Wonderful article, Derry, Liam Coyle, 95 and much more

**seand** · 06/02/2015, 12:19 PM

Fantastic article featured on the Guardian website by Ian McCourt on Liam Coyle, Derry's failed attempt at the 1994-95 league title (who won it again?), football, family and all that good stuff.

http://www.theguardian.com/football/...lone-town-1995

**oriel** · 06/02/2015, 12:50 PM

Very god article that Sean. I remember the scenes in Dundalk clearly, that game was 5 mins ahead of ours and they put the RTE Radio 1 live commentary from St Mels on over the PA system, what a day that turned out to be.

Especially when they presented us with the replica trophy!

**Duffman** · 06/02/2015, 1:04 PM

Originally Posted by oriel

Very god article that Sean. I remember the scenes in Dundalk clearly, that game was 5 mins ahead of ours and they put the RTE Radio 1 live commentary from St Mels on over the PA system, what a day that turned out to be.

Especially when they presented us with the replica trophy!

It was unbelievable and the ridiculously small crowd sticks out too. Wasn't the trophy presented the Leinster Cup that day?

**gspain01** · 06/02/2015, 1:15 PM

Shels were also expected to win and would have pipped Dundalk also.

We played Finn Harps at home that day and needed a win to make th eplayoffs but could only draw 0-0. We battered them but couldn't score. the Harps fans were delighted to hear Derry lost the league.

We were the opposition for Liam Coyle's first retirement in 1990. Fabulous player. He scored a penalty that night. Derry edged a close game 7-0 thanks to three dodgy penalties and 4 offside goals.

His retirement was already announced so it was a pretty emotional game.

**seand** · 06/02/2015, 4:04 PM

Shels would've needed to beat Pats by a goal more than we beat Galway that day to take it on goals scored. (they finished 2 pts and 3 goal diff behind)

I believe Dundalk offiicals went into the boardroom and selected a trophy at random to present to ourselves on the pitch because, as has been stated, the league trophy was in Athlone. Emotional scenes alright with the entire Dundalk crowd milling around on the pitch listening to the PA system which was pressed up against the radio for live coverage of the last couple of minutes in Mels.

Super article though, regardless of the specifcs of the day

**gspain01** · 06/02/2015, 7:12 PM

Thanks I had remembered it as Shels were next in line.

**oriel** · 07/02/2015, 8:49 AM

Originally Posted by Duffman

It was unbelievable and the ridiculously small crowd sticks out too. Wasn't the trophy presented the Leinster Cup that day?

Crowds were dreadful that season in oriel park, lots of games were played at 3.30 on a Sunday. However even the Thursday night games (remember them) were poorly attended, and I think I recall reading in the last Dundalk Fc history book that the attendance for this final game v Galway was just over 1,000.

We were in 3rd place though on the morning of the final day, it was a great day and ending but on reflection it was a strange title win, don't think we were even the second best team that season, but the points total said otherwise.

Loved the bit in the article where the Athlone players spotted Phil Coulter getting off the bus with his bottles of champagne!

**jinxy lilywhite** · 07/02/2015, 10:47 AM

My first season of heading up to OP was a fond one. Football was woeful but all the clubs were dire.
I missed the last day because my ma grounded me for smoking. I never asked if I could go to the galway game. When she found out on the 6 1 news she said she would of let me go. Always haunted until the 24th October 2014.

**orielabu** · 07/02/2015, 7:34 PM

Sean Connolly, then FAI Secretary and later general manager of Dundalk FC, did the presentation honours to captain James Coll using the old Championship Trophy, still in the Oriel Park trophy cabinet since Dundalk’s 1990-91 League victory—the new one was lying unopened at St Mel’s Park!!
The real trophy was presented to James Coll and Dermot Keely on the following Wednesday before the European Championship game at Lansdowne Road between Ireland and Portugal, settled by a single goal from Steve Staunton.

**SwanVsDalton** · 08/02/2015, 4:14 PM

As the article confirms, Dundalk may have won the title but the real story was at St Mel's. Liam Coyle screamer, Gauld missing a penalty (!), Shane Curran, heartbreak - one of the worst days in my football supporting life.

**JC_GUFC** · 09/02/2015, 7:46 AM

Great article. Just watching the whole video and you see the "challenge" in Dundalk which injured him. Any idea who that player was?
I'm sure the player didn't intend to nearly end his career but I suppose it just shows what you could get away with back then.

**seand** · 09/02/2015, 1:02 PM

Originally Posted by jinxy lilywhite

My first season of heading up to OP was a fond one. Football was woeful but all the clubs were dire.
I missed the last day because my ma grounded me for smoking. I never asked if I could go to the galway game. When she found out on the 6 1 news she said she would of let me go. Always haunted until the 24th October 2014.

Jaysus, stick that warning on the front of a fag pack and you might get results.... "Smoking may cause you to miss a league title decider"

**The Donie Forde** · 09/02/2015, 1:16 PM

94-95, Derry, Dundalk and Shels could have been champs on the final day.
It was the season when Cork City should have been champions by the end of February (perhaps), but they imploded and absolutely threw it away....

Lest we forget!

**Nesta99** · 09/02/2015, 1:51 PM

Originally Posted by seand

Jaysus, stick that warning on the front of a fag pack and you might get results.... "Smoking may cause you to miss a league title decider"

Would probably have a greater impact than the current warnings. I nearly didnt get going to that game myself due to cantankerous parents, they were mighty relieved they let me go in the end as they'd never have lived it down!!

My little radio was handed up to the gantry for the lads there to listen to the broadcast from St Mels. The rest of us were sharing head phones to listen in prior to FT whistle, i'm not sure if the PA was in the old Shed TV gantry rather than the stand like today. If it was it was probably my little transistor that was held against the tannoy by Gerry Malone...no mobile phone updates those heady days of radios being a must at a live games. When the roar went up as Derry missed the penalty Joe Hanrahan ran over to about where we were to find out what was going on, it was roared at him that Derry had missed the peno and he then turned to urge on the rest of the lads. Galways keeper was frustratingly good that day. Tom McNulty nearly flattening the ball boy celebrating his goal was funny. After that I just remember James Coll standing on the away dugout with everyone gathered round waiting for the whistle in Athlone. It was agonising with Athlone clearing the ball off the line with minutes to go and then mayhem. I have the immediate post match radio recordings saved somewhere I must look for. I dont remember the crowd being so poor though. I loved the RTE montage of the days events unfolding and watching it that evening.

Never thought that last day of the season drama could be repeated until another dramatic evening in Kildare

**Nesta99** · 09/02/2015, 1:53 PM

Originally Posted by JC_GUFC

Great article. Just watching the whole video and you see the "challenge" in Dundalk which injured him. Any idea who that player was?
I'm sure the player didn't intend to nearly end his career but I suppose it just shows what you could get away with back then.

Having not looked at the footage I wouldnt be surprised if it was Ritchie Purdy.

**seand** · 09/02/2015, 2:59 PM

Attendances were poor in 94-5 (and around that time) but I'm convinced figures were very much under-declared. There's no way we averaged 1,000 that season.

**Nesta99** · 09/02/2015, 4:55 PM

Originally Posted by seand

Attendances were poor in 94-5 (and around that time) but I'm convinced figures were very much under-declared. There's no way we averaged 1,000 that season.

Thats the funny thing about the attendance on the last day, I remember people saying it was disappointing that there was only 2800-3000 there. Its hard to assess the crowd but I doubt myself that it was as low as 1200 for that day. There were plenty behind the town goal, the shed was busy and the stand seemed full. Thats would be 2k+ at that time imo.

**gufcfan** · 09/02/2015, 5:01 PM

Originally Posted by Nesta99

Its hard to assess the crowd but I doubt myself that it was as low as 1200 for that day.

What I learned from counting crowds on the gate myself is that people haven't a notion how to judge crowds, myself included.

**oriel** · 09/02/2015, 10:28 PM

As per Jim Murphy who wrote two excellent history books on Dundalk FC, these were 3 figures from 1994/95 season.

Avg crowd in oriel park that season was 806.

Highest crowd v Rovers in Dec, 1,418.

Final game v Galway 1,134.

Dreadful figures considering these were from the eventual league winners, then again it was a very strange season. I'm convinced if the season had gone on one or two more weeks Dundalk would have finished 3rd, probably would have been about right too, but they won it.

**seand** · 10/02/2015, 8:03 AM

Them was the official figures that went to the taxman alright! Nothing new, or old, about under-declaring.... was at Sligo-Dundalk in the past few seasons when they were announcing before kickoff that the main stand was full (and there was 1,000 plus spread around the ground at that time) then during the the second half the official attendance was announced as less than the capacity of the main stand.