Tommy McConville RIP

[Drumcondra 69er]

Ex Ireland international and LOI legend who passed away yesterday. Won 4 LOI titles, 3 FAI Cups and 2 League Cups mainly with Dundalk as well as a number of caps for us in the 70's. Coached me in college in Dundalk for a while and also served me pints in his boozer. Was in there years back watching Leeds v Stutgart in a Champions League game and noticed a signed Pele New York Cosmos jersey hanging in the bar. Asked him about it and he said he'd played against him in the States and swapped shirts. "Course you did, Tommy" we said thinking he was winding us up. Next thing he produces a framed pic of him and Pele arms round each others shoulders before an MLS game! Put us young lads back in our box anyway!

RIP Tommy.

[geysir]

He died with his boots on.

[Stuttgart88]

Legend.

A mate of mine here in London played against Tommy in a charity or some friendly match at Oriel when a tommy was 62. My mate plays junior football at quite a good level over here and was on a tour to Ireland.

He said that at 62 he oozed class and my mate and his teammates were amazed by him.

[Crosby87]

Nice post Drum.
I was a kid going to those Cosmos games in Giants Stadium, full house, fights breaking out at the drop of a hat, before they folded.... Hard to imagine now. The Cosmos would get like 60K and the Jets would get like 20K the next day... What team did he play for in the US?
And Leeds in the champions league? Things change...

I once worked with a guy who had a dad from Sicily, and he went to one of those cosmos games when he was a kid, and his dad got into a fight and killed a guy with his knife.... and he had to escape the whole thing by going back to Italy... Cosmos games were some serious sh*t back then for whatever reason! I wish as a kid we knew there were Irish players in the mix.
I didnt mean to make it about me, it just brings back memories.... smoking and fighting in the stands.
Some dude Jets fan punched a hot chick Pats fan in the face last sunday after the Jets win and it was on the cover of every news paper here for 3 days.... I saw more of that sh*t during Cosmos games when i was 5 or whatever... fun. No one cared.

[Drumcondra 69er]

Nice post Drum.
I was a kid going to those Cosmos games in Giants Stadium, full house, fights breaking out at the drop of a hat, before they folded.... Hard to imagine now. The Cosmos would get like 60K and the Jets would get like 20K the next day... What team did he play for in the US?
And Leeds in the champions league? Things change...

I once worked with a guy who had a dad from Sicily, and he went to one of those cosmos games when he was a kid, and his dad got into a fight and killed a guy with his knife.... and he had to escape the whole thing by going back to Italy... Cosmos games were some serious sh*t back then for whatever reason! I wish as a kid we knew there were Irish players in the mix.
I didnt mean to make it about me, it just brings back memories.... smoking and fighting in the stands.
Some dude Jets fan punched a hot chick Pats fan in the face last sunday after the Jets win and it was on the cover of every news paper here for 3 days.... I saw more of that sh*t during Cosmos games when i was 5 or whatever... fun. No one cared.

That was actually when Leeds were in the Champions league after winning the title in 1992, think it was only the 2nd year with a group stage but they didn't make it that far, long time ago.

Quick wiki check shows Tommy played for the Washington Diplomats for 2 seasons I'm the 70's playing nearly 60 league games. A good few Irish played over there, Giles managed Vancouver Whitecaps, I'm sure he brought Ray Tracey and a couple of others over and George Best played in LA iirc. It's be interesting to see if anyone had a full list alright.....

[OwlsFan]

1958

I saw Tommy McConville playing for both the Hoops and Dundalk. One of those players who always seemed to have time on the ball particularly in his first stint for Dundalk.

Tommy is 4th from the left at the back. I had forgotten that Mick Lawlor (far right front row), current kit man for the international team, also played for that League winning side. I met Mick in a lift in Sweden and started boring him about my Rovers reminiscences.. Totally forgotten he had also moved up to Louth.