The Saint Vol 35 No.9

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

Manager: Jon Daly

First Team Coach: Sean O’Connor

Peter

Mark

Darragh Leahy

Andy

Louie Annesley

Alfie Lewis

Daniel Kelly

Robbie Benson

Patrick Hoban (C)

Greg Sloggett

John Martin

Cameron Elliott

Hayden Muller

Keith Ward

Robbie McCourt

Johannes Yli-Kokko

Paul Doyle

Wasiri Williams

President’s Welcome

Tom O’Mahony

Good Evening

You’re very welcome to Richmond Park for tonight’s visit of Dundalk FC, to whom we extend the usual warm welcome.

It’s fair to say that our last game against tonight’s opposition was a memorable one, for all the wrong reasons. Somewhat out of the blue, we found ourselves on the wrong end of 5-0 scoreline, as Dundalk seemed to find joy with just about every attack. It was the start of a terrible week for us, with two further defeats taking us from close to the top to close to the bottom of the table. The ship has, of course, been steadied since then and we go into tonight’s fixture just ahead of our visitors and once again in contention for European qualification. But that hammering in Oriel Park hasn’t been forgotten and I think our team will be very determined to put it right tonight.

Tonight’s game will be memorable, whatever the scoreline, as the full time managerial debut of Jon Daly. Jon stepped up from his assistant manager role to become our interim manager following the departure of Tim Clancy. Since coming to the club 18 months ago he has impressed

greatly as a coach, but in the last few weeks he has also shown the necessary qualities to meet the different challenges of management. Victories in Turners Cross, Tolka Park and at home to Drogheda, along with a very narrow defeat away to the champions, showed an ability to react well to how a game unfolds in relation to both substitutions and tactical switches - a priceless asset for any manager.

The club considered the credentials of several very experienced managers for the post, but the evidence of the last few games suggests that the ideal candidate was already at the club and I believe our vote of confidence in Jon is generally endorsed by our supporters. I’d like to congratulate him on his appointment and I know you’ll all join with me in wishing him every success.

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.

Good Evening

Welcome to Richmond Park, and also welcome to some familiar faces from Dundalk, including one R. Benson, who will always be well remembered in this parish for scoring the winning penalty in the 2021 Cup Final. It's been an eventful few weeks at the club with three wins out of four for Jon Daly. The loss came from a last-minute penalty in Tallaght in a committed effort against a welloiled Shamrock Rovers side, and with two away wins under his belt from those four games, Jon Day was always likely to be in the frame for the permanent job. So it was no great surprise earlier this week when Jon was announced as our permanent manager. It probably wasn't what many of us envisaged a few weeks ago but I think it's safe to say that we have all been pleasantly surprised by the upturn in both performances and results, so I

think it's an appointment that's well-earned. We have a manager now that we can get behind for the rest of the season as we seek to establish ourselves amongst the leading group of teams in this notoriously challenging league,

Thanks for picking up a copy of The Saint tonight and thanks too to our designer and contributors who consistently deliver what we believe is a high quality product. We always love any ideas or feedback, so please get in touch on twitter @stpatsprogramme or via email at stpatsprogramme@gmail.com.

Enjoy the game!

Ruairi Kavanagh Editor

Ronan O’Flaherty

Ruairi Kavanagh

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 today’s opponents Dundalk FC.

We were away last Friday against Shelbourne and came home with a very valuable three points. A big thank you to all the St Pat’s fans who went to Tolka Park and got behind the team from the start and thankfully we were able to provide a winning performance and hopefully made it a good weekend for our supporters.

Since my last notes we have seen Jon stepping in as interim manager and being appointed on a permanent basis earlier on this week.

Jon stepped into the role as interim Manager a few weeks ago and has not only overseen some positive results but some very positive performances too.

We would consider Jon to be fully committed, driven and he wants to take the club forward in a direction that is fully aligned with our wider strategy. We are delighted to give Jon his first opportunity in Management and are looking forward to supporting him in addition to all the existing staff to help fulfil his own ambitions and those of the club.

Thankfully we were able to put the disappointment of losing to Shamrock Rovers on the previous Monday to one side and put in a really good performance over in Tolka Park to beat Shels.

The players grasped the importance of the game and despite being a difficult places to go to we produced a winning performance against a side who had been on a very good run

Tonight we will have had a really tough assignment against a side

who have great experience and youth and who are on similar points to ourselves.

We will need to maintain our focus and concentration and look to improve in some key areas to give ourselves the best opportunity of getting a positive result on tonight against a side that has already beaten sides ahead of us in the League.

On the injury front thankfully things are improving but we go into tonight’s game still without the services of Joe Redmond. Harry Brockbank and Danny Rogers have both returned to training and have played for the U19s and with Tom Grivosti now back in the squad and playing it’s been a positive 10 days for those who have missed many games this season. A big thank you to Christy and Sam who have worked really hard with the lads on their recovery journey.

As ever we have prepared for tonight’s game with a clear focus knowing that we will have to be on our game from the off and will need to produce a hardworking performance from first whistle to last.

We know we will have terrific home support behind us and from the start we will need to be professional and fully

It’s become the norm now that Friday nights at Inchicore have been sell outs and it has been a real lift to play in such a wonderful atmosphere. Let’s make tonight the very same.

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

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

Q&A - Sam Curtis

Ronan O’Flaherty

Darren Conn

BIRTHPLACE: Dublin.

PREVIOUS CLUBS: Parkvilla, St Kevin's Boys, Shamrock Rovers.

TEAM SUPPORTED AS A BOY: Arsenal.

FIRST FOOTBALL MEMORY: Ireland vs Argentina at the Aviva. Seeing my country play live for the first time.

BOYHOOD HERO: Sylvester Stallone.

BEST GOAL SCORED: Against Rovers on my U19 debut.

BEST GOAL I’VE SEEN SCORED: Chris Forrester in the cup final.

BEST MOMENT IN FOOTBALL TO DATE: Ireland U21 debut.

BEST PLAYER PLAYED WITH: Kevin Zeffi (Inter Milan).

BEST PLAYER PLAYED AGAINST: Antoni Milambo (Feyenoord)

TOUGHEST OPPONENT:

BEST STADIUM PLAYED IN: Tallaght Stadium.

FAVOURITE HOLIDAY Malaga.

FAVOURITE SPORT OUTSIDE FOOTBALL: UFC.

BEST FRIEND AT CLUB: Anto Breslin.

BEST DRESSED AT CLUB: Adam Murphy.

BEST ADVICE GIVEN: There's no losing,

WHO ARE YOU NOMINATING FOR OUR NEXT Q&A?

Oh My Word!

Ronan O’Flaherty

A weekend of rising temperatures and heightened emotion lies ahead. This year in particular, the English Premier League could do with a decent sign-off.

Relegation is up for decision. A compelling survival story will take the attention away from the top half, where any hint of a feelgood story is overshadowed by the great big shadow cast by the champions.

Sunday will be a frantic day for commentators as they explain and re-explain permutations. For supporters of teams fighting for their lives, anxiety beckons. Some will cut disconsolate figures by the end of the match, sobbing uncontrollably, as though their world has ended.

Camera crews seek out these poor souls like miners digging for gold, acutely aware of the added drama such images bring to the package. Heads will be placed in hands. Others will stare into the abyss long after the final whistle, only moving on when asked to by ground staff. Two from three – Leeds United, Leicester City and Everton – are destined to fall through the trap door into the Championship.

The good news is that the tears dry up. Nobody's world ends with relegation. Those tearful supporters will be back through the turnstiles in a few months, dreaming up a new set of possibilities.

The waterworks might come at the King Power Stadium, where Leicester City are in grave danger of going down just seven years after their famous title triumph. If they beat West Ham and Everton fail to beat Bournemouth, the scenes of despair will come from Goodison Park. If Leicester and Everton both have a bad day, and Leeds get the better of Tottenham, they'll be breathing a great big sigh of relief at Elland Road.

*****

The final kick of a ball in England before the summer break used to be the signal for the provincial championships to jolt into life. It was

also a prompt for (association) football fans to embrace their national sports until All-Ireland champions were crowned in football and hurling.

A sky-blue Hill and animated studio exchanges featuring Pat Spillane and Joe Brolly were the traditional features of an extended Irish summer. But times have changed. When we weren't looking, somebody rearranged the GAA calendar.

There was a time when you could set your watch by it: Sam Maguire was hoisted aloft on the third Sunday of September, a fortnight after Liam MacCarthy had been presented to a beaming hurling captain. This year, both competitions will be wrapped up by the end of July, leaving the League of Ireland as the only show in town, for a while at least.

Such a prospect used to be exactly what we wanted. It gave us the chance to beat the drum for the League of Ireland. Admittedly, said drumbeating only ever brought limited success. But something is happening now. More and more people are actively seeking out the sound of the drum, instead of the other way around. *****

The neutrals wanted Arsenal to win the league when they emerged as the only viable threat to Manchester City. It looked possible for a while, but then reality hit hard. With the title in the bag for the fifth time in six seasons, City are now focused on other targets. Manchester United can derail their neighbours' treble hopes in the FA Cup final tomorrow week, but nobody is paying too much attention to that. The demise of the FA Cup has been hastened in this time of greed.

The European Cup is the trophy Manchester City want above all others. The obscene spending of the club's owners has been geared toward this for over a decade. They couldn't be better placed for victory against Inter Milan on June 10. Week after week, game after game, they overwhelm teams. City ran rings around Arsenal last month. On their way to reaching the Champions League final, they

humiliated the reigning European champions.

They're probably the best team in world football right now. If they finally land the big one in Istanbul, there's every chance they'll win it again before too long. Such an achievement would inevitably lead to comparisons with great teams of the past. And yet, the City project leaves many feeling cold.

When money is no object, and any perceived shortcoming in the team can be remedied with the quick sanctioning of an eight-, or perhaps even nine-figure transfer fee, it's difficult to feel impressed by any achievements. Subtle signs are finally emerging that

Quiz Time

Kieran Coughlan

@ronanoflaherty

football fans, in Ireland at least, are running out of patience.

And then there's the elephant in the room. Manchester City stands accused of breaching the Premier League's financial rules 115 times in the last 14 years. The club has vowed to fight the charges, with legal representatives insisting evidence exists that will prove its innocence. Curiously, they have yet to share this evidence.

The cost-of-living crisis continues to place a tight squeeze on the budgets of ordinary households; exactly the type of family units that football fans grow up in. Shaped by what they see and read, their views are evolving.

Some of them may be in attendance at Richmond Park tonight.

The Etihad Stadium it ain't, but that's part of the charm here. The same goes for those who attend this evening's games at United Park, Dalymount Park, Turner's Cross, the Showgrounds, the RSC, Ferrycarrig Park, Lissywollen, the Carlisle Grounds, and Finn Park. Sure, some of those grounds are in need of renovation, but there remains a bigger picture at play: they are community clubs supported by locals. We ought to hold that dear.

1 Serge Atakayi has represented which country at underage level?

2 Who are the last 3 manager's to win a league title with Dundalk?

3 Jake Mulraney signed for which then Premier League club in 2014?

4 Who were the last winners of the Setanta Sports Cup?

5 Who was the last European player to score a hat-trick in an El Clasico Derby?

6 Who were the last English club to finish 6th in the championship and get promotion to the Premier league via the play offs?

7 Which two players have scored a goal against Tottenham at White Hart Lane, Wembley Stadium and the new Tottenham stadium?

8 Which four managers have won the European Cup/Champions League with Barcelona?

9 Who are the four players that have scored twice against Ireland in a major tournament?

10 Who is the youngest player to score a goal in a Champions League final?

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

1 Finland. 2 Stephen Kenny, Vinny Perth, Dermot Keely. 3 QPR. 4 Sligo Rovers. 5 Gary Lineker. 6

Blackpool. 7 Jamie Vardy, Alexander Mitrovic. 8 Johan Cruyff, Frank Rijkaard, Pep Guardiola, Luis Enrique. 9

Fernando Torres, Mario Mandzukic, Romelu Lukaku, Luis Garcia. 10 Patrick Kluivert.

Opposition Watch

Eoghan Gardiner

teams that currently sit below Dundalk in the table; Cork City, Sligo Rovers and UCD. Frankly, you would expect Dundalk to be beating those sides.

As the race to secure European football for 2024 takes shape, our 4th-placed St. Patrick's Athletic take to the hallowed turf of Richmond Park tonight to host 5th-placed Dundalk FC.

In terms of the league table, things couldn't be much tighter between our two sides, with both entering the game on 26 points a piece as well as a positive goal difference of two. It is also the case that, in recent times, both the Saints and the Lilywhites have been having results go their way. In the month of May, Dundalk have won three out of their five games, losing only to league leaders Derry City. It is worth noting, however, that all three of their wins came against

The same is true of Pat's who, in their last five games, also beat three teams currently below us; Shelbourne, Drogheda and Cork. These are also teams that you'd expect us to be beating fairly consistently. With that said, all three of those games were difficult ones for the Saints. Given the opposition, we can likely expect something similar here tonight, and probably even more so.

To say that the last time we played Dundalk could be described as difficult would be the understatement of the century. The Saints were outperformed in a 5-0 defeat up in Oriel Park back in March; a game to be forgotten for those of us who made the journey up the M1. We had been riding our luck in the two games that preceded the Dundalk fixture, getting a late goal to beat Shels and doing the same to secure a point against Derry. It always felt like it was bound to run out eventually, and that time came up in Dundalk.

League veteran Patrick Hoban grabbed himself a goal on the night and has since gone on to become the leading goalscorer for his side so far this season. In addition to Daniel Kelly, new boys Louie Annesley, Connor Kelly and Rayhaan Tulloch also impressed by getting their names on the scoresheet.

Dundalk goalkeeper Nathan Shepperd, though he may not have had much to do the last time that we played his side, has been a great addition for the Oriel Park outfit since joining last year, with five clean sheets to his name this season. Many Lilywhites will be hoping that their club can keep a hold of the 22-year old Welsh youngster, as called for by journalist Gerry Malone in his Dundalk Democrat column back in March. He will likely prove a frustrating man for the Saints to beat when on the attack tonight.

To draw a line under that reverse fixture once and for all, it is safe to say that a lot has changed since then. In that time, the Saints have found good form, lost it, found it again, lost it again, brought Jon Daly into the number one spot in the dugout on a permanent

Nathan Shepperd

basis, and are hopefully in the process of finding something good and making it stick. Though results were good during Daly's spell as interim manager, performances have still been a bit shaky. Improving on this will prove especially important as we enter into the fastapproaching European competition.

This shakiness is something that both ourselves and Dundalk seem to share. An example in their case would be losing to Cork one week but managing to draw with Derry the next, or, in both of our cases, only really managing to comfortably beat the teams below you on the table. Given this, it is

Eoghan Gardiner

difficult to imagine either side being very competitive in the upcoming UEFA Europa Conference League. I hope to be proven wrong on this and I think I might be because, much like derbies, there is a special feeling around Europe and players just seem to turn up for these big occasions. However, things do need to improve for both sides between now and our European adventures. The summer transfer window will play a role in this as ever.

It seems fitting to be talking about Europe given the ambitions and positioning of both the Saints and Dundalk, as well as some of the finer weather that we've enjoyed this month. This fixture was always going to be an important one as the table took shape. It has been made perhaps even more important given that, surprisingly, Bohemians find themselves in third-place ahead of ourselves and Dundalk. If all three sides manage to stay in the fight for Europe, it could be a real scrap for that third-place finish and to bring European football to Richmond, Oriel or Dalymount in 2024. Of course, if the winners of the

FAI Cup finish in a European spot, it could make fourthplace good enough, but this can't be guaranteed. Regardless, you'd rather secure European football with your own hands.

Tonight's game, therefore, isn't just about two sides that are level on points, it will likely be an important part of the 2023 season with regards to who gets to contest European football next year. If nothing else, though, it should be an enjoyable night here in Inchicore showcasing some of the best football that our league has to offer.

Robbie Benson

Patrick Hoban

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

Who’s Who at The Saint?

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

RUAIRI KAVANAGH: EDITOR

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!

DARREN CONN

Originally from London, he has been following Pats since the first week he moved to Dublin. He is an avid programme collector and dedicated to keeping the match programem alive. He collects everything football related, much to the sorrow of his long suffering fiance.

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 and 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.

Irish Independent

Friday, May 27, 2011

ST PATRICK'S ATH 2 SLIGO ROVERS 1

A BRACE with either foot from striker

Danny North kept St Patrick's Athletic's title challenge very much alive in Richmond Park last night, as they eventually saw off Sligo Rovers to narrow the gap with Shamrock Rovers to just three points.

Pat's enjoyed a dream start to the game with a fantastic individual strike after just four minutes from North, who drilled home superbly from 30 yards with his right foot following a fine run from deep.

Sligo had their first real opening of the game on 32 minutes through Alan Kirby, although Pat's went much closer to scoring nine minutes later when Stephen Bradley's shot went narrowly past the right-hand post after good link-up play with Daryl Kavanagh.

A let-off for Sligo and they took full of advantage just a minute before the break when Kirby drilled home from 18 yards after Aaron Greene delivered a cross from the left.

In the second half, midfielder Paul Crowley and Kavanagh both went close to restoring the Saints lead.

The final half hour saw both sides cancel each other out until added-time, when North fired an unstoppable shot past Ciaran Kelly with his left peg via the underside of the crossbar in the 94th minute to give Pete Mahon's troops all three points.

ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC

Rogers; Harney, Shorthall, E McMillan, Pender; Murphy (Keegan 65), Bradley, Crowley (Mulcahy 88), Doyle; Kavanagh, North.

SLIGO ROVERS

Kelly; Keane, Peers, McGuinness, Davoren; Ndo, Ryan, Russell (Horgan 72), Kirby (Ventre 72); Doyle (Blinkhorn 81), Greene.

REFEREE: P Tuite (Dublin).

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 Stephen O’Donnell and all from Dundalk FC to Richmond Park for tonight’s game. We have played three games since our last issue of the Saint. The first was home on the 12th May against Drogheda United. The 3-0 score line doesn’t properly reflect the game as Drogheda had their moments and Dean Lyness had to make some important saves.

The following Monday the 15th May we were away out to Shamrock Rovers in Tallaght. It was an entertaining game be we came out on the wrong side of a 3-2 score line. We played well on the night and were unlucky not to come away with a point. We took the lead in the 28th minute when a Mark Doyle shot from the edge of the box took a deflection off Lopes and wrong footed the keeper to go in off the far post (if you don’t shoot you won’t score). We gave away the equaliser from a corner when Lee Grace rose highest to power home a header on the stroke of half time, it was a sickner because we could have defended better in avoiding giving away the corner that lead to the goal. The second half Rovers were finding their rhythm and they took the lead in the 68th minute when Towell headed in from a Finn cross, again it looked as though we could dealt with it better as Finn seemed to have loads of time to get his head up and pick out his pass and Towell seemed unopposed when heading home. We got a deserved equaliser in the 84th minute when Ben McCormack was quickest to react to slot home a loose ball after Pohls had parried a Sam Curtis shott from outside the box. Rovers were awarded a penalty in the 89th minute whenTom Grivotsi bundled over Johnny Kenny in the box and Towell stepped up to convert. So near yet so far was the feeling after the game but regardless of the result the 1200

Pats fans were happy with performance and effort of the team on the night.

We then played Shelbourne FC away in Tolka last Friday. It wasn’t a game for the purist because both sides were struggling to string a pattern of paces together such was the pace in closing down by both sides but of the two I felt Pats were the ones at least trying to play out from the back whereas Shel’s seemed to be more defensively set up and sitting in and playing long balls on the break. Ben McCormack’s rocket of a shot in the first half that cannoned off the cross bar was the only real chance of note in the first half. Whatever Jon Daly said to the team at half time worked because Pats were the better team in the second half and took the lead through a Sam Curtis header at the back post but I must say the delivery from Jake Mulraney was on the money, a brilliant corner brilliantly executed. Chris Forrester was majestic on the night, we are so lucky to have him and we will be telling our Grandkids about him in 30 years time.

I know Jon Daly has been installed as permanent manager this week, and I have to say it's an appointment I'm more than happy with. He has been either manager or assistant manager since 2016 in both Scotland and Finland so has in my opinion a vast knowledge and experience in how to coach/manage a team. In fact tonight’s opposition manager had no prior experience of managing when we gave him the job and he done quite well in his short spell at the club.

Enjoy the Game, Up the Saints

Jimmy Hasty the one-armed wonder

Seán Creedon

Filming and interviews were done in Dundalk last year and the documentary ‘One-Armed Wonder’ was released earlier this year. It was also shown on Virgin TV.

But who was Jimmy Hasty, the centre forward who managed to play at the top level of the League of Ireland with only one arm?

Dundalk were the first club from outside Dublin to win the League of Ireland championship in the 1932-33 season. The County Louth also made history when they became the first League of Ireland club to win a game in the European Cup.

After losing the first leg of their European Cup preliminary round tie 3-0 to FC Zurich at Dalymount Park in September 1963, nobody gave the ‘The Town’ much hope as they headed to Zurich for the second leg on September 25.

But goals from Dermot Cross and Jimmy Hasty saw Dundalk record a shock 2-1 win. At 2-0 Hasty hit the post and then Zurich got a late goal which saw the Swiss club progress to the first round proper 4-2 on aggregate.

Cross was a Dubliner, who joined Dundalk in 1962, while Hasty was from Belfast. He joined the

club in 1960 thanks to the promptings of club chairman Jim Malone.

Malone told the Dundalk board he had discovered an exciting talent, a centre-forward who was scoring goals for fun with Newry Town. The player’s name was Jimmy Hasty.

Another board member spoke up. He had heard of Hasty, heard something fanciful, that the striker had only one arm. Malone conceded this was true, Hasty had only one arm, but he insisted that Dundalk should sign him.

The board did not often say ‘no’ to its chairman but did so this time. We are not, Malone was told, in the business of freaks. Malone then revealed he had in fact already signed the player with a personal cheque.

On November 20, 1960 Hasty made his debut against Cork Celtic at Oriel Park. There was huge interest in the new player from across the border and Hasty didn’t disappoint, with a great performance.

John Murphy captained that Dundalk team in the early sixties and has fond memories of his former colleague.

UEFA announced last year that former Dundalk player Jimmy Hasty was going to be one of three famous players from around Europe who had been chosen to have a documentary made about their life and playing career.

John said: “Jimmy scored once and brought gasps of astonishment at his football skills. His ability to ghost past defenders was greeted with disbelief. Nor was he just a scorer, he was the general of every attack, holding the ball until setting up perfect passes for his colleagues.”

‘‘Jimmy was a big man, just over six foot and he could use the stump of his arm to lean on players and referees wouldn’t see it. He great brilliant balance and could score with both feet; a brilliant header of the ball; everything a striker needed.’’

Soccer fans wanted to see this genius with the deadly sharpshooter’s skills that left defenders floundering in his wake. Throughout the rest of that first season Hasty filled every ground in the League of Ireland. Attempts to mark him out of the game were futile, he could score goals and create space for others to score.

An injury free 1963-64 season saw Jimmy score 35 goals including 18 in the League, sharing the title of top scorer with Eddie Bailham of Shamrock Rovers and Johnny Kingston of Cork Hibernians. Jimmy’s overall record for Dundalk was 103 goals in 170 games.

Over his last two seasons at Oriel Park Jimmy was rarely fully match fit and lacking support, the goals dried up. He was released at the end of 1965-66 and joined neighbours Drogheda for one season.

Jimmy, who was born in Sailertown, in

the Belfast dockland area in 1936, lost his arm in an accident when he was 14, on his first day working at the seafront mill.

The teenager showed remarkable resilience to overcome his disability and quickly recovered his balance back on the pitch playing for St Joseph’s in the Down and Connor League. He left the junior ranks for Islandmagee and then moved to Newry Town who at time played in the Irish League ‘B’ division.

‘The Troubles’ were erupting when Jimmy returned in Belfast in the late sixties, but he made a new life: married his childhood sweetheart, Margaret, had two sons, Paul and Martin, and got a job with a bookmakers.

However, on October 11, 1974 Hasty then aged 38, was walking his usual route to work, down Brougham Street when he was shot dead. It was a sectarian murder attributed to the Protestant Action Group; Hasty was victim number 1,209 of ‘The Troubles.’

You can watch the documentary ‘One-Armed Wonder’ on UEFA TV.

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Weekend Review: Bundesliga Week 33

“Collapse” was the headline of Süddeutsche Zeitung. TZ wrote “Bayern Burgled by Leipzig”. Die Bild labelled it “Bayern-Horror!” and simultaneously highlighted how Germany’s Next Top Model host, Heidi Klum, had to suffer as she and her husband witnessed this poor performance from the stands. Rent-a-quote pundit Lothar Matthäus criticised the lack of leadership in the team, and all the doubts surrounding the firing of Julian Nagelsmann in March seemed to resurface.

Despite leading 1-0 at half time, the Bavarians have struggled to kill off games this season, and Leipzig punished them on 65 minutes; Konrad Latimer, himself joining Bayern next season, levelling the tie following a swift counter attack. What followed was catastrophic for a team of Bayern’s prestige; two

careless penalties given away, converted by Christopher Nkunku and Dominik Szoboszlai, securing Champions League football for Die Roten Bullen. Which set the scene for Sunday afternoon in Augsburg. A win for the home team would secure Bundesliga status for next season, a win for the guests, Borussia Dortmund, would put them top of the table with one game to go.

On 38 minutes Augsburg defender Felix Uduokhai is dismissed for a professional foul, and somewhat reducing fears in every province except Bavaria that Dortmund will bottle their opportunity.

In the second half, BVB are

looking aggressive. Raphael Guerreiro shoots narrowly wide on 52 minutes, Emre Can hits the post two minutes later, before on 58 minutes Sébastien Haller capitalises on a defensive mix-up to score possibly the most significant goal of his career. An incredible

2023 Season • Vol. 35 • No.09 • St Patrick’s Athletic v DUNDALK

Sébastien Haller

January following a sixmonth absence receiving treatment for testicular cancer. Haller made it 2-0 on 84 minutes to calm any nerves, before Julian Brandt made it 3-0 in the closing seconds.

Dortmund’s local rivals Schalke 04 experienced drama of their own on Saturday. Deep in a relegation battle, their home encounter with Eintracht Frankfurt represented their best chance of survival, before a trip to Leipzig next week. Within one minute Simon Terodde had sent the majority of the 62,000 fans into raptures, however Frankfurt turned it around later to lead 2-1. A late Sebastian Polter equaliser salvaged a point, however this will feel like a missed opportunity in their fight against second tier football.

Another giant of German football, Hertha Berlin, had a more torrid afternoon. Requiring a win to have any chance of staying up, everything was going to plan until the 94th minute, where a standard header from a corner gave Bochum a point at the death. In recent years Hertha have witnessed a succession of managerial changes and wasted transfer budgets. This relegation will come as a surprise to very few. Bochum themselves currently occupy 16th position, the relegation playoff spot, following Stuttgart’s impressive 4-1 win at Mainz.

All eyes thus to Saturday, where incredibly all nine games have something resting on them, be it title

race, European qualification, or a relegation battle. A Dortmund victory at home to Mainz will end a decade of Bayern hegemony. All that stands in their way is themselves, it seems.

RESULTS

Freitag:

Freiberg 2-0 Wolfsburg

Samstag:

Bayern 1-3 Leipzig

Bremen 1-1 Cologne

Schalke 2-2 Frankfurt

Hoffenheim 4-2 Union Hertha 1-1 Bochum

Sonntag:

Mainz 1-4 Stuttgart

Augsburg 0-3 Dortmund

Leverkusen 2-2 Gladbach

@SBahnManc

A View from Afar

Ian Templeman

I think all of us who follow the SSE Airtricity League of Ireland would agree there is an air of vibrancy and positivity around the league right now. We see larger attendances around the country, increased interest from the likes of Virgin in showing selected matches live, and a full offering of live coverage through LOITV for those who can’t get to a game. Talk of the need for facilities at grounds to be updated is now being publicly recognised too, which is very welcome and it all paints a very promising picture.

The upsurge in interest hopefully means that more people will see the LOI as something desirable to be a part of in some way, and I do wonder if this will manifest itself in the shape of more new clubs following the lead of Kerry FC, and applying to join the LOI party. I’ve not seen much comment since, but I recall the CEO of the FAI, Jonathan Hill, being quoted just before Christmas saying that adding a third tier to the men's League of Ireland, which was initially touted for a launch date in 2023, should be ready in 2024.

It's an interesting development, and one which I have a particular interest in, as

it has a resonance with my involvement in non-league football over here in England. Around this time of the year, all clubs in the English nonleague pyramid system are notified of which league they will be playing in next season, after the FA Leagues Committee have spent a number of weeks allocating clubs to leagues depending on the geographical location.

At higher levels of the pyramid, the process is fairly straightforward, but Daisy Hill FC, the club I am involved with, is at the tenth tier of English football (with the Premier League being the top tier), which is the bottom of the semi-pro pyramid, and immediately above the level that amateur level clubs play. Those clubs need to finish in a promotion place to enter the semi-pro scene, and while that sounds straightforward on paper, the reality can often be different.

At our level, a club ground must have floodlights up to a certain standard, a minimum of 100 seats, and covered standing accommodation for at least 150 spectators. Ideally there should be hard standing on all four sides of the ground, but a minimum of two sides is acceptable. Any side of the ground that

doesn’t have hard standing has to be closed off to spectators. There should also be accessible public toilets and a snack bar selling food and drink. Preferably that should be a club house building but outside kiosks are permitted.

One of the main issues for the amateur clubs who want to progress up the pyramid is the cost and wherewithal to get these facilities in place in order to step up. Recognising this, the FA allows the club to have some minimum standards in place by the time they are placed in the league in May for the start of the following season at the end of July/early August, and they are allowed until the following 31st March to get everything else in place. If they don’t, they are placed in an automatic relegation position and sent back to the league where they came from.

That sounds OK in theory, but in practice, it does mean the existing established clubs can find themselves turning up at new grounds early in the following season and being greeted with facilities that are not at the standard we are used to finding. For my club Daisy Hill, I operate the match day Twitter feed, and cover games for the local

Ronan O’Flaherty

newspaper, which involves filing a match report and an action picture from each game. That’s not normally a problem, but at one new entrant’s ground last season, their covered seating and standing areas had not yet been installed when we turned up to play them on a wet Saturday in October. I had the problem of trying to undertake my normal matchday duties with an umbrella tucked under my armpit while sheltering from the rain. If you’ve never tried taking a photo with a camera in one hand an umbrella in the other, believe me it’s not easy. Typing one handed on a phone to update the club’s Twitter feed with match details is possible, but a lot easier if both hands are free.

Equating these issues outlined above to Ireland, the possibility of new clubs joining the LOI is an interesting thought, given the interest that has been generated with the arrival of Kerry FC but I do have some concerns. As a fan of the league in general, I would love to see it grow with more clubs involved as the CEO has outlined, and it would be great to have clubs from areas currently not served by the LOI, especially the likes of Thurles, Monaghan or Kilkenny who have had clubs in the league in the past. We’ve seen the massive local interest in Kerry FC, and there is no reason why that can’t be replicated elsewhere.

But my concern is – will there be enough clubs around the country who will be able to make the step up with decent facilities that are commensurate with a professional league, as well as cope with the step up in standards on the field too?

I think there are a number of ways to address that issue, and the safest one would be to gradually add teams, maybe up to a twelve or

fourteen or sixteen team First Division and then from there, assess the situation and see if there are enough clubs in waiting to make up a third division. When that point comes, it might also be worth looking at a First Division North and a First Division South, to avoid some of the travelling issues that the likes of Kerry, Cobh Ramblers and Finn Harps encounter on a regular basis in the First Division as it stands at the moment.

Two eight team First Divisions, one North and one South might not be an ideal scenario, but it may well be better than trying to drive towards a Third Division with maybe ten clubs that is not much more than a hotch-potch version of the amateur leagues that are currently in place in different parts of the country, and comprised of clubs who would then face more travelling to away games than they do currently. And I really don’t think it’s a good idea to have B teams of Premier Division clubs involved - that is a non-starter as far as I am concerned.

I can accept that a Third Division might be a better way for some new clubs to get on the first rung of the LOI ladder, and find their level there, rather than going straight into a First Division as it stands now and having to face the likes of a Galway United side that are flying away at the top of the division.

Expanding the LOI into territory that is currently unexplored, and not currently served by a club at senior level, is important for the development of football in this country, and I don’t think anyone would dispute that. How you actually get to that stage is another matter, and to use the old expression, is an issue that I am sure we will return to discuss again in future.

Saints Ladies Complete Tough First Round of League

Last weekend Pats faced their final challenge in the first round, Dundalk away from home in Oriel Park. With Bray competing with us for third place, and playing DLR Waves later in the day, tensions were high.

Unfortunately for the girls, the match was lost, with Dundalk winning 2-1, and Marian Bissett getting our goal. We finished fourth in the league in group A in the first round of the Women's National League.

With the game at half past two, the crowds slowly started filtering in, as parents arrived, stretching after the long trip up North. Taking our seats in the stand, the other match to be played was discussed in hushed tones. Everyone was sure DLR were going to smash Bray and take top place.

As it turned out, Bray shockingly got their win, keeping DLR in second place.

The girls started out strong, claiming the first chance only a few minutes in, but the keeper managed to keep the ball away from the net. Soon later our keeper, Leona Heffernan made a brilliant save, keeping Dundalk from gaining the early goal.

Eimear Flood, captain, made her first start since coming back from her injury, and the effect on the team was obvious.

With an infectious determined energy, she controlled the left wing, making several runs up and down the pitch.

The half passed with each side attempting to get the opening goal, with no luck. Finally, as the half was coming to an end, Dundalk made their last move, smashing the ball into the corner of the net, just out of the reach of Leona.

Manager Darragh O'Reilly made two substitutions at half time, bringing Lucy Doheny and Simone Reilly on for Eimear Flood and

Sarah

Eve Moloney. Ten minutes later, we also switched Rebecca Yates and Kaylyn Corcoran out for Molly McGauley and Nina Kearns, with Amber Cullen taking up the central forward position.

The new energy brought more chances for the girls, and they finally got their comeback in the eightieth minute, with Marian Bissett making an incredible run before calmly smashing it into the back of the net. However, not a minute later, the Lillywhites took advantage of our celebrations and sent the ball into the top corner to make it 2-1.

The girls were unable to claim another goal in the last nine minutes, and the game ended as was, sealing our fate in fourth place. This game was our last one in this first round, and we can now look

forward to the next stage in the tournaments.

@SarahTynan13 Team v Dundalk

1 Leona Heffernan

Overall, the girls played eight games, gaining eight points, winning two of the matches. The league table ended as many predicted, excluding third and fourth, which was a constant struggle between the Saints and Bray.

In the next chapter of the tournaments, Bohs and DLR go on to face the other winning teams in tier one, while the rest of the teams go into the tier two competition. This will begin in a few weeks, giving some of the girls time to complete their Junior Cert. Wishing all the girls completing their exams the best of luck.

2 Holly Telford

3 Katie Power

4 Aoife Kavanagh

5 Marian Bissett

6 Amy Dobbs

7 Amber Cullen

8 Rebecca Yates

9 Kaylyn Corcoran

10 Eve Moloney

11 Eimear Flood

Subs

12 Numi Makinwa

14 Jess Moore

15 Simone Reilly

16 Molly McGauley

17 Lucy Doheny

18 Nina Kearns

Women Under 17s Table

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, Patron 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

Marianne Nolan RIP

Jockey pub was always her favourite pub for a pint of Guinness before and after games. Will be sadly missed by family, friends and Saints fans.

McCLELLAND ATAKAYI MULRANEY CARTY MCCORMACK LONERGAN TIMMERMANS LEWIS SJOBERG ODOMOSU 1

Apps, Goals & Table 2023

Number in brackets represents appearances of which were substituted ON.