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Johnny Hoeks was a legend :pQuote:
Originally Posted by red bellied
The abuse we use to give him when he'd be in Equinox trying to chat
up any woman who'd listen with his "I'm a professional footballer" line!
He'd be in the chipper afterwards trying to get free food saying Rovers
pay for his meals!
Spent most of his time cycling up and down JFK Parade if memory serves me
He lived across the road from me in Maugheraboy.Quote:
Originally Posted by gustavo
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Originally Posted by Boh_So_Good
Please, please get your facts right. They always had support in double figures!
But - you're right. The so called good old days were a total myth.
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Originally Posted by red bellied
And a damm good player he was too!
Yeah, and we all know they're first to come out with stuff going on in the club:rolleyes:. He's gone, Cook has taken over for the rest of the season.Quote:
Originally Posted by red bellied
Perhaps the most notorious of all Cup confrontations between the sides was the 1978 final, a game so loaded with controversy that it has earned an indelible place in the folklore of Sligo soccer.
Even now, twenty-two years on, the sense of injustice over a penalty award which settled the tie in favour of the Dublin club is the subject of much heated debate in Sligo football circles.
The outrage centres on an incident three minutes into injury time at the end of the first half. With the game scoreless, Shams winger, Steve Lynex, who had been at Sligo for a brief spell earlier in the season, was challenged by Rovers full-back, Paul Fielding. As the ball broke free, Lynex went sprawling to the ground. Most observers felt he had lost his balance and tumbled over but referee, John Carpenter, adjudged that Fielding had tripped his opponent and awarded a penalty. Ray Treacy put away the spot kick and Shams lifted the trophy.
Fury raged in Sligo for weeks after the game and the episode had a controversial sequel some years later when a book on the history of the FAI Cup made reference to an alleged threat on Lynex.
The player claimed that during his time in Sligo, he had a gun thrust into his side and informed bluntly: "we don't want your kind here". Rovers challenged the authenticity of the story, claiming that such an incident never took place. In any event, it was another twist to the extraordinary saga of Cup confrontations between the two Rovers
http://www.sligochampion.ie/sport/so...in-942588.html
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Originally Posted by jimhacker
I Know! I am always amazed at this idea of huge crowds in the LOI before the 1980's Absolute rubbish.
Sure Milltown could hold 24,000 - IF CELTIC CAME TO TOWN. Otherwise it was the usual 1,200 or so for most matches and they were the biggest club in the league in the 70's and 80's. I recall one time Rovers were playing Dundalk in the Cup in the mid 70's and the guy on RTE radio announced something about "the great old days of the LOI are back with a train from Connolly with up to 500 Rovers supporters going to Dundalk!" - so even in the old days, they had this myth that crowds were huge in the old days before that...
As for the huge crowds for finals - well this is true. But if you look at it realistically, it was classic GAA event junkie-ism from counties such as Donegal, Waterford, Limerick, Sligo who all had limited success (if any at all) with GAA. So this was the nearest thing to them to a Croker trip and they would all go "for the craic!". And like the GAA none of them would be around for league matches when the season restarted.
The "Sports Mad Country" notion has always been a load of hyperbole based on fuzzy memory and wishful thinking.
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Originally Posted by red bellied
Sounds like you never got over it as this is your second post on it. Eh its nearly 30 years ago.
Would well believe the gun story though.
KOH
Actually only posted the article from the Champion because of the Lynex gun tale. This has been doing the rounds for years. Its down to Lynex's credibility really, do you believe him or not?Quote:
Originally Posted by NY Hoop
My mistake dunno where i got that fromQuote:
Originally Posted by red bellied