League and cup joy in 1980s
Schoolboys section grew wings as decade progressed
THINK OF North End United F.C. nowadays, and one is immediately drawn to their lengthy list of honours and their dominance of the local football scene.
However, as last week’s look back at their emergence in the seventies highlighted, it didn’t happen overnight.
It was a slow process, with a lot of frustration along the way, and only a Division 2 league title in 1972-’73 to show for a lot of effort.
No doubt, that’s what makes their current prowess all the more special for lifelong servants who were there during the darker days – men like Seán Dempsey, whose help is much appreciated in putting this series together.
We’re concentrating on the 1980s in this article, and the new decade certainly started on a promising note as North End topped the table with 13 games played at the start of January.
A six-week gap without another league encounter crushed their momentum though, with five straight losses when the action resumed erasing all hopes of glory.
Still, the signs were bright, and the big breakthrough was made in 1980-’81 when player-manager Eamonn Murphy led his charges to Division 1 glory for the first time.
Indeed, his willingness to do whatever was required in order to win was highlighted early in the season when he brought the crossbar crashing down in an attempt to prevent keen rivals Town Celtic from scoring in a drawn game!
Hat-tricks in successive ties by Nicky Jones and John Stewart put Ross Blues and St. Leonards to the sword, underlining the team’s attacking quality in the process.
Jones hit another three when Rosslare Rangers were crushed 6-1, although he also figured in the campaign’s first controversial incident.
That was in a game against Ross Celtic when he scored, with the ball flying through the net, but the refereed was fooled into thinking that it had actually gone wide as a result.
The game ended in an exciting 1-1 draw, with Tony Wade starring between the posts while Brendan Goodison, Liam Sinnott and the Tennant brothers, Pat and Frank, offered the most support.
The temperature rose for a clash with Shelburne United, with North End awarded the points after four players (three from the Ballywilliam men) were dismissed in an abandoned clash.
Yet another Nicky Jones hattrick accounted for a persistent Ross Blues, before the match of the season against joint leaders Enniscorthy Town lived up to its billing.
John Stewart struck for a vital equaliser in the dying minutes, earning a 2-2 draw and giving North End the impetus to drive on.
The steady progress continued after Christmas, with the team needing a maximum of seven points (two for a win in those days) with five games remaining in order to become the first Wexford town club to clinch the title.
Campile United were beaten, before local schoolteacher Pat Hackett scored a hat-trick as Bunclody were clobbered 10-0.
By the time they made the return journey to the Carlow border club, on April 26, 1981, they just needed one more win to capture the title.
And they made no mistake, putting another five past their rivals before Willie Dempsey, Chairman of the Wexford League, had the honour of presenting the trophy to fellow clubman Liam Sinnott.
Eleven years after Liam Lahiff had his brainwave while watching those enthusiastic kick-abouts in Redmond Park, North End were on top of the local footballing world.
The following season, 1981-’82, was marked by another notable breakthrough, with the Wexford Cup secured for the first time.
The key fixture in that campaign was the journey to Pearse Road to face Enniscorthy Town, who were chasing a double as they were flying high in the league.
The hosts were looking good when they took the lead, but Pat Coll equalised before the outstanding talent that was Nicky Jones pounced for the winner with five minutes left.
The team captain added two more, with Coll and Vinny Lawlor also on target, as third division Adamstown were seen off 4-0 in the semi-final held in Galbally.
And cup honours were secured with a hard-earned 2-1 extra-time success versus St. Leonards, with Paddy Murphy equalising from a penalty before Lawlor added the winner in extra-time. In an unusual claim to fame, Seánie O’Shea was unlucky to be sent-off but still collected the man of the match award.
He was one of seven North End players to represent Wexford in the Oscar Traynor Trophy in those two successful campaigns, along with Nicky Jones, Frank Tennant, Liam Sinnott, Tony Wade, Paddy Murphy and Brendan Goodison.
The local leagues were re-structured for 1982-’83, with Division 1 becoming the Premier Division as we know it today. And the alteration resulted in further history being made by the club – who were the first in Wexford to secure a sponsor for their jerseys when Coffey’s came on board in the early eighties.
Nobody else had entered three adult teams before North End did so during that campaign, lining out in Premier, Premier Reserve and Division 4 respectively.
Pitch problems erupted that didn’t help their on-field fortunes, even though Billy Dodd was a major acquisition from Park Hotspur. After playing games in Coolcotts and Clonard, they had to resort to the generosity of the Bridge Rovers and Galbally clubs in order to complete their fixtures.
While the league campaign was disrupted, the cup holders did go all the way to the final again – thrashing Hotspur 6-0 in the penultimate round when Dodd scored against his old team – but he had one disallowed in a disappointing decider, won 1-0 by Shelburne.
With a new home in Park Lane in 1983-’84, a lot of encouragement was taken from a terrific run in the Leinster Junior Cup.
Paddy Kearney scored five in a 6-1 first round win over J.M.O.B., with Tony Wade lining out in goal immediately after helping St. Mary’s (Maudlintown) to success in the county Junior football championship final.
Dublin sides Priorswood and Highview were duly dismissed on 6-3 and 4-3 scorelines before John Dillon, Billy Dodd and Pat
Coll scored in a 3-2 success away to Mullingar.
Rossmore Athletic were the next victims on the road (3-1), and the fine campaign only ended in the last 16 when Oulton, the eventual winners, availed of home advantage to triumph 3-1 against understrength opponents, with Seán Dempsey getting the consolation goal.
A friendly against League of Ireland side Cobh Ramblers marked the beginning of 1984-’85, and it was a season brimful of success as the ‘A’ team won the shield, the reserves were victorious in the league for the first time (captained by Jim Furlong), and the thirds secured promotion.
It got even better in 1985-’86 as, along with a march to the Leinster Junior Cup last eight, the Premier Division was won while the reserves also successfully defended their title. Coolree was sourced as a new base, and the respective player-managers, Mick Smith and Seán Mahoney, guided their teams to glory.
Charlie Redmond, who went on to become a darling of the Dubs on Hill 16, starred for Tolka Rovers in 1986-’87 when they knocked North End out of the F.A.I. Junior Cup in the sixth round on a 2-1 scoreline.
And although silverware eluded the club, they were still strongly represented on the league’s Oscar Traynor team by Tony, Paul and Richie Crosbie, Paddy Kearney and Billy Dodd. That season was also notable for the League of Ireland debut made by a former star, Brendan Goodison, with Monaghan United.
However, there was a notable downturn in fortunes in 1987-’88, not helped by a combination of emigration and the involvement of several key players in other sports at the start of the campaign.
New manager Stan Kelly was left with a tough task, but the team pulled off a great escape when Billy Dodd scored twice in a relegation play-off against Rosslare Strand that went to extra-time.
Morgan Ferriter took charge for 1988-’89, with younger players like
Ger Beary, Paul Harrington and Nicky Murphy blending well with the more seasoned campaigners to produce a sixth place finish.
The team also made it to the cup semi-final, losing 3-1 to Rosslare Rangers after extra-time following the dismissal of two players.
No review of the 1980s would be complete without an albeit brief mention of arguably the most important development that has proven so crucial to the club’s current well-being.
I refer to the decision taken in 1980 to field schoolboys teams for the first time, when Seánie O’Shea entered two sides in the Mini-World Cup which was held in Green Street.
One of the adult players, John Ross, secured Meyler’s old garage for indoor training in 1981, and the premises was utilised with enthusiasm by young and old alike.
Among the stand-out teams to emerge was the unbeaten Under-15 outfit of 1981-’82, with future All-Ireland winning hurler Larry O’Gorman part of a formidable squad.
John Furlong and Tony Crosbie scored the goals on the day when the Youth league was clinched for 1982-’83, while 1984-’85 saw managers Fr. Nick Marshall and Jack Scallan guide their respective Under-12 and Under-14 sides to success.
There was a super double for the Billy Dodd-managed Under-16s in 1985-’86, while Jack and his Under-14 crew also retained their cup crown.
The highlights came thick and fast in 1986-’87, as George Browne and John Hackett masterminded league and cup wins for the Under-14 and Under-12 squads respectively.
The Under-18 team, prepared by Paddy Kelly, won the cup in 1987-’88, while the Under-14 side – with Fr. Marshall and Johnny Hatchell in charge – went through the league unbeaten.
And the silverware continued to flow in 1988-’89, with John Hackett’s Under-14 crew winning the cup after a replay against Campile, while George Browne’s Under-16 squad also savoured success in the knockout competition.
With the 1990s on the horizon, the North End United club was in a position of considerable strength.
TO BE CONTINUED