Shamrock Rovers FC - last updated on 29 October 2007
(Courtesy of Johnny Beaufays)
Club name: Shamrock Rovers Football Club
Foundation: 1901
City: Dublin
Colours: Green and white
Website: www.shamrockrovers.ie
Honours:
FAI Premier Division - 15 (1922-23, 1924-25, 1926-27, 1931-32, 1937-38, 1938-39, 1953-54, 1956-57, 1958-59, 1963-64, 1983-84, 1984-85, 1985-86, 1986-87, 1993-94)
First Division - 1 (1996)
FAI Cup - 24 (1925, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1936, 1940, 1944, 1945, 1948, 1955, 1956, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1978, 1985, 1986, 1987)
League Cup - 1 (1976-77)
League of Ireland Shield - 18 (1924-25, 1926-27, 1931-32, 1932-33, 1934-35, 1937-38, 1941-42, 1949-50, 1951-52, 1954-55, 1955-56, 1956-57, 1957-58, 1962-63, 1963-64, 1964-65, 1965-66, 1967-68)
Leinster Senior Cup - 16 (1923, 1927, 1929, 1930, 1933, 1938, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1964, 1969, 1982, 1985, 1997)
A bit of history:
The club, founded in 1901 (though some sources suggest the club was founded in 1899), originally hail from the inner-Dublin suburb of Ringsend. The name of the club derives from Shamrock Avenue in Ringsend, where the first club rooms were secured. From the early 1920s until 1987, Shamrock Rovers played at Glenmalure Park, Milltown and became Ireland's most successful club. Shamrock Rovers have won more FAI Cups (24) and leagues (15) than any other Irish club. Famous achievements included the winning of six FAI Cups in a row in the 1960s and four consecutive league titles (including three doubles) in the 1980s. In addition, they were also the first Irish club to play in the European Cup, playing Manchester United in 1958. Further, Shamrock Rovers were one of the European club teams which spent the 1967 season in the United States founding the North American Soccer League, representing Boston as the Boston Rovers. Shamrock Rovers have also supplied more different players to the Republic of Ireland national football team (62 in all) than any other single club.
Up until the 1970s, Shamrock Rovers were well supported, attracting over 20,000 people regularly to Glenmalure Park and up to 30,000 for cup finals and European matches at Dalymount Park. Ultimately a combination of poor results, the competition of televised football from abroad and other attractions meant that by the 1980s the club's crowds averaged below 3,000.
In 1987, the club's home ground was sold by the then owners, the Kilcoyne family. It was subsequently demolished and developed for housing. Supporters waged a long and acrimonious but futile campaign to save the ground. Home games were boycotted by fans, ultimately forcing out the Kilcoynes as owners. The club has been without a home from that time until the present. The most stable period since was while playing at the Royal Dublin Society's grounds in Ballsbridge, Dublin between 1990 and 1996. During this time, Rovers won a league trophy (in 1994) and attracted reasonable crowds. The club chairman, John McNamara, sold out his interest in 1996 to a new consortium who, within a few months, announced plans to bring Rovers to a new stadium in Tallaght on Dublin's south-side. Since then the club have been trying to develop this stadium in Tallaght and have played their home matches at several venues all over the city including Tolka Park, Richmond Park and the athletics venue at Morton Stadium in Santry. Their current 'home' ground is Tolka Park.
Shamrock Rovers experienced severe financial troubles during the 2005 season, due to overspending and an accumulation of massive debts and spent a period under examinership (a form of financial administration). The supporters association, 'the 400 club', who had been bankrolling the club during the examinership process assumed control of the club. This group, now known as the Shamrock Rovers Members club, run the club on a not-for-profit basis.
The club was relegated for the first time in its history in the 2005 season losing out in a promotion/relegation play-off to the now-defunct Dublin City. However, they won the First Division title in 2006 and made a return to the Premier Division.
Shamrock Rovers kit is green and white hoops after Belfast Celtic donated a set of hooped jerseys. The first game with the new hooped jerseys was against Bray in a cup match in September 1926. 2007 sees the first season where the hoops are not continuous around the jersey. This is due to a FIFA regulation which states that clubs with hooped or striped jerseys must have the player's number on a square of plain colour.
The away colours of the club have varied considerably over time. In the early 1980s, the club had a yellow away jersey. In the mid-1990s a hooped purple jersey was adopted. The official away kit for Shamrock Rovers is now black with some green trimmings. There is also a third choice kit available, which is white.
The club crest features a football and a shamrock, and has done so throughout the history of the club, with only minor alterations. Changes include the style of the shamrock and the width of the diagonal lines.
Club crests: (roll on the crest to get more informations)
Shamrock Rovers FC -
Founded in 1901
