Big crowd watch opener at new look Oriel Park

August 1966

THOUSANDS of excited Dundalk fans got their first look at the new Oriel Park on August 7th, 1966 when the official opening of the new revamped grounds took place.

Over the space of the close season Oriel Park had been transformed, with the pitch completely turned round.

During the summer while the work was taking place and a completely new team assembled under the chairmanship of Tom McGrath a great sense of anticipated developed in the town.

While the work was in progress there was a constant stream of townspeople to the grounds to inspect the work, and there was no real surprise when thousands were present for the opening.

A report in the local paper on the work that had been carried out at the venue read ‘ the clean neat walling round the entire ground gave the whole place a completely new look, while the pitch with its billiard table surface was enhanced by the three foot wall surrounding it.

‘ The effect of the whole job is the give greatly increased accommodation round the four sides of the ground. The old ground had bad spots, chiefly at the lower end, to which nobody went unless they could not get a viewing place elsewhere in the ground. Now everyone will get a chance to see the game as the pitch has also been increased in size.

‘ The shingle surface right round the pitch itself has been increased and adds to the comfort of spectators. At present there are two stands, the old stand, which is now at the end of the pitch instead of along one side, since the pitch has been changed to run east-west, instead of down the hill, north- south, and the stand from Mullacurry Racecourse which is on the south side. It is narrow but very high’.

The spectators who attended the first game in the new Oriel Park were also able to see that work was started on a new stand at the entrance to the ground from the Carrick Road. The stand when completed during the season would also house the dressingrooms, training rooms and bars and refreshments.

Originally it was intended that Port Vale, managed by Stanley Matthews would provide the opposition, but a serious car accident involving several players and their manager meant a quick change of plans, with Nottingham Forest, managed by Irish legend, Johnny Carey quickly filled the void.

Before the exhibition game the grounds were blessed by Very Rev. Desmond Campbell, Adm., and the opening performed by Joe Wickham, Secretary of the FAI.

The Dundalk fans were not just interested in seeing some top class talent in the Forest team, including Joe Baker, a centre-forward who had been played with Arsenal and Torino in Italy, but their own newly assembled team, a number of home were making their first appearance in the team colours.

They were led onto the field by their newly appointed team-coach and cap- tain, Alan Fox and the team that lined out on that historic day was: Christy Barron, Shay Brennan, Patsy McKeown, Jim Burke, Alan Fox, Mick Millington, Larry Gilmore, Paddy Turner, Danny Hale, Ben Hannigan and Tony O’Connell. Kevin Murray replaced Millington.

After the a dinner was held in the nearby Derryhale Hotel at which Joe Wickham the FAI Secretary praised Dundalk for the lead that they were giving to the rest of Irish football, and he predicted a bright future for the club.

There was praise too from the Forest Manager, Johnny Carey for the work Dundalk were doing and he saw a very bright future for the club.