The Saint (Vol 35 #2)

Manager: Tim Clancy

Assistant: Jon Daly

Danny Rogers

David Odumosu

Noah Lewis

Anto Breslin

Joe Redmond (C)

Tom Grivosti

Jamie Lennon

Serge Atakayi

Chris Forrester

Eoin Doyle

Tommy Lonergen Jason McClelland

Harry Brockbank

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

Head

Damian Duff

Assistant: Joey O’Brien

Scott Van Der

John

Conor

Andrew

Shane

Jonathan

Brian

Mark

Seán

Jack

Matty Smith

Jad

Tyreke Wilson

Kyle Robinson

Shane Farrell

Gavin

Gavin Hodgins

Luke

Evan

Paddy

Luke

President’s Welcome

Tom O’Mahony

Good Evening

We extend a very warm welcome to Richmond Park, especially to the players, officials and supporters of Shelbourne FC.  Our visitors fielded no fewer than 5 ex-Pats in their opener last week, so there will be many familiar faces on show.

Last week's season opener was a brilliant evening by the Camac, with close to 5,000 supporters packed into the stadium to see how we would measure up against many pundits' choice to be this year's champions. Derry showed their quality, particularly in the first half, and deserved their one goal advantage at the break although the goal benefitted from several lucky breaks along the way.  The second half was quite a different story and ended in a series of onslaughts on the Derry goal which yielded a deserved equaliser and saw the visitors hanging on desperately in injury time.   It was an encouraging start to our season but we need to build on it tonight to prove that we too are going to be contenders.

I want to compliment the FAI on a brilliant innovation this season.  Shortly after getting home from last week's match I was able to watch highlights of all the evening's Premier Division games on the FAI's Youtube channel. Watching on my TV, it was just like having a Match of the Day, but without the tedious and repetitive analysis.  I can see this becoming a Friday night routine for many of us, so well done to

all involved in getting the highlights edited so quickly.

Unfortunately, however, I have to send brickbats in the direction of the Irish Times.  In a week when so many newspapers gave excellent coverage to the opening night of the domestic season, the "paper of record" chose not even to mention it - not a single word.   No season preview, no preview of any fixture.  Worse still, the following day's print edition carried a report of only one game.  The fact that it was an extensive and excellent report of our own game doesn't mitigate the slight on the league as a whole.  I would like to think that this was an unintended oversight as the paper has previously had a good track record in covering the domestic game.

After tonight we hit the road for two tough fixtures against the sides with whom we battled for European qualification last year, Dundalk and Sligo, followed quickly by two huge Dublin derbies at home to Bohemians and away to Shamrock Rovers.  By March 17, exactly four weeks after the season opener, we'll have played all the teams that are expected to be in the shake-up for top four places.   You need to hit the ground running in a league as competitive as ours.  Let's hope we do!

Enjoy the game!

Tom O'Mahony President St Patrick's Athletic FC

ST PATRICK’S ATHLETIC FOOTBALL CLUB

Richmond Park 125 Emmet Road, Inchicore, Dublin 8, Ireland

Tel: +353 1 454 6332

Fax: +353 1 454 6211

For media enquiries, please email press@stpatsfc.com

Opening Hours: 9.30am-5pm (Mon-Fri). See our facebook page for additional opening hours on match days.

HONOURS

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS

1951/52, 1954/55, 1955/56, 1989/90, 1995/96, 1997/98, 1998/99, 2001/02, 2013

FAI CUP 1958/59, 1960/61, 2014, 2021

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

Safety at Richmond Park

Stadium Regulations

• All persons entering the stadium are admitted only subject to the following ground regulations and to the regulations of the Football Association. Entry to the ground shall be deemed to constitute unqualified acceptance of all these rules and regulations.

• Firework, smoke canisters, bottles, glasses, cans, flags, banners, poles, flares and any other articles or containers which could or might be used as a weapon or likely to cause a nuisance to other people in the stadium are not permitted within the stadium and any person in possession of such an article or container may be refused entry or ejected from the stadium.

• Children under 12 years of age must be accompanied by an Adult and that adult must accept respon sibility for those in his/her charge.

• Spectators are not permitted to bring alcohol or any banned substances into the stadium.

Safety Notice

Ronan O’Flaherty

• There is a no smoking policy in effect in both stands.

• The climbing of walls, floodlight pylons, stands or any structure inside theg round is strictly forbidden.

• Any persons found damaging or defacing the property of St Patrick’s Athletic FC will be liable to prosecution.

• Any excessive noise, such as that from the use of radio sets megaphones and/or behaviour likely to cause confusion or nuisance i.e.: Laser lights of any kind is not permitted inside the stadium.

• Foul or abusive language is not permitted inside the stadium and will result in ejection from the stadium.

• No form of racist abuse will be tolerated inside the stadium and will result in ejection from the stadium and may result in a prosecution by An Garda. St Patrick's Athletic shows the red card to racism.

• St Patrick’s Athletic Football Club are committed to ensuring the safety of all spectators at Richmond Park. It is therefore important that the following information is read and strictly adhered to.

• Anyone requiring medical attention during the game should alert their nearest steward or club official and will be directed to the St John’s Ambulance attendant or First Aid Room.

• Any person who does not comply with instructions from a steward may be ejected from the stadium.

• In general, the right of admission is reserved to the Club Management of St Patrick’s Athletic FC.

• St Patrick’s Athletic FC reserves the right to refuse admission or eject any person from the stadium who refuses to be searched by a police officer.

• Any person who blocks, or obstructs a gangway in any way and refuses to move on request may be ejected from the stadium.

• St Patrick’s Athletic FC reserves the right for its servants or agents to remove from the stadium any person who does not comply with the stadium regulations or whose presence inside the stadium could reasonably be construed as a source of danger, nuisance or annoyance to any spectator.

• Parents, Guardians or any adult responsible for children inside the stadium should ensure that children are supervised at all times.

• Cigarettes should be properly extinguished as they can be a major cause of fire.

• The use of flares inside the stadium is strictly forbidden.

Emergency Procedure

In the event of an emergency at Richmond Park requiring evacuation of the ground in part or whole, spectators are requested to remain where they are and listen for announcements over the public address system. The announcements may direct spectators in a specific area of the ground, or the stadium as a whole, to evacuate the through exit gates to the outside of the stadium, or through perimeter gates onto the pitch. Club stewards and members of the Garda Siochana will assist in directing spectators. If requested to vacate a specified area of the ground, spectators should do so as calmly and quickly as possible to assist in a safe and speedy evacuation. Do not, under any circumstances, re-enter an evacuated area. Please take note of your nearest exit.

Editorial

Ruairi Kavanagh

Good Evening

Ronan O’Flaherty

@stpatsprogramme

Welcome back to Richmond Park, for the second time in a week, and the sold out signs are up again. It's great to see the crowds return again like this and the lift it gives everyone, on the field and off, is very evident.

Last week's game, if we're being honest, won't go down as a classic, but Derry arrived into Dublin 8 with plenty of swagger, and it was good to nullify them for the vast majority of the game the way we did. To equalise at such a late stage of the game was also very satisfying, the confusion over who scored was echoed on many digital platforms, with Anto Breslin, Eoin Doyle, and even Lee Desmond (according to the Derry Journal) getting the goal. Of course, it was Joe Redmond, our captain, leading at the front the way he commands at the back.

We received plenty of great feedback on our first issue of the season, and we're back with another bumper issue tonight. We're hoping to kick off a series of player interviews, and we would like to know who you would most like to hear from?

Get in touch via twitter or email to let us know, and also if you have any particular questions you would like us to ask. Look forward to hearing from you. Enjoy the game!

Come on the Saints.

Ruairi Kavanagh Editor The Saint Editor

Ruairi Kavanagh Design Joe O’Rourke

Photography Sportsfile & Inpho

THE OFFICIAL MATCH BALL OF THE SSE AIRTRICITY LEAGUE AVAILABLE AT UMBRO.IE

Ronan O’Flaherty The Dugout

Alan Mathews

A very good evening to everyone and a very warm welcome to the management, players, officials and fans of Shelbourne FC, a club I had some great times with as a player and manager.

Tonight is our second League game of the season and unusually we are at home again, hopefully we will see a similar atmosphere to last week’s game which was at times really electric. The ground was in great shape with people continuing to work tirelessly behind the scenes, ensuring the team is in the best possible place to perform on any given week. Once again I would like to thank all our sponsors, patrons, and volunteers who do so much to support or club. We are really lucky to have so many talented people working together to give the team a platform for success.

On the pitch last week’s game against Derry was a really tough one to start with and the lads showed great resilience and persistence to gain a well-deserved point with a late equaliser.

We played well for some periods of the game against a very good opponent, and while there are plenty of areas for improvement and development from us, overall a point was a fair result.

Last week was we had a number of guys make their debut’s for the club Noah Lewis, Tommy Lonergan, Vlad Kreida, Jake Mulraney, Conor Carty. They

all made a positive start to their careers with us, and they all received a great Inchicore welcome from you as well, which will spur them on as they now know you will get behind them for the season ahead.

Tonight’s opponents are a Club we have a lot of respect for and will no doubt be looking to build on last season where they came up from the First Division and went all the way to the FAI Cup final in addition to securing a very comfortable League position.

We go into tonight’s game confident that we can build on last week’s performance and the players can take heart knowing that we will have the support of a passionate home crowd behind

We believe we have the right mixture of youth and experience in addition to a hunger and desire to succeed within the group that will drive us on this season and help us achieve our ambitions.

To help us achieve on the pitch we can only do it with the support of you our wonderful fans, we want Friday nights to be special in Inchicore and with your backing from the terraces we will try and play a brand of football you can get behind and enjoy.

Thanks for getting behind the team and I hope you enjoy the game.

Thanks, Alan Mathews, Technical Director, St Patrick's Athletic FC.

Patron Saints

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

•

•

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

• Media Room Renovation

• Heart Monitoring Equipment

• West Stand Repairs

• Grounds Keeping Equipment

• Club Shop

• 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

TYPES OF MEMBERSHIP

• 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

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

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

BRONZE MEMBERSHIP €5 per week | €60 per year

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.

Santa Claus visit to Richmond

The Hano Cup

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

Oh My Word!

Ronan O’Flaherty

The laneway approaching Richmond Park is

place where brief reunions play out.

Not to be confused with a couple of other passages into the stadium, this one is hidden away behind the red-brick houses of Emmet Road, much like the stadium itself.

It is a pathway reserved for fans of St Patrick's Athletic. Those seeking it out for the first time could easily miss it. Although now, with attendances in rude health and the flow of people entering the lane near-constant on match nights, such concerns have been minimised. ***

It was 7.30pm. No point in chancing another pint. "Right lads, we better head in."

The last gulp of pre-match refreshment washed down, the red-and-white scarf was removed from the back of the seat, measured up and donned.

Three minutes after acknowledging time was moving on, we physically moved on. Not that it was a taxing journey ahead. Leaving for the ground 12 minutes before kickoff seemed reasonable. We headed for the laneway. It's little more than a hop, skip and jump from The Saint public house.

Hop, skip and jump duly completed, it soon became apparent that the laneway would be less straightforward. A sea of people flooded the 100-metre stretch. Judging by those at the back, there had been a lack of movement.

"Are you standing here long?"

"No idea what the hold-up is," replied the man in his mid-to-late forties as he struggled to get a spark from his lighter despite the tireless efforts of his right thumb.

Finally, a hint of a flame. He sucked in his first drag, then spoke again before exhaling.

"They knew it was a sellout," he added, expelling a plume of smoke from his lungs after uttering the last syllable.

"Are we not going to get in," asked the young boy next to him, with a high-pitched tone of concern. No older than nine or ten, he was well wrapped up, presumably by his mother.

"Of course we'll get in," said the blonde-haired woman to his left. She gently cupped the side of his head with her right hand and guided him in toward her. "Your da's just having a little moan."

Having joined the back of the procession, we were soon closer to the middle, even though there had been no movement. The mass of human existence behind us stretched all the way to the back of the lane and snaked around the corner.

In the distance, we heard the teams announced across the public address, enmeshed with the sound of nonstop singing and chanting.

Without warning, we suddenly had movement. Swift movement. I caught the eye of a familiar face. He had been behind us for a few minutes but the brief reunion played out just as I produced my season ticket for scanning.

This familiar face was once like you and me. Now, though, he was a lapsed fan, returning to dip his toes in. Sheepishly, he enquired about the ticket hut to our left, asking if he could buy a match ticket there.

"You don't have a ticket?," I asked, no doubt making a poor attempt at disguising my sense of incredulity. "Don't tell me it's sold out."

"'Fraid so. Has been for days."

We said our goodbyes hastily.

"Sure I might see you next Friday. Get your ticket for it tonight."

***

a

A sellout here at Richmond is 4,800. To attract crowds like that on a regular basis in the League of Ireland is a sign of a very healthy club. An aura has enveloped St Patrick's Athletic in recent times and it feels like something special is coming. My old friend wasn't the only one turned away last week. It's becoming clear that we need more room.

We've been down this road before. Think back to April 2018 and the proposed Richmond

Quiz Time

Kieran Coughlan

@ronanoflaherty

Arena. An outstanding plan for St Patrick's Athletic and Inchicore in general, the blueprints included ample housing, amenities, a shopping centre and the cherry on top: a 12,000 seater stadium. The project would have been financed independently, requiring no Government funding.

Depressingly, the Richmond Arena lacked political support from the moment it was announced. The club found itself up against a wall of hostility from TDs and councillors. Alternative

regeneration plans for the area were subsequently favoured, but progress appears slow-to-nonexistent on that front.

Future projects involving League of Ireland clubs will have to be supported at central level. It is a social responsibility of the Government that can no longer be ignored as attendance figures grow but facilities remain in need of some love. The supporters deserve it.

1 Which five Saints scored a goal in Tolka Park last season?

2 What is the name of the ground where Kerry FC play their home games?

3 Who scored the only goal for Shelbourne in their semi-final win in Waterford last season?

4 Who is the oldest manager in the Irish Premier Division?

5 Which four countries did Ireland defeat under Stephen Kenny in 2022?

6 Which club conceded the most Premier League goals in the 2022 calendar year?

7 Who was the first player to score a penalty in a League Cup final at Wembley?

8 Which club did Newcastle sign Miguel Almiron from?

9 Who are the five clubs that have won the League Cup at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff?

10 Who was the most expensive signing by a Premier League club in 2022?

Manchester United, Middlesbrough, Blackburn Rovers. 10 Anthony.

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

Mark

Opposition Watch - Shelbourne

managed to steer clear of the relegation zone and reach the FAI Cup Final in November, even if they were ultimately thrashed 4-0 on the day by Derry City.

perceived after they emerged victorious in their cup semifinal last year:

"Little old Shels, as everyone calls us, and everyone hates us I think."

Tonight's game marks the very first Dublin derby of the 2023 season, as we play host to Damien Duff's Shelbourne.

Each of the Dublin derbies has its own distinct flavour to it. From the perspective of both sets of supporters involved today, this fixture can be every bit as exciting as our games against the other Dublin clubs, even those with whom we contest the local derbies on our respective sides of the River Liffey. There is also history to this fixture, both from recent occasions and going back some years. It is sure to be a heated encounter with no love lost.

2022 was a relatively successful season for Shels, as they

The Shelbourne faithful appear to have a great level of belief in what manager Damien Duff is attempting to do with their side. He is on a mission to bring their club back to the big time of Irish football, and all things relative, he hasn't done a bad job so far. For example, before 2022, the last time that Shels managed to avoid relegation from the Premier Division was back in 2012, spending seven years away from the top flight during that period. Their fortunes have changed in recent times, and Shels supporters will be hoping that go from strength to strength.

This estimation of Duff's intentions is no mere hunch. He has made it quite clear on various occasions that he seeks to challenge the view that some opposition supporters may have of his club. Although his description of Shelbourne as a "sleeping giant" is perhaps the better known quote amongst League of Ireland supporters, Duff made evident how he thinks his side are

Despite the chants of both sets of supporters, it is not clear exactly who is in whose head at times. Come 7.45pm in Richmond Park, however, the most important thing on everybody's mind will be the performance about to unfold before us. At this early stage of the season (and after a weekend when four out of five games in the division ended in draws,) it is hard to make predictions about how the sides will fare against one another.

Shelbourne, like ourselves (as well as every other team in the league apart from Bohemians and Cork City,) found themselves sharing the spoils in the previous round of fixtures. Shels were held to a disappointing nil all home draw by Drogheda. Their best opportunity to take the lead came early on, when former Pat's man Matty Smith received the ball from Sean Boyd no more than 12 yards out from an open goal. However, Smith scuffed the ball wide, wasting

Damien Duff

Eoghan Gardiner

what had seemed like a godsend for Shels.

Boyd failed to put the ball in the back of the net himself just before the half hour mark, hitting the post from some 25 yards out with an impressive effort. Smith attempted to recover on the rebound, but a heavy touch allowed the Drogheda defence to clear the danger by putting the ball out of play.

Paddy Barrett, one of a number of former Saints currently playing their football out of Tolka Park, struck the woodwork with a headed effort, which came after a lovely chipped free-kick across the box from JR Wilson. Teammate Jack Moylan

attempted to score from the rebound but his own headed attempt also failed to reach the target, going over the crossbar instead.

Attempts from Wilson and Shane Farrell also offered Shelbourne the opportunity to take the full three points, but it wasn't to be for the Drumcondra-based outfit. Speaking after the final whistle blew, Duff rightly declared that it was "two points dropped" for his side. In saying that, out of a weekend of surprising draws across the division, theirs was likely the most predictable to those with the benefit of an outside perspective. As we can attest to from our last league campaign, dropping points early on in the year can come back to bite you when the business end of the season rolls around.

The Saints will have to be on high alert for the Shelbourne frontline, as there is clearly goals in them if they can work on their finishing, something which they will no doubt have focused on in training this week after their performance on Friday. At the other end of the pitch, it will be interesting to see how the Shelbourne defence stack up as, although

they were goalless last week, they did manage to keep a clean sheet.

After that previous result, Shelbourne will be anxious to get points on the table. A draw tonight would not be a bad result for them in this respect. However, you need to start racking up wins sooner rather than later, and with both Shamrock Rovers and Dundalk to play in the next few weeks (as well as northside rivals Bohemians,) both will surely feel the pressure to register their first three points tonight.

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

Matty Smith

Paddy Barrett

Monday, February 25, 1980

FEBRUARY 24 1980

ST PATRICK'S ATH 3 SHAMROCK ROVERS 3

SIX GLORIOUS goals, a big crowd, plenty of top class football - it was like old times at Richmond Park yesterday.

St. Patrick s Athletic, trailing 3-1 after just 27 minutes, hauled themselves off the floor to get a deserved share of the points in the 84th minute when Derek Carthy scored from the penalty spot after he was pulled down by John Burke. It was a fitting reward for the home side, who never gave up nope after a dynamic three goal burst by Rovers in the space of 12 minutes in the first half. The loss of this point may have serious implications at the end of the season for Rovers who now trail Limerick by six points with just one game in hand. Yet when John Giles looks back on this game he will have reason to be thankful that his side left Inchicore with that single point.

Pat's went ahead in the sixth minute. Tommy Barron easily slipped Paddy Mulligan on the right and when his cross came over Pat O'Connor was on hand to bang the ball past Alan O'Neill from close range after a subtle

flick by Jackie Jameson. Mulligan soldiered on for a brief period but he was fighting a losing battle against his hamstring injury and it came as no surprise when he was replaced by Richie Bayly in the 13th minute.

Bayly, still three months short of his 18th birthday, displayed skills far in advance of his years and had a hand in all three Rovers' goals. He remains one of the most exciting prospects in this talented young side that Giles has built.

But overall St. Pat's had the real hero of the afternoon in Jackie Jameson. He showed a commitment that had been lacking in his play earlier this season and it was to cause trouble all afternoon for the Hoops.

Neither Burke nor Noel Synnott could ever properly master his clever distribution and time after time he had the Hovers defence in a name.

Simple Chance

But let's not forget that Bayly magic in the first half. He strolled around the midfield as if

LEAGUE OF IRELAND • RICHMOND PARK

he owned the pitch. A neat interchange of passes with Harry Kenny on the right gave Ray Treacy Rovers’ equaliser in the 15th minute — a simple finishing effort from close range. Then six minutes later Alan Campbell grabbed his 16th goal of the season. A majestic through ball by Bayly after slipping majestically past two defenders gave Campbell his opportunity and he made no mistake with a first time

effort from 18 yards with the ball entering the net off an upright.

Campbell returned the compliment for Rovers third goal in the 27th minute when he unselfishly passed to the unmarked Bayly who stabbed the ball past Jim Grace as the keeper attempted to smother the ball.

St. Pat's looked down and out at this stage, but it was that man Jameson who got their revival going when he turned beautifully to slam home a cross from Joey Malone.

And the same player nearly had the equaliser before half time when his header was cleared off the line by Mick Gannon with O'Neill beaten.

St Patrick's had the bulk of the attacking in the second half but could find no way past an inspired O'Neill. Tom Hynes, O'Connor and Malone had efforts which might have beaten a less competent keeper.

Off The Line

It seemed that Rovers would hold out for both points. But then referee John Carpenter had no hesitation in pointing to the spot in the 84th

minute. Burke upended Carthy after a clever flick by Jameson. Carthy made no mistake from the spot. Few in the crowd, who paid gate receipts of £2,300 would grumble with the result. The game was a fine advertisement for League of Ireland football and a credit to both sides.

One player was booked — O'Connor for a foul on Robbie Gaffney in the 17th minute. But this was an isolated incident in an otherwise sporting encounter.

ST

PATRICK'S ATHLETIC

Grace; Higgins, Wright. Roche, Daly; Malone, O'Connor, Hynes; Barron, Jameson Carthy.

Sub. O'Donnell for Barron (65 mins).

SHAMROCK ROVERS

O'Neill; Kenny, Synnott, Burke, Mulligan; Maher, Gannon. Gaffney; Campbell, Treaey, Buckley.

Sub. Bayly for Mulligan (13 mins.).

REFEREE: J. Carpenter (Dublin).

MAN OF THE MATCH: JACKIE JAMESON

St Patrick’s Athletic v Shelbourne

Jackie Jameson was in sparkling form for St Pat’s at Richmond Park.

Pitchside Sponsors

We would like to thank the following who have sponsored the club for the 2023 season...

Future Ticketing

Pensive Points

Ronan O’Flaherty

Jimmy Edwards

Good Evening all,

Welcome to Damien Duff and all from Shelbourne FC to our second in a row sold out Richmond park. I was on the Camac last week and there was a great atmosphere, with everyone delighted to be back to cheering on the Saints, win, lose or draw. If we win everyone leaves happy, if we lose and play poorly everyone will be disgruntled and pointing fingers at this that and the other but and it’s a big BUT we will be back again at the

next game hoping we play better because that’s what all supporters do. I wouldn’t change supporting Pat’s for any other team regardless of how much money they might have or how successful they may be.

We played Derry City here last Friday and most pundits and paper predictions went for a Derry win and they were nearly right. Derry started the better and had the most possession and better chances in the first half and eventually took the lead in the 32nd minute through McEneff from a defensive mistake on our side. We seemed somewhat disjointed all over the pitch in the first half but were more settled and dangerous in the last 20 minutes.

We were knocking on the door for an equaliser and it eventually came through Joe Redmond in the 89th minute after a sustained

series of attacks on Derry’s goal and a succession of corner kicks. It’s always satisfying to score a winner or equaliser late in game and leave the ground with one or three points. On this occasion it was only one point but it felt a bit bigger than that considering how good Derry are and are some pundits and journalists pick to win the league this year.

It’s going to take every team in the league four or five games to find a rhythm and consistency. We had four new players making their competitive debut’s last Friday and I think we will really see how good the new players are once they know how Tim wants us to play each week and that only comes from game time on the pitch.

Enjoy the game, Up the Saints

Supporting the Reds on both sides of the Irish Sea

Seán Creedon

Some people are critical of Irish soccer fans who travel to England at weekends to support teams in the Premier League. Some of those on early Saturday morning flights from Dublin Airport have little interest in the League of Ireland, but not all.

Shay Weafer is a good example of somebody who has been a regular visitor to the Theatre of Dreams and other English grounds down through the years to support Manchester United, but he also has had a life-long connection to Shelbourne.

Shay said: ‘‘My family were from Ringsend, where Shels were founded in 1895 and I still have many relations down there. I was born in Dorset Street, but the family moved out to Walkinstown Drive in the early fifties where I got involved with St Finbarr’s a local club from Drimnagh that played in Pearse Park.’’

‘‘St Finbarr’s had a great minor team and Shelbourne manager Gerry Doyle took them on and they provided the bulk of the Shelbourne Youths team. I was very involved with Shels in the sixties, then in the seventies I started by own plumbing company which naturally took up a lot of my time.’’

‘‘When Johnny Byrne became manager he asked me back. When Johnny left I started a ‘B’ team with Ken McCarthy. Then later on we took over what turned out to be a very successful under 19 team where Wes Hoolahan was one of our stars. Then I was part of Damien Richardson’s backroom team.’’

‘‘Later I served on the Shelbourne Committee and I’m a member of the Shelbourne Board

Management and was Shels FAI delegate for over 20 years. I am also an Honorary Life member of the FAI.’’

‘‘I was always a big Manchester United fan. I remember hearing of the death of Liam Whelan in the Munich crash in February 1958 on my way home from school. Even though the family moved out to Walkinstown I used to get two buses to St Canice’s School on the North Circular Road and it was the bus driver who told me the sad news as he drove by Christ Church Cathedral.’’

‘‘I had seen the Busby Babes in 1957 and later joined the United Supporters club and served as secretary for the Republic of Ireland Branch for around 20 years. In the old days the various United managers and Irish players at Old Trafford like Frank Stapleton, Paul McGrath and Kevin Moran cared about their Irish supporters and they were always willing to come to Dublin for our functions. But in recent years they has been a big push towards season tickets, which kind of rules out a fan who wants to go a few games every season.’’

Shelbourne is probably the only League of Ireland club to have had a Spanish manager. Former Spanish international Alvarito was appointed manager of Shels in 1965. When Alvarito left Gerry Doyle returned as manager and for the next thirty years Shelbourne had 14 different managers, until Damien Richardson brought stability and success when he was appointed in 1995.

Shay said: ‘‘When Ollie Byrne died in 2007 the club was in a bad way financially. Only for

people like: Joe Casey, Colin Murphy, Eamon White, Niall Fitzmaurice, Martin Fitzpatrick, Frank Young and Brian Nathan we would have folded. There is no doubt about that.’’

‘‘Last season was a reasonably good one for us. Manager Damien Duff brings huge energy to the job and after a few years when were promoted from the first division and dropped down again, we finished seventh last season and of course qualified for our first FAI Cup final since 2011. In the final against Derry it was a case of men against boys, but securing our premier division status was very important, it always is.

‘‘I remember way back in the eighties winning a game against Newcastle West down in Limerick to secure promotion to the Premier Division, it was like winning the European Cup.’’

Does Shay think we will ever return to the halcyon days of the fifties and sixties when we saw League of Ireland grounds full on Sunday afternoons?

‘‘Well not on a Sunday anyway. Traditions changed and many people found other things to do with families do on a Sunday afternoon. At Shelbourne we had great success for a while when we switched to Friday night football in the early nineties.’’

‘‘What I would love to see is the great players past like Christy Doyle of Shelbourne, Ben Hannigan or Joe Wilson playing with the light footballs and on the excellent pitches all the clubs now have.

know that summer football is good for our clubs in Europe, but really I’m a fan of winter football with maybe a break in January. I have some great memories of winter football and big crowds at Leinster Senior Cup finals at Dalymount on St Stephen’s Day,’’ added Shay.

Shay’s family are all involved in soccer. His wife Kathleen looks after the half-time cuppa at Tolka and their eldest son Stephen is also a big Shels fan, but the Weafer’s second son Paul helps out with the Junior Hoops in Tallaght for their home games.

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FC Nantes v Lorient Bretagne

A weekend trip to France coincided with a Breton derby. For this former AS Nancy and Marseille regular, it provided a welcome chance to see another French club in action.

Nantes featured one year ago in this column, as their semi-final cup victory sent them to the Stade de France, where they would lift the cup, defeating OGC Nice. Something of a rollercoaster club, they are renowned as much for their youth academy as for their history of dreadful mismanagement.

Nantes itself is a pleasant city, less than 90 minutes on a plane from Dublin. Like a lot of French destinations, there’s a feeling of liveability, attractive architecture and great bread, even if the nightlife can seem a bit tame. The city also has a solid musical patrimony; local acts Madeon, Videoclub and Christine & The Queens fly the flag for electronica, in a country largely dominated by Hip Hop.

Following a tram out to the edge of the city on a Sunday afternoon, the forecourt of the Stade de la Beaujoire seemingly has a livelier atmosphere than the night before; kebab-frites vendors in perfect competition, Kronenbourg or Heineken in plastic cups, and bottles of local wine for a tenner. Shifting towards the turnstiles was a notably diverse crowd, black-blanc-beur and a high percentage of female fans. Some wearing scarves celebrating their current Europa League campaign or last season’s cup win, there are also a number with Cardiff City or Emiliano Sala iconography.

The 34,000 La Beaujoire is 90% full as the teams emerge. The Tribune Loire is packed with 6,000+ ultras doing the Poznań. Lorient’s allocation seems to be filled with about 500 fans – the Irish tricolour is visible on the large Interceltic flag they wave (Brittany is the old Celtic region of France, with a minority language similar to Welsh). This is an amicable

Seán Brennan

local rivalry, the security seem relaxed and there are enough mixed groups of Nantes and Lorient fans sat together. France doesn’t have the fanoriented experience like Germany, nor does it have The Balkans’ fanaticism, but there’s a familial and relaxed atmosphere in the stands, while the ultras behind the goal are very capable of bringing the noise.

13th in the table and having recently needed penalties to get past fifth-tier FC Thaon in the cup, the home team had reason to fear their neighbours Lorient, who came into the game two points off the European spots.

As for the match itself, it was nothing outstanding. The first half failed to produce major chances. Nantes pushed more but Lorient looked dangerous on the counter. The long queue for the €6 beers meant I am not in a position to report on the first 10 minutes of the second half. On 66 minutes however, Ludovic Blas found the far bottom corner from the edge of the 18 yard box. Les Canaries controlled the game from that point on, the 1-0 final result giving them some breathing space from the relegation zone. While Lorient slide away from the European positions, Nantes’ attention turns to their next opponent, Juventus.

A View from Afar

Ian Templeman

During my time of being involved in football, and covering football matches for written and online media over the past 20-odd years, I must have carried out hundreds of post-match interviews with managers after games. The majority of my experience here in England is in non-league football, and a bit of professional rugby league, but during my spell as League of Ireland correspondent with the Irish Post newspaper I had the chance to attend some postmatch gatherings here at Richmond Park and also at FAI Cup finals in the Aviva Stadium press area too. So my experiences cover both ends of the footballing spectrum, from the top level professional ranks right down to part time semiprofessional and grassroots amateur level.

Anyone who has had to attend post-match press conferences or conduct one-to-one interviews with managers after games will have stories to tell of encountering managers in a variety of moods, whose demeanour and comments can range from outrageously ebullient to monosyllabic taciturn, depending on how the game has gone for them. It can be a tricky test of your own manmanagement and people skills, where you try to get some good value comments out of your

interviewee which will be informative and interesting to your readership. But at the same time, you also have to strike a balance between asking probing and pointed questions while not overstepping the mark by alienating the individual by asking a question that is considered disrespectful, ill-informed or simply unacceptable to them. The latter is a particular problem if the manager is someone you will encounter on a regular basis, as future requests for post-match comments may be unceremoniously binned if you have upset him previously.

However, there is nothing more satisfying than carrying out a post-match with a manager and coming away with some really interesting comments and observations, that you know will fit the criteria of the organisation you have been charged to write for. Managers with a good turn of phrase are manna from heaven, and it’s hard to describe the warm feeling you get when you are conducting an interview and you know you are getting some terrific nuggets that will make for good reading.

Although I have had plenty of enjoyable conversations talking to interesting people, I do feel envious of the reporters in the past who had the likes of Bill Shankly, Brian Clough, Tommy

Docherty, Ron Atkinson and others of that ilk, who must have been a reporter’s dream with their ability to inform and entertain in equal measure. As an aside, speaking of Ron Atkinson, he was responsible for one of my favourite post-match manager quotes. After a game in which some controversial refereeing decisions went against his side, Big Ron was asked for his observations, and he replied “I never comment on referees, and I’m not going to change the habits of a lifetime for that prat”. Absolute gold for any journalist or reporter.

I’ve written previously on these pages of my experiences of speaking to League of Ireland managers here at Richmond Park and elsewhere, with the likes of Liam Buckley, Keith Long and Kenny Shiels all willingly giving their time to give an interesting insight into the game we had just watched. Those experiences are often at odds with what the present day football journos for the main UK national newspapers have to go through, to extricate some words worth quoting through the medium of club-controlled manager press conferences.

It was for that reason that I watched with interest the unfolding circus that was beginning to surround Southampton manager Nathan

Ronan O’Flaherty

Jones recently, who was eventually sacked after a run of poor results after 94 days in the job, amid rumours that his comments in his press conferences also played a part in his demise.

Although any Premier League manager in England can expect to be widely quoted and reported in the various press sessions they hold, as his tenure unfolded and results were poor, Jones began attracting particular attention with increasingly off the wall comments over the course of several weeks that were provoking antagonism among his own club's fans.

After his side recorded one of their few wins under his charge, beating Manchester City, Jones took the chance to have a pop at a local nonleague manager who had been critical of the team’s performances. Other highlights from Jones’s brief tenure were claiming after losing to 10-man Wolves that “teams often improve after an early dismissal”, and after the 3-0 defeat by Brentford he offered the observation that “I look at that team and I don’t see myself in it”.

After another session saw him referring to Southampton as “they” and his players as “them”, Martin Semmens, the Southampton chief executive, was forced to subsequently step in and take on the awkward job of trying to explain and justify Jones’s comments. “It probably annoyed everyone in this room but I think he was just trying to express his passion,” was Semmens' headline quote, which I rather suspect may have done little to appease the Southampton fans, who were by that point pretty much united in calling for Jones to be sacked.

Now, ultimately it’s results that will dictate a manager’s fate, and if Jones had been succeeding in steering Southampton clear of the relegation zone, he could probably have read from a book of nursery rhymes at press

conferences and his club’s supporters wouldn’t have bothered as long he was winning games. That wasn’t the case, however, and a high profile member of the UK sports press pack, Jonathan Liew of the Guardian, offered the view that “Jones was not sacked purely for losing football matches. He was sacked for being ridiculous”. That may be a bit harsh, but it did get me thinking.

Unlike in other sports, people seem to get a lot more easily outraged when football managers or players dare to speak their minds, make out of the box comments, and don’t trot out the usual stock phrases we hear so often - it’s going to be a tough game, we need to be at our best to win, blah, blah, blah, zzzzzzzzzz. Look at boxing –winning the war of words in the pre-fight build up by winding up the other guy and getting under his skin can give a fighter the edge he needs when he steps into the ring. It won’t stop him shaking the other guy’s hand at the end, win, lose or draw.

But in football, any time a manager makes the mildest of comments about a team or individuals, the watching world seems to get hot under the collar. How refreshing would it be if, when the league leaders are facing a team in the relegation zone, the top of the table manager says what everyone is thinking - “this lot are rubbish and if we don’t beat them, we need shooting”.

Now, I’m not advocating that managers start indulging in weekly unsightly insult-fests in their press conferences, but if a bit more licence to be outspoken was given, it would make for more interesting reading and listening. After all, football quotes books are littered with gems from the likes of Brian Clough and Bill Shankly, and being quotable didn’t do them any harm - if anything it enhanced their standing and credibility in the game.

Saints Rising

Sarah Tynan

In late 2022, a new book on St Patrick's Athletic was launched. The first time our early club history has ever been documented in a book, Saints Rising by Dermot Looney is a captivating tale of the opening years of our club. Sitting down with Dermot, who has written on the club's history in this programme for several years, I got to ask him a few questions.

What brought you to the decision to write the book?

There’s never been a history book about the club, so four years ago, I set out to write a history of the club. It's really important for a club like ours to have a properly researched written history for the generations to come, as well as the current generation.

Can you tell us about the process of researching?

75% of the work was researching newspaper archives. I went online and into the National Archives, reading through the newspapers, and archives. The other 25% of the work was going through the club archives. We had a small selection of minutes of meetings, old photographs, magazines. I then had to edit it down into something that was readable.

When did you start going to the games, and how did you become interested in the history of the club?

My first Pats game was around 1990, but I’ve been regularly going since 1995. I think all football fans are somewhat interested in their club’s history. I always had an interest in local and social history and being a Pats fan I’m interested in what

the story of the club is. It’s great to be able to get that down on paper. I’m interested in Pats history, local history, and Dublin’s history. It’s been a really interesting angle to take while learning the history of the Saints.

What was the toughest part of the writing process?

Getting going is always hard, but there was a lot of editing required for this book. I was writing, editing, and publishing the book with the backing of the Pats fans. When it came to reducing the word count, making it readable, it was a tricky process. I got through it with a lot of help and support. All the tricky things were made a lot easier with the support of the Patron Saints, volunteers from the club, people helping to design and sell the book.

How long did it take for you to produce it?

It was a four year project I did in the Summer and evenings. I started in the Summer of 2018, and finished September 2022. It was a really enjoyable process, but it certainly took a long time.

What is the importance of the history of the club?

‘’We’re only minding the club.’’ That’s a phrase that Pat

O’Callaghan uses, it’s a really good phrase to use. We have been passing the club through the generations, minding it. Knowing the history, stories, mistakes and glories of what the club has achieved over the years is important for us to know. It’s important to have something that’s been researched, fact checked, written down, and being able to pass that down to the next generations. In 50 or 100 years time if there’s still a St Pats, they’ll have this as a base document.

What was the most surprising thing you learned?

The foundation of the club wasn’t a story I really knew before I spoke to Pat O’Callaghan and sat down to research it. I knew we had some links to the railway works, but I didn’t know that we are a railway works team, founded by young lads who worked up there. The foundation story really shows our roots. I found a rise through junior football really interesting as well, how we rose from the very bottom, playing in the Phoenix Park, to becoming this concrete club that had to be admitted to the League of Ireland. There are still some mysteries to be solved, about the who and where of things, and what happened in

1929 when we didn’t play competitively, but it’s our foundation date. That stuff is really interesting.

Did you manage to meet any key figures in the book?

The main guy I interviewed was Johnny Cassidy. I had a brilliant chat with Johnny and he features quite heavily in one of the chapters. In my younger days I met some of the players who have since passed away, like Harry Boland, Ginger O'Rourke, and I was able to tell their stories, because they had been recounted in the program. Tom Hanley did a series with some players who played in the sixties, so we had those and I was able to tell their stories too. My own Dad played for Pats briefly and was a fan, so I was able to tell his stories. Unfortunately most of the players have passed away but I was able to tell some of those stories.

Did you have much help from people in the club?

Pat O’Callaghan is such an important person in the club. He set me on the road by giving me photos, archives and programs. John Owens has given

programmes and stats. This was a club wide effort, I did write it but people around the club have been so helpful in getting this off the ground. I do pay tribute to the likes of Marty and Betty Moran who were helpful with the interviews they gave. There was a personal touch to the book, it wasn’t just newspaper articles.

Are you happy with the response?

We’ve got a brilliant response, around 1000 copies have been sold. There aren't many left, it goes to show the level of interest and support. We had an hour long on Newstalk’s Off The Ball, we got some nice coverage in some papers and podcasts. This week we’re going up to Áras An Uachtaráin to present the president with a copy. It's a nice tribute that we’re getting recognised by the president in the Phoenix Park, a couple of hundred metres away from where the team started playing.

The history of St Patrick’s Athletic was recognised by Uachtarán na hÉireann Michael D Higgins this week. The President invited Dermot Looney, author of ‘Saints Rising’ to Áras an Uachtaráin to present a copy of the book and discuss the history of the club and LOI football. Also present were Brian Kerr, who wrote the book’s foreword, Karl Stafford, Sales & Operations Manager of the club & Denise Watters.

You can buy Saints Rising from the club store or online at www.supersaintstore.com

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Who’s Who at The Saint?

RUAIRI KAVANAGH: EDITOR

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

JOE O’ROURKE: DESIGNER

Part of the All Saints Show, having previously designed the club murals among other things Joe has spearheaded the redesign of The Saint and was a major reason for us being named Programme of the Year. Thanks Joe!

PAT O’CALLAGHAN

Long club serving historian and programme curator. Pat has been involved with the club and the programme for decades. He’s also one of the friendly faces you encounter when entering the ground to buy your programme.

JIMMY EDWARDS

Following on from his father's (of the same name) 30 years of writing for the programme, Jimmy Edwards (Junior) continues the Pensive Points tradition.

JOHN OWENS

Statto supreme, we reckon he has shares in Microsoft Excel. An incredible range of knowledge, John was way too modest when he once described himself as just a ‘guy with a few spread sheets!’.

IAN TEMPLEMAN

Our foreign correspondent. Writes, with considerable eloquence, from the UK with his observations on our league and particularly the Saints. Ever reliable, always has his copy in first.

RONAN O’FLAHERTY

Journalist with a passion for Pats, Ronan comes from good Saints stock, as his surname might suggest. Ever the optimist Ronan can put a positive slant on the most dismal run of form. We know, we gave him plenty of opportunities last season!

KIERAN COUGHLAN

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

SEÁN BRENNAN

Seán is a full time languages teacher in Dublin a part time writer on football culture and cooking. He has been following St Pats since the early noughties and Serie A since the late nineties. A former resident of France, UK and Germany, he enjoys train journeys, radio, pasta and everything with the prefix ‘Euro-‘.

SEAN CREEDON

A Kerryman living in Dublin... a long time. He has been attending League of Ireland and Republic of Ireland home games for over 50 years. Interested in all sports, but mainly GAA, Soccer and Rugby. A member of the Soccer Writers’ Association. Writes on LOI and international matters.

SARAH TYNAN

Sarah has been a keen follower of the Saints since she was 6, getting to most games home and away and even the odd European adventure. She’s delighted to add a bit of youth and much needed diversity to the programme team.

EOGHAN GARDINER

From Palmerstown, Eoghan covers opposition analysis for The Saint. He has a background in media and communications, and can usually be found in Section G on matchday.

JONATHAN CONNELLY

Jonathan has been a fan of the club all his life. Going to games ever since I was a young child, he's delighted to be taking his first steps in volunteering for the club by reporting for The Saint.

Like so many other things on match night, it takes considerable effort to compile the issue of The Saint you’re viewing. So who’s who?

After

Goals & Table 2023