Shelbourne F.C. Season 2007
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Contents |
[edit] Pre-season
[edit] Exodus
This is the squad that completed the 2006 season, winning the Premier Division in the process.
|
|
The following players were registered to Shelbourne, but had been sent out on loan by the then manager Pat Fenlon.
|
Following the ongoing financial problems during the 2006 season, Pat Fenlon resigned and the vast majority of players left. Several of them had reached the end of their contracts, whilst some were sold shortly after the celebrations in November, and others left after being declared free agents in the courts following missed payment of wages. Only 2 senior players remained with the club, the experienced Jim Crawford, and the young James Chambers who had spent 2006 on loan at Premier Division side Waterford United.
[edit] Withdrawal from the Setanta Cup
In February Shelbourne were forced to withdraw from the 2007 Setanta Sports Cup shortly before it was due to commence. The general assumption was that the club would be unable to field a team. St. Patrick's Athletic were invited to fill the vacancy, and they duly accepted.
[edit] Demotion
Before the start of the new league season, the club were demoted to the FAI First Division by the FAI.
The FAI issued a First Division licence in place of the FAI Premier Division licence which had been revoked by order of the FAI's First Instance Committee due to the financial situation. Shortly after this, the club's majority shareholder Ollie Byrne suffered a brain tumour and Joe Casey was installed as Chairman.
Former manager Dermot Keely was brought in as manager once more and assembled a squad of players in barely 72 hours - just in time for the club to take its place in the 2007 FAI First Division.
[edit] Withdrawal from Champions League
On 30 March 2007, when applications for UEFA licences were nearly due and the clubs' First Division licence was up for review, Shelbourne announced that they would not be applying for a UEFA licence; thus relinquishing the Champions League spot that was rewarded for winning the league in 2006. Part of the statement read:
| “ | The club feels that following its recent success over the last number of years it would not be of benefit to the club's record to play in this year's Champions League qualifying round.
It also felt that it would be of no benefit to the league's co-efficient in Europe. |
” |
League runners-up Derry City were handed the Champions League place.
[edit] Players
Jim Crawford and James Chambers were the only existing senior players to stay with the club for the 2007 season. Jim was appointed captain by Keely. Goalkeeper Tony O'Dowd signed for Shelbourne, returning to the club with whom he had started his footballing career. Experienced defender Alan Murphy was signed from Longford Town and was appointed vice-captain, whilst a plethora of young players arrived from a host of clubs. Mark Leech signed on a season-long loan from FAI Premier Division club Drogheda United, and new Derry City arrival Kyle Moran did the same. Four players arrived at Shelbourne from Dublin rivals Bohemians; Conor Rafferty and 2006's top scorer for the First Division Davitt Walsh signed on loan deals until the end of July, defenders Aidan Collins and Niall O'Reilly made their moves to Tolka Park permanent.
[edit] FIFA Regulations: Article 5.3
Two of Shelbourne's new players, Mark Leech and John Brophy, who had already played with two clubs within the year prior to the season's kick-off, were left ineligible to play for the club in competitive action until July at the beginning of the season as FIFA's rules, or, in particular, Article 5.3 of FIFA’s Regulations for the Status and Transfer of Players, stated that no player could play for more than two different clubs between 1 July of one season and 30 June of the following year.
Both players were eventually cleared by FIFA, and made their competitive debuts in a 1-1 draw with Kilkenny City at Buckley Park on 30 March 2007.
[edit] 2007 Squad
A total of 37 players represented Shelbourne at various stages during the 2007 season.
|
|
[edit] Results
[edit] FAI First Division
Season complete
| 9 March 2007 20:00 GMT |
Shelbourne | 2 - 2 | Kildare County | Tolka Park, Dublin Attendance: 1,697 Referee: T. Connolly |
Brian Gartland  14'Darren McKenna 88' |
Report | Philip Gorman 4'(p) Gary Walsh 28' |
| 16 March 2007 19:45 GMT |
Finn Harps | 2 - 1 | Shelbourne | Finn Park, Ballybofey Referee: D.Tomney |
| Gordon Simms 9' Conor Gethins 90' |
Report | Davitt Walsh 66' |
| 23 March 2007 20:00 GMT |
Shelbourne | 0 - 2 | Dundalk | Tolka Park, Dublin Attendance: 1,896 Referee: R.Winter |
| Report | Philip Hughes 52'(p) Shaun Williams 80' |
| 30 March 2007 19:45 GMT |
Kilkenny City | 1 - 1 | Shelbourne | Buckley Park, Kilkenny Referee: T.Superczynski |
| Michael Comerford 41' |
Report | Mark Leech 12' |
| 6 April 2007 20:00 IST |
Shelbourne | 1 - 0 | Athlone Town | Tolka Park, Dublin Referee: M.Gough |
| Mark Leech 75' |
Report |
| 13 April 2007 20:00 IST |
Shelbourne | 1 - 1 | Monaghan United | Tolka Park, Dublin Attendance: 1,011 Referee: P.Sutton |
| James Chambers 67' |
Report | Peter D'arcy 22' |
| 21 April 2007 19:30 IST |
Cobh Ramblers | 1 - 0 | Shelbourne | St. Colman's Park, Cobh Referee: T.Tomney |
| Graham Cummins 90' |
Report |
| 27 April 2007 20:00 IST |
Shelbourne | 1 - 1 | Limerick 37 | Whitehall, Dublin Attendance: 894 Referee: S. McDonald |
| Kyle Moran 61' |
Report | David Wall 46' |
| 4 May 2007 20:00 IST |
Wexford Youths | 1 - 1 | Shelbourne | Wexford Youths Football Complex, Wexford Attendance: 1,221 Referee: N.Doyle |
| Aidan Collins (og) 74' |
Report | Alan Murphy 45' |
| 12 May 2007 19:30 IST |
Kildare County | 1 - 1 | Shelbourne | Station Road, Kildare Attendance: 510 Referee: E.McNally |
| Alan McDermott 50' |
Report | Darren McKenna 45' |
| 24 May 2007 19:45 IST |
Dundalk | 3 - 0 | Shelbourne | Oriel Park, Dundalk Referee: T.Connolly |
| David Crawley 2' Cathal O'Connor 65'Philip Hughes 77' |
Report |
| 28 May 2007 19:45 IST |
Shelbourne | 2 - 0 | Kilkenny City | Tolka Park, Dublin Attendance: 563 Referee: T.Superczynski |
| James Chambers 32' Glen Lacey 76' |
Report |
| 2 June 2007 19:00 IST |
Athlone Town | 1 - 0 | Shelbourne | Athlone Town Stadium, Athlone Attendance: 807 Referee: P.Sutton |
| Ian Rossiter 50' (p) |
Report |
| 22 June 2007 20:00 IST |
Monaghan United | 4 - 0 | Shelbourne | Century Homes Park, Monaghan Referee: C.Fitzgerald |
| Willie Doyle 20' Darren Meenan 26'Robbie Farrell 44'Darren Meenan 82' |
Report |
| 26 June 2007 20:00 IST |
Shelbourne | 2 - 2 | Cobh Ramblers | Tolka Park, Dublin Attendance: 648 Referee: N.Doyle |
| Mark Leech 11' James Chambers 75' (p) |
Report | Brian Gartland 1' (og) Graham Cummins 63' |
| 29 June 2007 19:45 IST |
Limerick 37 | 3 - 2 | Shelbourne | Jackman Park, Limerick Attendance: 801 Referee: G.Kelly |
| Ross Cosgrave 51' Kevin Waters 77'Paul Danagher 90' |
Report | Graham Curran 22' Kieran Harte 68' |
| 6 July 2007 20:00 IST |
Shelbourne | 1 - 0 | Wexford Youths | Tolka Park, Dublin Attendance: 754 Referee: D.Tomney |
| Mark Leech 75' |
Report |
| 20 July 2007 20:00 IST |
Finn Harps | 1 - 0 | Shelbourne | Finn Park, Ballybofey Referee: P.Whelan |
| Stephen Parkhouse 17' |
Report |
| 27 July 2007 20:00 IST |
Shelbourne | 1 - 0 | Dundalk | Tolka Park, Dublin Attendance: 1,186 Referee: P.Sutton |
| Anthony Flood 17' |
Report |
| 31 July 2007 19:45 IST |
Kilkenny City | 2 - 5 | Shelbourne | Buckley Park, Kilkenny Referee: G.Kelly |
| Ted O'Connor 32' John McNicholas 79' |
Report | Anthony Flood 35' 58' 74' Stuart Malcolm 48'James Chambers 80' (p) |
| 3 August 2007 20:00 IST |
Shelbourne | 2 - 0 | Athlone Town | Tolka Park, Dublin Attendance: 889 Referee: D.Hancock |
| James Chambers 34' Anthony Flood 68' |
Report |
| 10 August 2007 20:00 IST |
Shelbourne | 1 - 1 | Monaghan United | Tolka Park, Dublin Attendance: 746 Referee: M.Gough |
| Mark Leech 79' |
Report | Jason McCarteny 85' |
| 12 August 2007 17:00 IST |
Shelbourne | 0 - 1 | Finn Harps | Tolka Park, Dublin Attendance: 549 Referee: G.Kelly |
| Report | Shaun Holmes 90' |
| 25 August 2007 19:45 IST |
Cobh Ramblers | 1 - 1 | Shelbourne | St. Colman's Park, Cobh Referee: D.Tomney |
| Davin O'Neill 31' (p) |
Report | Anthony Flood 22' |
| 1 September 2007 20:00 IST |
Shelbourne | 4 - 0 | Limerick 37 | Tolka Park, Dublin Attendance: 767 Referee: T. Superczynski |
| Aidan Collins 10' Mark Leech 24' 73'Ciaran Quinn 75' |
Report |
| 7 September 2007 20:00 IST |
Wexford Youths | 1 - 2 | Shelbourne | Wexford Youths Football Complex, Wexford Referee: C. Fitzgerald |
| John Flynn-O'Connor 12' |
Report | Mark Leech 38' James Chambers 80' |
| 15 September 2007 19:30 IST |
Kildare County | 1 - 4 | Shelbourne | Station Road, Kildare Referee: H. Whoriskey |
| Stephen Cooling 66' |
Report | James Chambers 12' Mark Leech 45' 71'Anthony Flood 88' |
| 21 September 2007 20:00 IST |
Shelbourne | 1 - 2 | Finn Harps | Tolka Park, Dublin Referee: R. Winter |
| Alan Keely 9' |
Report | Shaun McGowan 53' 90' |
| 23 September 2007 16:00 IST |
Shelbourne | 2 - 1 | Kildare County | Tolka Park, Dublin Referee: R. Winter |
| Anthony Flood 51' Mark Leech 84' |
Report | Dean Barrett 90' |
-
- Note: This fixture was originally scheduled for 12 July but was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.
- Note: This fixture was originally scheduled for 12 July but was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.
| 27 September 2007 19:45 IST |
Dundalk | 1 - 0 | Shelbourne | Oriel Park, Dundalk Referee: A. Buttimer |
| Robbie Doyle 16' |
Report |
| 6 October 2007 20:00 IST |
Shelbourne | 0 - 0 | Kilkenny City | Tolka Park, Dublin Referee: D. Eady |
| Report |
| 12 October 2007 19:45 IST |
Athlone Town | 1 - 4 | Shelbourne | Athlone Town Stadium, Athlone Attendance: 470 Referee: R. Rogers |
| Noel McGee 73' |
Report | Anthony Flood 35' 62' Mark Rooney 36'Mark O'Brien 39' |
| 19 October 2007 20:00 IST |
Monaghan United | 1 - 0 | Shelbourne | Century Homes Park, Monaghan Referee: T. Connolly |
| Darren Meenan 76' |
Report |
| 26 October 2007 20:00 IST |
Shelbourne | 1 - 2 | Cobh Ramblers | Tolka Park, Dublin Attendance: 714 Referee: H. Whoriskey |
| Anthony Flood 44' |
Report | Kieran O'Reilly 49' Graham Cummins 69' |
| 2 November 2007 19:45 GMT |
Limerick 37 | 2 - 1 | Shelbourne | Jackman Park, Limerick Attendance: 603 Referee: H. Whoriskey |
| Pat Purcell 44' John Tierney 60' (p) |
Report | Mark Rooney 52' |
| 10 November 2007 19:45 GMT |
Shelbourne | 1 - 3 | Wexford Youths | Tolka Park, Dublin Attendance: 720 Referee: P. Sutton |
| Mark Leech 90' |
Johnny Flynn-O'Connor 30' Garrett Larkin 66'Conor Sinnott 73' (p) |
[edit] FAI Cup
The draw for the FAI Cup took place on 31 May 2007. Shels, like all League sides, automatically went into the second round.
| 15 June 2007 20:00 IST |
Shelbourne | 0 - 1 | Cork City | Tolka Park, Dublin Attendance: 1,002 Referee: R.Winter |
| Report | Roy O'Donovan 7' (p) |
[edit] FAI League Cup
Shelbourne began the FAI League Cup in the Second Round, as the club was officially classed as European entrants when the draws were made. Shelbourne were drawn against Dublin rivals Bohemians, who had begun the 2007 season in the top flight with two of last year's championship winning Shelbourne team, Owen Heary and Glen Crowe. Despite a valiant effort from the young Shelbourne team, the difference in quality eventually told, with Bohemians qualifying for the next round due to 2 late goals from the man who had scored the goal that won Shelbourne the league just a few short months previous, Glen Crowe.
| 8 May 2007 20:00 IST |
Shelbourne | 0 - 2 | Bohemians | Tolka Park, Dublin Referee: I.Stokes |
| Report | Glen Crowe 68' Glen Crowe 80' |
[edit] Season Overview
Shelbourne's 2007 season in the FAI First Division began brightly with a dogged display against Kildare County at Tolka Park less than 2 weeks after their squad was assembled. Darren McKenna's dramatic late equaliser in that game secured a point for Shels giving the Tolka Park side much optimism for the season ahead.
Shels next two games against the much fancied promotion favourites Finn Harps and Dundalk brought the young Shels side back to earth with two defeats, including conceding a last minute equaliser to Harps.
After a frustrating 1-1 draw against 10 man Kilkenny City at Buckley Park, Shels first victory of the season arrived 5 games in against Athlone Town at Tolka Park courtesy of a Mark Leech header. Shels' generally young and inexperienced side failed to build on their first victory and would draw 4 of their next 5 games, their loss during this five game period came courtesy of conceding another last minute goal this time away to Cobh Ramblers. With injuries to notable players such as Jim Crawford and Aidan Collins, Shels' strength in depth would face a stern test during this period.
A heavy 3-0 away defeat to Dundalk in May was countered by an encouraging 2-0 victory at home to Kilkenny City but that game was marred after John Brophy suffered a broken leg after a heavy challenge ruling him out of action for 4 months.
Shels inconsistent start to the season was capped with a 1-0 defeat away to Athlone Town leaving Shels far too close to the foot of the First Division table for their liking. Injuries and player departures would take their toll on Shels during June and Shels suffered their heaviest defeat of the season during this period with a 4-0 defeat away to Monaghan United. Despite encouraging displays against Cobh Ramblers (2-2 draw) and another late defeat this time to Limerick 37 (3-2) would not be not enough to prevent numerous changes during the upcoming July transfer window.
Shelbourne made significant changes at the start of the July transfer window. A total of 11 players joined Shels during the month of July including Stuart Malcolm, Marc McCulloch, Alan Keely, Anto Flood and Mark Rooney while Mark O'Brien and Noel Haverty joined Shels on loan from rivals Bohemians and St. Patrick's Athletic respectively.
The impact of Shels newly assembled squad was felt immediately with a 1-0 victory over Wexford Youths at Tolka Park, only Shels 3rd win of the season. After a 1-0 away defeat to Finn Harps, Shels revitalised themselves with 3 consecutive victories against Dundalk, Kilkenny City and Athlone Town. July's turnaround in Shelbourne's form gave Shels optimism for securing the 3rd place play-off spot.
Shels hopes of securing 3rd place were dashed over one weekend at Tolka Park with a 1-1 draw against Monaghan United and a defeat by Finn Harps with yet another last minute goal conceded.
Shelbourne Football Club was in mourning during August after the tragic passing of Chief Executive Ollie Byrne. The first match after Byrne's death came against Limerick 37 at Tolka Park. In what was an emotional night at Tolka Park, Shelbourne provided one of their most impressive displays of the season with a comprehensive 4-0 victory.
Two more victories over Wexford Youths and Kildare County gave Shels much optimism over finishing in 4th place but these ambitions were hit after another defeat to Finn Harps with yet another last minute conceded goal, the third time Shelbourne conceded a last minute winner to Harps this season.
With no promotion prospects during the remainder of the season, Shelbourne's form slipped dramtically during the season run in. Despite a comfortable 4-1 win away to Athlone Town, Shels struggled during this period with a defeat to Dundalk and a disappointing home draw to lowly Kilkenny City.
Shelbourne's finish to the season was one they would rather forget. 4 defeats in their final 4 matches marked a considerable decline in the Shels form after a new lease of life during the months of July and August.
After what was a truly difficult season both on and off the pitch, Shelbourne finished 5th in the First Division table and Mark Leech finished the clubs top goalscorer with 12 league goals.
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Cobh Ramblers (P) | 36 | 22 | 11 | 3 | 57 | 17 | +40 | 77 |
| 2. | Finn Harps (P) | 36 | 23 | 7 | 6 | 61 | 20 | +41 | 76 |
| 3. | Dundalk | 36 | 19 | 9 | 8 | 56 | 30 | +26 | 66 |
| 4. | Limerick 37 | 36 | 14 | 11 | 11 | 46 | 41 | +5 | 53 |
| 5. | Shelbourne | 36 | 11 | 10 | 15 | 46 | 46 | 0 | 43 |
| 6. | Athlone Town | 36 | 11 | 8 | 17 | 40 | 55 | -15 | 41 |
| 7. | Kildare County | 36 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 48 | 62 | -14 | 39 |
| 8. | Monaghan United | 36 | 9 | 11 | 16 | 38 | 52 | -14 | 38 |
| 9. | Wexford Youths | 36 | 7 | 10 | 19 | 32 | 55 | -23 | 31 |
| 10. | Kilkenny City | 36 | 5 | 11 | 20 | 33 | 79 | -46 | 26 |
Note:
- Cobh Ramblers champions and promoted to FAI Premier Division for 2008 season replacing Longford Town
- Finn Harps beat Dundalk in a one-legged play-off at Finn Park and then defeated Waterford United in a two-legged promotion/relegation play-off to take their place in the FAI Premier Division for the 2008 season
- Kilkenny City must re-apply for 2008 league membership
[edit] 2007 Season Statistics
[edit] Player Appearances/Goals
| Name | League | Cup | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start | Sub | Goals | Start | Sub | Goals | Start | Sub | Goals | |
| John Brophy | 9 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 0 |
| Wayne Byrne | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| James Chambers | 31 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 1 | 7 |
| Aidan Collins | 15 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 2 | 1 |
| Jim Crawford | 15 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 2 | 0 |
| Graham Curran | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Stephen Doran | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Daniel Ennis | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Anthony Flood | 16 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 11 |
| Brian Gartland | 10 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 5 | 1 |
| Kieran Harte | 22 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 2 | 1 |
| Noel Haverty | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 0 |
| James Hussey | 11 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 3 | 0 |
| Alan Keely | 18 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 1 |
| Sean L'Estrange | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| Glen Lacey | 19 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 7 | 1 |
| Mark Leech | 28 | 2 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 2 | 12 |
| Marc McCulloch | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 0 |
| Aaran McEneff | 9 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 2 | 0 |
| Peter McGlynn | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| Darren McKenna | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 2 |
| Stuart Malcolm | 17 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 1 |
| Kyle Moran | 6 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 1 |
| Chris Mulhall | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Alan Murphy | 28 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 0 | 1 |
| Mark O'Brien | 18 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 1 |
| Tony O'Dowd | 25 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 0 | 0 |
| Joey O'Neill | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Robbie O'Neill | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| Niall O'Reilly | 12 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 1 | 0 |
| Ciaran Quinn | 1 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 1 |
| Conor Rafferty | 11 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Alan Reilly | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 |
| Lee Roche | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| Mark Rooney | 14 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 3 | 2 |
| Ciarán Ryan | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| Davitt Walsh | 9 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 1 |
[edit] Top Goalscorers
| League | Cup | Total Goals | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Mark Leech | 12 | 0 | 12 |
| 2. | Anthony Flood | 11 | 0 | 11 |
| 3. | James Chambers | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| 4.= | Darren McKenna | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 4.= | Mark Rooney | 2 | 0 | 2 |
|
Shelbourne Football Club
|
||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
||||||||||||||
