O’Connor knew exactly what his players were up against. Despite that, it was a challenge he was looking forward to.

“They are a crack side, one of the best in Europe, who love to play football and it will be a pleasure to test our ability against them,” he said.

This was Dundalk’s second European meeting with a country from the old Yugoslavia. In 1977, they met Hajduk Split, winning the firstleg at Oriel Park thanks to a Terry Flanagan goal before falling to a 4–0 defeat in the return game.

In 2014, and with the Iron Curtain a thing of the past, Dundalk returned to Split, now a part of Croatia. My apartment was located across the road from the old Hajduk Stadium where the 1978 game was played. Less than a mile away, Stephen Kenny’s Dundalk beat Hajduk 2–1 on a memorable night at the

A promotional sign for the Dundalk v Red Star Belgrade match, designed by Marty Garland, on display at the bottom of the Hill Street Bridge in September 1988

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Stadion Poljud, bowing out of the Europa League 3–2 on aggregate.

O’Connor’s side went into the Red Star game looking to maintain their unbeaten start to the 1988/89 season.

A comfortable 2–0 win over Shamrock Rovers in a League Cup semi-final at Oriel Park 10 days earlier was followed by a 1–1 draw with Jim McLaughlin’s Derry City team that

would go on and win the domestic treble.

Barry Kehoe scored a 64thminute equaliser, guiding a 20-yard strike into the top right-hand corner of the Derry net. The game at The Brandywell was played just over 72 hours before the clash with Red Star. No free weekends back then!

Preparations were also a tad different with the Dundalk manager opting not to go and watch Red Star in action. A disjointed pre-season, which saw a number of Dundalk players in action with the Irish Olympic squad, meant that O’Connor wanted to work with his players on a modified 4–4– 2 system in place of his usual 4–3–3. “We have done this quite successfully before and I think we have the players to change the system,” he said ahead of the game.

In its match preview, the Dundalk Democrat stated

that: ‘Red Star are known for their open type football and their panel includes eight national team players. Wednesday’s fixture promises to be a great game and Dundalk can be expected to throw everything at the Yugoslavs and hope to head to Belgrade with a win under their belts.’

Unfortunately, that proved to be wishful thinking.

Going with the same XI that played in Derry on the Sunday afternoon, Dundalk just couldn’t find the goal they needed to cap a fine 48

first-half display and Red Star ran riot after the break with the Democrat stating that the Lilywhites ‘found out what it was like to be in the fast lane of European football’.

Martin Murray and Dessie Gorman caused Red Star a host of problems early on with the hometown boy just failing to meet a cross from the midfielder midway through the first-half, a swirling breeze not helping ‘The Hawk’s’ attempt to judge the delivery. Terry Eviston and Larry Wyse also tested goalkeeper Branko

Robert Prosinecki holds off Dundalk’s Barry Kehoe and Martin Lawlor.

Davidovic with Kehoe’s heavy touch denying him a chance to run clear on the Red Star netminder.

Things were turned upside down when Red Star bagged an away goal in the 51st minute through Dimitrije ‘Mitar’ Mrkela and they took the tie by the scruff of the neck with the wonderfully named Dragan Stojkovic — a wonderful player also — creating goal number three for Husref Musemic before adding one himself from the penalty spot to kill Dundalk off. The tricks started to appear after that with the Democrat

reporting that Red Star’s ‘blond number seven’ gave Martin Lawlor a torrid time!

More on him later.

It looked like the League of Ireland champions would escape with just a three-goal caning but Red Star racked up two more in the dying stages with substitute Vlada Stosic firing home after Alan O’Neill’s goal took a hammering before Bosko Djurouski made it 5–0, condemning the Lilywhites to their heaviest ever European home defeat.

‘There has been plenty of criticism in the past about Dundalk teams failing to 49

serve up attractive football, even if they were getting the results,’ stated the Democrat in its reaction piece. ‘Perhaps, therefore, it is only fair to describe the outcome as the supporters getting the sort of football display they were looking for, even if their team lost heavily.’

While there was no shame in losing to a crack European side, there was some dismay by the turnout with just 3,200 coming through the turnstiles at Oriel — a far cry from the 11,000 at The Brandywell for Derry City’s European Cup Winners Cup tie with

Cardiff City and the 8,000 at Tolka Park for St Patrick’s Athletic’s UEFA Cup tie with Hearts. Gate receipts came to approximately £15,000, £10,000 short of the estimated cost of the return trip to Belgrade four weeks later.

There was some financial gain for Dundalk as the officials for the first-leg came from Scotland, something which pleased the club’s board immensely. It was nothing to do with their nationality, mind you. Money was the main motivation with the club citing the cost of the Swedish officials for the previous year’s Cup Winners Cup tie with Ajax as one of the greatest single items of expense in connection with the fixture.

A full four weeks passed until the second-leg in Belgrade. In between, Dundalk won four and drew two of their domestic matches, but expectations were low when they left Dublin Airport two days before the game. “It’s the nearest thing to an impossibility,” said Barry Kehoe. “Our pride was hurt by that 5–0 first-leg drubbing and we will be going out to try and prove that the result was a fluke.”

The Lilywhites produced another battling display in front of 28,000 supporters at the Red Star Stadium on October 5th but any hopes of a miraculous comeback were shattered when the hosts scored after just three minutes through Refik Sabanadzovic

50

with Mrkela and a certain Dejan Savicevic adding goals after the break.

Gino Lawless went closest to pulling one back, hitting the woodwork in the second-half with a deflected cross, and the Yugoslav public recognised the gutsy effort by Dundalk over the two legs, giving them a standing ovation at full-time. It was a scene repeated in Split 26 years later when Kenny’s players were applauded off the pitch after beating Hajduk on their own patch.

Red Star’s reward for beating Dundalk was a second-round tie against AC Milan. After a 1–1 draw at the San Siro — Stojkovic scoring a superb goal — Red Star went a goal up in Belgrade when Savicevic

AC Milan and Red Star players speak with the match officials at a foggy San Siro

— who went on to sign for the Rossoneri — smashed the ball home to leave Arrigo Sacchi’s star studded and 10-man Milan facing elimination. Thick fog, however, descended on the stadium, forcing West German referee Dieter Pauly to call the game off with 57 minutes played. (See picture above).

Incredibly, Red Star coach Vladimir Petrovic agreed to replay the game from scratch the following day and with Ruud Gullit back in the starting line-up, Milan went ahead through Marco Van Basten.

Stojkovic equalised, making it 2–2 on aggregate, but Milan won 4–2 on penalties and went on to lift the trophy by hammering Steaua Bucharest in the final at the Camp Nou in Barcelona.

A round three exit in the UEFA Cup followed in 1990 before Red Star took the big step and won the European Cup a year later, beating Marseille 5–3 on penalties in Bari. Ironically, Stojkovic was named amongst the Marseille

substitutes after moving to France at the beginning of that season while the Red Star XI contained two of the Red Star players who played at Oriel Park, defender Reflik Sabanadzovic and the ‘blonde number seven’ Robert Prosinecki.

Eight years after his impressive performance in the 5–0 win, a link between ’88 and ’96 was established as Prosinecki — who played in three World Cups and lined out for both Real Madrid and Barcelona — returned to the Carrick Road. As part of their Euro 96 preparations, the Croatian national side stayed at the Nuremore Hotel and trained at Oriel for a week ahead of their participation at the tournament in England.

Prosinecki, along with the likes of Zvonimir Boban, Davor Šuker, Slaven Bilic, Robert Jarni and Alan Boksik enjoyed the relative anonymity just weeks before they lit up the Euros, Croatia eventually being beaten in the last eight

51

by Germany.

Now 14, I watched in awe as these household European names paraded their full array of skills in front of me at Hiney Park with Prosinecki, openly smoking cigarettes after training, looking comfortable in his surroundings.

Simpler times, happier times, magical times.

DUNDALK FC: Alan O’Neill, Dave Mackey (Mick Shelley 70), John Cleary, Joey Malone, Martin Lawlor (Jim Gannon 76); Larry Wyse, Gino Lawless, Barry Kehoe, Martin Murray; Terry Eviston, Dessie Gorman.

Subs not used: Paul Newe, Francie Callan, Tommy Quinn.

RED STAR BELGRADE: Branko Davidovic, Goran Juric, Goran Vasilijevic, Reflik Sabanadzovic (Enes Besic 60), Slavko Radovanovic, Ilija Najdoski (Vlada Stosic 74), Robert Prosinecki, Bosko Gjurovski, Husref Musemic, Dragan Stojkovic, Dimitrije ‘Mitar’ Mrkela. .

REFEREE: Jim McCluskey (Scotland).

NEW ARRIVALS

JIMMY CORCORAN

A

fter two years in England, goalkeeper Jimmy Corcoran is enjoying some home comforts at Dundalk after completing his move to the Lilywhites.

The Kells native is almost part of the Oriel Park furniture at this stage. After being released

by Preston North End during the summer, former Dundalk manager Vinny Perth moved

quickly to try and secure the 18-year-old’s services.

The former Cherry Orchard ‘keeper looked at a number of options but, in the end, the prospect of returning home to learn his trade with the reigning League of Ireland champions proved irresistible.

“Dundalk is a great club and a club which I think can help bring me to the next level over the next couple of years,” he 52

said.

“I’ve been here for the past eight weeks or so and it feels like I’m really part of the group.

I’m working with Gary Rogers, Aaron McCarey and Steve Williams, three lads that push me and each other every day, so it’s a really good environment to be in.

“I’ve known Gary for a long time. He would have trained me when I was 12 or 13, a young

Jimmy Corcoran in action with the Republic of Ireland U17 squad

goalkeeper. He would have been very good to me and I kept in contact with him over the past couple of years.

“Aaron is a top goalkeeper and a top fella as well and I don’t think there’s a better coach than Steve Williams. It’s such highlevel training and competition and they’re the best three people I could ask to work with, either here or in England.”

After making the switch from Cherry Orchard to Preston in the summer of 2018, Corcoran suddenly found himself training with Alex Neil’s first-team squad - and some familiar faces - on a daily basis.

“I signed on a two-year scholarship but an injury to one of the goalkeepers meant that I was with the first-team

every single day for the first six months, training with them and going to every match, home and away,” he explained.

“I really enjoyed it and it was a great experience.

“Daryl Horgan was there in the early days. I did pre-season with him before he moved to Hibernian and Andy Boyle was there as well. They were really good to me as was Sean Maguire and Alan Browne, really good lads.”

“It’s a great club but I suspected that they wouldn’t offer me a new deal, especially in my second year,” he said, “and I was let go in the summer.

Corcoran was one of a host of scholars who were released from Deepdale but he said he had no regrets about making 53

the move across the water as a 16-year-old.

“I had a really good time over there and I enjoyed every minute of it. I became a better player and a better person because of it. Obviously, I was really disappointed at the time they let me go but Vinny made contact straight away asking if I wanted to come to Dundalk.

“I thought about going down the American route, playing college soccer for four years, and I looked at going back to England as well but Dundalk is not far from my home and I’m back living with friends and family around me which is important.

“I left for Preston when I was 16 which was tough on my mam and dad. I have a lot of sisters

“

on a daily basis and was part of the squad that travelled to Hungary for the recent Champions League tie I’VE BEEN HERE FOR THE PAST EIGHT with NK Celje. By his WEEKS OR SO AND IT FEELS LIKE own admission, it was a I’M REALLY PART OF THE GROUP. ‘world away’ from life with I’M WORKING WITH GARY ROGERS, Preston’s U18 team.

AARON MCCAREY AND STEVE “When Vinny brought me WILLIAMS, THREE LADS THAT PUSH in he explained to me that ME AND EACH OTHER EVERY DAY, SO I’d be part of the squad travelling to European IT’S A REALLY GOOD ENVIRONMENT games. It was a great TO BE IN. experience being in and 54

“

at home and nieces and nephews so it was tough to leave that at such a young age but I think that I left as a boy and came back a man. “ After turning 18 in February, Corcoran is eligible to play U19 football both this year and next and is hoping to get some muchneeded game time with the club’s underage team in the coming weeks.

He trains with the first-team

around those big important games, even being in the warmup and training at the stadium the night before,” he said.

“It’s a huge step up,” he continued. “In the space of a few months, I’m after going from the U18 North West Youth Alliance - which is the league I used to play in with Preston to experiencing a Champions League qualifier in Hungary.

“That’s something that really enticed me to come home

and sign for Dundalk and the chances of playing in one of those qualifiers over the next couple of years is something that I’d really love to do.”

Filippo Giovagnoli has since replaced Perth in the Lilywhites dugout Corcoran said he was impressed by the Italian and his assistant Giuseppe Rossi’s methods on the training ground.

“I’m still young and learning the game and the way that Filippo wants us to play is 55

very short and sharp,” he said.

“Giuseppe has been giving me a few pointers about body shape and things like that, small things that you might not pick up yourself.

“We’re trying to do things that a goalkeeper might not necessarily be used to doing in the league,” he added. “He’s trying to bring something new to Dundalk and the lads are really enjoying it. It’s been really good so far.”

56

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE FIGURES...

THE NUMBERS GAME

4

The number of players remaining in either squad in the seven years since the last league meeting between the sides.

One was wearing the number four jersey and, incidentally, he has played with both teams.

Central defender Andy Boyle, who returned to Dundalk last summer after a spell at English Championship side Preston North End, represented both UCD and the Tolka Park outfit before a trophy laden spell at the Carrick Road side.

He has also achieved promotion to the Premier Division in both the League of Ireland and Scotland, having ended the 2018/19 season on loan at Ross County as they won the Scottish First Division.

The other three players were Dane Massey who started the game, Pat Hoban who came on as a substitute to replace Kurtis Byrne and John Mountney, who remained on the bench throughout.

13

When Stephen Kenny selected Jeff Hendrick as his number 13 against Bulgaria it meant that the last three number thirteens to be selected by the former Dundalk manager were three different nationalities. Prior to Hendrick, Lithuanian international Karolis Chvedukas was the only player to wear the number as their squad number during Kenny’s tenure in charge at Oriel Park. Scotsman Tam McManus, who had spells in the

2013: Tiarnan Mulvenna celebrates his winning goal against Shelbourne

League of Ireland with both Limerick and Derry City, wore the number 13 during Kenny’s time in charge of Dunfermline.

2013

The last time Shelbourne visited Oriel Park for a league encounter was in May 2013 as the Lilywhites recorded a 1-0 victory courtesy of Tiernan Mulvenna’s late winner.

The Town native has transferred to the coaching staff at Oriel Park in recent 57

seasons, having made his own first team playing bow as a 17 year old, he is currently the club’s Under 17 manager- a role previously filled by another ex Dundalk player, central defender Liam Burns.

When discussing managers, three future managers were on show that day- Dundalk’s Stephen O Donnell (current St Patrick’s Athletic boss), Stephen McDonnell (former Warrenpoint Town manager) and Shelbourne’s ex Dundalk FC defender Ian Ryan (ex UCD U19 manager and current UCD Assistant Manager).

1-0 2-1 3-0 2-3 4-0 1-1 4-1 1-0 4-2 2-1 1-1 1-2 1-0 2-2 0-3 1-3 2-0

5:00 7:45 5:45 7:45 7:30 7:45 tbd tbd tbd x

FAIC: Extra.ie FAI Cup UCL: UEFA Champions League UEL: UEFA Europa League PRC: President’s Cup UUCC: Unite the Union Champions Cup TOTAL APPS/GOALS (excl. friendlies)

W W W L W D W W W W D L W D L L W

John MOUNTNEY

Patrick HOBAN

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7 PARK STREET, DUNDALK

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ROMA RESTAURANT TEL 042 9334928

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11 Patrick McELENEY

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4

K-O 7:45 5:00 4:00 7:45 7:30 7:45 PP 7:45 7:45 7:45 8:00 8:00 7:45 7:45 7:30 7:30 7:45 7:45 5:45 7:45 5:45 6:00 5:00 5:00 8:00 6:00 1:00 5:00 tbd 7:45

Brian GARTLAND

Opponents UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN CFR Cluj CSKA Moskva DROGHEDA UNITED Crusaders LONGFORD TOWN SHAMROCK ROVERS DERRY CITY Shelbourne CORK CITY Shamrock Rovers [RTÉ] Finn Harps DERRY CITY BOHEMIANS DROGHEDA UNITED ATHLONE TOWN LONGFORD TOWN SAINT PATRICK’S ATHLETIC [RTÉ] Bohemians [WATCHLOI] WATERFORD [R1] [WATCHLOI] WATERFORD [WATCHLOI] NK Celje [QR1] Sligo Rovers [WATCHLOI] Cobh Ramblers [R2] [WATCHLOI] SHELBOURNE [EIRSPORT] Inter Club d’Escaldes [QR2] Play-off round draw [UEFA.com] Cork City [WATCHLOI] Sheriff Tiraspol [QR3] SHAMROCK ROVERS [WATCHLOI] tbd [PO] FINN HARPS [WATCHLOI] Saint Patrick’s Athletic [WATCHLOI] BOHEMIANS [WATCHLOI] Derry City [WATCHLOI] Waterford [WATCHLOI] SLIGO ROVERS [WATCHLOI] tbd [QF] tbd [SF] tbd [F] xLGE: SSE Airtricity League

Seán GANNON

Comp.

Frie Frie Frie Frie Frie Frie PRC LGE LGE LGE LGE LGE Frie Frie Frie Frie Frie LGE LGE FAIC LGE UCL LGE FAIC LGE UEL UEL LGE UEL LGE UEL LGE LGE LGE LGE LGE LGE FAIC FAIC FAIC

3

H/A H N* N* H A H H H A H A A H H H H H H A H H A** A A H A A A H H A H A A H N H

2

Date Fri 17 Jan Wed 22 Jan Fri 24 Jan Thu 30 Jan Mon 03 Feb Tue 04 Feb Sun 09 Feb Fri 14 Feb Fri 21 Feb Mon 24 Feb Fri 28 Feb Fri 06 Mar Fri 10 Jul Tue 14 Jul Fri 17 Jul Mon 20 Jul Tue 21 Jul Fri 31 Jul Fri 07 Aug Tue 11 Aug Fri 14 Aug Thu 20 Aug Sat 22 Aug Sun 30 Aug Fri 11 Sep Thu 17 Sep Fri 18 Sep Sun 20 Sep Thu 24 Sep Fri 25 Sep Thu 01 Oct Sun 04 Oct Fri 09 Oct Fri 16 Oct Mon 19 Oct Sat 24 Oct Fri 30 Oct Sun 15 Nov Sun 22 Nov Sun 29 Nov xApps/Goals

Gary ROGERS

TEAMSTATISTICS

2020 SEASON MATCH DATA

1

2020_06Shelbourne60_56_57.qxp_DFC: Matchday Magazine 09/09/2020 07:25 Page 1

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23 Cameron SMITH

25 Taner DOGAN t t t t n

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Standings Team Shamrock Rovers

Pld W 10 8

D 2

L 0

F 21

A 6

+/- Pts +15 26

Bohemians Sligo Rovers

10 10

7 5

0 0

3 5

12 14

5 15

+7 -1

21 15

DUNDALK Waterford Shelbourne Derry City St Patrick’s Athletic

9 10 10 9 10

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3 4 4 4 5

17 12 7 11 6

12 12 9 10 10

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10

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6

6

16

-10

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Finn Harps

10

2

1

7

7

18

-11

7

Note: Data correct until Wednesday 9 September 2020 (8:30pm)

Fixtures Date Fri 11 Sep Sat 12 Sep Sun 13 Sep

Match Bohemians v Waterford (5:45) Dundalk v Shelbourne (8:00) Cork City v Shamrock Rovers (2:00) St Patrick’s Ath. v Sligo Rovers (5:00) Finn Harps v Derry City (5:00)

Note: Kick-offs are 7:45 unless otherwise stated l t t n1 l

n n n

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12 George KELLY

45 Joshua GATT

44 Andy BOYLE

29 David McMILLAN

27 Daniel KELLY

26

24

23 Cameron DUMMIGAN

21 Daniel CLEARY

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22 Stefan ČOLOVIĆ

20 Aaron McCAREY

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17 Nathan ODUWA

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2020_06Shelbourne60_56_57.qxp_DFC: Matchday Magazine 09/09/2020 07:25 Page 2

t t

n

Statistics Goals scored Total goals 113 (average: 2.31) Home goals 66 (average: 1.35) Away goals 47 (average: 0.96) Results Home wins 24 (49.0%) Draws 8 (16.3%) Away wins 17 (34.7%) Over/Under 2.5 goals Over 19 (38.8%) Under 30 (61.2%) Note: Players: Squad numbers not used in pre-season matches Starting: n / Not used: l / Player in: t / Player out: u / Captain: © Order of substitutions: 1/ 2/ 3/ 4/ 5 and subsequent Goals: Listed by quantity (1, 2, 3, etc) Venue (H/A): N: Aviva Stadium, Dublin H*: Tallaght Stadium, Dublin

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DUNDALK OIL CALL: 042 9334081 Heating oils - Road diesel/petrol Agri diesel - Fuel cards Lubricating oils 59

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Other player/venue data Fri 17 Jan: Dundalk 7-1 University College Dublin t Gabriel Sava Wed 22 Jan: Dundalk 1-2 CFR Cluj N*: Played at Oliva Nova, Spain t Gabriel Sava Fri 24 Jan: Dundalk 0-2 CSKA Moskva N*: Played at Hotel Campoamor, Spain Thu 30 Jan: Dundalk 2-0 Drogheda United t Gabriel Sava / t Mark Hanratty / t Andrew Quinn Mon 03 Feb: Crusaders 1-2 Dundalk t Mark Hanratty / t Ronan Kilkenny / t Jamie Wynne l Jamie Barry Tue 04 Feb: Dundalk 0-1 Longford Town t Mark Hanratty / t Jamie Wynne / t Val Adedokun t Gabriel Sava / t Andrew Quinn / t Ronan Kilkenny l Jamie Barry Fri 10 Jul: Dundalk 1-1 Derry City l Andrew Quinn / l Jimmy Corcoran Tue 14 Jul: Dundalk 4-1 Bohemians l Andrew Quinn / l Jimmy Corcoran Fri 17 Jul: Dundalk 1-0 Drogheda United t Andrew Quinn / l Jimmy Corcoran Mon 20 Jul: Dundalk 4-2 Athlone Town n Christian Jones (4) / n Andrew Quinn (5) / n Jarlath Jones (21) t Ronan Kilkenny (22) / t Thomas Daly (16) / t Jeff Nwodo (15) t Luke Hennessy (7) Tue 21 Jul: Dundalk 2-1 Longford Town l Jimmy Corcoran / l Andrew Quinn / l Ronan Kilkenny Thu 20 Aug: NK Celje v Dundalk N**: Played at Ferenc Szusza stadium, Budapest

EXTRA TIME

THE SPECTATOR

Will Dundalk be paying a visit to Transnistria?

Dundalk dominated for large swathes. And so we progress, onwards and downwards, to the Europa League - and to Andorra of all places. There are no easy games in European

a ‘Qarabag Lite’; effectively state-sponsored by the Russianinfluenced government in the semi-autonomous, semi-bonkers Transnistria region of Moldova.

Dundalk, naturally, were drawn away from home for the third successive time. It’s THE MANY IDIOSYNCRASIES OF not like these things will EUROPEAN FOOTBALL ARE EVIDENT even themselves out as this AT THE BEST OF TIMES AND THIS is the only season of one-leg SEASON THEY SEEM MAGNIFIED ties and we get to play them

BY THE WHOLE CORONAVIRUS all away.

PANDEMIC ISSUE. THE ‘CHAMPIONS Still, having to schlep to PATH’ OF THE EUROPA LEAGUE Hungary and Andorra, and possibly Moldova or Greece ALWAYS THROWS UP ITS NOVELTIES, or somewhere else ‘neutral’ WITH A SEEDING SYSTEM BASED is the kind of first world PURELY ON WHICH ROUND OF problem that most clubs THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE A TEAM would love to have.

DEPARTS. The many idiosyncrasies of European football are evident at the best of football, of course, but some times and this season they of them are enormously less seem magnified by the whole challenging than others. coronavirus pandemic issue.

European veterans Sheriff The ‘champions path’ of the from Moldova lie in wait for the Europa League always throws winners. Sheriff are essentially up its novelties, with a seeding

“

It’s been quite the rollercoaster since we last played a home game, against Waterford four weeks ago.

It seems more happened in those four weeks than the previous four seasons combined, but there are plenty of other outlets for rumour, counter-rumour, slander and libel, so The Spectator is going to steer well clear! Suffice to say The Spectator wishes our new Italian overlords all the success in the world.

Apart from the, erm, logistical changes going on about the place, there’s plenty of football stuff going on to entertain the Lilywhite faithful. Europe maintains a glorious hold over us, despite the disappointing defeat to Celje in a game

“

W

elcome to not-Oriel-Park for tonight’s instalment of the Dundalk FC show.

60

Sheriff celebrate after winning the Moldovan tite earier this year

system based purely on which round of the Champions League a team departs. Negotiating a single round of the Champions League bypasses a round of the Europa League and guarantees seeding in the next round.

Strong clubs eliminated early will be unseeded, as we saw last year when we drew Slovan Bratislava. Anomalies this season saw Faeroese champions KI given a bye in the first round of the Champions League when Slovan players tested positive for the virus, while Tirana and Ludogorets were the lucky winners of a free pass from the third round of the Europa League to the playoffs as UEFA rebalanced the draws as a result of the

champions’ automatic place in the Champions League group stage not being required. Don’t ask!

To add to the insanity, Linfield have technically earned four 90-minute wins for the Irish League this season, as the normal coefficient points were doubled to account for single-leg ties, and preliminary round wins are as valuable as qualifying round wins. Linfield beat the San Marino champions and received a walkover when Kosovar champions Drita who were unable to play due to players testing positive.

Linfield’s reward has been a dream path to the play-offs via Floriana and the winners of Flora v KR Reykjavik.

61

The champions path of the Europa League offers a potentially lucrative and much more manageable route to group stage football than the cut-throat world of the main path, with the likes of Milan, Spurs, Sporting, PSV, Besiktas, Galatasaray, Wolfsburg and Basel to be negotiated.

Unfortunately, it seems inevitable that a certain hooped club will enjoy the idiosyncrasies of the champions route next season.

The Spectator just hopes we’ll be labouring through the traditional Europa League qualifying phase at the same time.

HALF-TIME CHALLENGE

THE QUIZ

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Dundalk 1. Which two current Dundalk defenders also spent time at Shelbourne earlier in their career?

2. In 2015, Dundalk wore an all white kit- shirt, socks and shorts- once. Against which team?

3. Former Dundalk defender Paddy Barrett wore which two squad numbers during his time at Oriel Park?

4. Who scored in both legs of the Gravenmacher tie in 2010?

5. In which competition did Shelbourne last defeat Dundalk?

Shelbourne 6. Shelbourne goalkeeper Colin McCabe is from which county?

7. Jaze Kabia’s father also played in the League of Ireland- what is his first name?

8. Name the former Dundalk and Shelbourne defender now Assistant Manager at UCD. 9. Gary Deegan previously won league titles at which League of Ireland side?

10. Who was the Shelbourne manager before Ian Morris?

Mixed Bag 11. In what year did Marseille win the European Cup? 12. Who is the head coach at Leeds United?

13. Which EFL club previously played at Boothferry Park?

14. Oran Kearney is in charge of which NIFL outfit?

15. What nationality is Pierre- Emerick Aubameyang?

7. Jason 8. Ian Ryan 9. Bohemians 10. Owen Heary 11. 1993.

12. Marcelo Bielsa 13. Hull City 14. Coleraine 15. Gabonese 3. 4,15 4. Faz Kuduzovic 5. Leinster Senior Cup 6. Cavan 1. Brian Gartland and Andy Boyle 2. BATE Borisov

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ANSWERS 62

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DUNDALK

SHELBOURNE

1 GARY ROGERS

1

COLIN MCCABE

2 SEAN GANNON

2

DANIEL O’REILLY

3 BRIAN GARTLAND

3

LORCAN FITZGERALD

4 SEAN HOARE

4

OSCAR BRENNAN

5 CHRIS SHIELDS

5 ALEX O’HANLON

6 JORDAN FLORES

6

DAN BYRNE

7 MICHAEL DUFFY

7

KARL SHEPPARD

8 JOHN MOUNTNEY

8

GARY DEEGAN

9 PATRICK HOBAN

9

CIARAN KILDUFF

10 GREGORY SLOGGETT

10 RYAN BRENNAN

11 PATRICK McELENEY

11 JAZE KABIA

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12 DENZIL FERNANDES

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14 DANE MASSEY

14 AIDAN FRIEL

15 DARRAGH LEAHY

15 KARL MOORE

16 SEAN MURRAY

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17 NATHAN ODUWA

17 SHANE FARRELL

18 WILL PATCHING

18 DAYLE ROONEY

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19 SEAN QUINN

20 AARON McCAREY

20 AARON DOBBS

21 DANIEL CLEARY

21 ALEX CETINER

22 STEFAN COLOVIC

22 BRIAN MCMANUS

23 CAMERON DUMMIGAN

23 LUKE BYRNE

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25 JACK BRADY

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26 GEORGE POYNTON

27 DANIEL KELLY

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31 MARK BYRNE

29 DAVID MCMILLAN

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30 JIMMY CORCORAN

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44 ANDY BOYLE

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45 JOSHUA GATT

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COACH FILIPPO GIOVAGNOLI

MANAGER IAN MORRIS

HONOURS League of Ireland Champions (14): 1932/33, ‘62/63, ‘66/67, ‘75/76, ‘78/79, ‘81/82, ‘87/88, ‘90/91, ‘94/95, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019 First Division Champions (2): 2000/01, 2008 FAI Cup Winners (11): 1942, 1949, 1952, 1958, 1977, 1979, 1981, 1988, 2002, 2015, 2018 Top Four Cup Winners (2): 1963/64, ‘66/67 League of Ireland Shield Winners (2): 1966/67, ‘71/72 League Cup Winners (7): 1977/78, ‘80/81, ‘86/87, ‘89/90, 2014, 2017, 2019 FAI President’s Cup Winners (2): 2015, 2019 Leinster Senior Cup Winners (7): 1951/52, ‘60/61, ‘70/71, ‘73/74, ‘76/77, ‘77/78, 2015 Leinster FA President’s Cup Winners (9): 1930/31, ‘51/52, ‘63/64, ‘64/65, ‘79/80, ‘80/81, ‘81/82, ‘88/89, ‘89/90 Dublin City Cup Winners (5): 1937/38, ‘42/43, ‘48/49, ‘67/68, ‘68/69 Women’s FAI Cup Winners (1): 2005

MATCH OFFICIALS REFEREE: PAUL MCLAUGHLIN ASSISTANT REFEREE: DERMOT BROUGHTON & DARRAGH KEEGAN FOURTH OFFICIAL: NEIL DOYLE

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