Shamrock Rovers/Bohs rivalry

[Poor Student]

Not being all that up on LOI history and reading the "Who Stole Our Game?" book by Daire Whealan, I was wondering when and how did the rivalry begin? It seems that up until the 60's/70's Drumcondra were Rovers' hated rivals. When did Bohs take over and how did it become so bitter in such a short space of time?

[Erstwhile Bóz]

I thought Shelbourne were always Rovers' traditional rivals before they decamped to Dublin 9.

Presumably the rivalry from Drumcondra was due to them being a Northside club, ditto Bohs. Bohs had the Northside sewn up really when Drumcondra melted into Home Farm -- and I doubt if they had great relations with Rovers up to that point anyway.

It's mostly due to Rovers being *****s, though, obviously. ;)

[Billy Lord]

When Drums folded, it coincided with Bohs going pro and not being the worst side in Dublin anymore. Bohs always hated Rovers (success, etc) but the feeling only became mutual in the early 1970s when the Cabra hardmen and the Rovers' gang (Bridge Boot Boys were in there) decided to start battering each other.
I recall a huge Rovers-Bohs row in the Dalymount shed at a famous Ireland-Poland game in 1973 (Ireland won 1-0 days after Poland had knocked England out of the World Cup).
Dublin was a very violent place in the 1970s with teenage skinhead and boot boy gangs all over the place.

[Erstwhile Bóz]

I recall a huge Rovers-Bohs row in the Dalymount shed at a famous Ireland-Poland game in 1973 (Ireland won 1-0 days after Poland had knocked England out of the World Cup).
Dublin was a very violent place in the 1970s with teenage skinhead and boot boy gangs all over the place.
What did you do in the war, Grandad? ;)

[Jerry The Saint]

Dublin was a very violent place in the 1970s with teenage skinhead and boot boy gangs all over the place.

Surely not:confused: I thought things only started getting bad when the Celtic Tiger made everyone rich and we sold our soul for an SUV and a bit of decking in the back garden.

TV LIED TO ME! :mad:

[BohsPartisan]

Surely not:confused: I thought things only started getting bad when the Celtic Tiger made everyone rich and we sold our soul for an SUV and a bit of decking in the back garden.

TV LIED TO ME! :mad:

That was violence with soul. You know the good kind of violence. Violence with humour like Guy Ritchie makes movies about. Todays violence is just sooooooo comercialised. ;)

[CharlesThompson]

I heard an interview a fair few years ago on the radio that the intensity of the rivalry between Bohs and Rovers increased when Giles was managing Rovers. He felt that he wanted to better the atmosphere at these games and arranged for badges to be handed out to the Rovers faithful with 'I Hate Bohs' on it. Not sure how true this is as I wasn't supporting Bohs back then but I definately remember something along those lines being spoken about.

[WeAreRovers]

I heard an interview a fair few years ago on the radio that the intensity of the rivalry between Bohs and Rovers increased when Giles was managing Rovers. He felt that he wanted to better the atmosphere at these games and arranged for badges to be handed out to the Rovers faithful with 'I Hate Bohs' on it. Not sure how true this is as I wasn't supporting Bohs back then but I definately remember something along those lines being spoken about.

Never heard that but if it's true the man has gone up in my estimation. :D

As Billy Lord said it was the demise of Drums coupled with Bohs plumping for a players rather than gentlemen policy that started it. The big rivalry has always been Rovers and Bohs in my lifetime - and I'm not that young anymore. :(

KOH

[Billy Lord]

What did you do in the war, Grandad? ;)

I cheered on the Sex Pistols while wearing my disco pants.

[dcfcsteve]

Surely not:confused: I thought things only started getting bad when the Celtic Tiger made everyone rich and we sold our soul for an SUV and a bit of decking in the back garden.

TV LIED TO ME! :mad:

I blame Eddie Hobbs and his SSISISISSIA's.....

[khoop]

I heard an interview a fair few years ago on the radio that the intensity of the rivalry between Bohs and Rovers increased when Giles was managing Rovers. He felt that he wanted to better the atmosphere at these games and arranged for badges to be handed out to the Rovers faithful with 'I Hate Bohs' on it.

Complete and utter rubbish. Only a deluded Bohs fan might believe that their team could have warranted such attention from Giles.

Games at home to Bohs at Milltown were fairly big - but games against Drogheda, Waterford, Sligo or Harps were just as big - if not even bigger.

A visit from Pats could occasionally bring a crowd. Shels games were irrelevant.

[rebelarmyexile]

what is connection with Rovers fans called Bohs fans "orange *******s". ha never seen an orange lodge in dalyer.

When at the Rovers V Bohs cup match at the end of August,, rovers fans were holding up a Union Jack with Bohs written accross it. Where does the sectarian aspect of Rovers V Bohs hatred come from?? Rather confuses me/.

[Erstwhile Bóz]

what is connection with Rovers fans called Bohs fans "orange *******s". ha never seen an orange lodge in dalyer.

When at the Rovers V Bohs cup match at the end of August,, rovers fans were holding up a Union Jack with Bohs written accross it. Where does the sectarian aspect of Rovers V Bohs hatred come from?? Rather confuses me/.
Rovers are the pure Gaelic saviours of Irish football. This is proved by the word "Shamrock" in their name and sure don't they wear hoops -- the universal symbol of Catholicism -- they got down from Belfast especially to fight the good fight in the 26.

Most clubs founded in the 19th century were founded by the type of people who went around founding football clubs, i.e., the Protestant merchant types. Bohs (1890) was one such club. Shelbourne (1895) was as well; presumably Rovers (young pups club founded in a more enlightened century ;) ) wasn't. I think there may actually have been some mild friction with Shels down in Ringsend/Irishtown in their early days.

Anyway, some elements of the Rovers support, having got someone to read them out a few suitably incriminating instances of scurrilous Protestantism from Bohs' early days, take this as meaning that seeing as they are so very very Celtic, Bohs necessarily equate directly with Rangers or Linfield ("de Linfield of de Sout"); happily for them, they get to live out some weird Belfast/Glasgow underclass fantasy calling us Huns. They're touched.

Of course our side (used to, at least) respond with "No Huns in Dalymount, there's only no Huns in Dalymount..." and "Bohs:Celtic::Rovers:Rangers". Hurray! :rolleyes:

That's my understanding of it. It's either that or they could be right and everybody who has supported Bohs since the early '70s (when, it's claimed, Rovers first took any notice of us) has indeed been a supporter of a political union with Great Britain, loyal to the country, the Crown, and the Reformed religion.

[hoopy]

To be fair I think Bohs are the only club here to have welcomed a known loyalist murderer into their bar in recent years :D

[Erstwhile Bóz]

To be fair I think Bohs are the only club here to have welcomed a known loyalist murderer into their bar in recent years :D
:rolleyes: Ireland of the welcomes, buddy.

[CharlesThompson]

Complete and utter rubbish. Only a deluded Bohs fan might believe that their team could have warranted such attention from Giles.


Yeah...

[alabama rover]

I heard an interview a fair few years ago on the radio that the intensity of the rivalry between Bohs and Rovers increased when Giles was managing Rovers. He felt that he wanted to better the atmosphere at these games and arranged for badges to be handed out to the Rovers faithful with 'I Hate Bohs' on it. Not sure how true this is as I wasn't supporting Bohs back then but I definately remember something along those lines being spoken about.

I was in Milltown many times under Giles and there were no "I Hate Bohs" Badges! Frankly Dundalk, and Waterford were better teams than Bohs back then. We did sing "Dalymount is falling down" a lot back then but there was no more trouble at Bohs games than any others!

KOH

[BohDiddley]

Most clubs founded in the 19th century were founded by the type of people who went around founding football clubs...
Beautiful! :D

[BohsPartisan]

Where does the sectarian aspect of Rovers V Bohs hatred come from?? Rather confuses me/.

Some of our founders had moustaches, therefore we are Orange. All makes perfect sense. Check out the pic. (http://www.bohemians.ie)

Anyway I'd rather be Orange than a hoop. (of any variety!)

[sonofstan]

Some of our founders had moustaches, therefore we are Orange. All makes perfect sense. Check out the pic. (http://www.bohemians.ie)

Anyway I'd rather be Orange than a hoop. (of any variety!)

I think I'd rather be watching the 1890 version of the team, certainly

[dcfcsteve]

Some of our founders had moustaches, therefore we are Orange. All makes perfect sense. Check out the pic. (http://www.bohemians.ie) (of any variety!)

Which is the current team......? :confused:

[NY Hoop]

what is connection with Rovers fans called Bohs fans "orange *******s". ha never seen an orange lodge in dalyer.

When at the Rovers V Bohs cup match at the end of August,, rovers fans were holding up a Union Jack with Bohs written accross it. Where does the sectarian aspect of Rovers V Bohs hatred come from?? Rather confuses me/.

Boez/linfield/rangers song has been around for a long time.

Probably their connections to linfield, they seem to always have an english player playing for them, proudly displaying the rangers pennant in their bar.

BTW not all Rovers fans follow celtic.

No matter what they do though they will never merit any attention cos they are not a big club.

KOH

[hoops1]

That old pic on that link isnt even Bohs.

[BohsPartisan]

That old pic on that link isnt even Bohs.

What makes you think that?

[hoops1]

They are holding a trophy its obviously not Bohs.:p

[BohsPartisan]

1908 Irish Cup Winners AFAIK

[Erstwhile Bóz]

Boez/linfield/rangers song has been around for a long time.

Probably their connections to linfield, they seem to always have an english player playing for them, proudly displaying the rangers pennant in their bar.

:rolleyes: Why wouldn't Bohs proudly display a reminder of the team they beat in the club's most famous European match? Gobdaw.

Maybe if yous had a ground of your own with a bar in it and beat someone of note in Europe you might want to hang up a pennant one day too.

By the way, you'd want to watch them stones, living in a glass house and all: where was Vincent Matthews from? And who did Jim Smith play for in Scotland before joining Rovers? (http://www.shamrockrovers.ie/history.php) You've been signing Brits and Huns with the best of us from day fecking one so get over yourselves. "Amongst the many class players who came to came to Milltown from across the water and from Northern Ireland during this era [1920s]..."

[NY Hoop]

:rolleyes: Why wouldn't Bohs proudly display a reminder of the team they beat in the club's most famous European match? Gobdaw.

Maybe if yous had a ground of your own with a bar in it and beat someone of note in Europe you might want to hang up a pennant one day too.

By the way, you'd want to watch them stones, living in a glass house and all: where was Vincent Matthews from? And who did Jim Smith play for in Scotland before joining Rovers? (http://www.shamrockrovers.ie/history.php) You've been signing Brits and Huns with the best of us from day fecking one so get over yourselves. "Amongst the many class players who came to came to Milltown from across the water and from Northern Ireland during this era [1920s]..."


Oh and forgot to add boez fans wish they were Rovers fans. Always reading up our history and our forums.:D

When is the next boez/loyalist love in?


KOH

[BohsPartisan]

:rolleyes: Why wouldn't Bohs proudly display a reminder of the team they beat in the club's most famous European match? Gobdaw.

Maybe if yous had a ground of your own with a bar in it and beat someone of note in Europe you might want to hang up a pennant one day too.



EB, you're wasting your time arguing with a superior intellect that can come up with gems like this...


When is the next boez/loyalist love in?

[NY Hoop]

EB, you're wasting your time arguing with a superior intellect that can come up with gems like this...

All Rovers are superior to the minnows!

Serious question though but thanks for bypassing it.

KOH

[Vitruvian Man]

Didn't Shamerock Rovers board of directors have to issue an apology for their link-up with the RUC a few years ago. The sectarian wierdness of the average Sham is probably the oddest thing in LOI football.

I'm still looking forward to the visit of the homeless part-timers and their football franchise to The Big Club tomorrow.

How does it go again...

15 Leagues
24 Cups
7 Company Belly-ups

[Student Mullet]

How does it go again...

15 Leagues
24 Cups
7 Company Belly-upsSorry, it's a new league this year so the correct figures are:
0 Leagues
24 Cups
0 Belly-Up's

[NY Hoop]

Didn't Shamerock Rovers board of directors have to issue an apology for their link-up with the RUC a few years ago. The sectarian wierdness of the average Sham is probably the oddest thing in LOI football.

I'm still looking forward to the visit of the homeless part-timers and their football franchise to The Big Club:D tomorrow.

How does it go again...

15 Leagues
24 Cups
7 Company Belly-ups

The delusion continues.

"15 Leagues, 24 Cups and the boez scum will never catch up" actually!


KOH

[BohsPartisan]

"15 Leagues, 24 Cups and the boez scum will never catch up" actually!




Only global warming will stop us catching up! :p

[sonofstan]

Some of our founders had moustaches, therefore we are Orange. All makes perfect sense. Check out the pic. (http://www.bohemians.ie)



the guy on the extreme right of the 'then' pic looks a bit like a 19th century Tom the Gom

[Da Real Rover]

Oh and forgot to add boez fans wish they were Rovers fans. Always reading up our history and our forums.:D

When is the next boez/loyalist love in?


KOH

Lads lads, easy up there. The only club in the south with fan connections with loyalism and linfield is apparently galway. Now i only say this because of frequent visits to terryland from the billy boys, this according to a linfield fan. So focus your attentions else where.

[hoopy]

Lads lads, easy up there. The only club in the south with fan connections with loyalism and linfield is apparently galway. Now i only say this because of frequent visits to terryland from the billy boys, this according to a linfield fan. So focus your attentions else where.

That explains the water mystery so :D

[Da Real Rover]

That explains the water mystery so :D

Yes, yes it does.