Athlone Town Association Football Club () is an
Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
football club from
Athlone who are playing in the
League of Ireland
The League of Ireland ( ga, Sraith na hÉireann), together with the Football Association of Ireland, is one of the two main governing bodies responsible for organising association football in the Republic of Ireland. The term was originally use ...
. The club is the oldest in the League as it was founded in 1887. First elected to the League of Ireland in 1922, they play their home matches in
Lissywollen
Lissywollen is a townland in Athlone, County Westmeath, Ireland. The townland is in the Civil parishes in Ireland, civil parish of St. Mary's, Athlone (civil parish), St. Mary's.
The townland stands in the north of the town. Athlone Town Stadiu ...
their new stadium which opened in 2007. The club's colours are blue and black. Away kits vary from year to year although orange and black has been worn most recently.
History
Athlone first competed in the League of Ireland in the
1922–23 season finishing sixth. They were the first non-Dublin club in the Irish Free State to compete in the national Free State League. They competed in the league until 1928 and not again until the
1969–70 season.
Athlone Town won the
FAI Cup, their first domestic success in 1924, beating
Fordsons. Dinny Hannon scored the only goal of the game, as Athlone went through the whole competition without conceding a goal.
Hannon was one of five Athlone Town players chosen to represent the Irish Free State at the 1924 Paris Olympic Games. The other players were Tommy Muldoon, Frank Ghent, John Joe Dykes and Paddy O'Reilly.
The club finished second in the league in the
1974–75 season earning a place in the
UEFA Cup
A cup is an open-top used to hold hot or cold liquids for pouring or drinking; while mainly used for drinking, it also can be used to store solids for pouring (e.g., sugar, flour, grains, salt). Cups may be made of glass, metal, china, clay ...
, the first time they had ever qualified for European competition. Their first-round game was against Norwegian side
Vålerenga who they beat. Athlone's second round tie was against Italian side
AC Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan (), commonly referred to as AC Milan or simply Milan, is a professional football club in Milan, Italy, founded in 1899. The club has spent its entire history, with the exception of the 1980–81 and 1982–83 seaso ...
drawing 0–0 in the first leg at St. Mel's Park setting a record attendance of 9,000 before losing the second leg at the
San Siro
Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, commonly known as San Siro, is a football stadium in the San Siro district of Milan, Italy, which is the home of A.C. Milan and Inter Milan. It has a seating capacity of 80,018, making it one of the largest stadiums i ...
3–0.
Athlone won their first league title in the
1980–81 season. They played
KB in Europe the following season earning a draw in the first leg in Denmark and again at St. Mel's Park going out on the away goal rule.
In the
1981–82 season Athlone Town won the League Cup for the second time beating
Shamrock Rovers. However they failed to retain their league title that year finishing 4th. Athlone Town were again crowned league champions in the
1982–83 season and qualifying for Europe and also retained the League Cup beating
Dundalk
Dundalk ( ; ga, Dún Dealgan ), meaning "the fort of Dealgan", is the county town (the administrative centre) of County Louth, Ireland. The town is on the Castletown River, which flows into Dundalk Bay on the east coast of Ireland. It is h ...
. Their opponents in Europe on this occasion were Belgian outfit
Raymond Goethals
Raymond Goethals (, ; 7 October 1921 – 6 December 2004) was a Belgian football coach who led Marseille to victory in the UEFA Champions League final in 1993, becoming the first and only coach to win a European trophy with a French club.
Somet ...
managed
Standard Liège
Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège (; nl, Standard Luik ; german: Standard Lüttich ) or simply Standard in Belgium, is a Belgian professional football club based in the city of Liège.
They are one of the most ...
, losing 3–2 at home and 8–2 in
Liège.
In 1985 six new clubs were elected to the league increasing the leagues participation to 22. As a result, the current two division (Premier and First) structure was adapted with Athlone Town in Premier Division. In 1987 the club finished last and were relegated to the First Division. Their stay there was short, finishing top of First Division the following season, gaining promotion to the Premier Division. The club remained in the top flight until the
1991–92 season, when they finished eleventh and were subsequently relegated to the First Division.
Athlone Town again gained promotion to the Premier Division in the
1993–94 season, finishing runners-up to
Sligo Rovers that season. The club were once again relegated in 1996, narrowly missing out on promotion in 2001 by one point to
Monaghan United
Monaghan United F.C. ( ga, Cumann Peile Mhuineacháin Aontaithe) is an Irish association football club based in Monaghan currently playing in the Ulster Senior League. The club joined the League of Ireland in 1983 and subsequently went on to pl ...
.
Since 2001 Athlone have finished each season in the bottom half of the first division. In that time eight different managers have been appointed. In 2007 the club moved from
St Mel's Park
St Mel's Park, named for Mél of Ardagh., is the former home of Athlone Town F.C., who played in the ground until 2007 when they moved into the Athlone Town Stadium. The stadium was built in 1929 and hosted the famous 1975–76 UEFA Cup tie betw ...
to a new stadium, which was opened on 9 March when the home side hosted
Kilkenny City in the opening game of the season.
On 15 December 2008, the club held an emergency E.G.M. with supporters stating that they were in financial difficulties. Part finance had been raised and the club were hopeful of raising the rest that they needed, but stated that difficult times may be ahead. The club however is very thankful for all the funds received through the patron scheme with over 350 loyal fans contributing.
On 27 September 2013, Athlone clinched the
First Division title with a 1–0 win over Waterford United.
Em 2014 o athlone town fez uma campanha ruim na SSE airtricity league ficando em último lugar no campeonato, na
leinster
Leinster ( ; ga, Laighin or ) is one of the provinces of Ireland, situated in the southeast and east of Ireland. The province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige. Following the 12th-century Norman invasion of ...
senior cup foi eliminado nas quartas de finais pelo
St patricks, na
fai Cup foi eliminado na segunda rodada pelo o
longford town, e na copa da Irlanda perdeu pro longford town novamente na primeira rodada.
In September 2017 the FAI banned goalkeeper
Igors Labuts and midfielder Dragos Sfrijan for 12 months after a UEFA investigation found "clear and overwhelming betting evidence" of
fixing
Fixing may refer to:
* The present participle of the verb "to fix", an action meaning maintenance, repair, and operations
* "fixing someone up" in the context of arranging or finding a social date for someone
* "Fixing", craving an addictive drug, ...
of Athlone's 29 April match against
Longford Town
Longford () is the county town of County Longford in Ireland. It has a population of 10,008 according to the 2016 census. It is the biggest town in the county and about one third of the county's population lives there. Longford lies at the meet ...
in the
2017 League of Ireland First Division. The
Professional Footballers' Association of Ireland
The Professional Footballers' Association of Ireland (PFAI) is the representative body for professional and semi-professional footballers in Republic of Ireland. Players from all nationalities in the League of Ireland are represented, not just Ir ...
said the decision was based on "half-baked innuendo".
In 2018, a dispute over ownership of
Athlone Town Stadium
Athlone Town Stadium, often referred to as Lissywollen () is the home stadium of Athlone Town. It has a seating capacity of 2,024 and an overall capacity of 5,000. The stadium was built in 2007, replacing St Mel's Park
St Mel's Park, named ...
arose between the club and local businessman Declan Molloy.
Youth teams; there are many youth team ranging from u13 boys to u17 womans team.
The club currently plays in the first division.
European record
Overview
Matches
Honours
*
League of Ireland
The League of Ireland ( ga, Sraith na hÉireann), together with the Football Association of Ireland, is one of the two main governing bodies responsible for organising association football in the Republic of Ireland. The term was originally use ...
: 2
**
1980–81,
1982–83
*
FAI Cup: 1
**
1923–24
*
League of Ireland Cup
The League of Ireland Cup ( ga, Corn Sraithe na hÉireann), also referred to in Ireland as the 'League Cup', is an annual knockout competition in men's football in the Republic of Ireland. It is contested by League of Ireland clubs and invited c ...
: 3
** 1979–80, 1981–82, 1982–83
*
LFA President's Cup
The LFA President's Cup was an association football cup competition featuring League of Ireland clubs affiliated to the Leinster Football Association. It was played for between 1930 and 2002. It was a ''de facto'' national super cup and on t ...
: 1
** 1983–84
*
Tyler Cup
The Tyler Cup was an association football competition played between clubs in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The competition ran from 1978 to 1980, and was similar to the earlier Blaxnit Cup, North-South Cup, Dublin and Belfast I ...
: 1
** 1979
*
League of Ireland First Division
The League of Ireland First Division ( ga, Céad Roinn Sraith na hÉireann), also known as the SSE Airtricity League First Division, is the second level division in both the League of Ireland and the Republic of Ireland football league system. Th ...
: 2
**
1987–88,
2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fa ...
*
League of Ireland B Division
The League of Ireland B Division is a former league within the Republic of Ireland football league system. Its debut season was 1964–65. It was originally a second level league. However following the emergence of the League of Ireland First Di ...
: 2
** 1968–69, 1983–84
*
FAI Junior Cup
** 1934–35, 1937–38: 2
*
FAI Youth Cup
The FAI Youth Cup, also known as the FAI Umbro Youth Challenge Cup, is a cup competition organised by the FAI for youth association football clubs and teams in the Republic of Ireland. The inaugural winners were Greenmount Rangers. The competi ...
** 1983–84: 1
Players
Coaching and Medical Staff
Former managers
*
Billy Young (1969)
*
Mick Dalton (1970)
*
Amby Fogarty (1974–76)
*
Trevor Hockey
Trevor Hockey (1 May 1943 – 2 April 1987) was a professional footballer. His professional career spanned 16 years, seven clubs and almost 600 appearances, plus nine international caps for Wales.
Playing career
Born in Keighley, Hockey turned ...
(1976)
*
Tommy Carroll (1976–77)
*
Seán Thomas (1977–79)
*
Turlough O'Connor
Toirdhealbhach Mór Ua Conchobhair (old spelling: Tairrdelbach Mór Ua Conchobair; 1088 – 1156) anglicised Turlough Mór O'Conor, was King of Connacht (1106–1156) and High King of Ireland (ca. 1120–1156).
Family background and early life ...
(1979–85)
*
Padraig O'Connor
Padraig O'Connor was an Irish soccer player in the League of Ireland during the 1970s and 1980s.
He played for Bohemians from 1973 to 1978 winning 2 league titles and making 147 league appearances (8 as sub), scoring 11 goals. He also made 14 ...
(1987–89)
*
Mick Leech (1990–91)
*
Pat Devlin (1991–92)
*
Michael O'Connor Michael O'Connor may refer to:
Politicians
* Michael O'Connor (Australian politician) (1865–1940), Australian politician
* Michael O'Connor (Wisconsin politician) (1856–1925), Wisconsin State Assemblyman
* Michael J. O'Connor (politici ...
(1992–95)
* Tony Mannion (1995–96)
*
Dermot Keely (1996)
*
Terry Eviston (1996–97)
*
Liam Buckley
Liam Buckley (born 14 April 1960), is an Irish former professional footballer. He made two appearances for the Republic of Ireland national football team. He was most recently the manager of League of Ireland Premier Division club Sligo Rover ...
(1997–98)
*
Jimmy Greene
James Sidney Greene, Jr. (born February 24, 1975) is an American jazz saxophonist, gospel musician, recording artist, record producer, and music professor. He started his music career in 1997, and has since released eight studio albums. His eig ...
(1999–00)
*
Liam Buckley
Liam Buckley (born 14 April 1960), is an Irish former professional footballer. He made two appearances for the Republic of Ireland national football team. He was most recently the manager of League of Ireland Premier Division club Sligo Rover ...
(2000–02)
*
Aaron Callaghan (2004)
* Stephen Kelly (2004–05)
* John Gill (2005)
*
Michael O'Connor Michael O'Connor may refer to:
Politicians
* Michael O'Connor (Australian politician) (1865–1940), Australian politician
* Michael O'Connor (Wisconsin politician) (1856–1925), Wisconsin State Assemblyman
* Michael J. O'Connor (politici ...
(2005–07)
* Dermot Lennon (2007–09)
*
Brendan Place (2009–10)
* Mike Kerley (2011–12)
* Padraig Moran (2012)
*
Roddy Collins
Roderick Collins (born 7 August 1962), is an Irish former professional football player and manager.
During a playing career of 18 years, Collins played for many sides across England, Ireland and Northern Ireland. While towards the end of his ...
(2012–13)
*
Mick Cooke (2014)
*
Keith Long (2014)
* Eddie Wallace (2014–15)
*
Alan Mathews (2015–16)
* Colin Fortune (2016–17)
* Ricardo Monsanto (2017)
* Ricardo Cravo (2017)
*
Roddy Collins
Roderick Collins (born 7 August 1962), is an Irish former professional football player and manager.
During a playing career of 18 years, Collins played for many sides across England, Ireland and Northern Ireland. While towards the end of his ...
(2017–18)
*
Aaron Callaghan (2018)
* Terry Butler (2018–2019)
* Adrian Carberry (2019–2021)
*
Paul Doolin
Paul Doolin (born 26 March 1963, in Dublin) is an Irish former footballer and manager. Who mostly recently managed NIFL Premiership side Portadown.
Career
He played for Bohemians, scoring on his debut on 13 September 1981. In April 1983 he pl ...
(2021)
*
Martin Russell (2022)
References
External links
Athlone Town A.F.C.
{{Authority control
Athlone Town A.F.C.,
Association football clubs established in 1887
League of Ireland First Division clubs
Sport in Athlone
1887 establishments in Ireland
Former Leinster Senior League clubs
League of Ireland B Division clubs
Association football clubs in Leinster
Former Athletic Union League (Dublin) clubs
Fan-owned football clubs