The Saint (Vol 35 #4)

Fáilte

Saints v UCD AFC

Athletic

Manager: Tim Clancy

Assistant: Jon Daly

Tá Wed 29 Mar - UCD FINAL.qxp_A5 29/03/2023 14:53 Page 2

Danny Rogers

David Odumosu

Dean Lyness

Noah Lewis

UCD AFC

Manager: Andy Myler

Asst Manager: William O’Connor

Lorcan Healy

Kian Moore

Sam Healy

Michael Gallagher

Evan Osam

Ryan Bowden

Adam Wells

Jack Keaney (C)

Brendan Barr

Chris Forrester

Mark Dignam

Michael Raggett

Ciaran Behan

Alex Nolan

Daniel Babb

Jessie Dempsey

Harry O'Connor

Ryan McBrearty

Dara Keane

Donal Higgins

Samuel Clarke

Danu Bishop

Sam Todd

Lennon Gill

Harvey O'Brien

Daniel Norris

Devine Izekor

Jake Doyle

Jesse Dempsey

Jamie Duggan

Match Officials

President’s Welcome

Tom O’Mahony

Good Evening

You're very welcome to another packed Richmond Park for tonight's game against UCD, we extend a warm welcome also to their players, officials and supporters.

It has been a very strange start to the season. Neither ourselves nor Shamrock Rovers would have expected our St Patrick's Day clash in Tallaght to be in the positions we were in the table. It turned out to be a cracker of a game and one hopes that our brilliant late equaliser will give us the momentum required to start climbing up the table.

Tonight is our fourth home game of the season and the fourth time also that we have sold out every ticket available for home supporters. Only Shamrock Rovers and Cork City, with their much larger stadia, have exceeded our average attendance so far this season. While this is of course part of a general upward trend in attendances for our league, the magnitude of the increase in our case is quite exceptional, with attendances now routinely three times what we were getting in titlewinning seasons. In the last few years the club has put a huge amount of effort into growing our support base.

In particular, our community programme reaches out to schools

and to kids' soccer clubs every week and has certainly had a huge impact. Tech-savvy club officials and volunteers have transformed our use of social media to generate regular content of very high quality which helps to create a buzz around the club and our fixtures. And of course there is quality on the pitch as well, from legendary stars such as Chris Forrester to some of Ireland's brightest prospects such as Sam Curtis.

It may be stating the obvious but it's worth reiterating that full houses are critical to generating ongoing success. It's not just the direct impact of the ticket sales - they also increase the attractiveness of the club to sponsors and generate more merchandise sales - both of which are hugely important to our budget. And, of course, the roar of almost 5,000 passionate supporters can usually be relied on as the 12th man to deliver better performances on the pitch. That doesn't always work, of course, the last home match being an example, but over the long run it certainly will.

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

@stpatsprogramme

Good Evening

Welcome back to Richmond Park, where we hope, at the fourth time of asking, we will get a performance to illuminate the great crowds we have been seeing. Tight wins against Derry and Shels papered over less than cohesive performances, while a disastrous week culminated in 3 defeats, including at home to Bohs. But we saw the fighting spirit we need away in Tallaght, and some of the undoubted abilities that this squad has. Now it is time to kick on.

We have our first programme in three weeks, and thanks to all our contributors for their help. We've listened to some feedback on the paper, and I think the lighter stock we used on most recent editions was an improvement. As always, we value any feedback and suggestions for

the programme and will endeavour to get around to most of them during the course of the season.

We have the second in our quick-fire player Q&A's, with Tom Grivosti on the spot. Let's know who you would like to feature next and if you have any questions you would like answered. Back to affairs on the pitch, we are hungry for some action after the international break, and I'm sure the lads are primed to deliver. Enjoy the read, and enjoy the match.

Come on the Saints!

Ruairi Kavanagh Editor The Saint

Editor

Ruairi Kavanagh

Design Joe O’Rourke

Photography Sportsfile & Inpho

Ronan O’Flaherty

Ruairi Kavanagh

OUR GAME IS ON THE BALL

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

The Dugout

A very good evening to everyone and a very warm welcome to the management, players, officials and fans of our Dublin neighbours UCD.

UCD have been to the forefront in producing some wonderful players through their scholarship programme and have to be commended for maintaining this facility since its inception by the late Dr Tony O’Neill back in 1979.

Practically every club in the League has ex UCD players on their books with these players having the benefit of maintaining their education to third level and combining it with a football career. Dr O’Neill has to be acknowledged as a visionary for instigating this wonderful opportunity for young players in this country.

Ronan O’Flaherty

Mulraney getting his first goal for the club with a wonderful strike, hopefully it’s the first of many for Jake.

Our opponents tonight have had a difficult start to the season coming out the wrong side in some very tight games and we know we will face a really tough opponent who will challenge us for the entire game tonight.

Andy will have his team fully committed and well organised and will come to Inchicore with no fear they’re a team of many talents and have some really exciting young players.

It’s great to back in front of our home supporters tonight having been in Tallaght for our last game two weeks ago against Shamrock Rovers. To those of you who travelled to Tallaght for the game a big thank you from everyone at the club. To sell out our entire allocation is a great testament to our supporters who played no small part in driving the team on to earn a point in the 2-

The team showed great character and commitment to come back twice at the home of the champions with a much improved display earning us a deserved share of the spoils.

The game also saw the debut of Dean Lyness in goal and the return of Adam Murphy from the bench, with both lads putting in very good performances, with Jake

During the break we had a number of our senior squad called up for international duty with the Irish U19 and U21 squads respectively, congratulations to Tommy Lonergan, Adam Murphy, Jay McGrath and Sam Curtis. Thankfully they have all returned without injury and are available for tonight’s game.

We go into tonight’s game still without the services of Harry Brockbank and Danny Rogers who thankfully doesn’t need any surgery to rectify the thumb injury he picked up in the warm up against Shelbourne.

We have prepared for tonight’s game with a real focus on producing a performance that will give us the platform to get a positive result and know we will need to work hard from the start and will need to be professional at all times and play to our potential.

Our home games to date have been sell out’s and we have seen a wonderful atmosphere here in Inchicore, we really want to deliver the right results for all our fans and with your help and support we will do everything we can to achieve this

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

Thanks,

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

Alan Mathews

Q&A - Tom Grivosti

O’Flaherty

AGE: 23

BIRTHPLACE: Liverpool

PREVIOUS CLUBS: Bolton Wanderers, Ross County

TEAM SUPPORTED AS A BOY: Liverpool

FIRST FOOTBALL MEMORY: Liverpool home to Crystal Palace, and Milan Baros netted a hat trick.

BOYHOOD HERO: Steven Gerrard

BEST GOAL SCORED: Versus Derry City last season.

BEST GOAL EVER SEEN: Steven Gerrard in the 2006 FA Cup Final.

BEST MOMENT IN FOOTBALL TO DATE: Winning the Scottish Championship with Ross County, or when we won on penalties versus Mura last season.

WORST MOMENT IN FOOTBALL: Any injury.

MOST SKILLFUL PLAYER PLAYED AGAINST: Joe Aribo

BEST FRIEND AT CLUB: Harry Brockbank

FAVOURITE HOLIDAY DESTINATION: Thailand

FAVOURITE SPORT OUTSIDE FOOTBALL: Darts

BEST GROUND PLAYED AT: Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, Madrid.

BEST DRESSED IN SQUAD: Anto Breslin

WORST DRESSED IN SQUAD: Serge Atakayi

Ronan

Darren Conn

Oh My Word!

Ronan O’Flaherty

We have our own day. It's just another benefit of the name. Waking up a fortnight ago, social media was the first port of call. That wouldn’t be the usual morning ritual, but it felt right for the day that was in it.

"Happy St Patrick’s Athletic Day," wrote one Facebooker. Another declared: "We have our own day, we have our own day-ay-ay. We are St Patrick's, we have our own day."

There were more, but you get the idea.

It’s a day of national pride expressed through parades. The scene in Dublin city was one of banners and floats, marching bands and street performers. The bonds of family and friendship were on display.

Parents stood behind their children, securing them the best vantage point possible. Every so often, a father would lean gently forward and look down, catching a precious smile from his son gazing back up at him. Two women in their seventies enjoyed the procession of entertainment with a joy that was infectious.

Everyone wears something green on March 17, be it a ribbon, hat, jumper, pair of shoes or entire ensemble. Those who apply makeup finally put a dent in the emerald eyeshadow from the unused part of the palette. Matching nail varnish is a popular addition.

It’s a day of inclusion. Bright colours communicate the

message louder and clearer than the spoken word. As well as the many tricolours on display, we saw rainbow flags and the blue and yellow of Ukraine. Pride and solidarity.

The stars and stripes of the US were well represented. So too was the maple leaf of neighbouring Canada. The green of Nigeria fitted in with ease, as did the flags of India and Côte d'Ivoire.

The Kingdom town of Dingle is a place of early risers. It had set the tone for many a St Patrick’s Day in the past and 2023 was no different.

The day was in its infancy when the Dingle Fife and Drum Band marched down the main street at 6am. The light of day had yet to extinguish the darkness. Yet there they were, doing their thing on Ireland’s special day.

Like Ukraine, Tipperary is represented by blue and yellow. The Tipp town of Cahir is a place of diversity. One in three of its residents were born outside Ireland. Its St Patrick’s Day parade was, among other things, a celebration of the céad míle fáilte.

The pandemic put paid to the Tallaght parade. Not that you would have known. Come 4.30pm, one could have been forgiven for thinking the city centre's showcase offering had made its way to Dublin 24. How else could the crowds be explained?

Men, women and children ventured with purpose in the direction of Tallaght Stadium.

They were headed for a sporting spectacle that fitted in seamlessly with the narrative of the day. Even the names of the teams spoke of this land: Shamrock Rovers versus St Patrick’s Athletic. The clover and the crosier.

***

We had been waiting for a moment of brilliance from Jake Mulraney. His body language in previous games suggested he expected it too. And then it arrived; a goal decorated with individual brilliance.

It was only the sixth game of the season, but a fidgety sense of anxiety infected the away section from kick-off. There were 1,200 Saints fans in attendance. At times, it sounded like three times that number, especially when there was reason to celebrate.

Eoin Doyle provided all the reasons when he stroked home the leveller before half-time.

But unease was never far away. It returned when Jack Byrne fired Rovers back into the lead nine minutes into the second half. The strike was outstanding, but what about the seconds before it?

Byrne could scarcely believe it as he was afforded the time to control the ball, steady himself, look up and possibly even reassure himself that yes, he had turned the immersion off before leaving the house. Then, with a fast and firm swing of the right leg, he changed the scoreline.

As the minutes evaporated, Saints fans did all they could to impress the need for urgency upon the players. It worked. The redmen upped the ante. In doing so, they

placed the onus back on the supporters, who raised the decibel levels some more.

With six minutes left, Anthony Breslin’s shot out of nothing asked questions of Alan Mannus, but he was up to the challenge, tipping it over for a corner. I glanced at my watch with increasing regularity. Time seemed to speed up. A minute passed in what felt like 20 seconds. Then another minute slipped away, followed by another. Just three to go. The ticktock grew louder.

It was time for a more direct approach. Some conveyed their wishes through blunt language. Others used physical expression,

Quiz Time

@ronanoflaherty

with a throw of the hand or a nudge of the head in the direction of the goal. An older gentleman urged the team to "get it into the mixer".

But there would be no Hail Mary hoofs. The players showed the urgency demanded of them, but in a controlled manner. Adam Murphy certainly wasn't hanging about when he picked out Mulraney, whose deft first touch brought the ball to a halt. That gave him the millisecond needed to pivot. Two quick nudges of the ball followed before he stroked it home with power and precision.

A fraction to the right and it would have hit the post. A smidge to the left and Mannus claws it

away. From his first touch to the ruffling of the net, it was a majestic sequence of events that played out in under four seconds. The Saints contingent had been released from the clutches of anxiety and given something to celebrate. It was a scene far removed from those at Oriel Park, the Showgrounds and Richmond Park in recent times.

Dean Lyness had a brilliant debut in goal and he ensured there would be no late heartache with a couple of big saves in the dying moments. The rot had been stopped. Now it’s time to kick on.

1 Tommy Lonergan made his first team debut for the Saints against which club in 2021?

2 Who scored their first ever goal for the Saints against UCD last season?

3 Which club finished bottom of the First Division last year?

4 Who is the current manager of Finn Harps

5 Who was the only teenager in the England World Cup squad in 2022?

6 Who are the six clubs that have never been relegated from the Premier league?

7 Which club were promoted back into the English football league after an 11 year absence in 2022?

8 Who were the only country at the World Cup in Qatar not to include any player employed by clubs in their own country?

9 Which English club won their only major honour in 2004?

10 In which decade were PSG founded?

Thijs

Cobh Ramblers. 4

Rogers.

Jude Bellingham.

Kieran Coughlan

Opposition Watch - UCD

Eoghan Gardiner

Our visitors, UCD AFC, started their league campaign this year with an impressive draw away to Dundalk on the opening night, something which would have given the faithful few in Belfield reason to be hopeful ahead of the 2023 season. However, there has been precious little else for the Students to celebrate since.

UCD visit Richmond Park at a time when they sit at the bottom of the table with only a single point to speak of, having yet to register a win and only managing to avoid defeat on one occasion; the aforementioned draw in Oriel Park. They have also found themselves on the wrong side of two heavy defeats in their opening six fixtures, losing 4-0 to both Cork and Derry.

With that being said, looking at the numbers on the league table, there is not a great deal that separates St. Patrick’s Athletic from UCD. College have scored just four goals this season, but the Athletic have only netted five. The Students have conceded as many as 15 goals so far in their campaign, while the Saints can hardly boast of an admirable record on this front either, having conceded 12. Pat’s are, after all, only one place above tonight’s opponents on the league table, although we are level on points with both Shamrock Rovers and Cork City.

It is early days yet in the league, however, and it is

always worth looking at the previous fixture to get a feel for form and insight as to how tonight’s game might play out.

Our 2-2 draw with Shamrock Rovers on St. Patrick’s Day was hard fought and deserved. Despite their poor start, most people around the league seem to think that Shamrock Rovers will eventually kick on, so getting a point against them (especially when we were probably the weaker team over the course of the full 90 minutes) was not an

insignificant result, even if the performance will have left a lot of Saints still seeing a need to up the ante.

UCD’s 2-1 loss to Bohemians, however, was perhaps somewhat deceiving in their favour. It would be fair to think that UCD getting a goal against the league leaders, and then going on to lose but only by a single goal, shows that there is fight in the team, considering that most would envision them struggling to get out of the relegation zone this year. After all, they were defending an early lead and managed to avoid falling behind for almost two thirds of the game. There is some truth to this. If UCD are going to pick up points in these games, it will probably come from grinding out results.

Truthfully, however, it could have been (and probably should have been) 4-1 to Bohs. Firstly, a controversial refereeing decision went against Bohs, when a goal from Jonathan Afolabi was ruled out as having crossed the byline just before his strike. The Phibsborough side also should have scored when Ali Coote

Andy Myler

stepped up to take a penalty, only for him to send the ball into orbit over the School End of the ground.

If Andy Myler’s men are looking to avoid relegation, they’ll be looking at tonight’s fixture as one of the games in

Ronan O’Flaherty

Including tonight’s fixture, our next three games are against opposition (UCD, Cork and Drogheda) that, at the beginning of the season, many League of Ireland supporters would have expected to be battling it out at the bottom of the table. Based on what we’ve seen so far, one wouldn’t be so certain that that’ll be the case for City and United. The same cannot be said, however, for UCD. With this in mind, if Tim Clancy is to kick on after what most consider a poor start in the opening six games, getting a few decent results (and performances) in the next three fixtures is crucial, and you would just have to think that if we were to do it against anybody, we can do it against UCD.

ultimately finishing just six points ahead of Finn Harps to avoid automatic relegation, and it is an issue that could be even more of a problem this season, given the apparent closeness in quality that is evident so far in 2023.

which they can pick up points that could make all the difference come November. They will see the disappointing start that their opponents have had to the season and they’ll be looking to capitalise on it, not in a dissimilar fashion to how some more optimistic Pat’s supporters might have viewed our game in Tallaght a couple of weeks ago.

This is not meant as an insult to the Students, nor is it supposed to be an expression of arrogance on behalf of our side. UCD have proven that they can play good football in spells, and they have come close to grinding out results against the sides that most would wager will finish on the higher end of the table.

However, it is hard to see where UCD will pick up points over the course of the season. This was something that they struggled with last year,

If we were to get a win out of any game we’ve played so far this year, you’d hope it would be tonight. The Students, going off of record, would not be without reason in thinking that there are points up for grabs in this fixture. As ever, here is hoping not only for three points, but also a reassuring performance from the Saints.

Evan Osam

Sam Todd

RTE

Saturday, April 01, 2017

MARCH 31 2017

BOHEMIANS 0 ST PATRICK'S ATH 4

Conan Byrne scored a goal of the season contender from the halfway line as he inspired St Patrick's Athletic to a second Dublin Derby win of the week over Bohemians at Dalymount Park.

Christy Fagan opened the scoring for the Saints seven minutes before half time before Byrne scored immediately either side of half time to wrap up the three points with plenty to spare. Kurtis Byrne added a fourth in injury time.

Byrne's first was a thing of beauty as he received a goal kick from Shane Supple just behind the halfway line and returned it over the head of the keeper, who had followed through on his kick, and into the net without bouncing.

Liam Buckley's side began the game in much the same manner as they finished Saturday's 2-1 win over Shamrock Rovers, controlling the ball and the tempo of the game.

While Bohs dealt with the loss of stand-in striker Jamie Doyle, who was stretchered off following a collision with Michael Barker, the visitors passed and probed.

Alex O'Hanlon, the prodigious talent who recently returned to Dublin from Liverpool, was a livewire in a new role as deep-lying playmaker for the Saints.

One beautiful lofted pass found Ian Bermingham wide on the left, and the fullback's cross for the arriving Fagan was brilliantly intercepted by Dan Byrne.

Another gorgeous diagonal found Kurtis Byrne on the left. He caught the ball at the endline and stood it up for Fagan, who was inches from applying the finish.

Barker's long pass then found Kurtis Byrne running in between the Gypsies' centrehalves. He took the ball wonderfully in his stride and had only Supple to beat, but the former Ipswich Town man was out quickly to deny a certain goal.

The dam could only withstand so much battering, however. Conan Byrne played the ball into the box for Fagan who, after seeing his first effort blocked, side-footed the ball into the corner to make it 1-0.

It was no less than Liam Buckley's side deserved, and they refused to sit on their laurels as they looked to double the advantage before the break.

Another brilliant 40-yard pass from Gavin Peers released Conan Byrne down the right and the winger was unfortunate that his cross, blocked by Lorcan Fitzgerald, hit him on the way out. There was nothing unfortunate about what he did next, however, as he returned Supple's kick-out with change to send the large travelling support into raptures.

Byrne added his second just a minute-and-a-half into the second half. JJ Lunney lifted the ball over the top and Byrne out-muscled Lorcan Fitzgerald in the box before poking home.

He could have had a hat-trick shortly after as he was played in by Fagan, but from a narrow angle he could only force a corner off Supple at his near post.

Fitzgerald forced a top-class save from Conor O'Malley down the other end as the Gypsies looked to rescue some pride, but it wasn't to be.

Symptomatic of his night, Supple was forced off with 18 minutes remaining and left with chants of “Conan, from the halfway line” ringing in his ears from the Shed End.

And Kurtis Byrne, who joined the Saints from Bohs over the winter, volleyed a fourth past his replacement Greg Murray in injury time.

BOHEMIANS

Supple (Murray 72 mins); Pender, Cornwall, D Byrne, Fitzgerald; Brennan; Kavanagh, Pynton, Ward (Gannon 57 mins), Doyle (Casey 6 mins); Simon.

ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC

O’Malley; Barker, Peers, Desmond, Bermingham; Cregg; C Byrne, Lunney (Verdon 89 mins), A O’Hanlon, K Byrne; Fagan (J O’Hanlon 55 (B Dennehy 80mins)).

REFEREE: Jim McKell.

MAN OF THE MATCH: CONAN BYRNE

CONAN FROM THE HALFWAY LINE! Conan Byrne of St Pat's celebrates scoring a superb goal from inside his own half.

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Patron Saints

Pensive Points

Ronan O’Flaherty

Jimmy Edwards

Good Evening all,

Welcome to Andy Myler and all from UCD for tonight’s Dublin Derby here at Richmond Park,

We come into tonight’s game on the back of two other Dublin Derby’s. Our last home game was on Friday 10th March v Bohemian FC. In truth, it was another disjointed performance, while we passed the ball fairly well around the back and in midfield, we rarely created any real clear-cut chances in front of goal.

We paid the price, with Boh’s taking full advantage of the chances they got. We gave away two poor goals on the nigh.It was a disappointing result on the night but I didn’t feel that Boh’s had outplayed us, they played to their strengths and took their chances.

Our next game was an away fixture v Shamrock Rovers on St Patricks Day. We came into this game on the back of three defeats in a row, so confidence in getting a result away to the three-in-a-row Champions was quite low. However the performance was much better than previous weeks. We showed some fight and determination on the night to get a result. We defended well when we needed to and we passed the ball well and created quite a few chances on the night. Rovers took the lead in the 20th minute when Towell swept home a low shot around a sea of legs from the edge of the box giving goalkeeper Dean Lyness who was making his debut no chance. We reacted well to going behind and we

showed some character and confidence in trying to get back into the game and we got our equaliser in the 42nd minute when Eoin Doyle coolly slotted home from the spot after having being fouled in the box. Rovers came out in the second half with a bit more purpose and put us under pressure and regained the lead through a wonderful Jack Byrne from 30 yards in the 52nd minute.

Adam Murphy came off the bench for us and reminded us all just what a talented young player he is. He is always looking for the ball and is brave and creative in his passing and he will no doubt make a positive impact on the team going forward. We got our equaliser in the 88th minute through a wonder strike of our own when Jake Mulraney showed what he is also capable of if you stand off him and give him the room to shoot from 30 yards. He hit a peach of a left foot shot that curled low into the far corner giving Mannus no chance to save in the Rovers goal. Rovers had a couple of late shots at goal in injury time but Lyness made some brilliant saves to make sure we left with a point we fully deserved on the night. Hopefully, that point and performance will act as a springboard now for the coming games and we can put a winning run together and start moving up the table.

Enjoy the game, Up the Saints

Continuing the Saints Hospitality Tradition

Tradition is important in all sports and it’s good to see that the tradition whereby clubs provide a half-time cup of tea or coffee for the directors of visiting clubs continues at League of Ireland clubs around the country.

Karl MacGinty worked as soccer reporter for the Evening Herald in the seventies and eighties. Karl covered the League of Ireland and international scene and at the end of one season he gave out his end of season awards.

We are now only getting back to some kind of normality after Covid and the person responsible for the Saints hospitality is Michelle Tougher. For those of us lucky to be invited to climb the stairs here in Inchicore the tea, coffee and cakes available on the top floor of number 125 Emmet Road is very welcoming on a cold night, in fact on any night. And a half-time chat with old friends is always something to look forward to upstairs.

Michelle has been doing the job for over 20 years now. She said: ‘‘My father Mick was a director of the club and I remember selling match programmes here when I was seven or eight years old. Some clubs only allow a few people into their boardrooms, but I like to see a full room which ensures a good atmosphere. People seem to stand in the same place in the room every week.’’

Harry Boland’s sisters Carmel and Kathleen used to look after the half-time refreshments when the teamroom was located downstairs in the house and they were assisted by Jennifer Cronin. I remember Olive Hayes who was a big Fulham fan and Jeanette Byrne, the daughter of former player Damien Byrne also helping out during maternity leave.

That was in either 1979 or 1980, I cannot remember which year and neither can Karl so I couldn’t find the article. They were awards for: Best Team, Best Player, Best Pitch etc and Karl reckoned that the Best Hospitality was provided by St Patrick’s Athletic.

‘‘When the President Michael D. Higgins visits naturally we bring out the best china delph for him,’’ added Michelle.

Lisa Freeman is Michelle’s regular assistant and Michelle’s son Seán and daughter Jessica also give a hand when it’s very busy.

Michelle is continuing a great tradition here at number 125.

Mel Moffat, the Scottish-born soccer correspondent who worked for the Irish Press back in seventies, agrees with Karl MacGinty. Mel, who emigrated to Australia in 1981 told me recently: ‘‘The press were always treated exceptionally well by League of Ireland clubs. Most had really good facilities, but St Pat’s were top of the heap in my book. It was a real family feel every time you went to Inchicore, old fashioned, but hard to top. And always ready to give you a jar on a cold day.’’

I’m not familiar with all the hospitality rooms at clubs outside of Dublin, but Dundalk is good and you are always

Seán Creedon

Derek Lawrenson (President of the AGW) with the presentation of the Masters flag to Karl along with Karl’s wife Mary

likely to meet some manager or official from the Irish League in the Oriel Park hospitality room.

Here in Dublin Bohemians continue to provide a great service for the visiting officials. In the Jackie Jameson Lounge at Dalymount you are likely to meet a few legends of the game, like Tony O’Connell, Turlough O’Connor or Billy Young. In that lounge Bohs often make presentations to their match-day sponsors.

When Gateaux used to sponsor Bohemians many years ago there was always a great supply of cakes on offer! I remember a lovely lady called Eileen working there back then. Now the women who look after the visitors in the Jackie Jameson Lounge are Elayne Monaghan widow of ‘Mono’ and Karen O’Connor, but first you need to be on Hugh Dempsey’s guest list to get into the lounge.

In Tolka Park we miss the late Stephen Evangeledes, who was better known as ‘Stephen the Greek.’ Stephen always looked smart in his red dickie-bow. Stephen, who was assisted by his good friend Brendan, died in 2018.

The hospitality room in Tolka is now much larger than the one where Stephen used to hold court. It is now looked after by Kathleen Weafer, who is helped

by Anne Marie and Megan Fitzmaurice.

When they lived a nomadic life for 22 years sharing various grounds around the city, Shamrock Rovers always provided a cup of tea or coffee for the club officials and media at half-time. I remember Kay McRann kept the hospitality going, but the last time I saw that huge tea pot she used to use on match days, was in Morton Stadium, Santry over 20 years ago.

UCD has a small room in Belfield where officials mingle. The students are now only getting back to normal service after Covid. Denise Sheridan

used to handle the catering prior to the Pandemic and now I think it’s done by the students.

Out in Bray Eddie Cox tells me that his mother Phil Cox looked after the hospitality at the Carlisle Grounds for many years, along with Geraldine Murray and Anne Kirwan.

There is a row of portacabins near the dressing rooms in the Carlisle Grounds and it’s important to know the one that serves the tea and coffee. They do a good job and it’s a bit like the miracle of the loaves and fishes out there every second Friday night.

Lisa Freeman and Michelle Tougher

Player Sponsorship 2023

Danny Rogers Mtiscot.land

David Odumosu The Dalton Family

Noah Lewis Lads off the Camac

Anto Breslin Dublin 12 Saints

Joe Redmond Cian Menton Conro Services

Tom Grivosti PatsApp

Jamie Lennon Tommy Keys John Paul & Christine Carney

Serge Atakayi saveenergy.ie

Chris Forrester The Bridge House Will Morgan

Eoin Doyle Will Morgan

Tommy Lonergen Fynch

Jason McClelland John Hudson

Harry Brockbank

Mark Doyle The Gaffneys

Conor Carty

Vladislav Kreida Peter Boyle

Ben McCormack McDowells

Jake Mulraney Thompson Solicitors Peter Boyne

Sam Curtis The Malt House Saints Rising

Adam Murphy The Patron Saints

Thijs Timmermans McCrudden Fitness

Jay McGrath

Eurozone

Genoa CFC v Ternana Calcio

Stadio Luigi Ferraris • 12/03/2023

Bonner’s save in 1990. One hour before the game the tifosi are already inside in large numbers, the north terrace alights with chants of “Gra-di-na-ta Nord, Gradi-na-ta Nord, Gra-di-na-ta Norrrrrrdddd”, the free flowing beers and smiles at the first outbreak of spring weather pump enthusiasm into the air.

In searching for a quick getaway for a sample of la dolce vita, I stumbled across flights with perfect timings for a full weekend from Europe’s number one airline.

Being only my second time in Italy, Genoa fitted my requirements perfectly: coast, food, football. A somewhat industrial city, that it doesn’t receive the same visitor numbers as Venice or Rome takes the pressure off any ‘must-see’ experiences, and leaves you free to enjoy an authentic Italian experience.

Amidst the heavy scooter traffic and a public very well dressed in red and blue, we meet our contact Stefano at The Pizzeria da Boris e Barbara. The place is packed out with Rossoblù supporters enjoying beers in the 18 degree sun, as well as pizza and farinata, a type of chickpea pancake. Unsurprisingly, everything I ate over the weekend was fantastic.

Shared with city rivals Sampdoria, the Stadio Luigi Ferraris is best known to an Irish audience for Packie

As the travelling Ternana fans begin to make some noise, they are responded with chants of “Ter-na-na, Ter-na-na, va-ffan-culo.”

Ternana fans are friendly with Sampdoria, thus the lack of an amicable welcome. While Genoa are Italy’s oldest club and have nine Serie A titles, Sampdoria have had more success in modern times; a Serie A title and a Cup Winners Cup in the 1990s, as well as some big international names (Verón, Seedorf, and Karembeu).

13 minutes in and Genoa are

Seán Brennan

View from the Gradinata Nord

off to the perfect start. Hops fires a cross along the 6-yard line, and Milan Badelj hooks it in. Genoa persist, and in the space of two minutes two headers from 6 yards out are missed; straight at the keeper and over the bar. Ternana are looking dangerous on the break. From just inside the box Anthony Partipilo curves a left footed shot just past the far post. Half time.

On 51 minutes, amidst a scramble on the edge of the box, the ball falls to Ternana’s midfielder

Coulibaly, who from 10 yards out with a clear shot somehow scuffs it wide. A wake-up call for the hosts.

A period of Genovese dominance follows; on 51 minutes George Puskas turns an outswinging cross from the right flank past the keeper, but is marginally

Greetings from Boccadasse

subsequently sees his half volley from distance tipped over the bar, and then on 67 minutes Milan Badelj dispossesses a defender before finding the bottom left corner, but is deemed to have won the ball illegitimately.

In the closing minutes of the game 9,000 hearts on the Gradinata Nord freeze as Antonio Palumbo rifles a low cross along the six-yard line, but with no Ternana player there to guide the ball in, Il Grifone hang on for the three points, leaving them second in the table and with promotion still clearly in their sights.

The players come to applaud both terraces, with the chants of “For-za ra-gaz-zi” being sent back at them. With smiling faces all around, we exit the stadium amidst the incessant beeps of scooter horns, coupled with the sun falling into the Mediterranean Sea, content that a return visit is certainly on the

A few Genoa fans happy with the result

A View from Afar

Ian Templeman

As we know, LOITV has returned for this season, and for what’s it’s worth, my opinion is that the service has stepped up a level again this season. Some revamped graphics, and in some cases improved camera angles, have helped to polish up and build on the foundations that have been put in place over the last couple of years, and it has moved on from its earliest incarnation, when there were a few gremlins now and then.

I have mentioned on these pages many times before that as a supporter who is not able to get to games in person, the advent of the service has been brilliant for me, and I may be different to other subscribers but as a fan of the league in general I don’t just tune in to Pats games. I watch other games that are played at different times and don’t clash with our games, and that allied to picking my way through the highlights of other games means I’ve had the chance to see how the coverage differs from club to club.

One issue that perhaps needs addressing is that sometimes the quality of the picture at some First Division games isn’t always ideal. The brightness of the floodlights at some venues is a problem, and last Friday with no Pats game I checked in on the Kerry v Athlone Town game, and it was a tough watch in more ways than one. The view was affected by the rain storm that hit Tralee sweeping into the camera gantry, and the camera operator could have done with zooming in a bit more on the action when play was on the far side of the pitch. But this was only the third time that a game at Mounthawk Park has been covered, so I’m sure everyone concerned will learn from the experience, and it will get better.

Going back to the coverage in general, one feature that has altered from the early months while we were still in lockdown is that the familiar names on commentary who we were used to hearing on RTE don’t appear any more, and replacements have been sourced by individual

clubs themselves. Granted, the nature and style of the commentary can vary from club to club, and what one guy rates as a good commentary may not be the view of the next guy. But given that in many cases the commentators are volunteers who have stepped up to the mark to help out the clubs, the general standard is fine by me, even if they are obviously watching and commenting on the game from a home fan’s perspective.

I should say, though, that when watching a game on TV or online, I’ve never rated the commentary as a major part of the experience, as opposed to radio where you are far more reliant on the commentator describing the action clearly and accurately. On telly, as long as they are filling me in with details that aren’t obvious to me sitting at home watching, they are doing the business as far as I am concerned.

None the less, I was interested to see a debate on the subject played out on Twitter just after our last home game against Bohemians, which was started by Stephen Doyle, the commentator and broadcaster who works for various media outlets. Stephen tweeted the following message:

“A lot of the commentators & co-commentators on LOITV are volunteering for their clubs. Giving up their own time to do what is a difficult job, and not their full-time job. They’re doing their best. It’s completely unfair to be criticising them on social media.

“Every week I see tweets from supporters having a pop at LOITV comms. If I’m seeing them, there’s a good chance that they are too. It wouldn’t make me feel great. Those kinda thoughts are better kept to yourself and not tweeted”.

One notable name putting forward the contra argument to Stephen’s was Con Murphy, a familiar voice on TV and radio over the years who has been fronting coverage of Shamrock Rovers

games on LOITV. Con disagreed, saying that he believed that cocommentators who were “doing nothing but cheerleading reflects very badly on the product and does the league a disservice”.

Con went on – “It's also worth bearing in mind that in many cases, the majority of your viewers will be supporters of the opposition team who can't attend due to sold out matches or travel issues, and they should be catered for and not dismissed”.

In general though, it seemed that most respondents were on Stephen’s side of the argument, with the view in summary being that you can watch the game and listen to bias up to a point as long as it’s not over the top, especially when they can still praise the away team if they play well, although as another journo, Dave Donnelly, pointed out “I kind of like the co-comms being biased as long as they can criticise their team too. Like you know who Gary Neville supports, and he gets exasperated with them, but once he also criticises them equally it's nice colour”.

In many ways it’s a thankless task being a commentator as you are never going to please all the punters all the time – as these differing views show. But in general, I reckon everyone who picks up the mike to talk to us on LOITV performs to an acceptable

standard and gets it right most of the time.

Of course, there will always be room for improvement – and maybe some ongoing involvement from the FAI media department to support the guys doing the commentaries as and when necessary – but I think any criticism needs to be tempered with the knowledge that the service is still evolving, and new commentators must be given time to find their feet.

However, looking at the overall package on offer to subscribers, the one thing I do miss on LOITV, and I appreciate this won’t be a view shared by everyone, is a highlights programme. I know that there is a package of highlights available from each game available on You Tube, and often fairly soon after the full time whistle is blown, and that’s great and the work involved in doing that has to be commended. However, and I know I may be old fashioned here, but I enjoyed watching Monday Night Soccer and its successor Soccer Republic down the years, and listening to the great and the good of the LOI past and present airing their views about the weekend action.

I can remember in the pre-LOITV days, RTE’s Declan McBennett being questioned about why the RTE highlights programme was being reviewed and

subsequently withdrawn, and the reason given was that ratings suggested there was more of a demand for live games over highlights, and that’s where the RTE resources were being directed. That’s fine as far as the state broadcaster is concerned, but now that we have LOITV available to take over that responsibility for a highlights programme – and indeed did so, until the end of last season – I would like to see it return in some format, reviewing the weekend action with guest panellists. I’m sure I can’t be alone in that, although others may beg to differ.

But looking at the LOITV offering overall, am I a happy customer –yes, very much so. There is much to commend it and we have seen improvements made as the seasons have progressed. It’s easy to forget that not so very long ago, we had to wait until a Monday night to see goals from the previous Friday’s games, and action of any description from the First Division was very hard to find anywhere. Comparing then to now, there has been light years of progression, and I for one am happy that my LOITV season pass is good value for money and I have no complaints about spending my hard earned cash on one. Long may that continue to be the case.

Ronan O’Flaherty

@iantemplemanloi

Saints Womens U17

Sarah Tynan

Mixed Results But Solid Start Continues

It’s been a busy few weeks for our u17 women's team, having faced Bohs at home on Saturday the 11th of March, and Bray away in Greystones on the 18th.

On the 11th of March in their home ground of Cherry Orchard, the girls faced Bohs, the day after the men's team suffered a two-nil defeat. The girls kicked off the game despite the miserable weather, hoping for a better result than the men.

In an action-filled first half, the first shot on target came after only ten minutes, but was caught by the Bohs’ keeper. Soon after, sixteen minutes in, Katie Power suffered a wrist injury but was sent back on with it strapped up. The girls continued to push up the field, and the first shot on target for Bohs only came forty-three minutes in, but was saved brilliantly by keeper Annie O’Brien. The injury time seemed to stretch to an eternity as Bohs took their final corner of the half, sending it sailing over the box yet again, and the ref blew his whistle, ending the first half fifty three minutes in.

During halftime, a substitution was made for the Saints. Katie Power, who had not once but twice injured her wrist in the first half was replaced by Kaylyn Corcoran. As the weather took a turn for the worst and umbrellas popped up along the sideline, the second half kicked off at thirteen minutes past six, and the girls were back with a renewed energy. Only three minutes in, we had our next shot on goal, starting with a free kick, taken by Marian Bissett. Floating around the box, we had several chances, before a shot was finally caught by the Bohs keeper. With another substitution, Rebecca Yates was replaced by Nina Kearns. The defence stood strong, and Bohs were having a hard time

breaking through. Trying to change their fortune in the remaining minutes, Bohs made two substitutions forty minutes into the game. They didn’t have long to play though, as the final whistle was blown at four minutes past seven resulting in an hard earned nil all draw for the Saints against more experienced opponents.

A week later, the girls headed out to the seafront in Greystones United FC astro pitch to face Bray, who although lost their first game against Bohs, have been a well established side in the league. With bitterly cold winds, the game kicked off shortly after three o’clock.

Unfortunately for the girls, Bray got a goal early, only five minutes into the half. It came from a corner, and after a scramble in the box, it was sent into the back of the net. Only six minutes later, they got their next goal, coming from a free outside of the box, and the girls were two-nil down eleven minutes into the game. As difficult as it is to continue on and fight after conceding two early goals, the girls remained resolute, and held the opposition off for the remainder of the half, the defence as strong as ever.

As the second half started, the winds picked up, and my voice recordings of the happenings get less and less audible, however there were two substitutions for Pats, Lucy Doheny and Eimear Flood going on for Nina Kearns and Kaylyn Corcoran. With a brief stoppage due to a nosebleed to Amy

Dobbs, the game continued on. Bray soon added another goal to the scoreboard, and the girls faced the rest of the half three goals down. The last twenty minutes sped by in a blur of chances for the Saints, and the Bray keeper was forced to make several saves as the girls pushed to get a goal. It wasn’t until five o’clock that we got our goal, Rebecca Yates smashing the ball into the back of the net from the edge of the box. The Saints had a number of chances to set up a thrilling finish but couldn’t find a way past the inform home keeper. The game ended shortly after in a disappointing 3-1 loss.

The girls are now three games into the season, and have a steady four points. Darragh O’Reilly gave me a few words on how the season has been going so far in his opinion:

‘’Overall it's been a positive start to the season. Of course we're all disappointed with the Bray game as we didn't match the standards we had shown in previous games but it's a learning process and we'll take as much from days like that as we will from better days’’

The next game the girls face is on April the 15th, as they face Dundalk at home in Cherry Orchard FC, support is always welcome.

2

4

CARDIAC ARREST KNOW THE SCORE

Unconscious and

Unresponsive and

Absent or abnormal breathing

Would you like to join a Dublin City Council Community Cardiac Programme in Inchicore Community Sports Centre?

Ronan O’Flaherty Hi, Patrons Saints...

It is great to be back watching live football after a long off season and it is also great to see such big crowds in Richmond roaring the team on.

The Patron Saints recently had a very successful AGM and would like to announce that the new committee is comprised of James Byrne, Johnny Keegan, Dermot Meagher, Paul Maguire, Paul Murphy, Jennifer Murray, Danny Quinn, Liam Temple and Ian Walsh.

We would like to thank the following who stepped down from the committee this year Andy Ayres, Philip Bergin, Ulick O'Sullivan, Joan Stapleton and Ger Sweeney.

2022 was a good year for the Patron Saints when we increased our membership by over 30% to over 100 members and this year we want to get nearer to the 150 mark so we can contribute more to Saint Patricks Athletic both on and off the pitch.

During the year we organised various events including Player of the Year awards night, Santa in Richmond, Euro Raffle draw, Patron Saints in the Directors box and a Q&A in The Saint pub with Tim, John, Joe Redmond and Adam O'Reilly.

Also during the year we funded work on the gents toilet on the Camac terrace to the tune of €10,000 and also contributed €1500 to the publication of "Saints Rising" by Dermot Looney which is an excellent historical account of the founding of our great club.

The Patron Saints will again be sponsoring a player this year and we raffled at the AGM last years players jersey (Adam Murphy) which was won by David O'Hara. Also at the AGM we raffled 2 "Saints Rising" books which were

signed by Dermot Looney and Brian Kerr. They were won by Juliana Lawless and Joan Stapleton. We would also like to announce that the 100th member raffle was won by Orla Nolan (Adam O'Reilly's jersey).

The club recently put in a fund request to improve the home dressing rooms, provide after match recovery equipment, provision of safety lighting and procure training and video equipment for the youth academy. We would ask all members to check their emails and vote as they see fit on all fund requests (at the recent AGM these fund request met with general approval).

Due to the huge increase in crowds and insurance restrictions on the numbers allowed into the club shop the Patron Saints will have a desk inside McDowells lounge from 1820 till 1920 on match nights on a trial basis. The committee will be available for members to collect their 2023 membership badge and fixture card or pay subscriptions or buy a Golden Goal. We will also be giving out Patron Saints information sheets to prospective members.

We have a number of new positive ideas that were raised at the AGM to promote and raise the profile of the Patron Saints, so that we can become bigger and stronger and offer more support to the Club so look out for these during the coming season.

If you would like to join the Patron Saints please call in to McDowells before the match to meet us or look on facebook spafcpatronsaints or twitter @PatronSaints or email us at stpatssc@gmail.com.

Come on the Saints! Patron Saints Committee

Apps, Goals & Table 2023

Number in brackets represents appearances of which were substituted ON.

LEAGUE TABLE