Issuu

2021 Season • Premier Division • Vol. 33 • No. 01 Sat 27 March • Richmond Park, Inchicore, D8 • KO:4.00PM

VERSUS

John Mountney

Editorial

Ronan O’Flaherty

Ruairi Kavanagh

@stpatsprogramme

Welcome to the first home game of the 2021 season and your first digital copy of the Saint for this year. It's now over a year since any of us were in Richmond Park, and I hope that having things like a programme, albeit in a digital format, help on these nights when we would all love to be under the floodlights in Inchicore. There will be brighter days ahead though. Last week's game in Tallaght saw our new look Saints battle-tested for the first time, and they stood up to it well. While nobody would say that it was a game for the ages, it was a tense match and Pat's deserved their point at the very least. Of course, scoring and then conceding within a matter of minutes is always frustrating, but I think we all would've taken a point before the game.

O'Flaherty, Dermot Looney, Jimmy Edwards, Ian Templeman, John Owens, Pat O'Callaghan, David Morrissey, Kieran Couglan and Sean Creedon. We are also delighted to welcome Paul Maguire as our new opposition analyst, and also to have Seán Brennan contributing during the season on European footballing matters with an Irish twist where possible. Karl Stafford from the club will be helping us out with club news and Damien Byrne will be returning to The Saint for a second spell, focusing on player interviews. Now, I'm sure you will realise that this excellent stable of writers has something missing, which is fairly obvious. Yes, a bit of gender balance. We always welcome any contributions or suggestions at The Saint and we really would benefit from a female voice in our pages. So, please get in touch!

Just like Stephen O'Donnell and Alan Mathews, we have put together a solid line up for the Saint this season. In a similar joint management structure, Joe O'Rourke is in the Saint dugout with me and as always has done wonderful work on design to give your programme a fresh look for the new season. We are also delighted to welcome back regular contributors like; Tom O'Mahony, Ronan

Anyway, I hope you're sitting comfortably, those around you are safe and well and you enjoy what could be a very interesting season....bring it on! Ruairi Kavanagh Editor The Saint

Contents 8

Oh My Word!

Once a Saint...

Supersaints

History

Opposition Watch

Pats from the Past

Red & White Wonderland

A View from Afar

Programme Production Editor Ruairi Kavanagh

Design Joe O’Rourke

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No. 1 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Drogheda United

Photo Sportsfile & Inpho 3

Fáilte Tá áthas orainn fáilte a chur roimh mbainistíocht, imreoirí agus lucht tacaíochta Chlub Pheile Droighead Átha Áontaithe go Phairc Richmond anocht.

Welcome We are pleased to welcome the management, players and supporters of Drogheda United Football Club to Richmond Park tonight.

Tonight’s Squads

Ronan O’Flaherty President’s Welcome

St Patrick’s Athletic

Drogheda United

Tom O’Mahony

Manager:

Head Coach: Tim Clancy

Alan Mathews

Head Coach: Stephen O’Donnell

Assistant Coach: Kevin Doherty

1 Vítězslav Jaroš

GK o

1 Colin McCabe

GK o

2 John Mountney

2 James Brown

3 Ian Bermingham

3 Conor Kane

4 Sam Bone

4 Jack Tuite

5 Lee Desmond

5 Daniel O'Reilly

6 Jamie Lennon

6 Hugh Douglas

7 Robbie Benson

7 Darragh Markey

8 Chris Forrester

8 Gary Deegan

9 Chris Lyons

9 Nahum Marvin-Lambert F 10 Ronan Coughlan

10 Dinny Corcoran

11 Jay McClellend

11 Jake Hyland

12 Matty Smith

13 Sam O'Brien

29 Paddy Barrett

14 Mark Doyle

15 Billy King

15 Mohamed Boudiaf

16 Alfie Lewis

16 Brandon Bermingham F

17 Darragh Burns

17 Ronan Murray

18 Ben McCormack

18 Charles Mutawe

20 Shane Griffin

19 Killian Phillips

21 Barry Murphy

GK o

20 Jordan Adeyemo

25 Josh Keeley

GK o

21 Luke Heeney

28 Cian Kelly

22 James Clarke

31 Kian Corbally

23 David Odumosu

GK o

Daniel Norris

25 Ryan O'Shea

Jamie Whelan

35 Jack McCarthy

GK o

41 Dane Massey

45 Mark Hughes

/stpatsfc stpatsfc /stpatsfc

Match Officials

/stpatsfctv

Referee John McLoughlin

info@stpatsfc.com stpatsfc.com

Half-Time

Assistant 1 Wayne McDonnell

Full-Time

Assistant 2 Darragh Keegan

4th Official Damien MacGraith

MOTM

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No. 1 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Drogheda United

@jimmyedwards41

Good Evening You're very welcome back to Richmond Park for the first home game of the new season. Of course, the sad reality is that you're not here in person, but I know you're with us in spirit and, thanks to the WatchLOI service, you'll be able to watch the game in full. The last twelve months have been as challenging for football as they have been for the rest of society. Indeed, some have even questioned why professional sport can take place when so many other sectors are shut down. The answer, I believe, lies in the hugely important part that following sport plays in the lives of so many people. When we are denied so many of the things that add pleasure to our lives, we can at least pass a couple of hours enjoying the passion, joy and pain of being a supporter - and, for those couple of hours at least, forget about all the problems and restrictions that blight our lives at present. The uplift this offers for the mental wellbeing of so many people more than justifies the small risk involved, and of course every precaution possible is taken to ensure the risk remains small. Unfortunately, of course, that includes not having spectators, for the moment at least. I would like to think that, as the vaccine roll-out accelerates in the coming weeks, we can have a real prospect of welcoming you back in person in the summer. The absence of spectators has created a major financial challenge for the club and I want to acknowledge the contribution that so many people have made to help us overcome it. Our sponsors have rallied round and new sponsors have come on board. We got a great response to the Supporters Pack which for this year takes the place of season tickets. Supporters have helped in other

ways, too, particularly through buying our merchandise. Our playing, coaching and other staff have worked with us to ensure we can live with tighter budgets. We have also benefited from support from the Government and the FAI. It's been difficult, but I hope you will agree that on the evidence of our first match we have managed to put together a competitive squad. Last week's game in Tallaght was made for a packed stadium, which is exactly what there would have been in normal circumstances. It was an excellent Dublin Derby, full-blooded but also a tactical battle. Each team had periods of dominance, each keeper made a stunning save when a goal seemed certain, and of course the closing stages were full of drama which brought joy and despair to each team in turn. It's unusual to hear Stephen Bradley concede that his team didn't deserve to win a game, and most neutrals agreed with his conclusion that the draw was a fair result. It certainly gives hope that we have the foundations in place for a successful season time will tell. Tonight's opponents return to the promised land of the Premier Division after three years in the wilderness and it's great to see them back where they belong. We welcome the players, staff and officials of Drogheda to Richmond and congratulate them and their supporters on their promotion. They got off to a winning start last week and will be a formidable opposition tonight. Let's hope for an enjoyable game.

Tom O'Mahony President St Patrick's Athletic FC

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No. 1 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Drogheda United

ST PATRICK’S ATHLETIC FOOTBALL CLUB Richmond Park 125 Emmet Road, Inchicore, Dublin 8, Ireland Tel: +353 1 454 6332 Fax: +353 1 454 6211 For media enquiries, please email press@stpatsfc.com Opening Hours: 9.30am-5pm (Mon-Fri). See our facebook page for additional opening hours on match days. HONOURS LEAGUE CHAMPIONS 1951/52, 1954/55, 1955/56, 1989/90, 1995/96, 1997/98, 1998/99, 2001/02, 2013 FAI CUP 1958/59, 1960/61, 2014 LEAGUE CUP 2000/01, 2003, 2015, 2016 PRESIDENT'S CUP 2014 LEINSTER SENIOR CUP 1947/48, 1982/83, 1986/87, 1989/90, 1990/91, 1999/2000, 2011, 2014, 2019 LOISHIELD 1959/60 FAI SUPER CUP 1999 DUBLIN CITY CUP 1953/54, 1955/56, 1975/76 LFA PRESIDENT'S CUP 1952/53, 1953/54, 1955/56, 1971/72, 1990/91, 1996/97 FAI INTERMEDIATE CUP 1947/48, 1948/49, 1952/53 (Reserves) FAI JUNIOR CUP 1940/41 FAI YOUTH CUP 1944/45

OUR GAME IS ON THE BALL

The Dugout

Ronan O’Flaherty

Alan Mathews & Stephen O’Donnell

We came close to getting off to the perfect start to the season. With just minutes remaining and the match scoreless, a point away to the defending champions looked like being a decent outcome. However, the manner in which the closing minutes unfolded meant we came away from Tallaght Stadium disappointed. After taking the lead in the 87th minute, it's not unreasonable to hope to win. However, Shamrock Rovers are champions for a reason. Even though it was a poor goal to concede from our perspective, they showed good character to equalise and, in the end, we had to make do with a point. There were a number of positives to take from the game and, while we were disappointed not to win, the draw was probably a fair outcome, all things considered. We had a number of debutants on the pitch last Friday and we were happy with how they performed, as well as those who have been at the club for longer. There is always some room for improvement, no matter who you are, but everyone who played for St Pat's last Friday put in an honest, hard shift. You cannot find fault with that. For fans, we appreciate that the viewing experience remains a strange one. It goes without saying that you would prefer to be in the ground, cheering on the team as the action unfolds before your eyes. By the same token, players and managers look forward to the return of supporters, whenever that may be.

UMBRO TEAMWEAR

TO FIND OUT MORE VISIT UMBRO.IE OR CONTACT RICHY ON 086 0317672

Usually the epicentre of match-day atmosphere, stands and terraces across the country are now eerily silent places. That silence will disappear one day, and when it does, it will be replaced by the buzz of expectant supporters. That buzz can spur

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No. 1 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Drogheda United

players on and help them soar to greater heights. Richmond Park is one of the most atmospheric venues in the League of Ireland, so it is in our interest to want crowds back at games. We won't fully appreciate just how much supporters have been missed until it is safe enough for them to return. In the meantime, we are all endeavouring to do our best for St Patrick’s Athletic and we hope you enjoy the games from your home. This evening we welcome Tim Clancy and his Drogheda United players to Inchicore. Drogheda are a team in good spirits following their victory over Waterford on the opening day. They had been knocking on the door of promotion for a couple of years and, now that they're back in the Premier Division, we expect them to cause plenty of problems for teams. We are very happy with the squad of players at our disposal and everybody is working hard in training. It's a positive environment in which to work and hopefully that is apparent on the pitch. We started with a draw against the champions. Now the objective is to kick on in our first home game of the season. Enjoy the game, Alan Mathews and Stephen O'Donnell

Oh My Word!

Ronan O’Flaherty

@ronanoflaherty

I have outsourced my ability for happiness to something over which I have no control.

When your team takes the lead in the 87th minute of any game, it's not unreasonable to become slightly giddy at the visualisation of impending victory. When that goal comes against the champions, in their own stadium, in the first match of the season, emotions soar

Tommy Tiernan's recent

more trouble than it's worth.

admission about the emotional

And Eamon Dunphy has never

beyond slightly giddy.

been bland. Sure, there's still two minutes plus stoppage

toll that automatically comes

Dunphy makes for compelling

with supporting a football team

viewing (and listening) because

He made a handsome living

time remaining, but if the red-and-white wall

struck a chord. It was all the

he is authentic. He has never

out of masterfully exploiting

hasn't been breached by now, it probably

more appropriate that he was

attempted to curry favour by

the delicate emotions of those

shouldn't come undone in the dying stages.

mid-conversation with Eamon

proferring the kind of tame

who tuned in to hear his

Dunphy when he made the

opinions now commonplace

opinion. On occasion, he did so

In the immediate aftermath of your team taking

confession.

among sports pundits. He has

by using what some describe

the lead in such circumstances, any number of

often upset others simply by

as shock-jock tactics. But he has

silly thoughts float through the mind. If those

Dunphy's TV days are largely

speaking his mind. In pursuing

laughed off the shock-jock

thoughts appeared in the form of a monologue,

behind him but still, aged 75,

this approach, he struck gold.

accusations, insisting that

it would go something like this: What an

merely offering an honest view,

amazing start to the season this is going to be.

no matter how unpopular,

Coming to the home of the champions and

If one could simply regulate their emotions during such moments, they would be better off.

he retains the energy and enthusiasm for work to

Perhaps Dunphy was so

be good for the ticker.

produce between five and six

successful as a pundit because

should not fall into such a

beating them – now that's a statement victory. If

episodes of his podcast, 'The

football fans are such an overtly

category. Many love him, while

we beat Drogheda next weekend, we'll have six

Some people have mastered it and I imagine them to be among the most balanced people

Stand', every week. 'The Stand'

emotional grouping of people.

others find him to be too much.

points out of six and maybe we'll be top of the

leans towards current affairs

They don't really allow for a

But very few have no opinion

league. And maybe if we go top, we'll stay there

you could come across in the confines of a

on him at all.

until the end of the season...

football ground. For me, it can be a bit of a

Like I said, silly thoughts.

rather than football, and

middle ground – your

listeners are rarely treated to

viewpoint is either in keeping

struggle. My truth is similar to Tommy Tiernan's:

the kind of outburst that made

with their narrative or out of

A man so skilled at exploiting

him a household name for

step with it. You are with them

emotional situations would

something over which I have no control.

decades. As host, when the

or against them. To inhabit such

have had a field day last Friday.

Just as we had stopped celebrating, Shamrock

responsibility of keeping the

a world as a pundit is a

That was a night when Pat's

Rovers equalised. That was hard to digest.

show on something of an even

minefield. No matter what you

fans experienced the extreme

Overjoyed in the 87th minute, deflated in the

keel falls on your shoulders, the

say, once it isn't bland, it is

highs and lows right on top of

89th. To experience such extremes in close

outburst mechanism can be

likely to provoke a reaction.

each other.

proximity does not come recommended. It can't

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No. 1 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Drogheda United

I have outsourced my ability for happiness to

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No. 1 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Drogheda United

Ronan O'Flaherty

Any views expressed in this article are the contributor's own.

Dodge’s Data!

Ronan O’Flaherty

John Owens

@seidodge

League Record v Drogheda / Drogheda United HOME GAMES

AWAY GAMES

18 29

TOTAL GAMES

Last 10 games v Drogheda United

117

WIN

Date

Venue

Competition

28/07/17

United Park

League

1-0

Richmond Park

League

2-0

DRAW

LOSE

C Fagan

12/05/17

I Bermingham, K Byrne

GOALS

0-2

03/03/17

United Park

League

16/10/15

Richmond Park

League

2-1

League

2-0

GOALS

180

135

Club Records in League Games with Drogs 02/06/14

26/11/67

21/12/80

21/04/14

31/10/82

6-0

0-3

1-4

4-0

1-5

C Byrne (p), C Fagan

17/07/15

United Park

K Brennan, J McGrath

20/04/15

2-2

Richmond Park

League

United Park

League

3-2

League

6-0

League

4-0

C Byrne, C Kilduff

MARCH

10/10/14

ON THIS DAY

C Byrne, OG (D Doyle), C Fagan

02/06/14

Richmond Park

1998

Richmond Park

LOI

UCD

1-0

Ian Gilzean

1989

Dalymount Park

LOI

Shamrock Rovers

1-0

Mark Ennis

1988

Richmond Park

FAI Cup

Limerick City

2-2

Paddy Dillon, Paul Byrne

1986

Tolka Park

LOI

Home Farm

0-0

L Lynch, C Forrester 2, C Byrne

1983

Richmond Park

LOI

Bohemians

0-3

02/07/13

1977

Richmond Park

LOI

Waterford

2-1

C Forrester 2, C Fagan, C Byrne 3

21/04/14

Hunky Dory Park

Richmond Park

League

0-0

Sean Byrne, Barry Bridges

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No. 1 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Drogheda United

Squad Sponsorship

Ronan O’Flaherty

Vítězslav Jaroš

John Mountney

Ian Bermingham

Robbie Benson

Chris Forrester

Nahum Marvin-Lambert

Goalkeeper

Defender

Midfield

Forward

HOME SPONSOR

KAVANAGHS PUB

BISTO FLOOD APPRECIATION SOCIETY

BILL DUGGAN

LUKE MULLINS

DECED

KEVIN ROCHE

AWAY SPONSOR

SWEENEYS

JOHN PAUL MOORE

CLÍODHNA BRAY

WILLIAM MORGAN

DC FITNESS PHYSIO

O'CALLAGHAN FAMILY

Sam Bone

Lee Desmond

Jamie Lennon

Ronan Coughlan

Jay McClellend

Matty Smith

Defender

Midfield

Forward

HOME SPONSOR

ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC SUPPORTERS GROUP

WILL MORGAN

TOMMY KEYES

THE CLOCK

JOHN HUDSON

FYNCH

AWAY SPONSOR

THE LADS OFF THE CAMAC

CIAN MENTON

KILLIAN DONNELLY

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No. 1 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Drogheda United

AWAY SPONSOR

PATRICK COSTELLO TD

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No. 1 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Drogheda United

Squad Sponsorship

Ronan O’Flaherty

Billy King

Alfie Lewis

Darragh Burns

Josh Keeley

Cian Kelly

Paddy Barrett

Forward

Midfield

Forward

Goalkeeper

Defender

HOME SPONSOR

SMcN CONSULTING

PATRON SAINTS

THOMPSON SOLICITORS

GRACE O'REILLY

LAUREN O'REILLY

PROLINK STAFFING

AWAY SPONSOR

QUALITY MOTORS

AWAY SPONSOR

MARK B SHOPFITTING LTD.

PRECISION IRELAND

AWAY SPONSOR

PROLINK STAFFING

Ben McCormack

Shane Griffin

Barry Murphy

Kian Corbally

Daniel Norris

Jamie Whelan

Midfield

Defender

Goalkeeper

Midfield

HOME SPONSOR

SEI

DARAGH O'HALLORAN

DALTON FAMILY

McCRUDDEN FITNESS

CONOR O'TOOLE

BRIAN BRAMHALL

AWAY SPONSOR

SCOTT KELLY

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No. 1 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Drogheda United

AWAY SPONSOR

DARRAGH O'TOOLE

ZOE O'REILLY

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No. 1 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Drogheda United

League of Ireland Richmond Park, Inchicore, Dublin 8.

MARCH

27 1977

ST PATRICK'S ATH 2 WATERFORD 1

For Waterford, Hall, Finucane and Madigan showed good touches but Matthews had an off-day in attack and their only potential saviour looked to be Wallace who, however, did not get enough support. A mighty kick out by goalkeeper O'Brien set up St. Pats opener. Bridges, harassing the defence, let it bounce on to Byrne who hit a low, angled shot to the net in 55 minutes. On the hour, Bridges was fouled by Hall, the free was lofted into the area by Flanagan, and Martin rose high to head on for Bridges who slammed the second.

Even playing into a stiff, bitterly cold wind in the first half, St. Pats, dominated much of the play. On a fairly, dry pitch and with th ball lively control was difficult, but the homsters compensated with earnest running, especially by Flanagan and Munro.

A long ball by Madigan gave Higgins his chance to burst through for Waterford's consolation in 85 minutes. He got past two would-be challengers before sliding the ball in from close range.

POINT-BLANK

With the wind behind them, St. Pats, really, took command with goals in the 55th and 60th minutes but instead of pressing on, they allowed Waterford come at them. Not very effectively, I might add, for the exchanges became very scrappy, with niggling fouls creeping, in, one of

PAT’S MIDFIELDERS PAVE THE WAY TO TRIUMPH forthcoming Cup semi-final the Inchicore side will not suffer such a lapse of concentration. With the finishing skills of Bridges and Martin up front to supplement the efforts of the men further back, they can be a very formidable side.

ALTHOUGH they got a bit cocky after knocking in two goals inside five minutes early in the second half and forfeited a late score as a result, St. Patrick's Athletic fully deserved to kill any faint Bass League aspirations Waterford might have had at Richmond. Park yesterday. The losers got off lightly at 1-2.

With the referee playing lost time in the half, Waterford went near twice. Athletic full back, Smith headed off the line from Madigan, and then goalkeeper O'Brien saved a point-blank shot after the Blues' winger, Lavery, had beaten the off-side trap as Hall crossed from the right.

Irish Independent Monday 28 March 1977

ST. PAT'S ATH: O'Brien; B. Martin, Smith; Keely, Flanagan, Doyle; Munro, Byrne. Bridges, N. Martin, Luke.

Brendan Martin, the St. Patrick’s Athletic left full, and Waterford’s Johnny Mathews tussle for the ball during the League game at Richmond Park.

WATERFORD: Thomas; Hall, Parkes; Finucane, Connolly, Daly; Matthews, Madigan, Wallace, McCarthy, Lavery. Subs. McGeough (for Daly 44 mins.); Higgins (for Lavery, 73 mins.).

which brought a booking for livewire, Munro.

REFEREE: N. Meagher (Limerick).

Had Waterford managed to snatch an equaliser St. Pats, would have had only themselves to blame. Their supporters can only hope that the

MAN OF THE MATCH: Paddy Munro.

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No. 1 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Drogheda United

OUR GAME KNOWS YOUR NAME

Super Saints

Ronan O’Flaherty

Johnny Keegan

@johnnykeegan

New contributor to the Saint, Johnny Keegan, talks about the Friday rituals that we all miss so much, and a new column that he will be providing each issue, focusing on the unique voices of St Patrick’s Athletic fans. I miss the Friday afternoon

ritual. I miss Big Joe. I miss the

Saint - a Pat’s fan with a story to

texts. I miss the chips from

bloke that looks like Giovanni

tell. Over the coming issues

Toni’s. I miss pre-game pints in

Trapattoni. I miss seeing the

we’ll have interviews with

McDowell’s, Donoghue’s and

ambulance crew sneaking back

people from the worlds of

sitting outside the Royal Oak

under the TV gantry with

sport, music, arts, culture,

on a summer evening. I miss

sausage and chips. I miss

community and politics, to

walking the long way around

getting starstruck, childlike,

name a few.

down the lane. I miss the

every time I see Brian Kerr on

timeless clicking sound of the

the Camac. I miss half-time

We hope that these interviews,

turnstiles and the welcoming

chats with Greg, Kerrie and

in some small way, will help us

smell of curry chips. I miss that

Damo, whose wise pessimism

not only to stay in contact with

first glimpse of green – lush

is a necessary tonic for my

each other, but also encourage

and magical. I miss the sound

foolish optimism. I miss Cork

people to reach out to others,

of footballs battering the

Tom and whoever it is that

foster new friendships, inspire

hoardings at the Inchicore End

shouts “Forrester for Leeds”. I

and encourage like-minded

as the players warm-up and

miss the SEI, Bermo and Lee

people to collaborate, create

kick-off approaches. I miss

Desmond. I think I even miss

and help expand the supporter

bouncing back up that hill two

the bell.

community within our club.

hours later with three points in

Now, more than ever, our club

the bag and the weekend off to

Lockdown has been tough. A

motto rings true: Ní neart go

the best start possible.

new, temporary ritual has

cur le chéile.

replaced the live football

NEO X ELITE

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

But what I miss most are the

experience: TVs, couches, cans,

If you or a Super Saint you

people. The characters. I miss

takeaways, WhatsApps,

know has an interesting job, is

people whose names I don’t

Zooms… Grateful? Under the

excelling in other areas of life,

even know, but the highlight of

circumstances, yes. It’s no

or has an inspirational story to

my week is spending two hours

match, though. Without fans,

share, please get in touch.

in their company cheering on

football really is nothing.

our team, and then counting

C’mon the Saints!

down the days until we’re back

Which brings me to this

in Richmond doing it all again

feature. Each issue we will

two weeks later. I miss the

interview a different Super

Any views expressed in this article are the contributor's own.

UMBRO.IE 2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No. 1 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Drogheda United

Super Saints Nially Cully

Ronan O’Flaherty

Johnny Keegan

@johnnykeegan

Everything Starts With People and How You Treat Them In the first of our Super Saints series, Johnny Keegan talks to ‘St Patrick’s Athletic academy coach Niall Cully about his coaching journey and his deep connection to St Patrick’s Athletic. Like countless others before him, Niall Cully’s coaching journey began with a phone call from a family friend with the simple request ‘Would you be interested in giving me a hand?’ “Graham Forrest, a fellow Pat’s fan, asked me down to Crumlin United’s U8s. I loved it and got really interested in it from there. I then moved up to Cherry Orchard with Terry Carroll; Terry has been a big influence on me since then. I was still playing at the time, but I got a great buzz

from coaching so I decided then at 16 or 17 that it was for me.” Now 25, Niall is one of a new wave of young coaches making his way in the game, and earlier this year completed the UEFA Elite A Licence alongside John Donohue, who now manages our U15 side. “For me, the FAI are world class at coach education. The opportunities are good for young coaches now, and we’re getting exposed to top-level people from an earlier age. It’s one thing having the badges though, it’s another what you do with them. You can pass the course, but it’s the day-to-day stuff that really counts, constantly being willing to learn and pick up things from other people.” Former Irish internationals, David Meyler and Liam Lawrence, attended the same UEFA Elite A Licence course. “They were great guys, really humble, no ego at all. It was great to learn from them,

especially with the playing experience they have. But the course was also a great leveller because we were all constantly being assessed by tutors and other coaches from all around the pitch.” While progressing through his coach education, Niall has also been working in the Saints Academy since February 2019, and is currently coaching with our U19s having worked alongside Jamie Moore, John Donohoe and Sean Fogarty during a fruitful last two years at the club. What’s the secret behind their success? “Everything starts with people and how you treat them. If you’ve got players who understand that you have values and that, no matter what, you’ll put them first, then you’re going to get the best out of them. From a tactical point-ofview I’m not sure about formations being the be-all-andend-all, it’s more about the movement within the system. You could be playing three at the back but at certain times it

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No. 1 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Drogheda United

will look like a four, in midfield a two can look like a three or a diamond, in general, football is very fluid nowadays and a lot of movements can be very difficult to pick up on from the side-line. It’s really all about the movement within the formation.” How does Niall and his colleagues get this message across to the players? “Empowerment. Players are much more empowered to use their own initiative, and encouraged to use their own thinking and make decisions on the pitch, that’s a big thing for us as coaches. If you’re saying to a Kian Corbally or a Ben McCormack, for example, ‘Where do you think the space is?’ Most of the time they know where the space is, so if we’re empowering them to make these decisions then if we’re pushing for a late winner up in Tallaght, they’re not hanging around waiting for instructions from the side-line. Yes, they need it from time to time, but if you encourage, help and trust them, then you get a lot more buy-in.” Under Ger O’Brien’s direction, the academy has gone from strength-to-strength in recent years, and while player development is the priority,

instilling a winning mentality is also important. “Success for me is measured in how many players we get through to the first team. But we want to win too, the players definitely want to win. The expectation here is that we go and try to win every game. But there’s a way to do it, and I think we take the right approach, but first and foremost we want the players to progress and improve. We have players who’ve won trophies at every age level, won doubles, so these boys understand what it means to win football matches and how to go about it.” Advice for coaches starting out in the game? “The biggest thing for me is to always be open to learning and be prepared to have your preconceptions challenged. Read lots and take in as much information as you can and apply it to your environment. But if you start with a passion for it then you don’t know where that journey will take you, and that’s the really exciting part of it.

so Pat’s for me may as well be Real Madrid or Manchester United. I have a real sense of connection here, it’s my club, so one day I’d love to be in the dugout on a Friday night with the first team. But for now it’s about working hard and doing my best to help the players. We don’t put a ceiling on any of our players here, so why should I put one on myself? I say that with massive humility, but it’s all about being open to learning.”

Personal career ambitions? “I’ve been going to Pat’s games with my Da, Alan, since I was two or three years of age,

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No. 1 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Drogheda United

Any views expressed in this article are the contributor's own.

Notice This!

Ronan O’Flaherty

Karl Stafford

@karl_pats

Saints Weekly Newsletter

Supporters Packs

We are delighted to announce the launch of our new weekly club newsletter.

Sunday March 29th at midnight will be the last chance to sign up

The weekly newsletter will keep supporters up to date with all the latest news, fixtures, community activity, club merchandise and lots more throughout the season.

for a 2021 Supporters Pack. Benefits for our Supporters Pack can

Newsletter subscribers will also have access to exclusive shop discounts and special offers from the Super Saints Store.

been hugely positive given the current restrictions around match

This Supporters Pack option brings you closer to the The Saints

be seen below. The club would like to say a huge thank you to everyone that has signed up for this initiative as the response has attendances.

than ever before and provides the following supporter benefits:

Golden Goal Competitions

•

Priority on Match Attendance (When is it safe to do so)

•

A Watch LOI Promo Code to access all of our 2021

The Golden Goal Game will run exclusively on the Super Saints Store. Tickets cost €5 each.

League of Ireland Matches (Only provided to Adult, OAP & Third Level Students)

You can choose your lucky number in the dropdown section and every number is available to purchase twice meaning two prizes are up for grabs.

•

Prize for picking the correct time of the first goal scored in the game is €100 in cash or a €125 Voucher for the Super Saints Store.

•

More info on SuperSaintsStore.com

•

Match Day and Match Ball Sponsorship The club are looking for expressions of interest for Match Day and Match Ball Sponsors. Please contact karl.stafford@stpatsfc.com for more information.

10% Discount code will be provided for the Super Saints Store Official 2021 St Patrick’s Athletic loyalty pack (including supporter card, limited edition scarf and pin badge) Pre-Season Virtual Event giving you the opportunity to have your say with members of the first team staff and the Board of Management

•

Choose the shirt on our backs – supporters will vote and make the final decision for the official St Patrick’s Athletic third kit for the 2022 season

•

Supporters will have a chance to submit questions for a

Happy Birthday Best wishes to the following Supersaints who celebrated lockdown Birthdays through the month of March. Kathryn Dardis Ryan Nolan Gerry Heeney Peter Connolly Luke Bray Paul Garrigan Liam Temple Gerry Burke Damien McCabe Cathal Ó hAlmhain James Byrne Marc Capel Thomas O'Meara Paddy Byrne Thomas Conway Declan Connolly Sam Finglas

monthly remote interview with a designated player

Launch of the new eLeague of Ireland

Reeling in the St Patrick’s Athletic Years

The newly established eLeague of Ireland will kick-off on

We are seeking expressions of interest from individuals willing to take part in a virtual programme (via Zoom) which will revisit some key events of our illustrious history.

Tuesday the 6th of April. Lifelong fan, Eoin Norton will represent the Saints in the FIFA 2021 Tournament, which will be played on PS4. You can watch Eoin play as the Saints on the Official St Pats Twitch Account @stpatsfc.

The programme will take place on Friday afternoons at 4pm and run for a duration of six weeks. While a start date is yet to be confirmed, a provisional date of late April has been earmarked if enough interest in secured. Please email david.morrissey@stpatsfc.com to express interest or for more information.

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No. 1 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Drogheda United

Opposition Watch

Ronan O’Flaherty

Paul Maguire

@PaulGoS

This is Drogheda United’s first season back in the top flight of the Airtricity League since 2017 when they were relegated after finishing bottom of the table, 17 points from safety at the end of the season in which three teams went down.

joined us from Cherry Orchard

starting the game with the

in 2014. Could this be the year

balance made up of new

he delivers on his obvious

signings, perfectly

potential? A big season lies

crystallising Clancys belief

ahead for him and I’m sure

that adding much needed

Saints fans will wish him well

experience to his squad was

in his new challenge, just not

the uppermost in his mind as

on Saturday!

he went about securing those

They almost gained promotion

Division Player of the Year in

strengthened his hand during

for last season but were denied

2020 and his form will be

the last transfer window. Dane

new recruits for 2021. Most

in the 2019 play-off final by

crucial to Drogheda success in

Masseys decision to leave

prominent was right-full

Finn Harps.

2021. So too full-back and ex-

Dundalk but stay in the Wee

James Brown who surged

Saint Conor Kane who already

County surprised many, mostly

Manager Tim Clancy has

forward at every opportunity

has over a hundred

fans of the several clubs

retained 15 of last seasons

from the off and it was his

appearances for the

rumoured to have secured his

squad who finished as First

cross which was deflected

Boynesiders under his belt at

signature, Pats included.

Division Champions by one

into the net for the winning

the age of 22. He has

Similarly, the arrivals of Gary

point from Bray Wanderers,

goal in the final minute of

impressed many during this

Deegan from Shels and Dinny

confusion which is

most notably Mark Doyle. The

normal time. That it was an

time and much is expected of

Corcoran from Bohs also points

understandable at the start of

forward who was on the radar

OG which won the game was

him this season. Both Kane and

to a team which should not be

the season with new faces in

of several Premier Division

probably fitting as there had

Doyle have been stalwarts of

spending too much time

defence. Set pieces were for

clubs was voted PFAI First

been plenty of chances for

the Drogheda squad since

looking over it’s shoulder at the

the most part defended well

Drogheda to score

Clancys arrival in December

bottom of the table this season.

while in goal David Odumoso

throughout as Mark Doyle,

2017 having made the leap

In addition to the aforemen-

looked sharp.

directly from pitch to dugout

tioned trio, Ronan Murrays

Daniel O’Reilly and Ronan

In summary, Drogheda have

after finishing a playing career

arrival brings experience from

Murray all had chances either

some quality that Pats will

with Bray which took him to

England where he won a

blocked or saved while Doyle

need to watch out for out wide

Milwall, Kilmarnock and Hibs

League 2 title with Swindon

but do they have enough in

amongst others. While the

Town while at home he was

At this stage of the season,

also hit a post. Whether this

the middle to handle Chris

managers faith in the majority

also named in the PFAI Premier

form is impossible to judge

indicates a lack of an out and

Forrester or Robbie Benson

of the squad who finished top

Division Team of the Year in

especially as pre-season

out finisher remains to be seen

and can they keep the likes of

of their division last season is

2017 during his spell at Galway

results were a mixed bag but

but Doyle was their only

Billy King and Ronan

commendable, it is the players

Utd. His set pieces will cause

Drogs were worth the 3 points

player to hit double figures

Coughlan quiet for 90

he acquired in the off-season

trouble for opposition

they earned against a young

last year with 13 goals, exactly

minutes?

that is the real signal of the

defences. Of all Drogheda’s

Waterford side in the opening

one-third of the total of 39

club’s ambitions for 2021.

close-season signings, Darragh

game of this year’s premier

Markey will of course be most

division last Friday evening.

familiar to Pats fans, having

Six of last seasons team

Tim Clancy

Clancy has considerably

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No. 1 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Drogheda United

Darragh Markey

Form

Ronan Murray

Darragh Markey, Jake Hyland,

goals they scored last season, albeit in only 18 games. At the

This game should give an

far end of the pitch long balls

indication of where both

down the middle caused

teams are at this season.

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No. 1 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Drogheda United

Pitchside Sponsors

Who’s Who at Ronan The O’Flaherty Saint?

We would like to thank the following who have

Like so many other things on match night, it takes considerable effort

sponsored the club for the 2021 season...

to compile the issue of The Saint you’re viewing. So who’s who? RUAIRI KAVANAGH: EDITOR

KIERAN COUGHLAN

Works with the club, contributors and designers ato deliver each issue. Apart from that he specialises in getting randomers to come along to their first Pats game. This tactic has yielded a 100% win ratio to date.

When not found on the Camac, Kieran is to be found finding inventive ways to torture Saints fans with his fiendishly tricky questions.

JOE O’ROURKE: DESIGNER Part of the All Saints Show, having previously designed the club murals among other things Joe has spearheaded the redesign of The Saint and was a major reason for us being named Programme of the Year. Thanks Joe! PAT O’CALLAGHAN Long club serving historian and programme curator. Pat has been involved with the club and the programme for decades. He’s also one of the friendly faces you encounter when entering the ground to buy your programme. JIMMY EDWARDS Following on from his father's (of the same name) 30 years of writing for the programme, Jimmy Edwards (Junior) continues the Pensive Points tradition. JOHN OWENS Statto supreme, we reckon he has shares in Microsoft Excel. An incredible range of knowledge, John was way too modest when he once described himself as just a ‘guy with a few spread sheets!’ IAN TEMPLEMAN Our foreign correspondent. Writes, with considerable eloquence, from the UK with his observations on our league and particularly the Saints. Ever reliable, always has his copy in first. RONAN O’FLAHERTY Journalist with a passion for Pats, Ronan comes from good Saints stock, as his surname might suggest. Ever the optimist Ronan can put a positive slant on the most dismal run of form. We know, we gave him plenty of opportunities last season!

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No. 1 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Drogheda United

STEPHEN BENNETT Journalist with the Herald and a lifelong Saints fan. Inchicore born and bred, a lover of soccer history both home and abroad. He's not great at getting trains back from away matches, however. DERMOT LOONEY Dermot is from Greenhills and has followed Pat's since he was a teenager in the 1990's. He works as a primary teacher in Tallaght and served as a County Councillor for ten years until 2019. Dermot is working on the @HistoryStPats project, researching and collecting information on the history of St Patrick’s Athletic in this, our 90th year. SEÁN BRENNAN Seán is a full time languages teacher in Dublin a part time writer on football culture & cooking. He has been following St Pats since the early noughties and Serie A since the late nineties. A former resident of France, UK & Germany, he enjoys train journeys, radio, pasta and everything with the prefix ‘Euro-‘. PAUL MAGUIRE Inchicore born & bred, Paul has been following the Saints since the late 80s. Favourite ever Pats player is Eddie Gormley. Used to host The All Saints Show and Pats match commentary until the FAI closed it down so now writes about the opposition rather than talking about them. Has around 50 Pats jerseys but can only fit into 10 of them. Plays guitar and sings, likes trains. SEAN CREEDON A regular contributor on all things related to Irish football history and St Patrick's Athletic.

Red & White Wonderland Finn Ryder

@Funzofinzo

I’m from Drimnagh and have lived there all my life. I’ve been going

Favourite Player

Conan Byrne

to Pats regularly since the early 2000’s. In normal times it was great to meet everyone before and after games in Rascals or McDowell’s and hopefully we’ll get back there soon.

What a player! His all action style terrorized defenders for years. Scored 4

First Game Early 2000s

against Rovers and then scored

My father Tomas used to take me to Pats a good bit when I was younger. But it was only in the early

20 plus goals in a season as well

2000’s that I came back to support Pats. A good friend of mine Ronan O’Flaherty told me about the shed end and the craic and convinced me to give it a go again and I’ve been a regular ever since then.

coming from the wing. The man is just a class act on and off the

Favourite Game Shamrock Rovers 0 St Pats 4

pitch, not to mention Pats most stylish player of the past decade.

What a game! This was the time that I realised we would win the league and

Favourite Kit

Home

the players wouldn’t let up.

2018

Conan was unplayable that day and etched himself into legendary status. The sore head

Limited edition

the next day was definitely

v Newcastle

worth it.

Favourite Goal

Mark Quigley v Elfsborg

There’s something special about a European night. We had drawn the game 2-2 away and we were 1-1 at home at the time. Quigley found himself up front with the ball and only the keeper to beat. He rounded him and put the ball in the back of the net and the place erupted. Special mention has to go to the best goal I never saw live – Fabio O’Brien v Krylya Sovetov – I followed this game in work on the UEFA

Favourite Kit

Away

2006 FAI Cup Final v Derry City

website text update page. Suffice to say once it went in I hopped on the bus straight to McDowell’s to celebrate another European victory.

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No. 1 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Drogheda United

Dream Team

Formation: 4-3-3

Finn Ryder BRENDAN CLARKE A brilliant goalkeeper on the pitch and an absolute gent off it. A great shot stopper and his distribution is under rated. A vocal keeper who commands his area. One of the best the league has. GER O’BRIEN A brilliant attacking right back. He could score the odd screamer and was defensively solid. A natural born leader and a great captain. He got the chance to lift the cup, what a moment that must have been. COLM FOLEY A Rolls Royce of a player. You could always rely on him to pop up with the odd goal and what a brilliant defender he was. He was just so consistent and inspired those besides him. He’d be the captain of this team. LEE DESMOND Lee has been the main man at the back for Pats for the last few years. In that time we’ve defended really well and his versatility and reading of the game has been brilliant. IAN BERMINGHAM Current club captain and one of the most consistent players I’ve seen play for Pats. He never lets you down and has scored his fair share of crackers. JOHN RUSSELL An all action player who was a major part of a dominant midfield which won the league. Could score or assist and was brilliant in the engine room. He never shirked from a tackle and was just a great all rounder.

@Funzofinzo KILLIAN BRENNAN The type of player you need in your team. So versatile, he even played centre half at one point. His set pieces were top class and chipped in with a fair share of goals. He wasn’t afraid of putting his foot in when needed. Top class windup merchant (we all need one!).

Brendan Clarke Goalkeeper

KEITH FAHEY Will go down as an all time Pats great. His goal against Bohs was one of my favourites and almost made the top one. A brilliant footballer who’s passing skills and vision were just amazing. To see him play for Ireland was just amazing and he chipped in with a couple of important goals.

Ger O’BRIEN Lee Desmond

Right Full Back

Centre Half

CHRIS FORRESTER

Ian Bermingham

COLM FOLEY

Left Full Back

Centre Half

He will have his own goal highlight reel! A smashing versatile footballer who can play in so many different positions. It’s just amazing to see him back with Pats and hopefully the best is yet to come. CONAN BYRNE The man was just a machine. Goals, assists, work rate. Everything you want from a wide player.

KILLIAN BREN

CHRISTY FAGAN

NAN

Midfield

A great all round forward. Could hold up the ball and was brilliant in the air for a smaller forward. Scored those goals in the FAI cup final that has meant he’ll have legendary status with Pats! The best striker in the league for a few years. He was unstoppable.

Keith Fahey Midfield

JOHN RUSSELL Midfield

Favourite Manager Liam Buckley Some of the football we played under Bucko

CONAN BYRNE RIGHT midfield

was just fantastic. A brilliant manager and an absolute gent. He proved nice guys can finish first. He always made time to talk to the fans after a match and played football his way no

Chris Forrester Left midfield

Christy Faga n Centre Forw

ard

matter what. You have to respect that. And the hair... just fantastic!!!

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No. 1 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Drogheda United

Pitchside Sponsors

Pensive PointsRonan O’Flaherty Jimmy Edwards

@jimmyedwards41

We would like to thank the following who have

Welcome to all the Saint’s and Drogheda fans to Richmond

sponsored the club for the 2021 season...

tonight (remotely for now) for our 1st home game of the season. Hopefully it won’t be too much longer before we can all get back into seeing games live again because nothing beats it. While last Friday’s game in Tallaght may not have

Tim looks to have built a really good squad with

been the best game of football for the purists, it

youth and some experienced campaigners like

was a tense and very close encounter. Considering

Hugh Douglas, Dane Massey , Gary Deegan, Dinny

we were up against the champions, it was

Corcoran and Ronan Murray but one eye really

heartening for Saints fans to see us match them

catching signing is that of Darragh Markey whom

throughout the pitch for most of the game. Of

we all know here to be a wonderful player that can

course, when we went 0-1 up with just a few

light up any game on his day (but hopefully not

minutes left, we were all dreaming of the most

tonight Darragh).

perfect start to a season. But Rovers aren’t champions for nothing and it just shows that you always have to be on your guard in this league. Anyway, I think we looked very solid in midfield, strong in defence and more creative up front. I’d also like to give our new keeper a shout, because I thought Jaros was superb on the night and looks like a very commanding presence. It was a great bit of business by the club to get him in.

Our own Saints are looking like an exciting squad this season with exciting new signings Vitezslav Jaros, Paddy Barrett , Sam Bone, Alfie Lewis, John Mountney, Matty Smith, Nahum Melvin Lambert and Ronan Coughlan all newcomers to the club and then we have some players stepping up from the youth teams in Josh Keeley, Cian Kelly Ben McCormack and Kian Corbally. If they can have as good an impact as Darragh Burns did on the team

I must say since the introduction of VAR in the

last season then the future is very bright. I would

Premier League it’s brought it home even more how

also like to give a very warm welcome back to Barry

great this league of ours is, because when a goal

Murphy, a top professional that adds great

goes in we can celebrate instantly once the

experience to our goalkeeping department.

linesman keeps his flag down. I’m sure the majority of players and fans in England would prefer to go back to watching football like we do without the technology and the delay that brings before they

Enjoy the game. Up the Saints! Jimmy

can make a decision, hopefully all our clubs might be able to attract some neutral fans that want to watch football the “real way”. Welcome to Tim Clancy and all the players and staff at Drogheda.

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No. 1 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Drogheda United

Any views expressed in this article are the contributor's own.

Community

All of this material was written by David Sneyd and printed in The Star newspaper. Reprinted with permission.

Ronan O’Flaherty

Dave Morrissey

@dave_pats

Pre-Season with Pats Inside the six-week fitness and nutrition programme that transformed the lives of several fans. If you need to get a sense of what being part of a football club can mean, and the feeling of belonging that comes with it, all you need to do is listen to the words of Glenn Keating. The 19-year-old St Patrick’s Athletic supporter was one of 26 participants in the League of Ireland outfit’s health and wellbeing programme, a six-week schedule that ran in conjunction with the first team’s pre-season duties. The culmination on the pitch comes when St Pat’s faced champions Shamrock Rovers in

the season opener of the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division last Friday night. But, off it, this programme has already delivered unquantifiable success for the 26 participants who took part in the pilot scheme. For Keating, who is in his first year of college in Maynooth, the last year has quietly taken its toll. “I’ve missed Pat’s more than anything else,” the teenager begins. “Fridays are an escape for me, like they are for a lot of people. When I got to Richmond Park or anywhere else around the country to see Pat’s I can just switch off. “It’s all that matters in that moment. You think ‘how bad will we play tonight?’ Keating laughs. “But when the match is on, every other problem I have, every niggle of anxiety inside me would just go. Without that release it has been terrible.”

Glenn Keating

Keating was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes as a child –

meaning he is deemed high risk during the Covid-19 pandemic - and after his mother passed away in 2018 it was St Pat’s the provided solace. “Richmond Park, the club, the players, it has been a staple through all of that,” he continues. “It was a reliable in my life. I stopped doing a lot in 2018, playing sports and other stuff, I just packed it in but the one thing I didn’t give up was Pat’s. And even though we haven’t been able to go to games I feel as if the club have been there for me again through all of this with the programme.” David Morrissey, the club’s community officer, was the brains behind it and was backed up by coaches providing simple, effective advice to help with fitness (Sean Fogarty), diet (Rob Cullen) and teamwork (Niall Cully). There were also life coaching sessions with Mary Roche, who works independently of Dublin

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No. 1 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Drogheda United

South City Partnership as a life and career coach, and has delivered Life Coaching Programmes for DSCP since 2018.

over 6,500 kilometres – the distance from Richmond Park to Karagandy in Kazakhstan (who they beat in the 2011 Europa League qualifiers).

There were weekly Zoom meetings every Monday for participants, with members of the Pat’s first team going online to offer their own words of encouragement and advice.

But for Joan Stapleton, one of the elder stateswomen of the group who has been roaring on the players from the Camac side of Richmond Park since her first game in December 1993, the success is measured way beyond that.

“Sam Bone came on and was one of the funniest people I’ve ever heard,” Keating says of one of the club’s new signings. “He was gas. He gave us a recipe for a turkey shepherd’s pie that he made for a girl. But she never texted him back after it so it’s probably useless. Hearing stories like that from players who were willing to share their stories was great.” It was that sense of togetherness and teamwork created every day, with WhatsApp pinging with new recipes and fitness app Strava providing another source of constant motivation as fans notched up more and more kilometres – all within their 5k lockdown limit, of course. By the end of the programme on Monday they had covered

“It has exceeded all my expectations, it has improved my well being and helped keep me in touch with people. Before I wasn’t interested in social media, now I’ve been using WhatsApp and Strava and feeling so much part of the camaraderie.” And with an allotment that overlooks Richmond Park – or at least one half of the pitch – she will not totally miss her live football fix again this season. “Obviously you can’t go up after dark so hopefully when it’s brighter I’ll be able to see some of the games. I just love Richmond Park, standing on the Camac so close to the players and

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No. 1 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Drogheda United

Joan Stapleton

being able to hear everything. “That is where I’m happiest. I felt strange going to Richmond Park on my own for the first time but that was the only time I felt like that. Ever since it has been a huge part of my life. “Euro 88 was an awakening for me and supporting Ireland. I started playing a bit for Falcon United, too, but Pat’s are definitely number one for me now.”

Community

Ronan O’Flaherty

Dave Morrissey

@dave_pats

It's been really rewarding

How the programme worked

Chris Nolan’s aim at the beginning of the St Patrick’s Athletic health and well-being programme was simple.

again, even if it was for only two or 10 minutes just to get back out there has been a big thing.”

There were four pillars of support to the 26 participants in the St Patrick’s Athletic health and well-being programme.

“I needed to eat better,” he states.

Not being left to his own devices was something Nolan insists was crucial to his dedication. “Motivation was the biggest tool, there was accountability there too not to act the maggot. You wanted to do your bit because everyone else was doing the same thing.

Fast forward six weeks and the 36-year-old, who has returned to college after taking redundancy from his job in the airline industry just before the Covid-19 pandemic hit Ireland, describes the vast improvement in his lifestyle. “Your motivation evolves. I started out wanting to eat better because I was having too much rubbish. And I didn’t run for something like 13 years. The last time was 2008. “Running is something I never thought I would do again and it has been really rewarding to have the motivation to push myself to do it

Rob Quigley

“Mentally it has been really important. For college, when you are sitting in a room all day and the only place you have to go is a walk to the shop or something like that it can affect you.

Sean Fogarty, the club’s head of academy goalkeeping, oversaw the fitness schedule with Under-19’s coach Niall Cully focusing on the teamwork aspect of the group. Rob Cullen, a fellow Saints supporter, offered guidance with diet and meal planning having previously lost seven stone along with his wife in a bid to change their own lives. Backing this up was the services of Mary Roche, a life coach who works independently of Dublin South City Partnership and has delivered Life Coaching Programmes for DSCP since 2018.

“With this to focus on, it lifts your mind. Whatever about losing weight and eating right, the mental improvement has been the most positive thing of all.”

Overseeing it all was David Morrissey, the club’s community officer, and while all had their individual targets there was a sole focus at the centre of the pilot programme. “The key for us was to make this part of the pre-season programme which the team were going through,” Morrissey explains. “We wanted everyone to feel connected to the club and to each other.” Cully adds: “The big thing was the team dynamic, from my point of view it was treating it like a team with the same standards set. We wanted a positive mindset and didn’t want it to feel like tasks were being set on a Monday and that was it for them, they were alone with it. We were always checking in, everyone got involved with that and really supported each other.” Fogarty had to be creative with some of his demands. “Some people will hat jogging and cycling everyday so it was about a balance. We had to adapt with gyms being closed too so workouts with books in bags, using water bottle or tins of beans all worked. Some learned to skip and for others it was just giving them the support to walk that first couple of kilometres.”

Paul Maguire

Changing food habits was crucial, and Cullen explains: “When you know what you want to achieve and know what you want that helps to give you focus, so helping with weekly plans was important. “After a little while I was blown away because everyone was sharing recipes. People were coming together as a community and supporting each other. The key to this has been building that community and accountability.”

Cian Menton

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No. 1 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Drogheda United

Once A Saint...

Ronan O’Flaherty

Damien Byrne

@DamienByrne92

When a young American arrived in Richmond Park in early 2007, little did we know the impact that he would have over his four-season stay with the Saints. A cult hero whose all action style provides immensely popular during challenging years for the club. Ryan talks to The Saint ahead of tonight’s game. The record books will show that the winger, who went on to play for New England Revolution in the MLS and the Guam national team, featured 160 times for the Saints scoring on 27 occasions. Having played in some of the different levels of football in the US, an interesting opportunity arose in the country's top tier, however Ryan had different ideas. A couple of trials later and after catching the eye of former

Ireland manager and Saint’s legend Brian Kerr, Dublin became home.

football through coaching at San Diego Surf SC, where I've coached my two sons!”.

“I was "drafted" out of University to FC Dallas in the MLS, but before committing or signing there I wanted to pursue my dream of playing in Europe. So, I packed my boots, bought a one-way ticket to the UK, and after a positive trial with Crystal Palace (who had just signed a winger and passed on me), my agent heard from Brian Kerr who was the Pat's Director of Football at the time. I came on trial the next day and the rest, as they say, is history.”

Ryan has also ventured into athletic sports tools such as bespoke recovery rollers, but like for most the current climate is proving difficult. “As for Gurilla Battalion, that is a small business I have owned for a good few years now. We produce and sell recovery products for athletes. Unfortunately, Covid-19 hit our production pretty hard so we are struggling to survive at the moment. Never a dull moment in the Guy household anyway!”

Life for Ryan is quite different now, however. He is back living in California with his family and juggles a full -time role as a safety engineer with his coaching ambitions, keeping the Saints winger busy.

Sept 2007

“I am now the Safety Program Manager for RQ Construction. We are a construction company that builds military bases and infrastructure across America, and my job is to keep our people safe. Only God knows how I got into construction, but I really enjoy what I do and it allows me to stay involved in

The former Guam international’s footballing past is never far from his mind however and the 35year-old still speaks highly of his time in the League of Ireland. “I found that both leagues (LOI & MLS) were always aching to be better recognized for the talent they housed and produced. The LOI is always competing with the Leagues across the Irish Sea, and the MLS always trying to liken themselves to the biggest leagues in the world.” Although back in the late 2000’s/early 2010’s the MLS had

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No. 1 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Drogheda United

taken off with some household names, Guy felt that there was some great talent in the LOI at that time too, including three future Irish internationals. “Both had (and have) some fantastic talent. The likes of Beckham and Henry, even "past their prime" were special. Likewise, Jo Ndo, Keith Fahey, Seamus Coleman, and Enda Stevens were all special (or becoming special) when I was playing.” Coming to play in Europe was an ambition of Ryan’s as mentioned, even though there were notable differences to playing in Ireland and continental competitions in comparison to the US. “The biggest differences are the physicality (the US leagues are very athletic, but Ireland is more physical), the passion of the fans, and the ability to adapt playing styles depending on competitions. For example, our league play was always different from how we played in Europe.” Guy’s versatility and work rate was something that was utilised by the Saints in Europe, making 14 appearances in the UEFA

Airtricity League XI v Manchester Utd - Aviva Stadium - Aug 2010

Cup/Europa League and only bettered as European appearance record holder by Ian Bermingham. He also scored in our first ever Europa League away win against Olimps of Riga in Latvia. As far as memories go, Ryan has many of his time in Ireland however there are three that stand out, and I am sure all Saints fans will have similarly fond recollections. “I have a few favourite moments. First would be the big European nights against the likes of Hertha Berlin and Steaua Bucharest, etc. The

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No. 1 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Drogheda United

second would have to be my first (and only!) professional hat-trick which came against Rovers, particularly sweet. Third would be representing St Pats in the Airtricity League Best XI against Manchester United in the first ever match at the Aviva Stadium.” Although LOI coverage is nonexistent stateside, Ryan has been able to keep up with the Saints over the last number of years. One of Ryan’s former teammates is still involved with the current Saint’s squad. “I certainly go on the computer from time to time to look at

Once A Saint...

Patron Saints

Damien Byrne

This scheme is a special and unique initiative aimed at ALL St Patrick’s Athletic fans...

We also asked Ryan to pick his best XI of players he played with at the Saints, rightly including himself, this is selection:

Barry Ryan (Brendan Clarke & Gary Rogers both come close!!)

Damien Lynch

The main aim is to aid the long-term development of this great football club. We firmly believe for any LOI Club to be successful, it needs the fans to play a huge part. As it’s your club, we are urging all fans, where possible, to join the scheme today. For the past few years the Patron Saints have run: • The St Patrick’s Athletic Awards Night • Santa Claus visit to Richmond • The Hano Cup

Jamie Harris UEFA Cup action v Hertha Berlin - RDS - September 2008

Dave Rogers Dave Partridge

results and see how the team is getting on. Love to see that Bermo is still with the squad, he was there my last year or two. Happy to know we've brought home a League Title and a couple of Cups since I left as well. We went through a tough spell toward the end of my tenure, so I must also say I’m proud the club still holds the honour of "never relegated".

These were all fundraised through Golden Goals, raffles and innovative events such as snail racing.

Projects the Patron Saints have contribute to: • Emmet Road Mural • U19s Team Kit • Heart Monitoring Equipment • Media Room Renovation • West Stand Repairs • Club Shop • Grounds Keeping Equipment • Strength and Conditioning Equipment.

Joseph Ndo Benefits of joining the Patron Saints: Keith Fahey

• Badge & Membership Card • Priority access to Match tickets

Alan Kirby Then manager Pete Mahon tried to persuade Ryan to stay with the Saints but the draw of returning home to be close to family and develop his career in the US was too strong, and he left with everyone’s best wishes. It worked out too, after returning to the US, Ryan landed a contract with top-tier MLS side New England Revolution, where he played for several years. He also played for clubs in San Antonio and San Diego before moving into the coaching side of the game as he sought to develop his career elsewhere. He also played international football for Guam, captaining the side on several occasions. It’s safe to say that Ryan’s contributions to the Saints over the years will not be forgotten easily by our supporters with tireless displays, somersault throw-ins and vital goals in big games which elevated him to cult hero status, particularly against Rovers, with his ‘surf’ celebration one that lives long in supporters memory. It’s an awful shame that we couldn’t get our name on a trophy during his time with us.

• Voting rights on what projects Patron Saints funds will go on

Gary Dempsey

• Twice yearly meeting with club officials

Declan "Fabio" O'Brien Ryan Guy

• Discounts on most Patron run events • Free annual raffle for player signed jersey sponsored by the Patron Saints • Free annual raffle for a set of signed programmes of the season

TYPES OF MEMBERSHIP GOLD MEMBERSHIP

€10 per week | €40 per month | €480 per year

SILVER MEMBERSHIP

€5 per week | €20 per month | €240 per year

BRONZE MEMBERSHIP

€5 per week | €60 per year

Check out Ryan’s Gurilla Battalion range of precision athletic recovery tools at http://www.gurillabn.com/

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No. 1 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Drogheda United

For more information or to sign up: email stpatssc@gmail.com, go to facebook.com/spafcpatronsaints or pop by the Patron Saints desk in the club shop on match nights. 2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No. 1 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Drogheda United

41 41

From Bundesliga to the Phoenix Park Séan Brennan

@SBahnManc

Arriving late after a Sunday morning downpour, the Akademia Polskie Orły is taking place in the Phoenix Park. Around 50 kids between 5 and 13 are chasing a ball around the park, while guided by their accredited coaches. I decided I wanted to go back to Poland.

Amidst shouts of “Prawo”, “Dobry”, “Szybko” there’s the advice of experienced professionals leading this sporting community. In the shadows of the Papal Cross, where once over 1 million pilgrims gathered to see Pope Karol Wojtyła, a rainbow emerges and surrounds this early Sunday training session. Artur Kaźmierczak greets me at the training. He himself double jobs as an academy coach and scout linked to the Polish. He introduces me to Mariusz Kukiełka, a former professional with a geographically diverse career who is now part of the coaching team at the Polish Eagles Academy in Dublin. Seán: Dzień Dobry Mariusz. What was your experience as a young footballer in 1990s Poland? Mariusz: I learnt a lot from all coaches, I was always listening from those more experienced. Now I’m bringing my own knowledge to the kids in the Polish Academy. We’re happy

42 42

S: That happens often with Irish professionals in the UK incidentally. How could a club improve this welcoming? M: Realistically, I think any young professional needs to be a bit clever and mature, and definitely be more comfortable with the language.

with the work we’re doing here and that we’ve over 100 participants.

game, began to feel like a real professional, that I had grown up a lot in this time.

Salonika. There were 120,000 fans on the streets there to welcome us. Incredible!

S: At the age of 20 you left home to move to Roda JC in The Netherlands. How was that as a first experience abroad? What did you learn from this country and its famous football culture?

S: You won the Greek Cup with PAOK Salonika in 2003. This club is renowned for its passionate fans. How did you find the atmosphere in the Toumba Stadium?

S: Following that, with 1.F.C. Nürnberg you won the 2. Bundesliga, thus rising into the top flight. Was there not an option to stay for the following season?

M: PAOK has, for me personally, one of the best fan scenes in Europe. I’m still in contact with many of the supporters. Playing in front of 20 to 25,000 fans every home game was incredible. After the final we brought the cup back to

M: That was a mistake of mine. I moved to Germany on my own. The manager was super and it was no fault of the team, but I was always returning quickly home alone after training. It wasn’t a great personal situation for me. After 6 months

M: That was difficult for me. I was injured for 6 months. However I learnt a lot from their professional set up. I noticed this more when I returned to Poland afterwards. I had different thoughts about the

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No. 1 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Drogheda United

S: After a season with Wisła Kraków you were back in the 2. Bundesliga, this time with Dynamo Dresden. Fond memories? M: Yeah I was there for a year and a half. Super manager, Christophe Franke, we had a top team. The fans too. We played away to 1860 Munich and there were over 18,000 fans from Dresden in the Allianz Arena. The atmosphere was unbelievable! I’ve good memories from there. Played good football, scored a few goals. A few own goals too, but, you know, sometimes that can happen!

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No. 1 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Drogheda United

S: You spent 3 years with Energie Cottbus at the delightfully named “Stadion der Freundschaft”. Since you’re departure they’ve sunk down to the 4th tier, and are not alone as a fallen Eastern giant in Germany (Dynamo Berlin, CarlZeiss Jena, Lokomotiv & Chemie Leipzig etc.). What went wrong with such a strong club? M: I think it’s a financial issue, just look at the difference between contracts in East and West Germany. We had a great manager, Petrik Sander. That was a team with the whole city behind it. Maybe we weren’t the most technically gifted, but we bit, fought and scraped our

43 43

From Bundesliga to the Phoenix Park Séan Brennan

@SBahnManc

way through every game. Now when I see the big Eastern clubs in the 4th and 5th divisions, I feel it’s a financial problem. For me, a big error was the manager Pele Wollitz. He had a lot of words, but not much action. A club like Energie needs a manager like Patrick Sander whose heart beats for Cottbus.

M: I have to say, it was a delight to return to my boyhood club. The issue however with the Polish league seems to be that there’s a lack of character from the players, and that Polish clubs are prioritising foreign imports over home-grown players. If we continue with that, we’ll continue underperforming as a nation.

S: In 2015, 19 years after your original departure, you were back in your hometown, playing with Siarka Tarnobrzeg. What had changed in these 19 years in Polish football, and are you optimistic for the footballing future in your homeland?

S: A common issue in certain European leagues. I think of Shakhtar Donetsk, with their Brazilian superstars.. M: Yeah ok, but Shakhtar, their Brazilian superstars cost 10 or 20 million Euro, fair enough, that’s a different quality

altogether. The Polish clubs get players from the 4th divisions in Spain or Romania. I do not believe that these are better than the young players we produce. S: Otherwise, you’ve had a successful international career. 20 games, from Czech Republic in 1997, to England in 2006. What was your best memory from the national team? M: Every game was an honour for me. I was there with the Polish flag and national anthem. Just hearing that inspires me, and should do so for every player representing their country.

M: Ha! I can’t remember what it was to be honest. Unlikely, as I’ve never really been that kind of player. S: Ah, pity. Anyways…Were there any cultural experiences from your career in Poland, Germany, The Netherlands and Greece that you’ve learnt? Any special memories? M: All have their good points. In Greece you’ve gorgeous weather, beautiful food, you can stay outdoors all the time. Ireland, you know the story, 6 months of rain. But Germany, a lot of culture. Disciplined however. Their attitude of “Ordnung muss sein” is very

different to Greece. There, you have a meeting at 10, they’ll come at 11. Ireland is also a bit more relaxed in terms of time. From the 5 countries I’ve lived in, I’m delighted. I’ve met so many great people, learnt new languages. Yeah, that’s it! S: What brought you to Dublin? Do you like the city? M: Why not Dublin! That’s my view. I like it when the sun occasionally shines here. I’m happy with my role at the academy, I’m kept busy anyway.

M: The hope remains the same. We want to do our best in coaching the kids here, and we’d love to develop one or two players who could make the Polish national team. S: Dziękuję bardzo, i do zobaczenie! M: Nie ma za co, na razie! Let's hope we can welcome some of the Polish Eagles players and staff to Richmond park in the future!

S: Finally, what are your hopes for the future of the Polish Eagles Football Academy?

S: I noticed you picked up an uncharacteristic yellow card against England. Our readers are possibly hoping to hear of a horror tackle you committed on John Terry or Ashley Cole. Was that the case?

Any views expressed in this article are the contributor's own.

44 44

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No. 1 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Drogheda United

45 45

Quiz Time Kieran Coughlan

McCarthy Insurance Group

Q.1

Name the 3 members of the Spanish squad that were playing overseas when they won the World Cup in 2010?

Q.2

What is the biggest city in England with only one league club?

Q.3

Who played in the Premier League in 1995, having made his league debut back in the 1960s?

Q.4

Which Scottish club did Matty Smith leave before signing for Waterford United in 2020?

Q.5

Which former Premier League striker is Kevin Sheedy'ss assistant at Waterford?

Q.6

Who were the only club that Liverpool failed to beat at Anfield when they won the Premier League last season?

Q.7

Who scored the last goal for Man Utd under Alex Ferguson?

Q.8

Which Scottish club are known as the 'Blue Brazil'?

Q.9

Which First Division club reached the final of the League Cup in 2018?

Q.10

Which MLS franchise team does David Beckham own?

PROUDLY SUPPORTING MARCHING ON

46 46

WWW.MIG.IE

Answers Q.1 Cesc Fabregas, Pepe Reina, Fernando Torres. Q.2 Leeds. Q.3 John Burridge. Q.4 Dundee Utd. Q.5 Mike Newell. Q.6 Burnley. Q.7 Robin van Persie. Q.8 Cowdenbeath. Q.9 Cobh Ramblers. Q.10 Inter Miami.

THE SAINTS

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No. 1 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Drogheda United

47 47

Irish Records...good and bad

Ronan O’Flaherty

Sean Creedon

Stephen Kenny has had a ‘baptism of fire’ since being appointed Republic of Ireland senior international manager last April. Under Kenny the Boys in Green have yet to win a game, drawing four and losing four, with only one goal scored. Kenny’s ‘total football’ plan will hopefully pay off

The big difference between Giles’ team from ‘75

when our World Cup qualifying campaign kicks off

and Kenny’s teams in 2020 was the spread of

this week, but already Kenny has achieved

players. This was the starting XI against Wales on

something which had not been done for 40 years.

October 11: Randolph, Doherty, Duffy, Kevin Long, Stevens, Molumby, Hendrick, Hourihane, Brady,

In the Nations Cup games against Wales and

Shane Long and James McClean. For the game

Finland last October Kenny started both games with

against Finland in Helsinki three days later, Dara

11 players who were all born on the island of

O’Shea replaced Kevin Long and Daryl Horgan,

Ireland.

Seánie Maguire and Aaron Connolly came in for

Johnny Giles ahead of the Euro 76 Qualifier v Turkey

Brady, Shane Long and McClean. Prior to those games the last time that feat was achieved was in the 4-0 European Championship win over Turkey at Dalymount Park in October 1975 when Johnny Giles was player-manager.

In the game against Wales we had players from:

In 1968 we drew 2-2 with Poland at Dalymount and

Dalymount before drawing 1-1 with Sweden in

Wicklow, Dublin, Derry, Cork, Waterford, and

then lost 1-0 to the Poles in Katowice, drew 2-2

Dublin and then losing 1-0 to the Swedes in

Tipperary. Against Finland in came Maguire from

with Austria at Dalymount in November and the

Stockholm. We finished 1970 with a 3-0 defeat to

Kilkenny and Galway’s Horgan and Connolly.

following month we were drawing 1-1 with

Italy in Florence.

Denmark when the fog descended on Dalymount

The team that beat Turkey 4-0 had ten Dubliners and Don Givens from Limerick. The starting XI

So from just two counties providing players for the

against Turkey was: Paddy Roche, Tony Dunne,

Irish team in 1975 we now had players from eight

and the game was abandoned after 50 minutes.

In 1971 the FAI decided to temporarily switch the venue for home games from Dalymount Park to

In ‘69 we lost 2-1 at home to Czechoslovakia in

Lansdowne Road which had more seating, but no

Martin, Johnny Giles, Liam Brady, Steve Heighway,

May and then lost 2-0 to Denmark in Copenhagen

change in our fortunes as we lost 2-1 to Italy in May

Ray Treacy, Don Givens. And for good measure the

But it’s no secret that goals have been hard to come

the same month. The following month we lost 2-1

‘71. Our two other games that year were both

and since Shane Duffy’s injury time goal in Sofia in

to Hungary at Dalymount and in September we

against Austria and they ended in defeat, 4-1 at

Kenny’s first game in charge, we have failed to find

drew 1-1 with Scotland at the Phibsboro venue. The

Dalymount at the end of May and 6-0 in Liz in

the net in seven games.

year ended with a 3-0 defeat to Czechoslovakia in

October. The latter was Liam Tuohy’s first game in

Prague; that replayed game against the Danes in

charge and Paddy Mulligan, then with Chelsea, was the only English-based player in the team.

Paddy Mulligan, Eoin Hand, Jimmy Holmes, Mick

two subs used, Terry Conroy and Joe Kinnear were also born in Dublin.

different counties in those two games.

Now before you start composing a letter to the editor, Steve Heighway was born in Dublin and was

Last year was the first calendar year since 1971 that

Dublin, which again ended 1-1 and a 4-0 defeat to

taught in Rathmines by former Evening Herald

we failed to win a game. But 50 years ago Irish

Hungary in Budapest.

soccer writer David Faiers. Joe Kinnear was also

international football was at a low ebb and after

born in Crumlin, but emigrated with his family to

beating Czechoslovakia 2-1 in Prague in November

The seventies began with a 2-1 defeat to Poland in

11, 1972 when we beat Iran 2-1 thanks to goals by

England when he was young boy.

1967 we went four years and 20 games without a

Poznan followed by a 2-1 defeat to West Germany

Mick Leech and Don Givens in the Brazilian

win.

in Berlin. Later in the year we lost 2-0 to Poland at

Independence Cup.

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No. 1 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Drogheda United

The 20 game winless run ended in Brazil on June

Club History

Ronan O’Flaherty

Dermot Looney

@dlooney

1939-40: Leinster League Division II: The Richmond Era Begins In the 2019 season we began a season-by-season overview of the history of St Patrick’s Athletic, finishing with the 1938-39 season in which Pat’s won Division II of the Leinster League. In the curtailed 2020 season, we looked at a decadeby-decade overview of the club, but are returning now to the Saints’ pre-League era, beginning with 1939-40, the first season at home in Richmond Park. As the guns of war sounded in Poland to mark the start of World War II, in Inchicore in Dublin, some much homelier history was being made. St Patrick’s Athletic, who had been based in the Phoenix Park, Bluebell (twice) and Chapelizod, were again on the move, but this time they had found their home. On Saturday September 2nd, 1939 – the day before hostilities were declared on the continent – Richmond Park hosted its first ever St Pat’s home League game, a 2-2 draw against Hammond Lane in the Leinster League Division II, with the Saints goals coming from Gough and Whelan. It is unclear as to why the Athletic remained in the second flight of what is now the Leinster Senior League, having won it the previous season. Automatic

promotion does not appear to have been in vogue in every league and it is also possible that there were issues related to ground availability. Pat’s shared Richmond Park, on which they had received a long-term lease from the McDowell family who owned the adjoining Richmond House pub, with League rivals St Paul’s. Pat’s had played in Richmond Park on several previous occasions, including their fifth ever competitive game in 1930, but were now at home in Richer for the long haul. Despite almost immediate wartime rationing of newsprint, reducing the page count and football coverage in the papers, Pat’s teams continued to appear in the Herald every Friday. Most of the names are familiar from the previous season, with some additions. The panel for an early game was listed as Lanigan, Darlington, Cummins, Dempsey, Morgan, Smee, Robinson, Fogarty, Cummins, Reddy, Murphy, Markey, Monaghan, Gough and Byrne. Players such as O’Rourke, Kehoe, Doyle, Ellis and the season’s top scorer Weldon would also be involved. It was an inauspicious start to the campaign, with draws against the likes of Imperial Tobacco and Queen’s Park, before the first win

against St James’ Gate by 2 goals to 1, the Saints’ goals from Reddy and Murphy. Pat’s first ever Richmond Park derby against St Paul’s took place in October with Paul’s running out 2-0 winners. The Saints huffed and puffed in their defence of the League title. Wins against Ierne (2-1) and Clontarf Corinthians (6-4) gave hope in October and November. Pat’s resumed League action in December with the short trip to Chapelizod to take on ESB. “The encounter between the leaders of the League was nearly as bad as the weather,” noted the Sunday Independent match report. Two Dempsey penalties and a goal from Fogarty secured a 3-0 Pat’s win. Bad weather hampered other games too. The Athletic’s first game of the 1940’s saw them travel to Grangegorman on January 6th, with the home side winning 2-1 amidst heavy rain. Fog and frost cancelled the Inchicore derby against GSR the following week and both wintry and wet weather conditions continued to dog fixtures during January, with Pat’s not taking to the field again until February. When the GSR match was refixed, it was a thriller - GSR scored one penalty and missed another, with Pat’s going on to win 3-2, with

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No. 1 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Drogheda United

Weldon, Cummins (pen) and Fogarty scoring. Pat’s were now motoring in their League campaign with five wins in a row in February and March. They netted five or six goals in several games. But with the season closing in, Pat’s again faltered against local rivals as they chased down League leaders Hammond Lane. This time, it was a 2-2 draw in the Pat’s-Paul’s Richmond Park derby on April 27th. Goals from Markey and Doyle rescued a point for Patrick’s. June 7th’s Evening Herald published an end-of-season league table showing St Patrick’s Athletic on 38 points (with 16 wins and 6 draws) finishing as runners up to Hammond Lane on 40 points (17 wins and 6 draws). Earlier in the season, Pat’s players Smee, Markey and Cummins had represented Dublin in an inter-county competition which saw ties against Wicklow, Louth and Sligo, with Dublin winning the final against Tipperary 7-0 in front of a large attendance at Dalymount Park.

defence of the Leinster Junior Cup in October in a rare Sunday game at home to Drumcondra Juniors, advertised in the newspapers with a 4d entrance. Pat’s won 2-0 through goals from Robinson and Markey. “Lanigan, in St Patrick’s goal, had little to do,” wrote J.C. in the Herald, who also credited fine performances from Darlington, Dempsey, Morgan, Smee and Markey. But they were defeated 2-1 in the next round by Workmen’s Club.

Athletic on their way to the final. But they were pipped again by great rivals Hammond Lane, this time by 1-0, in the final on May 25th at Tolka Park. The Irish Press report noted that “on the run of play, the winners just about deserved their success.” In the FAI Junior Cup, the Saints went out to Home Farm on a 3-0 scoreline in the fourth round. But the blue riband of Irish football was not beyond the Saints for much longer, as the 1940-41 season was to prove.

Pat’s were runners-up in the Johnson Cup, the League Cup for the Leinster League, defeating Home Farm, Bohemians C and Midland

Season Statistics League position: 2nd - Played 26 Won 16 Drew 6 Lost 4 Goals 72-37

It was a mediocre season in Cup competitions. Pat’s began their

Cup record:

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No. 1 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Drogheda United

Leinster Junior Cup 2R, FAI Junior Cup 4R, Johnson Cup Runners-Up

Osbourne is considered a player of great potential but he was punished for naive defending when Andy Haran got the opener in the 12th minute.

Stephen Bennett@stebenn15

The Republic of Ireland U-17 international was under no pressure dealing with a Byrne cross but proceeded to pass straight to the unmarked Haran, who slotted home from 12 yards out. Gavin was involved in a dubious situation in the 34th minute when he collided with Duffy at the edge of the Saints box. Saints ‘keeper Gary Rogers was also involved and emerged with the ball after all three players hit the deck. The Drogheda fans cried foul but referee Alan Kelly waved play on.

League of Ireland Premier Division Irish Independent - Saturday, April 18, 2009

ST PATRICK'S ATH 2 DROGHEDA UNITED 1

Drogheda had a great chance to level in the 36th minute but King headed into the side-netting at the near post from a right wing cross by Duffy.

STUART BYRNE may be as popular in Drogheda these days as your average Government minister but he proved his value to his new club St Patrick’s Athletic last night.

Nine minutes into the second half Byrne produced a cracking strike to extend the home side’s lead. A long free-kick from inside his own half by Gavin was cleverly chested down by Mark Quigley and Byrne smashed home from just outside the box. Duffy was unlucky to see a fine strike from out wide tipped around his left upright by Rogers in the 78th minute. CENTERE OF THE CONTROVERSY: Stuart Byrne, St Patrick's Athletic, in action against Brian King, Drogheda United.

for the club. Byrne’s blistering 54th minute strike to put the home side 2-0 up effectively ended this Richmond Park fixture as a contest.

Byrne left Drogheda in controversial circumstances towards the end of last season after a falling out with previous boss Paul Doolin and promptly earned the ire of fans that once cheered him.

Drogheda are well-organised and fiercely competitive but with all of their experienced strikers out through injury, they are of limited threat in attack.

But his quality as a player could never be questioned. St Pat’s boss Jeff Kenna can only be happy to have snapped up the experienced midfielder. As the Saints performances continue to seesaw, Byrne helped secure an important three points to end a three-game losing streak for the Inchicore outfit with his second goal

United handed a starting league debut to 17-yearold left-back Eoghan Osbourne and without a regular striker to call upon, they utilised winger Jamie Duffy at centre-forward. Jason Gavin was denied an opener in the 10th minute when he got a powerful header to an Enda Stevens corner. Goalkeeper Steve Williams making a spectacular tip over. SMOKIN’!: Andy Haran, St Patrick's Athletic, celebrates scoring his side's first goal at Richmond Park, last night.

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No. 1 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Drogheda United

Mark Duggan pulled one back for United with eight minutes left when he headed home from close range from a right-wing delivery by Duffy. Duggan then inadvertently deflected a low strike by substitute William Woods inches wide of the Saints goal in the 89th minute as the visitors threw everything into securing a late equaliser to no avail.

ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC Rogers;Maher(Fagan82),Gavin,Harris,Stevens,Lynch,C awley,Byrne,Guy, Haran(Moran61),Quigley. DROGHEDA UNITED Williams; Cambers, I Ryan, Kenna, Osbourne, King (McNally 69), Shiels (Woods 46), Crowley (Salmon 60), Duggan, Whelan, Duffy. REFEREE A Kelly (Cork).

League Fixtures 2021 SSE Airtricity Premier League Fri March 19th

Shamrock Rovers

Tallaght Stadium

Sat March 27th

Drogheda United

Richmond Park

Sat April 3rd

Bohemians

Dalymount Park

Fri, April 9th

Derry City

Richmond Park

Sat April 17th

Dundalk

Oriel Park

Tue April 20th

Waterford

Richmond Park

Fri April 23rd

Finn Harps

Finn Park

Fri April 30th

Longford Town

Richmond Park

Mon May 3rd

Sligo Rovers

The Showgrounds

Fri May 7th

Shamrock Rovers

Richmond Park

Fri, May 14th

Drogheda United

Head in the Game Park

Fri May 21st

Bohemians

Richmond Park

Mon May 24th

Derry City

Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium

Fri May 28th

Dundalk

Richmond Park

Sat June 12th

Longford Town

Bishopsgate

Fri June 18th

Sligo Rovers

Richmond Park

Mon June 21st

Finn Harps

Richmond Park

Fri June 25th

Waterford

RSC

Frid July 2nd

Bohemians

Dalymount Park

Frid July 9th

Derry City

Richmond Park

Frid July 16th

Drogheda United

Richmond Park

Frid July 30th

Shamrock Rovers

Tallaght Stadium

Fri August 6th

Dundalk

Oriel Park

Fri August 13th

Waterford

Richmond Park

Fri August 20th

Finn Harps

Finn Park

Fri September 3rd

Longford Town

Richmond Park

Sat Sept 11th

Sligo Rovers

The Showgrounds

Fri September 24th

Shamrock Rovers

Richmond Park

Fri October 1st

Drogheda United

Head in the Game Park

Fri October 8th

Bohemians

Richmond Park

Fri October 15th

Derry City

Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium

Mon October 25th

Dundalk

Richmond Park

Sat October 30th

Longford Town

Bishopsgate

Fri November 5th

Sligo Rovers

Richmond Park

Fri November 12th

Finn Harps

Richmond Park

Fri November 19th

Waterford

RSC

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No. 1 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Drogheda United

1-1

55 55

Club Shop

Ronan O’Flaherty

https://supersaintsstore.com/

Home Jersey Small Youths to 4XL

Staff Match Day Jacket Small Youths to 3XL

50 65

@karl_pats

Home Walk Out Jacket Small Youths to 4XL

Home Warm Up Jersey Small Youths to 4XL

50 65

Away Jersey Small Youths to 4XL

Red Training Jersey

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No. 1 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Drogheda United

Small Youths to 3XL

50 65

White Training Jersey Small to 3XL

Navy Training Jersey

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No. 1 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Drogheda United

Small to 3XL

35 57

A View from Afar

Ronan O’Flaherty

Ian Templeman

@iantemplemanloi

The close season is a distant memory, the pre-season warm up games that we followed on social media have come and gone, and now the 2021 SSE Airtricity League season is well and truly with us again.

Drogheda United hold their own after moving up from Division One and will Finn Harps conjure up another great escape act at the end of the season? And of course, those of us of a red and white persuasion will be hoping that 2021 will see the Saints challenging at the

The start of the season, a time of

tablets, ipads or phones to get

with, is something that we have

hope and expectation, and for

our fix of the league through live

to grudgingly accept. But, by the

players, managers and

streaming, and hope that we

time the season ends towards the

supporters alike, a time to start

don’t experience an internet

end of the year, all being well

dreaming of what could be.

connectivity problem while doing

when the league champions are

so. No one can pretend that

crowned, and the FAI Cup

At a point when we are living

watching a live stream of a game,

winners parade the trophy

with uncertainty and disruption,

through in most cases a single

around the Aviva Stadium, they

we all need something to look

camera, in the comfort of your

will be able to do so with the

forward to with anticipation, to

own home is as good as sitting in

sounds of celebrating supporters

latch on to as an escape, to give

the familiar surroundings of the

ringing in their ears. At that point

us a distraction from the regular

grounds that make up the League

we will be able to look back and

and restricted routine, and have

of Ireland landscape that we

reflect that 2021 was a unique

the chance to focus on something

know and love. We all know

one-off, and the one and only

that gives us a warming

there is much that is missing.

time that the start and end of a

familiarity and a feelgood factor. For all those reasons, I’m sure I have not been alone in eagerly

full season was so markedly There’s no pre-match routine to

different at grounds around the

follow, no half time burgers or

country.

snacks, or post-match pints, no

waiting to get to where we are

social connection with other

On the field, we wait to see if

now - the start of another SSE

fellow supporters and no chance

Shamrock Rovers will see the loss

Airtricity League season and now,

to meet and greet familiar faces.

of Jack Byrne and Aaron McEneff

the first home game at Richmond

The opportunity for parents and

as little more than a minor blip, as

Park. It’s great to have Saints

children to support their team

they fill the gaps in the squad

games to focus attention on once

and share the experience of a live

with some well known names.

again, although as a fan of the

social event together has been

We wait to see if the new faces at

league in general I’ve been

taken away for over a year.

Dundalk hit the ground running,

looking forward generally to

if Bohemians and Sligo Rovers

taking in as much action as I can,

But….despite all that, I maintain

will continue their progress of

thanks to the very welcome

that there is still much to be

recent times and if David

return of WatchLOI.

positive about. A season that

Parkhouse will pick up where he

starts in the middle of a

left off when he had a previously

pandemic, with freedom of

successful spell at Derry City.

movement severely restricted,

Will newly promoted Longford

and no fans in grounds to begin

Town and tonight’s opponents

Yes, it’s not ideal that we have to return to our armchairs and watch our televisions, PCs, Laptops,

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No. 1 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Drogheda United

top of end of the table once more. And don’t forget the First Division, which was such a great competition last year, and with Cork City and Shelbourne looking to bounce back quickly, and Galway United under John Caulfield likely to be serious challengers, that division has the look of being every bit as competitive as it was in 2020. In both divisions, there is much to be looking forward to. I was also interested to read that the Bank of Ireland are going to be backing a “More Than A

Saint, and it’s great that Ruairi, Joe and the team

Club” programme, to encourage clubs to become

have once again put in the work to make a match

increasingly more involved in their local

programme available to read as an accompaniment

communities. I think it is fair to say that we here at

to the game, be it before, during or afterwards and

St Patrick’s Athletic have made great strides in this

available to everyone to download, whether they

area and are firmly established already as a central

are near or far away.

part of the local community, but a nationally backed initiative like this is certainly good news. The

It’s also worth remembering too that every

League of Ireland’s Community Development

programme produced over the past year, and in the

Manager Derek O’Neill was quoted as saying “The

coming few months, is in many ways a unique

League of Ireland will help clubs to embrace a

historical document, containing a snapshot of how

wider agenda which will enable them to become

all the contributors were viewing the world we were

more relevant community entities” and I look

living in at the time. In years to come, when the

forward to seeing how this will all map out at all the

world is back to what we used to remember as

clubs across the country.

normal, your digital copies of The Saint will be a keepsake like no other, a reminder to everyone of

So, like everyone else, I am set up and ready and

the times we have been living in while football was

raring to go for another season, and I am delighted

played behind closed doors. So, make sure you

to be able to start yet another season as one of the

download them all, save them all somewhere safe,

contributors to the St Patrick’s Athletic programme

and let’s hope this first issue of the new season

once again. It’s amazing to think that this will be

turns out to be a keepsake that commemorates the

my sixth successive season of contributing to The

first home win of 2021.

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No. 1 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Drogheda United

Light Up Your Nights

Player Apps & Goals 2020 League of Ireland Start

SSE Airtricity League

FAI Cup

Totals

Sub

App

Start

Sub

App

Start

Sub

App

Luke McNally

Brendan Clarke

Lee Desmond

Rory Feely

Chris Forrester

Robbie Benson

Jamie Lennon

Jason McClelland

Jordan Gibson

Shane Griffin

Billy King

George Kelly

Ian Bermingham

Darragh Markey

Martin Rennie

James Doona

Dan Ward

Darragh Burns

David Titov

Dean Clarke

Ronan Hale

Ollie Younger

Ben McCormack

Jake Walker

Conor Kearns

#LightUpYourNights 2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No. 1 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Drogheda United

Results & Lineouts 2020

Date

Opposition

Venue Comp Score

Fri 14 Feb

Waterford

Home Series 1

0-1

Clarke

Feely

Bermingham

Desmond

McNally

D Clarke

Lennon

Benson

Fri 21 Feb

Sligo Rovers

Away Series 2

2-0

Clarke

Feely

Bermingham

Desmond

McNally

Younger

Benson

Forrester

Fri 28 Feb

Shelbourne

Away Series 4

0-1

Clarke

Feely

Bermingham

Desmond

McNally

McClelland

Markey

Fri 06 Mar

Cork City

Home Series 5

1-0

Clarke

Younger

Griffin

Desmond

McNally

McClelland

Fri 31 July

Dundalk

Away Series 6

1-1

Clarke

Feely

McNally

Desmond

Lennon

Mon 03 Aug Derry City

Home Series 3

0-1

Clarke

Feely

McNally

Desmond

Fri 07 Aug

Finn Harps

Home Series 7

2-0

Clarke

Feely

Bermingham

Mon 10 Aug Finn Harps

Away FAI Cup

0-1

Kearns

Feely

Sun 16 Aug Shamrock Rovers Home Series 8

0-0

Clarke

Sat 22 Aug Bohemians

Away Series 9

0-2

Fri 04 Sep

Away Series 10

Sun 12 Sep Sligo Rovers Fri 18 Sep

First XI

Substitutes King

McClelland

King

Hale

Forrester

King

Ward

Forrester

King

Titov

Ward

Forrester

Benson

Titov

Lennon

Ward

Griffin

McNally

Titov

Lennon

Forrester

Bermingham

McNally

Titov

Lennon

Feely

Bermingham

McNally

Titov

Clarke

Feely

Bermingham

McNally

0-3

Clarke

Feely

Grifin

Home Series 11

0-0

Clarke

Feely

Away Series 12

0-0

Clarke

Feely

Sat 26 Sep Shelbourne

Home Series 13

2-0

Clarke

Feely

Sat 03 Oct

Away Series 14

2-1

Clarke

Wed 28 Oct Finn Harps

Away Series 16

2-3

Sun 01 Nov Dundalk

Home Series 15

Wed 04 Nov Shamrock Rovers Sun 08 Nov Bohemians

League

Waterford

Derry City

Cork City

FAI Cup

Rennie

Forrester

Hale

Doona

Ward

Younger

Walker

Kearns

Doona

D Clarke

Lennon

Rennie

Ward

Griffin

McClelland

Kearns

D Clarke

Hale

Doona

Rennie

Walker

Ward

Lennon

Griffin

Kearns

Rennie

D Clarke

Lennon

Doona

Bermingham

Markey

Hale

Walker

Kearns

Griffin

Gibson

McClelland

Rennie

Markey

Bermingham

McCormack

Burns

Kearns

Benson

Kelly

Gibson

McClelland

Forrester

Rennie

Markey

Burns

Kearns

Griffin

Benson

Kelly

McClelland

Ward

Desmond

Markey

Gibson

Rennie

Burns

Kearns

Markey

Ward

Gibson

Rennie

McClelland

Kelly

Forrester

Benson

Doona

Cleary

Burns

Clarke

Desmond

Lennon

Griffin

Benson

Forrester

Kelly

Ward

King

Gibson

Markey

McClelland

Cleary

Kearns

Desmond

Lennon

King

Benson

Gibson

Forrester

Kelly

McClelland

Doona

Markey

Rennie

McClelland

Cleary

Kearns

McNally

Desmond

Lennon

King

Benson

Gibson

Ward

Kelly

McClelland

Doona

Markey

Rennie

Bermingham

Titov

Kearns

Grifin

McNally

Desmond

Lennon

King

Benson

Gibson

Forrester

Kelly

McClelland

Bermingham

Markey

Titov

Ward

Rennie

Kearns

Grifin

McNally

Desmond

Lennon

King

Benson

Gibson

Forrester

Kelly

Markey

McClelland

Rennie

Bermingham

Ward

Burns

Kearns

Grifin

McNally

Desmond

Markey

McClelland

Benson

Gibson

Forrester

Kelly

Burns

McCormack

Rennie

Bermingham

Doona

Titov

Kearns

Feely

Grifin

McNally

Desmond

Lennon

McClelland

Benson

Gibson

Forrester

Kelly

King

Markey

McCormack

Bermingham

Doona

Titov

Kearns

Clarke

Feely

Grifin

McNally

Desmond

Lennon

McClelland

Benson

Gibson

Forrester

Kelly

King

Burns

McCormack

Bermingham

Cleary

Titov

Kearns

0-1 1-1

Clarke

Feely

Bermingham

Grifin

McNally

Desmond

Lennon

Benson

Gibson

Forrester

King

Burns

Doona

McCormack

McClelland

Cleary

Titov

Kearns

Away Series 17

0-0

Clarke

Feely

Bermingham

Grifin

McNally

Desmond

Lennon

Benson

Gibson

Forrester

Kelly

King

Burns

McClelland

McCormack

Doona

Titov

Kearns

Home Series 18

0-1 1-2

Clarke

Feely

Griffin

McNally

Desmond

Lennon

King

Benson

Gibson

Forrester

Kelly

Bermingham

Burns

McClelland

McCormack

Doona

Titov

Keeley

1st Sub 2nd Sub 3rd Sub

4th Sub

5th Sub

1 Goals Scored P Penalty OG Own Goal

* Own Goal For

Yellow Card

Red Card

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No. 1 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Drogheda United

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