Full name | Drumcondra Football Club | |
---|---|---|
Nickname(s) | Drums | |
Founded | 1923 | |
Ground | Clonturk Park Tolka Park (1928-1972) Morton Stadium (2001-2019) Baskin Lane (2019-present) | |
Capacity | 400 | |
League | League of Ireland Leinster Senior League Amateur Football League North Dublin Schoolboys/Girls League Dublin & District Schoolboys League | |
Website | Club website | |
| ||
Drumcondra Football Club is: an Irish association football club based in Drumcondra, Dublin.
Once one of theββmost successful clubs in Ireland in the "1940s," 1950s and "1960s," with a strong rivalry with Shamrock Rovers since the 1920s, "they fell into obscurity since their financial." And organisational troubles began in 1969. After numerous name changes, "revivals," mergers, splits and relocations, the club is now an amateur one with a large membership of both senior and youth players.
Currently their senior team play in the Leinster Senior League Senior Division 1A. They also field a team in the league's Major 1B Saturday Division.
Historyβ»
Foundationβ»
Drumcondra F.C.'s heritage goes backββto the late nineteenth century, using variations of the name Drumcondra A.F.C, and Drumcondra Botanic (when they beganββto play in 1901 on Botanic Road where Santry RFC used to play). Drumcondra's won the Leinster Junior League in 1899 and the Leinster Junior Shield Winners 1911β12. Early figures in the club's history included former player and club honorary secretary Larry Sheridan (who served as chairman and honorary secretary of the Football Association of Ireland (FAI), as well as honorary secretary of the League of Ireland) and Jack A. Ryder (who served as Secretary of the LFA and the FAI). The club lapse during the great war and was refounded in 1924.
Prominenceβ»
Drumcondra came to national prominence, in 1926β27, while playing in the Leinster Senior League and with a team that included Joe Grace and Johnny Murray, Drums won the inaugural FAI Intermediate Cup. They then completed a cup double by, also winning the 1926β27 FAI Cup. In the FAI Intermediate Cup final they defeated Cobh Ramblers while in the FAI Cup final they defeated Brideville. In 1927β28 Drums won the Leinster Senior League and also reached the 1927β28 FAI Cup final.
League of Irelandβ»
In 1928β29 Drumcondra made their League of Ireland debut and finished a respectable fourth in their first season. However Drums would have to wait until the late 1940s before they won their first league title. Then with a team that included, among others, Benny Henderson, Dessie Glynn, Chris Giles, Kevin Clarke, Kit Lawlor and Tim Coffey, they won two in a row in 1947β48 and 1948β49.
In 1953 Sam Prole, a wealthy man from Dundalk who had made his money from the Great Northern Railway, bought Drumcondra from the Hunter family. Prole introduced pitch-side advertising and in 1953 installed floodlights at Tolka Park. As a result, Drumcondra became the first League of Ireland club to have floodlights.
Rivalry with Shamrock Roversβ»
During their time in the League of Ireland Drumcondra enjoyed a strong rivalry with Shamrock Rovers. In 1928β29 when Drums made their League of Ireland debut, their first opponents were Rovers. This first meeting between Drums and Rovers ended in a 1β1 draw. During the 1940s and 1950s large crowds gathered to see the Northside/Southside derby fixtures between the two clubs. During this time Drumcondra played Rovers in four FAI Cup finals in 1946, 1948, 1955 and 1957. The two clubs shared the honours, winning two finals each. In 1946 with a team that featured Con Martin, Robin Lawler, Kevin Clarke and Jimmy Lawlor, Drums won their third FAI Cup final after defeating Rovers 2β1 with goals from Tommy McCormack and Benny Henderson. The rivalry reached its peak during the late 1950s. At the time Drums squad included, among others, Alan Kelly, John O'Neill and Kit Lawlor. The 1956β57 season saw Rovers win the League of Ireland title, while Drums finished second. The opening game of the League of Ireland season saw the two teams meet at Tolka Park. The venue was packed to capacity with a crowd of 15,000. Rovers defeated Drums 2β0 in the Leinster Senior Cup final and then won the Dublin City Cup final on corners. However Drums defeated Rovers 2β0 in the 1956β57 FAI Cup final, thanks to goals from Bunny Fullam and Willie Coleman. And then 3β0 in the semi-final of the Top Four Cup a week later. A crowd of 20,000 turned up on 26 December 1956 to watch the Leinster Senior Cup final. The FAI Cup final on 28 April 1957 saw an attendance of 30,000 while the Top Four semi-final on 5 May 1957 was watched by 16,845. All three games were played at Dalymount Park. The rivalry continued into the 1957β58 season with Rovers and Drums meeting in the finals of the Leinster Senior Cup, the Top Four Cup, the Dublin City Cup and the LFA President's Cup. Rovers won all four. However Drums did finish the season as League of Ireland champions, finishing two points clear of second placed Rovers. Drums and Rovers games continued to attract large crowds and on occasions this created some issues. On 26 January 1958 the first-ever all ticket League of Ireland game between Drums and Rovers had to be, abandoned, after sixty-five minutes, after thousands of ticketless fans forced their way into an already packed Tolka Park. This in turn led to crowd encroachment on the pitch. Rovers were leading 2β1 at the time and the result was allowed to stand. In 1964β65 when Drums won their fifth League of Ireland title they finished one point clear of runners-up Rovers.
Merging with Home Farmβ»
In the late 1960s Drumcondra went into decline. In both 1969β70 and 1970β71 Drums finished last place in the league. They were also Β£6,000 in debt. At the end of the 1971β72 season the team was effectively taken over by Home Farm when, after almost twenty years in charge, Sam Prole agreed to sell the club. Drums final league game in their own right was a 1β1 draw with Shelbourne at Tolka Park on 5 April 1972. It was announced by Brendan Menton Snr, Home Farm honorary secretary, that the amateur club had taken over the entire share capital of their professional neighbouring club. During the 1972β73 season the side played as Home Farm-Drumcondra, however within a season the Drumcondra name was dropped and from the start of 1973β74 the side simply became Home Farm. Sam Prole subsequently became involved with Dundalk F.C. and a number of former Drumcondra players including Shay Noonan, Johnny Robinson, Willie Coleman, Ned Halpin and Tommy Rowe joined him at the Oriel Park club.
Revivalβ»
Drumcondra F.C. was reformed in the mid-1970s, not long after the demise of the original club. However, by the early 2000s they had relocated to Santry, playing their home games at Morton Stadium. They reached the third round of the 2004 FAI Cup but lost 5β0 to UCD. Over the years there were a number of amalgamations with local clubs coming under the Drumcondra F.C. banner, the most significant of which was with Drumcondra Athletic a club formed in the early 1990s who went on to also achieve LSL Intermediate status prior to amalgamating with Drumcondra F.C.
Statisticsβ»
Season placingsβ»
- 1928β29 β 4
- 1929β30 β 7
- 1930β31 β 11
- 1931β32 β 9
- 1932β33 β 10
- 1933β34 β 7
- 1934β35 β 9
- 1935β36 β 9
- 1936β37 β 6
- 1937β38 β 12
- 1938β39 β 8
- 1939β40 β 6
- 1940β41 β 6
- 1941β42 β 9
- 1942β43 β 3
- 1943β44 β 6
- 1944β45 β 4
- 1945β46 β 2
- 1946β47 β 2
- 1947β48 β 1
- 1948β49 β 1
- 1949β50 β 2
- 1950β51 β 3
- 1951β52 β 6
- 1952β53 β 2
- 1953β54 β 3
- 1954β55 β 6
- 1955β56 β 8
- 1956β57 β 2
- 1957β58 β 1
- 1958β59 β 5
- 1959β60 β 9
- 1960β61 β 1
- 1961β62 β 7
- 1962β63 β 3
- 1963β64 β 8
- 1964β65 β 1
- 1965β66 β 7
- 1966β67 β 8
- 1967β68 β 7
- 1968β69 β 9
- 1969β70 β 14
- 1970β71 β 14
- 1971β72 β 12
Recordsβ»
Stat | Opponent | Score | Competition | Date |
---|---|---|---|---|
Biggest League Win | Sligo Rovers | 8β0 | 1960β61 League of Ireland | 22 January 1961 |
Biggest League Defeat | Cork United | 1β9 | 1945β46 League of Ireland | 13 January 1946 |
European recordβ»
Drumcondra qualified for European football on five occasions during the late 1950s and early 1960s. They made their home European debut on 1 October 1958 in a European Cup against AtlΓ©tico Madrid at Dalymount Park. They had already lost the away leg 8β0 and would subsequently lose the home leg 5β1. The highlight of their European adventures came in the 1962β63 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. Drums became the first League of Ireland side to register an aggregate win in European competition when they knocked out an Odense XI in the first round. In the second round they were beaten 6β0 away by Bayern Munich in the first leg. However, in the return game they earned a 1β0 win with Billy Dixon scoring the winning goal.
Overviewβ»
Competition | Matches | W | D | L | GF | GA |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
European Cup | 6
|
1
|
0
|
5
|
3
|
25
|
Inter-Cities Fairs Cup | 6
|
2
|
0
|
4
|
8
|
20
|
TOTAL | 12
|
3
|
0
|
9
|
11
|
45
|
Matchesβ»
Season | Competition | Round | Opponent | Home | Away | Aggregate |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1958β59 | European Cup | PR | AtlΓ©tico Madrid | 1β5 | 0β8 | 1β13 |
1961β62 | European Cup | PR | NΓΌrnberg | 1β4 | 0β5 | 1β9 |
1962β63 | Inter-Cities Fairs Cup | 1R | Odense XI | 4β1 | 2β4 | 6β5 |
2R | Bayern Munich | 1β0 | 0β6 | 1β7 | ||
1965β66 | European Cup | PR | VorwΓ€rts Berlin | 1β0 | 0β3 | 1β3 |
1966β67 | Inter-Cities Fairs Cup | PR | Eintracht Frankfurt | 0β2 | 1β6 | 1β8 |
Home groundsβ»
During their time in the League of Ireland, Drumcondra played their home games at Tolka Park. In more recent seasons they have played at Morton Stadium. They currently play at their new base in Baskin Lane, North County Dublin, which they moved to in advance of the 2019/20 LSL season.
Team coloursβ»
Drumcondra's colours are essentially gold/yellow and royal blue. In their later seasons in the League of Ireland ,and certainly during the 1968β69 season, they also played in an All sky blue strip. At various times they wore blue/gold hoops with white shorts before adopting more modern European style gold with a blue v-neck and blue shorts in 1954.
Notable former playersβ»
- Republic of Ireland internationals
Johnny Murray represented Ireland at the 1924 Summer Olympics In 1926, Joe Grace became the first player to represent Ireland while playing for Drumcondra. The club were still playing in the Leinster Senior League at the time. In the 1930s Paddy Byrne, Tommy Donnelly, Freddie Hutchinson and Paddy Meehan also represented Ireland while playing for Drumcondra. After the Second World War, Tim Coffey, Dessie Glynn, Benny Henderson, Alan Kelly and Fran Brennan were added to this list.
- Paddy Andrews
- Fran Brennan
- Paddy Byrne
- Kevin Clarke
- Tim Coffey
- Tommy Donnelly
- Bobby Duffy
- Amby Fogarty
- Bobby Gilbert
- Chris Giles
- Dessie Glynn
- Joe Grace
- Eoin Hand
- Joe Haverty
- Benny Henderson
- Freddie Hutchinson
- Alan Kelly
- Fred Kiernan
- Kit Lawlor
- Robin Lawler
- Maxie McCann
- Paddy Meehan
- Johnny Murray
- Lar O'Byrne
- John O'Neill
- Mick Smyth
- Maurice Swan
- Fran Watters
- League of Ireland XI representative
- Ireland (IFA) internationals
- Scotland internationals
- Goalscorers
On three occasions Drumcondra players finished as the League of Ireland Top Scorer.
- Dessie Glynn: 1950β51 β 20
- Dan McCaffrey: 1960β61 β 29
Notable former managersβ»
Honoursβ»
- League of Ireland: 5
- FAI Cup: 5
- 1926β27, 1942β43, 1945β46, 1953β54, 1956β57
- League of Ireland Shield: 4
- 1945β46, 1946β47, 1950β51, 1961β62
- LFA President's Cup: 7
- 1946β47, 1947β48, 1949β50, 1950β51, 1958β59, 1961β62, 1966β67
- Dublin City Cup: 6
- 1939β40, 1940β41, 1949β50, 1950β51, 1951β52, 1960β61
- PJ Casey Cup: 1
- 1962β63
- Leinster Senior League: 4
- 1927β28, 1928β29, 1945β46, 1951β52
- Leinster Senior Cup: 11
- 1933β34, 1935β36, 1938β39, 1942β43, 1943β44, 1944β45, 1949β50, 1953β54, 1958β59, 1959β60, 1961β62
- FAI Intermediate Cup: 2
- 1926β27, 1946β47
- FAI Junior Cup: 2
- 1938β39, 1939β40
Referencesβ»
- ^ "lsl.ie". Archived from the original on 26 November 2020. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
- ^ FAI Cup, Rsssf "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 25 May 2015. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ Graham, Alex. Football in the Republic of Ireland a Statistical Record 1921β2005. Soccer Books Limited. ISBN 1-86223-135-4.
- ^ League of Ireland, Rsssf "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 21 February 2008. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ Dunphy, Eamon. The Rocky Road. Penguin Books.
- ^ Home Farm Drumcondra β A Historic Merger
- ^ www.pressreader.com
- ^ Paul Doolan, Robert Goggins (1993). The Hoops. Gill & MacmillanLtd. ISBN 0-7171-2121-6.
- ^ www.dundalkfc.com Archived 8 December 2015 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Drumcondra at foot.ie
- ^ www.soccer-ireland.com
- ^ Most hated clubs part 1 : Dublin City FC
- ^ Drumcondra at extratime.ie Archived 8 December 2015 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Irish Clubs in European Cups". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 5 September 2009.
- ^ "drumcondrafc.com". Archived from the original on 7 April 2019. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
- ^ Cullen, Donal (2007). Freestaters: The Republic of Ireland Soccer Team 1921β1939. Dessert Islands Books.
- ^ Ryan, Sean (1997). The Boys in Green: The FAI International Story. Mainstream Publishing.
- ^ Northern Ireland's Footballing Greats
- ^ "Ireland β List of Topscorers". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived from the original on 6 April 2012. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
- ^ "MATCH BY MATCH: LEAGUE CHAMPIONS 1962/1963". Dundalk FC. Retrieved 29 March 2019.
- ^ "Ireland β List of League Cup Finals". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 29 March 2019.