Royden had strong links to Dundalk Football Club

THE death at athe age of 88 has occurred of Royden Prole, the son of Sam Prole, Dundalk’s secretary from the early 1920’s until 1953.

Royden played with Dundalk Reserves for a number of years in the late 1940’ and early 1950’s leaving the club in 1953 with his father to take over the affairs of Drumcondra FC. For the following 20 years, from 1953 to 1972, he was a Director of Drumcondra F.C. or “Drums” as they were known.

On taking over the Club and Tolka Park he with his father Sam arranged for the installation of the first Floodlights in the country. It was in March of that same year that the first ever match under lights took place against St Mirren from Scotland.

The first ever competitive League of Ireland match was between Dundalk and Drumcondra in a League game on April 7th 1954, with Drums winning 4-0.

Royden was club Director with overall responsibility for team selection and many household names of the time such as Paddy Neville, Benny Henderson, Bunny Fullam, Tommy Rowe, Jimmy Morrissey, Johnny Robinson, Shay Noonan and Ray Keogh formed the nucleus of League of Ireland and FAI Cup success in the 1950’s and early 1960’s.

A fitter by Trade he served his time in the Great Northern Railway works in Dundalk and when the railway works closed down he moved to Dublin and started his own business making Up and Over garage doors and founded Ariel Door Gears