The Saint (Vol 33 #9)

2021 Season • Premier Division • Vol. 33 • No. 09 Fri 9 July • Richmond Park, Inchicore, D8 • KO:7.45PM

VERSUS

Vítězslav Jaroš

Editorial

Ronan O’Flaherty

Ruairi Kavanagh

@stpatsprogramme

Good evening...

Rest assured that we will return to print,

Welcome back to even more of you!

although that will likely mean smaller It's a great night to be by the Camac river

editions or else an increased cover price.

with 500 Saints fans, a day that seemed very

Interested to hear any feedback that you

far away for a very long time. Let's hope that

might have, you can find us on Twitter

there will be many, many more of you joining

@stpatsprogramme or you can email me at

us in the not too distant future.

stpatsprogramme@gmail.com.

We have had plenty of questions about the

We are back at Richmond Park tonight after a

return of print editions of The Saint this year.

gruelling two weeks on the road, so let's

While we are committed to returning to print,

hope we can pick up a much-needed win. We

it won't be this season. The reason for this is

are still right in the mix, so let's keep it loud

the sheer size of the programme you are

and positive!

reading. Printing a programme of this size would mean a significant jump in terms of

See you soon!

price to cover the costs, and considering what you are reading now, you are reading

Ruairi Kavanagh

for free, I think it's more straightforward for

Editor

all concerned if we stay digital for the entire

The Saint

2021 season.

Contents 10

Oh My Word!

44

Republic of Ireland Red Cards

22

Supersaint

46

Club History

28

Opposition Watch

50

Local Heroes

32

Pats from the Past

54

A View from Afar

Programme Production Editor Ruairi Kavanagh

Design Joe O’Rourke

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.09 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Derry City

Photo Sportsfile & Inpho 3

Squads

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

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

St Patrick’s Athletic

Derry City

Manager:

Manager:

Ruaidhrí Higgins

Coaches:

Mark McChrystal and Rafael Cretaro

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

1 Nathan Gartside

GK o

o

3 Ciaran Coll

D

o

o

4 Ciaron Harkin

M

o

D

o

6 Eoin Toal

D

o

D

o

7 William Fitzgerald

M

o

6 Jamie Lennon

M

o

8 Joe Thomson

M

o

7 Robbie Benson

M

o

9 David Parkhouse

F

o

8 Chris Forrester

M

o

10 William Patching

F

o

10 Ronan Coughlan

F

o

11 James Akintunde

F

o

11 Jason McClellend

F

o

15 Ronan Boyce

D

o

12 Matty Smith

F

o

16 Mark McChrystal

D

o

15 Billy King

F

o

17 Joe Hodge

M

o

16 Alfie Lewis

M

o

19 Marc Walsh

F

o

17 Darragh Burns

F

o

20 Darren Cole

D

o

18 Ben McCormack

M

o

21 Cameron McJannet D

o

20 Shane Griffin

D

o

22 Mark McFadden

M

o

21 Barry Murphy

GK o

23 Danny Lupano

D

o

25 Josh Keeley

GK o

24 Danny Lafferty

D

o

28 Cian Kelly

D

o

26 Orrin McLaughlin

M

o

29 Paddy Barrett

D

o

28 Odhran Kennedy

M

o

31 Kian Corbally

M

o

29 Jack Malone

M

o

34 Adam Murphy

M

o

30 Jack Lemoignan

GK o

38 Thomas Lonergan

S

o

31 Patrick Ferry

F

o

39 James Abankwah

D

o

32 Caolon McLaughlin F

o

33 Aaron Harkin

M

o

35 Micheal Glynn

M

o

36 Brendan Barr

M

o

/stpatsfc stpatsfc /stpatsfc

Match Officials

/stpatsfctv

Referee Neil Doyle

info@stpatsfc.com stpatsfc.com

4

Half-Time

Assistant 1 Wayne McDonnell

Full-Time

Assistant 2 Darragh Keegan

4th Official Graham Kelly

MOTM

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No. 9 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Derry City

President’s Welcome Tom O’Mahony

@jimmyedwards41

Good Evening I want to extend a very warm welcome to

was an incredible piece of officiating,

the players and officials of Derry City and

demonstrating not just vision but also the

indeed to any Candystripes supporters

courage and confidence to back her

who may be reading this online. I'm also

judgement when she would have been

delighted that 500 of our own supporters

pilloried if she had been proven wrong.

can join us in Richmond Park and again

In Dalymount, however, it was her fellow

next week. With the big ramp-up in the

assistant referee who had to make the call

vaccination programme, I hope that

when the Bohs keeper spilled a shot and

number will increase significantly in the

it appeared to cross the line before he

coming months as this most competitive

clawed it back.. That call went against us

of seasons draws to a climax. Despite last

and I can't say definitively that it was

week's setback in Dalymount Park, we

wrong. Replaying the stream, it certainly

remain well-placed to challenge for the

looks like it was a goal but one can't be

title and the European places and it will

100% certain.

be good to have 500 of you cheering us on tonight as we try to get back to

The match was tense and exciting but we

winning form.

didn't perform to the level of recent weeks and, for the second week in a row,

But where was Michelle O'Neill when we

saw points slip away as a direct result of

really needed her?

sendings-off - damaging not just because of the points but also because, with a

Well, in fact, the highly-respected assistant

small squad, we really could do without

referee was in Dalymount but, unfortu-

the suspensions that follow. Resources to

nately for us, on the opposite side of the

strengthen the squad are limited but we

pitch to where we needed her to be. It

are adding some reinforcements in this

was, of course, Michelle who

transfer window and are particularly

demonstrated incredible sharpness of

pleased to have been able to hold on to

vision and raised her flag to signal a goal

Alfie Lewis till the end of the season. As

when Chris Forrester's thunderbolt

he settled into this league he has become

smashed off the underside of the crossbar

one of its outstanding midfielders and he

in our win at the Carlisle Grounds in 2014.

will have a big part to play in the coming

As Christy Fagan headed the rebound

months.

over the bar, Michelle was probably the only person in the ground who thought

I hope you enjoy the game!

that a goal had been scored, but TV replays showed clearly that the ball had

Tom O'Mahony

indeed hit the ground behind the goal-

President

line before bouncing back into play. It

St Patrick's Athletic FC

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No. 9 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Derry City

ST PATRICK’S ATHLETIC FOOTBALL CLUB 125 Emmet Road, Inchicore, Dublin 8, D08 E0Y7, Ireland Tel: +353 1 454 6332 +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 LOI SHIELD 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

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 Ruaidhrí Higgins, his players and backroom staff, and everybody connected with Derry City FC to Richmond Park for this evening's Premier Division match.

The previous two meetings between the sides this season have ended in a win for ourselves and a draw. The most recent clash – a 2-2 draw at the Brandywell – was an exciting game that illustrated how well matched the teams are.

We go into this evening's game on the back of a disappointing defeat against Bohemians at Dalymount Park. Despite getting back on level terms after falling a goal behind, we never quite found our rhythm. The two sendings off late in the game obviously had a bearing too. Unfortunately, Lee Desmond and Ian Bermingham will serve automatic bans.

They are important players and have performed very well this season, but we have a talented squad and whoever fills in will be up to the challenge.

Overall, the performance last weekend didn't match the high standards we have set for ourselves in recent weeks. That is not a criticism of the attitude of the team, which was again very positive. The players’ refusal to give up was rewarded with a late goal, which brought hope that we might sneak a draw, but it wasn't to be.

and a draw against Waterford. Against Sligo and Finn Harps in particular, we had some excellent periods of possession and were good value for the wins.

The accumulation of those points has helped maintain our position in the top three. After 19 games, we are relatively content with where we are. This evening, our objective is to bounce back with a victory. Of course, Derry City will have their own ideas about that, and they come into the game on the back of a victory over Waterford.

Tonight is our first home game in two and a half weeks and it’s great to welcome more supporters back into Richmond Park. We had 200 here for the recent league games against Sligo Rovers and Finn Harps. Such was the enthusiasm of our supporters during those games that it felt more like 2,000 fans. Your encouragement and support made all the difference in both games. The proof was in the pudding as the team ran out deserving winners on both occasions. Following a couple of games on the road, we can't wait to hear 500 of you in full voice this evening.

Enjoy the game,

In the three games prior to the Bohs game, the team picked up seven points out of nine, with wins over Sligo Rovers and Finn Harps,

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.09 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Derry City

Alan Mathews and Stephen O'Donnell

7

Pats 2 Sligo 0 Starting XI 1 Jaroš 2 Mountney 3 Bermingham 5 Desmond 7 Benson 8 Forrester 10 Coughlan 12 Smith 15 King 16 Lewis 29 Barrett Subs 17 Burns 6 Lennon 11 McClelland

8

Smith 7 mins Coughlan 73 mins

70

87 62

62 70 87

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.09 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Derry City

Richmond Park • 18 June 2021 • Premier Division Ronan O’Flaherty

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.09 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Derry City

9

Oh My Word!

Ronan O’Flaherty

Dublin woke to a wet and grey Tuesday morning in late March. It had been teeming down, on and off, all night. Grassy areas resembled wet sponges.

The Ireland football team was due to train at Lansdowne Road. It was an important training session. Mick McCarthy’s first match as manager, a friendly against Russia, would take place the following evening. International friendlies meant more to the masses in 1996.

For the younger players especially, training at Lansdowne Road the day before playing there in front of a full house would be ideal preparation.

Teenagers Shay Given and Mark Kennedy had both been called up. Given would make his debut while Kennedy, the most expensive teenager in British football history, would also line out having been blooded in the latter stages of the Jack Charlton era.

Shortly after the team arrived at the stadium, it was clear all was not well. Training was off, by order of the groundsman. If the match was to go ahead tomorrow, the pitch would have to be left alone today.

An alternative stadium, or pitch of any kind, had to be found.

Hands rested on hips, fingers scratched scalps, eyes rolled to the gods.

Then, phone calls were made. The AUL Complex and Dalymount Park had succumbed to the same overnight soaking. Non-runners.

Following consultation between Mick McCarthy, physio Mick Byrne and kitman Charlie O'Leary, it was decided 27 March 1996 - International debut for Shay Given that they would

10

head for Dublin 8 and the home of League of Ireland champions-elect, St Patrick’s Athletic.

McCarthy had taken his Millwall team to play St Pat's in a friendly a couple of years earlier. After the game, he made a point of complimenting St Pat's manager Brian Kerr on the facilities at Richmond Park.

McCarthy was particularly impressed by the size and layout of the dressing rooms.

The Ireland bus parked outside St Michael's Church, just across from Richmond Park. The manager and two members of staff got out. The players, Roy Keane among them, stayed on the bus and looked across the road in expectation of something happening.

From their vantage point, they would have seen Mick McCarthy, flanked by Mick Byrne and Charlie O'Leary, knocking on the door of 125 Emmet Road.

Despite deciding on Richmond Park as a training venue, nobody had rang St Pat's to let them know the Ireland team was on its way. And that would probably explain why nobody got the door when Mick knocked.

Football correspondent Tony O'Donoghue was reporting on the Ireland team for RTÉ. He recalls events well.

"As I said in the report that day, the trouble was nobody told St Pat's that the Ireland team was coming," says O'Donoghue. "So the bus arrives up Emmet Road, and McCarthy and Mick Byrne, maybe Charlie O'Leary as well, they get out and all of the rest of the lads stay on the bus. There's no coordinator, no logistics person. They're going over to the house, basically, to begin negotiations with St Pat's."

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.09 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Derry City

Ronan O’Flaherty @ronanoflaherty Fifteen minutes would pass from the first knock on the door to meeting with someone from the football club.

Philip Quinn covered the day's events in the Irish Independent.

He wrote: "It never rains but it pours.

That was how Mick McCarthy and the Irish squad must have felt yesterday when their scheduled runout at Lansdowne Road was called off at the eleventh hour.

"With Dalymount Park out of bounds, the squad hightailed it to Richmond Park, Inchicore, but nobody stopped to warn St Patrick’s Athletic. The team were holed up outside the ground for about a quarter of an hour before an embarrassed Pat Dolan, St Pat's chief executive, arrived to open the gates."

Dolan then said: "I've no problem accommodating Mick and the boys at short notice but someone should have been in touch. At least then I could have been there to welcome them."

Quinn wrote of the training session: "For about 45 minutes, the players sloshed and slithered about in the mud. There was no chance of working on set-pieces or shooting practice because of the conditions."

As the players boarded the bus to return to the team hotel, McCarthy made his way into McDowells public house, next door to the ground, to announce his first Ireland team.

"These days, press conferences are all backdrops and sponsors' logos and it's all very sanitised," says O'Donoghue. "But into McDowells we went and I would say, knowing one or two of the reporters, they might have called a pint.

"I especially recall just how surreal it was. It was like something you'd see in Father Ted. Mick was Mick though.

He'd take anything like that in his stride."

The team McCarthy announced was viewed as transitional, with plenty of quality but also lots of miles on the clock.

With the benefit of quarter-century hindsight, this was a good Ireland team.

Ten of them were employed by English Premier League teams. The odd one out, John Aldridge, was enjoying an Indian summer in the First Division with Tranmere Rovers.

Andy Townsend was the Ireland skipper, but it was the vice-captain who attracted most attention.

A key player in that season's titlechasing Manchester United team, Roy Keane's importance to Ireland was clear. But he wasn't without flaws. His disciplinary record was poor and questions remained over his temperament.

Ireland fans travelled in expectation back then. It has since been replaced by hope, and sometimes that's not even in supply.

Ireland gave Russia a two-goal head start before finally waking up.

Alexandr Mostovoi's close-range thunderbolt stunned the crowd into silence. Igor Kolyvanov's inch-perfect goal in the second half elicited a similar response.

The 42,000 paying spectators did finally find their voice, around the same time the players wearing green found their feet. When referee Hugo Luyten pointed to the spot with 21 minutes remaining, it was celebrated like a goal. However, Steve Staunton went for the no-frills approach, firing straight down the middle and Stanislav Cherchesov saved with his legs.

That wasn't the only near-miss. Niall

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.09 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Derry City

Quinn looked on in frustration as his header, from Staunton's corner, came back off the crossbar. Tony Cascarino should have done better with the rebound but the ball got stuck under his feet. Quinn eventually did put the ball in the net but his celebrations were cut short by the raised flag of a linesman.

With the game deep into injury time, Keane won a free kick under the West Stand for a foul by Omari Tetradze. What looked an innocuous foul was not deemed so by Keane.

His subsequent flick of the boot to Tetradze's shin sent the Russian to the canvas.

The referee reached straight for his red card. Keane wasn't finished, throwing the ball in the direction of Tetradze before trudging towards the tunnel, head bowed. McCarthy blanked him as he walked by. Or maybe it was the other way around.

Both men firm in their resolve not to catch the other's eye.

"Roy's a top-class player but all the positive things he did in the game will be overshadowed by what happened at the end, which is a pity," said McCarthy. "It was a moment of silliness. I did silly things when I was 24."

Keane didn't hang around to answer questions after the game, making a quick dash to Dublin Airport, where a plane had been sent by Manchester United.

"I keep coming back to the following day and Keane and the sending off," says O'Donoghue. "He had been hanging around on the bus before training, probably going… well, you can imagine the frustration of people who are used to things being done properly."

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

11

Dodge’s Data!

John Owens

League Record v Derry City HOME GAMES

AWAY GAMES

13

17 23

TOTAL GAMES

20

52

36

37

52

104

19

12 GOALS

31 GOALS

71

47

GOALS

52

Record League Scores 26/10/18

07/04/09

28/12/87

16/10/94

5-0

0-3

3-0

3-0

07/10/99

27/06/08

05/06/15

10/12/95

58

123

105

Terry Kelly Terry captained Derry City in 1985 and was the first football player in the world to captain a club he played with in two different national

3-0

3-0

3-0

1-5

leagues.

ON THIS DAY - 9th JULY I Turner, Graham Kelly, T Byrne, M Leahy, J Keegan

2018

Richmond Park

Leinster Senior Cup Rd2

Wexford

5-0

2017

Turners Cross

LOI

Cork City

0-1

2016

Showgrounds

LOI

Sligo Rovers

0-1

2015

Richmond Park

Europa Lge QR1 2nd Leg

Skonto Riga

0-2

2010

Richmond Park

LOI

UCD

2-1

Shane Guthrie 2

2004

O2 Park

LOI

Drogheda United

2-0

K Fahey, A O’Keeffe

12

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.09 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Derry City

Ronan O’Flaherty @seidodge

Last 10 games v Derry City WIN

Date

Venue

Competition

24/05/21

Brandywell

League

Richmond Park

League

18/09/20

Brandywell

League

03/08/20

Richmond Park

League

22/10/19

Brandywell

League

3-1

Richmond Park

League

1-0

Brandywell

League

Richmond Park

League

Richmond Park

League

DRAW

LOSE

2-2

L Desmond, B King

09/04/21

2-0

R Benson, D Burns

0-0 0-2

C Forrester, J Doona 2

21/05/19 K Toner

10/05/19

1-1

L Desmond

15/04/19

1-3

G Shaw

26/10/18

5-0

C Clifford, J Doona 2, K Toner, J Keegan

24/08/18

Brandywell

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.09 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Derry City

FAI Cup 2Rd

0-1 13

Squad Sponsorship Vítězslav Jaroš

John Mountney

Ian Bermingham

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14

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.09 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Derry City

Ronan O’Flaherty

Robbie Benson

Chris Forrester

Ronan Coughlan

Midfield

Midfield

Forward

7

8

10

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DECED

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2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.09 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Derry City

15

Squad Sponsorship Billy King

Alfie Lewis

Darragh Burns

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SCOTT KELLY

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.09 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Derry City

Ronan O’Flaherty

Josh Keeley

Daniel Norris

Cian Kelly

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2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.09 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Derry City

17

18

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

Irish Independent Saturday 10 July 2004

JULY

09 2004

DROGHEDA UNITED 0 ST PATRICK'S ATH 2

Fahey sets up Saints DROGHEDA UNITED'S dream of playing in Europe next season took a setback last night when they were sunk by two first half goals by St Pat's at United Park.

A through ball down the middle by Fahy put Aidan O'Keeffe clear and he raced towards the penalty area before calmly slotting the ball past the advancing Rogers.

Poor finishing and equally bad defensive play cost the home side dearly for they certainly had the chances but couldn't put them away.

Drogheda made a desperate push to get back into the game in the second half but with Declan O'Brien blasting wide in the 52nd minute and John Lester hitting the bar, their efforts failed to yield a goal.

It only took the visitors 10 minutes to get on the scoresheet and when they did it was all because the Drogheda defence was caught napping.

A poor clearance by defender Brian Kelly landed at the foot of Keith Fahy who spotted keeper Gary Rogers off his line and tapped in to the empty net.

Although Drogheda went close from frees through Andy Myler in the 15th minute and John Lester in the 26th, St Pat's stretched their lead in the 28th minute when once again dreadful defending let the visitors in.

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.09 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Derry City

DROGHEDA UNITED: Rogers, Flanagan, Kelly, Lynch (Sandvliet 63), O'Connor, Lester, Whelan, Molloy, O'Brien, Myler (Rooney 52), Cronin (Freeman 78).

ST PAT'S: Adamson, Quigley, Byrne (Shephard 57), El Khebir, Casey, Foley, Bell, Fahy, Smith, O'Keeffe, Dunne.

REF: J O'Neill (Waterford).

19

Pats 4 Harps 1 Starting XI 1 Jaroš 2 Mountney 3 Bermingham 5 Desmond 7 Benson 8 Forrester 10 Coughlan 12 Smith 15 King 16 Lewis 29 Barrett Subs 17 Burns 11 McClelland 18 McCormack

20

Coughlan 38, 67 mins Benson 62 mins, Lewis 86 mins

82

78 61

61 78 82

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.09 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Derry City

Richmond Park • 21 June 2021 • Premier Division Ronan O’Flaherty

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.09 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Derry City

21

Super Saints Brian Kerr Johnny Keegan

A life through music...Part IV Roughly 42 kilometres of road separates Tórshavn, the capital city of the Faroe Islands, from Klaksvík, the second city in the northern isles. According to Brian Kerr, it’s the most scenic drive you could have in your life.

The road meanders through remote glacial valleys, cuts through enormous mountains, takes you across bridges and through under-sea tunnels, and joins many fishing villages and harbours to the archipelago’s two largest settlements. Depending on the weather and how many sheep you encounter along the way, the journey can take anything from 40 minutes to an hour and a half.

Brian Kerr would spend many lonely hours driving across the Faroe Islands following his appointment as Head Coach of the national team there in April, 2009.

“Wasn’t I one lucky fella to get

population used to go to watch

football was big up there, very

those three years up there in

a match on a Sunday in the

important up there. And it was

one of the most magnificent

Faroe Islands Premier League. It

great, I loved going to the

places you could ever go in

was miles away from the

matches.”

your life,” Kerr reflects fondly.

standard of the League of

“It’s like Iceland multiplied by

Ireland, it was a good Leinster

ten, in its remoteness and in its

Senior League standard, but

landscape; the rhythm of the

there was a professionalism

sea, the hills and mountains,

around it as well. Out of a

the people, the calmness, the

population of 47,000 people,

peace and quiet. And yet you

you’re not going to uncover a

go to a match on a Sunday and

lot of Lionel Messis. But

it’s the biggest thing.”

EIVØR “There’d be loads of local artists and musicians that I would’ve listened to, especially while driving around the country going to matches and to meet players, half lonely in your head. People were always

It might be one of the

giving me CDs. The music

lowest ranked leagues in

would be similar to well-

Europe, but on a Sunday in

known Icelandic acts like Bjork

the Faroe Islands, the

and The Sugarcubes, and the

beautiful game takes centre

likes of Sigur Ros. You have to

stage.

be into the vibe of it, you have to be a bit laid back. So, a lot

“I used to work out that

of the young artists would be

about 15-20% of the

similar to that kind of stuff.

22

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.09 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Derry City

Ronan O’Flaherty @johnnykeegan

There wouldn’t be a huge tradition of instrumentation in Faroese music, but there is a rich tradition of voice and singing.”

Eivør Pálsdóttir, known as Eivør, is one Faroese musician whose music Kerr became familiar with while driving between islands. Eivør’s music is rooted in traditional ballads but incorporates influences from jazz, pop and folk music. She sings in Faroese, Danish and Norwegian. But the language barrier didn’t stunt Kerr’s enjoyment of, and curiosity for, the local music and culture.

“You might not have too much of an idea of what the song is about, but the voice and the music is just sensational. There’s a lot of windy, wet days, snow and ice, water streaming down the hills, and then suddenly the flowers come out… It’s magical to listen to that music in the landscape.”

THE LAST TRAIN TO KLAKSVÍK “I brought Johnny McDonnell to a festival up there once.

Klaksvík was a bit like Cork, they thought they were the real capital. It was about five islands away. When we went up there, Johnny used to call it The Last Train to Klaksvík,” Kerr laughs and treats me to a line of The Monkees 1966 classic. “The players had been asking me and asking me if I’d go up to the festival, so I said we’d go up. It was in June. Nicky Byrne’s crowd, Westlife, were playing, in fucking Klaksvík!”

“So, we arrive at the festival. It’s not like Stradbally for Electric Picnic with fences and security around it, there’d be a bloke at a gate with a bag saying “Have you got a ticket?” You’d get in easily enough whether you had a ticket or not,” Brian jokes.

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.09 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Derry City

23

Super Saints Brian Kerr Johnny Keegan

“Everyone is there! Young kids,

THERE’S A GREAT CHIPPER

grannies… I meet most of the

IN TÓRSHAVN

team within half an hour, it’s brilliant. So, we’re floating

“So, we went back, got fish

about meeting people, having

and chips, there’s a great

a laugh, we grabbed a burger

chipper in Tórshavn, and then

and a coke, and then

went up to the hotel. At about

got injured, and they

eventually Westlife come on

9 or 10 o’clock we went back

interviewed him on the BBC.

stage… It’s brutal. Well in my

down to the bar, and they

“You must be a big star in the

book anyway it’s brutal. They

[Westlife] arrive in. And

Faroe Islands?” Gunnar’s

started playing ‘The Boys Are

nobody bothers with them.

answer was brilliant: “They

Back in Town’ by Thin Lizzy. I

Most people are up at the

don’t do stars in the Faroe

says “Come on, Johnny, we’re

festival. Normally it would be

Islands, only in the sky.”

out of here.”

hopping around there, it’d be like Sodom and Gomorrah on

“We’re on the way back and

a Saturday night in Tórshavn.

one of my Faroese coaches,

So, they come in and they’re

Abraham Lokin, a great fella,

having a few drinks, but

he calls me “Brian, are you still

nobody is going near them.

at the festival?” “No, Abraham,

They had a couple of security

I’m on my way back to

fellas with them, and they

Tórshavn.” “They’re talking

came over to me and Johnny

about you. The singer is saying

and say “Do yous want to go

that you wouldn’t pick him

over and have a chat with the

and that you’re not a very good coach.” I says

lads?” They were lonely, no screaming crowds or

“Abraham, he was

people trying to get

smaller than you, and

photos…”

was a goalkeeper. Does that not give you an

“And that’s the way it was in the Faroe Islands, nobody gave a shite who you were. The goalkeeper

idea about why I

played for Man City, Gunnar

couldn’t pick

Nielsen, he got half an hour

him?”

24

“I like All Tvvins. I was in one of the radio stations doing a thing a while back and I bumped into the two lads from the group, and then I went to watch them at Electric Picnic and they were excellent.

I love to listen to any Irish artists kind of breaking through like that, but it’s very hard trying to keep up with everything. I really love when Other Voices is on the tele

you’re only five foot six, and he

NEW MUSIC

one day when Shay Given

from down in Dingle, I always record that and it helps to keep me in touch a bit.”

“But I’m always going back and listening to recent stuff from the last few years, the

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.09 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Derry City

Ronan O’Flaherty @johnnykeegan

likes of The Gloaming,

love his style and his

Fontaines DC, their two albums

message, The Divine Comedy,

are really good. Denise Chaila,

The XX…”

she’s fantastic, I’ve listened to her EP and obviously the stuff she did in the Concert Hall. I love our fella too, FYNCH, he’s really interesting and his lyrics are great. Eve Belle is another interesting one, she’s from Donegal. There’s a new band from Galway too called New Dad, I’ve been listening to their

PAUL NOONAN Brian, ever the professional, rustles a piece of paper with some more notes and names he wants to mention. One of them is Paul Noonan, known to many as the frontman with Bell X1. “Paul Noonan would be a bit of a hero of mine, especially

heartbreak to league triumphs,

in his manner and his attitude

and everything else in between,

to music, and certain issues that

nobody has made as big an

he gets into his songs very

impact on the club and its

gently. Bell X1 have a song

supporters than Brian Kerr. I

“I can dip in and out of new

called ‘Take Your Sweet Time’,

can say confidently that he’s a

and old stuff, and if I get a

it’s about a girl getting her

hero to many of us.

chance at all I can find myself

hearing back after never being

playing a bit of Talking Heads

able to hear before. And I

or Grace Jones, Bon Iver, back

identify with that because I

to Rory Gallagher, Billy Bragg - I

have a sister who’s deaf. It’s a

stuff lately. Tolü Makay, I watched her on the tele the other night doing the Tradfest on RTE, she’s really good.”

really beautiful song.”

HEROES

“I was down in Lansdowne Road a few weeks ago getting the vaccine, all the people involved in that, working on the frontline, what a job they’re doing! Anyone working in the health service and on the

Kerr has his musical heroes:

frontline, they’re the heroes. I

Rory Gallagher, Paul

don’t think of any heroism

Buchanan, Phil Lynott and

involved in anything I’ve

Paul Noonan amongst them.

achieved in my career. If

In the rich history of St.

anything I’ve ever done

Patrick’s Athletic, from

brought a little bit of joy into

Inchicore to Harold’s Cross

people’s lives, then I’m happy

and back, from FAI Cup

out with that.”

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.09 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Derry City

25

OUR GAME KNOWS YOUR NAME THE OFFICIAL MATCH BALL FOR THE 2021 SSE AIRTRICITY LEAGUE, FEATURING BESPOKE BALLS MADE FOR EACH CLUB

WWW.UMBRO.IE

Pensive PointsRonan O’Flaherty Jimmy Edwards

@jimmyedwards41

Good Evening All, Welcome to Ruaidhri Higgins and all

10 men after the referee decided to

Friday the 2nd July we took the short

from Derry City. We have played

send off Alfie Lewis for a pull back

hop across the city to take on

four games since our last double

on a Waterford player. The foul

Bohemians. It would be wrong of me

edition match day programme for

happened about 30 yards or more

to say we were good on the night or

the home games v Sligo and Finn

out from goal and it didn't look as

unlucky because we weren't. We put

Harps and then two tough away

though Alfie was the last man but

in our worst performance of the

games v Waterford and Bohemians.

the referee obviously thought he was

season and while credit must goes to

Friday 18th June we played Sligo

and sent him off. There was a similar

Bohs for the win, I feel we made

Rovers here in Richmond and we

incident in the second half when a

them look better than they really are.

won the game 2-0 with the goals

Waterford player tripped Matty

We gave away 3 poor goals on the

from Matty Smith in the 8th minute

Smith and he also looked as though

night and had both Lee Desmond

and a Ronan Coughlan penalty in the

he was the last man and the ref just

and Ian Birmingham both sent off

72nd minute. The penalty sealed the

awarded the first kick and not even a

and they are two very important

result for us but it was our just

yellow card. We started so brightly

players in our defence that will miss

reward for another really good

against Waterford that I don't think

games now. We missed Ronan

performance on the night. Three

anyone would have been surprised if

Coughlan's hold up play for the last

days later on Monday 21st we were

we were 3-0 up in the first 10

two games so hopefully, he will be

home again this time v Finn Harps

minutes. We were creating all sorts

back in the team soon along with

and we won 4-1 with Ronan

of problems for Waterford down

John Mountney, Shane Griffin and

Coughlan scoring twice and Robbie

both flanks. Matty opened the

Alfie Lewis. Speaking of Alfie it was

Benson and Alfie Lewis both getting

scoring in the 8th minute when he

great news for everyone involved

one apiece. Ronan's first goal was a

rifled into the roof of the net at the

with Pat's to hear he has extended

cracker from the edge of the box

third attempt after twice being

his contract until the end of the

that flew in off the underside of the

blocked. Waterford started to

season because he has been so

crossbar. Robbie jinked his way past

dominate once they had the

influential in the midfield this season.

the keeper in the box to score.

advantage of the extra man and it

Congrats to Jamie Lennon who

Ronan scored his second when he

was no surprise when Shane Griffin

made his 100th appearance in the

stabbed the ball in at the far post

scored as you felt it was coming. We

game away to Waterford, here's to

and then the last goal and probably

had a good chance in the second

another 100 Jamie. While it's hard to

the best was when Alfie Lewis

half to retake the lead when a

take as a supporter when we lose a

lobbed the keeper after a number of

Waterford defender played the ball

Dublin Derby, it must be said that

passes led to Chris Forrester spotting

straight to Billy King just inside the

this current squad have been mostly

the run of Alfie and then picking him

box. Billy hit the ball well but Brian

superb this season so let's get

out with a brilliant pass.

Murphy saved. Waterford had a

behind the lads tonight and be the

couple of more chances in the

12th man, and hopefully play our

second half so we were relieved to

part in cheering the lads onto a win.

We then travelled to play Waterford FC on Friday 25th June and we came away with a point after a hardfought 1-1 draw when we had to play for more than 70 minutes with

come away with a point especially when having had to play with 10 men for most of the match.

Enjoy the game, Up the Saints!

Jimmy

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

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.09 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Derry City

27

Opposition Watch - Derry City Paul Maguire

Ah Derry City, our old foes in so many significant matches over the last 15 years.

Think cup finals in 2006, 2012,

Last years shortened season saw

arriving from Oriel Park is Junior

the unforgettable high of 2014

Derry finish 1 point behind the

Ogedi-Uzokwe. The Londoner

and arguably the low point of the

Saints in 7th place, narrowly

returns to Derry having been the

last decade where Pats avoided

avoiding the relegation play-off

top scorer in 2019 with 14 goals

relegation by sneaking a 1-1

spot with a one-all draw away to

via Israeli side Hapoel Gedera,

draw with the Candystripes at

already relegated Cork City.

Sligo Rovers and Dundalk while

McGinn Park, Buncrana at the

Since then the likes of Ally

both Cameron McJannet and

end of the 2017 season. Both

Gilchrist, Gerardo Bruna, Peter

James Akintunde has signed

Derry and ourselves begin each

Cherrie and Conor McCormack

contract extensions until the end

season with eyes on the prize of

have all moved on leaving

of 2022 and academy players

European football however only

manager Ruaidhri Higgins with a

Caolan McLaughlin, Brendan Barr

our visitors have achieved that

mostly young squad to choose

and Evan McLaughlin have this

goal since 2019 with a 4th place

from however, the likes of Ciarán

week been added to the first

finish. We would be hoping that

Coll and Mark McChrystal bring

team squad, signing their first

will change this year???!?

experience to the group while

professional contracts.

the signing of Danny Lafferty from Shamrock Rovers may prove

Form

to be a shrewd move.

Last time out the Candystripes

Ruaidhri Higgins

28

Other significant signings include

came up against a Dundalk side

a return for Derry’s top scorer in

who were determined to give

2019 David Parkhouse while

Chris Shields a good send off

there is also international

while new-manager-syndrome

experience with goalkeeper

probably kicked in as well with

Nathan Gartside called into the

the return of Vinny Perth, with the

Northern Ireland senior squad for

odds against them Derry

their World Cup qualifying games

eventually made their hosts work

against Italy and Bulgaria. One

for the 3 points. Going into the

significant departure is Will

break 1-0 down, Derry had

Patching whose loan from

Gartside to thank for still being in

Dundalk expired at the end of

the game but came out fighting

June - his goals and set piece

in the second half, Ciaran Coll

ability will be a loss however,

and Darren Cole coming on and

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.09 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Derry City

Ronan O’Flaherty @PaulGoS

reverting to a 3-5-2 formation it

Until that defeat Derry had

almost paid immediate

been on an unbeaten run of 8

dividends within four minutes of

games including a 2-1 win at

the restart however when

local rivals Finn Harps where

Thomson’s cross from the right

the erstwhile Patching scored a

was met by Daniel Lafferty but

brace but perhaps Derrys most

his header was off target. One-

impressive result of late was a

nil became 2-0 following a

1-1 draw with our fellow title rivals Sligo Rovers. (we’re allowed mention the title aren’t we??!?). In a battling performance that should have seen them take the lead just after the half-hour when

Ronan Boyce

Parkhouse fired over from a Danny Lafferty cross, City found themselves behind again after 55 minutes. Almost immediately though Jack Malone had the Rovers keeper at full stretch to tip his curling effort round a post and while James Akintunde

they on occasions rode their luck the pressure told and Ronan Boyce scored a deserved equaliser via a deflection. In fact

Dundalk penalty but Derry

Derry could have won it at the

pulled a goal back almost

death when a shot from Patching

immediately, Eoin Toal heading

was tipped over.

home from a corner following sustained pressure. Derrys

So what to expect from the

pressure almost bore fruit with 3

Candystripes tonight? They do

minutes to go but sub Patrick

tend to concede the first goal

Ferry fired wide and also fluffed

but, on more than one occasion,

a couple of chances in added

late goals have salvaged at least

time but couldn’t force the ball

a point so the Saints will have to

home.

be alert for 90+ minutes.

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.09 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Derry City

Patching is a loss and there are those who suggest that Derry aren’t the same without him but if Junior hits the ground running and Ronan Boyce, Cameron McJannet and Akintunde continue their goalscoring form Derry have the firepower to pierce the Pats defence while at the other end goalkeeper Gartside has pulled off some superb saves this season. Having earned 16 points from a possible 21 on their travels since Higgins came in as manager a trip to Richmond Park holds no fear for the Foylesiders and Pats will have to be at their best to stay top of the table.

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

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

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2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.09 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Derry City

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.09 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Derry City

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

Stephen Bennett@stebenn15

Irish Independent - Wed 20 March 2002 Eircom League Premier Division

ST PATRICK'S ATH 3 DERRY CITY 0 IN the pubs around Inchicore last night, supporters of St Patrick's Athletic gathered for a post-match jar and an inquest into the latest registration row to engulf their club this season.

At 125 Emmet Road, a light burned into the small hours as the officers of St Pats considered their position following the disclosure that Charles Mbabazi Livingstone played five League games before being registered this season. A statement is expected this morning before the matter is placed in the hands of the eircom League for a ruling.

It may well be that this hard-earned win, courtesy of second half goals from Paul Osam (56 minutes), Daragh Maguire (67) and Michael Holt (90), secured the Saints status in the top flight rather than enhanced their title claims.

Yet, there was no evidence of concern from Saints president Tim O”Flaherty at the club's plight “St Pat's were deducted nine points over Paul Marney and that was lifted,” he said. "If you want to get int' the miniscule rules, we would probably have no League because everybody would have no points.

"That's how the League rules stand at the moment and that's what come out in arbitration.”

Jamie Hughes of Derry and Willie Burke of St Pats challenge for the ball at Richmond Park last night.

32

O’Flaherty, who insisted he knew nothing of the Mbabazi registration problem until yesterday added: "We're meeting after the match tonight and we'll have a reply for 2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.09 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Derry City

post to powerfully head the ball home.

Against the odds, Derry somehow applied a tourniquet, thanks largely to the efforts of goalkeeper Russell Payne, who produced wonder saves in quick succession to thwart Ger McCarthy (twice), Russell and Osam.

Sean Hargan of Derry City tackles Charles Mbabazi Livingston of St Pats.

When Payne was beaten, his defenders twice blocked goalbound shots, on the line as the Saints swanned over Derry like a rash before Holt fittingly applied the gloss in stoppage time with a crisp finish.

ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC

the League in the morning.

"As everybody knows, Mbabazi has been a member of the club for two years and I am assuming it's just another situation like that which happened to Paul Marney."

The pre-match mood by the Camac was sombre. This should have been a fixture with a cutting championship edge but the implications of the Mbabazi mess, coupled with the pull of the Champions League, took its toll on the turnstiles.

In a sterile first half, the Saints, had most of the possession but lacked penetration in the final third as the man in the eye of the storm Mbabazi, seemed affected by his new-found notoriety. We had to wait until the 42nd minute for an incident of note as Robbie Griffin surged through the centre and checked on to his

favoured left peg only to miss the target by a fraction. Things could only get better. And they did as the Saints steamrollered Derry into oblivion.

They scored three times but could have easily racked up half a dozen goals as they found inspiration in the face of adversity.

The talismanic Paul Osam lifted spirits around Richer with a goal, he’ll cherish 11 minutes into the second half — a thumping 25-yard left foot curler into the top corner after the ball broke into his path off Eamon Doherty. Briefly, Derry stirred. Tommy McCallion's snap shot tested Seamus Kelly before Liam Coyle's freekick almost singed the crossbar.

Kelly, Crolly, Maguire, Foley, Burke; Marney (Holt 54), Osam, Griffin, Russell; Mbabazi, McCarthy (Kelly 83).

DERRY CITY Payne; McLaughlin, E McCallion, Kelly, Hargan; Beckett, Doherty, T McCallion, McGlynn (Coyle 31), Philips, (McCreadie 69); Hughes (McCauI 68).

REFEREE A. Kelly (Cork).

Thereafter, it was Derry who were under siege and St. Pat's went two up on 67 minutes when, from Martin. Russell's corner, centre-half Daragh.

Maguire soared high at the far

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.09 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Derry City

33

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

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2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.09 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Derry City

Saints Academy Strong Start To Season for Academy Sides Our four Saints Academy teams were back in competitive action last weekend for the second time this year, building on a strong start after a long hiatus due to the pandemic.

It was a winning start to the 2021 season for our U15s, U17s and U19s, while the U14s were beaten in Galway. Three of our four academy teams got a win in the second round of games.

The league action got underway on June 26th in TU Dublin Blanchardstown as our U17s hosted Wexford FC. Jack Murray opened the scoring for The Saints before an excellent finish into the top corner by CallumO’Neill Behan made it 1-1. Murray's corner was then headed in by Craig

on the opening weekend with a

of the club’s Director of Football, Ger

King to seal a first three points of the

brilliant three points against Galway

O’Brien. “At St Patrick’s Athletic, we

season!

United. Brian Moore scored four

work to develop our players for a

times in a 6-0 win at TU Dublin

career in the game. We have a great

Blanchardstown.

pipeline of talent in the Academy at

The U14s lost 1-0 in Galway, despite a good performance, our lads just

the moment and it is our plan that

could not score, Jacob Carroll got

The second round of games brought

the winner for The Tribesmen.

three wins out of four for our academy teams, with some truly

There was a double helping of Super

outstanding results. The U-19’s were

Sunday action too! Captain Ross Fay

narrowly beaten 2-1 in Derry. The U-

scored twice, along with goals from

17’s got a great 3-0 win in Limerick.

Ugo Anny-Nzekwue and Tommy

The u-14 and U-15 sides came away

Lonergan helped our U19s to a 4-0

with massive victories. The U-14’s

victory against Drogheda United at

beat Longford Town 10-0 away,

Richmond Park, the perfect start to

while our U-15’s went one goal

the league for the defending U19

better and beat their Longford

league champions!

counterparts 11-0.

The U15s brought down the curtain

The Academy is under the direction

many of these players will go on to represent the first team at St Patrick’s Athletic. Of course, some will move to other clubs eventually and it’s our aim that they do so with a work ethic, skillset and mindset that will help them succeed. I would urge our supporters, whenever possible, to support our Academy Teams as they are, quite literally, the Saints of the future. I would also like to thank those who give of their time in helping coach and develop these teams, it is greatly appreciated.”

Make sure you stay tuned to www.stpatsfc.com and the club’s YouTube and social media channels for more on our academy teams. Some of this material was originally printed on stpatsfc.com.

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.09 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Derry City

35

Waterford 1 Pats 1 Starting XI 1 Jaroš 2 Mountney 4 Bone 5 Desmond 7 Benson 11 McClelland 12 Smith 15 King 16 Lewis 17 Burns 18 McCormack Subs 8 Forrester

36

Smith 8 mins

68

68

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.09 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Derry City

RSC Waterford • 25 June 2021 • Premier Division Ronan O’Flaherty

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.09 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Derry City

37

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

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2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.09 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Derry City

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Eurozone Seán Brennan

Atléti Femenino and a Return to Live Football 30 seconds into the game, a crashing tackle, the player’s shout, the crowd’s reaction. One sound follows the other.

15 months had been a long wait, since St Patrick’s v Cork City in March of last year. Four hundred and fifty-six days in fact. Conveniently I’m here undertaking a Spanish course, and have no intention of missing live football from one of Europe’s top leagues.

Atlético Madrid’s female team play their home games in the Centro Deportivo Wanda, part of an extensive municipal multi-sports facility in Alcalá de Henares, a commuter town of Madrid best known as the home of Don Quixote author, Miguel Cervantes.

Atléti’s previous game here was an exceptional 4-3 victory over champions and table toppers Barcelona. With 2 league draws and a cup final exit prior to that, the home side’s mixed form wasn’t testament to their 5th place position.

Espanyol meanwhile were fighting for survival. In 17th (of 18 teams), 6 points from safety, with 3 games left, a win here was their only hope.

Following balanced opening exchanges, Atlético took the initiative on 14 minutes. Brazilian international Ludmila broke down the right wing and found Laurent with a low cross which was sent home via deflection from 6 yards.

Their lead was doubled 10 minutes later; from a free kick, central defender Aleixandri rose highest in a crowded box & tapped the ball over the advancing Espanyol goalkeeper.

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Carmen Alvárez rounds the keeper to score on her debut

Las Colchoneras made it 3 on 42 minutes.

Laurent’s 1-on-1 was saved, the ball then pulled back to her, and she managed to scramble the ball across the line. Harsh on Espanyol, who had not been playing terribly. Also harsh on Laurent, as the post match review would class this, and indeed her opening goal, as own goals.

The referee’s whistle closed an impressive opening half complete with modern Spanish passing football, three goals, and some decent chances.

During the break I took the opportunity to quiz some Atlético fans about their club and the women’s game in Spain. Themes that came up when asked why they followed Las Rojiblancas included their proud history, that the club is

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.09 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Derry City

@SBahnManc

close to the people and that you are “Born into Atléti”.

Furthermore, two female fans got into the club as their daughters started playing for the club’s youth team, expressing admiration for the club’s promotion of women’s football, especially when compared to city rivals Real.

My small sample size reported that women’s football has been improving a lot in Spain in recent years, with public interest following accordingly.

In 2019 Atlético v Barcelona broke the attendance record for a women’s football match with 60,000 fans in the Wanda Metropolitano. The Spanish championship is one of Europe’s strongest, and while their national team has historically underperformed, the year 2018 saw their U17 and U19 teams win the European Championships.

in the other, I sat down to enjoy the second half. Atlético striker Carmen Alvárez came off the bench, making her debut after being promoted from the first team. She had a 1 on 1 attempt well blocked by the Espanyol keeper, but when the same opportunity presented itself five minutes later, she rounded the keeper and slotted the ball past the despairing, sliding defender.

Espanyol were quite unambitious for most of the game, midfielder Marianela Szymanowski Alonso standing out as their best performer, both in attack with a few near misses, and contributing defensively with some well timed tackles. Her teammates did wake up in the final 10 minutes, pulling a goal back through Cristina Baudet Lucena. The Catalan side

finished the game much stronger, pushing Atlético back and creating chances.

However, this was far too late in the game and in their season to make a difference; wins for Vallecano and Eibar the following day confirmed their relegation.

The sound of the final whistle is also something I’ve missed, just like seeing happy faces (in this case squinted eyes revealing the smile which the face mask hides) leaving a football ground, and younger fans waiting to get autographs of their favourite stars.

I leave the ground with the feeling of having experienced much more than just a football match, this feels part of something bigger.

There’s also a notably family friendly atmosphere in the 2,700 capacity stadium. One fan remarked to me semijokingly that he can’t curse and shout his head off like at the men’s games.

With bocadillo de tortilla (potato omelette in a baguette) in one hand and an espresso of fantastic quality

The Centro Deportivo Wanda in Alcalá de Henares

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.09 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Derry City

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Quiz Time Kieran Coughlan

1 Which player was a runner up in the

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Carabao Cup in 2017 and 2021?

2 Who is the first player to score in a

Which club inflicted a record league defeat on Derry in 2018?

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World Cup final and a European

Who was the first player to win the PFAI young player of the year twice?

Championship final?

8 3 Name the five Germans that have

Who were the only country England failed to beat in the 1966 World Cup

made over 100 Premier League

tournament?

appearances for Arsenal?

9 4 Who was the manager of Derry city

Who is the last country to become a member of UEFA?

when they first joined the League in 1985?

10 Which 3 players were part of the England world cup squad in 1990

5 Which former Saint scored a goal in

and the Euro 96 squad?

the last ever game in the Old Lansdowne road and a goal in the first game in the new Aviva Stadium?

Answers Platt, Paul Gascoigne, Stuart Pearce.

Q6. Shamrock Rovers. Q7 Richie Baker. Q8. Uruguay. Q9. Kosovo. Q10. David Mertersacker, Shokton Mustafi, Bernd Leno. Q4. Jim Crossan. Q5. Dave Mulcahy.

Q1 Pierre Emilie Hojbjerg. Q2 Gerd Muller. Q3. Jans Lehmann, Mesut Ozil, Per 2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.09 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Derry City

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Republic of Ireland Red Cards Seán Creedon

Former Chelsea defender John Dempsey was one of the first players to declare for Ireland under the FIFA parentage rule.

Shay Brennan was the first to avail of the rule when he made his debut against Spain in May 1965, while Dempsey also made his debut against Spain in December 1966.

However, the London-born defender was certainly the first player to be sent off while playing for The Republic of Ireland. Dempsey was dismissed in a World Cup qualifier against Hungary in Budapest on November 5, 1969. John got his marching orders from Yugoslav referee Jakse five minutes from the end of game which we lost 4-0.

first red card at Dalymount in October 1975 when we beat Turkey 4-0 in a European Championship qualifier. Late in the game Martin and Turkey’s Alpaslan were involved in a punch up and both were dismissed by Spanish referee Martinez.

the Brazilian Independence Cup. We started with a 2-1 win over Iran in Recife and then beat Ecuador 3-2 in Natal.

Givens, who had been fouled for the free that led to our first goal scored by Eamon Rogers, provided the pass to set up our second goal for Mick Martin.

Two years later Mick was in trouble again in a controversial World Cup game against Bulgaria in Sofia in June 1977.

Late in the game with the home side winning 2-1 a wild challenge by Tzvetkov on Frank Stapleton sparked off a brawl on the touchline in which ten or 12 players were involved.

The winning goal was scored

by Turlough O’Connor late in the game. Givens had been sent off for rough play after 64 minutes by French referee Michel Kitabjan.

Dempsey was apparently annoyed with the referee for awarding a foul against him for a tackle on Hungary’s Ferenc Bene and he threw the ball at the referee, who promptly sent him off. In the final minute Hungary’s Szucs was also sent off for a foul on Ray Treacy.

Greek referee Zlatanos held up play for five minutes as he tried to cool the situation. When order was restored four players, two from either side, were sent off. Mick Martin and former St Pat’s player Noel Campbell, who had just come on as sub for Gerry Daly a minute earlier, were the Irish players to go. Campbell hadn’t even touched the ball.

Mick Martin and Don Givens share the unenviable record of being sent off twice while on international duty. Mick got his

Givens got both of his red cards in South America. In 1972, the Irish team managed

by Liam Tuohy, competed in

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Coincidentally in our final game in that competition we lost 2-1 to Portugal in Recife.

The game is remembered for a late substitute appearance in goal for Portugal of a player named Felix Mourinho, his only senior cap for his country. Yes, the father of Jose Mourinho won his only cap against The Republic of Ireland.

Two years later the Boys in Green were back in South America for a three-match tour against Brazil, Uruguay and Chile. We beat Chile 2-1, but Givens was sent off along with Chile’s Carlos Reynoso after 60 minutes.

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.09 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Derry City

Ronan O’Flaherty

1969 JOHN DEMPSEY v Hungary 1972 DON GIVENS v Ecuador TURLOUGH O’CONNOR v Chile 1974 DON GIVENS v Chile

We beat Bulgaria 2-0 in a European Championship qualifier at Lansdowne Road in October 1987 to go a point clear of Bulgaria at the top of Group 7. But with a home game to come against Scotland it was thought that Bulgaria would qualify.

However, we didn’t know about Gary Mackay at that stage; we were through to the Euro ‘88 finals, but didn’t know it.

TERRY MANCINI v USSR 1975 MICK MARTIN v Turkey 1977 MICK MARTIN v Bulgaria NOEL CAMPBELL v Bulgaria 1987 LIAM BRADY v Bulgaria 1992 PACKIE BONNER v Italy 1996 ROY KEANE v Russia LIAM DAISH v Mexico NIALL QUINN v Mexico

Paul McGrath got Ireland’s first goal on that historic day and Kevin Moran made sure with a header on 84 minutes.

But a minute later Liam Brady retaliated when fouled by Sadkov and was sent off by Dutch referee Jan Keizer.

1997 JASON McATEER v FYR Mac MARK KENNEDY v Iceland DAVID CONNOLLY v Belgium 1999 TONY CASCARINO v Turkey 2001 GARY KELLY v Netherlands 2005 ANDY O’BRIEN v Israel 2007 STEPHEN HUNT v Czech Rep 2011 KEVIN DOYLE v Armenia 2012 KEITH ANDREWS v Italy

Packie Bonner was a hero at Italia ’90, but two years later Bonner became the first Irish goalkeeper to be sent off when he was dismissed in the second half of a 2-0 defeat to Italy at Sullivan Stadium, Foxboro.

2015 JOHN O’SHEA v Poland 2016 SHANE DUFFY v France 2019 SEAMUS COLEMAN v Switz 2020 JAMES McCLEAN v Wales JEFF HENDRICK v Wales

Bonner took down Giuseppe Signori, but Irish reporters at the game said the Italian forward had dived. Bonner’s replacement’s Gerry Peyton’s

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.09 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Derry City

first touch was to take the ball out of the net after Costacurta converted the resultant penalty kick.

Four years later we had another double sending off, this time in the US. Liam Daish was sent off by US referee Raul Dominguez in a 2-2 draw against Mexico in Giants Stadium. Daish got a second booking and when the Mexican players pointed out to the referee that it was the Irish player’s second yellow, substitute Niall Quinn ran on to the pitch to remonstrate with a Mexican player and Quinn was also sent off.

Then manager Mick McCarthy was sent from the dugout after he threw the ball away to prevent Mexico from taking a quick free-kick.

The last Irish player to be sent off was Jeff Hendrick who walked in the 1-0 defeat to Wales in Cardiff last November. I suppose 27 red cards in 579 senior games since 1926 is not a bad record.

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Club History Dermot Looney

1946/47: LSL Division I Debut Season Having won Division II of the Leinster Senior League the previous season, Pat’s were elevated to the second-tier of Irish football, LSL Division I, for 1946/47. At this time only eight teams were competing in the League of Ireland. Division I of the LSL received significant coverage in the press, with correspondents often comparing it favourably to the national league.

Pat’s would line up against new rivals such as Transport, Railway Union, Longford Town, Ierne, Grangegorman, Jacobs and the B teams of all five Leinster-based LOI clubs; Bohemians, Shamrock Rovers, Shelbourne, Drumcondra and Dundalk.

NAT’s season preview in the Herald noted that “the promotion of St Patrick’s Athletic will add to the strength of the competition.” The Athletic did not disappoint, defeating Railway Union (2-1), Longford Town (6-1), and Dundalk B (3-0) in the opening weeks of the season. The Dundalk Democrat reported that there was some consternation at being beaten by such newcomers.

“That is so, but did they reflect that a new club in the Leinster League can recruit senior players just like a League of Ireland club. Did they know that St Patrick’s included Cullen, full back last year with Shamrock Rovers, McCormack, that very useful centre-forward who last year led Shels, Crowe, late of Rovers and Shels, and Shiels, late of Brideville, among other seasoned players.”

John Joseph McCormack had scored 6 goals for Shelbourne in the LOI the previous season. As well as Bohemians and Shamrock Rovers, Liam Crowe

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has also lined out for the Irish army. He worked in Guinness’ and both his son Des and grandson Glen went on to play for Bohs and, in the case of the latter, the Republic of Ireland. Another key scorer for the Saints this season was Morrissey, who made the step up to LOI football at the end of the season with a move to Shelbourne.

The last two weeks in September saw almost no games at all at any level of football on the direction of the Government, as thousands from Dublin were despatched to rural areas to save the harvest following heavy rains.

Pat’s continued their excellent League form on the resumption of play, hammering Ierne 7-0 and defeating Grangegorman 4-1. “The struggle was strenuous on the heavy pitch and produced plenty of excitement,” noted the Herald’s match report.

Pat’s made it six in a row with a 4-2 win against Shels B in Ringsend, with McCormack netting a brace against his former club. Transport stopped the winning run in its tracks with a 2-0 win over the Saints at the Carlisle Grounds in Bray on November 3rd. Transport would also win the return fixture in Inchicore on a 2-1 scoreline.

The Saints continued to compete well in the League with wins over Jacob’s (2-1), Bohs B (7-1) and Dundalk B (2-0), but fell to a remarkable defeat at the hands of Ierne in late March, who reversed a seven-goal rout back in October with a 6-1 win of their own. Any hope of a League challenge for the Athletic ended on March 30th with a 3-2 loss at the

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.09 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Derry City

@dlooney

hands of Longford Town. The match had featured a young Sean Fallon playing for Longford Town.

The future Irish international would go on to star for Sligo Rovers and, famously, Glasgow Celtic, where he made over 250 appearances.

There was disquiet on April 12th when the referee failed to show for the Pat’s v Drumcondra match at Richmond Park; the large crowd had to be refunded. Pat’s defeated Shelbourne B 5-1 on April 26th but the season was to peter out with a 3-3 draw against Shamrock Rovers B and a 5-2 loss to Railway Union.

A final League table does not appear to have been published but it is likely that Pat’s finished 3rd or 4th behind winners Transport and runners-up Drumcondra B. In Cup football, the Saints entered no fewer than three new competitions this season given their League status. They competed in the oldest trophy in this part of Ireland, the Leinster Senior Cup, for the first time, beating Railway Union 5-1 in the first round (with all 5 goals coming from McCormack) but going out at the hands of

Grangegorman in front of a crowd of 3-4000 in Round Two on a 3-1 scoreline.

Pat’s also entered the FAI Intermediate Cup for the first time this season, with a bye in Round One and a 3-2 win over Transport in Round Two. Pat’s were forced into playing 4 reserves in the quarter-final clash at home to Drumcondra B, and were well-beaten on a 3-0 scoreline.

The Saints also took part in the Metropolitan Cup, in essence the League Cup for the division, for the first time. They beat Grangegorman in Round One in bizarre circumstances; in the first leg, Grangegorman took to the field with only 8 players, losing 3-0. The second leg was postponed due to snow, and the refixed game took place in similarly wintry conditions, with Grangegorman winning 5-4 despite losing a player early on.

Pat’s 7-5 aggregate win saw them through to a Round Two clash with Drums B, who easily won the tie.

Pat’s B team competed in the AUL Division II this season, finishing in the top three, while there was a similarly strong season for the

Minor side in the AUL Minor Division. Several players from the underage side were sent for international trials, with forward George Cummins particularly impressing.

Born in 1931, he would go onto a long professional career with Everton and Luton Town, as well as winning 19 caps for the Republic of Ireland, scoring 5 goals. In May, Cummins featured in a famous 8-3 win for the Ireland schoolboys v England and a 7-0 win for the FAI selection against an IFA team who included Harry Gregg and Jackie Blanchflower. He was noted as “a great opportunist” by WPM in the Irish Independent.

Season Statistics Cup record:

Leinster Senior Cup R2, FAI Intermediate Cup QF, Metropolitan Cup R2

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.09 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Derry City

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Bohs 3 Pats 2 Starting XI 1 Jaroš 3 Bermingham 4 Bone 5 Desmond 6 Lennon 7 Benson 8 Forrester 12 Smith 15 King 17 Burns 29 Barrett Subs 11 McClelland 18 McCormack

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OG 53 mins McClelland 90+1 mins

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2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.09 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Derry City

Dalymount Park • 2 July 2021 • Premier Division Ronan O’Flaherty

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Local Heroes Eamonn Collins Stephen Bennett

Ask any football-mad child what their vision of the future would be and you would probably be given a checklist or 'bucket list' things of things they want to achieve in the game.

Not every child lives their dream, in fact, only a tiny percentage get to live out even part of their dream. A tinier percentage again get to do what Eamonn Collins did in football.

Born in Inchicore, not far from Richmond Park in October 1965, Eamonn's family had an affinity with St Patrick's Athletic which led to one of the proudest moments in his post-playing career.

But more of that later...

Eamonn Collins the footballer had to grow up fast, very fast in fact, because no sooner was he attracting the interest of scouts while playing for Cherry Orchard, that his move to England came about as a 14-year-old. Blackpool, then managed by 1966 England World Cup hero Alan Ball, were the team to win Eamonn's heart and very soon after his arrival at Bloomfield Road he was thrust into a spotlight that still seems outrageous to this very day.

At the age of 14 years and 323 days, Ball brought on Collins as a second-half substitute in an AngloScottish Cup quarter-final first leg tie against Kilmarnock.

In an interview with three Irish Independent back in 2007, Collins recalls the moment: "I was living in digs on my own, which was the most difficult thing. But I can't honestly say it was daunting. In many ways, I was living the dream. Playing football and being paid for it. At that stage, I was getting £8 a week as a 14-year-old. I wasn't used to having eight pence a week, let alone £8 in Dublin."

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A child of Inchicore, Collins too walked into a blizzard of media attention as Ball's plans to use him that night began to seep out of Bloomfield Road. To begin with, the Dubliner suspected it to be an elaborate prank. He remembers: "I was playing in the under-18 league and doing quite well. On the Saturday, I played against Manchester United and scored two. That Monday I was just back to my normal jobs, getting all the coaches' kit ready, cleaning the players' boots. From eight till ten, I did all my jobs.

"After that I was going out to train with the youth team and some of the reserves. Then the first team coach, Ted McDougal, came over to me and 2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.09 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Derry City

@stebenn15

said 'Eamonn, you're training with the first team today.'

stuff happened before the game. It was all new to me. I had just left school and I wasn't getting a lot of guidance because I didn't have my family with me."

"I honestly thought it was a wind-up. They were playing a lot of practical jokes on me at the time, with me having just arrived over from Ireland at 14.

Doing a lot of silly stuff. So I just kept on walking over towards the youth team. Then Alan Ball shouted across 'Come over Eamonn, you're training with us.' Only then did I realise it was serious."

The attendant media focus took his breath away. Collins had a routine of phoning his father just once a week. The call would usually be put through to either Slatterys or McDowells in Inchicore as there was no phone in the family home. So, every Sunday evening at six, regular as clock-work: "Could I speak to Michael Collins please..."

When father and son spoke that Sunday, there had been no mention of the Kilmarnock game. Usually they chatted as much about St Patrick's Athletic as they did about Blackpool. And anyway, Eamonn had little reason to anticipate what was coming.

Collins' debut would carry a special resonance on Bloomfield Road. Until then, the youngest player to play for the club had been Sir Stanley Matthews. This Irish kid was, in other words, walking in the footprints of a God.

"Rumours started to break on the Monday afternoon that I was going to be involved," he remembers. "A lot of media people seemed to have heard that. My landlady, Mrs Thompson, was getting numerous phone calls from people looking for interviews.

"By Tuesday, RTE, the Evening Herald and the Evening Press had begun to take an interest. I was live on John Craven's Newsround on the BBC. Lots of

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.09 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Derry City

He remembers the dressingroom beforehand, the sense of mischief and banter flying many miles above his head. "It was different," he chuckles.

"Certainly, there were things going on in there, things being said that I didn't know a lot about. But they were really good to me, good guys, good professionals.

"I mean they were taking the mickey. When I put on the jersey, I tucked it in and it was coming out the bottom of my shorts. I was getting a little bit of a ribbing for that."

Ball threw him in for the last halfhour and he acquitted himself

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Local Heroes Eamonn Collins Stephen Bennett Portsmouth, Colchester (where Ball was assistant manager to Jock Wallace) and, finally, Exeter City.

Superstardom never came his way, but he did make a decent living in the game.

Eamonn reflects: "There's a lot more to professional football than just being a very good, technical player. It's about how you get on mentally. How you develop physically. What type of coach you get, what type of people are around you.

"The biggest danger is the expectation can become unreasonable. People sometimes can hype you up a little bit before you're ready to really kick on. They expect you at 15 and 16 to be an absolute world beater when you're probably not even ready to be playing first-team football."

well. "Should have scored," he chides himself. The year was 1980. Eamonn Collins, at just 14, had stepped into the shoes of Stanley Matthews. He stood 5ft 6 in height and weighed 8 stone 2 pounds. A nipper.

"People ask me now do I think it was good or bad for me," he says. "I don't think it was either. I mean, it was great to break the record and play at such a young age, but it also raised expectations.

People expect you to go on and, possibly, be something ridiculous. The next George Best, that sort of thing.

If becoming the youngest player to play professional football in England wasn't on his bucket list of sorts, an involvement with his beloved St Pat's at some stage certainly was.

Brought in as Pat Dolan's assistant back in those heady years for the club's in 1999, Eamonn succeeded Dolan as manager in February 2003.

Eamonn managed to guide Pats to the League Cup that season, beating Longford Town in a thrilling final at Richmond Park.

He also guided the club to the FAI Cup final, with Longford again the opponents.

"But, at that age, nobody really knows how good a player you can be."

However, fate was to conspire against him in ways that would encourage you to believe that the club was cursed in its pursuit of the famous trophy.

As it happened, Collins developed a deep affinity with Ball and would follow him to Southampton,

Following the thrilling 4-3 semi-final victory over Bohemians at Richmond Park - one of the best

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2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.09 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Derry City

@stebenn15 The following season saw Pats plummet in the League table and with the club second from bottom, Collins quit the role in May 2004 despite being given the opportunity to turn things around by the club's board.

Later thar year, Collins became Pat Fenlon's assistant at Shelbourne before stepping down after Fenlon left in 2006.

Eamonn then threw his energies into player representation after that, and he is still a football agent to this day.

advertisements for a League of Ireland game to be shown live on RTE, and personally speaking, one of the very games I've ever been at - three events happened that swung the Cup away from Inchicore.

Firstly, the club's brilliant African star Charles Mbabazi Livingstone suffered a cardiac arrest in a league game against Bohs and was promptly told he would never play again.

That huge loss was compounded by the suspension of another brilliant African player Karim elKhebir, the left back who oozed class and was a stand out

performer for the club that season. The unfairness of the decision to suspend the Niger international for the final over racking up a series of yellow cards was a difficult one to accept.

The Collins football dynasty, however, didn't end with Eamonn as his son Joe became a professional with Portsmouth and more recently, his nephew Nathan Collins sealed a move from Stoke City to Burnley in a £12million deal, which elevates the former Cherry Orchard schoolboy to the Premier League.

Shorn of his two African stars for the big game, Collins had to deal with another blow in the first half when a Colm Foley own goal gave Longford the lead.

The Saints' efforts were not helped by a Keith Fahey red card in the final quarter of the game with Longford eventually running out 2-0 winners.

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.09 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Derry City

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2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.09 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Derry City

Ronan O’Flaherty @karl_pats

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2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.09 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Derry City

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A View from Afar Ian Templeman

It finally feels as though there is light at the end of the tunnel and we are at least nearing the end of all the various lockdown restrictions, even if we are not quite there yet. People are venturing outdoors more frequently, meeting friends and family members again – and entering sports stadiums again.

Approaching the last double header of home games here at Richmond Park against Sligo Rovers and Finn Harps, it was an uplifting and almost cathartic experience to look at the reactions on social media, as supporters of clubs all across the island, not just here at Pats, celebrated and shared their excitement at getting the chance to watch their favourite team once again for the first time in over a year.

It was as if there was a collective cleansing of negative emotions, as the relief of having something familiar and enjoyable to experience once again was available to the lucky few who emerged victorious from the various club ballots for tickets. It seemed almost surreal that so much joy and pleasure could be shared by people who had simply been given the news that they would be able to attend a home league game, and watch their favourite team. Something that was a routine part of everyday life prior to March 2020 had suddenly become a major event.

But such are the times we are, and have been living in.

The simple pleasures we took for granted for, in some cases, many years have been taken away from us for longer than we could ever have imagined - but at last they are slowly becoming available to us once more.

It may well be that non-football fans might struggle to understand such excitement and jubilation surrounding getting access to a live game in the League of Ireland, but sadly anyone of that view is missing the point. And when anyone talks about the uplifting experiences that can be enjoyed by attending a football match, I am always reminded of a passage in a book by J. B. Priestley, The Good Companions, which was written in 1929. It’s a piece of work I think I have quoted on these pages before, but I make no apology for sharing it with you again.

“The Good Companions” was one of the 20th Century's top sellers, and a book that JBP described as a “dream

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of life”, meaning that it was a story about ordinary people and places brought alive through his ability to paint pictures and capture emotions in words.

It is Priestley's most famous novel, and it established him as a national figure in the UK, and elsewhere too. The story centres around a middle aged, discontented man called Jess Oakroyd, who lives in the fictional Yorkshire town of Bruddersford.

The official website set up to commemorate the work of Priestley describes him as “a writer of international significance, a master playwright, an astute social commentator, novelist, essayist and critic whose reputation grows with time”.

He was also, it would appear, a football fan, because surely only someone who had experienced the atmosphere, excitement and camaraderie of watching a game of football among kindred spirits could possibly write the following words: “To say that these men paid their shillings to watch twenty-two hirelings kick a ball is merely to say that a violin is wood and catgut, that Hamlet is so much paper and ink.

For a shilling, the Bruddersford United AFC offered you Conflict and Art; it turned you into a critic happy in your judgement of fine points, ready in a second to estimate the worth of a well-judged pass, a run down the touchline, a lightening shot, a clearance by your back or goalkeeper; it turned you into a partisan, holding your breath when the ball came sailing into your own goalmouth, ecstatic when your forwards raced away towards the opposite goal, elated, down cast, bitter, triumphant by turns at the fortunes of your side, watching a ball shaped Iliads and Odysseys for you; and, what is more, it turned you into a member of a new community, all brothers together for an hour and a half, for not only had you escaped from the clanking

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.09 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Derry City

Ronan O’Flaherty @iantemplemanloi

machinery of this lesser life, from work, wages, rent, doles, sick pay, insurance cards, nagging wives, ailing children, bad bosses, idle workmen, but you had escaped with most of your mates and your neighbours, with half the town, and there you were, cheering together, thumping one another on the shoulders, swopping judgements like lords of the earth, having pushed your way through a turnstile into another and altogether more splendid kind of life, hurtling with Conflict and yet passionate and beautiful in its Art. Moreover, it offered you more than a shilling’s worth of material for talk during the rest of the week. A man who had missed the last home match of ‘t’United’ had to enter social life on tiptoe in Bruddersford”.

Evocative words indeed, and even allowing for the slightly quaint and old-fashioned wording of some of the descriptions, I think it’s a beautifully observed piece of writing that captures perfectly the match day

experience. I have always especially liked the words towards the end of the main paragraph - “…..having pushed your way through a turnstile into another and altogether more splendid kind of life”.

“Splendid” is a lovely old-fashioned word, not one you see much in use these days, but appropriate none the less. I’m not sure if it was the word that sprung to mind for the lucky few that were able to be present inside Richmond Park for the last two home games, but those of us who weren’t there were able to share the experience with them, thanks to the LOI TV coverage before the Sligo game.

It really did give a warming feeling of familiarity when the camera that was trained on Jamie Moore and Ger O’Brien, positioned in front of the mural, panned round to capture the sight of Pats supporters walking down the slope towards the turnstiles, bedecked with scarves draped round necks and replica jerseys on show in Richmond Park for

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.09 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Derry City

the first time in over a year, ready to experience what our man J.B. Priestley described as a “more splendid kind of life” as the green expanse of the Richmond Park playing surface, and the familiar surrounding environs was finally back in sight at long last. Not only that, it was an experience all the more memorable against a back drop of the team playing so well and maintaining their good form to remain in the shake up at the top of the table.

The atmosphere of a live game so colourfully described by Priestley may only be available to a chosen few for now, but the rest of us can take heart and look forward in the knowledge that we will all soon be back enjoying the Richmond Park experience we have all missed for so long. And that really will be splendid.

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

57

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Player Apps & Goals 2021 League of Ireland

FAI Cup

Total

Start

Sub

App

Goals

Start

Sub

App

Goals

Start

Sub

App

Goals

Vítězslav Jaroš

19

0

19

0

0

0

0

0

19

0

19

0

John Mountney

16

2

18

1

0

0

0

0

16

2

18

1

Ian Bermingham

14

2

16

1

0

0

0

0

14

2

16

1

Sam Bone

14

0

14

1

0

0

0

0

14

0

14

1

Lee Desmond

19

0

19

1

0

0

0

0

19

0

19

1

Jamie Lennon

13

2

15

0

0

0

0

0

13

2

15

0

Robbie Benson

12

2

14

3

0

0

0

0

12

2

14

3

Chris Forrester

18

1

19

3

0

0

0

0

18

1

19

3

0

5

5

1

0

0

0

0

0

5

5

1

Ronan Coughlan

14

2

16

7

0

0

0

0

14

2

16

7

Jason McClellend

3

7

10

1

0

0

0

0

3

7

10

1

Matty Smith

17

1

18

5

0

0

0

0

17

1

18

5

Paddy Barrett

11

3

14

0

0

0

0

0

11

3

14

0

Billy King

Nahum Melvin-Lambert

16

2

18

2

0

0

0

0

16

2

18

2

Alfie Lewis

9

4

13

1

0

0

0

0

9

4

13

1

Darragh Burns

5

6

1

2

0

0

0

0

5

6

1

2

Ben McCormack

2

11

13

0

0

0

0

0

2

11

13

0

Shane Griffin

5

2

7

0

0

0

0

0

5

2

7

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

2

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

2

PREMIER LEAGUE TABLE

Pld

W

D

L

F

A

GD

Pts

1

▲ Shamrock Rovers

19

11

5

3

30

15

15

38

D

W

L

D

2

▲ Sligo Rovers

19

11

5

3

27

13

14

38

L

L

D

W W

3

▼ St. Patrick's Athletic

19

10

5

4

32

20

12

35

W W W

D

L

4

- Bohemian FC

19

9

3

7

33

22

11

30

D

W W

L

W

5

- Drogheda United

19

8

5

6

33

22

11

29

W

L

L

D

W

6

▲ Derry City

19

6

7

6

21

23

-2

25

D

W

D

L

W

7

▼ Dundalk

19

6

6

7

24

27

-3

24

L

D

W W

L

8

- Finn Harps

19

5

5

9

17

29

-12

20

D

L

L

D

L

9

- Waterford FC

19

4

1

14

13

39

-26

13

W

L

W

D

L

19

1

6

12

13

33

-20

9

L

D

L

D

L

10 - Longford Town

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.09 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Derry City

LAST 5 MATCHES W D

59 59

Results & Lineouts 2021 Date

Opposition

Venue Comp Score

Starting XI

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

2-1

Jaroš

Mountney

Bermingham

Desmond

Bone

Lennon

King

Mon 24 May

Derry City

Away

Series 13

2-2

Jaroš

Mountney

Griffin

Desmond

Bone

Barrett

King

Fri 28 May

Dundalk

Home Series 14

0-2

Jaroš

Mountney

Bermingham

Desmond

Bone

Barrett

Lennon

Sat 12 June

Longford Town

Away

Series 15

3-1

Jaroš

Mountney

Bermingham

Desmond

Barrett

Lewis

Benson

Fri 18 June

Sligo Rovers

Home Series 16

2-0

Jaroš

Mountney

Bermingham

Desmond

Barrett

Lewis

Benson

Mon 21 June Finn Harps

Home Series 17

4-1

Jaroš

Mountney

Bermingham

Desmond

Barrett

Lewis

Fri 25 June

Waterford

Away

Series 18

1-1

Jaroš

Mountney

Bone

Desmond

Lewis

Burns

Benson

Fri 02 July

Bohemians

Away

Series 19

2-3

Jaroš

Barrett

Bermingham

Bone

Desmond

Lennon

Burns

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

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

1

1

Benson

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

60

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.09 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Derry City

1

1

1

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

Lewis

Burns

Kelly

McCormack

Melvin-Lambert

B Murphy

Keeley

Corbally

Lewis

McCormack

Melvin-Lambert

B Murphy

Keeley

King

Corbally

Lewis

McCormack

Melvin-Lambert

B Murphy

Keeley

Lewis

Melvin-Lambert

Barrett

McCormack

Corbally

B Murphy

Keeley

King

Lewis

Corbally

Burns

McCormack

Melvin-Lambert

B Murphy

Keeley

1 Benson

Mountney

Smith

Lennon

Bone

Corbally

Melvin-Lambert

B Murphy

Keeley

1 Lewis

Griffin

McCormack

Corbally

Burns

Norris

Melvin-Lambert

Keeley

1

1

Smith

Coughlan 1

Mountney

Bermingham

McCormack

Corbally

Norris

Melvin-Lambert

B Murphy

Smith

Burns

Lewis

McCormack

Corbally

Griffin

Norris

Melvin-Lambert

B Murphy

Smith

Griffin

McClelland

McCormack

Melvin-Lambert

Norris

Corbally

Murphy

Keeley

Forrester

Smith

McCormack

Barrett

Benson

Griffin

Corbally

Norris

B Murphy

Keeley

Coughlan

Forrester

Smith

Barrett

Melvin-Lambert

Griffin

Norris

Corbally

B Murphy

Keeley

Lewis

Coughlan

Forrester

Benson

Bermingham Melvin-Lambert

McCormack

Norris

Corbally

Murphy

Keeley

Coughlan

2

1

1 Benson

Melvin-Lambert 1

1 McCormack

King

Smith

Forrester

Benson

Lewis

Melvin-Lambert McCormack

Corbally

Norris

Corbally

B Murphy

King

Smith

1

Forrester

Coughlan 1 Burns

McClelland

McCormack Norris

Corbally

Lonergan

Murphy

Keeley

King

Smith

1

Forrester

Coughlan 1 Burns

Lennon

McClelland

McCormack

Bone

Norris

Lonergan

B Murphy

Keeley

King

Smith

Forrester

Coughlan 2 Burns

McClelland

McCormack

Bone

Corbally

Norris

Lonergan

B Murphy

Keeley

King

Smith

McClelland

McCormack

Forrester

Barrett

Bermingham Lennon

Corbally

Norris

Lonergan

B Murphy

Keeley

Benson

King

Smith

Forrester

McClelland 1 McCormack

A Murphy

Corbally

Norris

Lonergan

B Murphy

Keeley

1

Abankwah

Next set of Fixtures - Fri 16 July / Sun 18 July* 2021 SSE AIRTRICITY LEAGUE OF IRELAND PREMIER DIVISION - SERIES 21

ST PATRICK’S ATHLETIC

v

DROGHEDA UNITED

7:45PM

DERRY CITY

v

SHAMROCK ROVERS

7:45PM

*WATERFORD

v

SLIGO ROVERS

4:00PM

*BOHEMIANS

v

LONGFORD TOWN

4:00PM

*DUNDALK

v

FINN HARPS

4:00PM

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.09 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Derry City

61

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