Club name: Shamrock Rovers
Founded: 1901 (Elected to League in 1922)
Home ground: Dalymount Park, Phibsborough, Dublin 7.
How to get there: Take a bus from the city centre to Phibsboro (10, 12, 14, 19, 19A, 22, 34, 38A). The stadium is behind Phibsboro shopping centre. Home fans should go to the Jodi Stand (entrance off North Circular Road on the city centre side of the ground) while away fans (for certain games) should enter via Connacht Street on the Glasnevin side of the ground. There is ample parking on side streets in the area.
Club offices: Unit 12A Tallaght Enterprise Centre, Main Street, Tallaght, Dublin 24
Phone: 01 4622077
Fax: 01 4940833
Website: www.shamrockrovers.ie
Email: [email protected]
Club colours: Home: Green and white hooped jersey, white shorts, white socks
Away: White jersey, white shorts, white socks
Nickname: Rovers, Hoops
Sponsor: Woodies DIY
Manager: Roddy Collins
Honours: League titles (15)
1922-23, 1924-25, 1926-27, 1931-32, 1937-38, 1938-39, 1953-54,
1956-57, 1958-59, 1963-64, 1983-84, 1984-85, 1985-86, 1986-87,
1993-94.
FAI Cups (24)
1925, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1936, 1940, 1944, 1945, 1948,
1955, 1956, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1978, 1985,
1986, 1987.
League Cups (1)
1976-77
Shamrock Rovers Football Club was formed during the Summer months of 1901 in Ringsend and spent the first two years of their existence playing friendly games. In 1903/04 the club progressed to competitive football when they joined the Dublin County League. The first trophy came in 1904/05 when the league title was won. In 1914/15 Rovers won the Leinster Junior League and this success was added to with the capturing of the All Ireland I.F.A. Junior Cup when they beat Derry Swifts by 1-0.
The 1921/22 season was the most successful season for Rovers as a junior club. It was that season that, as members of the Leinster Senior League, they progressed to the first ever F.A.I. Cup Final and although drawing with St. James's Gate 1-1 the League of Ireland club proved to be too strong for Rovers in the replay. However, Rovers had achieved much that season and had no difficulty in gaining admittance to the League of Ireland for the following season. Since then, Shamrock Rovers have enjoyed continious membership of the League.
It was in their first season then that Shamrock Rovers won the first of their record fourteen league titles. The club went from strength to strength and in 1924/25 they won the league title, the F.A.I. Cup and the League of Ireland Shield - no mean feat. In the F.A.I. Cup Final they beat their Ringsend rivals Shelbourne before a crowd of 25,000. The 1926/27 season had special significance for the club for many reasons.
It was during this time they moved from one part of the Milltown Road to another and officially opened Glenmalure Park. It was in February 1927 that Rovers dispensed with their striped gear and wore the famous green and white hoops for the first time. They also won the League title for the third time.
In March, 1926, Ireland played their very first international game which was against Italy in Turin. Four Shamrock Rovers players were on this team and they were Dinny Doyle, John Joe Flood, Bob Fullam and John "Kruger" Fagan. To this day, no other club has provided more players than Rovers to the Irish international teams, the total number of Rovers players who have represented Ireland at full international level currently stands at sixty two. The Twenties saw the emergence of "The Four F's" in the Rovers forward line - i.e. Bob Fullam, John "Kruger" Fagan, John Joe Flood and Billy "Juicy" Farrell.
When Rovers defeated Bohemians in the 1929 F.A.I. Cup Final it was to be the first of a record breaking "Five in a Row" which only The Hoops themselves would break forty years later. One of the greatest players ever to have worn the Rovers jersey was Paddy Moore. Paddy scored all four goals for Ireland in the 4-4 draw against Belgium in a World Cup game at Dalymount Park in February, 1934. His sheer skill was a source of great delight to all who watched him play. Paddy had an on and off relationship with Rovers having left the club twice to play for Cardiff City and Aberdeen respectively but he played out his days with The Hoops. Another Paddy who proved to be a great player was Paddy Coad who arrived at Milltown in 1941. Coad earned eleven caps for Ireland and would have easily made a career for himself in England but for the outbreak of World War Two. Coad reluctantly took charge of the team in 1949 following the sudden death of Jimmy Dunne. Thousands of people lined the streets of Sandymount for Dunne's funeral and many thought he could never be replaced but Coad proved to be a worthy successer and within four years he put together one of the greatest Rovers teams whom the press nicknamed "The Coad's Colts".
Under Coad, the fifties proved to be great times for Rovers with three league titles, two F.A.I. Cups and numerous other honours to their credit, the team were always in the running for something or other. Shamrock Rovers became the first club to represent the League of Ireland in Europe when they were drawn against the great Manchester United in the European Cup in 1957. The "Busby Babes" proved to be too strong for Rovers when the teams met before a crowd of 46,000 at Dalymount Park and The Hoops were left licking their wounds following a 6-0 defeat. However, Rovers gave a much better account of themselves in the second leg at Old Trafford and put up such a brave fight in the 3-2 defeat that the United fans applauded the Dubliners off the pitch after the game. Little did anybody know then what a horrible fate was in store for the United team just months later when many of them were to die in an air accident.
The Sixties were great times for the League of Ireland and if Waterford proved to be the league experts during that time then Rovers were most certainly the Cup experts. Having won the League and Cup double in 1964, Rovers went on to make it six FAI Cup's in a row. The players were all household names and included Liam Tuohy, Ronnie Nolan, Frank O'Neill, Mick Leech and many more.
The Seventies proved to be bleak times for Rovers. With the crowds having deserted Milltown and Irish soccer in general something drastic was needed. Rovers took a brave step forward when they appointed the former Man. Utd and Leeds midfield general John Giles as manager. Giles immediately began a professional set -up and brought in players such as Eamonn Dunphy and Ray Treacy. He also brought in a new standard for pitches and spectator facilites and soon the crowds were flocking up the Milltown Road once more. Unfortunately, it wasn't as easy as Giles thought it was going to be and Rovers only notable success under his guidance was the winning of the F.A.I. Cup in 1978 when they defeated Sligo Rovers.
The former highly successful Dundalk manager Jim McLaughlin took charge in June 1983 and brought in players such as Pat Byrne, Noel Larkin and Liam O'Brien amongst others. During McLaughlin's period in charge the Hoops enjoyed unprecedented success and won the League title in 1983/84, 1984/85 and 1985/86. McLaughlin left to take over Derry City in 1986/87 but the success continued under his replacement Dermot Keely who guided Rovers to a record breaking Four in a Row when they won the league title again that season. Rovers also won the F.A.I. in 1985, 1986 and 1987. In April 1987, the then owners of the club put Glenmalure Park up for sale and despite fierce opposition houses were soon to be built on the once famous hallowed turf. Since then, Rovers have played at Tolka Park, Dalymount Park, the RDS, Tolka Park (again) and now Morton Stadium, Santry. The only success the club has enjoyed since leaving Milltown was the winning of the League title in 1993/94 under Ray Treacy and the Leinster Senior Cup in 1996.
Following a lengthy battle Shamrock Rovers finally secured planning permission for a new 6,000 all seater stadium in Tallaght, South West Dublin. However, the wait to move in goes on as the club has already spent 4.1 million euro on the project but require further funds to complete the job.
Damien Richardson was appointed manager in May 1999 and brought the club to a spot in Europe when the team finished League runners up last season. However, Damien's desire to introduce a full-time professional set up this season was a requirement the club could not meet given the present financial circumstances and an amicable parting of the ways took place. Yet another former Hoops player - Liam Buckley - was appointed as manager and took over the reigns in early June.
Although not yet domiciled in Tallaght, Shamrock Rovers currently boast sixteen schoolboy teams, all of whom participate in the Dublin District Schoolboys League. This particular feature of the club came about with a merger of Shamrock Rovers and Tallaght Town AFC. Mr. Tony Maguire - former chairman of Tallaght Town - has now taken on the role of chairman of Shamrock Rovers Football Club following Joe Colwell's decision to step back.
The Hoops also boast the most successful ever team in the history of women's football in Ireland. The all-conquering team made further history in September, 2002 when they became the first team from Ireland take part in the Women's UEFA Cup competition