Famous Guests

[Mr A]

Back in the 70's a lot of fading stars from the English League guested for Irish clubs. They got big fees but I think the clubs hoped the extra crowds would cover it.

So who played for what club and when? And where they any good?

[gspain]

A few off the top of my head

Dixie Dean played with Sligo in the 1939 cup final

Raich Carter and Jimmy Delaney played with Cork Athletic

George Best played with Cork Celtic

Bobby Charlton played with Waterford

Gordon Banks played with St Pats

Uwe Seeler played with Cork Celtic

Jimmy Johnstone played with Shels I think.

Trevor Brooking and Terry McDermott played with Cork City.

[Mr A]

Didn't Dixie Dean play with Sligo for a while though? I think I read that he spent a season or two there but maybe I'm mistaken.

[gspain]

Didn't Dixie Dean play with Sligo for a while though? I think I read that he spent a season or two there but maybe I'm mistaken.

Just the cup final and replay I think. Raich Carter and Jimmy Delaney were only over for the cup as well I think.

We had Malcolm McDonald in Limerick but he never played jsut took a penalty before a game v Dundalk in 1979. Drogheda signed Ron Abott of QPR a few months after he had retired for a cup game v us in 1980. When he wasn't named in the team an enquiry learned that he had flown into Dublin airport that morning at least 3 stone over his playing weight and they put him straight back home on the next plane.

Many of these players were just signed for the cup.

We did sign John McDermott from Manchester United for the 1979 cup campaign. I bet no Man Utd fan has ever heard of him because he was useless.

[Dodge]

One of the last of this type was Frank worthington signing for Galway. Remember my dad just laughing at the state of him in Richmond Park. Most of the others before my time but most older Pats fans talk about a save banks made against Rovers being better than the "one" v Pele in 1970

[pineapple stu]

Article on STIGonline about some, though not all, of said players.

Also, a similar one about famous people to have played for UCD at various stages (although Ollie doesn't get a mention; must fix that I suppose).

[Jeebus]

Didn't Dixie Dean play with Sligo for a while though? I think I read that he spent a season or two there but maybe I'm mistaken.

Just the cup final and replay I think. Raich Carter and Jimmy Delaney were only over for the cup as well I think.

He signed in January 1939 and played until the end of the season, his last game being the FAI cup final replay.

See below taken from here: http://www.sligorovers.com/content/view/19/226/

Dixie comes to Town
In the 1938/39 season Rovers league form was again very good on this occasion they finished second nine points behind the eventual winners Shamrock Rovers. This was however a remarkable season for the club as one of the most enduring pieces of the club's history was about to unfold. Though they opened the campaign with a defeat to Shelbourne they then had a six match unbeaten run. Rovers couldn't find a settled side during this period with chopping and changing in almost all positions. The club then shook the foundations of Irish Football to the core. In January 1989 Rovers announced that they had signed William Ralph Dean known to the football world as ‘Dixie’.
Dixie was generally regarded as being the best footballer of his generation as his career which had started with Tranmere Rovers took him to his beloved Everton before ending his career in England with Notts County. For a player of his stature to sign for Sligo Rovers in the League of Ireland was sensational. The railway station was packed as the former England international arrived in town for duty. His first appearance saw him score as Rovers beat Shelbourne 3 - 2. In his seven league games for Rovers Dixie scored ten goals including five in a 7-1 win over Waterford which remains the clubs record goals haul for a single game. Rovers eventually finished runners-up in the league nine points behind the winners Shamrock Rovers.
Dixie also played in four FAI Cup games for Rovers. Rovers beat Cork in the first round by two goals to one before defeating Distillery in the second round by the same score. Rovers then had their first ever cup win against Dundalk in the semi-final to qualify for their first ever cup final. A crowd of 36,601 turned up for the final. With two minutes to go to half time Dean headed Rovers into the lead. Shelbourne equalised straight from a corner with only ten minutes left to leave the score at 1 - 1. The replay was won by Shelbourne by a slender 1-0 margin when "Sacky" Glen scored from a free kick and success in the blue riband would have to wait. 28,369 spectators turned up to watch the replay.

Rovers team for the final was:

Cranston,McDaid,Livesley,Peachey,Hay,
Burns, Began, Monaghan, O'Connor, Johnston, Dean
For the replay Graham replaced left half Burns in the Rovers team.

[stann]

Didn't Terry Venables play for someone here too, Pat's maybe?
Bobby Tambling played for the Blues for a season in the 70's too, and he'd been at one of the Cork sides before that.
Dick Long or Bluemovie will surely have the details.

Oh and what about Carlton Palmer at Dublin City, did he ever actually kick a ball in anger though?

[brandy86]

Mike Channon had one very brief appearence in a Harps jersey in 1986.

He lasted 50mins in a 2-2 draw against Cobh in a League Cup game, before an old ankle injury got the better of him.

He returned to England a few days later.

[Dodge]

Didn't Terry Venables play for someone here too, Pat's maybe?

Twice. When a journo went to ask him about before a preseason friendly before "Terry, can I have aquick word about your time at St Pats?"

He replied "You can have two words, twice and rubbish"

I maybe paraphrasing some of that

[Burny89]

luthur blissett

played one game for Derry in Galway, was an awful sight

[monutdfc]

I bought a fanzine at a Shels game about 5 years ago with a great article on all these guest appearances. It wasn't a Shel's fanzine, just some football history buff production. I'll see if I can dig it out (unlikely!), but someone might have seen the same thing.

[TheBoss]

Sam Allardyce - Limerick 1991-92
Ian Callaghan - Cork United 1980-82

[Dodge]

Allyrdyce wasn't a guest. he was player manager

[TheBoss]

He was the manager for the 93 season.

[Dodge]

he wouldn't have been famous enough to be a guest IMO. He'd have just been a jobbing pro

[dublinred]

Roddy Collins guested a few times for Sligo Rovers in the early nineties, he left to go to a wedding.

[Lionel Ritchie]

luthur blissett

played one game for Derry in Galway, was an awful sight

He played against Limerick in Rathbane as well.

[deecay]

I do not remember these 'guests',well I wouldnt have been around for most of them but ive never herd the term before.Did they come in on a game by game contract or unoffically?

[Dodge]

I do not remember these 'guests',well I wouldnt have been around for most of them but ive never herd the term before.Did they come in on a game by game contract or unoffically?

Usually came in for 1 or 2 games. Only signed as publicity stunts. Most of them were in ther late 30s/early 40s and had "retired" from football. Either got paid huge money, or more likely decent wage and a cut of the gate.