The Saint (Vol 33 #6)

2021 Season • Premier Division • Vol. 33 • No. 06 Fri 21 May • Richmond Park, Inchicore, D8 • KO:5.45PM

Chris Forrester

Editorial

Ronan O’Flaherty

Ruairi Kavanagh

@stpatsprogramme

Good Evening Welcome to our latest the Saint, ahead of

Brennan talks to Bundesliga legend and former

tonight's massive Dublin derby against

Saint, Noel Campbell about his career with

Bohemian FC. It's been a tough few weeks for

Fortuna Cologne. We also have an interview,

the Saints, but dealing with setbacks for the first

thanks to Damien Byrne, with a more recent

time this season will show the true measure and

hero, in the shape of the inimitable Kenny

mettle of the squad. From what we have seen

Browne. We also have a host of other great

for most of the season, I think we can be

features, including a look at the career of Paul

optimistic that we will bounce back. Let's hope

McGee from a man who knew him from

that starts tonight.

following Wimbledon. He was of course also a Saint. We also have history, stats, quizzes,

We have a really special issue for you tonight.

opposition analysis and much much more!

We're lucky enough to have three great interviews. Firstly, Brian Kerr gives us his musical

Sit back enjoy and come on the Saints.

memories and how they dovetailed into his career, this will be a multipart interview over the

Ruairi Kavanagh Editor

next few issues. Enjoy! Well done to Johnny Keegan for such a great piece. Elsewhere, Seán

The Saint

Contents 20

Supersaint

38

Noel Campbell

24

Once a Saint...

44

Club History

28

Opposition Watch

46

Pats from the Past

35

Pensive Points

52

A View from Afar

Programme Production Editor Ruairi Kavanagh

Design Joe O’Rourke

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.06 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Bohemian FC

Photo Sportsfile & Inpho 3

Tonight’s Squads Fáilte Tá áthas orainn fáilte a chur roimh mbainistíocht, imreoirí agus lucht tacaíochta Chlub Pheile Na Bóithéamaigh go Phairc Richmond anocht.

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

St Patrick’s Athletic

Bohemian FC

Manager:

Manager:

Alan Mathews

Head Coach: Stephen O’Donnell 1 Vítězslav Jaroš

GK o

2 John Mountney

D

3 Ian Bermingham

D

4 Sam Bone 5 Lee Desmond

Keith Long

Asst Manager: Trevor Croly 1 James Talbot

GK o

o

2 Andy Lyons

D

o

o

3 Anto Breslin

D

o

D

o

4 Rory Feely

D

o

D

o

5 Robert Cornwall

D

o

6 Jamie Lennon

M

o

6 Ciaran Kelly

D

o

7 Robbie Benson

M

o

7 Stephen Mallon

M

o

8 Chris Forrester

M

o

8 Ali Coote

M

o

o

9 Bradley Rolt

F

o

9 Nahum Melvin-Lambert F 10 Ronan Coughlan

F

o

10 Keith Ward

M

o

11 Jay McClellend

F

o

11 Liam Burt

M

o

12 Matty Smith

F

o

12 Georgie Kelly

F

o

15 Billy King

F

o

14 Conor Levingston

M

o

16 Alfie Lewis

M

o

16 Keith Buckley

M

o

17 Darragh Burns

F

o

17 Thomas Oluwa

F

o

18 Ben McCormack

M

o

18 James Finnerty

D

o

20 Shane Griffin

D

o

19 Tyreke Wilson

D

o

21 Barry Murphy

GK o

20 Promise Omochere M

o

25 Josh Keeley

GK o

21 Bastien Hery

M

o

27 Daniel Norris

M

o

22 Jamie Mullins

M

o

28 Cian Kelly

D

o

23 Jack Moylan

M

o

29 Paddy Barrett

D

o

24 Gavin O Brien

D

o

31 Kian Corbally

M

o

25 Stephen McGuinness

GK o

26 Ross Tierney

M

o

27 Sean Grehan

D

o

28 Dawson Devoy

M

o

/stpatsfc stpatsfc /stpatsfc

Match Officials

/stpatsfctv

Referee Rob Hennessy

info@stpatsfc.com stpatsfc.com

4

Half-Time

Assistant 1 Dermot Broughton

Full-Time

Assistant 2 Michelle O’Neill

4th Official Neil Doyle

MOTM

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.06 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Bohemian FC

President’s Welcome Tom O’Mahony

@jimmyedwards41

Good Evening.

You are very welcome to this evening's

expectations, but two successive defeats

match, wherever you may be watching

have brought us back to earth with a

from, and I extend a particularly warm

bang. The last-minute loss to the

welcome to the players, officials and

champions and league leaders was

supporters of Bohemian FC.

generally seen as undeserved, but we can have no complaints about last week's

There should be no doubt about it - this

reverse in Drogheda. The first half was

isn't just the real Dublin City Derby - at the

certainly our most disappointing 45

moment, it's the only one. Shamrock

minutes of the season so far - we could

Rovers have long since decamped to

not get to grips with the challenge of the

South County Dublin, while Shelbourne

pitch and were undone by two superb

and UCD are currently plying their trade in

strikes. We were much improved in the

the First Division. The heart of top-level

second half but, having scored, were

football in Dublin City is still beating

vulnerable as we went all-out for an

proudly, however, in the two clubs who

equaliser and were duly picked off.

share the record, throughout their long and distinguished histories, of being the

It's easy to go from extremes of optimism

only Irish clubs never to have been

to extremes of pessimism when a couple

relegated from the top flight. We've both

of results swing away from you, but, to put

enjoyed a lot of success in recent decades,

some perspective on it, the canny men in

and we also share deep roots in our

the bookies still have us placed best of the

respective communities and a strong focus

challengers to the very short-odds

on giving back to those communities in

favourites. There are strong characters in

many ways that go far beyond football.

this squad, as we have seen, and I am sure that they are capable of bouncing back

Bohemians enjoyed an outstanding

and putting together another string of

season in 2020, taking the runners-up spot

good results. Let's hope that begins

by a very wide margin over more fancied

tonight, even against the formidable

competitors. Their start to 2021 has been

challenge presented by the Dublin City

more difficult but they have proven quality

Derby.

and I expect them to be in contention for the European places as the season

Enjoy the game!

progresses.

Tom O'Mahony In our own case, the last fortnight has

President

been something of a reality check. A haul

St Patrick's Athletic FC

of 21 points from the first round of 9

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

games exceeded pretty much everyone's 2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.06 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Bohemian FC

5

OUR GAME IS ON THE BALL

UMBRO TEAMWEAR

TO FIND OUT MORE VISIT UMBRO.IE OR CONTACT ALAN (086 7880808)/ RICHY (086 0317672)

The Dugout

Ronan O’Flaherty

Alan Mathews & Stephen O’Donnell

We would like to welcome Keith Long, his players and everybody connected with Bohemian FC to Richmond Park for this evening's Dublin derby.

With matches coming thick and fast in recent weeks, it hasn't even been that long since we last faced Bohs. We came out on top at Dalymount Park on April 3 and we dearly hope for an identical outcome today. But you always know you're in for a tough match against Bohs.

They finished runners-up in the league last season and have a number of quality players, so it will be tough but we are looking forward to it.

After a very pleasing start to the season, the last two matches have not gone our way.

Disappointments are going to happen over the course of the campaign and we are looking forward to seeing a positive reaction from the team this evening.

The home defeat against Shamrock Rovers two weeks ago was particularly disappointing. Our biggest regret was probably that, after taking the lead early on, we didn’t build on it and allowed Rovers back into the game. That said, we were the better team for most of the second half and looked the most likely to score a winner. A draw probably would have been a fair reflection of the game in its entirety, but we were punished deep into injury time, which was hard to take. All you can do is accept it and try to learn from the experience.

Last Friday's defeat in Drogheda was another strange one in that we enjoyed some good moments and maybe just lacked a bit of luck.

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.06 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Bohemian FC

Dane Massey's free kick aside, there was practically nothing between the teams in the first half.

Despite the defeat there were a number of positives to take. Performances have generally been of a high standard since the first game of the season. That is a reflection of the hard work being put in at training. Standards remain high and the players are all aware of the specific areas we need to improve on as a team.

This evening's game marks the beginning of another hectic spell, with three games in a week, including a trip to the Brandywell on Monday.

Our squad size is a bit on the thin side, which creates its own challenges when players start to carry knocks.

After next Fridays home match against Dundalk, there will be a decent gap to the next game. It is hoped that we can use some of that time to rest up and welcome one or two players back from injury.

For now, however, our only focus is this evening's match. We hope to give our loyal fans – who continue to watch from home in large numbers – something to cheer about.

Enjoy the match, Stephen O'Donnell and Alan Mathews

7

Oh My Word!

Ronan O’Flaherty

Cup competitions in the top European leagues don't carry the appeal of old. There’s no secret in that.

Nor is it a secret that money is responsible for the decline.

However, in the case of the FA Cup, the devaluing process was unnecessarily hastened.

Manchester United's treblewinning season of 1999 went down in history, not only for the trophy haul, but the manner in which it was achieved. The Premier League title was only secured on the final day, courtesy of a come-from-behind victory against Tottenham. The Champions League final was won in such dramatic circumstances that divine intervention still seems a plausible contributory factor. Yet, for many, it was Ryan Giggs' winning goal in the FA Cup semi-final replay against Arsenal that defined the entire season.

It was only natural that people would question if United could do the unthinkable and defend the treble the following season.

But it was a question that couldn't be answered.

Manchester United withdrew from the 1999-2000 FA Cup, in doing so becoming the competition's first winners not to defend the title. They withdrew to take part in the FIFA Club World Championship in Brazil, an eight-

8

team tournament which would eventually be won by Corinthians. United finished third in their group of four and failed to progress to the next stage.

Their entire involvement in Brazil, from the first game against Necaxa to the third against South Melbourne, lasted just five days.

The English public criticised the Red Devils for pulling out of the FA Cup. It was seen by many as an act of complete disregard for a national institution. Over time, it became clear that the Football Association should also shoulder blame for their role in encouraging United to take part in the World Club Cup. The blame game is irrelevant, especially more than two decades later. Of greater importance is acknowledging the damage caused.

That became quickly clear when "lucky losers" Darlington were drawn against Aston Villa in the third round of the cup. Darlington had already been eliminated in the previous round against Gillingham but found themselves back in the competition as a direct result of United’s withdrawal. They were duly knocked out, for the second time in the same season, against Villa.

TV presenters used to be tripping over themselves to shoehorn in references of the FA Cup being "the greatest knockout competition in the world". The description was largely abandoned after the season of the lucky loser.

The 2000 FA Cup final was, appropriately, instantly forgettable. That's not to say there haven't been memorable cup moments in the intervening years, but they serve as light relief against a backdrop of palpable apathy among Premier League and Championship clubs.

The competition remains popular among lower-division clubs dreaming of becoming the next giant killers, but that is not enough to slow down the decline.

Mercifully, last Saturday's final at Wembley gave the FA Cup some of its dignity back. With 21,000 spectators allowed in, the ‘fan factor’ had a transformative effect on the viewing experience.

Leicester City is a rare example of a top Premier League club that retains a meaningful relationship with its support base. Their victory, courtesy of Youri Tielemans’ stunning goal and a

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.06 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Bohemian FC

Ronan O’Flaherty @ronanoflaherty

little help from VAR, was a popular outcome among neutral viewers.

Gary Lineker's elated reaction during the BBC’s live TV coverage may have been difficult for Chelsea fans to stomach, but it felt right to embrace his joy.

After a season of so many restrictions, when empty stadiums have made football harder to watch than we ever could have imagined, here was an occasion that brought much needed healing.

FA Cup winner Youri Tielemans with Belgium U15 v Ireland in 2012

It is rare to come across someone like Gary Lineker, who has accomplished so much in football yet still has a boyish enthusiasm for his local team. He did well to retain his composure when informing viewers that his late father, Barry, had travelled to Wembley for each of Leicester's previous FA Cup final appearances, in 1949, 1961, '63 and '69. All four finals ended in defeat, but last weekend they finally got their hands on the famous old trophy and Lineker expressed his wish that his dad was watching, somewhere.

the end of long, barren runs in the respective competitions.

While Pat's had last won the FAI Cup in 1961, they had been losing finalists on seven occasions since. Suffice to say, when the long wait finally ended at the Aviva Stadium six and-ahalf years ago, it was well celebrated. One good thing about the League of Ireland not being awash with cash is that clubs still have a healthy relationship with the FAI Cup and desperately want to win it each season. Full-strength teams are deployed and supporters embrace the break it provides from the relentless nature of league involvement.

Comparisons exist between the Foxes of 2021 and the Saints of 2014. Both successes arrived at

Unfortunately, last Saturday's final is unlikely to bring about the renaissance of the FA Cup.

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.06 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Bohemian FC

Leicester City earned £3.4m for winning the competition, which is dwarfed by the £132m they received for finishing fifth in the Premier League last season. Even teams who get relegated from the Premier League make around £100m from their involvement in the top flight. With such riches on offer in the Premier League, it is no surprise that the cup is so low down in the order of priorities.

Last weekend, for a little while at least, we put the reality of the situation to the back of our minds and enjoyed a genuinely feelgood football occasion. We could all benefit from more occasions like it.

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

9

Dodge’s Data!

John Owens

League Record v Bohemian FC HOME GAMES

AWAY GAMES

30

33

22

90

35

GOALS

52

89 32

27

124

TOTAL GAMES

68

GOALS

112

106

Record League Scores

179 59

GOALS

118

230

230

Did you know?

06/12/96

10/04/77

31/01/60

04/04/74

Richmond pk

Richmond pk

Dalymount

Dalymount

TONY O’CONNELL became Bohs first ever professional after he bought out his Dundalk contract in March 1969.

5-0

1-5

6-1

0-7

Bohs’ club members changed their 79 year old constitution to allow payment to players thus ending amateur status.

MAY

21 2019

Richmond Park

LOI

Derry City

1-0

K Toner

2016

Richmond Park

FAI Cup 2nd Rd

Pike Rovers

8-0*

B Dennehy 2, M Timlin 2, M Barker, G Kelly 2, D Corcoran

2012

Richmond Park

LOI

Dundalk

1-2

C Forrester

2010

Richmond Park

LOI

Bohemians

3-1

D Doyle, P Byrne, S Byrne

* 8-0 win over Pike Rovers is our record FAI Cup win.

10

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.06 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Bohemian FC

Ronan O’Flaherty @seidodge

Last 10 games v Bohemian FC Date

Venue

Competition

03 Apr 2021

Dalymount Park

League

Richmond Park

League

1-2

22 Aug 2020

Dalymount Park

League

0-2

18 Oct 2019

Richmond Park

League

21 Jul 2019

Dalymount Park

League

17 May 2019

Richmond Park

League

29 Mar 2019

Dalymount Park

League

0-1

22 Sep 2018

Richmond Park

League

1-3

29 Jun 2018

Dalymount Park

League

0-1

27 Apr 2018

Richmond Park

League

WIN

DRAW

LOSE

1-0

R Coughlan

09 Nov 2020 J Gibson

0-0 0-3 1-1

D Markey

A Campion

2-2

J Keegan 2 2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.06 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Bohemian FC

11

Pats 1 Rovers 2

12

Forrester 4 mins

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.06 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Bohemian FC

Richmond Park • 08 May 2021 • Premier Division Ronan O’Flaherty

Starting XI 1 Jaroš 2 Mountney 3 Bermingham 4 Bone 5 Desmond 6 Lennon 8 Forrester 10 Coughlan 12 Smith 15 King 16 Lewis Subs 20 Griffin 11 McClelland 18 McCormack 9 Melvin-Lambert

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.06 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Bohemian FC

HT 90

69

HT 69 77 77 90

13

Squad Sponsorship Vítězslav Jaroš

John Mountney

Ian Bermingham

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2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.06 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Bohemian FC

Ronan O’Flaherty

Robbie Benson

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Midfield

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2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.06 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Bohemian FC

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Squad Sponsorship Billy King

Alfie Lewis

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2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.06 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Bohemian FC

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Josh Keeley

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2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.06 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Bohemian FC

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2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.04 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Longford Town

Irish Independent Saturday 22 May 2010 MAY

21 2010

ST PATRICK'S ATH 3 BOHEMIANS 1

GIOVANNI Trapattoni arrived at Richmond Park a half an hour late and left 20 minutes before time.

Yet, the Ireland boss still witnessed what will certainly be the most exhilarating, full-blooded and heartpumping 40 minutes of football he is likely experience in his time on Irish soil.

The Italian has always strenuously and, with respect, candidly insisted that this league does not possess the tempo or depth of talent to produce international footballers.

Yet with all the Premier League stars and two World Cup teams on show in the next seven days, none will produce a game as remarkable as this.

This Dublin derby had it all – controversy, atmosphere, crunching tackles, a thrilling comeback and one absolute pearler of a goal.

Trapattoni missed one of the biggest flash-points in a breathless first half, as Mark Quigley somehow escaped a red card for a bone-crunching challenge on Gareth Coughlan, who was rushed to hospital afterwards with a double fracture of his right leg.

He also missed Bohemians’ 11thminute opener, through Jason Byrne, who raced onto Anto Murphy ’s throughball following a poor Gary Rogers clearance before tucking the ball past the ‘keeper, who should have stopped a relatively tame strike.

It had been a helter-skelter start and both sides looked well up for it in a repeat of last weekend’s Setanta Cup final. But the temperature rose to red-hot after 13 minutes, when Quigley launched into a horror-tackle which left Coughlan writhing on the ground as hell broke loose around him.

Referee Damien Hancock, though, deemed the tackle

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.06 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Bohemian FC

worthy of only a booking. The home fans were incensed that their former hero stayed on the field, although he was withdrawn by Pat Fenlon minutes later – presumably for his own safety – and the atmosphere began to bubble.

Then, the game was turned completely on its head in a hectic three-minute spell. Firs t, Coughlan’s replacement Derek Doyle levelled, tapping home when Barry Murphy could only parry Paul Byrne’s header.

MISJUDGED The ‘keeper didn’t cover himself in glory and he fared even worse for the next, two minutes later, as he completely misjudged Derek Pender’s long free-kick, losing out to Shane Guthrie, who headed goalwards before Byrne slotted in from close-range.

Byrne turned provider just a minute later when his cross wasn’t dealt with by the Gypsies defence and Stuart Byrne curled a stunning strike into Murphy’s top left-hand corner.

While the second half ebbed and flowed, it didn’t quite produce the sparks of the previous 45 minutes as the Saints raced six points clear of the defending champions.

ST PATRICK’S ATHLETIC: Rogers, Pender, Kenna, Guthrie, Bermingham; Guy, S Byrne (Sinnott 84), Mulcahy, Coughlan (Doyle 13); P Byrne, Faherty (Williams 79).

BOHEMIANS: B Murphy, Heary, McGuinness, Shelley, Gray (Burke 79); A Murphy, Keegan, Higgins, Brennan; Quigley (Madden 19), Byrne.

REF – D Hancock (Dublin).

19

Super Saints Brian Kerr Johnny Keegan

A life through music...Part I It’s Saturday morning following a disappointing result to Drogheda the night before, and neither Brian or myself are in the best of form, truth be told. But as is often the case, music has the power to pick you up and brighten your day. As most Pat’s fans will know, music plays a big part in Brian’s life, whether that’s at home listening to his favourite albums, tuning in to late night radio programmes after a busy work day, or attending new music gigs across the city; and it’s not long before Brian warms up and the stories start to flow.

GOOD VIBRATIONS

brother was working in a pub called The Gunnersbury Arms,

The year was 1966. Kerr’s

and interestingly, he was living

eldest brother, Frankie, was

with three girls at the time in

living in London, and knowing

an apartment. I always had this

of his younger brother’s love of

image of the apartment being

football, Frankie called home

huge… Frankie died in 2010,

to invite 13-year-old Brian over

and this is an interesting story,

them and telling them that I

to experience the World Cup in

he left a few quid to two of

wanted to meet them in

person.

those girls. He married one of

London in 2011.”

them, and they lived in London “We were real posh at that

for most of their lives, but his

“I went to see them and the

time, we had a phone,” Brian

wife died and we got him back

apartment was quite small,”

jokes. “We were posh in that

to Dublin, but he didn’t last

Brian laughs. “I had this image

we had a phone, that was it,

long, he was only around for

from when I was a kid of this

but we had it because my two

about a year after that. The

lovely big apartment with three

brothers were away. It was

other two girls were still alive

bedrooms in it. I associate that

arranged for me to go to

and living in that apartment.

time with Good Vibrations. The

London within a day or two.”

And I had

Beach Boys were the deal. Still

“So, I landed in Acton. My

the lovely task on contacting

to this day, for most people,

20

Good Vibrations gives

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.06 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Bohemian FC

Ronan O’Flaherty @johnnykeegan

everyone a lift. I still play a Beach Boys CD every now and again in the groove of a lovely, sunny summer’s day. As a kid that time was really exciting, but the memories stick.”

ABBEY ROAD

Already a young season ticket holder with his beloved St. Patrick’s Athletic, attending a host of World Cup games across London in ‘66, including the final at Wembley, fuelled Brian’s obsession and love for the beautiful game even further. By the time he was a young adult, every spare minute was spent playing, watching or managing, and that never really changed. While playing for Shelbourne at the time, a teammate, Dessie Tyrrell, brought a copy of The Beatles Abbey Road to training.

“Somehow or other he had a record player in the dressing room, and I remember us listening to it before training, after training, and being fascinated by it. I thought the album was beautiful. ‘Here Comes the Sun’, ‘Come Together’, ‘Maxwell's Silver Hammer’, there’s a lot of great songs on it. I was doing my Leaving Cert that year, managing Crumlin United U16s as well as playing for Shelbourne, and I associate Abbey Road with that time.”

21

Super Saints Brian Kerr Johnny Keegan

ZEROES

“I remember talking to Ronnie Drew a few times. I asked him

“Ollie Byrne, Lord rest him, he

what Rory was like. And he just

used to have a place called

confirmed what I already

Zeroes on the top of Mary

thought about him, that he was

Street, it was a mad place

a lovely shy fella. But the place

altogether, real nightclub stuff,

when he played, it was just electric. He’d come running

it was like an upstairs warehouse that was cleared out

Now he’s only two years

out, the hair flowing, the

on a Saturday night… He’d

younger than me but I’m

checked shirt, and he’d say

have big blow heaters to keep

manager of the team. So, I

‘Thanks very much! It’s great to

the place warm, and there was

changed the training and got

be back in Dublin. Here’s a little

carpet on the floor, old

tickets myself. I already knew

song I’m going to play for you.’

couches… But the music

Rory Gallagher from listening to

And away he’d go!”

would’ve been different, and I

the old Radio Caroline stuff. But

loved it, there was a great

the gig was sensational. I never

Brian is beaming at this point,

atmosphere. Ollie knew that I

lost that feeling, and I saw him

impersonating Gallagher and

was playing for Shelbourne

play loads of times. I walked

describing the energy as if it

U17s or youth team on a

behind him one day in a street

was yesterday.

Sunday morning, but I didn’t

in London and I was too

drink at all, and he wouldn’t say

starstruck to say hello to him.

“He’d go like that for an hour

anything. He was a promoter

But I saw enough of him in

and a half, then he’d slow it

around that time.”

relatively small venues to get to

down a bit and play the

know the personality of him.

acoustic guitar or mandolin or

RORY GALLAGHER

He’s one of my heroes.”

banjo, and the place would just

“One of the players I had at

Brian picks up a copy of Wheels

word, every movement on the

Crumlin United when I was 17

Within Wheels, a posthumous

string of the instrument. And

or 18, he said to me that he

release comprising of lost Rory

then he’d be off again,” Brian

couldn’t come training. ‘What

Gallagher recordings and

laughs. “And there was three

do you mean you can’t come

outtakes, featuring a plethora of

hours of it. It was just

training?’ ‘I’m going to see a

well-known musicians, amongst

incredible. And then at the end

bloke called Rory Gallagher.’

them, The Dubliners.

of it, he was just the most

go silent, you could hear every

22

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.06 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Bohemian FC

Ronan O’Flaherty @johnnykeegan

humble looking bloke, he

him, the old one, the plain

looked like he was amazed that

green one with the big

people liked it.”

shamrock on it, he’s sitting there in that and a leather

PHIL LYNOTT & THIN LIZZY

jacket. And I have me Bob Marley album and me bag. I went over and said ‘Howiya.

You wouldn’t mind signing that?’ And he says ‘Where were ya?’ ‘I was over here at a match with a team,’ So he signs it. A

from Leighlin Road’. You look at

Bob Marley album signed by

Irish society now and where

Phil Lynott! It sounds cool,

we’ve got to go to. If he was on

doesn’t it. I still have it

the go now, what an inspiration

downstairs.”

he’d be for all these young new artists that are coming on the

“I was managing the Irish Technical Colleges team, this

“I like all Thin Lizzy stuff. If I had

scene now from a different Irish

was around 1982, and we were

to do my all-time top ten, Old

background, the likes of Denise

playing in a tournament in

Town would be in there,

Chaila and Tolü Makay. But the

Germany. I was coming back a

without a doubt. It’s my kind of

excitement of his live gigs, and

day late on me own, flying out

summer in Dublin song. Philo

then the softer side to him, it

of Hamburg. That morning I’d

walking around town, looking

was such a deadly mixture. I

rambled around a record shop

cool, looking smart, winking at

loved him.”

and bought a Bob Marley

the girls, walking across the

album.”

Ha’penny Bridge, that whole video, the image… It was just a

“So, I’m walking through the

perfect Irish, Dublin song.”

airport and I see Philo, and he’s getting the same plane back to

“Philo always said ‘I’m black

Dublin as me. You know that bit

and I’m Irish’ when people

where you’re sitting around

asked him where he was from.

where you board, he’s sitting

‘I’m from Ireland. I’m from

there, an Irish football jersey on

Dublin. I’m from Crumlin. I’m

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.06 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Bohemian FC

In part two, available in the next issue of The Saint, we focus on St Patrick’s Athletic and the tunes that soundtracked famous league wins in 1990 and 1996 with Kerr at the helm.

23

Once A Saint... Kenny Browne Damien Byrne

The return of Liam Buckley to the St Pat’s hotseat in 2012 sparked an excitement that hadn’t been around the club for quite a long time.

As Bucko began assembling what would turn out to be a hugely successful squad, conquering all domestic honours and performing admirably on the European stage, a couple of the signings would inevitably fall under the radar.

Waterford man Kenny Browne had previously played for Bucko at Sporting Fingal before they went under, sandwiched between two spells at his hometown club. The latter spell in 2011 ultimately ended in huge disappointment with a mid-table finish in the First Division.

The then 25-year-old was availing of the PFAI winter training camp when a new opportunity arose.

“I went up and done the PFAI camp in the AUL over Christmas, Trevor Croly was taking it and I didn’t know at the time but he was going in as Bucko’s assistant. I was travelling up to Dublin from Waterford and was going to stop heading up.

Trevor asked me did I fancy going to Pats and I jumped at it. My grandad is from Bluebell and I have family in Inchicore, so it was always a club I wanted to play for.”

An eventual 3rd place finish that season, only 6 points behind winners Sligo, couple with a wonderful European run which seen the Saints conquer IBV of Iceland and Bosnian side NK Siroki Brijeg before succumbing to Bundesliga side Hannover 96. The experiences gained would bode well for the future and the commanding centre back knew how close the team was to silverware.

“It was a brand-new squad, Greg Bolger had signed and me and Greg had been on the PFAI training camp together, we got to know each other in the camp. I hadn’t heard of Forrester at the time either, but you could tell after a few days training that it was a very good

24

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.06 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Bohemian FC

@DamienByrne92

Celebrating the FAI Cup win in 2014 with Bolger, Fahey and Bermingham.

squad. I knew we’d be decent, but I didn’t think we’d be as good as we were. We knew at the end of 2012 that if we got in one or two more, we could go and win the league”.

Thankfully for players and fans alike, the recruitment leading in to the 2013 season coupled with some mid-season additions delivered a first league title, in the final table anyway, for 14 years.

For Browne, the defensive base built that year provided the stage to go out and win the league with a couple of games to spare.

“Myself and Conor Kenna formed a good partnership, Bermo and Ger O’Brien as well so it was the same back four for most of the season. Bisto chipped in with lots of important

goals and we had Christy Fagan, Forrester and Killian Brennan too.

“Killian was the game changer, he had a bad time at Rovers but I think he was the one that was missing, he had been there and won it all before and he gave us that X factor. Signing Daryl Kavanagh that summer, who scored an important goal at home to Dundalk in the 2-0, gave us a boost too.”

Despite picking up the League title, for a lot of the team there was still some unfinished business with the FAI Cup. The “hoodoo” as it was deemed at the time stood at 53 years heading into the 2014 season and armed with the disappointment and regret of the 2012 loss to Derry City an

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.06 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Bohemian FC

opportunity to make amends presented itself. As luck would have it, we again faced the Candystripes in a day that will never be forgotten by the Saints faithful.

“For me, the cup was bigger than the league. I still felt I made a mistake for the winner in 2012 so I felt I had to make up for that. A lot of people said it wasn’t my fault but I always blame myself for that goal. There was a few offers on the table at the end of 2012 but I felt I couldn’t leave, I owed it to the fans to be part of winning the cup. Winning the FAI Cup with St Pats was my biggest achievement, it meant everything to me.”

It was at the end of the 2015

25

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Once A Saint...

Damien Byrne Kenny, “Cork was a culture shock. It was a totally different way of playing. Bucko was all about the football, but Cork was more of a running club! I was the fittest I had ever been but it wasn’t sustainable, I wanted to be home in Waterford.”

An opportunity for a return home duly arrived as former Cork Assistant Alan Reynolds managed to convince Kenny to return to Waterford, then in the First Division and help them back to the Premier Division.

Aerial battle with Danny North

season when Browne decided it was time for pastures new. An indifferent league campaign and the decline of the team, whom most of which had now been together for four seasons, meant it was time to try something different.

“I felt as though I was being rotated in 2015, I wasn’t playing every week and I felt it was time for a new challenge, I think I only played 15/20 league games that season.

I’m not the fittest lad so I have to be playing every week to keep myself someway fit! I had a young girl at the time and it was better to be closer to the family.”

A move south to an emerging Cork team where he would pick up another FAI Cup would present a whole different style of football for

“I was great mates with Rennie (Alan Reynolds) and he wanted me to go back to Waterford. He told me about Lee Power and his plans and ambitions. We won the first division which was to be expected.

We done well in the Premier when we went up and got into Europe but lost it due to the ruling by the FAI.” Another season at Waterford would follow however at the end of 2019 campaign Browne decided to call it a day. The day job now at UPS is something Kenny had done during previous off-seasons, but there is an ambition to get back involved in football at some stage in the future.

His time at St Pat’s still ranks as the best in his career according to the man himself and it is his intention to come back and watch the Saints play once the current situation allows. As he has told his mate and current St Pat’s player Paddy Barrett, “if you smash someone and give it your all the fans up there will love you”.

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.06 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Bohemian FC

We asked Kenny to pick the best XI he has played with at St Pat’s and there are probably no surprises in the selection below:

Brendan Clarke Ger O’Brien Conor Kenna Kenny Browne Ian Bermingham Greg Bolger Killian Brennan Keith Fahey Conan Byrne Christy Fagan Chris Forrester.

27

Opposition Watch Paul Maguire

Bohemians started the season with plenty of fanfare off the pitch but not much to shout about.

Their form in the first round of

losing talent the calibre of Danny

only a late goal for the home side

games up to the end of April

Grant and Andre Wright in the

denied Bohemians another away

would suggest a nailed-on win

close season, manager and ex-

win after a tight game where

for the Saints - Pats having taken

Saint Keith Long’s hand would

chances were few, most attacks

all three points from Dalymount

have been strengthened by the

petered out due to the lack of a

in our third game of the season

acquisition of Tyreke Wilson and

decent final ball and tough

(and the first there in what seems

Ali Coote from Waterford, Liam

tacking prevented flair players on

like decades..) but May has seen

Burt from Celtic plus signing

either side from showing their

a turn-around in the fortunes of

Bastien Hery when St. Pats

true qualities, particularly in the

our neighbours from just down

seemed set to complete the deal.

first half. The best move of the

the North Circular Rd and they

However, a slow start, partic-

match resulted in the lead goal

will be looking to further their

ularly at Dalymount Park where

for Bohs on the hour when

European aspirations this

they have only picked up four

Dawson Devoy clipped a ball into

evening.

points from five games at home

the path of Liam Burt who lobbed

so far this season sees Bohemians

the advancing Drogheda keeper.

13 points off the top of the table

Despite conceding a late

in sixth place. But, as previously

equaliser from a corner in injury

stated their form has improved of

time the draw halted their run of

late so let’s have a more in-depth

defeats.

Having finished third and second in the 2019 and 2020 seasons respectively, Bohs would have been expected to challenge for top honours this year. Despite

look at Bohs last three performances.

Dalymount, not the easiest fixture

Successive defeats to Sligo,

considering Harps decent start to

Shamrock Rovers and Derry City -

the season and Bohs poor home

all teams being seen as genuine

record this year however, all that

European contenders – could

went out the window as the

have signalled that Bohs fortunes

game was effectively over by

were on the wain after a

halftime! Ross Tierney opened

consistent couple of years in the

the scoring from close range

league’s top three.

when the ball fell to him

Their current run of good form began against Drogheda at Head in the Game Park, not an easy Keith Long

place to go as Pats found out last Friday. On a cold wet afternoon

28

Next up was Finn Harps in

unmarked in the six-yard box, exSaint Rory Feely found Ali Coote who was allowed to advance to the edge of the box and he found the net for his first goal for his new club. Cootes’ second

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.06 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Bohemian FC

Ronan O’Flaherty @PaulGoS

followed before the break in

time lead. They were well

similar fashion and skipper Keith

worth their advantage as

Buckley wrapped up the points

Georgie Kelly and Ross Tierney

and a comfortable first home

had gone close, Ali Coote had

win of the season with a goal in

the ball in the net but his

injury time at the end of the

delicate chip was disallowed

game.

for handball. The Scottish

Bohs last game was away to

winger would register his third goal of the season after Tierneys low cross wasn’t cleared Coote swept the ball into the net to cement a second win on the trot for his team.

Ali Coote

So tonight we have a Bohs team on a run of 3 without defeat against a Pat’s side coming off the back of 2 consecutive losses. Form would suggest that Pats have a difficult task ahead of them if they are to get back to winning ways. The Liam Burt

main threat will probably come from their two Scottish wingers, as we outlined above both Burt and Coote like to get into goal

Longford who had come back

scoring positions while Georgie

from 2-0 down to snatch a draw

Kelly is the latest in a line of ex-

in Dalymount last March in the

Pats forwards who struggled

second round of games. There

with the Saints but vastly

was no repeat as Longford’s run

improved playing elsewhere. All

of nine games without a win

three have scored 3 goals so far

continued as Bohs deservedly

this season. Speaking of ex-

took all three points at

Saints, Rory Feely has provided a

Bishopsgate, Liam Burt again

couple of assists as has Ross

scoring from outside the box

Tierney so there will be several

after being set up by Tyreke

attacking avenues that

Wilson to give them a 1-0 half-

Bohemians will look to explore

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.06 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Bohemian FC

tonight. At the back, two consecutive clean sheets will give Rob Cornwall and his fellow defenders’ confidence going into tonight’s match while James Talbot in goal will be looking to continue his good form. All in all, this actually makes for an intriguing match, a Bohs win could see them in 4th place after this round of games. While there is still a long way to go, after the start they had it would be a decent position to find themselves in to mount a serious push for one of those coveted European places.

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

29

Pitchside Sponsors We would like to thank the following who have sponsored the club for the 2021 season...

30

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.06 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Bohemian FC

Who’s Who at The Saint?

Like so many other things on match night, it takes considerable effort 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.06 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Bohemian FC

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 is working on a St Pat's History project, researching and collecting information on the history of our club. You can check it out at @HistoryStPats on Twitter. Get in touch with him with any memories or memorabilia from the club's history.

SEÁN BRENNAN Seán is a full time languages teacher in Dublin a part time writer on football culture and cooking. He has been following St Pats since the early noughties and Serie A since the late nineties. A former resident of France, UK and 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 Kerryman living in Dublin... a long time. He has been attending League of Ireland and Republic of Ireland home games for over 50 years. Interested in all sports, but mainly GAA, Soccer and Rugby. A member of the Soccer Writers’Association. Writes on LOI and international matters.

31

Drogs 3 Pats 1

Melvin-Lambert 82mins

Starting XI 1

Jaroš

2

Mountney

3

Bermingham

4

Bone

5

Desmond

6

Lennon

8

Forrester

10

Coughlan

12

Smith

16

Lewis

15

King

70

79

Subs 18

McCormack

70

9

Melvin-Lambert

79

32

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.06 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Bohemian FC

Head in the Game Park • 14Ronan May 2021 • Premier Division O’Flaherty

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.06 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Bohemian FC

33

Pitchside Sponsors We would like to thank the following who have sponsored the club for the 2021 season...

34

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.06 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Bohemian FC

Pensive PointsRonan O’Flaherty Jimmy Edwards

@jimmyedwards41

Good Evening All I would like to give a warm welcome to Keith

Boh's come into this game on the back of two

Long, Trevor Croly and all at Bohemian FC.

wins with Ali Coote being instrumental in those

Tonight's game will be entertaining no doubt

games and also scoring in both so he will have to

because both sides like to get the ball down and

be watched. Although it's still early in the season

play and with it being a Dublin derby there's

both sides will see this as a big game with the

always that little bit more spice attached to the

three points important for their overall

mix.

development this season. Bohs will be looking to avenge their earlier defeat to us when Ronan

We come into this game on the back of two

Coughlan scored a fine header in Dalymount

disappointing results with losing to a last-minute

while we will be looking to make it two from two

goal against Shamrock Rovers, when we were

against our friendly rivals. There are currently

definitely deserving of a point, and then we

seven points between the teams and Boh's will

followed that game up against Drogheda with

be looking to cut that down to four while the

what was our poorest performance of the season

considerable incentive for Pat's will be to

when losing 3-1. The only positive of the night

increase it to ten. The games are coming thick

was when Nahum Melvin-Lambert came on and

and fast now as we follow up tonight's game with

showed what he can bring to the team with his

an away trip to the in-form Derry City on Monday

strength and skill when he scored our only goal

and then we welcome Dundalk next Friday.

of the game.

Here's hoping for an enjoyable game with a Pat's win. We have started the season well, so it’s now

Tonight’s visitors haven’t had a very steady start

a challenge for the team to rebound from the

to the season but they have been showing signs

recent setbacks.

of steady progress. After all, this is still much of the same team that finished second last season,

Enjoy the game,

so we should expect them to continue to

Up the Saints,

improve.

Jimmy

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

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.06 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Bohemian FC

35

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

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 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.

Benefits of joining the Patron Saints: • Badge & Membership Card • Priority access to Match tickets • Voting rights on what projects Patron Saints funds will go on • Twice yearly meeting with club officials

• 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 month | €60 per year

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.06 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Bohemian FC

37 37

Noel Campbell - A Return to the Rhine Seán Brennan

Former St Patrick’s star and Irish international Noel Campbell talks to The Saint about life in Cologne, the 1974 World Cup and playing against ‘Der Kaiser’.

Seán: Noel, after 5 years at St Pats,

S: What were your first impressions

Simonsen at Gladbach was top

you received interest from Fortuna

of Cologne as a city, especially

class. I think Kevin Keegan was the

Köln. How did that happen in the

compared to Dublin?

first big import from the UK. He moved to Hamburg in ’77, and won

much less inter-connected world of 1971?

N: Definitely a big city. I was only

the Ballon d’Or the season after.

21 at the time. It’s a traditional city, Noel: Let me cast my mind back. It

with very proud people. I tried

S: Was there any stadium you

was shortly after my first interna-

concentrating on the football really,

played in which amazed you partic-

tional. Ben Hannigan (then Sligo

the players were very good at

ularly?

Rovers striker) had gone around

integrating me too.

N: Yeah, the Olympiastadion in

looking for a club, and mentioned my name. So I went over and they were pleased with my trial.

S: On promotion to the Bundesliga,

Berlin was amazing architecture,

you encountered some big clubs

and Dortmund had a massive

and big players (Franz

ground, real tight and English-style.

Beckenbauer, for instance). How was it adapting to that standard?

S: With “Effzeh” (1. FC Köln) dominating the city, what do clubs

N: Hard. Bayern had Gerd Müller

such as Fortuna or Viktoria

too. It was the time of the

represent? Any differences in the

legendary Mönchengladbach team

fan scene?

with Jupp Heynckes and Günter Netzer. We had a good team, and put in an honest effort, but sadly fell just short of staying up.

N: Absolutely. FC always had a big fanbase, but could be fickle at times, coming or going depending on performance. Us and Viktoria

S: With West Germany winning the

came from the South of the city, not

World Cup in 1974, did the profile

as high profile. We shared a

of the Bundesliga rise in the years

ground, originally a cycling

after?

stadium, with FC the season we were in the Bundesliga, we’d be

N: Bayern had 6 or 7 players in the

getting 28 or 30,000 fans in.

’74 team. It’s always been a high

Noel with Fortuna Köln

standard, but then it was still a

S: Living 8 years in the city, how

German dominated league. You

would you spend your free time

had a few other Europeans, a good

there? Any tips for visitors?

few Yugoslavs and Danes; Allan

38

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.06 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Bohemian FC

@SBahnManc keep in contact with a lot of the other lads too. There was a bittersweet trip in 1983, Fortuna had gotten to the cup final, to play of all teams, FC Köln. The final took place in Cologne too, was a massive festival for the city. Sadly FC won 1-0 though.

Noel flanked by the legends Gerd Muller and Franz Beckenbauer

N: It’s an old city, beautiful. You’ve

the armed borders at the

the River Rhine, lovely restaurants,

Brandenburger Gate. You had the

the cathedral. It gets a bit rough at

attack at the Munich Olympics and

night though. When we were going

the Baader-Meinhof gang as well, a

out we’d go to the old city to avoid

high profile politician was shot in

any hassle.

Cologne during that time. Certainly a different atmosphere to the relative

S: Did you find German a difficult

peace of Dublin at the time.

language to learn?

S: In terms of the national team, did N: It took me a while to get going,

you ever feel that you were

but I got more and more

overlooked in favour of players

comfortable in everyday situations. I

playing at a similar or lower standard

can have a chat with old friends in

in the UK?

conversational German for 10 hours, although the more formal language

N: Nah, not at all. I played with John

is always harder. I still get a small

Giles, he looked after me well. I was

pension from Germany, the letters

a decent player, but not anything to

they send me in ‘Official German’ are

write home about.

Fortuna Köln are no longer hosting Beckenbauer and Netzer, and the crowds of 30,000 belong to a byegone era. Now playing in the 4th tier Regionalliga West, in the company of other former high-fliers such as Rot-Weiß Essen and Alemannia Achen, the club proceed

a nightmare to try and read!

S: Do you look back fondly on your

in their mission to break out of a

S: 1970s Germany was a politically

time in Germany? Have you been

notoriously tight league to escape.

charged place. Did that have a

back to visit much?

Meanwhile a defender of theirs continues the Irish tradition at

bearing on everyday life?

N: Yeah I’ve been back 20 times! I’m

Fortuna, former underage interna-

N: Not directly, but you’d be aware

good pals with Wolfgang Fahrian

tional Noe Baba. For Noel Campbell,

of what’s going on. We had to fly to

(Former German international), he

the memories of 1970s Germany are

away games in West Berlin, we’d see

was our goalkeeper and captain. I

clearly lasting a lifetime.

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.06 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Bohemian FC

39 39

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PROUDLY SUPPORTING

THE SAINTS

MARCHING ON

40 40

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Quiz Time Kieran Coughlan

1 Which Man Utd player, who played in

6

both legs of the semi-final win over

Which country was former Saint Rory Feely born in?

Barcelona, was left out of the matchday squad for the Champions

7

What member of the Northern Ireland World Cup squad in 1982

League Final against Chelsea in 2008

also won an FAI cup medal in the 2 Name the two players that played in

80s?

three FA cup finals in 3 different decades for 3 different clubs?

8

Name the four Scots that have scored a goal at a European championship

3 Which Irish international was the only

tournament?

non-Englishman to play in the FA Cup Final in 1975?

9

Who did Tony Adams replace as captain of Arsenal?

4 Which goalkeeper won the FAI Cup with Bohs in 1992 and Dundalk in 2002?

10 Who did Kai Havertz play for before joining Chelsea?

5 When did Galway win their only league title?

Answers Q.1 Park Ji Sung. Q.2 David James (Liverpool, Aston Villa, Portsmouth), Dennis Wise ( Wimbledon, Chelsea, Millwall). Q.3 Jimmy Conway. Q.4 John Connolly.

Q.5 1993. Q.6 Belgium. Q.7 Felix Healy. Q.8 Ally McCoist, Brian McClair, Paul McStay, Gary McAllister. Q.9 Kenny Sansom. Q.10 Bayer Leverkusen.

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.06 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Bohemian FC

41 41

Tony O’Connell Seán Creedon

First Kerryman to play for Ireland That was a European

were signed by Shamrock Rovers.

Championship qualifier at

I got to play a few games with

Dalymount and little did

the legendary Paddy Coad and

O’Connell realise that he would

his ‘Colts’ before Paddy returned

go on to have such strong links

to his native Waterford.’’

with the Phibsboro club.

A great performance for the

The late Con Houlihan often said that most Irish people were introduced to soccer in 1966 when the World Cup Final was played in England and some of the games were shown live on

Tony O’Connell was born in

League of Ireland team against

Caherslee, Tralee in February

an English League selection at

1941 and his family moved to

Dalymount in October 1963 had

Dublin when he was six years

the scouts on O’Connell’s trail

old. Initially the family lived on

after Tony ran England captain

Clonliffe Road, in the shadow of

Jimmy Armfield ragged in a 2-1

Croke Park.

win for the home side.

O’Connell attended the famous

Instead of accepting any of the

O’Connell Schools on the North

offers from England Tony went in

Circular Road and he played

the other direction, to New York

Gaelic football for the school and

where he spent one season in

for the O’Tooles club while also

the Big Apple. He later moved to

playing soccer for Home Farm.

Canada where he linked up with

RTE Television. The national

the flamboyant Malcolm Allison

station had only been launched

Tony said: ‘‘I tried to combine

four and a half years earlier.

both codes and often played for

The ‘beautiful game’ was already popular in big towns and cities and 1966 was also the year that Tralee-born Tony O’Connell became the first player from Kerry to be capped at senior

and Toronto City.

three different clubs at

O’Connell returned to Rovers

weekends, but the GAA’s

and won three FAI Cup medals

infamous ‘Ban’ on foreign games

with The Hoops, beating

was in force back then and

Shelbourne in the 1962 final and

eventually I had to decide

Limerick in the ‘65 and ‘66 finals.

between Soccer and Gaelic

Then came an offer from

football.

Glentoran. On the way north to

level for The Republic of Ireland.

sign for the Belfast club he

O’Connell won the first of his two

‘‘I left Home Farm and moved to

stopped in Dundalk and signed

caps in a 0-0 draw against Spain

Stella Maris and then the whole

for the Lilywhites. Tony would go

on October 23, 1966.

of the Stella Maris under 16 team

on to help Dundalk win the

42

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.06 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Bohemian FC

Ronan O’Flaherty

Tony managed two Dublin junior clubs Tolka Rovers and Ashtownvilla, the latter famously knocked Dundalk and Derry City out of the FAI Cup in 1991.

Then his Jodi connections brought him in contact with drapery store owner Harry Corry, who at the time was President of Irish League club Crusaders.

O’Connell began to ferry players Tony (front row, second from the right) with Rovers in 1965

from Dublin to play for Crusaders and with the addition of the

League of Ireland title in the

year to concentrate on his

1965-66 season.

business interests. ‘‘Before I went to the US I had acquired a few

In March 1969, Tony bought out

agencies and later somebody

his contract with Dundalk to sign

suggested to me that instead of

for Bohemians. In doing so, he

importing goods I should get in

became Bohemians’ first ever

the business of manufacturing

professional after the club

stretch covers for car seats. I

members changed their 79-year-

established the Jodi company in

old constitution to allow payment

Duleek where we made the

to players.

stretch covers and curtains and my sales’ director was another

Tony won his fourth FAI Cup

former Bohemians player

medal in 1970 when Bohs beat

Turlough O’Connor,’’ said Tony.

Sligo Rovers 2-1, O’Connell getting the winner in the second

Jodi would later become

replay. Later that year he won his

Bohemians first shirt sponsors in

second international cap against

the nineties and the main stand

Poland at Dalymount.

in Dalymount is known as the

southern players the Shore Road club won the Irish League twice in the nineties. Tony was rewarded when he was elected Vice-President of Crusaders.

O’Connell was elected President of Bohemians in 1993 and is now an Honorary Life President. He was inducted in the club’s Hall of Fame in 2007. When crowds are allowed back to LOI games you will find Kerry’s first-ever senior soccer international among old friends in the Jackie Jameson Lounge at Dalymount every second Friday night.

Jodi Stand.

O’Connell retired the following

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.06 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Bohemian FC

43

Club History Dermot Looney

1944/45 Part 1: Leinster Junior Cup and Saxone Cup Winners As Europe moved towards the end of World War II, provincial football at home continued to see further changes. Division II of the Leinster Senior League was expanded to 20 teams, with St Patrick’s Athletic joined by newcomers including 6th Brigade B, Transport, and 44th LDF. The presence of two army teams was not a surprise as there were estimated to be up to 200 defence forces teams in the country at the time.

The League expansion also led to a different format in which the division was divided into two sections. No tables or details of the sections have been published in any of the available newspaper archives, but Pat’s section seem to have included Strandville, St Paul’s, 6th Brigade B, Buccaneers, Bohemians C, Ierne, Midland, Clontarf and Portobello.

While results from most of the matches are available, goalscorer details and match reports are in short supply. The confusion is added to by the fact that for several weekends each month, there were no games at

all for the Saints. I have only been able to note 11 League games from the available records, which in a section of 10 teams is an unusual number.

A mixed start to the season saw an opening win against Strandville and a 3-0 away loss to St Paul’s, who had moved from Richmond Park to Seaview Rd. Pat’s knocked the 6th Brigade for six on September 30th on a 7-1 scoreline. The Athletic returned to League action on December 16th with another 2-2 draw, this time at home to Midland. Around this time Pat’s were in second place in the League with a game in hand on the section leaders.

The Saints rounded off 1944 with a 4-1 win away to Buccaneers in Vernon Avenue on December 30th.

League matches remained sporadic in the New Year. On January 13th Pat’s drew 1-1 with St Paul’s at Richmond Park.

February’s one League game saw a 3-1 win over Clontarf, while another 1-1 draw came on March 10th at home to Ierne. April 22nd saw Brogan net a hat-trick as Pat’s defeated Portobello 3-2.

No tables were published but Ierne were winners of the

44

section, and they defeated the other section winners Transport in the replay of the test match for the league championship in June. Pat’s finishing position was not published in any available archive but it is likely that they were second in their section given the record in matches published is 6 wins, 4 draws and one loss.

Cup competitions were again to be the source of Saints silverware this season. Pat’s had last won the Leinster Junior Cup before the war, in 1938/39, and since then had struggled in the competition, only once progressing past the third round.

But this season saw wins against Meathville B (8-4), Clontarf (4-1), Longford Celtic (3-2) and Postal Arcadians (3-1) before a 2-1 semi-final replay win against Home Farm, following a 2-2 draw.

The final took place against the 44th Local Defence Force on May 13th at Dalymount Park. The game finished in a 0-0 draw with high wind a factor, according to the Herald. Although Patrick’s did most of the attacking, “the forward lines lacked finish.”

The replay took place at Dalymount on June 3rd. Pat’s lifted the Leinster Junior Cup for

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.06 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Bohemian FC

@dlooney

the first round of the FAI Junior Cup on a 2-1 scoreline. Pat’s reached the semi-final of the Johnson Cup, the League Cup for Division II of the LSL, being beaten 3-1 by Ierne.

the second time after a 1-0 win thanks to a 25th minute goal from Wall. The Herald described it as “a hard and fast game.” The Saints made several team changes, including three players from their successful Minor side. These youngsters justified their selection, according to the match report. Outstanding for Pat’s, according to the Herald, were O’Byrne, Maher, Mullally, O’Brien and Hartnett, from the minors.

St Pat’s entered the Saxone Cup for the first time in June 1945. This was a new competition for the season, run by the FAI. “Owing to the lateness in the season,” explained Nat in the Herald, it was confined to areas where teams had done well in the major junior competitions; i.e. Dublin and the DundalkDrogheda area. Pat’s were joined by Transport, Aer Corps and Aughrim in the Dublin area.

Pat’s defeated Aughrim on June 9th in the Dublin semi-final on a 3-2 scoreline. The Dublin Area final against Aer Corps, the Eastern Command champions, was brought forward to Wednesday, June 20th at Tolka Park. Pat’s ran out 2-0 winners, with goals from Cummins and Wall. Unusually, the winning players received replicas of the trophy, rather than medals.

Among the goalscorers this season were Horton, Downing, Timery, Myles, O’Sullivan, Russell, McCallion, Maher, Stokes, Brogan, Mooney, Foley, Lanigan, Wylie, Daly and Wall, while Mullally, O’Byrne, O’Brien and Roche are also noted for their performances. Several of the players debuting this season went on to extraordinary careers, among them three men with the name Jimmy – Kinihan, Hartnett and Cummins.

Jimmy Kinihan had lined out for St James’ Gate in the 1942/43 season, scoring 2 League of Ireland goals, but the Gate had since dropped out of LOI football. A forward who scored at least 14 goals this season, Kinihan continued to play for Pat’s until they entered the League of Ireland. Remarkably, from 1947 on he rotated between the forward line and goalkeeper, eventually settling on the latter position from 1949, going on to become our first netminder of the League of Ireland era.

Jimmy Hartnett and Jimmy “Timber” Cummins both starred for the extraordinary St Patrick’s Athletic minor team this season; we’ll have more on that successful side in our next edition.

The Saints were defeated by new club Transport in

Season Statistics League position:

Likely 2nd (in their section).

Cup record:

Leinster Junior Cup Winners, Saxone Cup(Dublin Area) Winners, Johnson Cup SF, FAI Junior Cup 1R

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.06 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Bohemian FC

45

Stephen Bennett@stebenn15

Harp Lager National League Premier Division Irish Independent - Saturday 19th September 1998

ST PATRICK'S ATH 3 BOHEMIANS 0 THREE players were sent off, two from beleaguered Bohemians, as St Patrick's maintained their 100 per cent record at the top of the Premier Division, and Bohemians hit rock bottom.

St Patrick's also had Keith Doyle red-carded, but they left the field much the happier after a thrilling match that also provided the crowd of some 4,000 with a missed penalty and a bizarre own goal.

After a tentative start, the game came to the boil in the 26th minute, when St Pat's should have taken the lead, and Bohemians mid-fielder, Raffaele De Gregorio, was sent off for a deliberate hand ball.

Robbie Bruton of Bohs and Ian Gilzean of St Pats batle for possession in last night’s game at Richmond Park.

46

A Robbie Devereux corner was headed against the Bohemians cross bar by Paul Osam, and in the scramble that followed De Gregorio raised his arm against the ball to keep it out of the net, and was sent off by referee Jim O’Neill.

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.06 • St Patrick’s Athletic v bohemian fc

superb saves from Devereux and Gormley, before St Pat's got their second goal on 64 minutes.

driving home from the edge of the box, after Molloy had cleverly dummied Martin Riley’s cross.

Martin Russell floated a free kick into the area and Ian Gilzean volleyed home his fourth goal of the season.

ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC

Ten minutes later a scuffle between Bohemians Captain, Tony O'Connor, and teenager Doyle, resulted in referee O'Neill sending both of them off.

HEADS I WIN... Derek Swan and Keith Doyle battle it out at Richmond Park.

There was a reprieve for Bohemians, when Trevor Molloy shot the penalty against the foot of Jason Batty’s right-hand post.

Down to 10 men, Bohemians really struggled in the run up to half-time, and Osam wasted a clear chance to put St Pat's in front during firsthalf injury time, when blazing over the top from Doyle's cross.

Wood; Croly. McGuinness, Lynch, Doyle; Devereux, Gormley, Russell, Osam; Molloy, Gilzean.

Sub. Riley for Gilzean 89 minutes.

BOHEMIANS

Bohemians then almost snatched a goal back on 83 minutes, when Trevor Croly cleared off the line from substitute Graham Lawlor, and Trevor Wood tipped over from Brendan Place.

Batty: O'Hanlon, Maher, Place, Brunton; Harkin, O'Connor, De Gregorio, Mooney; Swan, Ngata.

But it was undoubtedly Pat's night, and Osam had the last say with a tremendous third goal in injury time when

REFEREE J O'Neill (Waterford).

Sub. Lawlor for Swan 50 mins.

Broughan for Ngata 80 minutes.

Bohemians house then really began to fall in, within two minutes of the start of the second-half when they gifted St Pats with the lead when Robbie Brunton, under no pressure at all, shot Eddie Gormley's cross into his own net.

That lifted St Patrick's and the crowd, and Bohemians simply fell under.

Batty worked miracles to keep them in the match with JUMP TO IT... McGuinness of St Pats gets above Packie Lynch of Bohs.

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.06 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Bohemian FC

47

Local Heroes Kay Mills Stephen Bennett

Our fourth Local Hero is Kathleen 'Kay' Mills - the legendary Dublin camogie player who won a record 15 All-Ireland titles and 18 Leinster championships...

If Kathleen Mills and St Patrick's Athletic had one thing in common, it would be the playing field known as The Plant in Inchicore's CIE Estate.

It was on this field, once known as the 'pond field' (for the simple reason that a pond existed on the site before it became a recreational ground), that St Pat's played their first recognised game of football, being founded in the CIE Works which lies only metres away.

she started playing at the age of five before joining the CIE Camogie club.

Through her father, who worked at the Great Southern and Western Railway, the two pence deducted from his wages every week to fund his children's sporting activities seemed to be well spent.

Kay made her camogie debut with the Great Southern Railways club in 1938 at the age of 14, and it was here where her name started to carry across the capital.

Across from the field lies the house where Kay Mill was born in South Square back Three years later, and still only in October 1923, and even aged 16, Kay made her though a green exists in senior debut for Dublin front of the houses, it The plaque which hangs outside 1 Abercorn Terrace, and never looked back. wouldn't be inconceivable Inchicore in memory of Kay Mills to suggest that the Plant She was part of the team was used by her on a that went all the way to the 1938 All-Ireland final, regular basis to hone her obvious skills with a hurl. losing to Cork.

Did a young Kay Mills and her friends go to the Plant to watch St Pat's play? It's quite possible, because what we do know is that as a pupil at the local Goldenbridge convent, Kathleen was a keen soccer and table tennis player.

But her legacy to the rich sporting landscape of Inchicore still holds today.

But revenge would be swift as a year later, following a replay, a 17-year-old Kay Mills won her first All-Ireland title with the Dubs.

Kay had to wait another five years for her next AllIreland, finally seeing off Cork after two previous defeats to the Leesiders in the previous years.

Following the death of her mother when Kay was just 18 months old, she moved across the CIE estate to live with her maternal grandmother Charlotte Wills in Abercorn Terrace, and it is there where a plaque paying tribute to her was unveiled back in 2010.

Her 50-yard goal in that 1943 final was regarded as the highlight of the game. Another All-Ireland win followed in 1944, but a dispute in the 1945 and '46 seasons with the GAA kept the Dublin side out of the All-Ireland championship, despite the county being Leinster champions.

Despite her prowess at soccer and table tennis, it became clear that her first love became camogie, which

In 1947, Kathleen got married to George Hill and

48

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.06 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Bohemian FC

@stebenn15

outside of camogie they ran the Red Seal Handbag company on the North Circular Road before moving the business to Hill Street - a case of Hill Street Blues, perhaps.

Back on the field of play, Mills and Dublin reclaimed their crown in 1948 - a fourth All-Ireland winner's medal for the Inchicore star.

The 1950s heralded a period of dominance for Mills and Dublin as she helped her native county to a famous six-in-a-row of All-Ireland titles between 1950 and 1955.

Despite losing their title to Antrim in the 1957 decider, Dublin wrestled their crown back in 1958 for Mills' 12th All-Ireland gold.

Kay captured three more All-Irelands in 1959, '60 and '61 - with that appearance becoming her last in a Dublin shirt. Ironically, the occasion also fell on her 38th birthday.

One of Inchicore's brightest sporting lights, Kathleen gave a stellar 22 years of service to Dublin camogie and is rightly regarded as one of the all-time greats of the game.

Later in life Kathleen and her husband George became vintners, running the Seventh Lock pub on the Grand Canal near Ballyfermot. She had also moved up to live on the Naas Road by that time.

Kathleen Mills passed away in August 1996 - the plaudits and tributes were many, but something had to be done to preserve her legacy.

In 2010, the silverware for the All-Ireland Junior Camogie Championship was renamed the Kay Mills Cup. A plaque in her honour was also erected at her home in Abercorn Terrace in Inchicore where she grew up.

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.06 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Bohemian FC

Kay Mills after one of her 15 All-Ireland camogie final wins

When it was decided that a new bridge built in Dublin city centre between O'Connell Bridge and Butt Bridge would be the subject of a public vote, the Dublin Camogie Board campaigned to have it named the Kay Mills Bridge.

Kathleen made Dublin City Council's shortlist of five names for the naming of the new bridge, but sadly she narrowly lost the vote to Rosie Hackett.

She was, however, in esteemed company with Bram Stoker, Willie Bermingham and Frank Duff all losing out.

Nevertheless, the girl from Inchicore who became a camogie icon, will be forever remembered.

49

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2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.06 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Bohemian FC

Ronan O’Flaherty @karl_pats

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2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.06 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Bohemian FC

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35 51

A View from Afar Ian Templeman

In the last edition of “The Saint”, I wrote about some programmes I had found on a visit to my attic, which prompted some memories of my first League of Ireland games.

At the same time, I also came across the match programme from my first ever visit to Richmond Park, which was on Friday 8th November 1996 when Home Farm Everton were the visitors. I was over for a weekend break in Dublin, and with a Friday night game available, I made what is now the familiar journey by bus from the City Centre to the bus stop across the road on Emmet Road, to experience a match night in Inchicore for the first time.

A glance through the programme reveals that Brian Kerr was the manager at the time, Pat Dolan was Chief Executive and the Pats squad included plenty of names that are well known to me now but weren’t back then – among them, Keith Long, Johnny McDonnell, Eddie Gormley, Paul Osam, Trevor Croly and Liam Buckley.

But there is one other name in the Pats squad, who requires a special mention - a man who played in the game that night, and a man who is responsible for attracting my attention towards St Patrick’s Athletic, and establishing them as my League of Ireland favourites.

Back in the late 1980s I lived in London for a few years, and having settled in Wimbledon, I began following the local team. At that time, Wimbledon FC were infamously known as the “Crazy Gang” and for a five-year period I was there watching all the big games as they upset illustrious opponents on their way to finishing in the top half of the old English Division One, and winning the FA Cup in 1988.

I had a number of favourite players during that period and one of them was Paul McGee. He arrived at Plough

52

Lane fairly unheralded, joining after a brief spell at Colchester United, but he soon became a firm favourite of the fans, mainly because he was a fairly diminutive figure but was a ferocious competitor who gave 100% for the cause.

Probably his most famous moment arrived on his 21st birthday, when he scored a cracking goal against Arsenal at Highbury, that eventually earned Wimbledon a draw in a result that severely dented the Gunners’ title hopes.

I left London to move back up to the North of England towards the end of Paul’s best season at Wimbledon, the 1990–91 season, when he was Wimbledon's second highest scorer in the league with six goals.

From then until that November evening in 1996 in Richmond Park, I had lost track of Paul’s career, but as soon as I saw him run out on to the pitch in a red and white jersey, on the spot I decided that I was not going to be a neutral on the night – I was supporting the Saints, as they were fielding one of my favourite players from the previous decade, who I had enjoyed watching many times in the blue of Wimbledon.

The game itself ended in a 2-1 win for Home Farm Everton, but none the less, my interest in following the Saints had begun.

Bringing the story up to date, just after coming across the programme from 1996 around Christmas-time, I began reading a newly published book by Damian Lawlor called “When the World Stops Watching: Life After the Game”, one of the books on my Christmas list.

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.06 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Bohemian FC

Ronan O’Flaherty @iantemplemanloi The book, which is a compelling read, tells the stories of sixteen Irish sports stars, and how they adjusted to normal life after retirement from playing at the top level of their chosen sports.

Among those featured are Tommy Bowe, Paul Carberry, Niall Quinn – and Paul McGee. I naturally turned to that story first of all, for obvious reasons - but Paul’s story of life after retirement from professional football wasn’t quite what I had expected.

As I read on, I was to find out that Paul’s career in England came pretty much to a halt shortly after I left London. His performances for Wimbledon had alerted the manager who originally signed him, Bobby Gould, who had then moved to take at Coventry City, and a £2.5 million transfer was agreed. Paul called into the Wimbledon training ground to say his farewells, and fatefully decided to take part in one last training session before travelling up to Coventry for a medical.

About 20 minutes into the session, he fell awkwardly after challenging for a cross – and suffered an injury that would affect his career from that moment onwards. He was rushed to hospital, an operation was needed, and the move to Coventry was cancelled. As he lay in his hospital bed on the day of his operation, a letter arrived for him – it was from Jack Charlton, calling him up to the senior Republic of Ireland squad for the first time. But fate had decreed Paul would never be able to add any senior appearances for the Republic to the Under 21 caps he had earned.

The recovery from his injury was long and torturous, and although he remained on Wimbledon’s books for several years, he never played regularly in the first team again. He came back home to Ireland, had a spell at Linfield, and then after coming south to join Bohemians, he

made the trip across the city to Richmond Park, where he made 13 appearances in the red and white.

After dropping into the Leinster Senior League to finish his playing career, he worked in different jobs, but life was becoming more difficult. In 2011, he contemplated taking his own life, only to be saved by a friend who had followed him home from a meeting in the pub and who had been concerned about Paul’s state of mind.

Happily, the story ends on a more upbeat note as we are told that Paul has got his life back on track, now works as a courier and is also involved in working for the suicideprevention charity Pieta House.

Where previously it was hard to talk about his career, he now enjoys sharing stories from his time as a professional footballer, which is good to hear.

It was a sobering read none the less, and one which I hadn’t expected when I started on the story. At the same time it made me reflect on my own experience of watching Paul McGee in his playing days, and how easily hopes and dreams can be shattered in one life-defining moment.

It is very sad, to say the least, that Paul’s playing career ended in such a heartbreaking way and left him with so many thoughts about what might have been, while at the same time I got a lot of pleasure out of watching him.

It may never be possible, but one day I would like to meet Paul, and shake him by the hand. I’d like to tell him in person about the enjoyment he gave me while I watched him play for Wimbledon all those years ago, but more than that, about his appearance in a Pats jersey on that November evening in 1996. It was

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.06 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Bohemian FC

his presence that attracted me to follow the club, and have done ever since, and for that I am indebted to him.

It’s a strange quirk of life that the paths we end up taking can often be shaped by chance encounters. We can start journeys at different times and places, but when we encounter others, we end up sharing moments, events and experiences.

Paul McGee only made 13 appearances for St Patrick’s Athletic, but I will be eternally grateful that one of them happened to be on the night that I turned up to watch a game at Richmond Park for the first time. It maybe wasn’t a game that will live long in Paul’s memory – but it’s certainly one that I will never forget.

It’s taken me longer than it should have done to say this – thank you Paul.

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

53

SSE Airtricity. Official Sponsor of the Premier Division.

Player Apps & Goals 2021 League of Ireland

FAI Cup

Total

Start

Sub

App

Goals

Start

Sub

App

Goals

Start

Sub

App

Goals

Vítězslav Jaroš

11

0

11

0

0

0

0

0

11

0

11

0

John Mountney

9

2

11

1

0

0

0

0

9

2

11

1

Ian Bermingham

8

2

10

1

0

0

0

0

8

2

10

1

Sam Bone

9

0

9

1

0

0

0

0

9

0

9

1

Lee Desmond

11

0

11

0

0

0

0

0

11

0

11

0

Jamie Lennon

0

10

1

11

0

0

0

0

0

10

1

11

Robbie Benson

5

1

6

1

0

0

0

0

5

1

6

1

Chris Forrester

11

0

11

3

0

0

0

0

11

0

11

3

Nahum Melvin-Lambert

0

3

3

1

0

0

0

0

0

2

1

1

Ronan Coughlan

9

1

10

3

0

0

0

0

9

1

10

3

Jason McClellend

2

4

6

0

0

0

0

0

2

4

6

0

10

1

11

1

0

0

0

0

10

1

11

1

Paddy Barrett

5

2

7

0

0

0

0

0

5

2

7

0

Billy King

8

2

10

1

0

0

0

0

8

2

10

1

Alfie Lewis

3

4

7

0

0

0

0

0

3

4

7

0

Darragh Burns

3

3

6

2

0

0

0

0

3

3

6

2

Ben McCormack

1

5

6

0

0

0

0

0

1

5

6

0

Shane Griffin

4

2

6

0

0

0

0

0

4

2

6

0

Barry Murphy

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Josh Keeley

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Cian Kelly

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Kian Corbally

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Daniel Norris

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Jamie Whelan

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Own Goal

0

0

0

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

Matty Smith

PREMIER LEAGUE TABLE

Pld

W

D

L

F

A

GD

Pts

1

Shamrock Rovers

11

8

3

0

19

7

12

27

W W W W

LAST 5 MATCHES

2

St Patrick’s Athletic

11

6

3

2

16

9

7

21

W W

D

L

L

3

Sligo Rovers

10

5

4

1

12

7

5

19

W

L

D

D

W

4

Drogheda United

11

4

4

3

21

10

11

16

L

D

D

W W

5

Finn Harps

11

4

3

4

9

14

-5

15

L

L

W

L

6

Bohemians

11

4

2

5

14

12

2

14

L

L

D

W W

D

D

7

Dundalk

11

2

5

4

13

13

0

11

W W

D

L

D

8

Derry City

11

2

4

5

9

15

-6

10

W W

L

D

D

9

Longford Town

11

1

4

6

8

18

-10

7

L

L

D

D

L

10

2

0

8

5

21

-16

6

L

W

L

L

L

10 Waterford United

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.06 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Bohemian FC

55 55

Results & Lineouts 2021 Date

Opposition

Venue Comp Score

Fri 19 Mar

Shamrock Rovers

Away

Series 1

1-1

Jaroš

Mountney

Griffin

Desmond

Barrett

Lennon

King

Sat 27 Mar

Drogheda Utd

Home Series 2

2-1

Jaroš

Mountney

Griffin

Desmond

Bone

Lennon

McClelland

Sat 03 Apr

Bohemians

Away

Series 3

1-0

Jaroš

Mountney

Bermingham

Desmond

Bone

Lennon

Burns

Fri 09 Apr

Derry City

Home Series 4

2-0

Jaroš

Mountney

Bermingham

Desmond

Bone

Lennon

King

Sat 17 Apr

Dundalk

Away

Series 5

1-1

Jaroš

Mountney

Bermingham

Desmond

Bone

Lennon

McClelland

Tue 20 Apr

Waterford

Home Series 6

1-0

Jaroš

Griffin

Bermingham

Desmond

Barrett

Lewis

McCormack

Fri 23 Apr

Finn Harps

Away

Series 7

2-0

Jaroš

Mountney

Bermingham

Desmond

Bone

Barrett

Lennon

Fri 30 Apr

Longford Town

Home Series 8

3-0

Jaroš

Griffin

Barrett

Desmond

Bone

Lennon

Burns

Mon 03 May

Sligo Rovers

Away

Series 9

1-1

Jaroš

Mountney

Bermingham 1

Desmond

Bone

Barrett

Lennon

Sat 08 May

Shamrock Rovers

Home Series 10

1-2

Jaroš

Mountney

Bermingham

Desmond

Bone

Lennon

King

Fri 14 May

Drogheda Utd

Away

Series 11

1-3

Jaroš

Mountney

Bermingham

Desmond

Bone

Lennon

King

Fri 21 May

Bohemians

Home Series 12

0-1

Mon 24 May

Derry City

Away

Series 13

0-1

Fri 28 May

Dundalk

Home Series 14

0-1

Sat 12 June

Longford Town

Away

Series 15

0-1

Fri 18 June

Sligo Rovers

Home Series 16

0-1

Mon 21 June Finn Harps

Home Series 17

0-1

Fri 25 June

Waterford

Away

Series 18

0-1

Fri 02 July

Bohemians

Away

Series 19

0-1

Fri 09 July

Derry City

Home Series 20

0-1

Fri 16 July

Drogheda Utd

Home Series 21

0-1

Fri 30 July

Shamrock Rovers

Away

Series 22

0-1

Fri 06 Aug

Dundalk

Away

Series 23

0-1

Fri 13 Aug

Waterford

Home Series 24

0-1

Fri 20 Aug

Finn Harps

Away

Series 25

0-1

Fri 03 Sept

Longford Town

Home Series 26

0-1

Sat 11 Sept

Sligo Rovers

Away

Series 27

0-1

Fri 24 Sept

Shamrock Rovers

Home Series 28

0-1

Fri 01 Oct

Drogheda Utd

Away

Series 29

0-1

Fri 08 Oct

Bohemians

Home Series 30

0-1

Fri 15 Oct

Derry City

Away

Series 31

0-1

Mon 25 Oct

Dundalk

Home Series 32

0-1

Sat 30 Oct

Longford Town

Away

Series 33

0-1

Fri 05 Nov

Sligo Rovers

Home Series 34

0-1

Fri 12 Nov

Finn Harps

Home Series 35

0-1

Fri 19 Nov

Waterford

Away

Series 36

0-1

Starting XI

Chris

Extra.ie FAI Cup Dates

EA Sports Cup

1st Round - Week Ending 25th July

The 2021 edition of the EA Sports Cup has been cancelled

2nd Round - Week Ending 29th August

1

Quarter Finals - Week Ending 19th September Semi-Finals - Week Ending 24th October Final - Week Ending November 28th

56

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.06 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Bohemian FC

League

FAI Cup

1st Sub

2nd Sub 3rd Sub

4th Sub

5th Sub 1 Goals Scored

P Penalty OG Own Goal For

* Own Goal

Yellow Card

Red Card

Substitutes Benson

Coughlan

Forrester

Smith

McClelland

Bone

Bermingham

Benson

Coughlan 1

Forrester

Smith

Bermingham

Burns

King

Coughlan 1

Forrester

Smith

Barrett

McClelland

Coughlan

Forrester

Smith

Burns

McClelland

Benson

Coughlan

Forrester

Smith

Barrett

King

Coughlan

Forrester

Burns

Coughlan

Forrester

Smith

Benson Benson

King

1

1

Lewis

King

Forrester

King

Coughlan

Forrester

Lewis

Coughlan

Forrester

Lewis

Coughlan

Forrester

2

1

Burns

Kelly

McCormack

Melvin-Lambert

Murphy

Keeley

Corbally

Lewis

McCormack

Melvin-Lambert

Murphy

Keeley

King

Corbally

Lewis

McCormack

Melvin-Lambert

Murphy

Keeley

Lewis

Melvin-Lambert

Barrett

McCormack

Corbally

Murphy

Keeley

King

Lewis

Corbally

Burns

McCormack

Melvin-Lambert

Murphy

Keeley

1 Benson

Mountney

Smith

Lennon

Bone

Corbally

Melvin-Lambert

Murphy

Keeley

1 Lewis

Griffin

McCormack

Corbally

Burns

Norris

Melvin-Lambert

Keeley

1

1

Smith

Coughlan 1

Mountney

Bermingham

McCormack

Corbally

Norris

Melvin-Lambert

Murphy

Smith

Burns

Lewis

McCormack

Corbally

Griffin

Norris

Melvin-Lambert

Murphy

Smith

Griffin

McClelland

McCormack

Melvin-Lambert

Norris

Corbally

Murphy

Keeley

Smith

McCormack

Barrett

Benson

Griffin

Corbally

Norris

Murphy

Melvin-Lambert 1

Keeley

s Forrester’s strike flies past Alan Mannus to put the Saints ahead against Rovers.

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.06 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Bohemian FC

57

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