Limerick F.C.

Football club infobox
clubname = Limerick FC


fullname = Limerick Football Club
nickname = "The Blues" and "Lims"
founded = 1937
dissolved = December 2006 [http://www.rte.ie/sport/2006/1215/limerick.html?rss RTÉ - December 2006 - Limerick FC fail in license bid] ]
ground = Hogan Park, Rathbane,
Limerick City
capacity = 9,000
league = None
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Limerick Football Club was a Republic of Ireland football club formerly of the Football League of Ireland. Tracing its senior football roots in the city back to 1937, the club is no longer active, having failed to receive a FAI First Division licence for the 2007 season. Club colours were blue and white, and they played their home matches at Hogan Park. The club's last manager was Chairman Danny Drew.

A new club, Limerick 37, were formed to fill the vacuum left in the city's footballing circles and were granted a First Division license for the 2007 season. Many of the clubs fans transfered their alleigance to the new side.

History

Colours

While Limerick soccer had long been associated with the colours blue and white, Limerick teams have taken to the field in a variety of club colours. When a senior soccer team first appeared on the scene in 1937 the team wore Stoke City style red and white striped jerseys and white shorts.

Limerick did not appear in blue and white until 1943, and in their first game in the new colours lost 5-0 to Cork United at the Markets Field. After this 'blue' start, Limerick teams continued to wear blue and white for the next 40 years.

Limerick City came into being in 1983, replacing Limerick United in the League of Ireland. Along with the club name and the home ground, the team colours were changed. The club moved to Rathbane and took to wearing canary yellow and green shirts and green shorts.

In an attempt to re-engage with the Limerick footballing public the blue and white made a return in the mid-1990s.

European Competition

Limerick appeared in European competitions on six occasions in its history. In 12 matches they scored 7 goals and while the club never won a European game, it drew twice. One of those draws was achieved at the Dell against a Southampton team that included former European Footballer of the Year Kevin Keegan and Mick Channon.

Limerick first competed in 1960 in the European Cup against Young Boys Berne, but suffered their heaviest aggregate defeat. Limerick moved their 1965 Cup Winners' Cup home leg to Dalymount Park - one of only two 'home' games played outside of Limerick. Interestingly, Pat Nolan is the only player ever to have scored for Limerick in Limerick in a European game.

The most famous European game was the 'home' match against Real Madrid in the European Cup in 1980. The match was played at Lansdowne Road where Dublin football fans stayed away en masse. Only 6,000 people saw a Limerick team under Eoin Hand almost beat the aristocrats of European soccer. Des Kennedy scored twice against Real Madrid in the tie, the only player to do so in Europe that year. Johnny Matthews had a 'goal' disallowed. Had it been given he would have completed a unique treble, as he had previously scored in European competition against Manchester United and Celtic while at Waterford United.

Honours

*Football League of Ireland Champions: 2
**1959/60, 1979/80
*FAI Cup Winners: 2
**1971, 1982
*League Cup Winners: 3
**1976/77, 1992/93, 2001/02
*Shield Winners: 2
**1953/54, 1983/84
*First Division Championship: 1
**1991/92
*Dublin City Cup Winners: 2
**1958/59, 1969/70
*Munster Senior Cup Winners: 7
**1938, 1949, 1954, 1959, 1963, 1977, 1995

Notable managers

* Ewan Fenton
* Sam Allardyce

Notable Former Players

References

External links

* [http://www.limerickfc.ie/ The Official Limerick FC Website]
* [http://homepage.eircom.net/~lfcsc/index.htm Limerick FC Supporters' Club]
* [http://foot.ie/forums/ Discussion Group on Limerick FC]