The Saint (Vol 33 #13)

2021 Season • Premier Division • Vol. 33 • No. 13 Fri 03 September • Richmond Park, Inchicore, D8 • KO:7.45PM

Jamie Lennon

Editorial

Ronan O’Flaherty

Ruairi Kavanagh

@stpatsprogramme

Welcome back to Richmond Park, or to a screen

academies in Irish football and continues to do an

near you, after three weeks on the road. While the

incredible job for the club.

defeat to Finn Harps was a bad night, last weeks triumph with a badly depleted squad away to Cork

These are good times to be a St Patrick's Athletic

City was important. Mostly because it gets us into a

fan, all that's missing are more of us at the ground

home quarter-final against Wexford at home, but

this evening. We hope that our good behaviour,

also because of what it showed in terms of the

and those of all other LOI clubs, in obeying public

character of the squad.

health guidelines will be rewarded with a loosening of restrictions similar to what we have

Decimated by injuries and suspensions, the win

seen in Croke Park recently, although with

showed at full time, after the penos, what a united

spectator safety remaining to the fore. Let's all get

group of players, coaches and management we

behind the lads tonight and get another three

have at the club. Massive credit must be given to

points in our heartening run of home form.

Alan Mathews, Stephen O'Donnell and all the coaching staff (yes ALL-you know who I am talking

Thanks again to design and contributors and you

about). They have created a formidable team spirit

the readers for continuing to make The Saint such a

that has given us a highly enjoyable season so far.

success this season. There's another cracking read in store for you in these pages.

Also, the achievement of the U19's in reaching the Come on the Saints!

Europa Youth League is massive, and their forthcoming tie against Crvena Zvezda of Serbia is a mouthwatering one. Our Academy Director Ger O'Brien has helped create one of the finest

Ruairi Kavanagh Editor The Saint

Contents 10

Dodge’s Data

32

Eurozone

18

Super Saints

36

100 years of LOI

24

Opposition Watch

38

Club History

28

Pats from the Past

46

Local Heroes

Programme Production Editor Ruairi Kavanagh

Design Joe O’Rourke

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.13 • St Patrick’s Athletic V Longford Town

Photo Sportsfile & Inpho 3

Tonight’s Squads

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

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

/stpatsfc stpatsfc

Longford Town

Manager:

Manager:

Alan Mathews

Head Coach: Stephen O’Donnell

Asst Manager: John Martin

GK o

1 Lee Steacy

GK o

2 John Mountney

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2 Shane Elworthy

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3 Ian Bermingham

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3 Patrick Kirk

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4 Sam Bone

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4 Aaron Robinson

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5 Lee Desmond

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5 Michael McDonnell D

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6 Jamie Lennon

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6 Dean Zambra

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7 Robbie Benson

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7 Dylan Grimes

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8 Chris Forrester

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8 Robert Manley

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9 Kyrian Nwoko

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9 Aaron Dobbs

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10 Ronan Coughlan

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10 Sam Verdon

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11 Jason McClelland

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11 Callum Thompson

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12 Matty Smith

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12 Aaron O Driscoll

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14 Kyrian Nwoko

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14 Aaron Bolger

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15 Billy King

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15 Aaron McCabe

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16 Alfie Lewis

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16 Aodh Dervin

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17 Darragh Burns

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17 Matthew O Brien

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18 Ben McCormack

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18 Luke Dennison

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19 Nahum Melvin-Lambert F

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19 Karl Chambers

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20 Shane Griffin

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20 Dean Byrne

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21 Barry Murphy

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21 Aaron McNally

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22 Jak Hickman

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22 Joseph Manley

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25 Josh Keeley

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23 Ben Lynch

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28 Cian Kelly

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24 Callum Warfield

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29 Paddy Barrett

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25 Conor Davis

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31 Kian Corbally

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26 Thomas McLaughlin M

34 Adam Murphy

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30 Michael Kelly

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36 Sam Curtis

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32 Joe Gorman

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38 Thomas Lonergan

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39 James Abankwah

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Match Officials

/stpatsfctv

Referee Damien MacGraith

stpatsfc.com

Daire Doyle

1 Vítězslav Jaroš

/stpatsfc

info@stpatsfc.com

4

St Patrick’s Athletic

Half-Time

Assistant 1 Ciarán Delaney

Full-Time

Assistant 2 Alan Sherlock

o o

4th Official Neil Doyle

MOTM

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.13 • St Patrick’s Athletic v LONGFORD TOWN

President’s Welcome Tom O’Mahony

@jimmyedwards41

Good Evening Good evening and welcome to tonight's match, whether you're watching in person or through the stream. We extend a special welcome to our visitors Longford Town FC. Since our last home appearance we've had two away games, with injuries and suspensions testing our small squad to the limit. A disappointing defeat in Ballybofey was followed by a professional performance in Cork to get us through to the Cup quarterfinals. Our home form has, of course, been exceptional, with six wins on the trot. We will hope to extend that record tonight, but Longford are fighting for survival in the Premier Division and won't make it easy.

Last week we received the brilliant news that our u-19s will represent Ireland in the UEFA Youth League in the coming weeks.

While we put ourselves into contention for this honour by winning the u-19 league in December, our participation could only be confirmed when the qualification process for the Champions League group stages was wrapped up. This was because of the unusual structure of the Youth League. The 64 participants comprise the 32 clubs who have qualified for the Champions League group stages, and the clubs who have won the u-19 league in the 32 countries ranked highest in the UEFA coefficient. As Ireland generally ranks in the high 30s, our chance of having a club in the Youth League depends on there being enough clubs who qualify under both criteria - in other words, clubs reaching the group stages who have also won their u-19 league. In such cases, a spot goes to the club from the countries that are 33rd, 34th etc in the UEFA coefficient, until all 64 slots are filled.

Our chances didn't look great on the last night of Champions League qualification, as we needed a few results to go our way, but thankfully they did and our u-19s will now take on the Serbian champions FK Crvena Zvezda (better known as Red Star Belgrade around these parts) in the first knock-out round, the home leg being played on 29 September and the away on 20 October.

We wish them the best of luck in what will be a stiff but exciting challenge for a talented bunch of young players.

ST PATRICK’S ATHLETIC FOOTBALL CLUB Richmond Park 125 Emmet Road, Inchicore, Dublin 8, Ireland Tel: +353 1 454 6332 Fax: +353 1 454 6211 For media enquiries, please email press@stpatsfc.com Opening Hours: 9.30am-5pm (Mon-Fri).

See our facebook page for additional opening hours on match days.

HONOURS

I'm sure most readers are well aware that we are one of the Irish clubs which has placed the greatest emphasis on our Academy and, as a result, have been perhaps the most successful under-age club in recent years.

We are very strong believers in the principle that young players are best served by being able to complete their education at home while also having the opportunity to compete at an elite level. This policy is beginning to deliver a significant dividend for the first team. Darragh Burns and Ben McCormack are first team regulars this season while James Abankwah, Josh Keeley, Kian Corbally and Tommy Lonergan have impressed when called on. All are still in their teens.

Our Director of Football, Ger O'Brien and all of the coaches in the Academy are doing a great job and I'd like to take this opportunity to thank them and to wish them continued success.

Enjoy tonight's game.

Tom O'Mahony President St Patrick's Athletic FC

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.13 • St Patrick’s Athletic v LONGFORD TOWN

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

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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 Daire Doyle, his players and everybody connected with Longford Town to Richmond Park for this evening's Premier Division match.

Three weeks have passed since our most recent

Slowly but surely, restrictions are being eased, as

home match. The team has been on the road for

was illustrated by the noisy and colourful section of

the last couple of games and it was a relief to

Pat's supporters in Cork. You were brilliant

bounce back last Friday in Cork after the

throughout the game and afterwards. There were

disappointment of defeat against Finn Harps in

approximately 100 spectators in the away section,

Ballybofey. It was a dramatic finish to the

but it sounded more like several multiples of that

regulation 90 minutes on Leeside. After taking the

figure. We have enjoyed welcoming supporters

lead so late from the penalty spot, we unfortunately

back to home games, and the team has responded

conceded an equaliser deep into stoppage time

with a number of good performances. Seeing you

and the game went all the way to a penalty

in such fine voice at Turners Cross was another

shootout. On another occasion, one or two of the

positive development.

half chances that came our way may have ended up in the back of the net, but those are the breaks.

Waterford were the opponents in our most recent league game here three weeks ago. Our attention

With that said, it was pleasing to witness the

in the aftermath of a hard-fought victory was on

composure of the players in the shootout, from

Lee Desmond's condition. Lee had been involved in

Vitezslav Jaros in goal to the lads who stepped up

an unfortunate collision late in the game that

and took a penalty. It doesn't really matter how you

required hospital attention. Thankfully, he was back

win your matches in the cup, as long as you do win

on the mend relatively quickly, but it was a

and get yourself into the draw for the next round.

worrying moment and we are relieved that Lee is

We fielded a young team with a number of

doing well.

teenagers, a couple of whom were making their full debuts. Everyone put in a shift and can be proud of

With interest in the FAI Cup put on the long finger

their contribution. It was also good to see the likes

for another little while, this evening our focus

of Ronan Coughlan get some decent game time in.

returns to league action. St Pat's and Longford need the points for different reasons. Hopefully, for

The win means we are now in the quarter-finals of

the spectators, it will be an open and entertaining

the FAI Cup and the objective is to go as far as we

contest.

can in the competition. The cup final at the Aviva Stadium is the biggest day in the Irish football

Enjoy the match,

calendar. Everybody – from fans to players to staff –

Alan Mathews and Stephen O'Donnell

wants to be involved on FAI Cup final day and we are no different.

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.13 • St Patrick’s Athletic v LONGFORD TOWN

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Oh My Word!

Ronan O’Flaherty

Fridays were for painting. The last hour of school was given over to organised chaos every second Friday.

Giddiness permeated.

Schoolbags were carried to the back of the room. Always carefully placed. Tables were pushed together and covered over with old newspapers. The newspapers absorbed more paint than the sheets of white paper we were supposed to be painting on Occasionally, the content of the newspaper clippings provided wide amusement.

It was any given Friday. The varying colours of paint had been squeezed from plastic bottles into the pallets. Same of the bottles made a funny sound. Sleeves were rolled up.

Time to paint.

An image caught my attention.

It was Eddie Gormley. My side of the desk was covered over by an article about St Patrick’s Athletic. Now if that's not a sign...

It wasn't just one of those small articles at the bottom of the page. This dominated the page and included multiple colour photographs.

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With frenzied enthusiasm, I pointed my discovery out to classmates. Before they could respond, I went further, informing them the main picture is of Eddie Gormley, the best player in Irish football.

I told them he can do things with a football that you won't see on Match of the Day. Reactions were lukewarm.

seconds. Twelve-year-old me presumed he was tired and taking a quick breather. Mucholder me presumes he was taking a moment to consider who was in the box and where he should place the ball. Eddie could flight a ball with rare precision, so of course he needed to inspect the lie of the land.

As the clock ticked closer to going-home time, the rush was on. Completed works of art would quickly be placed on the floor at the side of the room, where they would dry over the weekend.

I felt compelled to preserve the newspaper clipping. It could be used another day, to cover some other kid's desk. Maybe that kid will notice it, read it and ask to be taken to a match.

That was the thought process.

I probably painted a landscape, which was the go-to easy option. It consisted of two green hills overlapping, the sun emerging between them. And an unnecessarily big blue-sky.

If Fridays were good because of painting, they were immeasurably better for the matches. Two years after leaving Harold's Cross, football in a floodlit stadium was still something of a novelty for St Patrick’s fans. The excitement of watching games under the night sky became even more fun when a great team emerged, capable of winning the title.

Eddie Gormley exuded elegance on the pitch. He kicked the ball with a swagger.

His routine ahead of cornerkicks also caught the eye. After taking a few steps back in preparation for a run-up, he would then stop and place his hands on his hips for a few

The season was barely at the halfway point when St Patrick's

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.13 • St Patrick’s Athletic v LONGFORD TOWN

@ronanoflaherty

completed the Tolka-Dalymount-RDS triple crown. Paddy Eccles led the choir.

Every Monday morning, I had football stories to share.

Unfortunately, they didn't carry much currency.

When the team became champions of Ireland, it was a joyous feeling to be connected with such an achievement. Truly connected. Players were accessible. Fellow supporters were, still are, extended family. The shared experience of the match is not always fun, but we endure together.

As manager, Brian Kerr was the architect of the 1996 title win. It is appropriate that he gets the final word.

In an interview with Tommy Martin on Virgin Media Sport, Kerr offered an insight into a moment of celebration at the 1990 World Cup. He was seated in the upper tier of Stadio La Favorita in Palermo when Ireland drew 1-1 with the Netherlands to qualify for the knockout stages.

Recalling the scenes following the final whistle, Kerr said: "I was in among some of the officialdom of Irish soccer high up in the stand. The fellas around me were crying and were very, very emotional. I remember looking at them with a sadness. I used to feel that every week watching Pat's. I used to feel that every week with the team I was involved in when we won the match. But they were only getting it for the first time in their lives now. They hadn't got that passion, that real passion and attachment to day-to-day football, that I felt."

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.13 • St Patrick’s Athletic v LONGFORD TOWN

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Dodge’s Data!

John Owens

League Record v Longford Town HOME GAMES

AWAY GAMES

5

6

17

TOTAL GAMES

5

10

19

9

15

36

5

6 GOALS

11

GOALS

28

27

32

GOALS

19

Record League Scores

60

46

Did you know?

20/04/21

19/06/15

15/09/00

10/01/03

3-0

3-0

2-4

0-2

18/11/05

24/02/85

14/11/03

19/07/06

1-3

6-0

0-2

0-2

STEPHEN O’BRIEN The Inchicore native holds the record for most league appearances for Longford Town. Between 1998 and 2005 O’Brien chalked up 250 games.

Stephen also won the FAI Cup with De Town in 2003 and 2004.

ER SEPTEMB

03

LAST 4 GAMES 2018

Richmond Park

LSC QF

Dundalk

1-0

K Toner

2013

Brandywell

LOI

Derry City

1-0

K Brennan

2012

Richmond Park

LOI

Derry City

3-0

S O’Connor, J Kelly, V Faherty

2011

Richmond Park

LOI

Galway United

6-1

S O’Connor 2, D North 2, S Bradley, P Crowley

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2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.13 • St Patrick’s Athletic v LONGFORD TOWN

Ronan O’Flaherty @seidodge

Last 10 games v Longford Town Date

12/06/21

Venue

Competition

WIN

League

3-1

League

3-0

City Calling Stadium

League

1-0

Richmond Park

League

City Calling Stadium

DRAW

LOSE

Benson, Smith, Coughlan

30/04/21

Richmond Park

Coughlan, Forrester 2

15/08/16 Mark Timlin

13/05/16

3-3

Sam Verdon, Conan Byrne, Jamie McGrath

11/03/16

City Calling Stadium

League

1-0

City Calling Stadium

League

3-0

Christy Fagan

26/09/15

Christy Fagan, James Chambers, Aaron Greene

19/06/15

Richmond Park

League

3-0

Chris Forrester, James Chambers,

04/04/15

City Calling Stadium

2-2

League

Chris Forrester, Conan Byrne

09/09/14

City Calling Stadium

LSC Final

2-1

LSC QF

2-0

Sam Verdon, Jack Bayly

04/06/13

Richmond Park

Anto Flood, Conan Byrne 2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.13 • St Patrick’s Athletic v LONGFORD TOWN

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Squad Sponsorship Vítězslav Jaroš

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2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.13 • St Patrick’s Athletic v LONGFORD TOWN

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2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.13 • St Patrick’s Athletic v LONGFORD TOWN

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Squad Sponsorship Billy King

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2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.13 • St Patrick’s Athletic v LONGFORD TOWN

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2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.13 • St Patrick’s Athletic v LONGFORD TOWN

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RTE Monday 05 September, 2011 Airtricity League of Ireland Premier Division • Richmond Park SEPTEMBE

R

03 2011

ST PATRICK'S ATH 6 GALWAY UNITED 1

Goals from Sean O'Connor, Stephen Bradley, Danny North and Paul Crowley gave St Patrick's Athletic their fourth Airtricity League victory over Galway United this season, before a crowd of 649 at Richmond Park.

The Tribesmen's miserable losing league streak now stands at 22.

St Pat's had beaten Galway well in those three previous league meetings this season, scoring ten goals and conceding just two in the process. And they got down to business immediately in this encounter and were ahead with just one minute and 20 seconds on the clock.

O'Connor finished off a superb move, which had featured important touches from North and Daryl Kavanagh, with a neat drive from the right of Winn's goal which gave the United netminder no chance.

That early strike gave home supporters hope that their side may go goal-crazy against crisis-club Galway, who could name only three substitutes on their bench. That's exactly what happened and the second goal came, from the penalty spot, on 14 minutes.

Referee Graham Kelly ruled, harshly, it has to be said, that Yob Son had handled in the area and awarded a spot kick. Bradley stepped up and

slotted a cool confident strike past Winn.

Galway's Stephen Walsh was having a great game out on the left wing and got back to make a vital block coming up to the 20-minute mark to stop what looked a likely Pat's goal. North and O'Connor were involved on the left before Ian Bermingham delivered a low dangerous ball into the box. Derek Doyle was best of the Pat's men to capitalise but Walsh saw the danger and slid in to clear the ball.

Galway didn't have a great number of chances on the Pat's goal as the half developed, though Gary Kelly's effort on 29 minutes forced Gary Rogers into a fine save.

Winn did well to save North's shot on 36 but was beaten by the Englishman a minute later. Bradley's corner wasn't cleared and North got on the rebound and smashed the ball into the net.

Pat's finished the half in fine style and O'Connor netted his second on 42 minutes with a fantastic shot that crashed in off the crossbar. That goal came at the end of another excellent Pat's move that had involved Kavanagh and Bradley, who were having standout performances for Pat's.

Galway started the second period in much better fashion than they had the

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.13 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Longford Town

first, and Kelly went close again with a long range shot on 51 which flew over Rogers' bar.

Pat's appealed for a penalty on the hour when Son took down David McMillan when dispossessing the Pat's sub just inside the box, but referee Kelly was happy that Son had gotten the ball.

North scored his second of the night and Pat's fifth on 76 minutes when he got on O'Connor's pass and beat Winn with a low shot that went in off the left hand post.

Crowley made it six on 80 minutes when he pounced for the ball after the Galway defence had thwarted O'Connor, before Galway got a consolation on 81 when Rogers failed to hold Sinnott's shot and allowed the ball through his hands and into the net.

ST PAT'S: Rogers; Pender, Bermingham, E McMillan, Kenna, OConnor, Doyle (Stuart, 45), Mc-Faul, Bradley (Crowley 78), Kavanagh (D McMillan, 45), North.

GALWAY UNITED: Winn; Sinnott, Holland, Y Son, Browne, JG Kim (Sibanda, 56), Walsh, Kelly, Murphy, Ryan, Cauldwell (Dusi, 64).

REF: G. Kelly, Cork.

17

Super Saints Tommy Keyes Johnny Keegan

The Inchicore and Shed Ends have provided the backdrop for some magical moments so far this season at Richmond Park. While all eyes are usually on Forrester, Burns, Coughlan, Smith and King, another name, emblazoned on the hoardings behind both goals will also be familiar to Pat’s fans. That name is lifelong Pat’s supporter and musician Tommy Keyes. We caught up with Tommy to hear about his musical journey so far.

Who is Tommy Keyes?

“Back in the 70s, all of us who could sing or play an instrument (and a few who couldn't) were in a band. There were loads of places to play.

Hundreds of pubs in Dublin alone had live music every night or at least at weekends. I joined my first band when I was 19 and was soon gigging at least 3 nights a week. In the late 70s I joined a new band called Sidewinder and we had a lot of success, playing what were then the big venues such

18

as the Baggot Inn and McGonagles. That's when I first experienced hearing my own songs on the radio, which was a big deal. Then real life intervened in the form of a civil service career, marriage and children and I disappeared from the music scene for almost 40 years. When I retired in 2015 I was free to come back to my original passion and since then I've been very active in writing, recording and gigging.”

Can you tell us about your latest release, Radio Days, and the process behind it?

“The inspiration came from my memories of getting a newfangled device called a cassette tape recorder more than 50 years ago and working out that I could connect it to the radio, record the latest songs, then work them out and play them on the piano. That soon led to writing my own songs and my musical life was born. All my songs start with playing around with chords and

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.13 • St Patrick’s Athletic v LONGFORD TOWN

Ronan O’Flaherty @johnnykeegan melodies at the piano until I find something new that I like and some words that fit with it. I then have to develop those words into a story, and I have a song. I'll try the song out at gigs and eventually decide whether I have a keeper. When it's time to make an album, I send home-demos of the songs to the musicians and singers that I use, and they work out how they're going to enhance it. We'll rehearse it before we go into studio and firm up the arrangements that way.

For the songs that will have strings, I have someone who does the arrangement for the quartet. For my last few albums I've been the producer and I really enjoy building up the tracks with the various instruments and vocals. It can often transform the song.”

Nostalgia is a common theme in your work.

Would you say that you’re a nostalgic person in general?

“It's easiest to write about things that come from your own experience, and when you're as old as me you have a lot of experience to draw on. I think nostalgia is a very powerful tool in songwriting. What you're trying to do when you write a song is to get an emotional response from the listener, whether it's with the words or music, and nostalgia is something that triggers the emotions in most people.”

You’re involved with a couple of open mic sessions around the city. Why are open mic nights important, particularly for new musicians?

the road from Richmond Park, the Jailbreak Sessions in the Patriot's Inn, on the first Wednesday of every month. Hopefully it will be back in action soon. There are quite a few Pats supporters active on the music scene (such as Greg Clifford and Gary Ó Nualláin) and they've all played the Jailbreak Sessions. Another excellent one for a new musician to dip their toes in is the Circle Sessions in the International on Wicklow Street. The advice I'd give anyone thinking of trying out open mics is to go along first as a punter just to experience it and see how the performers handle it.”

In your song ‘I Was There’ you list off a load of old venues whose demise you’ve witnessed over the years. The same thing is happening again across the country, but particularly in Dublin. Is the city becoming a hostile place for young/new musicians?

“When I came back to music I was in exactly the same position as any new musician starting out. I might have played the big venues 40 years earlier but that meant nothing now. Open mics were a godsend because I could just show up and get to play. One of the best was just down

“I do a lot of interviews these days and I'm often asked what's different about playing music now and back in the 70s. The music scene in the 70s was vibrant and there were gigs everywhere.

There was a culture of going to the pub to hear music - there were far fewer counter-attractions than there are now. Music brought in the punters so the publicans were more than willing to pay for it. Unfortunately, that culture is largely gone

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.13 • St Patrick’s Athletic v LONGFORD TOWN

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

20

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.13 • St Patrick’s Athletic v LONGFORD TOWN

Ronan O’Flaherty Super Saints Tommy Keyes Johnny Keegan and it's now exceptionally difficult for young musicians to make a living from gigging. And don't get me started on streaming!”

You have an album planned for release in the Autumn. Can you tell us a bit more about that?

“The album is also called Radio Days and is ready for release. I usually put out a couple of singles first to build up a bit of momentum. A song called The Emigrants Blues is just out and the album will be released in October. The challenge releasing an album as an independent musician is getting it noticed. The key to that is radio play, which is hard to come by if you don't have a label and PR machine behind you. Having said that, there are a few people in stations around the country who are very good at giving exposure to independent artists, and I've seen a steady increase in my airplay over the past few years.”

When putting out an album, what are you hoping for? What constitutes success for you?

“That's a question I frequently ask myself. I'm a realist and I know that my music is never going to make me a household name. The reason I make albums is because I'm very proud of the songs I've written and I want them to sound as good as they can and be heard by people who'll appreciate them. I've built up a "fanbase" that's measured in hundreds, not thousands, but knowing that they enjoy the albums is as much success as I'm going to have, and I'm fine with that.”

The Beatles are obviously an inspiration for you. If you had to convince a non-believer of their brilliance, how would you do it?

“I would play them the first Beatles album, which was very representative of pop music in the early

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.13 • St Patrick’s Athletic v LONGFORD TOWN

60s. Then I'd play them Revolver to let them see the massive musical development in the Beatles over just three years - and explain to them that pretty much the rest of the music industry grabbed onto the coat-tails of the Beatles and adopted their ideas and approaches.”

For a bit of fun… If you could assemble your dream supergroup, who would be in it and why?

“Let's make it an Irish supergroup and as it's only a dream I can include some who are sadly no longer with us. On drums - Larry Mullen, the driving force behind U2. Bass and lead vocals - it has to be Phil Lynott, our local hero. Lead guitar Rory Gallagher, maybe the greatest guitarist I had the privilege to see perform. Brian Kerr as manager as he's a great manager and a music head too. And, as it's my dream, stick me in on keyboards and give us a gig in the Richmond Arena.”

Check out more at tommykeyes.com Any views expressed in this article are the contributor's own.

21

Pensive Points Jimmy Edwards

Good Evening All, Welcome to Daire Doyle and

Forrester penalty. In truth, Finn

experience was vital and he was

all from Longford Town FC

Harps deserved their win and we

vocal and leading the defence

for tonight’s encounter.

were probably lucky that

when under pressure. James

Owalabi didn’t score another

Abankwah is only 17 but my God

couple of goals as he tormented

what a player this lad is going to

our defence throughout the

be. He has it all, pace, height,

game. It was a bad night at the

strength and skill and the future

office as they say but it’s gone.

looks very bright for James

Our last home game was on the 13th of August v Waterford FC and it was a game we won but in the end nobody left the ground thinking about the result as we

going forward. Jak Hickman

were all concerned about the

Our next assignment was a

welfare of Lee Desmond after a

mouth-watering 2nd round FAI

very bad aerial collision with our

Cup tie away in Turners Cross to

keeper Vite Jaros that left both of

Cork City. I think we will all agree

them down needing treatment.

that Cork City are historically one

Vite was able to continue

of the big clubs and although

thankfully but Lee was taken

they are currently plying their

away in an ambulance to hospital

trade in the 1st division I don’t

where he was thankfully

think it will be too long until we

In the first half, Colin Healy had

discharged later in the night. Lee

see them back in the Premier

his players fired up in the

is a very experienced player and

Division. I was nervous going into

knowledge that we were missing

very important part of our team

this game when I heard that both

our regular centre backs and

so we all look forward to having

Paddy Barret and Sam Bone were

Cork had a number of chances

him back at the heart of our

suspended and then along with

that a combination of Jaros saves

defence as soon as he is ready.

Lee being out injured we were

and bad finishing kept the score

going into this game with no

at 0-0 going into the break at half

recognised experienced centre-

time. As the game went on in the

half. Our ever-reliable left full Ian

second we would eventually lose

Bermingham lined up alongside

both Ian Bermingham and James

17-year-old James Abankwah in

Abankwah to injury. Ian went off

the heart of the defence with Jak

in the 61st minute and was

Hickman starting his first game

replaced by Shane Griffin who

for the club at right full and Jay

was making his first appearance

McClelland normally a winger

after a long spell out with a

playing left full so it was a

shoulder injury. Shane like Ian

patched-up defence in the

normally plays left full but he had

circumstances and each and

to go in alongside James at

every one of the back for

centre back. James would

performed brilliantly. Bermo’s

eventually have to go off in the

Our next game was on the 20th of August away to Finn Harps and it was a night to forget as we didn’t perform anywhere near the levels that we have done consistently this season. We lost the game 3-1 to a brilliant Tunde Owalabi hat-trick with the goals coming in the 12th, 41st and 53rd minutes although it has to be said a couple of the goals had a hint of offside about them in my opinion. We scored in the 14th minute through a Chris

22

performed very well at right full and will get even better the more games he gets under his belt. Jay McClelland has had to play left full on a few occasions this season and he was excellent yet again

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.13 • St Patrick’s Athletic v LONGFORD TOWN

Ronan O’Flaherty @jimmyedwards41

78th minute and he was replaced

fingertips away from getting to.

a gamble but a gamble that has

by Ben McCormack who came

Ben McCormack stepped and

clearly paid off because you can

into the midfield and Jamie

buried his, then up stepped Barry

see the influence Stephen and

Lennon a midfielder had to drop

Coffey for Cork, but he sent his

Alan Matthews are having on the

back into the heart of the

penalty kick over the bar so it

team.

defence alongside Shane.

was advantage Pat’s after 2 pen’s

We were awarded a penalty in the 89th minute when the very impressive Ben McCormack was fouled in the box, up stepped Chris Forrester to send McNulty diving the wrong way to his right hand side. Cork piled on the pressure in the remaining minutes and grabbed an equaliser at the death in the 95th minute through Barry Coffey.

Extra time to come, which ended in stalemate so penalties it was.

Cork won the toss for what end the pens were to be taken and as to be expected they went for their shed end where all their fans were. We won the toss for who goes first and we decided we would go first and up stepped the ice-cool Chris Forrester. McNulty tried to play mind games coming out speaking to Chris to try and put him off but that didn;t work, with Chris sending him the wrong way for the second time in the game.

Dylan McGlade stepped up and hit a very well taken penalty into the bottom corner, that Jaros went the right way for and was

each. Jay McClelland stepped up next for Pat’s and he also sent McNulty diving in the wrong direction as he converted to make 3-1 for Pat’s. Daragh Crowley was next up for Cork and he hit it well to the keepers left nut Jaros guessed right and made a great save. Up stepped Alfie Lewis and like those who had gone before him, he also sent McNulty diving the wrong direction as he calmly struck the ball into the back of the net, job done.

I also want to mention the brilliant work that Ger O’Brien has done over a number of seasons in helping to attract the best young players to come and play for Pat’s. Our youth teams have performed brilliantly for a number of seasons now at all age groups and we are now starting to see some of them on a regular basis in and around the first-team squad. We have seen Dara Burns and Ben McCormack flourish in the team this year and we have also seen James Abankwah, Josh Keeley and Ben

Considering the injuries and

Curtis all come into the team in

suspensions we had coming into

recent games. The future of this

this game and the fact that a

club looks very bright indeed

place in the quarterfinals was up

with such great young players

for grabs this was a very

coming through the academy

enjoyable win and I must say it

teams and there are plenty more

was brilliant to see the injured

stars in our 19’s that will also get

trio of John Mountney, Lee

their chance’s in the near future.

Desmond and Robbie Benson all on the pitch with the lads at the end of the game as it shows the

Enjoy the game,

togetherness that exists in the

Up the Saints,

group. I must say the

Jimmy.

appointment of Stephen O’Donnell was a brave decision at the time and was somewhat of

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.13 • St Patrick’s Athletic v LONGFORD TOWN

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

23

Opposition Watch Paul Maguire

If Longford were to escape relegation this season it would be the miracle of all miraculous escapes.

Currently lying 16 points off

Last weekend the FAI Cup

Steacy initially saved but

even the playoff position

presented a much-needed

couldn’t prevent Waterford

unfortunately they look

distraction to the league perils

scoring from the rebound. Two

doomed to spending next

with a tie away to UCD who

further goals in the second half

season in the First Division and

currently lie 3rd in the First

consigned Town to another

even though they are our

Division and are among four

defeat, the last goal in

opponents tonight I take no

sides vying for a play-off spot.

particular will have particularly

pleasure in saying that as this

Alas a 2-1 win for the students

annoyed Daire Doyle as one

writer is firmly of the belief that

signalled their exit from a

Waterford head managed to

regional clubs are vital to this

competition which still brings

get to the ball despite six

league and away days outside

back memories of glory days in

defenders in the box.

of Dublin are one of the most

2003 & 04 and lumped yet

enjoyable aspects of following

more misery on their

That defeat also came on the

your local LOI team.

supporters.

back of a 0-3 league defeat to Finn Harps who eased their

Daire Doyle

24

Longford had suffered a

own automatic relegation

thumping 4-1 loss in Waterford

worries in the process.

the previous week which

Longford manager Daire Doyle

extended their winless run in

had stated that the game was

the league to 24 matches.

like a cup final and would

Despite having a strong wind

bemoan his luck as the

at their backs in the first half

opening goal came when

they couldn’t create any

Michael McDonnell put

meaningful chances and fell

through his own net after just

behind on 36 minutes. While

15 minutes of the first half and

Dean Williams equalised two

although Longford went close

minutes into the second half,

to equalising when Aodh

parity barely lasted three

Dervin had a piledriver saved,

minutes as Aaron O’Driscoll

by the time the half-time

conceded a penalty which Lee

whistle blew Harps were 2 up.

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.13 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Longford Town

@PaulGoS

Longford had more of the

time this season Longford

game in the second half and

had lost to them in that

Aaron O’Driscoll went close

manner. While spending

with a header from a Dylan

most of the game defending

Grimes free kick but for all the

resolutely and Lee Steacy in

possession they couldn’t

goal keeping the Hoops

create enough in the final third

attack at bay, De Town did

of the pitch and conceded

manage the odd foray into the Rovers half and Aaron Dobbs had a shot well saved

by Alan Mannus but in the end they didn’t get the point their efforts deserved.

Dean Zambra

Another performance which promised much but unfortu-

only won two league games

nately also resulted in defeat

all season, they have

came at home in Bishopsgate

impressed in spells in their

against Derry City. Longford

recent matches and Daire

started well and a shot from

Doyle has said that his charges

Aaron McNally forced a corner

haven’t seen the points their

in the opening minute and the

efforts have deserved and

game was very even until

there is quality and experience

Derry took the lead in the 31st

in their squad with the likes of

number three on 83 minutes

minute. Town held their own

Dervin, ex-Saint Manley and

that was that.

for most of the rest of the

captain Dean Zambra so Pats

game, Rob Manley in

will need to be sure there’s no

Doyle would have gone into

particular seemed determined

complacency tonight

that Harps match with more

to thread probing balls

especially as Longford are

optimism than their league

through the Derry defence

heading towards the last

position might suggest after

until the 82nd minute when

chance saloon in terms of

only losing to Shamrock

the Candystripes made it two

survival.

Rovers in Tallaght by a solitary

nil.

Rob Manley

goal which was conceded in the 95th minute, the second

While Longford have gone

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.13 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Longford Town

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...

26

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.13 • St Patrick’s Athletic v LONGFORD TOWN

Noel Ennis RIP We are sad to report the the death of former St Patrick's Athletic winger Noel Ennis, who died at the family home peacefully on August 12th.

Noel signed for St Patrick's Athletic for the 1967/68 season and played for two seasons with the club. The club was managed at the time by Gerry Doyle and in the 67/68 season we only managed a 9th place finish. There was an improvement in the 68/69 season, when the Saints finished 5th, and Noel played alongside the great Noel Campbell, who finished that season with 10 goals.

He is of course also connected through his son Mark Ennis, whose prolific exploits for the club between 1987 and 1992 and again between 1993 and 1994. In the 1990 league winning season he scored over 30 goals.

Speaking to the Saint, Mark said; "My dad had a great interest in sport all his life, his great sporting connection was with Thomas Davis GAA club, where he was a lifetime member, along with myself. But he had a strong love of the League of Ireland too, and so did I. That was back in the days when you could find the time to play both! He also played for Drumcondra and Drogheda in the League. He was delighted when I signed for Pats and when it worked out so well for me. Him and my mam Jean would nearly always be on the sidelines during those great days for the Saints. He was delighted when I signed for St Patrick's Athletic following a visit to the house from Brian Kerr one Saturday morning. The only issue was I'd agreed to sign for St Francis the previous night when Pete Mahon had called around. Brian assured me he would talk to Pete, and sure enough Pete gave me a call and told me to 'go for it' at St Patrick's Athletic. Both gentlemen. So I ended up walking in my father's footsteps in Richmond Park. I also followed him to Newtown Rangers after my LOI days, where he managed me, and eventually I went on to manage them too. He was the sort of man whose footsteps you would be happy to follow in. Never short of sharing his opinion if things went good or bad for me on the pitch, he was also nothing but supportive. I miss him greatly, as does my nother, my wife Vanessa and sisters Alison and Lisa, along with all his grandchildren and even great-grandchildren. Rest in peace dad."

Former Saints manager Brian Kerr: "Noel was a smashing Pats man, obviously his son Mark also had a massive influence on our success in the 90's. I used to love watching Noel play, he scored some great goals, a powerful shot, a grafter, tough. But a lovely man. He was also delighted when Mark signed for us. Strangely enough, and Mark didn't tell you this probably, but Mark was the Mascot when his dad won the Metropolitan Cup playing for Parkvilla of Navan in 1972/73. I'd been keeping an eye on his goal scoring record for Thomas Davis, and he had also played for me on Shels B team, so I always kept an eye out for him. It's a pleasure to know Mark, and it was great to also know his father. May he rest in peace."

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.13 • St Patrick’s Athletic v LONGFORD TOWN

27

Longford Leader - Fri 15 December 2000 Eircom National League Premier Division

LONGFORD TOWN 0 ST PATRICK'S ATH 3 Longford Town were hoping to stretch their unbeaten run in the league to a very impressive seven games when they took on St. Patrick's Athletic at Strokestown Road on Saturday night last.

And because of Longford’s quite remarkable quest to go top of the Premier Division table for a historic first time, it came as no great surprise to see a record attendance in excess of 3,000 converging for the eagerly awaited visit of Pat Dolan's Supersaints.

However, it all went wrong for Stephen Kenny's side on this occasion as they crashed to their first defeat in the league since slipping up against bogey side Bray Wanderers when conceding two soft goals from set pieces in the first half.

In gaining sweet revenge for their shock 4-2 defeat when the clubs clashed at Richmond Park in mid-September, St. Pat's broke the deadlock completely against the run of play in the 21st minute when central defender Darragh Maguire got his head to Robbie Griffin's inswinging corner and the referee allowed the goal to stand despite the claims that Longford keeper O'Brien was impeded in his bid to clear the danger.

Pat’s centre half, Darragh Maguire, was on the scoresheet twice as The Saints beat Longford Town.

28

However, there could be no complaints about the 2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.13 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Longford Town

second goal in the 39th minute as the completely unmarked Maguire (connecting with a corner from the boot of ex- Celtic player Paul Byrne) rose unchallenged to head home from close range and that was a real killer blow from which the Town never really recovered.

The ever dangerous Zellor had another opportunity in the 18tn minute when he just failed to connect with a Gavin cross and the same two players combined in the 36th minute, only for Zellor to head the ball straight at St. Pat's keeper Kelly.

Spurred on by the loyal home supporters, the Town came out with all guns blazing in the second half and after substitute Colin Notaro headed just over the top, pleas for a penalty were turned down by the referee when Stephen Gavin was brought down right on the edge of the box.

Tale of woe complete The Town's tale of woe was complete when the visitors grabbed a third goal with 82 minutes gone on the clock and this was a fine individual effort by substitute Jamie Harris, who weaved his way through along the endline before flicking the ball past Stephen O'Brien from a tight angle.

Pat Dolan has seen his side turn around a slow start to the season.

Indeed, were it not for a couple of good point-blank saves by O'Brien as he denied both Colm Foley and Ger McCarthy in the closing stages, it could have been even worse for Longford but to their great credit they kept plugging away in the hope of scoring a late consolation goal.

ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC S Kelly; Crolly, Maguire, Foley, Burke, Byrne, McGuinness, Osam, Griffin, L Kelly, McCarthy.

Subs: Harris for L Kelly (79 mins); Quinn for McCarthy (90 mins); Holt for Byrne (90 mins).

REFEREE P Murphy (Athlone).

Both Colin Notaro and Stuart Byrne had shots blocked down in goalmouth scrambles while Stephen Gavin (following a very neat turn) had his fine effort cleared on the line.

LONGFORD TOWN O'Brien; Murphy, Smith, McNally, W Byrne, Gavin, S Byrne, Kelly, Coyle, Zeller, O'Connor.

Subs: Notaro for W Byrne (43 mins); Farrell for Zeller (64 mins); V Perth for Smith (75 mins).

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.13 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Longford Town

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

The main aim is to aid the long-term development of this great football club.

We firmly believe for any LOI Club to be successful, it needs the fans to play a huge part. As it’s your club, we are urging all fans, where possible, to join the scheme today.

For the past few years the Patron Saints have run: • The St Patrick’s Athletic Awards Night • Santa Claus visit to Richmond • The Hano Cup These were all fundraised through Golden Goals, raffles and innovative events such as snail racing.

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

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

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

TYPES OF MEMBERSHIP GOLD MEMBERSHIP

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

SILVER MEMBERSHIP

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

BRONZE MEMBERSHIP

€5 per month | €60 per year

For more information or to sign up: email stpatssc@gmail.com, go to facebook.com/spafcpatronsaints or pop by the Patron Saints desk in the club shop on match nights.

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.13 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Longford Town

31

Eurozone Seán Brennan

The Europa Conference League – Small Guys Hit the Big Time The qualification campaign for the ECL has already provided enough suspense. (The club officially known as) Steaua Bucharest got dumped out by our old friends Shakhter Karagandy, Austria Vienna were sent packing by Breidablik of Iceland, while the fairytales of Velež Mostar and The New Saints were cut short after some very noticeable results.

Irish clubs had mixed results, although leaning more to the positive. While Shamrock Rovers will be disappointed with losing what seemed like a winnable tie, Bohemians and Dundalk represented the league proudly; a win or draw in any leg helps the league’s coefficient, and giving clubs the size of PAOK Salonika and Vitesse Arnhem a test like that represents Irish football proudly.

Sligo Rovers disappointed again, losing both legs to FH of Iceland. Sligo have a poor European record of three wins in 26 games, most of which were against unglamorous opposition in early qualification rounds. Coleraine and Glentoran also lost in the first round to Velež and TNS respectively, and Linfield impressively disposed of Borac Banja Luka before falling short against Fola Esch. Massive credit should be given to Larne; knocking Danish outfit AGF out 3-2 on aggregate is up there with the best results this century of teams from the Republic, and while they took a hammering in Portugal in the following first leg, they beat Paços de Ferreira 1-0 at home to keep Northern Ireland’s coefficient ticking over.

With the group stage now drawn, let’s take a look at what waits ahead for us in The Europa Conference League.

Group A: LASK, Maccabi Tel-Aviv, Alashkert, HJK LASK will be hot favourites here, the Austrians have been recent European regulars, getting to the Europa League last 16 in 2020.

Group B: Gent, Partizan Belgrade, Flora Talinn, Anorthosis Famagusta Gent, now in their 7th European campaign in a row, should nab top spot here, while Partizan v Famagusta will be the decisive ties. Famagusta interestingly had to move city to Larnaca after the 1974 Turkish invasion, their home city being north of the border which divides Cyprus.

Group C: Roma, Zorya Luhansk, CSKA Sofia, Bodø-Glimt Although Roma, featuring José Mourinho, are the biggest club in this tournament, they will need to play at full strength to negotiate a group filled

Roma manager José Mourinho

32 32

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.13 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Longford Town

@SBahnManc with banana skins. Glimt, Norwegian champions, were only in seeding pot 4 as they’re new on the European scene. CSKA are solid enough, and the 1972 Soviet Champions Zorya Luhansk have gotten results in recent years against the likes of Bilbao, Leipzig, Leicester and Espanyol. Zorya will however suffer the inconvenience of playing their home games 400km away in Zaporizhzhia, due to the ongoing conflict in Eastern Ukraine.

Group D: AZ Alkmaar, CFR Cluj, Jablonec, Randers A group for the detractors of this competition. The qualifiers of this group will likely be eliminated in the following round.

Group E: Slavia Praha, Feyenoord, Union Berlin, Maccabi Haifa The real ‘Grupo del Muerte’, with 4 well supported teams. Slavia have plenty of European experience, reaching the quarter finals of the Europa League twice in the last three years. Feyenoord, despite their pedigree, only scraped past Kosovar minnows FK Drita, although have since turned up the style in disposing of Swiss and Swedish opposition. Union Berlin surprised many in Germany by sneaking into Europe, 1 point ahead of Mönchengladbach. Any German respresentative will be a strong outfit, however one feels that Union aren’t yet secure enough in the Bundesliga to be able to afford a long European campaign. Finally, Maccabi Haifa as Israeli champions will feel that they are capable of causing an upset in this thriller of a group.

Group G: Tottenham, Rennes, Vitesse Arnhem, NŠ Mura While Vitesse and Mura are competent sides, Spurs and Rennes are sides with legitimate aspirations of winning this trophy.

Group H: Basel, Qarabağ, Kairat Almaty, Omonia Nicosia Twenty-five thousand kilometers. That is the total distance Basel (still relatively central in Europe) will travel over and back to their three eastern opponents. Qarabağ complete our trio of conflict displaced clubs; they play in Baku due to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Azeri clubs tend to be much better than their national team would suggest; Qarabağ have qualified for the Europa League group stages in six of the last seven years.

The only exception – 2017 when they qualified for the Champions League.

Spurs, Roma, Rennes and Feyenoord start as the favourites here. All group winners go directly into the last 16, while second place will play the third placed teams from the Europa League in a play-off.

With some competitive groups in the Europa League, don’t be surprised to see the likes of Real Sociedad, Frankfurt or Lazio dropping down.

However while only one team gets their hands on the trophy, the real joy is in the shocks and the fairytales which happen along the way.

Group F: FC Copenhagen, PAOK, Slovan Bratislava, Lincoln Red Imps That a team from Gibraltar is playing European football in the Autumn shows the success of this tournament. With two conquerors of Irish teams (by just one goal in both cases), PAOK and Slovan’s progress will be an interesting barometer to what our teams could aim to achieve with the right plan and investment.

Lincoln Red Imps make history with play off victory over Riga FC

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.13 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Longford Town

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McCarthy Insurance Group

PROUDLY SUPPORTING

THE SAINTS

MARCHING ON

34 34

WWW.MIG.IE

Quiz Time Kieran Coughlan 1 Who was the first official sponsor of the League of Ireland?

7

How many games did Sheffield United play in the Premier League last season before they won a game?

8

Who is the first American to score in an FA Cup final?

9

Who scored the last World Cup goal of the 20th century?

2 When did Longford last defeat the Saints in a League game?

3 Who were the first Irish club to reach the 2nd round of the European Cup? 4 What unusual record did James Milner set last season?

5 Who were the three African countries that England played in World Cup tournaments in the 90s?

10 Which Belgian scored in both legs when Ireland were defeated in the play-offs for the 1998 world cup?

6 Which Irishman was the assistant to George Graham when Arsenal won the League in 1989?

17. Q.8 Christian Pulisic. Q.9 Emmanuel Petit. Q.10 Luc Nilis. the Premier League. Q.5 Egypt, Tunisia, Cameroon. Q.6 Theo Foley. Q.7

Answers

Q.1 Bass. Q.2 2007. Q.3 Waterford. Q.4 Most substitute appearances in

Big happy birthday greetings to Super Saint Alex Quinn, who recently celebrated his second birthday on August 12th.

Best wishes and hugs from his mum Kellie and his dad Paul.

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.13 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Longford Town

35 35

100 years of League of Ireland football Seán Creedon

The first series of games in the

the IFA in Belfast. And for one

over 90 years later in the

League of Ireland were played

season Alton United from the

truncated 2000 season, when the

100 years ago, on Saturday

Falls Road area, played in the FAI

number of games played was

September 17, 1921. The eight

Cup competition.

only 18, exactly the same as in

founder members were: Bohemians, Dublin United,

The team, who were comprised

the twenties.

mainly of labourers working on

Dundalk were the first club from

the Belfast Docks, won the 1923

outside Dublin to win the League

final beating Shelbourne 1-0 at

in 1932-33. Down through the

Dalymount on St Patrick’s Day

years there has been several Cork

The ‘Gate won the inaugural

1923. The players were allowed

clubs in membership of the

championship and they also won

to collect their medals, but Alton

League. In 1940-41 Cork United

the FAI Cup that season, beating

were not allowed take the cup

became the first Cork club win

Shamrock Rovers 1-0 in a replay

back to Belfast because of the

the League and that team

at Dalymount. The following

troubles in the North at that time.

became the first to win the

Frankfort, Jacobs, Olympia, St James’ Gate, Shelbourne and YMCA.

season Frankfort and YMCA dropped out and six new clubs:

Shamrock Rovers and Bohemians

League three seasons in-a-row.

dominated the twenties. Rovers,

St Patrick’s Athletic joined in the

who would go on to win the

League in 1951 and won the

League a record 18 times, won

Championship in 1950-51,

their first title in 1922-23 and

finishing three points clear of

Bohemians had their first win the

Shelbourne. Shay Gibbons was

following season. In 1924-25

top scorer in the League that

Following the ‘split’ from the IFA

Rovers won the League without

season with 26 goals and

in 1921, not all clubs in Northern

losing a game, a feat they

Gibbons’ total in all competitions

Ireland were happy to stay with

repeated in 1926-27 and again

was 59.

Athlone Town, Midland Athletic, Pioneers, Shelbourne United, Shamrock Rovers and Rathmines joined to bring the number of clubs in membership up to 12.

When Pat’s won the League again in 1954-55 Shay Gibbons scored 28 goals. The Saints made it back to back titles in 1955-56, finishing three points clear of Shamrock Rovers and once again Gibbons was top scorer with 21 goals. It would be 44 years before the Saints would win the League title again, under Brian Kerr’s management.

KS GORDON BAN ST PATRICK’S

36

ATH

GEORGE B

EST CORK CEL TIC

In September 1957 Shamrock

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.13 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Longford Town

Rovers became the first League of Ireland club to play in the European Cup. Then in the sixties The Hoops made history when they won the FAI Cup six years ina-row from 1964 to 1969 inclusive. Later Rovers would become the first club to play in the group stages of the Europa League, followed by Dundalk.

In 1969 senior soccer came to

LTON

BOBBY CHAR

WATERFORD

Donegal when Finn Harps were

JIMMY JO

HNSTONE

SHELBOUR

NE

admitted; Galway United and Thurles Town joined in 1977.

the first division in 1985-86 and

never to move to England, Shay

Galway are still with us, but

Derry were promoted the

Gibbons, Mick Leech, Frank

Thurles and other clubs like:

following season.

O’Neill, Donal Leahy, Johnny

Drumcondra, Cork Hibs, Cork Celtic, Newcastle West, EMFA, Monaghan United and St. Francis are no longer in the League.

Over the years there has often been a few short-term English signings. Dixie Dean helped pull in the crowds and got Sligo

Fullam, Johnny Matthews, Turlough O’Connor, Paul McGee, Alan Campbell, Brendan Bradley, the top goal scorer with 235 goals and Al Finucane, who made a

A new division was formed in

Rovers to the FAI Cup in 1939. In

1985 and among the new clubs

1953 the legendary Raich Carter

who joined was Derry City, who

signed a short term contract with

In the early days games were

had been out of senior football for

Cork Athletic. The terms were 50

played on Saturday afternoon,

13 years. The other newcomers

pounds per game plus expenses

then for decades it was Sunday

were: Bray Wanderers, Cobh

compared to the 14 pounds

afternoons. Shelbourne were the

Ramblers, EMFA from Kilkenny

maximum wage in England at that

first club to switch to Friday night

and Limerick club Newcastle

time.

football.

United.

record 634 appearances.

In the seventies players like:

Over the years there have been

Monaghan were promoted from

George Best, Bobby Charlton,

various All-Ireland competitions

the ‘B’ division and the new

Rodney Marsh, Geoff Hurst, Ian

like The Blaxnit Cup, Tyler Cup

division was completed by

Callaghan, Jimmy Johnstone,

and Setanta Sports Cup. Kerry-

Drogheda United, Finn Harps,

Terry Venables and Gordon Banks

born business man Kieran Lucid

Longford Town and Sligo Rovers

made fleeting appearances.

has plans for an All-Ireland

who had all been relegated from the old single division to create the new first division. Bray won

At home the stars were Paddy Coad, regarded as the best player

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.13 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Longford Town

League, but those plans were put on hold last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

37

Club History Dermot Looney

1948/49: Gregg and Rogers Rovers’ Revenge Failure to gain admission to the League of Ireland at the end of 1947/48 may have been a setback for St Patrick’s Athletic, but it gave the club the opportunity to establish itself as a dominant force in the Leinster Senior League. Work continued over the summer of 1948 with fundraising off the field as well as preparation for the coming season. Ticket number 3333 won a draw held by the “St Patrick’s Athletic Ways and Means Committee.”

Much of football’s pre-season speculation centred on Shamrock Rovers. At the end of 1947/48, several Rovers players refused to travel to Belfast to take part in a game in the Inter-City Cup, an early cross-border competition between clubs from Dublin and Belfast. The ensuing row saw Rovers place several players on the transfer list, with Podge Gregg, Johnny Staines and Bobby Rogers playing influential roles for Pat’s in the season to come.

James’ Gate, Longford Town and the B teams of League of Ireland clubs Shelbourne, Drumcondra, Shamrock Rovers, Bohemians, Dundalk and Transport.

Rovers B and Transport B were the early pace-setters in the League, with the Saints in second place with a game in hand by November, by which time they had accumulated 8 wins and 1 draw. Pat’s recorded an extraordinary 9-1 win over Ierne on November 13th to join Transport B on top, with Bobby Rogers scoring 4 goals on his debut.

Three wins and another draw followed in the League over the next four months, with Cup commitments restricting the LSL campaign. By March Pat’s had dropped to third in the League, two points off leaders Transport B, but had a remarkable seven games in hand.

Leinster Senior League – Division One

St Pat’s eventually returned to League action on March 19th, more than two months after their previous game, with a 4-0 win over Dundalk B at Richmond. They followed up with a 5-1 win at home to Longford Town the following week. “It is obvious that the players are not fit,” bemoaned the Longford Leader correspondent of the away side.

Champions St Pat’s took their place in the LSL Division One lineup for 1948/49 alongside Grangegorman, Ierne, Jacobs, UCD, Botanic, St

The Saints fell to their first defeat of the season on April 2nd with a 3-2 home loss to Bohemians B but beat Shelbourne B on the reverse

Pat’s also included another exRovers man in their line-up this season, Patrick Donnelly, alongside John Reddick, who had played in the League of Ireland for Limerick.

38

scoreline the following week. It put Pat’s top of the League, with 34 points from 19 games, ahead on goal difference from Shamrock Rovers B and Transport B, who had played 4 and 5 games more respectively.

The Athletic travelled to Grangegorman in a midweek game on Thursday April 28th, winning 10, with a Monday tie at home to Ierne on May 1st likely resulting in a Pat’s win although, unusually, none of the following day’s newspapers gave the scoreline.

“St Patrick’s Athletic Champions Again” ran the headline in the Sunday Independent of May 15th, the day after Pat’s had secured their second title in a row with a 4-1 win at home to UCD. The season wrapped up with a 3-1 win at home to Jacobs on May 21st and a surprise 4-0 home defeat to

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.13 • St Patrick’s Athletic v LONGFORD TOWN

@dlooney

Transport B on May 28th. Remarkably, the season didn’t officially end for Pat’s until August 21st, with the game away to Shamrock Rovers B postponed from late June taking place. Rovers won on a 1-0 scoreline.

FAI Senior Cup Pat’s were admitted to their second ever FAI Senior Cup on the day of the first round draw, and were drawn away to LOI giants Shamrock Rovers. Although Pat’s had frequently met the Rovers B team, it was only the third time the two first teams had been drawn against each other competitively; Rovers had beaten Pat’s 8-2 in the previous season’s FAI Cup semi-final, and had narrowly beaten Pat’s in this season’s Leinster Senior Cup. While the Press tipped Rovers to again advance, it noted that “St Patrick’s Athletic will be a stiff proposition for Shamrock Rovers if they strike their best form.”

A NAT profile in the Herald noted Pat’s as Shamrock Rovers’ “newest rivals” and indicated that the gap was closing between the sides. WPM in the Irish Independent designated the tie as the pick of the round, while also noting Pat’s semi-professional status at this stage in the club’s development.

“St Patrick’s Athletic are the piecework team of soccer.

They are paid by results, and not alone can players look forward to a share for each from the Rovers match, but

there is gold in the Cup should they win through, for the players divide among themselves half the receipts the club obtains.”

The Pat’s team lined out Kinahan, Balfe, Staines, Reddick, Cummins, Shields, Rogers, Cassidy, Gregg, Noble and Donnelly.

“St Patrick’s Spirited Cup Fight – Rovers Lucky To Get Second Chance” ran the headline in the following day’s Sunday Independent reporting on the 1-1 draw at Milltown with Cassidy the Pat’s scorer. Socaro, writing in the Press, felt that Rovers were “outplayed” by Patrick’s, and had “seldom given such an inept display in a Cup tie.”

Receipts for the game were £520, the highest reported for the round. The replay was set for the following Wednesday with Pat’s due to play at home. The club were keen to play the game at Richmond Park. Rovers objected to this, with an FAI Commission inspecting the Inchicore venue on Monday and deeming the ground unsuitable for a large crowd. They instead decided the replay should be played at Milltown.

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.13 • St Patrick’s Athletic v LONGFORD TOWN

39

Club History Dermot Looney

1948/49: Gregg and Rogers Rovers’ Revenge Other than those in attendance, the earliest any interested Dubliner would have discovered the result of the replay was in the lastminute “latest news” column on the back page of Wednesday’s Evening Herald, which declared “Cup Soccer Result – St Patrick’s 2 Rovers 1.” The following day’s headline in the Irish Press was perhaps less prosaic; “St Patrick’s Have Done It – Holders Are Gone!”

Given the circumstances and the importance of the FAI Senior Cup, it was perhaps the most significant result in the 20-year history of St Patrick’s Athletic FC. The team had lined out as on the previous Saturday with one exception; Kenny was in to replace Noble. The goals had come, with no little sense of poetic justice, from Bobby Rogers and Podge Gregg, both of whose LOI registrations were still held by Rovers.

“Who said that lower-grade teams should not be included in the FA of Ireland tourney?” asked Socaro in the Press. “There was no fluke about St Patrick’s victory,” he noted. “There is little doubt that the best side won,” noted WPM in the Irish Independent.

The second round game against Shelbourne also took place at Milltown. It saw a huge gate of £1,210, which the Irish Press noted as the highest of the season. The Herald estimated the official attendance as 23,000, but noted that the real figure may have been higher as “large numbers crossed the wall, and many went away when the stiles were closed until it was found there was room for more inside.”

The match saw one of the first ever programmes produced by St Patrick’s Athletic. Printed in red, the four-page effort cost 2d, and purchasers were entered into a draw with prizes of £1, 10s or 5s.

It listed the Pat’s Committee as Chairman – M Dunne, Hon Secretary - W McCormack, Hon Treasurer – J Cronin, and the members as R Regan, R Darlington, J Comerford, BJ Cummins, J Cummins, D Dempsey, T Ferns, C Gaynor, P Lannigan, J McCormack, M Morgan, W Mullen. Several of these were club founders twenty years before, with others playing for the club thereafter.

Shels ran out 1-0 winners with a 70th minute goal from Cranley. Pat’s “seemed to accept the inevitable and were rarely dangerous afterwards,” noted Socaro in the Press. The

40

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.13 • St Patrick’s Athletic v LONGFORD TOWN

@dlooney

team was Kinahan, Balfe, Staines, Reddick, Cummins, Shields, Kenny, Cassidy, Gregg, Rogers and Donnelly.

going to extra-time, with a replay required following a scoreless draw. The replay took place in Milltown the following Sunday with the Saints winning 3-0.

FAI Intermediate Cup The FAI Intermediate Cup holders began their campaign on November 7th with a 3-1 first round win over fellow LSL club Jacobs. Round Two saw a 5-2 win against St James’ Gate.

The third round, effectively the quarter-final of the competition, saw Pat’s travel to the Midlands for a 5-1 win over Longford Town. “St Patrick’s Athletic were faster on the ball, showed superior team work and their forwards were quick to get into position for a pass,” noted the match report in the Longford Leader.

Pat’s faced fellow LSL club Botanic in the neutral venue of Tolka Park semi-final on January 23rd. Botanic finished the match with only eight players, having lost their centre forward to injury after just 20 minutes, and having two players sent off in the second half by referee Mr P Finnegan. “Spectators entered the pitch following these incidents,” noted the Herald match report, “and it was some time before it was cleared.” Remarkably, Pat’s failed to score against the eight men despite the game

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.13 • St Patrick’s Athletic v LONGFORD TOWN

Oddly, it was over five months before the final would be played, in Dalymount Park on June 5th. Pat’s had by this stage being catching up on back games in the Leinster Senior League, which they had already won, while their opponents, Freebooters of Cork, had finished their own competitive action several weeks previously. The Munster Senior League team “should be fresher,” noted NAT in the Herald, “but perhaps not fitter than their opponents.”

The match finished in a 1-1 draw, with Cassidy scoring for Pat’s after 50 minutes and a Hourihan goal equalising for Freebooters fifteen minutes from time.

The replay took place the following Sunday, June 12th, at Turner’s Cross in Cork. “St Patrick’s Athletic seldom fail with a second chance,” noted the short match report in the Evening Herald the day after the replay, “and they lived up to that reputation at Turner’s Cross” with a 3-1 win.

McDonald scored twice for the Saints inside the first ten

41

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2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.13 • St Patrick’s Athletic v LONGFORD TOWN

Club History Dermot Looney

1948/49: Gregg and Rogers Rovers’ Revenge minutes, with Phillips pulling one back for Freebooters shortly after.

Kinahan saved a Meenan penalty for the Cork side before Cassidy secured the trophy for the Athletic midway through the second half. It was the second time in a row in which the Saints lifted the Intermediate Cup at the Cork venue.

Leinster Senior Cup The Saints’ defence of the Leinster Senior Cup saw a first round bye followed by a second round win over fellow LSL side St James’ Gate.

In Round Three, Pat’s squared up against their fellow 1947/48 finalists Transport, by now admitted to the League of Ireland. A 1-1 draw in Bray in which Transport were lucky to equalise late on was followed by a 1-0 Pat’s win in the replay at Richmond.

The Saints drew Shamrock Rovers in the semi-final on November 20th, with extra spice added to the fixture by virtue of the four ex-Rovers players in the Pat’s squad.

A programme was published by the LFA for the game. In an article entitled “Hopes of the Holders” it noted that “the Athletic command notice on their deeds alone; also they are, without doubt, the most

proficient and prosperous club outside the premier group and can boast of a larger following than most in that circle.”

Rovers ran out 1-0 winners with the only goal of the game coming from Higgins. It was the largest Saturday attendance of the season to date, with the Sunday Independent noting that Pat’s were unlucky not to take the game to a replay based on their second-half performance.

Metropolitan Cup The Saints reached their first ever final of the Metropolitan Cup, the League Cup for the LSL Division One, this season with wins over Drumcondra B, Botanic and Jacobs en route to the final v Shamrock Rovers B.

final of the AUL Minor Cup, being beaten by Johnville after a replay.

An unusual challenge match took place over Easter with the visit of Hercules, a works team from the massive cycle factory in Birmingham, England. A Saints selection won the game 6-1.

Johnny Staines and Jimmy ‘Timber’ Cummins won representative honours for the LSL team which took on the Lanarkshire League of Scotland in May. The club again applied for League of Ireland membership at the end of the season but were unsuccessful for the second time, with bottom two sides Bohemians and Sligo Rovers being re-elected.

After several delays the final took place well after the usual end of the season, on Sunday June 26th, at Rovers’ home ground of Milltown.

Rovers B ran out 6-1 winners with Cassidy scoring the only Pat’s goal.

Half-back Reddick was ordered off by the referee nearing the end.

Other Teams and Snippets The Saints B team took part in the AUL Division I again this season, while the Pat’s Minors reached the

Jimmy “Timber” Cummins

Season Statistics League position: 1st Cup record:

FAI Intermediate Cup Winners, Leinster Senior Cup SF, FAI Senior Cup R2, Metropolitan Cup Runners-Up

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.13 • St Patrick’s Athletic v LONGFORD TOWN

43

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2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.13 • St Patrick’s Athletic v LONGFORD TOWN

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2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.13 • St Patrick’s Athletic v LONGFORD TOWN

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35 45

Local Heroes Bernard Dunne Stephen Bennett

So far in our Local Heroes section, I have covered exceptional sports people who were born in Inchicore.

The names of Theo Foley, Kathleen Mills, Eamonn Collins, Anne O'Brien and Gerry O'Rourke are etched in the rich sporting tapestry of the area, and today we add Bernard Dunne to the list, a boxing legend who has a specially affinity with Inchicore.

Born in 1980 and raised in Neilstown, Bernard Dunne was bred into boxing, being the son of Olympic amateur fighter Brendan Dunne.

Competing in his first boxing match at the of six, Bernard set about perfecting his art, and it was at a little boxing club in Inchicore, ran by his father and Peter Perry, and on the streets that wind around Richmond Park that the young Dunne really began to make inroads into a career in the fight game.

“I grew up in a household where my dad was the 1976 Olympian Brendan Dunne. I was always Brendan Dunne’s son. And that was a difficult shadow to be in and have to chase that sort of glory," Bernard told the42.ie on the challenge facing the young boxer.

The CIE boxing club is probably one of Inchicore's best-kept secrets.

Hidden away amongst the rows

Bernard at Richmond Park in 2009.

46

and rows of houses in the CIE railway estate, if you wanted a fight in a secluded boxing club, the this is the place to be.

As the club's website states: "CIE BC is one of the Oldest Clubs in Dublin. We have a Reputation for Toughness. However our ethos of building Strong Tough fighters is not the only attributes we try to teach. The Legendary Peter Perry who passed instilled not only Rugged Fighting ability but the skills of True Life values.With Emphasis on Respect, Discipline, Strength and giving back and helping others. Every Kid may Not Become a Boxing Champion. But every Kid is a Champion."

And so, given that the club was situated in the walled railway estate, the surrounding pathways of the estate and, by extension, Inchicore would be their treadmill. Back in the 1990s, without knowing, a future world champion was jogging amongst them, training hard, fully focused and ready to make the big jump.

As he made inroads into the amateur ranks, the titles followed - 13 Irish titles in all - but his dream of boxing at the Sydney Olympics in 2000 proved a step

too far, despite never being beaten on home soil.

He told The Echo: “I never lost a fight in Ireland as an amateur. I won every title on the way up.

The decision to turn professional soon followed, and Bernard Dunne, the Neilstown lad who honed his skills in Inchicore was on his way to Los Angeles.

At 20 years of age, Dunne had packed his bags and went to LA to train under Freddie Roach, following in the footsteps of two of his heroes, Steve Collins and Wayne McCullough, at the famous Wild Card gym.

It opened up a different world for the Neilstown native, with the great Sugar Ray Leonard as promoter, Bernard on occasion sharing a gym floor with Hollywood stars such as Mickey Rourke, Hillary Swank and Donnie Wahlberg.

It was a world away from the tiny gym in Inchicore and it was going to make or break him.

And make him it did. Rising up the world super bantamweight ranks, Bernard won his first fourteen bouts in the United

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.13 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Longford Town

@stebenn15 States before returning to Dublin under manager Brian Peters.

Peters negotiated a deal with Irish public broadcaster RTÉ whereby Dunne's fights in Dublin would be shown live on national television.

It was the first such deal for an Irish boxer.

He would go on to produce many magical Irish sporting memories at the Point Depot.

Dunne won the European Super bantamweight title on November 11, 2006 beating Esham Pickering on points in Dublin. In March 2007, he defended the title by technical knock-out over Yersin Jailauov in the third round, in a mandatory EBU title defence. He followed that streak in June 2007, when he defended his EBU title, defeating Walstad Reider by unanimous decision.

Despite a disappointing first round defeat to Kiko Martinez at a packed Point Depot, Bernard dusted himself off and in March 21, 2009 Dunne's shot at redemption arrived when he faced off against Panamanian WBA Super Bantamweight world champion Ricardo Cordoba in the newly-named O2 Arena, Dublin.

This was the first world boxing

championship fight in Dublin for 13 years and would go on to win ESPN's Fight of the Year. Dunne went on to win in a thrilling fight knocking Cordoba out in the 11th round marking the end to a historic day for Irish sports as the international rugby team had won a Six Nations Grand Slam earlier in the day.

Bernard, however, never forgot his Inchicore roots and was paraded on numerous occasions around Richmond Park on match nights as well as attending summer soccer camps at the Stadium of Light in 2009.

In April 2009, Dunne was crowned boxer of the month for March by the World Boxing Association.

knockdown rule in the third round of the fight.

In late January 2010, Dunne was named Boxer of the Year at the Irish National Boxing Awards, and three weeks later he announced his retirement from the sport.

His sporting contribution did not end there, however, as he became an integral part of Jim Gavin's allconquering football squad before being appointed to his role of High Performance Director with the Irish Amateur Boxing Association back in 2017.

From that little club in Inchicore to world stardom, it's fair to say that Bernard did eventually step out of his father's shadow.

In August 2009, it was confirmed that Dunne would make the first defence of his World title at The O2 Arena, Dublin on September 26 against the number one rated contender Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym.

Dunne subsequently lost his belt to Poonsawat by way of the WBA three

CIE Boxing Club, Granite Terrace, Inchicore.

Bernard with his WBA World Super Bantamweight title belt 2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.13 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Longford Town

47 47

A View from Afar Ian Templeman

Over the past couple of weeks, there has been a fair amount of discussion, largely on social media, regarding the third choice playing kits that have just been launched by several major football clubs around Europe.

The debate began first of all when Juventus released their third choice kit, with a picture of an unsmiling Christiano Ronaldo modelling a colourful but hardly traditional yellow, royal blue and white kit that didn’t prompt many favourable responses. However, that reaction was dwarfed when Manchester City issued pictures of their third choice kit from manufacturers Puma, which was a design that was also shared on similar kits also launched at the same time by AC Milan, Marseille, Fenerbahçe, Valencia and Borussia Moenchengladbach.

City supporters took to social media to pour scorn on the design, with comments including “rip off training tops you would buy from the local market” alongside many others, and it

was hard to find anyone who actually admitted liking the kit.

The main issue is that the design has the name of the club written across the chest - or in the case of Man City and Borussia, that abbreviated version of it - with the Puma logo above and the sponsor’s branding below it. An image of the club crest is woven into the fabric of the jersey, rather than being obviously visible as a one-off feature on the chest.

Not surprisingly, kit manufacturers Puma were talking up the design, with Puma designer Ulrich Planer quoted as saying “We really want to go out there and show what we can do, show something different that has not been seen yet,”

“We wanted to do something that, at least in the European market, has not been done in such a bold statement. From far away, you can still see that this is a Man City shirt.”

Rather embarrassingly, the official Manchester City Twitter feed attempted to back him up when pictures of the kit with the comment “Dare to be different” hit social media – however, it was quickly pointed out by a sharp eyed supporter the City goalkeeper’s top modelled by Ederson was the same colour and design as the new PSV Eindhoven third kit. Oops.

The issue of the badge not being easily visible from close up was also very quickly and never better demonstrated than by Muhammed Gümüşkaya of Fenerbahçe, when the Turkish club gave their third shirt its airing for the first time.

Gümüşkaya became an unintentional star on social media after he scored the only goal of the game in the 65th minute of his side’s 1-0 win over HJK Helsinki in the first leg of his side’s Europa League Qualifying game.

As he ran to celebrate with supporters, the midfielder’s elation turned into confusion as

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2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.13 • St Patrick’s Athletic v LONGFORD TOWN

Ronan O’Flaherty @iantemplemanloi he looked down to his shirt to find the badge to kiss and display it to fans as part of his celebration, and was unable to find it. You would think he’d have noticed when he put the shirt on before the game, but apparently not, and footage of his bewilderment was shared on social media all across Europe.

While I agree with the view that the third kits of the afore mentioned clubs do have the look of a training top or warm up top, I can’t say that it’s something I could get too worked up about.

It is a kit that is only going to be rarely seen, and even if you are a loyal supporter, no one is forcing you to buy it. If you don’t fancy forking out some of your hardearned cash to buy it, then don’t.

I have a bit of a problem though when clubs start to play around with their traditional first choice kits, and I have already spotted two instances of this in Spain this season. Champions Atletico Madrid have come up with a first choice kit that is traditional in the sense that it is their usual red and white stripes and blue shorts, but the white stripes on the shirt have small mottled red dots across them, which looks like someone has dipped a paint brush in a red tin of paint and indiscriminately flicked the brush at the jersey.

A similar charge can be levelled at Barcelona, whose first team jersey this season features the usual maroon and blue colours but is a peculiar mix of different sized stripes, no stripes, different coloured sleeves, and shorts with

one half maroon and the other half blue. It’s the club’s colours all right, but the kit designers at Nike have certainly let their imagination run away with them a bit.

In both instances, I guess the standard design of stripes and different colours gives a bit more licence to be creative, in comparison to a kit which traditionally only has one colour such as Liverpool or Real Madrid.

But none the less, playing around like that with such traditional club shirts that are known throughout the footballing world is not something I like very much.

Bringing this subject closer to home, I’m pleased to say that I have never had much of an issue with any of the kits that have been sported by the Saints in recent years, although I wasn’t too keen in the white sleeves disappearing from the first choice kit a few years back. I personally prefer a white trim around the collar and red trim on the cuffs or sleeves, but those are minor tweaks, and while I have my preferences, so does everyone else. So, on that basis, changing kits every couple of years is fine by me, and by the law of averages there are always bound to be some versions you like more than others, and it’s highly unlikely you would ever get to a situation where absolutely every supporter likes the latest version of a kit.

For what it’s worth, I don’t mind the current all blue away kit, although I preferred the all black

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.13 • St Patrick’s Athletic v LONGFORD TOWN

version from last season, and I liked the recent white shirt too, which from memory was worn either with red or white shorts.

But like many Pats fans, top of my all-time favourite change kits list has to be the Patcelona kit of 2014 vintage, which was of course sported when the FAI Cup was finally reclaimed after 53 long years. It’s a distinctive shirt to start with – I always liked the white collar which I think was a strikingly good feature against the maroon and blue stripes – and add in the blue shorts and socks and you have one great kit. Not only that, obviously it’s a kit that has resonance too for all Pats fans, because of the game it will always be associated with.

The top sportswear manufacturers can talk up their latest designs as much as they like – but they’ll have to work hard to come up with something that matches the Patcelona kit in my eyes.

What’s more, I reckon now that seven years have elapsed since we last saw it, it must be time for it to make an appearance once again. It’s a no brainer – a colourful kit with a bit of history behind it would surely fly off the shelves at a rate that would render sales of the Manchester City third kit as irrelevant by comparison. And unlike the City kit, it’s arrival would be met with universal approval too.

It’s high time it returned!

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

49

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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

25

0

25

0

2

0

2

0

27

0

27

0

John Mountney

18

2

20

2

0

1

1

0

18

3

21

2

Ian Bermingham

17

4

21

1

2

0

2

0

19

4

23

1

Sam Bone

19

2

21

1

1

0

1

1

20

2

22

1

Lee Desmond

23

0

23

1

1

0

1

0

24

0

24

1

Jamie Lennon

14

4

18

0

2

0

2

0

16

4

20

0

Robbie Benson

16

2

18

6

0

0

0

0

16

2

18

6

Chris Forrester

24

1

25

7

1

0

1

1

25

1

26

8

3

6

9

3

0

1

1

0

3

7

10

3

16

4

20

7

1

0

1

0

17

4

21

7

Nahum Melvin-Lambert Ronan Coughlan Jason McClellend

8

8

16

1

2

0

2

1

10

8

18

2

Matty Smith

22

1

23

8

1

0

1

0

23

1

24

8

Paddy Barrett

17

2

19

0

1

0

1

1

18

2

20

1

Billy King

20

5

25

3

2

0

2

2

22

5

27

5

Alfie Lewis

15

5

20

1

2

0

2

0

17

5

22

1

Darragh Burns

8

7

15

3

1

0

1

0

9

7

16

3

Ben McCormack

6

14

20

0

1

1

2

1

7

15

22

1

Shane Griffin

5

2

7

0

0

1

1

0

5

3

8

0

James Abankwah

0

2

2

0

1

0

1

0

1

2

3

0

Kyrian Nwoko

0

2

2

0

0

1

1

0

0

3

3

0

Josh Keeley

0

0

0

0

0

1

1

0

0

1

1

0

Kian Corbally

0

0

0

0

0

1

1

0

0

1

1

0

Tommy Lonergan

0

0

0

0

0

1

1

0

0

1

1

0

Sam Curtis

0

1

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

1

0

Jak Hickman

0

1

1

0

1

0

1

0

1

1

2

0

Cian Kelly

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Barry Murphy

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

LAST 5 MATCHES

1

SHAMROCK ROVERS

23

15

5

3

39

18

21

50

W W W W D W

2

ST. PATRICK'S ATHLETIC 25

14

5

6

43

28

15

47

L

W W

L

W

3

SLIGO ROVERS

23

11

5

7

28

18

10

38

L

L

L

W

4

DERRY CITY

25

10

7

8

31

29

2

37

W W W W

L

5

BOHEMIANS

22

10

4

8

35

24

11

34

W

L

D

W

L

6

DROGHEDA UNITED

25

9

6

10

37

32

5

33

W

L

L

L

L

L

L

L

7

FINN HARPS

24

8

5

11

24

32

-8

29

W W W

8

WATERFORD

25

9

1

15

23

43

-20

28

W

L

W W W

9

DUNDALK

23

7

6

10

27

34

-7

27

L

L

L

W

L

25

1

8

16

16

45

-29

11

L

L

L

L

D

10 LONGFORD TOWN

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.13 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Longford Town

51 51

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

1-0

Jaroš

Barrett

Bone

Lennon

Lewis

Burns

Benson

Fri 16 July

Drogheda Utd

Home Series 21

2-0

Jaroš

Barrett

Bone

Desmond

Lewis

Burns

Benson

Fri 23 July

Bray Wanderers

Home

Rnd 1

6-0

Jaroš

Barrett

Bermingham

Bone

Desmond

Lennon

Lewis

Fri 30 July

Shamrock Rovers

Away

Series 22

1-3

Jaroš

Mountney 1

Barrett

Bone

Desmond

Lewis

Benson

Fri 06 Aug

Dundalk

Away

Series 23

4-1

Jaroš

Mountney

Bermingham

Barrett

Desmond

Lewis

McCormack

Fri 13 Aug

Waterford

Home Series 24

2-1

Jaroš

Bone

Bermingham

Barrett

Desmond

Lewis

McCormack

Fri 20 Aug

Finn Harps

Away

Series 25

1-3

Jaroš

Bone

Bermingham

Barrett

McClelland

Lewis

McCormack

Fri 27 Aug

Cork City

Away

Rnd 2

1-1

Jaroš

Hickman

Bermingham

Abankwah

McClelland

Lewis

Lennon

Fri 03 Sept

Longford Town

Home Series 26

0-1

Sat 11 Sept

Sligo Rovers

Away

Series 27

0-1

Fri 17 Sept

Wexford

Home Qtr Final

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

1

1

1

1

1

Benson

Won 4-1 on penalties AET

52

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.13 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Longford Town

1

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

2

1

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 B Murphy

1

1

Smith

Coughlan 1

Mountney

Bermingham

McCormack

Corbally

Norris

Melvin-Lambert

Smith

Burns

Lewis

McCormack

Corbally

Griffin

Norris

Melvin-Lambert

B Murphy

Smith

Griffin

McClelland

McCormack

Melvin-Lambert

Norris

Corbally

B Murphy

Keeley

Barrett

Benson

Griffin

Corbally

Norris

B Murphy

Keeley

Barrett

Melvin-Lambert

Griffin

Norris

Corbally

B Murphy

Keeley

McCormack

Norris

Corbally

B Murphy

Keeley

Lewis

Coughlan

Forrester

Smith

Lewis

Coughlan

Forrester

Smith

Lewis

Coughlan

Forrester

Benson

Bermingham Melvin-Lambert Coughlan

McCormack

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

B 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

Abankwah

Corbally

Norris

Lonergan

B Murphy

Keeley

McClelland

Coughlan

Smith

Forrester

1 King

Abankwah

McCormack

Lonergan

B Murphy

Keeley

Smith

Forrester

1

McCormack

Bermingham

Lonergan

Abankwah

Corbally

Fay

Smith

McCormack 1

Mountney

Corbally

Lonergan

Abankwah

Burns

Benson

McClelland

Coughlan

Melvin-Lambert

McCormack

Nwoko

Bermingham

McClelland

Bone

King

Lennon

Coughlan

Nwoko

1

McClelland

King

McClelland 1

King

Burns

King

Forrester

Melvin-Lambert 1

Forrester

King

Melvin-Lambert 1

Forrester

Burns

Lennon

Coughlan

McClelland

King

Melvin-Lambert

Forrester

1

Smith

Hickman

Burns

Coughlan

Nwoko

Burns

King

Forrester

1

Coughlan

Melvin-Lambert Griffin

McCormack

Nwoko

Smith

2

2

1

Smith

1

B Murphy

Keeley

Forrester

B Murphy

Keeley

Lennon

Abankwah

B Murphy

Keeley

Corbally

Curtis

B Murphy

Curtis

Corbally

Nwoko

Lonergan

B Murphy

Abankwah

Corbally

Lennon

Curtis

B Murphy

Curtis

Corbally

Lonergan

B Murphy

Keeley

Extra.ie FAI Senior Cup | Quarter-Finals Draw UCD

v

WATERFORD

ST PATRICK’S ATHLETIC v

WEXFORD

FINN HARPS

v

DUNDALK

BOHEMIANS

v

MAYNOOTH UNIVERSITY TOWN

Games played week ending Sun 19th September

Extra.ie FAI Cup Dates

2021 Season • Vol. 33 • No.13 • St Patrick’s Athletic v Longford Town

Semi-Finals Week Ending 24th Oct

Final Week Ending 28th Nov

53

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