1966–67 Dundalk F.C. season
| 1966–67 season | ||
|---|---|---|
 "The Greatest Year in the History of Dundalk Football Club" | ||
| Manager | Alan Fox | |
| League of Ireland | 1st (champions) | |
| FAI Cup | Semi-final | |
| League of Ireland Shield | 1st (winners) | |
| Dublin City Cup | Runners-up | |
| Top Four Cup | Winners | |
| Leinster Senior Cup | Runners-up | |
| Top goalscorer | League: Danny Hale (15) All: Danny Hale (28) | |
| Highest home attendance | 14,000 (vs. Shamrock Rovers, Shield, 16 October 1966)[1] | |
|
| ||
Dundalk entered the 1966–67 season on the back of a disappointing eighth-place finish in the League and a sixth-place finish in the Shield the previous season. 1966–67 was Alan Fox's first season as player-coach, having been appointed by the club's new board of directors in August. It was Dundalk's 41st consecutive season in the top tier of Irish football.
Season summary
[edit]The previous season had seen significant change at the club. By the end of 1965 it was clear that the debts, the condition of Oriel Park, and the need to rebuild the playing squad, were challenges beyond the membership-based ownership model. A new public limited company took the club over in January 1966, after the voluntary liquidation of the old company.[2] The new board set about investing in Oriel Park, which consisted of turning the pitch 90 degrees, building a new stand, and adding player and spectator facilities.[3] They also invested in a number of new players and a new player-coach, Alan Fox. Only five of the players who had finished the previous season were retained.[4]
The new season started on 21 August 1966 with the Shield and the Dublin City Cup. Dundalk had never won the Shield in their 40 seasons of League of Ireland membership, being runners-up four times and going close in numerous seasons.[5] At the 41st attempt, the new team made no mistake – with nine wins from the first 10 matches, effectively sealing the win with a 2–0 victory over Shamrock Rovers in front of a then record crowd of 14,000 for a domestic game in Oriel Park.[6][7] 10 days later they met Shamrock Rovers again, this time in the City Cup final, but fell to a 2–1 defeat.[8]
The League saw Fox's side continue their Shield form, with six consecutive wins (scoring 21 goals in the process) leaving them clear at the top of the table in the run up to Christmas. A three match losing streak through the new year, which included the Leinster Senior Cup Final,[9] saw some doubts about the side creep in. But they only lost one more match in charging to the title ahead of Bohemians by seven points.[10] The club's third League title brought the only League and Shield Double in its history. To cap a memorable season, they also won the Top Four Cup, their second and last win before the competition was discontinued in 1974.[11] A semi-final defeat in the FAI Cup to Shamrock Rovers was the only slip-up that stopped the side winning medals in every competition. They called it "the greatest year in the history of Dundalk Football Club".[12]
First-Team Squad (1966–67)
[edit]Sources:[13]
| No. | Name | Years | League | FAI Cup | League of Ireland Shield | Othera | Total | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Kevin Blount
|
1966–1968 | 21 | 5 | 10 | 10 | 46 | 0 |
| 2 | Fran Brennan
|
1966–1973 | 22 | 5 | 11 | 11 | 49 | 1 |
| 3 |  Alan Fox
|
1966–1968 | 22 | 5 | 11 | 11 | 49 | 0 |
| 4 | Patsy McKeown
|
1957–1968 | 18 | 5 | 11 | 10 | 44 | 0 |
| 5 | Mick Millington
|
1965–1970 | 16 | 4 | 11 | 11 | 42 | 1 |
| 6 | Kevin Murray
|
1966–1970 | 19 | 5 | 10 | 11 | 45 | 11 |
| 7 | Paddy Turner
|
1966–1972 | 22 | 5 | 8 | 10 | 45 | 17 |
| 8 | Ben Hannigan
|
1966–1969 | 20 | 5 | 11 | 7 | 43 | 26 |
| 9 |  Danny Hale
|
1966–1968 | 20 | 3 | 10 | 9 | 42 | 28 |
| 10 | Tony O'Connell
|
1966–1969 | 16 | 4 | 10 | 6 | 36 | 3 |
| 11 |  Derek Stokes
|
1966–1970 | 16 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 25 | 17 |
| 12 | Jim Burke
|
1966–1968 | 12 | 0 | 6 | 8 | 26 | 0 |
| 13 | Larry Gilmore
|
1966–1970 | 3 | 1 | 11 | 7 | 22 | 2 |
| 14 | Francie Callan
|
1954–1967 | 13 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 20 | 4 |
| 15 | Christy Barron
|
1959–1967 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
- a. Includes the Leinster Senior Cup, Dublin City Cup, and Top Four Cup.
Competitions
[edit]Shield
[edit]Source:[14]
| 21 August 1966 Round 1 | Cork Celtic | 1–1 | Dundalk |
| 28 August 1966 Round 2 | Dundalk | 4–0 | Shelbourne |
| 4 September 1966 Round 3 | Drogheda United | 1–4 | Dundalk |
| 11 September 1966 Round 4 | Dundalk | 1–0 | St Patrick's Athletic |
| 18 September 1966 Round 5 | Bohemians | 0–1 | Dundalk |
| 25 September 1966 Round 6 | Dundalk | 1–0 | Waterford |
| 2 October 1966 Round 7 | Cork Hibernians | 1–5 | Dundalk |
| 9 October 1966 Round 8 | Dundalk | 6–2 | Drumcondra |
| 16 October 1966 Round 9 | Dundalk | 2–0 | Shamrock Rovers |
| 23 October 1966 Round 10 | Sligo Rovers | 1–0 | Dundalk |
| 30 October 1966 Round 11 | Dundalk | 2–0 | Limerick |
Shield table
[edit]| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dundalk | 11 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 27 | 7 | +20 | 19 |
| 2 | St Patrick's Athletic | 11 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 20 | 8 | +12 | 16 |
| 3 | Shamrock Rovers | 11 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 37 | 12 | +25 | 15 |
| 4 | Waterford | 11 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 24 | 16 | +8 | 13 |
| 5 | Limerick | 11 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 19 | 17 | +2 | 12 |
| 6 | Bohemians | 11 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 17 | 15 | +2 | 12 |
| 7 | Drogheda United | 11 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 14 | 18 | −4 | 11 |
| 8 | Drumcondra | 11 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 17 | 24 | −7 | 11 |
| 9 | Cork Hibernians | 11 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 18 | 31 | −13 | 8 |
| 10 | Shelbourne | 11 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 14 | 31 | −17 | 6 |
| 11 | Cork Celtic | 11 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 17 | 28 | −11 | 5 |
| 12 | Sligo Rovers | 11 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 10 | 27 | −17 | 4 |
Dublin City Cup
[edit]Source:[14]
- First Round
| 23 August 1966 | Dundalk | 2–0 | Drogheda United | Dundalk |
| Stadium: Oriel Park |
- Quarter-final
| 14 September 1966 | Dundalk | 2–1 | Sligo Rovers | Dundalk |
| Stadium: Oriel Park |
- Semi-final
| 5 October 1966 | Dundalk | 3–1 | Waterford | Dublin |
| Stadium: Dalymount Park |
- Final
| 26 October 1966 | Dundalk | 1–2 | Shamrock Rovers | Dublin |
| Stadium: Dalymount Park |
Leinster Senior Cup
[edit]Source:[14]
- Fourth Round
| 2 November 1966 | Dundalk | 3–1 | Drogheda United | Dublin |
| Stadium: Tolka Park |
- Semi-final
| 13 December 1966 | Drumcondra | 1–1 | Dundalk | Dublin |
| Stadium: Tolka Park |
- Semi-final Replay
| 15 December 1966 | Drumcondra | 2–5 | Dundalk | Dublin |
| Stadium: Tolka Park |
- Final
| 15 December 1966 | Bohemians | 1–0 | Dundalk | Dublin |
| Stadium: Dalymount Park |
FAI Cup
[edit]Source:[14]
- First Round
| 12 February 1967 | Dundalk | 6–1 | Tramore Athletic | Dundalk |
| Stadium: Oriel Park |
- Quarter-final
| 5 March 1967 | Dundalk | 1–1 | Cork Hibernians | Dundalk |
| Stadium: Oriel Park |
- Quarter-final Replay
| 8 March 1967 | Cork Hibernians | 0–1 | Dundalk | Cork |
| Stadium: Flower Lodge |
- Semi-final
| 1 April 1967 | Dundalk | 1–1 | Shamrock Rovers | Dublin |
| Stadium: Dalymount Park |
- Semi-final Replay
| 5 April 1967 | Dundalk | 0–3 | Shamrock Rovers | Dublin |
| Stadium: Tolka Park |
Top Four Cup
[edit]Source:[14]
- Semi-final
| 30 April 1967 | Dundalk | 2–1 | Sligo Rovers | Dundalk |
| Stadium: Oriel Park |
- Final
| 7 May 1967 | Bohemians | 0–0 | Dundalk | Dublin |
| Stadium: Dalymount Park |
- Final Replay
| 12 May 1967 | Dundalk | 2–1 | Bohemians | Dublin |
| Stadium: Tolka Park |
League
[edit]Source:[14]
| 6 November 1966 Round 1 | Dundalk | 5–0 | Cork Celtic |
| 13 November 1966 Round 2 | Shelbourne | 1–3 | Dundalk |
| 20 November 1966 Round 3 | Dundalk | 3–0 | Drogheda United |
| 27 November 1966 Round 4 | St Patrick's Athletic | 1–3 | Dundalk |
| 4 December 1966 Round 5 | Dundalk | 3–0 | Bohemians |
| 11 December 1966 Round 6 | Waterford | 2–4 | Dundalk |
| 18 December 1966 Round 7 | Dundalk | 0–0 | Cork Hibernians |
| 26 December 1966 Round 8 | Drumcondra | 1–2 | Dundalk |
| 1 January 1967 Round 9 | Shamrock Rovers | 2–1 | Dundalk |
| 8 January 1967 Round 10 | Dundalk | 1–2 | Sligo Rovers |
| 15 January 1967 Round 11 | Limerick | 2–3 | Dundalk |
| 22 January 1967 Round 12 | Cork Celtic | 1–4 | Dundalk |
| 29 January 1967 Round 13 | Dundalk | 6–0 | Shelbourne |
| 5 February 1967 Round 14 | Drogheda United | 1–3 | Dundalk |
| 19 February 1967 Round 15 | Dundalk | 2–2 | St Patrick's Athletic |
| 26 February 1967 Round 16 | Bohemians | 3–0 | Dundalk |
| 12 March 1967 Round 17 | Dundalk | 3–0 | Waterford |
| 19 March 1967 Round 18 | Cork Hibernians | 0–0 | Dundalk |
| 26 March 1967 Round 19 | Dundalk | 2–0 | Drumcondra |
| 9 April 1967 Round 20 | Sligo Rovers | 1–1 | Dundalk |
| 14 April 1967 Round 21 | Dundalk | 2–0 | Shamrock Rovers |
| 16 April 1967 Round 22 | Dundalk | 3–0 | Limerick |
League table
[edit]| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dundalk | 22 | 15 | 4 | 3 | 54 | 19 | +35 | 34 |
| 2 | Bohemians | 22 | 12 | 3 | 7 | 45 | 27 | +18 | 27 |
| 3 | Sligo Rovers | 22 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 37 | 29 | +8 | 27 |
| 4 | Limerick | 22 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 31 | 29 | +2 | 24 |
| 5 | Waterford | 22 | 11 | 1 | 10 | 53 | 48 | +5 | 23 |
| 6 | St Patrick's Athletic | 22 | 8 | 5 | 9 | 49 | 51 | −2 | 21 |
| 7 | Shamrock Rovers | 22 | 8 | 4 | 10 | 31 | 31 | 0 | 20 |
| 8 | Drumcondra | 22 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 35 | 38 | −3 | 20 |
| 9 | Cork Hibernians | 22 | 7 | 5 | 10 | 31 | 39 | −8 | 19 |
| 10 | Drogheda United | 22 | 7 | 5 | 10 | 31 | 42 | −11 | 19 |
| 11 | Cork Celtic | 22 | 8 | 3 | 11 | 30 | 52 | −22 | 19 |
| 12 | Shelbourne | 22 | 4 | 3 | 15 | 32 | 54 | −22 | 11 |
References
[edit]- Bibliography
- Murphy, Jim (2003). The History of Dundalk F.C.: The First 100 Years. Dundalgan Press. ASIN B0042SO3R2.
- Graham, Alex. Football in the Republic of Ireland a Statistical Record 1921–2005. Soccer Books Limited. ISBN 1-86223-135-4.
- MacSweeney, Niall (1985). A Record of League of Ireland Football 1921/2 - 1984/5. Association of Football Statisticians. ASIN B008H2CBJQ.
- Ryan, Sean; Dunne, Noel (24 October 1975). The Bass Book of Irish Soccer. Mercier Press. ISBN 9780853424505.
- Citations
- ^ O'Shea, Tom (17 October 1966). "Dundalk Poised To Take Shield". Irish Press. Retrieved 7 December 2019.
- ^ "Dundalk club take-over". Irish Independent. 21 January 1966. Retrieved 22 April 2019 – via Irish Newspaper Archives.
- ^ Dunne, Noel (6 July 1966). "Transformation by Dundalk F.C." Evening Herald. Retrieved 22 April 2019 – via Irish Newspaper Archives.
- ^ "Waterford's Injury Problems". The Irish Press. 13 September 1966. Retrieved 16 June 2019 – via Irish Newspaper Archives.
- ^ "Shield Shock for Dundalk". Irish Independent. 6 November 1939. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
- ^ Murphy, W.P. (17 October 1966). "Record Crowd Sees Oriel Park Team..." Irish Independent. Retrieved 24 May 2019 – via Irish Newspaper Archives.
- ^ O'Shea, Tom (17 October 1966). "Dundalk Poised To Take Shield". The Irish Press. Retrieved 22 April 2019 – via Irish Newspaper Archives.
- ^ Murphy, W.P. (27 October 1966). "Rovers Oust Dundalk!". Irish Independent. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
- ^ O'Shea, Tom (26 December 1966). "Magnificent Bohemians Triumph". Irish Press. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
- ^ "Dundalk New League Champs". Irish Independent. 15 April 1967. Retrieved 22 April 2019 – via Irish Newspaper Archives.
- ^ "Dundalk Collect 3rd Trophy of Season". Irish Independent. 13 May 1967. Retrieved 22 April 2019 – via Irish Newspaper Archives.
- ^ "Pictorial Souvenir". The Irish Press. 16 June 1967. Retrieved 23 April 2019 – via Irish Newspaper Archives.
- ^ Murphy, Jim (2013). A Dundalk FC Miscellany. Ireland: Self-published. p. 240.
- ^ a b c d e f Murphy, Jim (2003). History of Dundalk FC - the First 100 Years. Dundalk: Jim Murphy. p. 464.
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