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St Patrick's Athletic F.C.

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St Patrick's Athletic
St Pat's Athletic Crest
Full nameSt. Patrick’s Athletic Football Club
Nickname(s)Saints
Pat's
Red Army
Patselona
Founded1929
GroundRichmond Park, Inchicore,
Dublin
Capacity7,000 (2,500 seated)
ChairmanAndrew O'Callaghan
ManagerJohn McDonnell
LeagueFAI League of Ireland
20067th, Eircom League

St Patrick's Athletic Football Club is an Irish football club playing in the Football League of Ireland Premier Division. The club, founded in 1929, hails from the Dublin suburb of Inchicore and play their home matches at Richmond Park. Club colours are Red and White, and the club goes by the nickname The Saints. The current manager is John McDonnell.

History

St Patrick's Athletic F.C. was founded in 1929. The first season was played in Phoenix Park but in 1930 St Pats moved into Richmond Park. Known as the Saints or simply as 'Pats' the club quickly escalated up the junior and intermediate ranks of Irish football and by the end of the 1940s were established as the top non-League of Ireland side in the country. After winning the FAI Intermediate Cup in 1948 and 1949 moves were made by the League of Ireland to entice St Pats into their competition.

In 1951 the club was admitted, along with Cork side Evergreen United, to the senior ranks of the League of Ireland. St Pats made an immediate impact, winning the league championship at their first attempt. Two more league championship successes followed in 1954/1955 and 1955/1956. The club had to wait until 1959 before their first FAI Cup success, repeating the feat in 1961. Despite several appearances in the final since 1961 the Saints have so far failed to secure a third Cup win.

Many of the Pats players of that golden era are still recalled fondly today - Ginger O'Rourke, Harry Boland ('The Legend', 1926-2000), Irish international Shay Gibbons, Ronnie Whelan Snr. and Willie Peyton are players who contributed greatly during this era.

The early years of the club saw much movement as Pats played "home games" in venues such as Milltown, Chapelizod Greyhound Stadium and Dalymount Park. The club returned to its original home of Richmond Park, Inchicore in 1960 and stayed there until 1989. Another period in "exile" in the greyhound stadium in Harolds Cross followed before the club finally returned to Richmond Park in 1993.

St Pats struggled throughout the late 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s with only the odd cup final or young star emerging to brighten things for long suffering Pats fans. Among those players to emerge was Noel Campbell. Campbell spent a number of years with St Pats (gaining the first of his Irish caps) before moving to SC Fortuna Köln where he would play 8 seasons. Perhaps the brightest star to play for St Pats was Paul McGrath. McGrath was signed by Saints' manager Charlie Walker from junior side Dalkey United. Within a year he had won the PFAI Player of the Year award and earned himself a move to Manchester United.

The appointment of Brian Kerr as manager in 1986 was a major turning point in the fortunes of the club. Kerr worked on limited resources to create team capable of challenging the best. The championship was denied his team in 1988 on the final day of that season but two years later they were finally crowned Champions of Ireland and thus began a prolonged era of success which made St Pats the undisputed 'Team of the Nineties' in Irish Football, thanks to four championships in the decade. At the end of the 1988/89 season St Pats left Richmond Park for what the board of directors called "a short time" while redevelopment work was done.

Playing in Harold's Cross, Kerr's blend of young players (Paul Osam, Curtis Fleming, Pat Fenlon, John McDonnell) and experienced campaigners disregarded by other clubs (Damian Byrne, Dave Henderson) won the club's first league championship in 34 years on Easter Monday 1990. Most Irish football commentators expected the young Saints to dominate Irish football for some time. A series of takeover attempts saw the club thrust into turmoil and Kerr was forced to break up the team. In the summer of 1992 the club were hours away from extinction before a group of local investors (among them was Kerr) raised £82,000 to save the club.

Having spent four years in Harold's Cross the club returned to a new look Richmond Park in 1993, their spiritual home in Dublin's Inchicore. Brian Kerr began the task of creating a winning setup once again. With the aid of a newly appointed Chief Executive, and former player, Pat Dolan and by the club's new Chairman, Tim O'Flaherty, the league trophy returned to Richmond Park in 1996.

A new generation of footballing heroes emerged in Pats colours with greats such as Eddie Gormley, Paul Osam and Ricky O'Flaherty together with exciting young stars such as Colin Hawkins and Trevor Molloy and thousands flocked to Inchicore for Friday nights under the floodlights in Richmond Park. When Kerr resigned to take up the Director of Coaching job with the FAI, the good work was continued by Pat Dolan and then Liam Buckley installed as manager. The glory continued as further league championships were secured in 1998 and 1999 which led to European qualification and a creditable 0-0 draw with the famous Celtic at Celtic Park, the club lost the return leg in Tolka Park, Dublin but the away draw was a major boost for Irish football against such a famous club in the world game. The club however suffered a humiliating setback in the same competition one year later when they lost 10-0 on aggregate to Zimbru Chisnau.

Into the new millennium the success continued. St. Pats won both the League Cup and Leinster Senior Cup in 2000/01. Controversy dogged the club in the 2001/02 season due to player registration irregularities. The club had 9 points deducted due to fielding an ineligible player (Paul Marney) in their first 3 games of the season, but this decision was revoked upon arbitration, on March 22 2002. They then had 15 points deducted for playing Charles Mbabazi Livingstone in the first 5 matches of the season in spite of not having registered him until September 12, 2001. St. Pats argued that they did not intentionally seek to gain advantage as the player was registered correctly the previous season, there was nothing underhand about it. An FAI arbitration panel would reject the Saints appeal of the point deduction and to this day the Saints still contest that they are the rightful league champions. That season also saw St. Patrick's come close to merging with fellow League of Ireland club St. Francis F.C. This move was greeted with anger by club supporters and although St. Francis went out of business (and therefore the league) the merger never happened.

New Club Chairman Andrew O'Callaghan was appointed in the summer of 2002 and has worked to modernize the club and face the new challenges of UEFA licensing and ground development. St. Pats made Irish footballing history in 2002 by becoming the first club to progress in the Intertoto Cup with a victory over Croatian team NK Rijeka over two legs - the club were eventually knocked out of the competition only on away goals to K.A.A. Gent of Belgium.

The club marked its 75th anniversary in 2004. In 2005 the club investigated the idea of sharing a new stadium in Tallaght with Shamrock Rovers in order to comply with the FAI's wish for Dublin clubs to ground share. The move was met with furious protests by the club's supporters and a group calling themselves 'Pats for Richmond' was set up to organise demonstrations. In July 2006 St. Pats signalled their intention to stay in Richmond Park by purchasing the Richmond House pub (also known as McDowell’s} for use as an official clubhouse. Unfortunately the club lost yet another FAI Cup Final in December 2006 and their hunt for their 3rd victory in the elusive competition continues.

Community

The club motto is Ni neart go cur le chéile (as Gaeilge). It translates to No strength without unity. St Patrick's Athletic is strongly linked with Inchicore and the local south west Dublin community. The club operate schoolboy teams at every age group from under 10 to under 18. They also play in the eircom League Under 21 league, having won it several times recently. In the past St. Patrick's Athletic Ladies played in the Dublin Women’s Soccer League (the de facto Ladies League of Ireland), winning the league championship in 1997. Many of that team won international honours and in 1998 Emma Byrne and Ciara Grant were transferred to Arsenal. Although the senior ladies side no longer exists, there are several girls’ sides within the club.

In September 2006, Pats teamed up with main sponsor Smart Telecom to promote suicide prevention organisation 'TeenHelp'. Commercial manager Phil Nolan spoke about the club's part in the community at the launch, “Suicide affects our community and as part of the community we have a role to prevent suicide” [1]

Season 2007

St. Pats got their season off to a perfect start with a 3-0 win over Portadown of the Irish League in the clubs first ever Setanta Cup Match. New signings Joseph Ndo and Alan Kirby scored. Pats also won their first league game of the season beating Longford Town 2-1. In their second Setanta Cup match St. Pats beat Cork City 3-1 with Gary O' Neill scoreing his first goals for the club, Alan Kirby also scored with a devine chip from out side the Cork City box. The Saints so far have a 100% record this seasn.

St Pat’s became the richest club in Ireland on the 14/3/07 – when property tycoon Garrett Kelleher invested €50 million in the club. Dublin Kelleher, 41, bought out the existing shareholders in St Pat’s and has pledged to build a new 15,000 seater stadium in Richmond Park. He also intends to spend heavily on the team as well as establishing a top of the range youth academy. Kelleher said: “St Pat’s is a community based club and my plans want to be respectful of the club’s past and traditions.” Kelleher’s first job was to appoint former Ireland boss, Brian Kerr, as director of football. John McDonnell will continue as first-team manager. Kerr said: “What I like about Garrett is the fact he is investing in an Irish club.”

Current squad

As of April 12th 2007

2006 Squad in Away Kit

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
— GK Ireland EIR Barry Ryan
— GK Ireland EIR Brendan Clarke
— DF Ireland EIR John Frost
— DF Ireland EIR Derek Foran
— DF Ireland EIR Stephen Quigley
— DF Ireland EIR Stephen Paisley
— DF Ireland EIR Stephen Brennan
— DF Ireland EIR Darragh Maguire
— DF Ireland EIR Colm Foley
— MF Ireland EIR Anthony Murphy
— MF Ireland EIR Dave Mulcahy
— MF Ireland EIR Alan Kirby
— MF Ireland EIR Luke Fitzpatrick
No. Pos. Nation Player
— MF Ireland EIR Keith Fahey
— MF Ireland EIR Michael Foley
— MF Ireland EIR Seán O'Connor
— MF Cameroon CMR Joseph Ndo
— MF Ireland EIR Noel Haverty
— MF Ireland EIR Paul Murphy
— FW Ireland EIR Mark Quigley
— FW Ireland EIR Mark Rooney
— FW Ireland EIR Gary O'Neill
— FW Ireland EIR Eamon Lynch
— FW Ireland EIR Kevin Cornwall
— FW United States USA Ryan Guy

Honours

Notes

  • Template:Fnb During the 2001-02 season St. Patrick's Athletic were deducted fifteen points for use of an ineligible player, had the point deduction not occurred the team would have finished top of the table. The FAI decided that Shelbourne would be awarded the title and the place in the European Champions' League. Although the St Pat's players were subsequently awarded with winners medals, the FAI has not awarded the title to the club.
  • Template:Fnb Won by the club's reserve side.
  • Template:Fnb Won as a non-league side
  • Template:Fnb Last ever winners

Notable players

Current players excluded. Some players spanned several decades, they are placed in the decade they made their debut for St Patrick's.

Template:Multicol 1950s

1960s

1970s

Template:Multicol-break 1980s

1990s

2000s

Template:Multicol-end

Records

  • St. Pats Full League Record

P 1501 W 602 D 403 L 495 F 2221 A 2081 Pts 1804

Statistics are correct up to end 2005 season
Above points tally is the amount of points earned in real terms. In most seasons the league used a 2 pts for a win system
If using a straight 3 points for a win, 1 for a draw system, St. Pats would've earned 2209 points

Trivia

  • St. Pats are the only club to have won the FAI Junior, Intermediate and Senior Cups. (The three levels of football in Ireland). In addition St. Pats have also won FAI Super Cup and Youth Cups, making them the only club to have won every FAI sanctioned competition.
  • Up to league entry in 1951 St. Pats played in various leagues in Dublin and Leinster and won at least one trophy in every year.
  • When St. Pats beat Shamrock Rovers in the FAI Cup in 1948 they became the first non League club to knock out the holders of Ireland's premier competition.
  • St. Pats are one of only 4 league sides never to have lost to non league opposition in the FAI Cup. The others are UCD, Cork City and Kildare County. The clubs entered the league in 1979, 1984 and 2002 respectively.
  • The first ever use of a white ball in Ireland was in the 1950/51 Leinster Senior Cup Final between Dundalk FC and St. Pats.
  • The first ever club game televised live in Ireland was the 1967 FAI Cup final between St. Pats and Shamrock Rovers
  • St. Pats are one of only 3 clubs have been ever present in the League of Ireland Premier Division since the split in 1985. Bohemians FC and Cork City FC are the other two clubs.
  • St. Pats have never lost to an international side, beating Finland 2-1 in Dublin in 1991 and drawing away to Iran and Tunisia in 1989 and 1990, respectively.
  • During St. Pats lean spell in the 1970s, several high profile guest players were brought in from England by manager Barry Bridges in order to boost attendances. The most famous of these were Gordon Banks and Terry Venables
  • In the early 1984/85 Eoin Hand managed the Republic of Ireland national football team and St. Pats at the same time

On March 13 2007,Garrett Kelleher contributed 50 Million Euro as he took over the club. He vowed to upgrade Richmond Park to a modern 15,000 seater stadium. He also installed Brian Kerr as "Director of Football" at the club.

See also

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