Your club's Greatest League in the world moment?

[joey B]

Following on from the 'Boez' fun and games yesterday what is your clubs best moment of stupidity/hilarity or down right madness!!!

[Pablo Escobar]

Just a few notable one's from us and in no particular order:

-Bishopstown
-Alan Bennett's og from near the halfway line in 2001 (I think), which knocked us out of the FAI cup
-Tom Coughlan's reign - just everything about it, but most memorably this --> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cg1iZ2ZBhns

I'm sure many more will spring to mind later on.

[SkStu]

*your

[Martinho II]

our worst memory for me was us getting relegated after getting a points deduction for not submitting our accounts on time

[ToberonaTornado]

We've had loads so i'll start off with -

When #GREATNESS took over the FAI in Merrion Square.

#Belave

[pineapple stu]

* club's

One of the earliest I remember was Waterford starting a game with ten men because one of their players was stuck in traffic coming down from Dublin.

After five minutes, they subbed on a player for no-one

They tried to bring yer man on in the second half, but the ref refused to allow him on as he hadn't been in the ground at kick-off

[Nesta99]

Trying to claim 500k or something from insurance for a rolled up old carpet thrown outside the end wall of the ground after it went on fire. Claiming that a very large shed like structure cost €8million to build.

When the club had an insurance broker as chairman and the Lilywhite Lounge went on fire and wasnt insured.


The Trevor Anderson team

[ToberonaTornado]

We've had loads so i'll start off with -

When #GREATNESS took over the FAI in Merrion Square.

#Belave

And the Galway sex tape that lead up to it. :D

[ToberonaTornado]

Trying to claim 500k or something from insurance for a rolled up old carpet thrown outside the end wall of the ground after it went on fire. Claiming that a very large shed like structure cost €8million to build.

When the club had an insurance broker as chairman and the Lilywhite Lounge went on fire and wasnt insured.


The Trevor Anderson team

LOL.

IIRC - it didn't even go on fire in the actual ground but outside in the Furry Glen?

[Mr A]

There'e plenty but will open the bidding with the time the Harps team bus left Alan Young, the only keeper in the squad, behind when they stopped for food so the supporters bus had to bring him the rest of the way to Limerick.

[SkStu]

Mr. A's post reminded me of this: https://loihistory.wordpress.com/2015/02/02/dundalk-laughing-at-bohs-travel-troubles/

What is not mentioned here is that we would have won the league if goal difference was a consideration that season - instead this went to a round robin. IIRC goal difference was introduced the following season.

[Nesta99]

LOL.

IIRC - it didn't even go on fire in the actual ground but outside in the Furry Glen?

I put that poorly but thats what I meant by outside the end wall. Apart from being worthless it was just in a heap over the end wall, not even in the main dumping ground behind the away terrace!!


Not so much the club but Paul Byrne while at the club disappeared off for weeks, no explination. He'd been in Carlisle with Roddy but mustnt have earned himself the job offered as he waltzed in to Oriel Park after 4 weeks looking for his wages. He was promptly told where to go!

[TonyD]

Paul Marney. Though in mitigation the FAI were at least as culpable there.

[pineapple stu]

For light-hearted Bray moments, the Kerala Evergreen crest controversy would be hard to beat

https://www.balls.ie/football/bray-wanderers-2-370177

[osarusan]

I wasn't around at the time, but Limerick's superstar chairman-slash-manager Danny Drew prowling round the ground trying to get somebody to identify a few foot.ie Limerick posters so he could ban them, must be up there.

[Lim till i die]

I wasn't around at the time, but Limerick's superstar chairman-slash-manager Danny Drew prowling round the ground trying to get somebody to identify a few foot.ie Limerick posters so he could ban them, must be up there.

:D

I was thinking about this thread earlier and I didn't even remember this.

Which says a good bit about Limerick.

Might rattle off a top 100 over the Xmas for the craic.

Danny Drew though. :D bear in mind he also kicked in the door of the dressing room to have a fist fight with sweat mcgauley. And managed the team in a league cup semi final. :D

[ger121]

The ‘insert number here’ times we sold Dalymount and managed to a) not go bust b) get away with it c) end up with potentially a better stadium than the one we eventually sold. Only in the LOI would that not be such a crazy thing.

[Kiki Balboa]

Neale Fenn retires half way through a league campaign, only to miraculously decide against it,
and re-sign for Dundalk and help us get into European Football

Oh wait no, he signed for the Model Club Shamrock Rovers (must be a decent reason why many Dundalk people hate Rovers). What is worse is that Dundalk was stupid enough to release him. In what other league would that happen in?

At least he got a warm welcome in Oriel.

[Park_Lane]

Playing a 'Home' game in Turners Cross.

[joey B]

Is it my imagination or did we once employ some kind of Samba band years ago to create atmosphere in the ground?? Someone else might be able to confirm that or not!

[Ashbohs]

Mislaying the lid of the league trophy

[nigel-harps1954]

Is it my imagination or did we once employ some kind of Samba band years ago to create atmosphere in the ground?? Someone else might be able to confirm that or not!

They were there alright. Weren't employed though. There was some sort of event, can't remember exactly what it was, some sort of cultural thing and they were in the ground for a game. Strangest sight.

[NeverFeltBetter]

Limerick's chairman lambasting his players from the stands for lack of effort on the same day it was revealed wages weren't paid.

The same chairman making presentations to away fans at every home game in the first part of the season, as attendances plummeted.

A local columnist telling fans they have no right to complain about the state of the Market's Field pitch because all the club does is pay rent.

Bruff being "close to opening" indefinitely.

The Barcelona incident.

[stann]

One of the earliest I remember was Waterford starting a game with ten men because one of their players was stuck in traffic coming down from Dublin.
After five minutes, they subbed on a player for no-one
They tried to bring yer man on in the second half, but the ref refused to allow him on as he hadn't been in the ground at kick-off

Three players stuck in traffic!
Steve Brown and Joe Keith only flew in the afternoon of the game (another piece of stupidity in itself, but that's another story), and the flight got delayed. Karl Gannon was driving them down, so all three missed kick-off by a couple of minutes.
Mike Flanagan expected Brown to be able to come on a few minutes late, but the ref apparently only informed the bench very close to kick-off that he wouldn't let any of them play, at any stage, so Mark Reid had to be hurriedly subbed on for nobody, which, by the time he was ready, was a couple of minutes into the match.
Seemingly this was the letter of the law being applied, but given Longford had two late arrivals to the RSC allowed to tog off just the season before, it went down especially badly with the home crowd!


Another I remember a bit more foggily was The Colourblind Referee deciding that our blue and Bohs red & black looked the same in the rain. Whatever change strip Bohs brought was also deemed a clash (might actually have been more of one, can't recall), and there was a stand-off with the game looking in jeopardy, so Mr Buttimer prevailed upon the Waterford kitman to source a set of jerseys.
He came up, I wouldn't dare to suggest somewhat mischieveously, with a set courtesy of local side Villa FC, who play in green and white hoops, which as you might imagine went down like a cup of cold sick. :bulgy:
And as I've just been reminded, in the end Bohs played in Waterford's away colours. And it ended up a 0-0 draw, so they might as well not have bothered with the whole evening!

[micls]

Playing a 'Home' game in Turners Cross.

"This is not a halting site"

- Literally everything Tom Coughlan did. Like a cartoon villian by the end of it with his live on air melt down
- Arkaga promising us a 30m stadium
- signing Healy and Farrelly as the huge off season signings, only for the 3 club rule to kick in and stuck paying but not playing them for half a season.
- Georgie vs Rico 'you know where the gate it' including solicitors letters in the press from Georgie. Also that time Georgie announced his international retirement in the media. Just Georgie in general really.
- Managing to sell Denis Behan for the same price as Colin Healy (Delboy style)
- Flower Lodge
- Bishopstown

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

Losing to an Albanian side who themselves were trying to throw the game

[osarusan]

Limerick's chairman lambasting his players from the stands for lack of effort on the same day it was revealed wages weren't paid.

On a serious note, this has stayed with me ever since that night.

Now, I'm more relaxed about the chairman's spending than a lot of other fans, because after all, at least it was his own money he was spending, and, unquestionably, wasting.

But to hear him doing his usual 'come on lads get stuck it in' roaring, and then finding out that those players had gone out onto the pitch (and put in a damn good effort) after not getting paid...left a real sour taste in the mouth.

[osarusan]

Stann! You're alive!

[stann]

I am indeed osarusan, ta, though I only come out for these memory lane threads these days! :smile:

A couple more that come to mind:

Belgian goalkeeper Dominique Wouferts being very impressed with the RSC when he was signed in 1993, and opining that if the training facilities were this good, he couldn't wait to see the stadium!

And the Brazilian phenomenon Tiao, just before my time this one, who arrived for the briefest of spells in the winter of 1986, came, saw and fecked off!
He scored on his debut, then apparently brought a bag of sweets to the next game, stashed in the dugout to be thrown to the adoring crowd when he scored again. He did score, twice, but it was a reserve match against Shels, in front of almost nobody, so the sweets were instead devoured by the subs on the bench!

[Shearer]

Pat O'Sullivan randomly deciding at home that he wanted a few Greek players.

Pat O'Sullivan linking Limerick with the Mongolian FA and having some young fella come over. I don't know if he ever even played.

[Charlie Darwin]

There are so many but if I was forced to choose I'd have to say when the Kilcoynes screwed the Jesuits, sold our ground and we were homeless for 30 years while Milltown was turned into a housing estate. What a crazy league!

[patrickccfc]

Hello Legia Warsaw, that was embarrassing

[El-Pietro]

Belgian goalkeeper Dominique Wouferts being very impressed with the RSC when he was signed in 1993, and opining that if the training facilities were this good, he couldn't wait to see the stadium
We had something very similar when we played Red Star in 2006. Their captain told the manager he was very impressed and couldn't wait to see the stadium only to be told he was in the stadium

[oldyouth]

Wexford FC suffering 3 separate punishments for fielding ineligible players in the last 18 months
Shipping 8 goals at home on more than one occasion last year
Club politics

[Longfordian]

our worst memory for me was us getting relegated after getting a points deduction for not submitting our accounts on time

Carmarthen away is the worst in more recent years.

[pineapple stu]

The former is more of a Greatest League in the World moment though

[bluewhitearmy]

A dead crow landing at the feet of Michael Essien who was randomly at a Limerick game was a good one.

[2 Year Contract]

During Pats European campaign in 2011, after knocking out IBV of Iceland, Shakhter Karagandy of Kazakhstan and losing 2-0 to Karpaty Lviv in the first leg in Ukraine, the squad decided they deserved a bonus which was never agreed upon at the start of the season having only been thrown into Europe due to Sporting Fingal’s demise. The day of the second leg, players decide to go on strike as the club were having none of it, club announce the game is off, rumours of UEFA fines threatening to kill the club, few hours later the club announces game is on after agreeing a deal with the players. The entire warmup our own fans booed the team and we were then spanked 3-0. And it was in Tallaght. One of the worst days being a pats fan for myself.

One of the more funny ones was 2012 after drawing IBV again, rather than having to play the game in Reykjavik as they did the year before, they managed to get the game to go ahead in their home ground on an island off Iceland. Fans had booked out rooms in the only hotel on the island before the club didwirh some fans having to kindly give up their rooms so the team could stay together. Another one from that game being the UEFA delegate coincidentally being from Irish, decided to stand with the pats fans for the game. Ball goes out of play and onto the road at the back of the stand, he runs over to get it and falls flat on his face with half the ground in stitches

[Comic Book Guy]

When we were last in the premier division in 2008 and after revealing a major hole in the club's finances (of which he was the main architect) the then chairman asked the squad of players to each take out a credit union loan of €3k (over 5 years I think).
There's plenty others I'm sure but that was up there!

[oriel]

In one of the many previous seasons where money was tight, DFC once had a car draw, I think it was maybe mid 80’s. It was very under subscribed, even local rumours of no actual car for the prize, but they had to draw a ‘winner’ and out of the hat came ……………………..the owner of a local hotel, who was actually a director at the time or previous one.

I`m sure Fr Ted nicked this idea about 10 years later.

[Nesta99]

Des Casey, not being allowed in to Oriel Park by a steward who wasnt having it that Des was a former board member, VP of UEFA and owned the land they were all standing on! Brian Kerr while Ireland manager being asked to move out of the designated season tickets seating area in the stand by a steward who had no knowledge or interest in sport so had no idea who Kerr was, the place was almost empty so made no difference but the look on Brian Kerrs face was priceless. The club had just taken on a new batch of stewards and during their briefings were told to stick to the rules no excuses. The right thing to do but at the expense of common sense obviously. Des Casey took his pass to the next game too.

[RathfarnhamHoop]

-Kilcoynes swearing to the jesuits they're buying the ground to secure the clubs future there before immediately flipping it.
- The 2006 play-off goalkeeper situation.
- Playing a home game in cork
To name 3

[marinobohs]

rather than matches lost (still have nightmares over Francis and TNS) I would see this as weird and wonderful moments encountered in supporting Bohs

- Alan Byrne forgetting to bring his jersey and having to borrow one from a fan in the crowd (at Finn Harps) - what is it with Bohs and jerseys ?
- Ref Alan Kelly disallowing a goal at Bray that hit the back of the net and bounced out (he said it hit the post)
- ref taking the players off during a game at Dalymount due to hailstones, leaving the crowd to wait ten minutes before they came back out
- joe dolan sponsorship which involved putting a sticker on jerseys that read 'no show like a joe show'
- Mr Green offering to sponsor us 'if we changed our strip to green';) compromise was the hideous green away jersey we had and players all given green boots !
- sacking Roddy Collins weeks after his team won the double
-actually everything about Roddy Collins time at Bohs

Oh God, the more I think about it the more zany scenarios spring to mind (and that's without our land selling expertise - we actually sold Dalymount to the FAI long before we sold it (twice) to developers, the fact we are still playing there is amazing in itself.)

Having aid all of that the league has give me some great moments and I wouldn't swop it for the world

[oriel]

-Kilcoynes swearing to the jesuits they're buying the ground to secure the clubs future there before immediately flipping it.
- The 2006 play-off goalkeeper situation.
- Playing a home game in cork
To name 3

How did that come about again, I have vague memories of something happening about this.

[Mr A]

There are people out there who support normal leagues and I feel nothing but sympathy for them. Great thread.

[pineapple stu]

How did that come about again, I have vague memories of something happening about this.
Was it just that they were barred from Tolka (possibly for not paying rent)?

I know the game in Cork was a Cork away game, and they played a "home" game in Belfield too, against UCD. (Pete Mahon's first game in charge)

What was the 2006 goalkeeper situation though?

[seand]

How did that come about again, I have vague memories of something happening about this.

That's some quality trolling right there ;-)
iirc Rovers were left homeless for a bit when Pats decided they were no longer welcome to rent at Richmond after a couple of minor incidents, the last being at a derby v Bohs. Rovers played a home cup (or league?) game against UCD at Belfield then that infamous home league game at Turner's Cross- in their away kit to add insult to injury, before resettling at Tolka Park for the rest of the season. Must have been 2004.

[RathfarnhamHoop]

Was it just that they were barred from Tolka (possibly for not paying rent)?

I know the game in Cork was a Cork away game, and they played a "home" game in Belfield too, against UCD. (Pete Mahon's first game in charge)

What was the 2006 goalkeeper situation though?

Kicked out of Richmond after crowd trouble at a game vs Bohs, moved into tolka after playing two "home" games away.

My bad it was the 2005 relegation play off not 2006. Barry Murphy got injured in the first leg and the back up wasn't exactly great so Alan O'Neill went to get a new one but could only sign an unattached player so ended up signing a guy called Walshe who retired a year earlier but was still playing GAA so he got the call and played in the second leg

[seand]

#Greatestleagueintheworld greatest moment.... Where do you even start?

The barest tip of the iceberg......
Dundalk going to the trophy cabinet and selecting an old Player of the Year trophy to "award" ourselves on clinching the title at the end of the 94-5 season... for some reason the FAI had the trophy in Athlone that day.
Athlone keeper breaking the crossbar swinging out of it in the FAI Cup semi v Harps at Oriel in the 70s. Then deliberately bringing it down again when Athlone were losing.
During the Trevor Anderson era a player won a DVD player in the club's monthly raffle- a week after he'd been released after an 'incident' after an away match.
Brian Byrne going the length of the pitch to score into an empty net after Pats' Tony O'Dowd came up for a late corner.
The faaaaaarce of the 2006 Independent Assessment Group.
Rovers having a perfectly good goal disallowed (98-9) when it went thru a hole in the net in Oriel. Buttimer the ref, I think.
Dave Rogers getting sent off for mooning the Pats fans- but to be honest we could write a book on #Greatestleagueintheworld moments from the Sean Connor season.

On a personal level....
Chatting up a girl in Galway with the story that I played for Dundalk, which was going well until half the Dundalk squad walked into the hotel bar in question.
An unforgettable night in Kilkenny that I can barely remember (were there any other kind of nights out in Kilkenny?) with a pal who successfully managed to chat up a deaf girl with a combination of improvised sign language, a notepad and sheer Dundalk charm. You know who you are.
Arriving out of the Lilywhite Lounge in time to "apologise" to the Shels players for denying them the league title in '98 when they just needed a win in Oriel to win it. A particularly apolplectic Stephen Geoghegan had to be restrained.
Playing football on the pitch with local 10 year olds after beating Jeunesse Esch in the Europa League.
Iceland.... Iceland! Just fooking going to the most surreal, incredible amazing place in the world to watch Dundalk win a Champions League tie. Unforgettable and utterly beyond the comprehension of any barstooler or GAA head.

[Dalymountrower]

Bohs V Limerick FC in 1981 during the periodic Limerick football civil wars of that era. The Limerick players had been rounded up from various junior football teams in the Treaty City, each of them had a blue jersey , each with a different shade of blue, some numbers on with what looked like markers. 8-0 for Bohs. Had the programme for years with a blank column for the name of the away team and line out. The match subsequently ruled null and void for reasons that escape me. Replay was 0-0.

Rovers v West Brom in a friendly around the same era, in Milltown. O-O, West Brom player goes down injured, play stops, Ref signals Rovers player to put it out of play. Delightful 40 yard chip over his keepers head, o.g.