Shamrock Rovers 1967 US Tour

**Lux Interior** · 15/08/2006, 10:01 AM

Rovers lads (or any other knowledgeable souls) ....

Could any of you offer up any (ancedotal) information on this tour from a Rovers perspective?

For example, is it 'revered' or (has it been) commemorated in any way?

Thanks, in advance.

**NY Hoop** · 15/08/2006, 11:29 AM

Lux,

While I was over there spent the guts of a day in the library photocopying all the results from 1967 when Rovers represented Boston. Also have the results from the 1961 tour. Lemme know if you want them.

Best chance of any inside info on the tour would be interviews with players who were there. Will have a look.

Re commemoration my idea would be for Rovers to play the NY Red Bulls in NY in 2011 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1961 trip

http://www.sover.net/~spectrum/year/1961.html

http://www.sover.net/~spectrum/year/1967.html

KOH

**Dodge** · 15/08/2006, 11:52 AM

Boston Beacons
USL

**Lux Interior** · 15/08/2006, 2:05 PM

Originally Posted by NY Hoop

Lux,

While I was over there spent the guts of a day in the library photocopying all the results from 1967 when Rovers represented Boston. Also have the results from the 1961 tour. Lemme know if you want them.

Best chance of any inside info on the tour would be interviews with players who were there. Will have a look.

Re commemoration my idea would be for Rovers to play the NY Red Bulls in NY in 2011 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1961 trip

http://www.sover.net/~spectrum/year/1961.html

http://www.sover.net/~spectrum/year/1967.html

KOH

Cheers, I have those two articles saved somewhere .... basically, Im doing a season long effort for the Glen's programme, as its the 40th anniversary of this tour. As Rovers were the other Irish side representing, I was hoping to get that perspective in somewhere.

That "interview with players" would be worth a shot - let me know, as I have the numbers of surviving Glens players whom I'll be contacting.

**el punter** · 15/08/2006, 2:29 PM

Would love to publish that article on walkthechalk also Lux if you'd like.

**Lux Interior** · 15/08/2006, 2:34 PM

Originally Posted by el punter

Would love to publish that article on walkthechalk also Lux if you'd like.

I have no issue with that - the Editor might, though. I'll ask him on Sat.

**gspain** · 17/08/2006, 11:43 AM

AFAIK it has not been revered in the same way the Glens look back on the Cougars tour. Partly I assume because Rovers were there in 1961 and partly because they didn't do that well on tour.

I think the Glens v Rovers game in Detroit was played in a terrible thunderstorm.

I have all the results but not online. Assume you have those.

**Dodge** · 17/08/2006, 12:11 PM

Some great sites for US stats
http://home.att.net/~nasl/nasl.htm
http://www.sover.net/~spectrum/
http://www.soccerhall.org/Library_Index.htm

I'm sure Lux already has them but handy for outsiders. Go to the player registry as the Soccer Hall of Fame and see how many Irish players there are...

**Lux Interior** · 18/08/2006, 12:33 AM

Originally Posted by gspain

AFAIK it has not been revered in the same way the Glens look back on the Cougars tour. Partly I assume because Rovers were there in 1961 and partly because they didn't do that well on tour.

I think the Glens v Rovers game in Detroit was played in a terrible thunderstorm.

I have all the results but not online. Assume you have those.

Yeah, cheers, I have all those and more programmes / articles than you can shake a stick at.

Your first paragraph is the point of interest here, as the stuff I'm after would be more ancedotal; for example, the Glens have brought out 10, 20 and 25 year commemorative booklets - are there no Rovers' equivalents etc etc?

One of the anomalies I've discovered is that Glens and Rovers played twice, whereas we played all other competing teams once ..... cannot find the reason - yet - as to 'why'.

**Dodge** · 18/08/2006, 12:53 AM

Forgot this link for the newbies...
http://www.kenn.com/sports/soccer/nasl/index.html

Attendance info

**gspain** · 18/08/2006, 7:48 AM

Originally Posted by Lux Interior

Yeah, cheers, I have all those and more programmes / articles than you can shake a stick at.

Your first paragraph is the point of interest here, as the stuff I'm after would be more ancedotal; for example, the Glens have brought out 10, 20 and 25 year commemorative booklets - are there no Rovers' equivalents etc etc?

One of the anomalies I've discovered is that Glens and Rovers played twice, whereas we played all other competing teams once ..... cannot find the reason - yet - as to 'why'.

No booklets for Rovers that I'm aware of. I didn't know there was a 10 year Glens booklet. Wouldn't mind a copy if you know of any going spare.

Every team played 12 games - each team once and 1 team twice. This ensured each team had 6 home and 6 away games. I assume Glens and Rovers were the obvious sides to meet twice. It is loosely based on the American sports syndrome where you play teams from other divisions as well as your own.

There were a lot of friendlies organsied at the time as well but I'm not aware of the Glens or Rovers playing any. Real Madrid met West Ham to open the Houston Astrodome (I imagine the impressive new stadium rather than the locals love of football gave them the highest crowds in the league). Chelsea met Eintracht Braunschweig. Dundee were there too (as opposed to Dundee United who competed in the league as Dallas).

If I recall correctly as well Bobby Moore is on the cover of the Glens v Rovers programme. No idea why.

I see the Rovers v Glens programme is on ebay

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...MEWA%3AIT&rd=1

**Passive** · 18/08/2006, 9:06 AM

There was never any commemorative booklets produced from our end. To be honest, nobody really considered the tour to be that big a deal. I talked to some of the players from both tours and their biggest memory of it was just being in America for 7 weeks! They made the point that Irish people who went to America back then tended not to come home, so to get the opportunity to visit for while was very unusual.

It was seen as a good promotional thing for the club but, from what I could gather, nobody really placed that much importance on it. In fact, I'd imagine that many Rovers fans would be totally unaware the trip even happened.

**Drumcondra Red** · 18/08/2006, 10:16 AM

I find this quite interesting to be honest, I never knew about it before!

**gspain** · 18/08/2006, 10:28 AM

Other club sides from this island to tour North America include

Belfast Celtic 1949 10 games
Glenavon 1960
Shamrock Rovers 61 9 games & 67 12 games & 95 4 games & 96
Waterford 74 at least 5 games
Finn Harps 74 7 games
Cork Hibs 76 - 10 games
Sligo 77 - 4 games
Linfield and Glens circa 85
Bray early 90's