Your club's Greatest League in the world moment?

**Calcio Jack** · 07/11/2018, 8:56 PM

Rovers in late 70s held a testimonial for a true legend. There was the usual pre match presentation on pitch by Louis K to the player and his wife. The ‘bouquet’ of flowers he presented to the wife was a bunch of plastic flowers he plucked from the Hoops club as he’d ‘forgotten’ to order a real bunch

**ForzaForth** · 07/11/2018, 9:12 PM

Shearer, I just checked that he moved to Rovers in 1985 so I would say 1984 during his (summer) off-season. Exceptional player with a level of pace and power that you knew you would never replicate even though he wasn't the biggest. Scored a rake of goals from midfield.

**RathfarnhamHoop** · 07/11/2018, 9:48 PM

Originally Posted by Calcio Jack

That’s a myth re the Jesuits- they were fully aware of what was happening and simply wanted the money - they’re only regret is that they didn’t sell directly to a developer.... but that’s what happens when your accountant is also acting as an adviser for the other side .

Quote from RTE archives seems to suggest otherwise, but wouldn't shock me to hear they weren't being completely honest

"However Fr Senan Timoney says when the Jesuits were renegotiating the freehold they thought it was to keep Rovers at Milltown. When he heard about the move he was Flabbergasted."

**SkStu** · 08/11/2018, 1:39 AM

Originally Posted by nigel-harps1954

They were there alright. Weren't employed though. There was some sort of event, can't remember exactly what it was, some sort of cultural thing and they were in the ground for a game. Strangest sight.

Jealous much?

**SkStu** · 08/11/2018, 1:46 AM

Before the away game v. Aberdeen, Roddy taking out an ad in the local papers looking for players who’d be interested in lining out for the part time team from Ireland.

**joey B** · 08/11/2018, 2:03 AM

Half the squad dying their hair bleach blonde for a cup final is looking back on it hilarious!

**Ezeikial** · 08/11/2018, 6:43 AM

Originally Posted by SkStu

Before the away game v. Aberdeen, Roddy taking out an ad in the local papers looking for players who’d be interested in lining out for the part time team from Ireland.

Brilliant

What's another creditor

**nigel-harps1954** · 08/11/2018, 8:28 AM

Originally Posted by SkStu

Jealous much?

Ha! Everyone talks about the drummers there for one night...not the buck doing it for the the past 10/12 years

**CorribsideSteve** · 08/11/2018, 8:30 AM

Having Nick Leeson as CEO. Simple as that.

**Mr A** · 08/11/2018, 9:22 AM

Originally Posted by Calcio Jack

Rovers in late 70s held a testimonial for a true legend. There was the usual pre match presentation on pitch by Louis K to the player and his wife. The ‘bouquet’ of flowers he presented to the wife was a bunch of plastic flowers he plucked from the Hoops club as he’d ‘forgotten’ to order a real bunch

When Harps played Everton in the UEFA cup Fran Fields was surprised by Everton officials making a presentation of a gift. So he presented Everton with a painting that he had lifted off the wall in Jacksons Hotel.

**Calcio Jack** · 08/11/2018, 9:53 AM

Originally Posted by Mr A

When Harps played Everton in the UEFA cup Fran Fields was surprised by Everton officials making a presentation of a gift. So he presented Everton with a painting that he had lifted off the wall in Jacksons Hotel.

When President if the FAI didn’t he also award himself a testimonial that featured the full senior international team to ensure a bumper pay out for himself

**Mr A** · 08/11/2018, 10:24 AM

That's a new one on me!

**nigel-harps1954** · 08/11/2018, 10:35 AM

Our Fran was a good one alright. Plenty of stories about thousands owed to different hotels over the years by him.

Patsy McGowans book (although by no means any sort of gospel) tells plenty of stories about him. Harps used to stay in different hotels all over the place through the 70s and end up never paying any of them according to him. Fran would hand in a check he knew would bounce and say nothing.

**lofty9** · 08/11/2018, 12:05 PM

https://www.theguardian.com/football...ses-team-photo

I remember Gerard Pique and a few big players retweeting this at the time. Definitely greatestleagueintheworld material

**Kingdom** · 08/11/2018, 12:36 PM

Originally Posted by Shearer

Wait, what?

I'd hazard a guess he was playing Civil Service league at the time. Civil Service league mid-80s to early 90s was a serious standard of football in the latter rounds.

**Nesta99** · 08/11/2018, 3:01 PM

There was one odd experience in the Lilywhite Lounge that I had. People used to volunteer to work behind the bar with the paid staff on non match nights. One night when I was there a former board member (from decades ago) walked in to the lounge, in behind the bar, and proceeded to help himself to bottles of wine from the fridge, coke, 7-Up etc. I was a bit taken aback by the brazenness but was told that that was a regular thing for this chap to do and he did do loads for the club in the 60s and 70s afterall. There was that sense that some people thought were owed something by Dundalk FC for being 'good' supporters and were entitled to behave like they owned the place.

Maxi appearing in one of the national red top papers, 2 page spread prior to the 2002 Cup Final, as 'Head of Security' among other titles given in the article was another odd one.

The Monaghan United Chairman causing a row in the stand as he had sat in a designated ticket holders seat and refused to move, caused a row and was eventually escorted away by Gardaí. The team after used to change on the bus when heading to Gortakeegan as the away dressing room would have been flooded prior to their arrival among other things.

Volunteers used to make sandwiches for the team when on longer away trips and one player that had the munchies after a night out before matchday managed to eat his way through almost a full platter of ham sandwiches. He was brought on and after his first 'sprint' for the ball the sandwiches made a reappearance on the sideline.

Not an uncommon in LoI but Martin Murray as Manager getting sent off from the bench at a game in Limerick and then standing behind the Dundalk bench but outside the preimeter wall and continued to coach the team and roar at the 4th official.

Stock car racing being held in Oriel Park??!?!?

**joey B** · 08/11/2018, 3:31 PM

This thread has highlighted that the maddest bas***ds in Ireland are definitely from Dundalk!!!

**Nesta99** · 08/11/2018, 5:37 PM

Or just lots of stories about the same one or two people. Or that I am not sensible enough to not to tell the stories ha! We havet even got to the Sean Connor era.......

or just **** stories lol

**GCdfc** · 08/11/2018, 9:47 PM

Over in Luxembourg at the Jeunesse Esch game. Playing football on the pitch and then after the crowds had left, myself and 4 others were taken on a tour of the small stadium by the groundskeeper and a Portuguese coach that worked at the club. We ended up drinking beer with them for hours in the boardroom. After that we ended up in a bar at the end of the road where I literally gave them the Dundalk jersey of my back for them to hang on the wall.

Travelling to Gortakeegan for home matches when as the pitch was on its way to Oriel for months.

The Gerry Matthews and Lisa Kelly affair.

Constant bucket collections.

Maxi...that's all to say about him.

**oriel** · 08/11/2018, 10:01 PM

I was the other Luxembourg (Grevenmacher) trip in 2010, super craic, about 40 of us hired a bus from our bar to take us to the ground (match played in Lux city) then after the game we all piled on the official coach, even had the UEFA sign, dropped us back to the pub, the team were left stranded and an angry call was made to the chairman beside us by the then manager Ian Foster.

Not sure if the bus got back to pick them up but we arrived safely back to our pub for a good old session !

3-3 draw game, Dlk 3-1 up, and almost lost it in the last min, pure madness of a match, local cops drinking beers at HT ('as it was very hot') and a sign of things to come, Foster didn't do defending as a manager.