Are there any books on the history of the LOI?

**Poor Student** · 21/11/2004, 7:02 PM

Anyone know of a such thing and where available? Preferably something that doesn't talk about the national team, but even if as long as it gives decent coverage to the league. Something that would cover pre partion, formation of the LOI, Drumcondra, collapse of Cork clubs etc.

**eamoss** · 21/11/2004, 8:56 PM

I have not read it but i have heard it does give some info on how the league was formed http://www.historyofdundalkfc.com

**jimhacker** · 22/11/2004, 9:29 AM

Originally Posted by Poor Student

Anyone know of a such thing and where available? Preferably something that doesn't talk about the national team, but even if as long as it gives decent coverage to the league. Something that would cover pre partion, formation of the LOI, Drumcondra, collapse of Cork clubs etc.

No. Nobody would bother writing such a book because nobody would ever believe the goings on in it!

**Poor Student** · 26/11/2004, 7:08 PM

Thanks for the reccomendation Eamo, not quite what I am looking for, but then again I get the impression it doesn't exist.

**kilkennycat2004** · 27/11/2004, 1:41 PM

Several books on LOI activities exist.
Book of the FAI cup was very good (printed around 1985)
Similarly book of Irish goalscorers. Same vintage. Both probably hard top get now.
The Fai done a national league annual some years in 90's & maybe the clowns in Merrion Square (not the office staff btw) may still have some of those.
Shamrock Rovers, Finn harps, Dundalk, Limerick & Sligo have all issued histories of sorts.
Hope this helps.

**eoinh** · 27/11/2004, 2:49 PM

There was several "Irish Football Handbooks" produced in the 90's by Dave Galvin and Gerry Desmond. Excellent they were too.

In 1987 a book entitled "Come on the Hoops - the Story of Shamrock Rovers, Irelands greatest Soccer Club" was published. It was written by a Charlie Willoughby and published by the Killkenny People. I bought it in Easons for £3.50.

**harpskid** · 27/11/2004, 3:33 PM

Where could one find these books?

**CollegeTillIDie** · 27/11/2004, 3:56 PM

Originally Posted by kilkennycat2004

Several books on LOI activities exist.
Book of the FAI cup was very good (printed around 1985)
Similarly book of Irish goalscorers. Same vintage. Both probably hard top get now.
The Fai done a national league annual some years in 90's & maybe the clowns in Merrion Square (not the office staff btw) may still have some of those.
Shamrock Rovers, Finn harps, Dundalk, Limerick & Sligo have all issued histories of sorts.
Hope this helps.

Spoke to the author of the Eircom League Annual at the last match of our season v Kilkenny and there will be one for the start of the 2005 season folks.

**CollegeTillIDie** · 27/11/2004, 3:58 PM

Originally Posted by eoinh

There was several "Irish Football Handbooks" produced in the 90's by Dave Galvin and Gerry Desmond. Excellent they were too.

In 1987 a book entitled "Come on the Hoops - the Story of Shamrock Rovers, Irelands greatest Soccer Club" was published. It was written by a Charlie Willoughby and published by the Killkenny People. I bought it in Easons for £3.50.

Eoin that book "Come On the Hoops" was muck. A much better history was produced by Robert Goggins and Paul Doolin in 1993 called the Hoops published by Gill and Macmillan.

The boys handbooks were fantastic on the other hand !

**eoinh** · 27/11/2004, 4:18 PM

Originally Posted by CollegeTillIDie

Eoin that book "Come On the Hoops" was muck.

I know it was!

**sonofstan** · 27/11/2004, 10:57 PM

Not a history, but worth a read for some good stories and some legends is Only One Red Army, Eamon Sweeney's half - successful attempt at an Irish Fever Pitch; personal story interwoven with tribulations of following a football team - Sligo Rovers - type thing. Gets a lot of the colour right, the half desperate, half glorious absurdity of caring passionately about often not very good football played in dumps up and down the country.

**Schumi** · 29/11/2004, 12:32 PM

Originally Posted by sonofstan

Not a history, but worth a read for some good stories and some legends is Only One Red Army, Eamon Sweeney's half - successful attempt at an Irish Fever Pitch; personal story interwoven with tribulations of following a football team - Sligo Rovers - type thing. Gets a lot of the colour right, the half desperate, half glorious absurdity of caring passionately about often not very good football played in dumps up and down the country.

Agree about Only One Red Army, excellent book.

**tiktok** · 29/11/2004, 1:01 PM

Originally Posted by Conor74

As good as Fever Pitch? I thought it was waaaaaaay better.

agreee 100%. absolutely brilliant book

**Macy** · 29/11/2004, 1:40 PM

Originally Posted by Conor74

There's Only One Red Army is right up there with The Miracle of Castille de Sangro as the best sports book ever.

Enjoyed There's Only One Red Army, (it písses all over Fever Pitch - the worst book Hornby's written).

Is the Miracle of Castille de Sangro the one written by that yank who suddenly became a football expert? If it is, I couldn't even finish it I found it that annoying....

**wws** · 29/11/2004, 1:46 PM

Originally Posted by Macy

Is the Miracle of Castille de Sangro the one written by that yank who suddenly became a football expert? If it is, I couldn't even finish it I found it that annoying....

no, its not

thats a year with verona, or a year in provence or some such

**NY Hoop** · 29/11/2004, 1:49 PM

Actually it is. The yank started whinging about a game being fixed Italian style towards the end which ruined the book IMO.

The Verona book was better as it was written by an english guy living there Tim Parks. Well worth a read.

KOH

**wws** · 29/11/2004, 1:51 PM

haha - i knew i'd get em mixed up- read niether of course!

**Schumi** · 29/11/2004, 2:04 PM

Originally Posted by NY Hoop

The Verona book was better as it was written by an english guy living there Tim Parks. Well worth a read.

Enjoyed that book, didn't keep up the quality of the first chapter but a good read all the same. It helped that I couldn't remember what year they went down so it was a bit of a suspense thriller for me too!

**sonofstan** · 29/11/2004, 3:21 PM

Enjoyed the Parks book a lot - best bit is the account of walking up the Tiber towards the Stadio Olimpico from Trastevere after some academic affair to watch Verona play Roma and describing the mounting excitement as he nears the ground - walking to the ground is often the best bit of a match, I find ( cue obvious Bohs joke)

**harry crumb** · 30/11/2004, 9:50 PM

There was a book published around 1987 by Sean Ryan(Sunday Independent) and another feen(bohs fan). It was all about Irish goalscorers. Most of the book is about the league of Ireland. It might be available in your local library.

Brendan Bradley is way ahead at the top of the list with c.235 goals. It is a good read and has a chapter on each of the top scorers over the previous decades. e.g Alfie Hale, Turlogh O'Connor, Leech.....etc.