Limerick in the 80s

Good thread is this one.
Just read it but there is one thing i can't understand. Shelbourne posts a few negative points and he is a ***** and a muppet:confused:

Was the Markets field a lovely place? NO. But it was a good venue.
Kev Fitz did let in 5 goals and had a nightmare.
Rugby has taken over and theres no denying that.
And the point about the statue, it seems to me that he is asking the question,why none of the likes of Kev Fitzpatrick, Finnucane etc.

Is it that you are all very upset that someone points these things out or what is it.

Not upset...it was more the sarcastic and smarmy condescending tone in which they came across.

I presume by his username he is a member of Shelbourne junior club in Limerick.

Who ???

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Originally Posted by joeSoap

Not upset...it was more the sarcastic and smarmy condescending tone in which they came across.

I presume by his username he is a member of Shelbourne junior club in Limerick.

Who ???

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Now Now Joe don't be condescending :p

Another question...... How come if the club bought the Old Crescent rugby grounds in 1984 we still to this day have all this lease nonsense :confused:

Because the club that bought the land was known and registered as Limerick City FC, and had its own company formed with its own directors. The meddlesome priest and his now deceased mob handed heavy started to muscle in and the ground was sold to Peter Hogan.

Who said nostalgia isn't what it used to be?

Well done lads. As a Galway United Supporter I have fond memories of Limerick "imports" helping us out in the early years particulrly Dessie Kennedy and Georgie Quinlivan. Both were probably cast off by the Treatyites, and will never go down in history for their work rate, but they weighed in, in no small way with goals and no little style.

Also Finucane, Hamilton, Walsh, Hulmes and O'Mahoney were genuinely admired whenever they came to Terryland. They all had class. As far as I can recall only one or possibly two Galwegians played for Limerick. Eamon Deacy (league winner with Aston Villa 1981) had a short spell and Damian Meaney also had a year or two.

A friend of mine lived near the Markets Field and contrary to the negative post above, he is convinced it was a football ground in the same way Tolka or Dalyer were & that leaving it signalled the end.

Pat Grace took a bit of stick especially when a certain Mr. Dunphy returned to our shores, but a least he put a bit of money towards the national game as well as the local scene in Limerick.

Surprised nobody mentioned Sam Allardyce. Didn't he manage ye to a promotion from just one season in charge before graduating to the big stuff across the pond?

I'll never forget the cup semis in '85 a cracking 2-2 in Tolka, and a replay in St. Mel's that you probably don't want reminding about.;) (Not that I want to be reminded about the Final!:o

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Originally Posted by MyTown

Who said nostalgia isn't what it used to be?

Well done lads. As a Galway United Supporter I have fond memories of Limerick "imports" helping us out in the early years particulrly Dessie Kennedy and Georgie Quinlivan. Both were probably cast off by the Treatyites, and will never go down in history for their work rate, but they weighed in, in no small way with goals and no little style.

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Even in my time as a Limerick fan those big time Charlies in Galway have had a habit of coming in taking some of our finer players :mad: :p

Bobby Ryan, Eddie Hickey, hell even Jason O' Connor spring immediately to mind :eek:

Great Thread tho lads, don't allow my ramblings to drag it off topic.....

gspain, JoeSoap surely there's an absolutely brilliant book somewhere in all of this???

I find myself agreeing with the thrust of what shelbourne said - though he doesn't do himself any favours in the way he says it.

I think the MF has become a wonderful place in hindsight. When the club had success (and the team of the early 80s was a great team - few mention that our manager was alos managing the Irish team) the crowds turned out. The ground was not a good spot to watch football - not least because there was a greyhound track between the fans and the pitch. Like many grounds of the 80s it was a kip - but fans put up with a lot more sh1te back then. I laugh when I hear fellas saying they wouldn't support Limerick since they left the MF. That is a cop-out - the same fellas wouldn't cross the road to a match and would sit in the lounge watching premiership all day anyway.

Limerick is not the only LoI club that suffered huge drops in attendances in the 80s - it was a feature of the LoI in general. And was caused IMO by live English matches, continued poor facilities, falling standards of football etc. The debacle of the club lotto was a massive problem for the club because it did create a lot of the bad will towards the club. Many, many people paid into that each week and when nothing happened in the club on the back of it as Rathbane remained undeveloped people turned their back on the club. Limerick had strong attendances after the move from MF - though this became less and less frequent. :ball:

Why is Dave Connell and Fran Mullaly(RIP) not mentioned in the same sentence.They actually got Limerick to the playoffs on a pittance of a budget??

Yea - Lim Till I Die reminded us Galwegians about Eddie Hickey & Bobby Ryan coming to Galway. It was Dave who brought Eddie with him, whatever about Bobby. Galway United was going through huge turmoil on & off the field and came within a whisker of doing a Dublin City / Thurles Town / Newcastlewest. Dave & Eddie were victims of all that fall out in my view and I still regret the way things turned out for them, and that they didn't get a fair crack of the whip having agreed to come to Galway.

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Originally Posted by MyTown

Dave & Eddie were victims of all that fall out in my view and I still regret the way things turned out for them, and that they didn't get a fair crack of the whip having agreed to come to Galway.

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Eddie Hickey was an absolutely brilliant keeper

I remember slightly less about Dave Connell playing but from what I do remember he was rock solid at the back

Bobby Ryan was of course also class :ball:

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Originally Posted by Lim till i die

Eddie Hickey was an absolutely brilliant keeper

I remember slightly less about Dave Connell playing but from what I do remember he was rock solid at the back

Bobby Ryan was of course also class :ball:

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Eddie is playing in goal with Pike 'B' now. And to think we had Tommy Barrett in goal for a big cup game.

Dave was solid at the back, but an awful gobsh1te who didn't endear himself to too many off the pitch.

Bobby...no words needed...

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Originally Posted by joeSoap

Eddie is playing in goal with Pike 'B' now. And to think we had Tommy Barrett in goal for a big cup game.

Dave was solid at the back, but an awful gobsh1te who didn't endear himself to too many off the pitch.

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I assume Eddie has lost some of that magic agility though :confused:

Ah Dave was alright, we've a long history of slightly pig-headed people being involved with the club :p

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Originally Posted by MyTown

Yea - Lim Till I Die reminded us Galwegians about Eddie Hickey & Bobby Ryan coming to Galway. It was Dave who brought Eddie with him, whatever about Bobby. Galway United was going through huge turmoil on & off the field and came within a whisker of doing a Dublin City / Thurles Town / Newcastlewest. Dave & Eddie were victims of all that fall out in my view and I still regret the way things turned out for them, and that they didn't get a fair crack of the whip having agreed to come to Galway.

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Dave Connell - easily one of the most comfortable players on the ball I have seen..... A legend.

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Originally Posted by ciaraa

Dave Connell - easily one of the most comfortable players on the ball I have seen..... A legend.

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Did he play for Drogheda aswell :confused:

Ya tbh I always thought he was pretty class but I was only a youngfella at the time and the memory's a bit hazy so didn't wanna go "Out on a Lim" so to speak :)

Having said all that I always prefered Albert Finnan though :ball:

He may have been an awful gobsh1te imo. but he was a class footballer. I'm not too sure about Drogs, but he did play for Rovers for a long while and also Bohs.

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Originally Posted by joeSoap

He may have been an awful gobsh1te imo. but he was a class footballer. I'm not too sure about Drogs, but he did play for Rovers for a long while and also Bohs.

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Would he make an all time Limerick eleven of yours Joe?

How would Albert Finnan fair?? I always thought he was brilliant aswell, if ever so slightly mad :)

Don't think he'd make the alltime XI. But he'd make my squad.

Albert was also a fine player, but a little touched. Again, a squad player.

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Originally Posted by ciaraa

Dave Connell - easily one of the most comfortable players on the ball I have seen..... A legend.

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Agree. Great attitude and always got stuck in. Our Player of the Year twice in a row in 91 and 92 if memory serves. At a time of **** Rovers teams you could always rely on Dave Connell. After us he went to Ards where he lost another Cup Final.


KOH

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Originally Posted by joeSoap

Since then, with the exception of Billy Hamiltons tenure, the club has languished in the first division, and through a succession of disastrous ownerships and management has sadly not looked like going back up where it belongs.

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As one of the biggest cities in the country, Limerick should have a side in the top division every year. Unfortunately, everything you hear about Limerick these days, (Munster rugby apart) is bloodthirsty. When I went to Rathbane in the 80's, it was a tidy little ground, but it's now to be blunt, a hostile, dangerous dump. The club could help themselves by getting into a safe, accessible new ground, (e.g. Jackman Park), and getting a competitive side on the field for a change. To the neutral however, it seems the club is either unwilling/unable to make the changes necessary to help themselves, and is content to just drift around aimlessly in the first division every year.

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Originally Posted by mypost

a safe, accessible new ground, (e.g. Jackman Park)

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Been there, tried that, no joy. Only one entrance too.