Dundalk FC Magazine 2020 | Issue 10 | Molde FK

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CLUB DIRECTORY Honorary Club President Des Casey Chairman Bill Hulsizer Board Bill Hulsizer, James Baboulas, David Samhat and 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 Ground Staff John Moore, David Caldwell and Jimmy Fisher PA Announcer Michael Duffy

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 and David Murphy Sports Science Adam Fox Videographer Shane Taaffe

DUNDALK FC MAGAZINE DFC Magazine Editors: Gavin McLaughlin and Paul Dunne, DFC Magazine Contributors: Colm Murphy, Jim Murphy (RIP), Ruth Hardy, Darren Crawley, David Farrelly, Tom O’Connor, Sean De Loughry, Martyn Hindley, Padraig McGowan Sales: Helen Myers, Jimmy Neary, Roy Mackin, Stephen Neary, Patrick O’Neill Photography: Sportsfile, Ciaran Culligan, Mick Slevin (RIP), Erik Birkeland Illustrations: Shane Doyle Thanks to: Ray McManus, Stephen McCarthy (Sportsfile) 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

CONTENTS 8 From The Dugout

32 Get With The Programme

11 Player Q&A

38 Sean Gannon Interview

12 From The Dressing Room

44 Ireland v Norway

14 Junior Reporter

50 Retro: Back With A Bang!

20 Introduction to Molde

62 European Sponsors

22 Molde Player Profiles

65 The Numbers Game

24 Norwegian Football

68 The Spectator

28 ‘One Hell Of A Rant’

71 Injury Time: Quiz

30 Dundalk FC In Europe

72 Teams and Officials

OPENING SHOT

OCTOBER 16TH 2020 | ORIEL PARK | DUNDALK A general view of Oriel Park prior to the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division match between Dundalk and Bohemians.

Photo by Harry Murphy/Sportsfile

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

A GREAT TEAM

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

FROM THE DUGOUT

t has been a busy month and our focus has been on the league games but now we are really looking forward to the big European stage which we have worked hard to qualify for. It’s a really competitive stage but we are going to fight to get points. Tonight’s game is in Tallaght. For me, there is no big difference but I know my players are happy about that and that makes me happy too. They feel Tallaght fits us better.

players but they have players who like to play football. It’s not like it was before. When you were thinking about teams from northern Europe you were thinking about physicality, hard running and intensity but it’s not like that now. They have a European profile.

and thank God myself and Giuseppe were prepared for the challenge. The nice thing for us is that we can use this as a learning process too. We keep on learning every day and this will make us much better next year. Sometimes when we are having lunch or dinner we talk about where we are and what we have achieved and we laugh about it I HOPE OUR STORY GIVES HOPE TO but it’s only for a few MANY GOOD COACHES AROUND THE minutes because again, WORLD WHO SACRIFICE THEIR LIFE this is the normality, and it’s hard to enjoy it now.

TO STUDY AND ACHIEVE SOMETHING. I’m sure we will enjoy it MAYBE WE CAN BE AN EXAMPLE TO when we hear the UEFA EVERYONE THAT YOU CAN ACHIEVE Europa League song ANYTHING YOU WANT IF YOU WORK but we don’t spend HARD. too much time thinking about it.

“

It has been hard to prepare and recover properly for this game. Not just physically, but also mentally because we have had to pay attention and perform in the league because we need the points. You cannot spend as much time preparing the players as you would like.

Most of the time is spent on recovery which, in the long run, is not the best. That’s why it was important to have all of the players ready and available to play. Right now we have 20 or 21 players who can perform in any competition which we are happy about. We have worked hard to get here and we want to be here and I think we will perform.

Molde are a really strong European team, very physical but with technical players. They are not afraid to play, they are intense, they are aggressive and they are organised. It will be a big challenge and we will have to prepare tactically and technically and perform to a high level if we want to get some points. They have big

“

I

FILIPPO GIOVAGNOLI

It will, of course, be super special for myself and Giuseppe to coach a team in the UEFA Europa League group stages but sometimes dreams become normality and you have to perform. For us, this is our new normality and we are focussed on preparing and performing. We have studied so much to achieve this and I have spent a lot of time coaching and a lot of hours on the field but it has been worth it, for sure, and I am not finished. I want to get the UEFA Pro Licence soon. My learning process will keep going. The day I don’t want to learn anymore, I am going to quit. I learn every day, from coaches, from the environment, from players. Everyone has a process to get better.

I always thought that one day an opportunity was going to come for both of us. When it did come, it was unexpected 8

Tonight is going to be crazy for everyone back home in Apecchio and also in New York. The people who know us there really support us and they send us messages and are happy for us. Even people who don’t know us from around the world have been sending us messages. I hope our story gives hope to many good coaches around the world who sacrifice their life to study and achieve something. Maybe we can be an example to everyone that you can achieve anything you want if you work hard.

It’s also going to be a special night for my family and it’s nice that my son will see me in the UEFA Europa League. They are more nervous than me. My wife is always asking me ‘what do you think?’ and I have to reassure her all of the time!

Unfortunately, my mother is not alive to see it. She was the one who brought me to football

when I was young and she went everywhere with me. When I was playing, she went all over Italy to watch me, even when I was a professional. She was a big fan and also my biggest critic! In the car on the way back home, she would tell me if I played a good game - or a bad game - all of the time. She was really supportive of me and I have a lot of good memories of her. I’m sure she would be very proud. I hope to make them all happy but I also want to make the community and town of Dundalk happy, The people here have been very supportive of us and we want the team to do everyone proud. We want all of Europe to hear about Dundalk.

Godetevi la Partita, Filippo Giovagnoli 9

COMMUNITY PARTNER OF DUNDALK FC

Supporting You, Supporting Community DUNDALKCU.IE

PLAYER Q&A

JOHN MOUNTNEY

1 October 2020; John Mountney celebrates following the UEFA Europa League playoff match between Dundalk and KI Klaksvik at the Aviva Stadium

DFC Mag: What club have you supported since childhood?

John Mountney: Man United.

DFCM: What’s your favourite dish?

JM: Not sure on that but I know I’ve fallen in love with the chicken buffalo sandwich from The Food House this year.

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

JM: Stephen O’Donnell.

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

JM: Chris Shields can be loose with his hands in training...he knows!

DFCM: Which teammate spends the longest in the shower?

JM: Gary Rogers shampooing his head!

DFCM: Who is your best friend at the club?

JM: Hard to just name one as I’ve made good friends in the dressing room over the years.

DFCM: Your all-time sporting hero?

JM: I idolised David Beckham growing up but my overall sporting hero would have to be Muhammad Ali. DFCM: Your favourite holiday destination?

JM: Cancun in Mexico.

Have only been once but what a place.

DFCM: Your favourite sport outside of football?

JM: Boxing, and a friend of mine has got me more into basketball the past year.

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DFCM: What is the best ground you have ever played in?

JM: Zenit’s old ground, the Petrovsky Stadium.

DFCM: Who is the best dressed in the squad?

JM: Sean Murray is the highest in the room.

DFCM: Who is the worst dressed in the squad?

JM: There’s a few to pick from!

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

JM: For me I’d go with Dan Cleary and Jordan Flores.

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

JM: Without a doubt it’s one of our physios, Danny Miller. His music would zap the life out of you!

FROM THE DRESSING ROOM

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STEFAN COLOVIC

o qualify for the UEFA Europa League is a big success for everyone, the town, the fans and for the players, especially because of the way the season started after lockdown.

I think that we are finding our form now, we are in good shape and we cannot wait for the games to start. When I was young, I used to go to watch Red Star Belgrade play in the UEFA Cup. I watched them against Bayern Munich and Roma, it was amazing. Now, 12 years later, I will play in the same competition. I was hoping to get Red Star in our group because they are a very good team, they play in a good stadium and I could have gone home but it is probably better to miss them. I will be happy to get them in the next round!

One of my biggest reasons for coming to Dundalk was to try and qualify for the group stages. If you play with a big club in Europe then you regularly play in the UEFA Europa League but for us, it will be a big challenge. We will play against teams like Arsenal, who are one of the best in England, but we have to enjoy it. If we enjoy it and play football, we can do something.

Group B is a good one. We have one big team like Arsenal and it will be a big experience for everyone to play at the Emirates and against a team like that but then there are two similar teams, Rapid Vienna and Molde who are very similar.

I think we can be competitive in those games. They are well organised and they have good players but they are not at the highest level in Europe like Arsenal.

I know one of the Rapid players, Filip Stojkovic, a rightback who signed from Red Star last season. He was the captain of Red Star and is a very good player so I look forward to exchanging words with him!

I don’t think Molde have any Serbian or Croatian players. It will be an amazing experience playing at the Emirates. If somebody had told me two years ago I would be playing against Arsenal, I would have said it was I possible but life can change so quickly.

A lot of people back home have been asking me to swap shirts with an Arsenal player but I am not obsessed with that kind of thing. I like watching English football, teams like Liverpool and Manchester City, but I don’t have a favourite. I have Red Star back at home in Serbia and that’s it.

It’s funny because if we had beaten Celje in the UEFA Champions League qualifier, we would have played Molde in the next round. Even though we 12

lost, I think we were better than Celje. At this moment, we are playing with more confidence.

We showed against Sheriff Tiraspol, who are a better team than Celje, that we have a good squad and good players.

European football is almost like a different sport to league football. We play on an astro pitch and it’s bad for us because we want to play football and we also play against teams who are 100% defensive against us.

I think we have played better in the UEFA Europa League.

We saw that in Tiraspol. Sheriff played football and it was better for us. In Ireland, it is very difficult because teams sit behind the ball and defend with 10 players. They don’t want to score a goal, they just want to defend and make it hard so I think we will be better in Europe.

Tonight is a proud moment for my family at home in Serbia.

It has been tough for them because I have been here all of the time, almost eight months without seeing my parents or anyone, but they are proud of what I have done. t has been a hard year. When coronavirus came, everything suddenly stopped and the borders in my country closed.

It was a big shock knowing that I could not go home, even if I wanted to. I stayed here and trained every day and Des Donleavy helped me with everything. It is very good to have people like Des at the club. Yes, it was hard. I live alone but I learned to cook, I learned some new things and I know every coffee shop in Dundalk now so it has not all been bad!

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COMMUNITY

JUNIOR REPORTER

Sophie Neary

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arlier this summer, our community partners at Dundalk Credit Union launched a competition to find a Junior Sports Correspondent to cover Dundalk FC. The winner of the competition was Sophie Neary who recorded a brilliant video of her commentating and interviewing

Jordan Flores following his wonder strike against Cork City at Oriel Park earlier this season.

Part of Sophie’s prize will see her record a Zoom interview with her favourite Lilywhites player, Patrick Hoban, in the days leading up to our UEFA Europa League Group B game with Arsenal in London on October 29th.

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Sophie also recorded a brilliant video match report of our scoreless draw with Bohemians at Oriel Park on Sunday last which is available to view on our social media channels as well as providing this written report for the club website.

Well done Sophie, you have a big career in sports journalism ahead!!

DUNDALK FC 0-0 BOHEMIANS | report by sophie neary Dundalk went into this game after a 2-0 win over Cork City the previous Tuesday.

Filippo Giovagnoli made three changes with Gartland, Sloggett and Daniel Kelly coming into the starting 11.

The game began with Dundalk scoring with a shot from Patrick Hoban only for it to be ruled out for offside. Cameron Dummingan then had a shot saved by Talbot in the Bohs goal.

Bohs no.10 Keith Ward then tried to chip Rogers but luckily for the Dundalk keeper, it flew over the bar.

Hoban was fouled on the edge of the box after 30 minutes and Duffy hit the Bohs wall with a free-kick. The first half ended with Andre Wright heading over from a corner kick for Bohs. This brought an uneventful first half to a close.

The second half began the same as the first with neither team really threatening to score.

Dundalk made a sub in the 51st minute with Nathan Oduwa coming on for Daniel Kelly.

Michael Duffy then shot across the goal after getting a pass from Hoban.

McEleney was booked for a foul in the 57th minute and was then replaced by Sean Murray.

Patrick Hoban then missed a couple of chances to put the home side in front, both headers, supplied by Duffy.

Unfortunately for Oduwa he got injured and was replaced by Colovic.

Dummigan again tried from distance but this time it flew past the post. The game finished with Dummingan getting a yellow card for blocking the Bohs winger from getting past him.

Both teams settled for a draw with Dundalk now travelling to Derry on Monday, with Molde the first visitors to Tallaght on Thursday for the UEFA Europa League Group B game.

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UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE

AN INTRODUCTION TO MOLDE FK champions and the Eliteserien had been largely the domain of Rosenborg for a generation. The Trondheim-based club had won every league title between 1992 and 2004 and for the flirtations with glory of Valerenga, Brann Bergen and Stabaek, no other side seemed likely to create a rival hegemony.

Martyn Hindley gives an introduction to Molde.

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veryone knows the back story. Bayern were leading 1-0 in Barcelona and the UEFA President, Lennart Johansson, had already started his descent of the cavernous Camp Nou to award the trophy. One roar later and Manchester United were level – one more came when Teddy Sheringham flicked on a David Beckham corner and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer stuck out a right boot to become a European champion.

It might seem a random place to start an introduction to Molde, but the career ascendency of Solskjaer is intertwined with the recent success of the 109-year old club. As a striker, the “baby-faced assassin” cut his teeth in Molde en route to a 14year stay at Old Trafford

as player and then reserve team manager before returning to his homeland to replace Uwe Rosler and help the club write a glorious new chapter of their history.

At that stage, Molde had never been Norwegian

As inauspicious as Manchester United’s start in Barcelona had been, so was Solskjaer’s opening as Molde manager, looking anything like champions elect as they were flattened 3-0 by Sarpsborg, who would land up relegated.

Molde clambered to top

17 July 2013; Former Molde FK manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, pictured at the end of the UEFA Champions League second qualifying round first leg with Sligo Rovers at The Showgrounds

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but have surged clear of the field with eighteen wins and two draws to their name from 20 matches at the time of writing.

Magnus Wolff Eikrem celebrates his goal against Ferenvaros in the UEFA Champions League playoff first-leg tie in Norway last month

spot just before the halfway stage of the season and remained consistent enough to land a maiden title and an eventual pop at the UEFA Europa League group stage.

Success has since been shared around Norway but Molde have enjoyed their fair slice. In that group stage, they held their own with Steaua Bucharest, VfB Stuttgart and FC Copenhagen whilst they were busy tying up their second consecutive championship.

There would be three in four years to go alongside a few Norwegian Cups and the regularity of their visits to the European stage makes them opponents to be reckoned with.

Whilst playing in Europe, their domestic focus will be on making the UEFA Europa League’s qualifying phase next season, rather than contesting the title.

That ship has sailed towards Bodo/Glimt who were playing second-tier football as recently as 2017

One glance at the club’s official website shows a club content in their achievements and enjoying life, whilst looking to 2021. Attacking left-back Birk Risa arrived at Aker Stadion from Odd at the end of the recent transfer window and was quick to praise the atmosphere in the town and around the club and admire the beauty of the local fjords.

It projected a sense of a club at peace with their surroundings, both on and off the pitch, and that’s exactly what we can look forward to in the group stage when we meet Molde.

Aker Stadion, Molde

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PLAYER PROFILES

MOLDE FK

Meet The Coach:

ERLING MOE

(DOB: July 22, 1970).

The former Kristiansund manager was appointed as caretaker boss of Molde for the second time when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer left for Manchester United and, after overseeing the largest winning margin of any of Molde’s four domestic titles, he is now secure in his head coach role.

Has stopped short of calling the gap to champions Bodo/ Glimt an “embarrassment” but has promised that Molde will be much closer to them in 2021 and has also commended the league winners on their achievements.

1 ANDREAS LINDE

2 MARTIN BJORNBAK

Bio: Goalkeeper, SWE, 27 .........................................

Former Helsingborg shotstopper who left his native Sweden for Molde in 2015, the same year that he was a squad player for his national team as they won the Under-21 European Championship on penalties in the final against Portugal.

Spent a large tranche of the title season out with a knee injury that required surgery but whilst sidelined, received a boost with a contract extension that keeps him at the club until the end of 2021. Was the hero in the UEFA Champions League qualifying round penalty shootout win over Qarabag, saving in sudden death to take Molde through. ..........................................

Bio: Defender, NOR, 28 .........................................

Central defender hailing from just south of the Arctic Circle who has had two spells with the recently crowned champions Bodo/ Glimt (including one as captain), who he left to join Molde in 2019. Has put his injury spells behind him and now back at the heart of the Molde back line. ..........................................

3 BIRK RISA

6 STIAN RODE GREGERSEN

Bio: Defender, NOR, 22 .........................................

Norway’s Under-21 international captain and left-back took a step up recently when putting pen to paper on a switch from domestic rivals Odd on transfer deadline day.

Molde CEO Ole Erik Stavrum said that he had been a player “long in the binoculars of the club” and was recruited when loan player John Kitolano – on loan from Wolves – wanted to go back to his native region and swapped to go back to Odd. An unused substitute at the weekend.

Bio: Defender, NOR, 25 ................................ ..........

According to a team-mate’s post on Instagram recently, the central defender took over Ruben Gabrielsen’s changing room locker when the latter left Molde for Toulouse in the summer. Gabrielsen had left a note there with a list of his honours (2 league titles and 1 domestic cup win) as a light-hearted motivation!

Gregersen has been with Molde for eight years but has struggled to nail down regular places down the years and has spent time out on loan, most latterly with Swedish outfit Elfsborg. ..........................................

...........................................

Last Molde team: (4-2 win v Bodo/Glimt) | 4-2-3-1 Linde Holmgren Pedersen (Knudtzon 82) – Gregersen – Bjørnbak – Haugen Aursnes – Hussain Hestad – Eikrem (Capt; Ellingsen 75) – Bolly (Brynhildsen 63) Omoijuanfo 22

PLAYER PROFILES

MOLDE FK

7 MAGNUS WOLFF EIKREM Bio: Midfielder, NOR, 30 ........................................

Attacking midfielder and club captain was presented with the club’s player of the year award in 2019, some seven years after receiving the accolade for the first time. Molde-born, he was whisked away to Manchester United as a teenager having attended an Ole Gunnar Solskjaer training academy and was brought back by his mentor when he became Molde boss for the first time in 2011. Left in 2013 for Dutch side Heerenveen and made it back via stints in the UK (Cardiff City), Sweden (Malmö) and the USA (Seattle Sounders). Was on the mark twice at the weekend as Molde repeated last year’s 4-2 scoreline over champions Bodo/Glimt.

16 ETZAZ HUSSAIN

17 FREDRIK AURSNES

Bio: Midfielder, NOR, 27 .........................................

Holding midfielder was another one to leave his homeland to learn his craft with Manchester United at the age of 16, an experience that he described as one that no youngster should ever pass up.

Having played under Solskjaer in the Red Devils’ Reserves, he was reunited with his old boss at the start of this decade, via Valerenga and Frederikstad and is now in his second spell at the club, with stints in Croatia and Turkey in between. ..........................................

Bio: Midfielder, NOR, 24 .........................................

Holding midfielder who has acquired experience beyond his years having broken through to the first team of Hodd as a teenager and becoming the youngest player to receive a winner’s medal in the Norwegian Cup before his 17th birthday. Joined Molde in 2016 and can already boast more than 100 appearances for the club. ..........................................

.........................................

19 EIRIK HESTAD

27 MARCUS HOLMGREN PEDERSEN 28 KRISTOFFER HAUGEN

Bio: Midfielder, NOR, 25 ........................................

Attacking midfielder who has been with Molde throughout his career and won the Player of the Year Award in 2018. Speculation in Italy linked him strongly to a move to Lecce in the summer but those reports added that the penalty shootout success over Qarabag complicated the picture and forced the Giallorossi director Pantaleo Corvino to explore other options. On the scoresheet at the weekend against Bodo/Glimt. ..........................................

Bio: Defender, NOR, 20 ........................................

Right-back represented Norway at the Under-19 European Championship finals in Armenia in 2019, when he was still a Tromso player, switching to Molde at the start of this season. ..........................................

30 MATHIS BOLLY

99 OHI OMOIJUANFO

Bio: Forward, CIV, 29 ........................................

Born in Norway but has represented Ivory Coast on five occasions at senior international level.

Had five years in Germany with spells at Fortuna Düsseldorf and the second-tier Bavarians Greuther Fürth in between his Norwegian stints at Lillestrom and now, Molde, whom he joined in 2019. More often than not, starts on the left side of the three players providing for the lone striker. ..........................................

Bio: Forward, NOR, 26 ........................................

Born to a Nigerian father and a Norwegian mother and has represented Norway at various age groups before making his only international appearance as a substitute in a friendly against Sweden three years ago. Broke through to the Lillestrom first team as a teenager and was already on the scoresheet for them before his 17th birthday, setting a then-record for youngest scorer in the domestic championship. Is in the second of a three-year term with Molde after joining in 2019 from Stabaek and ended his recent goalscoring drought by putting the side 2-1 ahead against Bodo/Glimt at the weekend. ..........................................

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Bio: Defender, NOR, 26 .........................................

Long-time servant of Stavanger-based Viking, Haugen joined Molde in 2018 and became an instant regular in the side, signing a contract extension in the summer that keeps him with the blue-and-whites until the end of 2022.

Cool head against Qarabag, converting a penalty in sudden death to set up the win. ..........................................

THE FLUCTUATIONS OF

NORWEGIAN FOOTBALL spent almost a decade at Chelsea, Lars Bohinen went to Nottingham Forest and Stig Inge Bjornebye to Liverpool, who later pinched Oyvind Leonhardsen from Wimbledon (the midfielder would later play for Spurs and Villa). Tore Andre Flo would later spearhead the Chelsea attack. Jan Aage Fjortoft was banging the goals in for Swindon Town, plying their trade in the Premier League.

28 June 1994; David Kelly in action for the Republic of Ireland against Norway’s Eirland Johnsen during their group game at the 1994 World Cup in Orlando, Florida, USA

Martyn Hindley gives an insight to Norwegian football.

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ast your mind back 26 years.

Remember Republic of Ireland 0 Norway 0 at World Cup USA ’94 in New Jersey? No, I thought not!

Of course, we recall Ray Houghton’s wonder-strike against Italy and Big Jack having some full and frank exchanges of view with the officials in Orlando but somehow, the game that took the national side through to the Round of 16 was fairly forgettable.

Then, Egil Olsen was leading the nation to only a second World Cup and that, after an absence of 56 years. They had beaten

England in Oslo in a match that provided several amusing clips to the fly-onthe-wall documentary that followed the late Graham Taylor (The Sun headlined with ‘Norse Manure’ the following day) and would go on to beat Brazil in the next World Cup in France and turn over Spain at EURO 2000 in Rotterdam.

The national team success powered these international transfers to high-profile clubs and the game in Norway flourished. In the snow of the Arctic Circle, Tromso’s less-famous stars tripped up Chelsea 3-2 in a Cup Winners’ Cup tie in 1997/98, around the same time that Roar Strand and

Many of those squad members were household names for those fans of the Premier League over the water in the 1990s.

Erik Thorstvedt (imaginatively nicknamed, ‘The Viking’) was already a regular at Tottenham, Gunnar Halle bolstered the defences of Oldham Athletic and Leeds United, Erland Johnsen 24

Erik Thorstvedt | Tottenham

of equivalent standing though, the Eliteserien has struggled to withstand the shock of talents leaving their homeland at progressively younger ages to seek the riches from wealthier leagues.

Gunnar Halle | Leeds United

Harald Brattbakk provided a UEFA Champions League banana skin for Real Madrid. Each of those heavyweights would add context to those defeats by recovering to win their respective trophies.

Like many leagues

In the recent win for the national team in the UEFA Nations League over Northern Ireland, only goalkeeper André Hansen (Rosenborg) is currently plying his trade in his homeland and whilst Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund) and Joshua King (West Ham United) benefit from exposure to high-quality leagues, those in Scotland, Turkey or the lower reaches of the French and Russian top flights can scarcely say the same.

It has all contributed to a weakening of the

Erling Braut Haaland | Borussia Dortmund

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Joshua King | West Ham United

standing of the domestic championship on the continental stage but that’s precisely why this group stage is just as important to Molde – and Norwegian football – as it is to Dundalk and the SSE Airtricity League of Ireland.

SUPPORTERS

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

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BJØRGE LILLELIEN

‘ONE HELL OF A RANT!’

Norwegian commentator Bjørge Lillelien went on an unforgettable rant (right) when his native country beat England in 1982

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OU may not have heard of Bjørge Lillelien before but you have almost certainly heard from him - as Martyn Hindley explains...

The late Norwegian radio commentator went down in European football folklore with his celebratory rant after Norway beat England in a qualifying match for the 1982 World Cup by letting Margaret Thatcher know that her boys ‘took one hell of a beating.’

The commentary is now more legendary than the result itself.

In terms of making an impact on football’s international stage, the reverberations from that night still take some beating in Norway. The national team haven’t qualified for an

international tournament since EURO 2000.

Their most celebrated night came two years before that, when they beat eventual finalists Brazil 2-1 at the World Cup in France thanks to a late comeback, inspired by longtime Chelsea forward Tore André Flo. The club scene has seldom enjoyed such decorated occasions. Frederikstad were the first to fly the flag for 28

Norway in the European Cup back in 1960 and despite them prevailing over Ajax in their first tie, the nation would only see three more victories over two legs in Europe in the following nine years and one of those was achieved by walkover.

Furthermore, some of the beatings were savage. Capital club Lyn were taken to the cleaners for 16 goals over two legs by Don Revie’s Leeds at the end of the sixties and leaked

another dozen to Spurs in the UEFA Cup three seasons later.

Rosenborg had 12 put on them by Scottish club Hibs, Liverpool achieved the same in the Cup Winners’ Cup against Strømsgodset and Queens Park Rangers got the abacus out against Brann Bergen; 11-1 the aggregate score.

In that context, Norway’s win over England was quite a remarkable achievement and it would be followed by an even greater era. Football’s popularity boomed even more with the advent of England’s Premier League coinciding with Egil Olsen steering the national team to successive World Cups.

At the same time, Rosenborg strengthened their grip on the domestic championship to such an extent that rubbing shoulders with the likes of Real Madrid and Bayern Munich became a regular affair.

Going to Norway was tricky towards the end of the nineties - and not only at Rosenborg. In November 1997, the Trondheim giants eclipsed a Real Madrid team who went on to claim their seventh European crown in the group stages.

In even bleaker, snowy conditions the previous month, Chelsea lost the away leg of a European Cup Winners’ Cup tie 3-2 north of the Arctic Circle in Tromsø, only to recover with an emphatic 7-1 win in the return leg at Stamford Bridge.

The end of Rosenborg’s domestic hegemony coincided with Norway’s international struggles and competitiveness has waned on the European front too.

While Dundalk were breaking new frontiers in the summer of 2016, Rosenborg wobbled like a late-night drunkard, mildly tipsy in eclipsing the neighbours from Norrköping before tumbling against APOEL in the UEFA Champions League and then being dumped out of the UEFA Europa League by Austria Wien before the group stage.

They fared better a year later.

After narrowly overcoming the Lilywhites in the second qualifying round, Rosenborg made their exit from the UEFA Champions League at the hands of Celtic but they rallied in the UEFA Europa League playoff, beating Ajax 4-2 on aggregate to secure a place in the group stages where they finished third in a section involving Zenit Saint Petersburg and Real Sociedad.

They’ve made two more visits to the UEFA Europa League group stages since, most recently last season when they picked up just a solitary point in a treacherous section made up of Lask Linz, Sporting Lisbon and PSV Eindhoven.

The three other Norwegian clubs in action: Brann beaten by Shamrock Rovers

- Haugesund - knocked out by PSV - and Molde fared little better with tonight’s opponents beaten 3-2 on aggregate by Partizan Belgrade in the UEFA Europa League playoff round.

Back on the international front, Norway’s hopes of securing a place at next summer’s European Championships were ended earlier this month when Serbia claimed a 2-1 win in Oslo, extending their famine to 22 years.

Not many Norwegian clubs are taking ‘one hell of a beating’ anymore, but neither are they shouting the odds to the high-ranked politicians of this world. It’s fair to say that on Norwegian television tonight, Irish politicians may not get too much of a mention in the live broadcast, whatever the result.

24 June 1998; Tore Andre Flo is congratulated by teammate Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after scoring Norway’s equaliser against Rivaldo’s Brazil at the FIFA World Cup in France. The Norwegians went on to win the game 2-1

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DUNDALK FC IN EUROPE

PRE-2014

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undalk’s history in European competition stretches back almost 60 years.

The epic adventure began in 1963 when as League of Ireland champions Dundalk played Swiss champions FC Zurich in the 1963-64 European Cup. Since then, Liverpool, Red Star Belgrade, Ajax, Celtic, Spurs and PSV were among the Lilywhites’ opponents over the years.

Dundalk’s long and fascinating history in European football can broadly be split into two distinct time periods, which are mapped out on these pages. Over 50

years from the early 60s until the Ian Foster era, Dundalk enjoyed regular domestic success and with it the reward of European football.

Over that 50-year period, Dundalk played a total of 22 European ties against opponents from 13 UEFA nations and visited 12 nations - we didn’t actually make it to Northern Ireland as the Linfield tie was switched to Holland.

Dundalk’s regular qualification brought them as far afield as Malta and Iceland, with a couple of trips to Hungary and three to the former Yugoslavia. (We’ve crassly shoved the Croatian 30

clash with Varteks into the map of the former Yugoslavia.)

We also took in Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland twice, Bulgaria and Luxembourg while six draws against UK teams and three trips to Holland hint at informal regionalisation of the early round draws in the earlier days of UEFA competitions.

After 22 two-legged ties in the space of 50 years, Dundalk will, by the end of this season, have played another 16 knockout ties and 12 group games in a six-year period between 2014 and 2020. The geographical diversity has increased dramatically too.

DUNDALK FC IN EUROPE

POST-2014

Remarkably, Dundalk have faced opponents from 20 different countries in the past six seasons and visited 19 countries. The Lilywhites’ European footprint has stretched into the Middle East, to the Caspian Sea, up the Pyrenees and to the Baltics.

The unforgettable 2016-17 season brought us back to Iceland, Belarus (for a second successive year) and Holland, while we broke new ground in Russia, Poland and Israel.

Since 2017 it’s been a series of unprecedented trips, first to Norway in 2017, then Estonia and Cyprus in 2018, to Lativa,

Azerbaijan and Slovakia last season. This season, of course, we played our first opponents from Slovenia, Andorra, Moldova, the Faroes and Austria. Sadly we didn’t add Slovenian or Faroese stamps to the collective Dundalk FC European passport.

Dundalk have now played opponents from 29 UEFA nations. What’s notable about the countries we’ve not visited yet is that apart from England we’ve still not faced opposition from any of the three traditional powerhouses of Italy, Spain and Germany, or from France, though plenty of other League 31

of Ireland clubs have.

It’s perhaps surprising too that we’ve never met teams from our fellow northern European nations of Denmark, Lithuania and Finland, or other long-standing UEFA members Greece, Turkey and Romania.

There are plenty of new adventures to be had and new friends to be made too in the Balkans and the Caucasus, but for now, we’ve quite enough to be getting on with, as we welcome Norwegian opponents, in Molde, to Ireland, to kick start our historic second UEFA Europa League group phase.

FROM THE ARCHIVES

GET WITH THE PROGRAMME Tottenham Hotspur v Dundalk 1981-82 Cup Winners Cup

Chris Hughton, Ossie Ardiles and Steve Archibald. For Dundalk there were the usual early 80s heroes....

Blackmore, Lawlor, Dunning, Flanagan, McConville, Kehoe, Fairclough The match: After a famous and well deserved 1-1 draw at Oriel Park Dundalk headed to White Hart Lane full of confidence. They almost took an early lead through Hilary Carlyle and Chris Hughton cleared off the line, but Spurs slowly got on top and Glenn Hoddle split the defence to set Garth Crooks up for the only goal of the game.

AZ Alkmaar v Dundalk 2016-17 UEFA Europa League The relevance: With a trip to Arsenal next on the list we look back at Dundalk’s last trip to north London 39 years ago in the Cup Winners Cup. The facts: 30p bought a glossy 24 page programme.

The content: There’s plenty of coverage of Dundalk, and tons of Spurs content, historical, statistical, commercial and contemporary.

A word from our sponsors: There is surprisingly little extenal advertising, bar a full page ad for holidays in Spain.

Instead the programme is a vehicle for Spurs groundbreaking early 80s commercialisation- ‘Why not view an executive box now?

A new concept in business entertainment’ Famous names: Spurs were full of stars- Glenn Hoddle, Ray Clemence,

The relevance: Just four years ago Dundalk made their UEFA Europa League group phase debut, at AZ Alkmaar in the Netherlands.

The facts: A four page freebie, this programme was only available in the home end. Several resourceful Dundalk fans negotiated a copy through the away end fence!

The content: There’s a detailed page on Dundalk, a page for the line-ups and ads on the back. Simple as that..

A word from our sponsors: The back page is given over to AZ’s partners- main sponsor AFAS software and ‘strategische partners’ including Rabobank, Amstel and Under Armour.

Famous names: O’Donnell, Finn, McMillan, Horgan and the legendary RogersGannon-Massey-Gartland32

Boyle back five starred for Dundalk. For AZ captain Ron Vlaar was a regular Dutch international who enjoyed high profile spells at Feyenoord and Aston Villa.

Iran international Alireza Jahanbakhsh was the subject of a big money move to Brighton in 2018.

The match: Dundalk competed well with their Eredivisie opponents enjoying plenty of possession, defending stoutly and providing a genuine threat in attack. It looks like the match was drifting away though as Stijn Wuytens bravely headed AZ ahead despite a crunching

clash with Gary Rogers on the hour, before Stephen O’Donnell was dismissed with 20 minutes to go. Dundalk were not done though, and it was up to heroic sub Ciaran Kilduff to thump home a magnificent header to snatch an unforgettable draw.

FC Zurich v Dundalk 1963-64 European Cup The relevance: Back where it all began, with Dundalk’s first ever away match in Europe some 57 years ago.

The facts: The rarest of all Dundalk’s Euro programmes, not too many of these quirky eight-page fold out programmes made their way home to Ireland.

The content: There’s a page of club news and a couple of pages detailing the line-ups.

Apart from that it’s advertising and some basic details of forthcoming FCZ matches.

A word from our sponsors: Krupp garage gets front page prominence giving this programme it’s unique look.

Other sponsors include the

Restaurant Urania, Hermes typewriters and Stein Kaller menswear.

Famous names: For Zurich West German international Kalus Sturmer was considered the dangerman, Kobi Kuhn was a regular for Switzerland and later managed his country. Dundalk included Dermot Cross, Jimmy Hasty, Patsy McKeown, John Murphy and Francis Callan.

The match: After losing 3-0 at ‘home’ in Dalymount Park Dundalk came within an ace of a massive upset in Switzerland.

Dermot Cross put Dundalk ahead on the half hour and the brilliant Jimmy Hasty conjured a second before smacking the crossbar.

Zurich pulled one back but Dundalk recorded the first win by an Irish club in Europe’s premier competition.

Sligo Rovers v Molde 2013-14 UEFA Champions League The relevance: Molde’s only previous visit to Ireland brought them to Yeats Country, for a UEFA Champions League qualifying tie with 2012 League of Ireland champions Sligo.

The facts: €5 bought a frankly awesome 64 page A4 gem, one of the finest programmes ever produced by an Irish club.

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The content: The programme is a celebration of Sligo’s history, recent success and famous faces, from Dixie Dean to Seamus Coleman, from European dates with Red Star to Spartak Trnava. Tons of Molde coverage included an interview with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

A word from our sponsors: Every local politician seems to have hopped on the bandwagon with ads, and scores of local businesses are present and correct.

Rival papers Sligo Champion and Sligo Weekender have prominent full page ads.

Famous names: Dundalk links aplenty at Sligo, as Gary Rogers, David McMillan, Ross Gaymor and Alan Keane lined up with the likes of Gavin Peers, Joey Ndo and Anthony Elding. Current Man United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was in the dugout for Molde.

Legendary skipper Daniel Berg Hestad played over 650 games for Molde and Joona Toivio was a regular Finnish international.

The match: Molde sneaked a 1-0 win at the Showgrounds and eased through 3-0 on aggregate. They lost to Legia Warsaw on away goals in the next round.

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BIG INTERVIEW

SEAN GANNON

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undalk’s record European appearance holder, Sean Gannon, has seen a lot of things over his almost seven years at the club and among those is 32 appearances on the continent. As one of the most consistent performers not only in the league of Ireland but for Irish clubs in UEFA competitions, Gannon has plenty of stories to tell and tonnes of memories and we spoke to him this week for him to look back on those and he began with where it all started in the UEFA Europa League Qualifiers back in the fine summer of 2014‌ Sean Gannon: Coming from not playing much football in 2013 to playing UEFA Europa League in 2014 was quite surreal. It was brilliant if I am honest and I remember it well.

Playing in Europe at that time was amazing, Luxembourg against Jeunesse Esch was the first and you always

29 September 2016; Sean Gannon in action against Omri Ben Harush of Maccabi Tel Aviv during the UEFA Europa League Group D match at Tallaght Stadium

remember your first European games like that and it was great, we played so well which added to it too but yeah it is great to look back on and that us a tie with Hadjuk Split who are a massive club. A huge club and it got us to a venue where there was a massive crowd, a hostile crowd and it was the first time we were playing in that kind of environment. It was a big learning experience 39

for us all. It was such an achievement to win the game in those circumstances because they were a good side and the crowd were right on top of us in the stadium. It was hot as well but it showed how good we were even then when we were able to go away and win the game. It was great to get that and I suppose that was the start of it, everything kicked off after that.

BIG INTERVIEW

SEAN GANNON DFC Magazine: We had the duels with Belarus outfit BATE Borisov over two consecutive seasons, they featured prominently in our European story especially in that early part. How do you look back on that period?

SG: They were such a big part of our early years and we had the UEFA Champions League next with BATE Borisov and that was the first of two ties against them the following year also and I felt that we were unlucky in that one.

We did well over there, I felt that we played some brilliant stuff, retained the ball and maybe caught them by surprise a bit but here in Oriel we were unlucky. We maybe didn’t do ourselves justice on the night because they closed the game down but we felt we were lucky.

We drew 0-0 and we couldn’t get the goal to send us through which was a pity but a year later it was a bit strange. It was strange over there playing and we got battered but only lost 1--0! I gave the ball away for the goal actually which

was disappointing but then we had the 3-0 win in Tallaght which is probably the best memory of all, we had such a great night beating them 3-0 in the rain and it was something that we all remember and will forever. It set us up for what followed in the group stage and it was brilliant.

The experiences we had after that, the memories we have been able to take with us is amazing.

DFCM: It did set us up for what happened next, that was our first experience of the UEFA Europa League Group Stages and it placed us in Group B for the competition, what are your memories of that time and that year in fact with it all being so new?

SG: Just to be travelling around Europe the way we were in 2016 with crowds following us, playing in big stadiums, all of the media attention we got and everything else. Playing in Israel, the snow in Russia and drawing with AZ Alkmaar who were one of the top seeds in the entire competition, it 40

was something which is unforgettable. We are looking for more of the same this year with the travel. It’ll be a little bit different obviously because of COVID-19 but it goes to show how hard we have worked and how good we have been. Things have gone against us this season for different reasons, it has been a bit of a mad season if you were to be asking me but the fact that we are in the group stage is a credit to the boys and everyone who is here. I didn’t get to play in the AVIVA Stadium a few weeks ago because of injury but the lads worked extremely hard, they worked their socks off and that was the same in Sheriff and against Inter Club also.

Everyone left it on the line for each other and we are probably going to need more of that when we go into the group stages.

DFCM: In historical terms, you hold the record number of appearances for Dundalk Football Club.

How does that make you feel overall or is it something that you are able to put to the back of your mind?

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BIG INTERVIEW

SEAN GANNON SG: To be the number one European appearance holder is such an honour for me. When you think of the players who have been here and the players who have had such a rich European history at this club throughout the years, I am very proud and it is something I don’t take for granted. Even my dad got to travel to Israel to see me play in the UEFA Europa League which may only be a small thing to some people but it’s massive to me and it means a lot to me that he was able to get to see me do something

like that. It’s brilliant and something that was great to happen.

This is a huge club, a massive club and it’s great for myself and my family to say that I am the record appearance holder. I want to keep that record, It’s nice and to be able to play in these games is something you can never take for granted. it’s important to me and it’s something I am determined to keep.

I have some great European memories and European appearances and hopefully I can add a good few more to those.

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DFCM: It is often said that the European matches are different and you have played in enough of them now to know what sets those apart from the regular every week matches, in your mind and experience, what differentiates the European matches that we have played in and the ones coming up from domestic affairs?

SG: You have to go up a level in Europe. It’s such a different kind of game compared to your ordinary matches.

Everything goes up notches and the stakes are higher. Any slight mistake, even half mistake gets punished, as I spoke about when we were in Belarus it was 0-0 and I give the ball away, bang bang it’s in the back of the net. Sometimes it’s like a game of chess, when you have to plot your moves. You have to make sure that you are strategic. Each game is different because there is such a different mix of styles and such a different mix of players. They are all international players that you are coming up against with huge experience at this level so it’s different ad the

games are played in a different way than we are used to but we look forward to them, we have found them to be a challenge but the kinds of challenges you want and we are well capable of competing at this level, as we have shown before and we will show again.

heavily in two would be amazing. It has been a brilliant achievement for us to qualify again.

Brilliant from the players and the club to get ourselves back there. It is what we set out to do every year and we have got

DFCM: This will technically be your third group stage involvement and the only league of Ireland player to achieve that, even if you don’t count the first one as such, what does it mean to you to potentially be involved as a player in two?

SG: I was around the first group stage with Shamrock Rovers but this is definitely my second. I was involved in the first Dundalk one which was amazing and to be involved in 43

there. Now we don’t just want to go there and make up the group numbers. We want to compete and we are looking forward to it.

It’s something we are delighted that we have been able to do, it’s a great way to end the season and something which we are proud of.

As I said, a lot of things went against us this year and performances haven’t been good at times. We have taken responsibility for that, we have to but we have always worked hard, we have always given everything for our team mates and for the club, for the staff and that is what we have to do going into these games and we want to give ourselves the best shot at the groups.

TALE OF THE TAPE

IRELAND V NORWAY

24 August 2006; Drogheda United players react to an IK Start penalty in their UEFA Cup second qualifying round tie at Dalymount Park

Norwegian clubs have been participating in Europe since the 1960s but their battles with opponents from this country were few and far between up until the last quarter of a century. Since then, the Norwegians have more or less dominated, winning 16 of the 25 ties in question. Padraig McGowan takes a look back at how our clubs have fared over the years.

Before we go any further with this piece, I will admit to taking a big liberty because when Derry City played Lyn Oslo in the 1965/66 European Cup they were, of course, an Irish League, as opposed to a League of Ireland side.

However, I’m taking that liberty because Derry have been competing in the League of Ireland for the past 35 years, and frankly, including their results makes our overall performances against Norwegian sides look a hell of a lot better!

With just five wins from the 25 previous outings, League of Ireland sides have a poor record against our Norwegian

counterparts but here’s hoping the Lilywhites can add to the ‘Won’ and ‘For’ columns in our upcoming games against Molde in Group B of the UEFA Europa League.

The first

Derry City were the first ‘current’ League of Ireland team to play a Norwegian side in European competition.

After winning the Irish League for the first and only time in 1964/65, the Candystripes were drawn against of Lyn Oslo in the preliminary round of the European Cup. The men from the Maiden City went through on an aggregate scoreline of 8-6, overturning a 5-3 deficit 44

from the first leg in Norway to win 5-1 at The Brandywell.

Athlone Town’s participation in the 1975/76 UEFA Cup received much attention recently, mainly due to AC Milan’s clash with Shamrock Rovers in Tallaght.

The national media fondly recalled Milan’s previous visit to Ireland when they made the trip to the midlands to play Athlone in the second round of the UEFA Cup 45 years ago.

The storylines, of course, all featured the famous photograph of the AC Milan players alighting from their team bus in their leather shoes - only to hit the mud at St Mel’s Park! The other storyline from that game is John

19 July 2017; Brian Gartland shows his disappointment after Dundalk’s 2-1 loss against Roseborg in the UEFA Champions League second qualifying round tie match at the Lerkendal Stadion in Trondheim

Minnock’s penalty miss which would possibly have given the Midlanders an incredible victory against a side coached by 36-year-old Giovanni Trapattoni and boasting Italian legends such as Gianni Rivera and Nevio Scala.

Progress

The part of that story that isn’t as particularly well known is that Athlone were paired against Valerengen in the first round. After rejoining the league in 1969/70, it marked Athlone’s first-ever game in Europe and they progressed by winning the tie 4-2 on aggregate, winning 3-1 at home and drawing 1-1 in the away leg.

Since then, it’s been a hard slog for the Irish clubs, albeit with a few near misses. When Stephen Kenny’s Bohemians lost a UEFA Champions League

League of Ireland record against Norwegian Eliteserien clubs in UEFA competitions Played ........................25 Won ..........................5 Drew ..........................4 Lost .........................16 Scored .......................27 Conceded .................49

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qualifier to Rosenborg in 2003/04, the Norwegians were only felled at the last hurdle before the group stages by Deportivo La Coruña, who would go all the way to the semi-finals that season only to lose to Porto and some coach called Jose Mourinho who many people had still hardly heard of.

While Derry and Athlone both prevailed over Norwegian opposition, there was only one other occasion when an Irish side beat their Norwegian counterparts on aggregate and that was last season when Shamrock Rovers beat Brann Bergen 4-3 on aggregate in the UEFA Europa League. Our most recent Irish club result

gives us hope for an upturn in our fortunes against our Nordic opponents!

Rosenborg rocked

Sligo Rovers are the only side to win an away leg of a European tie against Norwegian opposition. Rosenborg boss Per Joar Hansen bit the bullet in 2014 when the Bit O’Red went

and ransacked the Lerkendal 2-1 in a UEFA Europa League qualifier. Jolted into action by that and an early Sligo goal in the return at The Showgrounds, Rosenborg came back to save face and scrape through the tie 4-3 on aggregate with Mike Jensen scoring a double.

Dundalk’s only previous meeting with a Norwegian side 46

game in the second qualifying round of the 2017/2018 UEFA Champions League when we were also drawn against the Norwegian kingpins.

After drawing the home leg at Oriel Park 1-1, we travelled to Trondheim in expectation and the team put up a tremendous performance only to narrowly lose 2-1 after extra time! The

26 July 2000; A general view of Tolka Park during the UEFA Champions League second qualifying round first leg match between Shelbourne and Rosenborg. The Norwegians won the game 3-1

prize on offer for winning that tie was a duel with Glasgow Celtic in the next round!

Molde have only ever come across an Irish side once in their history. Again, Sligo Rovers were the opponents but the League of Ireland champions had no answer to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side who ran out comfortable winners in both legs.

On the 13 occasions that League of Ireland sides have drawn Norwegian opposition, 12 of the ties were played over two legs. The one exception came in 1996 when, once again, Sligo Rovers played Lillestrom in the 1996 Inter-Toto Cup (remember that tournament?). The game was a one-legged affair, played in Norway, with the home team winning 4-0.

Start Stop The Drogs

One of the most remarkable meetings between a League Of Ireland and an ‘Eliteserien’ side took place in the 2006/07 UEFA Cup between our Louth neighbours, Drogheda United and IK Start. Trailing 1-0 from the away leg, the Drogs won the home leg, played at Dalymount Park, thanks to a late equaliser from Eamon Zayed.

Extra time could not separate the teams and penalties was required with Start winning a dramatic shoot out 11-10.

The intriguing aspect of this game was that the Drogheda centre half, Graham Gartland, missed both of his efforts in the shoot out; both saved by the Start goalkeeper, resulting in heartbreak for Gartland and the Drogs!

The IK Start manager on that occasion was the ex-Liverpool defender, Stig Inge Bjornebye.

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When Dundalk played Rosenborg in 2017, Bjornebye was also present as their Sporting Director.

Due to their incredible domestic successes, it’s perhaps no surprise that Rosenborg have been the side that Irish teams have played most often, on five separate occasions.

Along with Dundalk and Sligo Rovers, the Norwegian side have also played Cork City, Shelbourne and Bohemians, and progressed on each occasion!

The other European ties featured Brann against Shelbourne and Shamrock Rovers, Valerengen versus Athlone Town, Odds Ballklubb versus Shamrock Rovers, Lyn Oslo versus Derry City, Lillestrom and Molde FK versus Sligo Rovers and IK Start against Drogheda.

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RETRO: MARCH 2009

BACK WITH A BANG! Tonight, Dundalk Football Club will compete in the group stages of the UEFA Europa League for the second time in the space of just five seasons. For anyone associated with the club, the past eight years have been nothing short of magical, a glorious period which has allowed us to see things that other clubs will never see. For many of our younger fans, this is the norm but the older contingent know differently and just over a decade ago, we were preparing for life in the top flight after breaking free from the wilderness of the first division.

Gavin McLaughlin takes a look back at the club’s return to the Premier Division in March 2008 when Sean Connor’s newly assembled squad took on Bohemians at Oriel Park.

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f you had stood on the terraces at Oriel Park on March 6th, 2009 telling people that 11 years later Dundalk would have added another five league titles and two FAI Cups to the club’s roll of honour then people would have looked at you like you had two heads.

If you had also thrown in that the club would appear in the group stages of European club competition - not once, but twice - there is no doubt the men in white coats would have been on your case!

If you are a Dundalk fan of a certain vintage, there is no doubt you will remember the 2009 season. Whether you remember it with fondness is a different matter altogether.

After seven years in the graveyard of Division One, Dundalk took their place at the top table of Irish football once again. To say they crashed the banquet would be something of an understatement!

With Sean Connor at the wheel, the campaign proved to be a roller coaster ride of epic proportions as the Belfast man’s very own ‘Crazy Gang’ gained notoriety throughout

Thomas Heary leads the Dundalk team out for their Premier Division comeback against Bohemians at Oriel Park in March 2009

the country - and still ended up qualifying for Europe!

Twenty red cards, stag parties, the sacking of Dave Rogers, Joe Miller’s departure, midseason pay cuts and allegations of betting; there was never a dull moment at Oriel Park...and you think it’s bad now!!

Connor’s clear-out

Following the acrimonious departure of John Gill, just days after he led the club to promotion, former Sligo Rovers and Bohemians boss Connor was installed as the club’s new manager before Christmas 2008. Continuity, however, was 50

the last thing on his mind.

Just three of Gill’s promotionwinning squad - goalkeeper Chris Bennion, along with local lads Tiarnan Mulvenna and Simon Kelly - were retained.

David Cassidy, the club’s Player of the Year in 2008, hit out at Connor for not doing enough to keep him at Oriel Park while David Crawley, the club’s homegrown 2002 FAI Cup-winning captain, was another deemed surplus to requirements. Both ended up at Dermot Keely’s Shelbourne.

With the backing of owner Gerry Matthews, Connor was intent on building his

own squad and in came a cast of colourful and highly controversial characters that have gone down in folklore - for the wrong reasons!

Former Bohemians centreback Thomas Heary was first in the door and named captain.

He was followed by ex-Hearts full-back Shaun Kelly, former Drogheda United captain Declan ‘Fabio’ O’Brien and the well-travelled Dave Rogers.

After dropping his shorts against St Patrick’s Athletic, Rogers was shown the door five months later, a move that ended up costing the club a five-figure sum.

‘Disco’ Darren Mansaram, who played for Connor at Bohs and Sligo Rovers also arrived and was quickly followed by three more of the manager’s trusted lieutenants: Liam Burns, Chris Turner and Harpal Singh. The capture of Burns, who was named in the 2018 PFAI Team of the Year was a real coup for Connor. Singh, on the other hand, played until July, went off to get married and never returned!

Local lad Kyle Moran was taken in on trial but didn’t earn a contract. Two months later, he scored against Dundalk for St Patrick’s Athletic. Connor 51

also cast his net further afield.

Dwight Barnett, a Bostonbased Jamaican striker with clubs such as the Westchester Flames, Cape Cod Crusaders and Montreal Impact on his CV was handed the number 15 shirt but a move for Maltese international striker Etienne Barbara fell through.

The vast majority of the squad were signed as professional players with the club going down the ‘full-time’ route for the first time in its history.

Despite that, Connor insisted he would operate within the allocated budget of around €12,000 per week.

Top L-R: Michael Daly, Sean Connor, Dave Rogers and Mickey Collins at a press conference in the Crowne Plaza.

Bottom L-R: Dwight Barnett and Declan O’Brien get stuck into pre-season training at Felda

“I’d ask the fans to be patient,” he said. “The 14 full-time players are coming in at the cost of what a part-time squad would have been last year so there is no extra pressure on the finances of the club. Bringing in full-time players means you have the players every day and they are totally dedicated to playing for Dundalk. Hopefully, the fitness levels and the way that we play will reflect that.”

Hey Joe!

Introductions were made on the first day of pre-season training on January 17th with the squad put through their paces by former Celtic striker Joe Miller, who was unveiled as Connor’s assistant at what was fast becoming a weekly press

conference held in the Crowne Plaza.

“Sean and I are looking to take the club to the next level,” said Miller. “We are going to try and install a bit of professionalism like the clubs I have worked at.

We have a blank canvas in front of us and we might surprise a few people.” The Scot, who was on a rolling week-toweek contract, departed in September after Matthews enforced a pay-cut which saw the players take a reduction of 10-15% in their wage.

The signings, and press conferences at the Crowne Plaza, kept coming. Mickey Collins, a 31-year-old midfielder with Irish League and Cup medals to his name, not to mention a host of disciplinary 52

problems, was the latest to be unveiled at the hotel. He revealed that a conversation with former Seatown goalkeeper, Paul Murphy, persuaded him to leave Newry City.

Described by Connor as the “the best piece of transfer business I will do during the window,” Collins declared his intentions right from the off. “I’ll be living in Dundalk from Monday to Thursday and I wouldn’t leave my kids for just anything,” he told the assembled media. “I’m here to win.”

Michael Daly, a 19-yearold who was released by Manchester City, was also present, as was Jimmy Browne, the man who led Carrick

Joe Miller was brought in as Sean Connor’s number two

Rangers to a famous Irish Cup win over Linfield in 1976. He was named as Dundalk’s Head of Recruitment and Technical Adviser and was the third member of the coaching set-up to possess a UEFA Pro-Licence.

“If you look at the management team, I don’t know of any club, north or south, that has three pro-licence holders.

I’m not saying it guarantees success but it gives you a great chance,” he said.

There was a real sense of astonishment when Connor pulled off a deadline day swoop to bring former Cork City and Eircom League Player of the Year George O’Callaghan back to Ireland. “I certainly think it’s a high profile signing and it shows the ambition of Dundalk Football Club,” said Connor.

One player who slipped through his fingertips, however, was a certain Stephen

O’Donnell. After leaving Bohemians, the midfielder actually lined out for Dundalk in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Athlone in Dublin but a move never materialised, despite Connor’s positivity.

“We have reached a deal to bring him here so, hopefully, he will put pen to paper in the next 24 hours. He’s a good player.

I brought him to Bohs from Falkirk and he did really well for me. He carried that on through last season as well. He doesn’t give the ball away and he’s a quality player.” O’Donnell finally arrived five years later, going on to become one of the club’s finest ever midfielders.

The Louth Auld Firm

The installation of a new synthetic pitch at Oriel Park meant that Dundalk spent much of pre-season on the road where they fired blanks against 53

Athlone Town, Wexford Youths and Monaghan United. Their only win came against Sligo Rovers at The Showgrounds, Chris Turner bagging the first goal of the Connor era.

The first opportunity for fans to run the rule over the new squad came on Tuesday, February 24th 2009 when Drogheda United hosted the Malone Cup at United Park.

Ironically, six of the players who were discarded by Dundalk - Ian Ryan, Paul Shiels, Paul Crowley, Paul Smyth, Robbie Martin and Jamie Duffy - featured for the Drogs with Duffy scoring the winning penalty in a shootout.

The game ended in stalemate but there were some notable moments. On his return to Boyneside, O’Brien was greeted by a pig’s head while O’Callaghan made his debut, coming on as a 19th-minute sub for Mansaram. Both players

A furious Mickey Collins is escorted off the pitch by Dundalk goalkeeper Chris Bennion and physio Paul Cheshire after being sent off in the 2009 Malone Cup against Drogheda United

missed from the spot in the shootout. David Ward also featured, the Rock Celtic striker handed a short-term deal by Connor with a view to playing in the club’s reserve team.

In retrospect, it was a game that set the scene for what was to come. A feisty affair almost boiled over when Collins was sent-off in the 40th minute following a clash with Drogheda’s Gavin Whelan. ‘Mental Mickey’ was so outraged by referee Paul Tuite’s decision that he had to be escorted from the field by Chris Bennion.

“The referee spoiled the game in my eyes when he sent the two players off,” said Connor afterwards. “In that situation, my player came off the worst. I don’t understand how Michael Collins can be sent off when he has stud marks going from

the back of his knee up to the top of his thigh but I’ve come to expect things like that in this league.”

There was also trouble off the pitch with the Dundalk bus

comparing the Louth Derby to an ‘Auld Firm’ fixture.

“I don’t think a game like this should be played in pre-season because there’s too much rivalry between the clubs,” he said. “This wouldn’t happen THE IRISH INDEPENDENT WROTE anywhere else. It’s like Celtic playing Rangers in a preTHAT CONNOR WAS “ASSEMBLING season game – it wouldn’t A COLLECTION OF IRISH FOOTBALL’S happen. There’s too much MOST TEMPESTUOUS CHARACTERS” bite between the two sides.”

BUT HE DID HIS BEST TO CIRCLE THE WAGONS. “THAT WOULD BE TYPICAL NATIONAL JOURNALISTIC GARBAGE,” HE SAID. “IT’S SOMEBODY TRYING TO STIR IT. THE PLAYERS I HAVE ARE CHARACTERS. THEY ARE COMBATIVE AND THEY WANT TO WIN. SOME PEOPLE MIGHT SHIRK FROM SIGNING THOSE SORT OF PLAYERS BUT I CERTAINLY DON’T.” attacked as it left United Park.

Connor was far from happy, 54

Abysmal

The final test before the league opener against Bohs came on Sunday, March 1st when Neil Lennon brought a second-string Celtic outfit to Oriel Park for Connor’s first game in front of the Lilywhites support and the first on the new surface.

After giving as good as they got in the first half, Dundalk struggled badly in the second.

The main stand at Oriel Park was packed for the visit of Celtic in 2009

Celtic arrived with a host of youngsters in their line-up. The most notable names on display were former AC Milan midfielder Massimo Donati and ex-Derry City winger Niall McGinn.

Paddy McCourt, another former Brandywell favourite, made the trip but didn’t take part because of an injury.

Dundalk started well and O’Callaghan rattled the frame of the post with a header before the Hoops took the lead in the 38th minute when Ben Hutchinson got in behind the Lilywhites back four and capitalised on a mistake by Bennion to roll the ball into an empty net.

The goal failed to derail Connor’s men and they got the equaliser their direct play deserved right on the stroke of half time. The busy Declan O’Brien set Harpal Singh away on the left with a quick free-kick and his cross found O’Callaghan who popped up to seize control of the situation and slot the ball home.

The second half was a complete turnaround as Dundalk never really got into their stride and Michael Glinchey, a player that Connor tried to bring to Oriel Park, showed what might have been when he picked the ball up

outside the penalty area before sidestepping Thomas Heary to rifle the ball home.

Liam Burns squandered two difficult chances to level the scores while substitute Dwight Barnett lost control of the ball with a clear run on goal in front of him. The Jamaican striker then headed wide from a Michael Daly cross in the 83rd minute. It encapsulated his short stay at the club.

Celtic put the result beyond doubt in the latter stages. Ryan Conroy was given too much room on the right and he used the opportunity to deliver a

Celtic’s Niall McGinn holds off Dundalk’s George O’Callaghan in the pre-season game at Oriel Park in 2009

55

pinpoint cross to the back post where Nicky Riley rose above trialist Jamie Tandy to head home.

Asked if it had been a worthwhile exercise, Connor snapped back. “In a word, no,” he said. “The first half was useful to us but the second half was abysmal. The second and third goals were poor ones to give away. Everything was bad about the second 45 minutes.

Our tempo, our passing, our work rate, our commitment; it all let us down.

“We’re not as close to being ready as I thought we were,” he

Dundalk’s Harpal Singh holds off Bohemians’ Joseph Ndo in their League of Ireland Premier Division game at Oriel Park in March 2009. Inset: Ndo celebrates after scoring the winning goal

added. “The second half really disappointed me but maybe it’s better that it comes now and we get a wee bit of a kick up the backside before we go into Friday.

“If we do play against Bohemians like the way we did in the second half we will get steamrollered. I had an idea of the team for Friday night in my head but it’s definitely put question marks over a couple of individuals.”

Back in the big time!

Five days later, on Friday, March 6th 2009, Dundalk ended their seven-year wait for Premier Division football by playing host to Bohemians, the reigning league champions, in front of the RTE cameras.

The fact that Connor took Bohemians to the high court following his sacking at Dalymount Park in December 2007 only added extra spice to the occasion.

“The only motivation for me is that they are the league champions and the benchmark,” 56

said Connor. “My other business with Bohemians finished in December when I went to court.

It’s the first league game and it’s live on TV so what more motivation do you need?”

Joseph Ndo’s winning goal was a perfect illustration of life at the top. Despite being second best for most of the game, Pat Fenlon’s 2008 double winners conjured up a moment of magic in the 71st minute to take all three points.

Owen Heary’s excursion into opposition territory allowed him

Dundalk’s Michael Daly tackles Bohemians’ Neale Fenn

to dispatch a 50-yard ball into the Dundalk box and, despite having no right to win, the former Cameroon international grew enough to flash a header past Chris Bennion. Result: onenil Bohemians.

Despite leaving with a win, Fenlon found time afterwards to complain about the synthetic surface. Unsuitable for topflight football was his cry. In the circumstances, it seemed a smokescreen designed to cover up his side’s difficulties in overcoming an impressive and resolute Dundalk side.

Connor was hampered by, of all things, red tape. Mickey Collins was a notable absentee from the starting XI as a failure by the club to secure international clearance stopped the former Newry City man

from starting in the engine room. He didn’t kick a ball until July.

It seemed to matter little in the early stages. Connor opted for Michael Daly and Chris Turner in the middle of the park and they didn’t look out of place against the experienced duo of Paul Keegan and Glen Cronin.

Daly went closest to opening the scoring midway through the first half when he rose to meet George O’Callaghan’s free-kick but his header hit the angle of crossbar and post. The Corkman, playing in a more central role just behind Declan O’Brien, also had a penalty appeal waved away by referee Dave McKeon when his free-kick from 20-yards looked to have struck the outstretched arm of Glen Crowe.

57

Dundalk continued to hold the upper hand but they were given a warning when Neale Fenn’s clever flick set Ndo in behind Dave Rogers on the right but the former Shelbourne man could only drag his cross behind Crowe.

Killian Brennan had the first effort of the second half when he lifted a free-kick harmlessly over the bar but it was a flowing move by the home side that had the crowd applauding 10 minutes into the restart.

Dave Rogers found the willing O’Brien with a good pass. The experienced full-back continued his run to collect the return ball before whipping a devilish cross into the far post where O’Callaghan just failed to meet the effort.

Sean Connor is sent to the stands by referee Dave McKeon during the opening game of the 2009 season against Bohemians at Oriel Park

Cruel game

A rowdy Oriel was stunned into silence four minutes later when the champions took the lead. Heary was allowed time and space to pick out Ndo with a raking pass and the powerful attacker did brilliantly to rise between Thomas Heary and Simon Kelly to power a header into the net. Dundalk were back in the big time but facing a considerable mountain to climb.

A forceful run on the right by

Simon Kelly brought the crowd back to its feet minutes later.

The local defender showed great pace and power to get away from Brennan on the right flank. His cross was even better, finding Turner in the middle, but again the midfielder was just off target with his effort.

Tiarnan Mulvenna was introduced in a bid to salvage a point and he was at the centre of controversy in the 83rd minute. A challenge on the local striker by Anto Murphy 58

had the crowd, and Connor, howling for a penalty.

The Dundalk manager’s protest was too much for fourth official Tom Connolly and after a discussion between himself and McKeon, Connor, to the obvious glee of the Bohemians fans, was ordered to the stand.

He responded to their taunts by tapping his back pocket, a reference to the out of court settlement he reached with Bohs just four months earlier! “We should have got two

penalties,” sighed the Belfast man afterwards. “Unfortunately you don’t get big decisions against the big Dublin clubs.

I’ve experienced it at Sligo and it’s starting to happen here now. We had what I thought was a very good penalty claim turned down and the fourth official was just a little too sensitive. Pat Fenlon was out of his box the whole night.

Maybe I should put my arms around the referees and have a chat with them like the way Pat

does.”

After seven years in the wilderness, Dundalk’s supporters announced their arrival back to the top tier in fine style. Almost 4,200 people packed into a noisy Oriel Park and Connor admitted the atmosphere had left him somewhat in awe.

“The Dundalk supporters answered every question that was asked of them tonight and I doubt there will be a bigger crowd anywhere in the country.

59

It was a fabulous atmosphere and they kept us going.

“If they can stay with us then I’m convinced we will be a huge club again.”

Little did we know….

DUNDALK FC v BOHEMIANS: Chris Bennion; Shaun Kelly, Thomas Heary, Liam Burns, Dave Rogers; Simon Kelly, Chris Turner, Michael Daly, Harpal Singh; George O’Callaghan, Declan O’Brien (Tiarnan Mulvenna 80).

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winning penalty saves?2

Premier Division 2 play for? does Cian Coleman Who 7: Premier Division Who did Dundalk play in their final home league game 8: does Cian Coleman play for?

Who 7: Who did Dundalk play in their final home league game 8: of 2016? of 2016?

Which EPL side have agreed to sign Shamrock Rovers' 9: Which EPL side have agreed to sign Shamrock Rovers' 9: Gavin Gavin Bazunu Bazunu next next summer? summer?

2018_24Sligo60_54_55.qxp_dfc15 13.10.18 13:48 Page 2

FAI FAI Cup Cup Who scored a Goal of the Season contender for Bohemians in in their their FAI FAI Cup Cup semi-final semi-final defeat? defeat?

Bohemians Who did did UCD UCD beat beat after after extra extra time time in in the the FAI FAI Cup Cup Who quarter-finals? quarter-finals?

Which teams played in the 2014 FAI Cup Final?

Which teams played in the 2014 FAI Cup Final?

10: 11: 11: 12:

Lucky Dip! 3 City now play?

In whatDip! league do Swansea Lucky 3 managed Which Dutchman player Barnet and wore do Swansea City now play?

In what league the No1 jersey?

Which Dutchman player managed Barnet Who plays their home matches at Fir Park?and wore

the No1 jersey?

Who plays their home matches at Fir Park?

12: 13: 14: 13:

14: 15: 15:

7

7

Lucky Dip! 13: The EFL Championship / 14: Edgar Davids / 15: Motherwell 2019_14_Qarabag_60_p.indd 41

19/07/2019 21:20

FAI Cup 10: Ian Morris / 11: CIE Ranch / 12: St Patrick’s and Derry City

Lucky Dip! Premier Division 13: The EFL Championship / 14: Edgar Davids / 15: Motherwell 7: Limerick / 8: Bohemians / 9: Manchester City 64

winning penalty saves?

Premier Division does Cian Coleman play for?

Who Premier Division Who did Dundalk play in their final home league game does Cian Coleman play for?

Who Who did Dundalk in theirTHE final home league game of 2016?

FIGURES...

ALL ABOUT IT’Splay of 2016?

Which EPL side have agreed to sign Shamrock Rovers' Which EPL side have agreed to sign Shamrock Rovers' Gavin Gavin Bazunu Bazunu next next summer? summer?

THE NUMBERS GAME

FAI FAI Cup Cup Who scored a Goal of the Season contender for Bohemians in in their their FAI FAI Cup Cup semi-final semi-final defeat? defeat?

Bohemians Who did did UCD UCD beat beat after after extra extra time time in in the the FAI FAI Cup Cup Who quarter-finals? quarter-finals?

Which teams played in the 2014 FAI Cup Final?

Which teams played in the 2014 FAI Cup Final?

Lucky Dip! In whatDip! league do Swansea City now play?

Lucky Which Dutchman player managed Barnet and wore do Swansea City now play?

In what league the No1 jersey?

Which Dutchman player managed Barnet Who plays their home matches at Fir Park?and wore

the No1 jersey?

Who plays their home matches at Fir Park?

Gary Rogers

5

The number of European goals scored by Dundalk this season.

These goals have been shared amongst four different players with Seán Murray (2), Daniel Cleary, Daniel Kelly and David McMillan all finding the net as Dundalk secured their passage to the UEFA Europa League Group Stages.

When they last achieved such a feat, in 2016, David McMillan recorded a quintet of goals himself. The Dubliner netted a brace against both FH and BATE, as well as the equaliser against the Icelanders in Oriel Park.

Dundalk’s other two goals scored in that qualifying campaign came from Robbie Benson- his late goal in 2019_14_Qarabag_60_p.indd 41 an Tallaght capping off incredible night while his thunderbolt away in Poland against Legia Warsaw will

remain long in the memory.

2014

The summer of 2014 saw Dundalk march towards their first Premier Division title in 19 years.

On the 13th of July they recorded a 1-0 victory over Shamrock Rovers, courtesy of a Patrick Hoban strike. The game was played at Tallaght Stadium and it was only the second time Dundalk had beaten Shamrock Rovers at the venue.

The night before, Ron Vlaar’s Netherlands side (in blue) had beaten Brazil 3-0 in the World Cup Third/Fourth Place Play Off. Fast forward to the opening game of the 2016 Group Stages and Vlaar captained AZ Alkmaar against Dundalk in their 1-1 draw, a

stage Dundalk had reached courtesy of a 3-0 Tallaght Stadium win over a team playing in blue earlier in the campaign.

336

The number of minutes since Gary Rogers last conceded

a league goal.

Georgie Poynton’s 24th minute penalty in Shelbourne’s 3-2 defeat at Oriel Park was the last time the Meathman’s net was breached.

His last three shutouts have occurred against Cork City, Finn Harps and Bohs. He has now kept six clean sheets this season- neither Cork nor Finn Harps have scored in either of their 2020 league encounters against the Lilywhites, while 19/07/2019 - at the time of going to press Derry City are the other side to fail to score against Dundalk.

Lucky Dip! 13: The EFL Championship / 14: Edgar Davids / 15: Motherwell FAI Cup 10: Ian Morris / 11: CIE Ranch / 12: St Patrick’s and Derry City

Lucky Dip! Premier Division 13: The EFL Championship / 14: Edgar Davids / 15: Motherwell 7: Limerick / 8: Bohemians / 9: Manchester City 65

21:20

Date Date H/A Fri 17 JanFri 17 Jan H N* Wed 22 Jan Wed 22 Jan Fri 24 JanFri 24 JanN* Thu 30 Jan Thu 30 Jan H Mon 03 Feb Mon 03 Feb A Tue 04 Feb Tue 04 Feb H H Sun 09 Feb Sun 09 Feb Fri 14 FebFri 14 FebH Fri 21 FebFri 21 FebA H Mon 24 Feb Mon 24 Feb Fri 28 FebFri 28 FebA Fri 06 Mar Fri 06 MarA Fri 10 Jul Fri 10 Jul H Tue 14 JulTue 14 JulH Fri 17 Jul Fri 17 Jul H H Mon 20 Jul Mon 20 Jul Tue 21 JulTue 21 JulH Fri 31 Jul Fri 31 Jul H Fri 07 Aug Fri 07 AugA Tue 11 Aug Tue 11 AugH Fri 14 AugFri 14 AugH A** Thu 20 Aug Thu 20 Aug A Sat 22 Aug Sat 22 Aug Sun 30 Aug Sun 30 Aug A Fri 11 SepFri 11 Sep H A Thu 17 Sep Thu 17 Sep Thu 24 Sep Thu 24 Sep A H Sun 27 Sep Sun 27 Sep Thu 01 Oct Thu 01 Oct H+ Sun 04 Oct Sun 04 Oct H Tue 13 Oct Tue 13 OctA Fri 16 OctFri 16 OctH Mon 19 Oct Mon 19 Oct A Thu 22 Oct Thu 22 Oct H+ A Sun 25 Oct Sun 25 Oct Thu 29 Oct Thu 29 Oct A Sun 01 Nov Sun 01 Nov A Thu 05 Nov Thu 05 Nov A H Sun 08 Nov Sun 08 Nov Sat 14 Nov Sat 14 NovA Sun 22 Nov Sun 22 Nov H+ Thu 26 Nov Thu 26 Nov N Sun 29 Nov Sun 29 Nov Thu 03 Dec Thu 03 Dec A Thu 10 Dec Thu 10 Dec H+ xApps/Goals xApps/Goals H

Comp.

H/A Frie H Frie N* Frie N* Frie H Frie A Frie H PRC H LGE H LGE A LGE H LGE A LGE A Frie H Frie H Frie H Frie H Frie H LGE H LGE A FAIC H LGE H UCL A** A LGE FAIC A LGE H UEL A UEL A LGE H UEL H+ LGE H LGE A LGE H LGE A UEL H+ LGE A UEL A LGE A UEL A LGE H FAIC A FAIC UEL H+ FAIC N UEL A UEL H+ H

Opponents K-O Comp. Opponents Res. K-O UNIVERSITY Frie UNIVERSITY COLLEGE COLLEGE DUBLIN DUBLIN 7:45 7-1 7:45 W CFR FrieClujCFR Cluj 5:00 1-2 5:00 L CSKA Frie Moskva CSKA Moskva 4:00 0-2 4:00 L DROGHEDA Frie DROGHEDA UNITED UNITED 7:45 7:45 2-0 W Crusaders Frie Crusaders 7:30 2-1 7:30 W LONGFORD Frie LONGFORD TOWN TOWN 7:45 0-1 7:45 L SHAMROCK PRC SHAMROCK ROVERSROVERS PP PP DERRY LGE CITY DERRY CITY 7:45 1-0 7:45 W Shelbourne LGE Shelbourne 7:45 2-1 7:45 W CORK LGE CITY CORK CITY 7:45 3-0 7:45 W Shamrock LGE Shamrock Rovers [RTÉ] Rovers [RTÉ] 8:00 2-3 8:00 L Finn LGEHarps Finn Harps 8:00 4-0 8:00 W DERRY Frie CITY DERRY CITY 7:45 1-1 7:45 D BOHEMIANS Frie BOHEMIANS 7:45 4-1 7:45 W DROGHEDA Frie DROGHEDA UNITED UNITED 7:30 1-0 7:30 W ATHLONE Frie ATHLONE TOWN TOWN 7:30 4-2 7:30 W LONGFORD TOWN TOWN 7:45 2-1 Frie LONGFORD 7:45 W LGE PATRICK’S SAINT SAINT PATRICK’S ATHLETIC ATHLETIC [RTÉ] [RTÉ] 7:45 1-17:45 D Bohemians LGE Bohemians [WATCHLOI] [WATCHLOI] 5:45 1-2 5:45 L WATERFORD FAIC WATERFORD [R1] [WATCHLOI] [R1] [WATCHLOI] 7:45 1-0 7:45 W WATERFORD LGE WATERFORD [WATCHLOI] [WATCHLOI] 5:45 2-2 5:45 D NK UCL CeljeNK [QR1] Celje [QR1] 6:00 0-3 6:00 L Sligo LGE Rovers Sligo[WATCHLOI] Rovers [WATCHLOI] 5:00 1-3 5:00 L Cobh FAIC Ramblers Cobh Ramblers [R2] [WATCHLOI] [R2] [WATCHLOI] 5:00 2-0 5:00 W SHELBOURNE LGE SHELBOURNE [EIRSPORT] [EIRSPORT]8:00 3-2 8:00 W Inter UEL Club Inter d’Escaldes Club d’Escaldes [QR2] [QR2]6:00 1-0 6:00 W Sheriff [QR3] [QR3] tbd 1-1+ D UEL Tiraspol Sheriff Tiraspol tbd SHAMROCK LGE SHAMROCK ROVERSROVERS [RTÉ] [RTÉ] 7:30 0-4 7:30 L KÍUEL KLAKSVÍK KÍ KLAKSVÍK [PO] [PO] 7:30 3-1 7:30 W FINN LGE HARPS FINN [WATCHLOI] HARPS [WATCHLOI] 5:00 0-0 5:00 D 7:45 2-0 Cork LGE City Cork [WATCHLOI] City [WATCHLOI] 7:45 W BOHEMIANS [WATCHLOI] D LGE BOHEMIANS [WATCHLOI] 5:45 0-0 5:45 Derry LGE City Derry [WATCHLOI] City [WATCHLOI] 5:45 5:45 MOLDE UEL MOLDE 5:55 5:55 Waterford LGE Waterford [WATCHLOI] [WATCHLOI] 2:00 2:00 Arsenal UEL Arsenal 8:00 8:00 5:45 5:45 Saint LGEPatrick’s Saint Athletic Patrick’s[WATCHLOI] Athletic [WATCHLOI] Rapid UEL Wien Rapid Wien 5:55 5:55 SLIGO LGE ROVERS SLIGO ROVERS [WATCHLOI] [WATCHLOI] 7:45 7:45 Bohemians FAIC Bohemians [QF] [QF] tbd tbd tbd FAIC [SF] tbd [SF] tbd tbd RAPID UEL WIEN RAPID WIEN 8:00 8:00 tbd FAIC [F] tbd [F] tbd tbd Molde UEL Molde 8:00 8:00 ARSENAL UEL ARSENAL 5:55 5:55 xLGE: SSExLGE: x x Airtricity League League SSE Airtricity FAIC: Extra.ie FAIC:FAI Extra.ie Cup FAI Cup UCL: UEFA UCL: Champions UEFA Champions League League UEL: UEFA UEL: Europa UEFALeague Europa League PRC: President’s PRC: President’s Cup Cup UUCC: Unite UUCC: theUnite Unionthe Champions Union Champions Cup Cup TOTAL APPS/GOALS TOTAL APPS/GOALS (excl. friendlies) (excl. friendlies)

Seán GANNON Gary ROGERS Brian GARTLAND Seán GANNON Seán HOARE Brian GARTLAND Chris SHIELDS Seán HOARE Jordan FLORES Chris SHIELDS Michael DUFFY Jordan FLORES John MOUNTNEY Michael DUFFY Patrick HOBAN John MOUNTNEY Greg SLOGGETT Patrick HOBAN Patrick McELENEY Greg SLOGGETT Andrew QUINN Patrick McELENEY Dane MASSEY Andrew QUINN

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TEAMSTATISTICS TEAMSTATISTICS

20202020 SEASON SEASON MATCH MATCH DATA DATA

1

2020_11Molde60_56_57.qxp_DFC: 2020_11Molde60_56_57.qxp_DFC: Matchday Matchday Magazine Magazine 17/10/2020 17/10/2020 09:5809:58 Page Page 1 1

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34 22

Waterford St Patrick’s Athletic Sligo Rovers Derry City Shelbourne

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7

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Cork City

15

2

3

10

8

27

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9

Note: Data correct until Saturday 17 October 2020 (9:30am)

Fixtures Date Fri 16 Oct Sat 17 Oct Sun 18 Oct Mon 19 Oct Sat 24 Oct

Match Dundalk 0-0 Bohemians Cork City v Waterford (5:00) Shelbourne v Sligo Rovers (5:00) Derry City v Dundalk (7:45) Sligo Rovers v Cork City (5:00)

Statistics Goals scored Total goals 165 (average: 2.26) Home goals 94 (average: 1.29) Away goals 71 (average: 0.97) Results Home wins 33 (45.2%) Draws 15 (20.6%) Away wins 25 (34.2%) Over/Under 2.5 goals Over 28 (38.4%) Under 45 (61.6%) 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 H+: Aviva Stadium, Dublin

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

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12 George KELLY

45 Joshua GATT

44 Andy BOYLE

29 David McMILLAN

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24 Jamie WYNNE

23 Cameron DUMMIGAN t

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21 Daniel CLEARY

19 Val ADEDOKUN

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18 Will PATCHING

17 Nathan ODUWA

16 Seán MURRAY

15 Darragh LEAHY

2020_11Molde60_56_57.qxp_DFC: Matchday Magazine 17/10/2020 09:58 Page 2

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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 Mon 03 Feb: Crusaders 1-2 Dundalk t Mark Hanratty / t Ronan Kilkenny / l Jamie Barry Tue 04 Feb: Dundalk 0-1 Longford Town t Mark Hanratty / t Gabriel Sava / t Ronan Kilkenny l Jamie Barry Fri 10 Jul: Dundalk 1-1 Derry City l Jimmy Corcoran Tue 14 Jul: Dundalk 4-1 Bohemians l Jimmy Corcoran Fri 17 Jul: Dundalk 1-0 Drogheda United l Jimmy Corcoran Mon 20 Jul: Dundalk 4-2 Athlone Town n Christian Jones (4) / 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 Ronan Kilkenny Thu 20 Aug: NK Celje 3-0 Dundalk N**: Played at Ferenc Szusza stadium, Budapest +Thu 24 Sep: Sheriff 1-1 (3-5) Dundalk Played at Stadionul Sheriff, Tiraspol Penalties: Čolović, Hoban, Hoare, McEleney and Shields all scored Sun 27 Sep: Dundalk 0-4 Shamrock Rovers l Jimmy Corcoran (30) / l Mark Traynor (13) l Mark Hanratty (25)

EXTRA TIME

THE SPECTATOR The 28,345 capacity Weststadion in Vienna where Dundalk will play on November 5th

of the joys of global football is its ability to bring people and communities together, even if these matches are to be played behind closed doors for the most part.

Through the sixties

would have had of Hungarians, Dutchmen, Yugoslavs and Portuguese would have been through the prism of European football at Oriel Park. Today cheap international travel has propelled Dundalk folk from Ridleys and McManuses to the likes of Iceland, Cyprus THROUGH THE SIXTIES AND and Belarus.

SEVENTIES, THE ONLY GLIMPSE 2020 has certainly THE GOOD PEOPLE OF DUNDALK been an eventful season WOULD HAVE HAD OF HUNGARIANS, of European football for DUTCHMEN, YUGOSLAVS AND Dundalk, global pandemics PORTUGUESE WOULD HAVE BEEN notwithstanding. The THROUGH THE PRISM OF EUROPEAN geographical boundaries were further pushed back FOOTBALL AT ORIEL PARK. TODAY as Dundalk embarked on CHEAP INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL HAS maiden voyages to Andorra PROPELLED DUNDALK FOLK FROM and Moldova, there was an RIDLEYS AND MCMANUSES TO THE abortive trip to Slovenia LIKES OF ICELAND, CYPRUS AND which was rerouted to one BELARUS. of our regular European destinations, Budapest, and and seventies, the we headed all the way to Dublin only glimpse the 4 to host Faroese opposition for good people of Dundalk the first time. There’s a first trip

“

Molde is officially a city, but its population is just less than that of Dundalk, and it ranks 31st in Norway for population. For two modest municipalities on the periphery of Europe, the glory of European football brings excitement and cosmopolitan glamour to the communal doorstep. And so the likes of Dundalk, Molde, BATE and Qarabag can rub shoulders with the likes of Arsenal, PSV, Milan and Sevilla.

It’s a bit of a cliche, but one

“

W

ith the possible exception of a particularly underwhelming town twinning, it’s hard to imagine the provincial towns of Molde and Dundalk ever coming together, never mind in such a high profile way.

68

Molde’s Etzaz Hussain in action during their UEFA Champions League playoff against Ferencvaros in Norway

to Austria in the offing too.

Back to tonight’s Northern European tete-a-tete though.

Molde is one of those cities that will always be inextricably linked to its football team, and disproportionately well known for it. The town of Dundalk shares that warm reflective glow of football glory. It’s one of the joys of football.

In Ireland, it means that Sligo, Drogheda, Longford and Waterford have a weight and significance that is lacking in Ennis, Naas, Mullingar and Thurles. It means that in Dundalk we are familiar with the far-flung European towns of Molde, Hafnarfjordur, Varazdin, Barysaw, Trondheim, Tiraspol

and Alkmaar. It’s why European football will never be a dull or run-of-the-mill.

Tonight’s clash of the champions of the 23rd and 37th ranked European countries may seem underwhelming to those whose football exposure is limited to televisual viewing of the Liverpools and Barcelonas of this world, but is full of nuance, romance and excitement for those of us truly invested in our clubs.

For Dundalk, there’s the prospect of a trip to Romsdal in central Norway and the rather wonderful waterfront Aker Stadion. For Molde, there’s the exciting prospect of a trip to historic north Louth....

69

sorry.... the magnificent Aviva Stadium.... apologies ..... what, Belfast? Really? ..... erm ok, Dublin 24 just across the road from the Square Shopping Centre. Anyway. Glamour is the word we’re looking for.

And so, this crazy season gets a little crazier in the foothills of the Dublin mountains. We may have shed our league title and a quadruple winning manager over the course of a rollercoaster season, but it’s far from over. Before the season comes shuddering to a halt sometime in December there’s plenty of scope for glory and humiliation, joy and despair.

Chances are we’ll squeeze oodles of each in.

HALF-TIME CHALLENGE

THE QUIZ

3

7

13

Dundalk 1. Who is Dundalk’s record European goalscorer?

2. What was the score in the UEFA Europa League Group Stage game away to AZ Alkmaar?

3. When did Dundalk last score a European goal in Scotland?

4. Which company is currently Dundalk’s sleeve sponsor after replacing Blackstone Motors?

5. In what year did Dundalk first play in Europe?

Molde 6. Who did Ole Gunnar Solskjaer manage after leaving Molde in 2014?

7. Daniel Berg Hestad is Molde’s record appearance holder by almost 200 appearances.

True or false?

8. Name the former Manchester United, Stoke and Blackburn forward who won the Norwegian league with Molde in 2007.

9. Only two Norwegian clubs have played in the UEFA Champions League. Name them.

10. How many times have Molde won the Norwegian Cup? Mixed Bag 11. Which English club are known as ‘The Baggies’?

12. In what city do Juventus play?

13. Steve Mandanda is an iconic goalkeeper at which French club?

14. Valetta FC are based on which island?

15. Who won the UEFA Europa League courtesy of the goals of Radamel Falcao?

1. David McMillan 2. 1-1 3. 1979 4. McCabe Motors 5. 1963 6. Cardiff City 7. True 8. Mame Biram Diouf 9. Molde and Rosenborg 10. Four 11. West Bromwich Albion 12. Turin 13. Marseille 14. Malta 15. Atletico Madrid

15

ANSWERS 70

71

DUNDALK

MOLDE FK

1 GARY ROGERS

1

ANDREAS LINDE

2 SEAN GANNON

2

MARTIN BJØRNBAK

3 BRIAN GARTLAND

3 BIRK RISA

4 SEAN HOARE

5

SHERIFF SINYAN

5 CHRIS SHIELDS

6

STIAN GREGERSEN

6 JORDAN FLORES

7

MAGNUS WOLFF EIKREM

7 MICHAEL DUFFY

8

FREDRIK SJØLSTAD

8 JOHN MOUNTNEY

9

MATTIAS MOSTRÖM

9 PATRICK HOBAN

10 LEKE JAMES

10 GREGORY SLOGGETT

11 MARTIN ELLINGSEN

11 PATRICK McELENEY

12 ÁLEX CRANINX

12 ANDREW QUINN

14 ERLING KNUDTZON

13 MARK TRAYNOR

15 TOBIAS CHRISTENSEN

14 DANE MASSEY

16 ETZAZ HUSSAIN

15 DARRAGH LEAHY

17 FREDRIK AURSNES

16 SEAN MURRAY

18 KRISTOFFER HARALDSEID

17 NATHAN ODUWA

19 EIRIK HESTAD

18 WILL PATCHING

20 HENRY WINGO

19 VAL ADEDOKUN

22 OLA BRYNHILDSEN

20 AARON McCAREY

23 EIRIK ANDERSEN

21 DANIEL CLEARY

25 JOHN KITOLANO

22 STEFAN COLOVIC

27 MARCUS PEDERSEN

23 CAMERON DUMMIGAN

28 KRISTOFFER HAUGEN

24 JAMIE WYNNE

30 MATHIS BOLLY

25 MARK HANRATTY

34 OLIVER PETERSEN

27 DANIEL KELLY

37 OLE SUNDGOT

29 DAVID MCMILLAN

40 ADRIAN UGELVIK

30 JIMMY CORCORAN

43 LLOYD FAGERLIE

44 ANDY BOYLE

44 JACOB BOLSO

45 JOSHUA GATT

46 OLA LERVIK

COACH FILIPPO GIOVAGNOLI

47 SIMEN BECK 49 DAVID SISSOKO 54 MATHIAS LOVIK 99 OHI OMOIJUANFO COACH ERLING MOE

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

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