On the east coast of Ireland lays a town whose soccer team, Dundalk FC, has captured the imagination of the European football scene. The club is a small one with typical home attendances amounting to 3000. On Sunday evening, Dundalk won the League of Ireland title for the third successive season. As the final whistle blew my thoughts wandered back to 2012 when the club encountered major difficulties. The Lilywhites, as they are called by their devout fans, had narrowly escaped relegation by defeating Waterford United. Moreover, a large debt had accumulated and the club faced the real possibility of bankruptcy. I can recall most vividly the dreaded feeling of sadness that manifested among the fans at the thought of their beloved team going out of existence. Little did we realise back in those dark days that our fortune was about to radically change.
Two courageous local businessmen, Andy Connolly and Paul Brown, took over the club. With little to offer they approached Stephen Kenny to manage the team. Stephen had already a proven track record and an impressive managerial resume. They travelled to the Inishowen peninsula, in the north of the island, to meet with him and he agreed to take the position. The scene was now set for what would be one of the greatest sporting stories of the modern era.
Kenny retained just a handful of players from the previous season. Chris Shields and John Mountney are the only two that have remained in his squad to the present day. They, like the fans, had felt the despondency and frustration of the 2012 season. New players were signed. Among them was Stephen O Donnell who came from Shamrock Rovers. Dane Massey joined from Bray Wanderers and Brian Gartland came from Portadown. Daryl Horgan was signed from Cork City. The 2013 season commenced with two wins: 0-2 to Bray Wanderers and 4-0 at home to Cork City. As time progressed the match attendances increased. The word was getting around that the new manager was nurturing a positive, free-flowing style of football. The ball was kept on the ground and the emphasis was on keeping possession. Dundalk finished the 2013 season in second place, just three points behind the victors St Patrick’s Athletic. It was a remarkable turnaround.
In the years that ensued the Lilywhites have gone from strength to strength. They have won the league in 2014, 2015 and 2016. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. They have taken the European football scene by storm. 2016 has seen Dundalk beat Bate Borisov of Belarus in the EUFA Champions League to progress to the final qualifying round of the competition. They were narrowly defeated by Legia Warsaw over two legs. Many believe that they were most unlucky in the first leg when the referee awarded Legia a very harsh penalty, a decision that ultimately swayed the tie in favour of the Polish side. Presently, the club has made its way to the group stages of the Europa league where Dundalk FC is standing toe to toe with Europe’s finest and is holding its own. They have drawn with AZ Alkmaar of Holland and have beaten Maccabi Tel Aviv of Israel. In their most recent Europa fixture Kenny’s men gave the mighty Zenit St Petersburg their toughest challenge yet. St Petersburg has a multi-million euro budget and is ranked in the top 15 clubs in all of Europe.
As supporters, our hearts are bursting with pride to be on this journey with them and there is an extra spring in the step of the people of Dundalk. Kenny and his heroes not only excel on the pitch. They are all good people who apply diligent professionalism in their lives. They have brought the entire community together and have inspired every one of us to aspire to higher standards in our respective lives. On behalf of every Dundalk FC supporter I would like to express to Stephen Kenny and his panel of heroes that we are eternally grateful for the extraordinary journey that they have taken us on. They have renewed our belief that great things can happen. We are truly living the adventure of a lifetime.
jfclarke73@gmail.com
