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Galway United Football Club ( Irish: ''Cumann Peile Ghaillimh Aontaithe'') is an Irish association football club based in
Galway Galway ( ; ga, Gaillimh, ) is a City status in Ireland, city in the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht, which is the county town of County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lo ...
. They play in the
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. T ...
. They were founded as Galway Rovers F.C. during the 1930s. They made their
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 us ...
debut in 1977–78 and changed their name to Galway United in 1981–82. After suffering financial difficulties, the club dropped out of the League of Ireland after the
2011 File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who Assassination of Muammar Gaddafi, was killed tha ...
season but in
2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wa ...
Galway United returned initially playing as Galway F.C. for a season.


History


Galway Rovers

Galway United F.C. were founded as Galway Rovers F.C. in the
Claddagh Claddagh () is an area close to the centre of Galway city, where the River Corrib meets Galway Bay. It was formerly a fishing village, just outside the old city walls. It is just across the river from the Spanish Arch, which was the location of ...
district of
Galway Galway ( ; ga, Gaillimh, ) is a City status in Ireland, city in the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht, which is the county town of County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lo ...
. The club's website claims the club was founded in
1937 Events January * January 1 – Anastasio Somoza García becomes President of Nicaragua. * January 5 – Water levels begin to rise in the Ohio River in the United States, leading to the Ohio River flood of 1937, which continues into Febr ...
. However, according to a '' Galway Advertiser'' report, the club was active in
1933 Events January * January 11 – Sir Charles Kingsford Smith makes the first commercial flight between Australia and New Zealand. * January 17 – The United States Congress votes in favour of Philippines independence, against the wis ...
, winning a local junior competition known as the Celtic Shield. The first recorded mention of a Rovers team dates back to a meeting at 28 Dominick Street on 20 September 1898 but it's not known if this was related to the future Rovers club By 1937 Rovers were fielding youth teams as well as a junior side. Rovers won the Connacht Junior Cup in 1958 and they also played in the Western League. Rovers first gained national attention when they were invited to play in the 1976–77 League of Ireland Cup. In 1977–78 they made their debut 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 us ...
. They played their first League of Ireland game on 28 August 1977 at Terryland Park against St. Patrick's Athletic. Eamonn Deacy scored Rovers' first League of Ireland goal on 2 October 1977. In 1980–81 Rovers reached the final of the League of Ireland Cup, but lost on penalties to
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 ...
.


1980s

In the 1981–82 season, Galway Rovers changed their name to Galway United and under their new name, the club reached two cup finals in successive seasons. United made their first appearance in an
FAI Cup The Football Association of Ireland Senior Challenge Cup (FAI Cup), known as the Extra.ie FAI Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out association football competition contested annually by teams from the Republic of Ireland (as well as Derry ...
final in 1984–85 but lost 1–0 to Shamrock Rovers. In 1985–86 United became founder members of the League of Ireland Premier Division and finished second behind Shamrock Rovers in the new division's inaugural season. In 1985–86 United won its first major trophy after defeating
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 ...
2–0 in the League of Ireland Cup final. Denis Bonner and Paul McGee scored the vital goals.


1990s

Galway United made a good start to the 1990s, winning their first
FAI Cup The Football Association of Ireland Senior Challenge Cup (FAI Cup), known as the Extra.ie FAI Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out association football competition contested annually by teams from the Republic of Ireland (as well as Derry ...
and qualifying for
Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
for a third time. In the 1990–91 FAI Cup final at
Lansdowne Road Lansdowne Road Stadium ( ga, Bóthar Lansdún, ) was a stadium in Dublin owned by the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) that was primarily used for rugby union and association football matches. The stadium was demolished in 2007 to make way for ...
, United defeated Shamrock Rovers 1–0. With five minutes to go on the clock, captain Johnny Glynn scored a late goal. In 1991–92 United was relegated to the First Division for the first time, but the following season, 1992–93, they returned to the Premier Division after winning the First Division title and the League of Ireland First Division Shield. The club finished 1993-94 in a respectable 3rd place. In 1995–96 United were relegated for a second time. In 1996–97 United won the League of Ireland Cup defeating
Cork City Cork ( , from , meaning 'marsh') is the second largest city in Ireland and third largest city by population on the island of Ireland. It is located in the south-west of Ireland, in the province of Munster. Following an extension to the cit ...
4-2 over two legs along with the First Division Shield. It was the second time United had won both trophies. United remained in the First Division until 1998–99 when, under Don O'Riordan, they were promoted to the Premier Division after finishing as runners-up in the First Division to
Drogheda United Drogheda United Football Club ( ga, Cumann Peile Dhroichead Átha Aontaithe) is a semi-professional Irish association football club based in Drogheda, County Louth playing in the League of Ireland Premier Division. They play their home matches ...
.


2000s

The 2000s were not a successful decade for Galway United. Ten different managers took charge of United during this era and, between them, they managed to win just one amateur trophy, the 2007–08 Connacht Senior Cup. In 2001–02 United were relegated to the
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. T ...
and they did not return to the Premier Division until
2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhut ...
In April 2005 United appointed
Nick Leeson Nicholas William Leeson (born 25 February 1967) is an English former derivatives trader whose fraudulent, unauthorized and speculative trades resulted in the 1995 collapse of Barings Bank, the United Kingdom's oldest merchant bank. Leeson ...
as commercial manager. He then became general manager in late November 2005 and by July 2007 he had become the club's CEO. By the end of the decade United were joined 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 us ...
by two other
Galway Galway ( ; ga, Gaillimh, ) is a City status in Ireland, city in the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht, which is the county town of County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lo ...
–based teams, Mervue United and Salthill Devon.


2010s

By 2010 Galway United had debts estimated to be between €35,000 and €70,000. In 2011, after darra hislopresigned as CEO, the Galway United board of directors and the Galway United Supporters Trust ("GUST"), which had been established in 2001, came to an agreement under which the latter group took over financial responsibility for the club and the day-to-day running of the team. However, after the 2011 League of Ireland Premier Division season, in which Galway United lost 32 out of 36 games, this arrangement broke down. In December 2011 it was announced that Galway United would not be competing in the 2012 League of Ireland First Division season. Meanwhile, GUST unsuccessfully applied to join 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 us ...
as an independent club and continued to support the Galway United team playing in the League of Ireland U19 Division. In 2012 a report commissioned by the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) recommended that
Galway city Galway ( ; ga, Gaillimh, ) is a City status in Ireland, city in the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht, which is the county town of County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lo ...
and
County Galway "Righteousness and Justice" , anthem = () , image_map = Island of Ireland location map Galway.svg , map_caption = Location in Ireland , area_footnotes = , area_total_km2 = ...
should be represented in the League of Ireland by a single club or team based at Eamonn Deacy Park. The O'Connor Report also recommended that GUST, Salthill Devon, Mervue United and the Galway Football Association, should work together to form such a club. GUST was reluctant to support this "merger" but eventually agreed. Following the conclusion of the
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 ...
season, both Mervue United and Salthill Devon withdrew from the
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. T ...
to make way for a team known as Galway F.C. A new board of directors was established featuring representatives from GUST, Salthill Devon, Mervue United and the GFA. In
2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wa ...
Galway played in the First Division and after finishing third and winning a play-off they gained promotion to the
2015 League of Ireland Premier Division The 2015 League of Ireland Premier Division was the 31st season of the League of Ireland Premier Division. Dundalk were champions and Cork City finished as runners-up. Teams Stadia and locations Personnel and kits Note: Flags indicate ...
. Before the start of the season Galway F.C. was renamed Galway United. In 2015 the club had the opportunity to record a third League of Ireland Cup success when they played St. Patrick's Athletic in the
final Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event ** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...
at Eamonn Deacy Park, however they lost the tie 4-3 in a penalty shoot out following a scoreless draw. On 27 October 2017, Galway United were relegated to the
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. T ...
after a 4–3 loss to
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 ...
in their final game of the 2017 League of Ireland Premier Division at Eamonn Deacy Park. Despite finishing the 2017 season in 10th place, a normally safe position, a change in league format ahead of the 2018 season meant that this was not enough for the club to retain its place in the top flight. It was announced on the 30th of March 2022, that the Comer Brothers would be taking majority ownership of the club. Following a vote of the supporters trust, 82% backed the move which would see the Comers take an 85% ownership stake in the club. They have announced an initial influx of half a million euro into the club with ambitions to take the club back to the Premier Division.


Grounds

Galway United's principal home ground is Eamonn Deacy Park, previously known as Terryland Park. In 1993 while Terryland Park underwent redevelopment, Galway United played their matches at the Galway Sportsgrounds and at Crowley Park. In
1985 The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a ...
Galway United also played a home European game at the Sportsgrounds. On the other two occasions United qualified for Europe they played their home games at the home grounds of Carraroe GAA and Ballinderreen GAA.


Personnel


Current squad


Technical staff


Management


European record


Overview


Matches


Shirt sponsors and manufacturers


Gallery

Tommy Dunne (footballer born 1972) 3.jpg, Former Galway United manager, Tommy Dunne File:Terryland park.jpg, Galway United's home ground, Eamonn Deacy Park


Notable former players

;
Republic of Ireland Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern side of the island. ...
senior internationals ; League of Ireland XI representatives ; Republic of Ireland U23 internationals * Seamus Conneely * Shane Guthrie * Stephen O'Donnell * Jay O'Shea ; Republic of Ireland U21 internationals ; Republic of Ireland U19 internationals *
Mick Cooke Mick Cooke (born 15 December 1973) is a Scottish muli-instrumentalist who was the trumpet player of the indie band Belle & Sebastian for fifteen years before leaving in 2013 to concentrate on composing full-time.Taylor, Luke (2013)Interview: ...
* Laurence Gaughan * John Russell ; Republic of Ireland U18 internationals * Ryan Casey * Donal Higgins * Don O'Riordan * Alex Murphy ;Other senior internationals


Honours

* League of Ireland Premier Division **''Runners Up'': 1985–86: 1 *
FAI Cup The Football Association of Ireland Senior Challenge Cup (FAI Cup), known as the Extra.ie FAI Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out association football competition contested annually by teams from the Republic of Ireland (as well as Derry ...
**''Winners'': 1990–91: 1 **''Runners Up'': 1984–85: 1 * League of Ireland Cup **''Winners'': 1985–86, 1996–97: 2 **''Runners Up'': 1979–80,
2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the April ...
: 2 *
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. T ...
**''Winners'': 1992–93: 1 **''Runners Up'': 1998–99:, 2021 2 * League of Ireland First Division Shield: 2 **''Winners'': 1992–93, 1996–97: 2 * Connacht Senior League **''Winners'': 1984–85, 1985–86, 1987–88: 3 **''Runners Up'': 1986–87, 1993–94: 2 * Connacht Senior Cup **''Winners'': 1984–85, 1995–96, 2007–08: 3 * Connacht Senior League Challenge Cup **''Winners'': 1998–99: 1 **''Runners Up'': 1986–87, 1993–94: 2 * Connacht Junior Cup **''Winners'': 1957–58: 1 **''Runners Up'': 1946–47: 1


References


External links


Galway United FC Official WebsiteGalway United FC on FacebookGalway United FC on TwitterGalway United FC on YouTubeGalway United FC on InstagramThe Galway United ForumGalway United FC on Soccerway
{{Authority control Association football clubs in County Galway League of Ireland First Division clubs Association football clubs in Galway (city) Former League of Ireland Premier Division clubs