Minute's silence at the Bowl this evening for Jim McCabe, our first keeper in the LoI, who died yesterday. Played every one of our first 100 senior games actually. Formed McCabe's Wines while still a UCD player
Last edited by pineapple stu; 04/07/2024 at 7:13 PM.
Vinny Redding passed away recently. He was an ex journalist that started out in the Irish press and last worked for The Star. He was well liked at St Pats and was known to many. He lived in Bray for years so some of their fanbase might recognise the name. RIP.
https://rip.ie/death-notice/vincent-...canogue-562998
Last edited by D24Saint; 20/07/2024 at 9:14 PM.
Jim McLaughlin RIP
https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2024...-dies-aged-83/
No One Likes Us, We Don't Care
By quite a considerable distance the greatest ever manager in the League of Ireland.
He had me as an 11yr old Rovers fan thinking Rovers were absolutely invincible and without equal, and he was right.
He was successful at pretty much every single club he managed at, unless I'm mistaken.
A massive loss to those of us in LOI circles of a certain age
Im a little surprised there hasnt been a few more comments on Jim McLoughlin's passing! Agree with PC the GOAT manager in LoI. I never had the privilage of seeing his 1st spell of Dundalk sides or his Rovers sides, Im not of that vintage. His great Derry side I certainly do remember. His return to Dundalk was at a bad time for the club, not something that should be a blot on a stellar managerial career, Pep wouldnt have saved Dundalk FC about then, a slow decline from winning the lague in 94/95 to relegation 97/98 under Mcaughlin via John Hewitt and Eddie May (feels uncomfortably similar to things currently)! Drogheda days, well they just did what Drogheda did best in yoyoing between the 2 divisions.
There are endless wee stories of his time at Dundalk that do the rounds, letting players have their own few minutes at HT to sort each other out if things werent going well, a team with Keeley, Lawlor, McConville, Dainty et al, full of leaders, McLoughlin obviously knew the times that the players didnt always need his words at HT. His health hasnt been good for long while but a few years ago he was in a local supermarket with his son, not really aware of his surroundings tbh, my nephew was wearing his Dundalk shirt and upon passing by, Jim lifted the head and grinned at my nephew when he spotted he shirt, there wa a glimmer of recall of the old (2016) town shirt.
While there are many stories as mentioned, my favourite and probably the most famous was when dealing with the Scottish media prior to the European Cup game against Celtic where he basically talked them in to complacency, the team being there for the free trip, curfews broken etc. Maybe an element of urban legend in the story but we did rattle Celtic, 3-2, 2 away goals made it nervy for Celtic in the home leg, ending 0-0, the much talked about Tommy Mc chance at the end of that game and the fine margin between a moral victory and a 1/4 final spot against Real Madrid. Saw some footage of the away leg once around 1994, it does exist though have never seen it again since. There is also some 8mm footage from Malta that year somewhere. It wouldnt be mentioned often as something a manager has to deal with but managing the tragic deaths of 3 players in a couple of years is something that McLaughlin faced during that time at Dundalk, with the deaths of Sean McLoughlin, Brian McConville, and Liam Devine - that hat to have been tough on he cub, squad, fans and manager!
What a time it must have been for Dundalk fans though, the Linfield invasion, Hibs Malta, the the record 18k in Oriel for home 2nd leg v Celtic. 8 years unbeaten at home in Europe under Jim v minnows like PSV, Porto, Spurs, Hajduk, Celtic. While domestically Jim continued to dominate as manager, backed by Kilkoyne money at Rovers he had the 3 titles as part of the famous 4 in a row, but the European run didnt continue. The modern day 'treble' he won with Derry of course, and hasnt been done again and wont be since the end of the League Cup.
On an average match night in Oriel Park, somewhere, someone is debating whether the Alan Fox, Jim McLaughlin, Stephen Kenny were the better sides. If Oriel or others have any stories on the leagues GOAT manager itd be nice to hear.
Unfortunately we've all been expecting this. He'd been ill for a while, but still sad to hear.Originally Posted by Nesta99
I don't remember his time as manager at Derry, but the lift it gave the town in a grim period of it's history is hard to quantify.
Absolute gentlemen too, by all accounts. He'll never be forgotten.
Extraordinary man and extraordinary manager (and a very good player in his day too). It is rare to be a legend at one club, incredibly rare to be a legend at two clubs, but to be an solid gold legend at three different clubs tells its own story.
Jim's time at Dundalk was before my time, but I was lucky enough to meet him after a fans v legends match just after we put the artificial pitch in Oriel in 2005. I approached himself and Terry Eviston for a quick hello and the two of them sat with me and my wife talking football for the rest of the evening. What a gent, what a character. I've seen him around now and again in recent years when his health was deteriorating, the memory going, but he still had that charisma. He knew he was well known, he knew that people knew him even if he could no longer remember who everyone was, but he had this disarming charm til the end.
His managerial career was astounding.... took Dundalk from bottom of the league to 3 titles, 3 cups, 2 League Cups and redefined what was possible for an Irish club in Europe. Then on to Rovers who hadn't won the league in 20 years- 3 seasons, 3 leagues, 2 cups. On to Derry, finding their feet in the First Division.... promotion in his first season in charge, the treble two years later! Another league title alongside Pat Byrne at Shels in 92. 8 league titles, 6 FAI Cups, 4 League Cups.
Yeah it was thanks to JMCL that I got into LOI in mid/late 80s. Very sad to hear of his passing. RIP Jim he did such a phenomenal job at a lot of the loi clubs.
Gary Cronin is he the right man to manage Longford Town?
Age thing Nesta, Jim was DFC manager 1974-1983, that is 50 years from when he started, even at Rovers in 1984 its 40 years, a lot on here are probably in their 30's/ 40's, would have no memory.
He was the greatest manager Dundalk ever had, he surpasses Kenny (just but he does) even though SK won 4 leagues and 2 cups, as McLaughlin with 3 leagues, 3 cups, the euro stuff was just off the rocker from McLaughlin. Playing Celtic in last 16 of EC in 1979 and a whisker of beating them (lost 2-3 agg) and Spurs 2 years later, (ECWC) - lost 2-1 on agg, this was the Spurs team of Ardilles and Villia, Hoddle, Tony Galvin and Hughton (ROI), and Porto in between (1980), lost 0-1 on Agg, Jim was the master. Unbeaten at home in Europe, 76-82 (ended by Liverpool who won it in 84), some big clubs came to Oriel Park during Jim's reign, none won, PSV, H Split, (Linfield and Hibs Malta), Porto, Celtic, Spurs (already mentioned).
To be fair he went on to revitalise Rovers 84-86, Euro record was poor there, but they were an excellent side domestically, then back to his home spot Derry for more, the treble in 1989, one of the few times it was ever achieved in Ireland and later Shels for a one off league title. What a man.
Not forgetting his tenure in charge of the excellent Ireland Olympic team 86-88 for the Seoul games, what a team that was, Rovers mainly, then the holy trinity of Alan O'Neill, Gino Lawless, Barry Kehoe from DFC and the superb Jackie Jameson (Bohs), some great games in that group, I was at a good few.
RIP Jim.
Last edited by oriel; 17/08/2024 at 11:04 PM.
#DundalkFC - First Irish club to win an away game in Europe (1963), first Irish club to win points in a group stage in Europe (2016).
Brilliant tributes to Jim.
i really cant add anything more to the thread other than offer my condolences to Jims family. May he now RIP.
Ger Byrne, staunch Bohs fan and all round brilliant and funny fella passed away. I spent so many epic days and nights with the guy when I was living back home and still considered him a good friend. He was a great man, a great Bohs man and a League of Ireland supporter (hated Rovers of course!). He posted here occasionally too I think. I’m sure many of you will know him and want to pay your respects. RIP Ger.
Very sad news. I actually got to know Ger through work rather than Bohs. He was a lovely funny guy. RIP Ger.
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