Dundalk FC Magazine 2020 | Issue 13 | Arsenal

DUNDALK v ARSENAL THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10TH 2020 KICK-OFF 5.55PM | DUBLIN ARENA

OFFICIAL DUNDALK FC MAGAZINE | ISSUE 13 | €6

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, Jimmy Fisher and Cyril Moore PA Announcer Michael Duffy

TEAM MANAGEMENT First Team Manager Shane Keegan First Team Assistant Manager Filippo Giovagnoli First Team Coach Giuseppe Rossi 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) 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 Stands

45 Double Digits

12 Unite The Union Cup

46 Brian Gartland Interview

14 Club Round-Up

52 Puskas Award

20 Introduction to Arsenal

54 Retro: 1969 v Liverpool

22 Arsenal Player Profiles

62 European Sponsors

28 EL: MD6 Preview

65 The Numbers Game

32 Get With The Programme

68 The Spectator

34 MD5 v Molde Review

71 Injury Time: Quiz

40 The Story of Arsenal

72 Teams and Officials

OPENING SHOT

NOVEMBER 26TH 2020 | DUBLIN ARENA Players from both side’s stand for a minutes silence in memory of the late Diego Armando Maradona ahead of the UEFA Europa League Group B MD4 game between Dundalk and SK Rapid Wien.

Photo by Ben McShane/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

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FROM THE STANDS

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FILIPPO GIOVAGNOLI

onight’s game with Arsenal is an unbelievable way to finish the year.

We worked really hard to get to the UEFA Europa League group stages and this is the best way to celebrate the end of the season. We are looking forward to the challenge.

Arsenal have already qualified so maybe they will be a little bit distracted and it will leave some room for us to get a result.

We enjoyed the experience of playing against them in London on MD2. We managed the game so well until the end of the first half. We deserved to go back to the locker room at 0-0 but it wasn’t the case. We had five or six minutes of blackout but, overall, the players competed well and they were composed, disciplined and organised. I was happy with their performance.

I know that Arsenal have a lot of Irish supporters and when I think of Arsenal and Ireland I think of Liam Brady. He was one of my idols when he played with Juventus in the 1980s.

I have had the pleasure of being able to talk to him a few times through a mutual friend.

He was really nice to me. We spoke about English football and his time in Italy and I hope to speak to him again because it’s good to get advice from somebody like him When he played with Juventus, the fans said he had a ‘left foot from God’. He won the Serie A title with Juventus on the final day of the season in 1982. He scored the goal with a penalty kick against Catanzaro.

He took on the responsibility of that. He was a really good player.

Another player I watched when I was growing up was Diego Maradona, who sadly died recently. All of the emotions he transferred to us is now a part of Italian culture. He is an icon. He played for Napoli, a team in the south who fight against the power in the north and he was unbelievable.

I had the pleasure of playing with, and also be coached by one of his Napoli teammates, Marco Baroni. Marco told me a lot of stories about Maradona.

He said that Maradona would not turn up for practice for weeks but would still dominate games. When you think about it, how can a professional player who stays at home, parties and maybe does nothing still come and control games? It means you are from a different planet!

One of my big memories of Maradona is from Italia 90 when Argentina played Italy in the semi-final of the World Cup. Unfortunately, the game was played in Napoli - and Napoli is Maradona! Instead of cheering for Italy, the crowd were cheering for him! We lost the game on penalty kicks. If that game had been played in Rome, Italy would have won but Naples was magic for Maradona.

He was the perfect player for that city. The way he played, along with his mentality and personality was unbelievable for Naples. He might have won more titles, he might have had a better life off the field and he might have been protected more if he went to Juventus or AC Milan but it was his destiny to go to Naples and he made generations of people happy.

Nobody will forget what he did.

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He is the best player I have ever seen by far, just untouchable.

After tonight’s game, I will go back to Italy for Christmas.

I am really looking forward to it because I have really missed my family. As I have said before, taking this job was a mission for me and Giuseppe Rossi and we did what we had to do. I struggled not to have a life but I am strong and my family are strong and we have got through it and now we will finally reunite for Christmas.

When I am back in Italy I will also be working on our preparations for pre-season.

This is the best time for a coach because it gives you time to prepare a plan, organise a style of play and decide what way you want your players to play.

It’s really exciting because you can build exactly what you want. We really missed this when we arrived in the summer because we came into a situation that was already built by somebody else. We have found many good things but we have also found things we will need to change.

As we go into 2021, there is lots of positive news about a vaccine for COVID-19. I think it’s crucial that we get fans back to games as soon as possible.

Without them, it’s really not as enjoyable. Yes, we go, we play and have to do a job but football is football because of the fans and without them, it’s really sad. Let’s hope that when it gets to the spring we are able to have our life back and we can enjoy football at Oriel Park with fans, kids and families again.

Buon Natale, Filippo Giovagnoli

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11 November 2019; Lilywhites captain Brian Gartland lifts the Unite the Union Champions Cup after Dundalk’s win over Linfield at Oriel Park

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ollowing the postponement of this year’s tournament due to COVID-19, the FAI and IFA have announced that the Unite the Union Champions Cup, which currently resides in the Oriel Park trophy cabinet, will be expanded in 2021.

The new format will see respective league champions Shamrock Rovers and Linfield joined by the next top placed

teams in the 2021 League of Ireland and 2020/21 Northern Ireland Football League seasons for a four-team tournament, with the regionalised semi-finals and the final scheduled for late 2021.

The sponsorship for the postponed 2020 event will be rolled over to benefit participating clubs in the 2021 competition. The new format has been welcomed by the FAI and the IFA as they continue to work together for the benefit 12

of the domestic game on both sides of the border with the key goal of achieving long term benefits for all clubs.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has forced us to rethink the format for the Unite the Union Champions Cup and we are delighted to announce this new four-team tournament for 2021 due to the enforced postponement of this year’s competition,” said League of Ireland Director Mark Scanlon.

“The clubs in the League of

UNITE THE UNION CHAMPIONS CUP

2021 FORMAT

Ireland and the Northern Ireland Football League have called for more cross-border competition and co-operation and we have been delighted with the support of the IFA and NIFL in rescheduling and enhancing the Unite the Union Champions Cup.” Sean Murphy, Chief Operating Officer for the Irish FA, said: “We welcome the ongoing commitment of our partners at Unite the Union and their pragmatic approach to the

fixture challenges that this year has presented. We look forward to welcoming them back for the return, and extension of, this exciting competition in 2021.”

Brendan Ogle, Unite the Union’s Senior Officer in the Republic of Ireland, added: “Unite’s philosophy of working with all in our communities regardless of race, colour, creed or orientation finds new expression through this sponsorship and we very much look forward to this expanded 13

four team competition in 2021.

“Unite the Union is continuing our anti-racist and antisectarian work at community level. One quarter of the total sponsorship money will be used in this way in communities, schools, direct provision centres and relevant education programmes.”

Dundalk won the inaugural Unite the Union Champions Cup last year with a 7-1 aggregate win over Linfield in the twolegged final.

CLUB ROUND-UP

DFC IN THE COMMUNITY

After raising over €55,000 since 2017, the family and friends of Robert ‘Foods’ McLoughlin have come together yet again to raise funds for the local community.

Held in memory of the wellknown Dundalk FC supporter (right) who was tragically killed just hours after he attended the Lilywhites’ final game of the 2017 season against Bohemians at Oriel Park, this year’s event will raise funds for the Maria Goretti Foundation.

The Maria Goretti Foundation is a registered charity and is committed to the support of children with disabilities. The centre at Lordship, Co Louth

is a purpose-built six-bedroom facility that operates under the auspices of the HSE and is managed by Rehab Care. The foundation seeks to further the cause of children with 14

disabilities and is interested in research in this field.

With a pandemic in place, the cup has been replaced by The Foods Run. The event will take place over a week-long period from December 17th to the 23rd. Simply pick your team, hit the roads and the team with the most distance covered wins!

Everyone is welcome to take part, whether it’s walking, running, crawling or donating!

With everyone’s help, the group can raise funds for an incredible cause in memory of an incredible man!

You can follow the Foods Cup on Instagram at ‘Foods.Cup’ or on Facebook at ‘The Foods McLoughlin Cup’.

Dundalk centre-back Brian Gartland, pictured with Des Weir who recently celebrated his 90th birthday

DES CELEBRATES HIS 90TH BIRTHDAY Volunteers are the backbone of every League of Ireland club and one of Dundalk’s unsung heroes, Des Weir, recently celebrated his 90th birthday.

Matchday regulars will be familiar with the midlands man who by his own admission was “coaxed to the club” by Enda McGuill in 1994 and has gone on to become part of the furniture at Oriel Park.

Over the past quarter of a century, Des has carried out many roles at the club. He was heavily involved in the youth set-up and was best known for his role in distributing tickets on a Friday night, a job he described as a “labour of love”.

Des retired from “active service” in 2013 but is still very much part of the fabric of the club and speaking to dundalkfc.com, Lilywhites chief operating officer Martin Connolly paid tribute to the Longford native.

“On behalf of Dundalk FC, I would like to thank Des for everything he has done for the club,” said Connolly. “He has worked tirelessly behind the scenes for many years and is a hugely popular figure.

“I remember when I was involved with the youth team about 12 years ago we were sitting on the bus home from a match and Des said he wouldn’t be there the following week because he was going over to visit his mother.

“Des was in his late seventies at that stage so I looked at him funny but he told me he was going over to get the ‘big cheque’ from President Mary McAleese because his mother had reached her 100th birthday!

“Des’ family have a history of living a long and healthy life so we are all looking forward to being at Oriel Park again in a few years to celebrate another milestone. Happy birthday, Des!”

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UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE

ARSENAL: AN INTRODUCTION every match could have been their last in Europe at their spiritual home – saw off Real Madrid over two legs. Vieira had moved to Juventus but a young Cesc Fabregas schooled him in the quarter-finals and then Jens Lehmann saved a late penalty from Villarreal’s Juan Roman Riquelme and Arsenal were 90 minutes away from lifting ‘Ol Big Ears.

Arsenal - social distancing

Martyn Hindley gives an introduction to Arsenal.

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onight’s opponents can certainly be categorised as one of European football’s romantics.

Not only did Nick Hornby’s modern classic Fever Pitch immortalise a relationship with the club in print and on screen but the club then produced on-pitch beauty from Bergkamp to Vieira, from Invincibles to Knockout Kings. At various times of the Arsène Wenger era, they were harshly dubbed as a light touch on occasion, but their style was one of aesthetic mastery that is hard to dispute.

In the last decade, the UEFA Europa League has been an Anglo-Spanish carve-up, with only Chelsea

(twice) and Manchester United breaking a Primera Division dominance that has been traditionally led

by Sevilla. Arsenal reached the final in 2019 when their London rivals blew them away in Baku’s state-of-theart football-dome on the banks of the Caspian Sea. But despite their European final appearances in the mid-1990s, it was under Wenger a decade later that the club’s continental aura matured.

The Invincibles had displayed enough of a soft underbelly for a 3-1 defeat in Bavaria to turf them out of the following season’s UEFA Champions League at the last-16 stage but those lessons had been learned the following year.

Thierry Henry’s goal in the Bernabeu – and a resolute display at Highbury when 20

The final was somewhat chaotic. Barcelona would hold a one man advantage for the majority when Lehmann was sent off for

Arsene Wenger

Arsenal Invincibles: Wenger’s 2003-04 Gunners went a season without defeat

the professional foul on Samuel Eto’o, whistled by Norwegian referee Terje Hauge before Ludovic Giuly could sweep the loose ball into the unguarded goal.

Yet Arsenal were resilient, leading through Sol Campbell and holding on at the Stade de France until Frank Rijkaard replaced Mark van Bommel with Henrik Larsson and the Swede transformed it all, having a hand in Barça’s second European Cup with the turnaround delivered by goals of Eto’o and Juliano Belletti. Arsenal would never again get so close.

scored twice to beat Chelsea and the Gunners were winners of England’s FA Cup, extended their record with a 14th trophy in 21 finals, two more successes than next-best Manchester United.

Mikel Arteta’s glory was the fourth time in seven seasons that red and white ribbons had been attached to the silverware,

showing the club’s prowess as a cup team in an era when consistency in the league has deserted them. The heights of the Invincibles were always going to be impossible to maintain and Arsenal haven’t won the Premier League since although a haul of 13 championships is impressive enough in anyone’s book, even if half of them were scooped up thanks to Herbert Chapman’s pioneering of the 1930’s.

It is 27 years since Arsenal last won a European trophy, when Alan Smith won the Cup Winners’ Cup with a goal off the inside of a Copenhagen post to beat Parma. Notwithstanding that, this is a club that is undeniably one of Europe’s romantics and that should make tonight a very special occasion indeed.

The story of a near miss adds to the romanticism – think Brazil’s long-standing quest for football’s Olympic Gold or the continent of Africa waiting so patiently for one of their own to appear in a World Cup semi-final. But to characterise the history of such a revered and historic club so is to do them a huge disservice.

On 1 August, PierreEmerick Aubameyang

The Arsenal Stadium, London

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PLAYER PROFILES 2020

ARSENAL

Meet The Coach:

MIKEL ARTETA (DOB: March 26, 1982).

Born in the Basque Country, Mikel Arteta played in the youth ranks of Barcelona before making it to the United Kingdom with Rangers via a loan spell at Paris SaintGermain. He would return closer to his roots with Real Sociedad but it didn’t prove a happy homecoming as he failed to establish himself in the team and ended up starting a six-year alliance with Everton after midfield stablemate Xabi Alonso had opted for a career on the red side of Liverpool’s Stanley Park. Arteta started by helping David Moyes’ side into the UEFA Champions League qualifiers after a fourth-placed finish and he would also help them to an FA Cup Final as well, which the Toffees lost to Chelsea in 2009.

He finished his playing career with five years at Arsenal that included two FA Cup wins but his misfortune came on the international stage where his best years were matched by the likes of Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Marcos Senna, Cesc Fabregas and many more who helped Spain to two EURO crowns and a World Cup between 2008 and 2012. Having started coaching under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, Arteta moved up to lead the Gunners’ set-up, replacing Unai Emery almost a year ago.

1 BERND LENO

2 HECTOR BELLERIN

Bio: Goalkeeper, GER, 28 ...................................

Former VfB Stuttgart youngster joined Arsenal in the summer of 2018 after a seven-year association with Bayer Leverkusen.

Leno’s senior international career with Germany has been limited to bit part appearances given the excellence of Bayern Munich’s Manuel Neuer but he does boast an under-17 European Championship winners’ medal from 2009. Mikel Arteta has installed him as the undisputed number one at the club after Emiliano Martinez joined Aston Villa. ..........................................

Bio: Defender, ESP, 25 ...................................

Right-back with attacking flair signed for Arsenal nine years ago after progressing through the youth ranks at Barcelona, only interrupting that spell with one loan period at Watford. A regular with Spain at age-group football, he was part of a UEFA European Championship team of the tournament in 2013 and won the silver medal at the Under-21s in 2017. However, he had only won 3 senior caps before the recent international break when he was rewarded for good form after a serious knee injury with a call-up after Jesus Navas dropped out of the squad with injury. ..........................................

3 KIERAN TIERNEY

6 GABRIEL

Bio: Defender, SCO, 23 ...................................

Left-sided player in his second season with the club after leaving Celtic in the summer of 2019 for a fee reportedly in the region of €30m. Scotland international won the FA Cup with the Gunners in his first season south of the border. ...........................................

Bio: Defender, BRZ, 22 ..................................

Would have been in the Brazil squad for the defence of their Olympic Men’s Football title iun Tokyo earlier this year had COVID-19 not seen the Games postponed to 2021. Central defender in his first season with the club after joining from Lille with whom he had been a regular feature in the UEFA Champions League group stage in 2019/20. .........................................

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PLAYER PROFILES 2020

ARSENAL

8 DANI CEBALLOS

9 ALEXANDRE LACAZETTE

12 WILLIAN

Bio: Midfielder, ESP, 24 ...................................

Attacking midfielder joined Arsenal for a second successive loan spell in the summer from Real Madrid after impressing Mikel Arteta on his debut campaign in north London. Andalucia-born, Ceballos started his career at Real Betis and has targeted a return to Zinedine Zidane’s long-term plans in Madrid through his stint with the Gunners. .........................................

Bio: Forward, FRA, 29 ...................................

France international joined Arsenal in 2017 from Olympique Lyonnais, where he had enjoyed a fruitful seven-year spell. Has struggled of late to find his perfect position in the Arsenal set-up, which has contributed to a relatively goal-shy period. ..........................................

Bio: Midfielder, BRZ, 32 ...................................

Signed for Arsenal on a three-year deal from Chelsea in the summer and suggested that Mikel Arteta and Edu did enough to persuade the flamboyant Brazilian to turn down the advances of Barcelona. Made his name in Europe with Shakhtar Donetsk after leaving Corinthians in his homeland in 2007. His six-year spell in eastern Ukraine saw a big-money move to Anzhi Makhachkala in Russia but once the financial support for the Dagestan-based club ran dry, he took his talents to Chelsea where he won the UEFA Europa League against Arsenal in 2019 as well as two Premier League titles and an FA Cup. ..........................................

13 RUNAR RUNARSSON

14 PIERRE-EMERICK AUBAMEYANG 15 AINSLEY MAITLAND-NILES

Bio: Goalkeeper, ISL, 25 ..................................

25 year-old Icelandic goalkeeper joined in the summer of 2020 from Dijon having previously played in Denmark with Nordsjaelland. Made his second appearance for the Gunners in the away win over Molde on Matchday 4 and impressed despite being relatively underutilised in Norway. ..........................................

Bio: Forward, GAB, 31 ..................................

France-born striker joined AC Milan as a teenager and came through the ranks there via a number of loan spells back in France, with Dijon, Lille, Monaco and Saint-Etienne, joining the latter permanently in 2011. The Gabon international netted an extraordinary rate of almost two goals in three matches during a five-year stay with Borussia Dortmund and has almost maintained that ratio with Arsenal. African Footballer of the Year in 2015. ..........................................

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Bio: Midfielder, ENG, 23 ...................................

Has represented the club since the age of six (except for a brief loan spell with Ipswich Town) and now plays either as a right-back or a central midfielder. Has started just two Premier League matches this season at the time of writing.

Man of the Match as Arsenal started the season by winning the Community Shield. ..........................................

PLAYER PROFILES 2020

ARSENAL

16 ROB HOLDING

17 CEDRIC

19 NICOLAS PEPE

Bio: Defender, ENG, 25 ...................................

Central defender joined Arsenal after a season in the first-team ranks at Bolton Wanderers, where he had climbed the professional ladder. Scored his first goal for the club in this competition – against BATE Borisov in 2017/18 but it his defensive acuity for which he is best known and that has helped the Gunners to win two of their fourteen FA Cups. .........................................

Bio: Defender, POR, 29 ...................................

Right-sided defender who is a reigning European champion having started in the EURO 2016 shock final win over hosts France in Paris. A product of the academy at Lisbon-based Sporting Clube in his homeland, Cedric sealed a permanent move to north London in the summer from Southampton. ..........................................

Bio: Forward, CIV, 25 ...................................

Pacy attacker usually exploiting the wide channels, in his second season with Arsenal after a big-money move from Lille. Born in France but plays international football for Ivory Coast as he has parents of Ivorian descent.

Recently sent off for a headbutt against Leeds United in the Premier League. Contributed three goals and two assists in the first four matchdays of the UEFA Europa League group stage, including a strike in the London meeting with Dundalk and homeand-away goals against Molde. ..........................................

20 SHKODRAN MUSTAFI

23 DAVID LUIZ

24 REISS NELSON

Bio: Defender, GER, 28 ...................................

Made his UEFA Europa League debut as a central defender with Everton eleven years ago, when the Premier League team fell to a 1-0 home defeat to our old friends, BATE Borisov. Has experience in Italy and Spain with Sampdoria and Valencia respectively before returning to England’s top flight with Arsenal in 2016, where has has now fallen down the pecking order at the heart of the back-line. ...........................................

Bio: Defender, BRZ, 33 ...................................

Suffered a sicklening clash of heads in the recent Premier League defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers that resulted in a fractured skull for Raul Jimenez.

Brazilian central defender or defensive midfielder tends to polarise popular opinion ever since ending a four-year stretch at Benfica to go to Chelsea in 2011. He had two spells in west London with the Blues and has also represented Paris SaintGermain as well as over 50 caps for his country, collected over a seven-year period. Netted the equalising goal on the opening matchday in Vienna as Arsenal went on to win 2-1. ...........................................

Bio: Forward, ENG, 20 ..................................

Spent a season on loan in Germany with Hoffenheim as part of his development, which included a first-team debut for the Gunners at the age of 17. Back in contention after a minor right knee injury sustained at the start of November. .........................................

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PLAYER PROFILES 2020

ARSENAL

25 MOHAMED ELNENY

28 JOE WILLOCK

30 EDDIE NKETIAH

Bio: Midfielder, EGY, 28 ..................................

The Egyptian midfielder’s career with Arsenal looked at an end last season when he was loaned to Besiktas but he has returned impressively to the Premier League. Arrived in England from FC Basel. Appeared for Egypt at the 2018 FIFA World Cup Finals, their third appearance on football’s global stage. ..........................................

Bio: Midfielder, ENG, 21 ..................................

Another of an incredibly talented group of Arsenal youngsters, Willock has been at the club for over a decade and a half. Scored the second goal just before half-time in the corresponding fixture and added to that with a goal in the home demolition of Molde. ..........................................

Bio: Forward, ENG, 21 ...................................

Impressive English talent Eddie Nketiah spent the first half of last season on loan at Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United, not only learning under the guidance of one of the world’s foremost coaches but laying the foundations for their return to the Premier League. Arsenal recalled him early from the spell at Elland Road and he has been a squad player ever since, coming on as a substitute against Chelsea in the FA Cup Final and opening the scoring earlier this season against Dundalk in north London. Often compared in terms of style to Gunners legend, Ian Wright. ..........................................

31 SEAD KOLASINAC

34 GRANIT XHAKA

Bio: Defender, BIH, 27 ...................................

Born in the south German town of Karlsruhe, where he was a youth product of the local team, leftback Kolasinac joined Arsenal in 2017 from Schalke. Comfortable with the ball at his feet, he was often used as a holding midfielder with the Ruhr club before heading to the Premier League on a free transfer. Holds German nationality and represented them at youth level before becoming a senior international with Bosnia and Herzegovina.. ...........................................

Bio: Midfielder, SUI, 28 ...................................

Switzerland international of nine years who has enjoyed a consistent club career, starting out at his hometown club, FC Basel, before making his way to Arsenal via a four-year spell in the German Bundesliga with Borussia Mönchengladbach.

Midfielder won two Swiss league titles with Basel, where his older brother Taulant Xhaka still plies his trade as a right-back. ...........................................

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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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UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE

MD6 PREVIEW

Celtic coughed up a two-goal lead against AC Milan at the San Siro on MD5

It’s the final round of group ganes in this season’s UEFA Europa League and for some clubs, the race is still on for a place in the knockout stages - and some lucrative points. Martyn Hindley looks at the current state of play.

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here are several landmarks on the horizon this week in the UEFA Europa League, with the identities of all clubs who will line up in February’s Round of 32 set to be known by the end of this evening.

in Ireland aiming to become only the 11th side to claim 18 points from their six group stage matches.

Rather worryingly, their 4-1 demolition of Rapid Vienna in London included a sensational strike from Alexandre Lacazette, which emphatically ended an eight-match goalless streak.

Last week, 14 more clubs confirmed their safe passage through to the knockout rounds of the competition as Antwerp, Benfica, Braga, Crvena Zvezda, Dinamo Zagreb, Granada, Bayer Leverkusen, Lille, AC Milan, PSV Eindhoven, Rangers, Slavia Prague, Tottenham and Villarreal all progressed.

Tonight’s opponents Arsenal were already through after four rounds - as were Hoffenheim, Leicester City and AS Roma - as the sole surviving club with a 100% record and arrive

Unlikely record-breakers?

The form that has seen Croatia make a FIFA World Cup Final in 2018 has rarely trickled down to their domestic clubs when it comes to the European stage but Dinamo Zagreb are 90 minutes away from bucking that trend.

They will host 2005 UEFA Cup winners CSKA Moscow tonight aiming to become the first side in the competition’s history to make it through 28

the group stage without conceding a single goal, scoring their fifth and sixth at the other end to win 2-0 last week away to Feyenoord and confirm their status as group winners. The Russians, for their part, know that their trip to the Balkans will herald their last European action of the season.

yet to post a match win. The latter thought they were on track to end that sequence in sensational style last Thursday when they raced into a 2-0 lead inside 14 minutes of their San Siro date with AC Milan.

But the Rossoneri were all square by the break and went on to win 4-2, the second-half strikes from Jens Petter Hauge and Brahim Diaz heralding the only occasion in 400 European matches that Milan have successfully turned down a 2-0 deficit to win a match.

There’s still plenty to play for on the last night of European club football in this truncated calendar year.

Finishing on a high

Dundalk are one of eight clubs in the tournament who are looking to record their first win of the group stage at the last time of asking.

Ludogorets Razgrad (Bulgaria) and Gent (Belgium) are, likewise, still awaiting their opening points but CSKA Moscow and Celtic are among the illustrious names in the tournament who have 29

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FROM THE ARCHIVES

GET WITH THE PROGRAMME Sports, Slipped Disc, National Aluminium, Ballymascanlon Hotel and Telstar Radio.

Famous names: Martin Lawlor, Richie Blackmore, Barry Kehoe, Mick Fairclough and co line up against Ray Clemence, Ossie Ardiles, Ricky Villa, Chris Hughton and Glenn Hoddle.

The match: Jim McLaughlin’s Dundalk proved a match for their illustrious opponents, with Tommy McConville starring as the Lilywhites went toe-to-toe with the Lilywhites! Garth Crooks gave Spurs the lead just after the hour but Mick Fairclough equalised late on. Spurs scraped through 2-1 on aggregate.

Dundalk v Tottenham Hotspur, 1981-82 European Cup Winners Cup The relevance: The last time Dundalk hosted a major North London club in European competition was almost 40 years ago when Spurs rolled into Oriel Park.

The facts: You get 28 pages of programme for 50p.

The content: There’s a twopage focus on Barry Kehoe and no lack of Dundalk in Europe nostalgia. Spurs are well covered, with pictures, detailed pen pics and history over eight pages.

A word from our sponsors: The great and good of Dundalk businesses are present and correct including Murphy’s Jewellers, Emerald

line-ups and a reminder of the forthcoming ShelbourneDerry match on the reverse.

A word from our sponsors: There’s a brief nod to HGW Paints, JW Hire, JVC Ireland and The Star.

Famous names: Arsenal included a galaxy of stars such as David Seaman, Ian Wright, Tony Adams, Paul Merson, Lee Dixon and Anders Limpar. Shels include

Shelbourne v Arsenal, 1991-92 friendly The relevance: The last time Arsenal played an Irish side was in 1992, back in the day when an English top flight team would take their first team to the Emerald Isle rather than China or Dubai for a quick friendly! Within a couple of weeks Shelbourne lured Celtic, Chelsea and Arsenal to Tolka Park for lucrative friendlies.

The facts: The match was organised at short notice so there’s just a free double sided team sheet.

The content: ‘Content’ is probably pushing it. Match details and a squad photo from Arsenal’s previous trip to Dublin three years earlier adorn the cover, with the 32

Jody Byrne, Anto Whelan, Mick Neville, Dessie Gorman, Mark Rutherford and Greg Costello.

The match: Having slipped out of the FA Cup at the hands of lowly Wrexham, Arsenal had a free weekend around fifth round day. They played their first team, with just one change made for their league game against Oldham five days later. Alan Smith and Garry Haylock exchanged first half goals as the sides drew 1-1 in front of a near capacity crowd of 8,500.

shootout.

Arsenal v Dundalk, 2020-21 UEFA Europa League

Arsenal v Valencia, 1979-80 European Cup Winners Cup final The relevance: Arsenal have played in seven European finals, this match was their first singleleg final, and the first European final to be decided on penalties.

The facts: 30 Belgian francs bought 28 multilingual pages.

The content: When an English and a Spanish club meet in diligently bilingual Belgium, any official publication is going to be busy! There are welcomes, programmes of events and ground regulations in English, Spanish, French and Flemish, and articles on the clubs in French and Flemish.

A word from our sponsors:

The early days of commercialisation are in evidence with advertising dominated by massive multinationals such as Canon, Mercedes, JVC, Coca Cola and Seiko.

Famous names: Valencia were managed by the legendary Alfredo di Stefano and included Mario Kempes and Rainer Bonhof in their ranks. Arsenal included plenty of Irish players: Liam Brady, Frank Stapleton, David O’Leary and Pat Jennings.

The match: Just four days after losing the FA Cup final, a leggy looking Arsenal laboured through 120 scoreless minutes, before losing the

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The relevance: Well we might as well check out the opposition and the programme from last month’s clash at the Emirates!

The facts: £3.50 buys a slick, colourful 84-page tome.

The content: There are seven pages on Dundalk and features on Irish Arsenal players among an impressive range and depth of features and interviews. The only disappointment is the relative lack of historic content at a club as steeped in history as the venerable Arsenal.

A word from our sponsors: Advertising is restrained and is the exclusive domain of Arsenal’s official partners, including Emirates, GKFX Foreign Exchange, Acronis Cybersecurity.

Famous names: Though it was primarily a second string XI, Arsenal side included £72m signing Nicolas Pepe, Granit Xhaka, Ainsley MaitlandNiles, Cedric Soares and Sead Kolasinac. You know the Dundak lads!

The match: Dundalk drew the first 40 minutes 0-0 and drew the last 44 minutes 0-0!

UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE MD5

MOLDE FK 3-1 DUNDALK FC

03 December 2020; Ohi Omoijuanfo of Molde heads his side’s second goal past Dundalk goalkeeper Gary Rogers during the UEFA Europa League Group B match in Norway

Dundalk’s quest for a UEFA Europa League Group B point goes into MD6 against Arsenal at the Dublin Arena this evening after a 3-1 defeat to Molde in Norway last Thursday.

First-half goals from Magnus Wolff Eikrem and Ohi Omoijuanfo - both headers - left the Lilywhites with a tall ask after the break and the natives sealed the win when Martin Ellingsen added a third from an Eikrem corner with 23 minutes to play.

With one eye on the FAI Cup final against Shamrock Rovers less than 72 hours later, the Dundalk coaching staff made five substitutions in the second half and they pulled one back in stoppage time when Jordan Flores let fly with yet another stunning effort that flew into

the top corner of the Molde net.

In front of 600 spectators who were allowed to watch on from the stands, Molde enjoyed plenty of the ball early on with right-back Henry Wingo providing a constant outlet, but the visitors, with the searing pace of Nathan Oduwa and Daniel Kelly in the attack, looked dangerous on the counter.

There was a tense moment in the 12th minute when Sheriff Sinyan met an Eikrem corner but Cameroun Dummigan was in the right place to block the centre-back’s downward header on the line.

That corner was one of five that the Norwegian side forced in the opening 25 minutes but Gary Rogers, who played at the stadium for Sligo Rovers in 2013, was relatively untroubled

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with his back three looking solid in front of him.

That all changed five minutes later as Molde hit the front. Birk Risa delivered a fabulous ball in from the left and captain Eikrem found a pocket of space in the penalty area to glance a brilliant header past Rogers.

The goal was a bitter blow for Dundalk; just minutes earlier Oduwa and Kelly almost combined on the break but the latter’s pass just had carried much pace for his teammate.

Oduwa tested Andreas Linde for the first time in the 35th minute after Kelly did well to retrieve a lost cause on the byline and the Dubliner also asked questions of the Molde keeper shortly after as Dundalk tried to clear the cobwebs.

They were left with a mountain to climb five minutes before

03 December 2020; Erling Knudtzon of Molde FK tussles with Greg Sloggett of Dundalk during the UEFA Europa League Group B match in Norway

the break, however, as the natives added a second to take firm control of the runnersup spot in Group B. Risa was the provider again, delivering another inviting cross for Ohi Omoijuanfo to make no mistake with a back-post header.

With Sunday’s clash with Rovers in mind, Shane Keegan made a triple substitution on the hour mark with Patrick McEleney, Michael Duffy and Daniel Cleary all coming on for Greg Sloggett, Nathan Oduwa and Andy Boyle respectively.

Omoijuanfo glanced another header just off target prior to that as Molde continued to hold the upper hand and they added a well-deserved third when Ellingsen made it 3-0 with another header from a corner.

Chris Shields was also put in storage for Sunday when he

was replaced by John Mountney just seconds after Ellingsen hit the target and Molde would have added to their haul but for a couple of good saves by Rogers.

It looked like Dundalk’s chance of a consolation had gone when John Mountney opted to try and cut the ball back across the face of goal instead of having a go at the target after he was picked out by a Patrick McEleney pass.

Flores, though, who drilled a right-footed effort over the top in first-half stoppage time, did find the net in the fourth minute of stoppage time with a thunderous left-footed strike that whistled past Andreas Linde.

MOLDE FK: Andreas Linde; Henry Wingo, Stian Gregersen (Etzaz Hussain 68), Sheriff Sinyan, Birk Risa, Fredrik

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Aursnes (Tobias Christensen 78), Magnus Wolff Eikrem (Leke James 79), Martin Ellingsen, Eirik Hestad (Mattias Moström 79); Ohi Omoijuanfo (Mathis Bolly 86), Erling Knudtzon. Subs not used: Alexandro Craninx (GK) 26 Mathias Ranmark (GK), Ola Brynhildsen, Marcus Holmgren Pedersen.

DUNDALK FC: Gary Rogers; Sean Hoare, Andy Boyle (Daniel Cleary 60), Brian Gartland; Sean Gannon, Greg Sloggett (Patrick McEleney 60), Chris Shields (John Mountney 68), Jordan Flores, Cameron Dummigan; Daniel Kelly (David McMillan 73), Nathan Oduwa (Michael Duffy 60). Subs not used: Darragh Leahy, Sean Murray, Jamie Wynne, Aaron McCarey (GK), Jimmy Corcoran (GK).

REFEREE: Daniel Siebert (Germany).

03 December 2020; The Dundalk line-up for the UEFA Europa League MD5 game with Molde in Norway

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UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE MD5

REACTION FROM MOLDE

03 December 2020; Brian Gartland of Dundalk reacts following an awkward fall during the UEFA Europa League Group B match in Norway

Dundalk centre-back Brian Gartland was unable to hide his disappointment after the UEFA Europa League MD5 loss to Molde in Norway.

After acquitting themselves well in the four previous group games, the Lilywhites never really looked like taking anything home from Scandanavia and the hosts were full value for their 3-1 win with all three goals coming from deliveries into the penalty area.

“We went toe-to-toe with teams in the first couple of games, especially at home to Molde and away to Vienna in particular, and were very competitive but we were disappointing tonight,” said Gartland.

“For a defender, it’s so disappointing to concede headers but that comes from

all over the pitch,” he added.

“It’s the whole team that is defending from set-pieces and it needs to be better.

“They also had a couple of other chances from corners and crosses into the box. It comes down to a willingness to attack the ball, to be aggressive and make sure your area, or the man in it, doesn’t win the ball.”

Molde’s first goal came just seconds after Nathan Oduwa and Daniel Kelly pierced the home side’s ddefence but they just couldnn’t capitalise on the opening.

“We knew what the tactics were,” said Gartland. “We knew we’d have to suffer a little bit and they’d have the ball but we also knew there were opportunities for us on the break and we needed to be better in those scenarios.

“That chance came about 20 38

seconds before they scored their first goal and if we take that, it’s a different game. In Europe, we’ve seen how clinical teams can be against us when you give them a chance and that’s what happened tonight.”

Dundalk finish the campaign this evening when Arsenal come to Dublin for their very first competitive game in Ireland and, with nothing to lose, Gartland said that they were looking forward to testing the Gunners.

“It wasn’t to be tonight but we have to take the performances from our previous couple of games into this final game against Arsenal. There have been so many positives from the past couple of months so we won’t dwell on this defeat too much and we’ll give everything we have to try and get something against Arsenal.”

03 December 2020; Daniel Cleary of Dundalk in action against Mathis Bolly of Molde FK during the UEFA Europa League Group B match in Norway

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A LOOK BACK AT THE ‘DUNDALK GUNNERS’

THE STORY OF ARSENAL

The Arsenal team that played in the Dundalk & District Summer League

When Dundalk lined out for their very first European game against FC Zurich on Wednesday, September 11th 1962, they wore the colours - red shirts with white sleeves - of tonight’s opponents. The jerseys were sourced from a local club of the same name who played in the Dundalk & District Summer League. Local author and Summer League committee member Robbie Rafferty takes a look back at Arsenal, the Dundalk version.

B

ased in St Malachy’s Villas, Arsenal were formed as a breakaway club from Joe MeEntee’s St Joseph’s side. Despite an overcrowded membership, Joe refused to enter a second team into the Summer League and, as a result, Arsenal were formed.

Benny McGuinness, Frank Whitmarsh, Paddy Durkan, Joe Martin, along with former Lilywhites groundsman Mickey Fox, guided the fledgeling team

which togged out in the same colours as the famous English club of the same name.

With the trio of McGuinness, Whitmarsh and Fox all employed in the GNR works, which had a long connection with Oriel Park through fellow employee and Dundalk great Sam Prole, Arsenal were allowed to train at Oriel Park and a weekly draw was run in the railway works to finance the club.

The club’s debut in the 1953 Summer League was a winning one, beating Demesne Celtic 40

5-0. Tommy Coleman, who played with Dundalk, scored four of the goals while Harry Collins, the former Dundalk and Glentoran star, got the other goal.

The following year, Billy Coyle formed a minor team which duly went on to win the U14 League with players such as Davey McArdle, Rory and Dermot Finn, Kevin Byrne and Tony Mulhearn cutting their teeth at that level.

The junior team reached its first Summer League cup final in 1955 where they met Summer

Dundalk legend Francie Callan started out with Arsenal in the Dundalk & District Summer League

League kingpins St Patrick’s. A goal, direct from a corner kick,

by Pats’ Guider Mullen proved vital as Arsenal were defeated 3-2 despite the efforts of the outstanding Davey McArdle, Peter Flynn and Vincey Timmons.

Arsenal were the first Dundalk team to play in the Dublin Minor League. As a result, they had to pay £2 to the Dublin teams when they travelled to play in Oriel Park, Arsenal’s home venue. Their tenure in the league lasted just three seasons.

The closure of the railway works

in 1958 saw a large reduction in income and forced the club to withdraw from the Dublin Minor League.

The highlight of their adventure was reaching the Blakeney Cup final in Richmond Park where they lost narrowly to Stella Maris, then the top team in Ireland. The late Dundalk star Brian McConville was outstanding in the final, along with defender Jim Conlon.

The club produced more household names. Francie Callan made his debut for Doncaster Rovers in 1958, 41

scoring in his maiden match.

Three Arsenal players - Davey McArdle, Kevin Byrne and Brendan Callan - also went on trial to Blackburn Rovers in 1959 with Byrne retained by a club who had just been promoted to the top tier of English football.

Brian McConville also had trials at Ewood Park in 1960.

Arsenal reached a second cup final in 1960 where they once again faced St Patrick’s. It was heartbreak again with Pat’s winning a thrilling final 4-2; Brian McConville and Brendan Callan on the scoresheet for the

losers.

Davey McArdle, who starred in the number seven shirt for Arsenal in the final, wore the same shirt again in 1963 when he lined out for Dundalk against Zurich in their firstever European Cup game at Dalymount Park.

With Zurich playing in an all-white strip, Dundalk called on their Arsenal connections in the form of Mickey Fox,

Frank Whitmarsh and Benny McGuinness and wore the club’s gear to prevent a clash of colours. Innocent days!

Davey went on to collect an amateur cap for Ireland to add to his two schoolboys caps.

Brian McConville also played European football for Dundalk, as did Francie Callan.

The 1962 season proved to be Arsenal’s last in Summer League football. They finished 42

joint top with Border Legion in the league. A playoff game was arranged by the league but the Lisdoo team refused to play on the bigger pitch at Oriel Park, claiming it was an advantage to Arsenal!

They prefered the tight confines of the neighbouring Joe’s Park where all Summer League games were played. No agreement was reached and the playoff never took place,

1956; Wearing the colours of Arsenal, the ‘old Dundalk’ team that played Shamrock Rovers in a testimonial game for Joe Ralph and Joe Martin. Each player made £300 from the game.

Back row L-R: J McCourt, Boucher, Callan, McNeill, Finn, Higgins, Martin. Front row L-R: Sinclair, McDonagh, Ralph, Kane, Flynn

meaning the league finished without a winner.

It denied Arsenal the last chance of collecting a piece of silverware which their flowing attacking style deserved and they will undoubtedly go down as the best team never to win a Summer League trophy!

The roll call of talent which wore the famous red and white shirts is very impressive. Names such as Paddy Goodman, Tony

Mulholland, Tom Carroll, Johnny McEvoy, Paddy Smith, Peter Flynn, Austin Lawlor, Patsy Rogers, Dessie Rogers, Frank McArdle, Patsy O’Hare, Dessie Murphy, Gerry Coleman, Des Finnegan, Gerry McCarthy, Frank Byrne, Paddy Byrne, Dick Delaney, Peter Richardson, Colm Bellew, Patsy Cole, Frank McCabe, Patsy Duffy, Pat Clarke, Joe Ralph, Noel McKeown, Liam Mundow, Brian 43

McEneaney, John Pepper, Jack McCabe, Francie Callan, Joe Larkin, Davey McArdle, Brian McConville, Peadar Hamill and Plunkie Maguire to mention just a few.

They lit the league up during their brief tenure but even today the mention of Arsenal, almost 60 years on from their last match, brings exciting memories flowing back.

THUMPING WINS

DOUBLE DIGITS Much was made at the time of Dundalk’s remarkable 11-0 win over Athlone Town in the FAI Cup semi-final recently.

It was, of course, a new club record win, eclipsing a pair of 9-0 league victories over Shelbourne and Sligo Rovers. It was widely reported as the biggest win in FAI Cup history, but a little research suggests that it’s a record not just in the cup, but in domestic football as a whole.

There have been ‘16ish’ occasions when clubs have hit double figures in Irish football with Dundalk’s 11-0 win equalling Shamrock Rovers’ record win, an 11-0 thumping of Bray Unknowns back in 1928.

The only other sides to have hit more than 10 in a game were Waterford and Derry against non-league opposition in the FAI Cup. Non-league Rialto ceded home advantage to the famous Waterford side of the early 70s, a team that won six league titles in eight years, and suffered an 11-1 thrashing.

Derry City went one better recently, sticking 12 past hapless Munster Senior League side Blarney just two years ago.

Blarney were barely back in training ahead of their winter cycle league season when they ran into the Candystripes. It could have been worse, Derry were 8-0 up at the break and hit 10 before the hour. In the end, Blarney grabbed two in two minutes to keep the margin at 10, though there was little comfort in a 12-2 defeat.

In addition to their 11-0 win over Bray Unknowns, Shamrock Rovers also stuck 10 past Pioneers in a league game in 1925 - as it transpired, the amateur Dublin side made way for Dundalk at the end of the season - along with Cork Hibs in the league and Finn Harps in the City Cup. That was Harps’ first senior game, an eye-opening 10-2 home defeat

that underlined the magnitude of the task facing the Donegal newbies.

Dundalk were one of four clubs to suffer 10-goal hammerings during the 50s, the golden age for double digit wins.

The Lilywhites had a torrid time in the middle of the decade, struggling near the foot of the table, and were hammered 10-3 by a fine St Pat’s side in 1955.

The most recent ten-goal haul came last season, when Bohemians destroyed a struggling UCD side missing a handful of key players to injury 10-1. There had been some needle between the clubs when they met at the UCD Bowl earlier in the season and the Gypsies were in no mood to show mercy when the

TOP TROUNCINGS OVER THE YEARS...

1925 | League | Shamrock Rovers 10-2 Pioneers 1928 | Shield | Fordsons 10-1 Athlone Town 1928 | League | Shamrock Rovs 11-0 Bray 1932 | FAI Cup | St James’s Gate 0-10 Dolphin 1935 | Shield | Cork 10-3 Dolphin 1938 | City Cup | St James’s Gate 10-2 Limerick 1947 | Inter City Cup | Linfield 10-0 Shelbourne 1953 | League | Shamrock Rovs 10-2 Cork Athletic 1955 | League | St Patrick’s Athletic 10-3 Dundalk 1956 | League | Waterford 10-2 Limerick 1960 | League | Cork Hibernians 10-1 Transport 1969 | City Cup | Finn Harps 2-10 Shamrock Rovs 1971 | FAI Cup | Rialto 1-11 Waterford 2018 | FAI Cup | Blarney 2-12 Derry City 2019 | League | Bohemians 10-0 UCD 2020 | FAI Cup | Athlone Town 0-11 Dundalk

game turned into a mismatch.

League of Ireland clubs have no lack of tales of woe in European competition, so perhaps it’s surprising that in almost 600 games against the cream of Europe, Irish clubs have only conceded more than eight goals twice, and those two defeats came in England.

Liam Tuohy’s Dundalk proved no match for Bill Shankly’s Liverpool in the 1969-70 Fairs Cup, struggling to a sobering 10-0 defeat at Anfield while Finn Harps also suffered a 12-0 reverse to a then mighty Derby County in 1976. Derby were nine-up at half time.

One other double digits scoreline that didn’t quite make the list goes way back to the 19th century.

Back in the days when the IFA was, in theory at least, an allIreland body, a young Bohemians side were surprise qualifiers for the 1895 Irish Cup final where they suffered a chastening 10-1 defeat to Linfield.

Bohs, however, did gain some sort of double-digits cup final solace half a century later when they hammered non-league Grangegorman 11-0 in the 1946-47 Leinster Senior Cup final!

29 November 2020; Michael Duffy rifles home Dundalk’s first goal during the Extra. ie FAI Cup semi-final with Athlone Town

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BIG INTERVIEW

BRIAN GARTLAND

O

ne of our stalwarts of all European campaigns has been Brian Gartland. The centre-half is in his second group stage campaign and he spoke to Dundalk FC Magazine to reflect on what Euopean football means to him…

that you are competing at the highest level, competing at that standard is precisely what you want to do and playing in those matches are what you dream about as a young lad.

Even as a player at my age, you still want to compete at that level, you want to go as high as you can and carry on for as long as possible. It isn’t easy playing in the matches and we come up against top quality players but that is what you want, they are the games you want to be involved in and you want to play at that level all of the time.

It’s a nice complaint to have! But yeah European matches are special and to have played so many for Dundalk is something which I am very proud of.

BG: Europe is amazing. You are playing massive teams every time you go into competition. Every year we play different teams but they are all of the top standard. They all know how to win games and are clever.

The crowds are always amazing in Europe. Obviously this year it is different with COVID-19 and the things that go around that and that is a negative I suppose but the best thing about playing the matches is 46

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BIG INTERVIEW

BRIAN GARTLAND DFC Magazine: This is your second group stage campaign, how do you compare this year with 2016?

BG: You can’t compare both our group stages from 2016 to this year.

Our domestic form isn’t as good as it was in 2016, there isn’t as much of a buzz about everything and it’s not just down to that but there isn’t as much hype about it because of the current situation with the virus which is disappointing because it should be a big thing and it is a big thing to get to the group stages and it’s a great experience for us. We are all delighted to be there but there’s no crowds allowed in and that is the biggest thing for us, we can’t enjoy the moments with them which is a big frustration to us.

We love the support and we have wanted to share the occasion with the supporters, our family and friends.

Going to the Emirates would have been great, imagine all the people from Dundalk who would have been there, all the friends and families of the players, and then

you ever think that you would be here and get to group stages?

you have the Irish in London who would have went to the game as well. It would have been a totally different proposition and feel to it, there would have been incredible scenes to look at too, for us as players to experience the Emirates crowd would have been a great experience for us and it was a massive thing which was in my head when we were there. There’s nothing we can do about it, it is what it is with the current safety and everything but we would have loved to have experienced it, maybe we will again.

We always can look forward.

DFCM: If we were to go all the way back to Luembourg in the summer of 2014, did 48

BG: No you wouldn’t have a clue going back then. When you think of it, that was our first UEFA Europa League game for this group against Jeunesse Esch.

It’s a million miles away from where we would be getting to right now.

The next round we get to play Hajduk Split which was a massive step up. You go into the first 20-30 minutes and you already see you are going up levels.

Hajduk Split are a massive club. Now they aren’t regular qualifiers for group stages or that but they are still a top quality club and a great side. It showed us the levels that we had to be at to even compete there. That was at Oriel Park but there was a lot of belief which came from the game when we went away to Split because we went there and made 5-6 changes that night and were able to win. We beat Hajduk 2-1 over there. Alright we went out and we didn’t get through to the next round which was disappointing but we won the match

which was in the end big for us. It was big for us because it gave us belief that we could win and that we could compete at that level.

It showed that we belonged at that place and that we had to get to but it showed us that we had to be consistent and we have to keep our standards high.

That was a big learning curve for us that year and it was the start of our journey I suppose and we are still on it.

DFCM: Just on the topic of 2016, one of the major results of the campaign wasn’t entirely on the pitch but it was the debate off it, is that something you are proud of?

BG: We did change the debate in the country about football and styles of play.

We qualified through matches and went and played. That was something that we were being talked about for. We went to AZ Alkmaar and played them off the park and went down to ten men.

I think people forget we went down to ten men and got a point then.

The first Irish team to get a result in the group stages. Only one Irish side had been there before and didn’t get anything. That shows how difficult it is at this level, we were creating history and we were doing it in a modern sort of way. We weren’t going with our backs against the wall. We did things differently and did it in a way that we could be proud of and we are proud of it.

We played attacking football, possession

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based and it was great.

We were competitive in every game. We win the next one against Maccabi Tel-Aviv who are a big club. They had so many great players – Ben Haim, Ben Chaim, Benayoun coming on as well. They were special nights and ones that we can look back on. They were great nights with the crowd in Tallaght and everything. They are something to be proud of by the fact that we got there and the way we got there too. It was all about going through levels and standards. That is what we have been about and we came away from that group stage disappointed when really in budgets and everything we were overachieving. Great memories to have for us and the club.

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his Thursday night thing is catching on. OK, so next week we won’t have any UEFA Europa League to feast on, but Dundalk will be parachuted from the continental stage to the global on when Jordan Flores appears as part of the FIFA BEST Awards, writes Martyn Hindley.

Flores’ sensational strike in the 1-1 draw against Shamrock Rovers was announced as one of 11 goals nominated for the world’s best in 2020 based on significance and the artistic merit of the execution. A panel of distinguished football experts compiled the initial list with votes through FIFA.com then whittling that down to

a final trio. The winner will then be announced at next Thursday’s “virtual” BEST Awards ceremony from Zurich, Switzerland, with a fan vote merged with the opinions of the panel to determine the outcome.

The accolade is named after Hungarian great Ferenc Puskas, who scored four times in the most celebrated European Cup Final of all time 60 years ago at Hampden Park. His feat for Real Madrid then in front of over 127,000 fans – including a young Sir Alex Ferguson – helped the club win their 5th straight European Cup with a 7-3 whipping of Eintracht Frankfurt but it wasn’t enough to get him, or his partnerin-crime Alfredo di Stefano, the Ballon D’Or!

Flores is keeping some stellar company with Barcelona’s Luis Suarez, Tottenham Hotspur’s Son HeungMin and Caroline Weir of Manchester City Women also nominated, the latter for a belter of a strike against rivals United.

The award is one of eleven that will be announced at the ceremony, which will start by naming the pick of the goalkeepers in both women’s and men’s categories.

The best coach of the year will also be crowned along with a FIFA Fan Award which had gone to groups of supporters before the 2019 awards, when Brazil’s Silvia Grecco was the first individual to be honoured. The Palmeiras fan describes every single piece of action of their favourite

28 February 2020; Jordan Flores, celebrates after scoring his side’s first goal during the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division match between Shamrock Rovers and Dundalk at Tallaght Stadium 52

club to her blind and autistic son Nickollas, their story being one of the most emotional moments of that ceremony in Milan.

The Best men’s and women’s players will be supplemented by the two FIFPro World XIs in an event that celebrates all that is good about the beautiful game – all the more important in such an attritional calendar year.

The Puskas Award was given for the first time in 2009 when Cristiano Ronaldo’s rocket for Manchester United against FC Porto in the UEFA Champions League was good enough to scoop the gong. Neymar, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and James Rodriguez are among the other previous winners with the Colombian’s strike against Uruguay at the FIFA World Cup Finals narrowly edging out Stephanie Roche’s classy effort for Peamount United against Wexford.

So that’s tonight and next Thursday sorted and with Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve on the following two weeks, then we can say that this night of the week is all arranged for December. If anyone has an idea what to do on Thursdays in January, please let us all know…

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RETRO: 1969 - LIVERPOOL V DUNDALK FC

A BAPTISM OF FIRE

16 September 1969; Dundalk goalkeeper Maurice Swan is helpless to stop another goal from hitting the net in the 10-0 defeat to Liverpool in the 1969/70 Fairs Cup first round first-leg tie at Anfield

This evening’s UEFA Europa League MD6 clash with Arsenal is the eighth occasion that Dundalk have played an English club in European competition. After writing about our 1981 European Cup Winners Cup duel against Tottenham Hotspur in the last edition of the DFC Magazine, Padraig McGowan looks back at Dundalk’s first ever competitive game against an English side, when Liam Touhy’s men met Liverpool in 1969.

After finishing second behind a Waterford side that won the league championship and Shield in 1968/69, Dundalk qualified for the old Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, a competition that was replaced and rebranded by the UEFA Cup in 1971.

Financially, the club wasn’t in a good position during the late sixties as the spending which resulted in an overhaul of Oriel Park - coupled with the money spent on assembling a league winning side in 1966/67 - began to take its toll!

As well as struggling to finance the costs of running the club on a day-to-day basis, Dundalk FC had also accumulated a large ‘capital debt’ which the club was unable to service. Everything came out in the wash in June 1969 when the board resigned and a new group took over the running of

Along with Shamrock Rovers and Drogheda United, Dundalk were one of three teams that finished the ‘68/69 League of Ireland season on 16 points in the table, the Lilywhites pipping both to the runners-up spot on goal average.

54

the club!

As a group manager with HB Ice Cream, Liam Touhy was based in the north-east region at the time. Struggling to combine his football and work commitments, Liam had to resign from his coaching position at Shamrock Rovers.

That paved the way for a move to Dundalk and after accepting the club’s offer to become the team manager, he was also appointed to the board.

In his definitive book ‘The History of Dundalk FC’ the late Jim Murphy stated that: “The club that Liam Tuohy joined was not a happy one. Personality clashes, lack of stability and continuity at board level and unfulfilled promises given to players led to low morale. As well as that, events off the field had overshadowed the team’s performances in the previous

couple of seasons.”

It was against this background that Dundalk were drawn against Bill Shankly’s Liverpool, in the first round of the 1969/70 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. After refusing a request from Dundalk to switch the first leg to Oriel Park, Liverpool had home advantage for the first meeting on September 16th, 1969 with 32,000 people coming through the turnstiles at Anfield.

Dundalk, who went into the game on the back of some patchy domestic form in the President’s Cup and the Shield, managed to hold the Reds at bay for all of 59 seconds and Alun Evans gave Liverpool the lead when he met an Ian Callaghan corner to head home.

Things went from bad to worse after that and further goals from Chris Lawler, Tommy 55

Smith, Bobby Graham and Evans gave Liverpool a 5-0 lead at the break. Shankly’s men didn’t let up in the second half and further goals by Alec Lindsay, Smith again, Peter Thompson, Ian Callaghan and Graham’s second rounded off an emphatic 10-0 win.

A weary Dundalk left their Southport hotel the following day to head for the sanctuary of home and lick their wounds after the drubbing. Speaking to the Liverpool Echo, manager Liam Tuohy was magnanimous in defeat.

“I expected Liverpool to be a thoroughly professional side, and my fears were confirmed,” he said. “They are a fine allround side. Many people will, no doubt, criticise them for the thrashing they handed us, but because they are professional this was the only thing they

56

16 September 1969; With just a minute played, Liverpool striker Alun Evans (10) heads home the opening goal in the 10-0 win over Dundalk at Anfield in 1969

57

could do and the only thing I expected them to do.

“In fact, I would sooner they had scored 10 than toyed with us for the game. We are really looking forward to the return leg and I only hope that the fans will turn out in force and give them a great reception.”

The Dundalk side that played in the game at Anfield was as follows: Maurice Swan, Fran Brennan, Des O’Reilly, Kevin Murray, Tommy McConville,

Charlie Hendricks, Larry Gilmore, Paddy Turner, Turlough O’Connor, Tony Bartley and Eamonn Carroll. Derek Stokes replaced Larry Gilmore for the second half!

It was a night to forget for Dundalk but the Anfield game had some novel subplots.

Amongst the crowd that night was a French school teacher on secondment in Liverpool by the name of Gerard Houllier who attended the game with a friend 58

who was visiting from France.

His fascination and admiration for Liverpool was born that night and, 29 years later in 1998, he became their manager.

It is said that during the game Turlough O’Connor asked the Welsh referee, John Lewis, to have some sympathy and give the beleaguered Lilywhites a penalty. Lewis reportedly replied: “If you can get the ball in the penalty area, I’ll give you a penalty!” Whether we got the

ball into the Liverpool penalty area after that or not I don’t know, but Dundalk certainly received no penalty!

The board’s worst fears were realised in the return game at Oriel Park two weeks later. After missing out on hosting what would have been a lucrative first leg, a disappointing attendance of 5,000 - reflecting Liverpool’s status in Ireland at the time turned up for the second leg at on September 30th, 1969.

For Dundalk, Mick Millington and Tommy Kinsella replaced Hendricks and Gilmore and the Lilywhites defence fared much better. Dundalk started well and put some pressure on the visitors but it took just 13 minutes for Liverpool to go ahead with a goal from Thompson that Swan should have saved.

Thompson scored again on 32 minutes when his shot was deflected past Swan by Murray

and Shankly’s side wrapped it up with goals from Graham and Callaghan.

A 14-0 aggregate defeat was an extremely sobering experience for Dundalk, but there was no shame in falling to such a loss against an exceptional team who went on to dominate in England and 59

abroad in the seventies and eighties under a succession of home grown managers.

Five years later, Liverpool recorded their biggest home victory in European competition, beating Stromsgodset of Norway 11-0 in a European Cup Winners Cup tie at Anfield to spare Dundalk the ignominy of holding that unwanted honour! Thankfully, when we met Liverpool again in the 1982/83 European Cup we managed to keep the score to a relatively respectable 5-1 aggregate defeat!

It was a surprise when Liverpool made their exit from the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup competition in the next round, losing on the away goals rule to Vitoria de Setubal of Portugal.

Ironically, it was our opponents tonight, Arsenal, who went on to win the competition by beating Anderlecht 4-3 on aggregate in a two-legged final.

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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 FIGURES...

ALL ABOUT IT’Splay of 2016? 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?

3

The number of UEFA Europa League group stage games played by Shay Given, second in the list of Irish goalkeepers which is headed by Dundalk’s Gary Rogers.

Dundalk another 13 years to achieve a similar feat. Incidentally, Arsenal themselves won the FA Cup in 2015 with a 4-0 victory over Aston Villa for whom Lifford’s Shay Given was in goal. Given was the goalkeeper in the 2002 PFA Team of the Season.

In the 2016 Group Stages Rogers played in 5 of the six games. In the 2020 campaign to date he has played in 3 of the 4 games, leaving him on 8.

Incidentally, Rogers’ opposite number one in the Arsenal squad, Bernd Leno, has played 17 UEFA Europa League group stage games and three of his opponents have also faced Gary Rogers in the opposition goal - all in UEFA Champions League qualifying. BATE Borisov (2015), Rosenborg (2017) and Qarabag (2019) all defeated Dundalk during qualification rounds for the UEFA Champions League group stages.

2002

16

The squad number which has seen the greatest number of different scorers in Europe for Dundalk since 2016.

In 2016, it was Ciarán Kilduff, whose goals against AZ Alkmaar and Maccabi Tel Aviv made League of Ireland history. 2018 saw Dylan Connolly take hold of the number 16 shirt and he netted in the away leg of the Levadia Tallinn tie while current incumbent Seán Murray produced headers against Sheriff, Kí and Molde in successive European ties this season. Incidentally, Dundalk’s current European record goalscorer is David McMillan who wore the number 16 jersey for the 2014 season at Dundalk. Incidentally, the Arsenal number 16 tonight, Rob Holding, shares something else in common with McMillan as they both scored against BATE Borisov. McMillan notching in both 2015 and 2016 while central19/07/2019 defender Holding scored in the 2017 Group Stages.

The year in which both Arsenal and Dundalk won the most prestigious cup competition of their

Lucky Dip! 13: The EFL Championship / 14: Edgar Davids / 15: Motherwell

domestic season.

While Dundalk toppled the odds to overcome a fancied Bohemians side in a relegation season, the Gunners recorded a 2-0 win over Chelsea to clinch a league and cup double. It took

2019_14_Qarabag_60_p.indd 41

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

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

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10 Greg SLOGGETT

Brian GARTLAND

Opponents UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN CFR Cluj CSKA Moskva DROGHEDA UNITED Crusaders LONGFORD TOWN SHAMROCK ROVERS DERRY CITY Shelbourne CORK CITY Shamrock Rovers [RTÉ] Finn Harps DERRY CITY BOHEMIANS DROGHEDA UNITED ATHLONE TOWN LONGFORD TOWN SAINT PATRICK’S ATHLETIC [RTÉ] Bohemians [WATCHLOI] WATERFORD [R1] [WATCHLOI] WATERFORD [WATCHLOI] NK Celje [QR1] Sligo Rovers [WATCHLOI] Cobh Ramblers [R2] [WATCHLOI] SHELBOURNE [EIRSPORT] Inter Club d’Escaldes [QR2] Sheriff Tiraspol [QR3] SHAMROCK ROVERS [RTÉ] KÍ KLAKSVÍK [PO] FINN HARPS [WATCHLOI] Cork City [WATCHLOI] BOHEMIANS [WATCHLOI] Derry City [WATCHLOI] MOLDE [BTSPORT/VIRGIN] Waterford [WATCHLOI] Arsenal [BTSPORT/VIRGIN] Saint Patrick’s Athletic [WATCHLOI] Rapid Wien [BTSPORT/VIRGIN] SLIGO ROVERS [WATCHLOI] Bohemians [QF] [RTÉ] RAPID WIEN [BTSPORT/VIRGIN] Athlone Town [SF] [RTÉ] Molde [BTSPORT/VIRGIN] Shamrock Rovers [F] [RTÉ] ARSENAL [BTSPORT/VIRGIN] xLGE: SSE Airtricity League

4

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Date Fri 17 Jan Wed 22 Jan Fri 24 Jan Thu 30 Jan Mon 03 Feb Tue 04 Feb Sun 09 Feb Fri 14 Feb Fri 21 Feb Mon 24 Feb Fri 28 Feb Fri 06 Mar Fri 10 Jul Tue 14 Jul Fri 17 Jul Mon 20 Jul Tue 21 Jul Fri 31 Jul Fri 07 Aug Tue 11 Aug Fri 14 Aug Thu 20 Aug Sat 22 Aug Sun 30 Aug Fri 11 Sep Thu 17 Sep Thu 24 Sep Sun 27 Sep Thu 01 Oct Sun 04 Oct Tue 13 Oct Fri 16 Oct Mon 19 Oct Thu 22 Oct Sun 25 Oct Thu 29 Oct Sun 01 Nov Thu 05 Nov Mon 09 Nov Fri 20 Nov Thu 26 Nov Sun 29 Nov Thu 03 Dec Sun 06 Dec Thu 10 Dec xApps/Goals

Gary ROGERS

2020 SEASON MATCH DATA

2

TEAMSTATISTICS

1

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30 -20

11

Statistics Goals scored Total goals 198 (average: 2.20) Home goals 110 (average: 1.22) Away goals 88 (average: 0.98) Results Home wins 40 (44.5%) Draws 19 (21.1%) Away wins 31 (34.4%) Over/Under 2.5 goals Over 32 (35.6%) Under 58 (64.4%) UEFA Europa League Standings: Group B Team Pld W Arsenal 5 5 Molde 5 3

D 0 0

L 0 2

F 16 7

A 3 9

Rapid Wien DUNDALK

0 0

3 5

9 6

11 15

5 5

2 0

+/- Pts +13 15 -2 9 -2 -9

6 0

l

Note: Data correct until Saturday 05 December 2020 (5pm)

n

Fixtures Date Thu 10 Dec

l

2/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 2/0

Standings Team Shamrock Rovers

Note: Data correct until Saturday 05 December 2020 (5pm)

t n

u u u u u

n n n

t t t t t nP u u1 l u t n t l u t n l t tPP t uP1 u n2 t nP2

12 George KELLY

44 Andy BOYLE n

l l l l l l

30 Jimmy CORCORAN

29 David McMILLAN

u n1 t

t t u

l u

�

t n t t u

u t n t u t u t

t t n u

8/0 2/0 0/0 5/0 0/0 15/0

27 Daniel KELLY

24 Jamie WYNNE

23 Cameron DUMMIGAN

22 Stefan ČOLOVIĆ

u n

u u u u u

u1 tu

t u u

u

21 Daniel CLEARY

18 Will PATCHING

17 Nathan ODUWA

t

20 Aaron McCAREY

t1 u

16 Seán MURRAY

15 Darragh LEAHY

2020_14Arsenal60_56_57.qxp_DFC: Matchday Magazine 07/12/2020 13:37 Page 2

2/0 1/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 3/0

Match Dundalk v Arsenal (5:55) Rapid Wien v Molde (5:55)

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 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 Val Adedokun / t Gabriel Sava t Ronan Kilkenny / l Jamie Barry 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 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 Mark Traynor (13) / l Val Adedokun (19) / l Mark Hanratty (25)

EXTRA TIME

THE SPECTATOR

S

omehow it seems apt that Dundalk are finishing the season in a surreal, contradictory paradox of farcical proportions.

The impossible glamour of playing an English Premier League mega-club…. in an empty stadium. There’s nothing at stake with Arsenal through and Dundalk out…. but everything is at stake- contracts, reputations, careers and matchday prize money that might not keep an Arsenal player paid for a month but would make a serious dent in Dundalk’s annual outgoings.

There’ll be no supporters and the Havelock Square end which has tended to reverberate with the vocal contribution of Dundalk’s rowdier support will

be populated with nowt but a Christmas tree, in a suitably bizarre Yuletide nod It’s been a fascinating couple of weeks since we last hosted a UEFA Europa League tie, with a record breaking cup semi-final romp in Athlone followed by a trip to Norway and the small matter of a season-defining FAI Cup final squeezed into the last fortnight.

UEFA regulations extend as far as matchday publications these days though, meaning The Spectator’s rambling notes were hastily thrown together over a week ago, instead of the more measured approach, where The Spectator’s rambling notes are thrown together a couple of days before matchday. So the 68

trip to Norway and the cup final are off The Spectator’s agenda.

It would seem a little conceited to bask in the glory of Dundalk’s record breaking 11-0 annihilation of poor Athlone four days after an immeasurably more important cup match, against THEM. And so The Spectator must fill space with musings on the season just gone with reference to it’s climax- the type of jarring inconsistency that typifies this most singular of seasons. Heck this season has been so leftfield Michael Duffy might slalom his way down it. Whether he slaloms his way into Stephen Kenny’s Ireland squad, a new contract at Dundalk, a return trip to the Bogside, a glamorous upgrade

to League Two or, legend/Oriel insider Stephen IT’S BEEN A FASCINATING COUPLE OF worst case scenario, a O’Donnell and his St Pats WEEKS... HECK THIS SEASON HAS BEEN SO precipitous downgrade side. Several players have LEFTFIELD MICHAEL DUFFY MIGHT SLALOM to Tallaght’s finest been linked with Derry, HIS WAY DOWN IT... remains to be seen.

Bohemians, big spending It’s been that kind of Larne, Waterford and, unpredictable Nathanwell, whatever your having the League of Ireland Facebook, Oduwa-running-at-defenders yourself.

Twitter and journalistic kind of season.

When it comes down to it there community who have wallowed As it was during our last UEFA will be an inevitable amount of in a transfer rumours normally Europa League sojourn in 2016 turnover but The Spectator is reserved for the likes of Arsenal. the insane fixture congestion, willing to bet that 90% of the Every player imaginable has travel and sheer high level 2021 Dundalk FC squad will be been linked with Shamrock pressure on everyone at Oriel familiar faces.

Rovers as the new (half) Park has meant that next However this crazy season champions are declared to be season’s planning has had to pans out there’s one last, hovering, vulture-like, over our be put on the back burner, to a insane, high-profile, glamorous prize assets. Every single player, large extent. Expiring contracts engagement to enjoy. So bring most of the backroom staff, that would normally be tied on Arsenal, and lets bring this several hundred supporters up by now have meandered interminable season to a merciful and two several seats from the towards their natural end. The close. It’s been an experience.

Lilywhite Lounge have been result has been a field day for linked with former captain/ 69

HALF-TIME CHALLENGE

THE QUIZ

1

2

9

Dundalk FC 1. How many different scorers did Dundalk have in their recent FAI Cup win over Athlone Town?

2. Patrick McEleney’s brother also plays in the League of Ireland. What is his first name?

3. David McMillan has worn 9, 29 and which other squad number for Dundalk?

4. Who scored Dundalk’s first ever goals in European competition?

5. Which two former Dundalk FC players are currently playing with St Mirren in the SPL? Arsenal 6. What nationality is Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang?

7. Who is Arsenal’s record goalscorer?

8. Under which name were Arsenal first founded?

9. Where did Arsenal win the European Cup Winner’s Cup final in 1994?

10. Former Arsenal midfielder Patrick Vieira recently managed which French side?

Mixed Bag 11. Which Italian striker won the UEFA Champions League with Juventus before playing with, and subsequently managing, Chelsea?

12. For which Italian club did Diego Maradona play?

13. Which German side have Dietmar Hopp as their majority shareholder?

14. Finidi George won the UEFA Champions League with Ajax before playing in the Premier League with which club?

15. Who won the European Cup final in 1975?

1. Nine | 2. Shane | 3. 16 | 4. Dermot Cross and Jimmy Hasty | 5.

Dylan Connolly and Jamie McGrath | 6. Gabonese | 7. Thierry Henry | 8. Dial Square | 9. Copenhagen | 10. Nice | 11. Gianluca Vialli | 12. Napoli | 13. Hoffenheim | 14. Ipswich Town | 15.

Bayern Munich

14

ANSWERS 70

71

DUNDALK

ARSENAL

1 GARY ROGERS

1

2 SEAN GANNON

2 HECTOR BELLERIN

3 BRIAN GARTLAND

3 KIERAN TIERNEY

4 SEAN HOARE

4 WILLIAM SALIBA

5 CHRIS SHIELDS

5 SOKRATIS PAPASTATHOPOULOS

6 JORDAN FLORES

6 GABRIEL

7 MICHAEL DUFFY

7 BUKAYO SAKA

8 JOHN MOUNTNEY

8 DANI CEBALLOS

9 PATRICK HOBAN

9 ALEXANDRE LACAZETTE

10 GREGORY SLOGGETT

10 MESUT OZIL

11 PATRICK McELENEY

11 LUCAS TORREIRA

12 ANDREW QUINN

12 WILLIAN

13 MARK TRAYNOR

13 ALEX RUNARSSON

14 DANE MASSEY

14 PIERRE-EMERICK AUBAMEYANG

15 DARRAGH LEAHY

15 AINSLEY MAITLAND-NILES

16 SEAN MURRAY

16 ROB HOLDING

17 NATHAN ODUWA

17 CEDRIC SOARES

18 WILL PATCHING

18 THOMAS PARTEY

19 VAL ADEDOKUN

19 NICOLAS PEPE

20 AARON McCAREY

20 SHKODRAN MUSTAFI

21 DANIEL CLEARY

21 CALUM CHAMBERS

22 STEFAN COLOVIC

22 PABLO MARI

23 CAMERON DUMMIGAN

23 DAVID LUIZ

24 JAMIE WYNNE

24 REISS NELSON

25 MARK HANRATTY

25 MOHAMED ELNENY

27 DANIEL KELLY

28 JOE WILLOCK

29 DAVID MCMILLAN

29 MATTEO GUENDOUZI

30 JIMMY CORCORAN

30 EDDIE NKETIAH

44 ANDY BOYLE

31 SEAD KOLASINAC

COACH FILIPPO GIOVAGNOLI

32 EMILE SMITH ROWE

HONOURS

BERND LENO

33 MATT MACEY 34 GRANIT XHAKA 35 GABRIEL MARTINELLI COACH MIKEL ARTETA

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 (12): 1942, 1949, 1952, 1958, 1977, 1979, 1981, 1988, 2002, 2015, 2018, 2020 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

www.dundalkfc.com