Ies weren’t always glamorous
Hoop and glory!
the visiting club was the expenses for the travelling party.
Liverpool, who had close links with Dundalk over the years through Des Casey and Enda McGuill were always popular visitors and they played in Oriel Park in two pre-season games in the 1990’s.
The first was in 1991 as part of the deal that took Stephen Staunton to Anfield three years earlier, but ironically when Stephen played in Oriel Park that July evening many failed to realise that he was on his way out of Liverpool.
Their manager, Graeme Souness was about to release the former Dundalk player to Aston Villa for a £1.1m. fee replacing him with David Burrows.
Souness had just taken over as manager and was later accused of misjudging the player’s abilities, and he freely admitted years later that it was one of the biggest mistakes of his managerial career to let Staunton go.
However, he did justify his decision by revealing that it was influenced by the ruling for playing European football which specified that no team be allowed to play more that four foreign born players.
Staunton was regarded as a ‘foreigner’ at that time, as the Bosman ruling which abolished quotas for EU citizens was not passed until 1995.
Staunton did start in the match against Dundalk, but was replaced at half-time to the annoyance of the big crowd, the extent
THIS picture was taken in 1969 and shows the Dealgan Basketball under-16 team and includes one player, R. McMolloy who went on to play at international level for Ireland.
Back Row (left to right) R. McMolloy, E. Brennan, S. Brennan, Paddy Clarke, coach, Tom Kindlon. Front Row, P. Haughey, C. Noonan, B. McArdle, P. Casey. of which can be seen from the two pictures that survive from that game.
In one picture Staunton has his back to the camera as Gary Ablett moves the ball out of defence and in the other picture, which shows in the background one of the biggest crowds seen in Oriel for many years, Ablett is again the player on the call as he is challenged by Gino Lawless.
In the background in that picture is Peter Beardsley and Dean Saunders.
Both Saunders and Mark Wright who also played were making their debuts for Liverpool having joined in the summer.
The match finished 0-0 and Dundalk put up a very creditable performance before an estimated crowd of 15,000, but the Liverpool players didn’t hang around Oriel Park long after the game.
Some, like Bruce Grobbelaar, the popular South African goalkeeper did sign a few autographs, but Stephen Staunton declined to talk about his future afterwards, even though he must have realised that he was on his way out of Anfield.
The transfer was completed a few weeks later, and was one of the best signings Villa ever made for he played 208 times with the club over seven seasons.
Years later Liverpool realised their mistake and in July, 1998 Staunton was brought back to the club where he started by joint managers, Roy Evans and Gerard Houllier, making 44 appearances over the next two seasons.
Ironically when Stephen played in Oriel Park in that friendly it was his first game at the ground as a senior player, and he was part of a Liverpool team that included Irish internationals, Ronnie Whelan and Ray Houghton and read:
Grobbelaar, Nichol. Wright, Ablett, Staunton, Houghton, Whelan, Marsh, Barnes, Saunders and Beardsley. Subs Burrows and McManaman.
The Dundalk team was: O’Neill, Mackey, Coll, Murphy, Shelley, Kavanagh, McNulty, Lawless, McEvoy, Hanrahan and Eviston. Subs, Purdy and Brady.
Liverpool’s second visit in the 1990’s took place in July, 1996, but drew a disappointing crowd of less than 8,000 and led to the belief afterwards that Dundalk didn’t cover their expenses.
That crowd included 3,000 boys, and it was becoming evident at that time that pre-season games against top English clubs were losing their appeal.
Liverpool who were then managed by Roy Evans did bring a full squad that included Irish internationals, Phil Babb, and Jason McAteer, as well as Robbie Fowler, John Barnes and Steve McManaman.
They left Stan Collymore who cost them £8.5m. Sitting on the bench.
Again Dundalk put up a creditable performance in a game that never reached any great heights in terms of entertainment with just the one goal, scored by McManaman.
Afterwards the Liverpool boss said that Dundalk had provided a much stiffer test that he anticipated and he was full of praise for the efforts of the Dundalk players.
Pictures from that game show Robbie Flower, Phil Babb and Steve McManaman in action against Dundalk players, David Crawley, Bobby Browne and John Hewitt.
The Liverpool team in 1996 was: Warner, Babb, Bjornbye, McAteer, Wright, Mateo, Thomas, Jones, Fowler, Barnes and McManaman Sub. Carragher.
Dundalk: Fridge, McNulty, Napier, Doohan, Crawley, Doherty, Roche, Browne, Hewitt, Byrne and Whithnell. Subs. Nisbett and Patterson.