Limerick F.C. facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Limerick

Full name	Limerick Football Club
Nickname(s)	Super Blues
Founded	1937
Dissolved	2020
Ground	Markets Field
Ground Capacity	2000
League	League of Ireland First Division
2019	League of Ireland First Division, 10th
Home colours Away colours

Limerick Football Club (Irish: Club Peile Luimnigh) was a famous soccer club from Limerick, Ireland. They played in the top Irish league, the League of Ireland. Even though the main club stopped playing in 2020, their youth teams still compete in the National League of Ireland today.

The first Limerick Football Club started in 1937. Over the years, it had different names like Limerick, Limerick United, Limerick City, and Limerick 37. No matter the name, it was always the main senior soccer team in Limerick city since 1937.

Limerick was very successful, winning the League of Ireland title twice, in 1959–60 and 1979–80. They also won the FAI Cup twice, in 1971 and 1982. The club lifted the League of Ireland Cup three times (1975–76, 1992–93, and 2001–02). They even played in European competitions six times!

History of Limerick FC

How the Club Started

Limerick first got a senior soccer team in the early 1930s. Local groups organized friendly matches, and they were very popular. This led to the idea of forming a senior team to join the League of Ireland. In June 1937, their application was accepted.

Limerick played its first match on August 22, 1937. They won 1–0 against Shamrock Rovers in the Dublin City Cup. This was a big competition back then. In their first season (1937–38), they won their first trophy. They beat Cork United 1–0 in the Munster Senior Cup final.

At first, Limerick wore red-and-white striped jerseys. But in 1941, they bought blue jerseys from another team. For the next 40 years, blue and white became their main colors.

Growing Stronger in the 1940s and 1950s

The 1940s were a good time for Limerick. They finished second in the League of Ireland twice (1943–44 and 1944–45). They also reached the FAI Cup semi-finals twice. In 1953, Limerick won their first national title, the League of Ireland Shield. This Shield was an important competition before the League Cup existed. They also won the Dublin City Cup in 1958–59.

Becoming League Champions and Cup Winners

Limerick won their first League of Ireland championship in the 1959–60 season. This was under the manager Sonny Price, who used to play for Limerick. They won the league by two points, even after losing their last game. This team had a mix of players from Dublin, Limerick, and Cork.

After this big win, the club wanted to build a team with more local players. They hired Ewan Fenton as manager for the 1960–61 season. He was very popular and helped bring many talented local players into the team.

Limerick reached the FAI Cup finals in 1965 and 1966, but lost both times to Shamrock Rovers. Finally, in 1971, they won the FAI Cup! They beat Drogheda United 3–0 in a replay. Famous players from that team included Andy McEvoy and Al Finucane. Ewan Fenton also helped other great Limerick players like Dessie McNamara and Ger Duggan. Limerick also won two more Dublin City Cups under Fenton.

Ewan Fenton left in 1967 but came back in 1975–76. That season, they won the League Cup, beating Sligo Rovers 4–0. In 1979–80, Eoin Hand became player-manager. He led the club to its second League of Ireland Championship. They finished just one point ahead of Dundalk. Hand was still in charge when Limerick won the FAI Cup again in 1982. They beat Bohemians in the final. This was a special game for goalkeeper Kevin Fitzpatrick, who played his last match after 22 seasons.

Limerick City and Changes

In 1977, the club changed its name to Limerick United. They won a league title and an FAI Cup under this name. After the 1982 FAI Cup win, the club faced some problems. In 1983–84, there was a legal fight over who owned the club. Soccer in Limerick stopped for eight weeks.

Eventually, Pat Grace, who owned the Irish KFC business, won ownership. He changed the club's name to Limerick City. He also changed the team colors from blue and white to yellow and green. Limerick City won the League of Ireland Shield and the Munster Senior Cup in its first season. They moved to a new home ground in Rathbane in 1984. However, fans didn't like this move, and the club's success started to decline.

In 1987, Billy Hamilton became player-manager. He was a famous player who had played in two World Cups for Northern Ireland. He helped the club finish third in the league in his second season. But the only trophy they won was the Munster Senior Cup in 1988. Hamilton left in 1989, and Pat Grace followed. The club then changed its name back to Limerick FC and its colors back to blue and white.

The 1990s and Early 2000s

Limerick was relegated from the top division for the first time in 1990–91. They also lost a League Cup Final that year. In 1991–92, Sam Allardyce became player-manager. He quickly led the club back to the top league. Allardyce only stayed for one season before moving to England. The next season, Limerick finished well and won the League Cup. But then, they were relegated again, starting a long period of struggles.

The club faced many money problems. For the 2000–01 season, they even had to use a local junior team's ground. In 2001–02, they won another League Cup, beating Derry City. But their league performance did not get better.

Limerick 37 and New Beginnings

In 2006, Limerick FC had trouble getting a license to play in the League of Ireland. This meant a new club was needed for Limerick to have a senior team. A group called Soccer Limerick stepped up. They represented all levels of soccer in the city.

In January 2007, Soccer Limerick applied for a license. They planned to call their new team Limerick 37, named after the year the original club was founded. Paul McGee became the first manager of Limerick 37. Later, former player Mike Kerley took over and improved the team's results.

However, before the 2009 season, Kerley left. After a short period with a temporary team, Pat Scully became the new manager.

Limerick F.C. Returns

The club's name changed back to Limerick F.C. for the 2009 season. The club was in serious financial trouble. A local businessman, Pat O'Sullivan, made a big donation and later became the owner. He wanted to make the club financially stable and connect it more with the community.

Under manager Pat Scully, Limerick finally won promotion back to the Premier Division at the end of the 2012 season. Scully left, and Stuart Taylor became manager. Limerick had a good first season back in the top league. But the next season, Taylor was fired due to poor results. Martin Russell took over and helped the club avoid relegation in 2014. However, in 2015, Limerick was relegated again after a very tough season.

The next season (2016), Limerick dominated the First Division. They had a team of full-time professional players. They won their first 12 games and lost only one match all season. They won the division with six games left to play! They also reached the League Cup final but lost to St. Patrick's Athletic.

In 2017, Martin Russell left, and Neil McDonald became manager. Limerick finished 7th in the Premier Division and reached the FAI Cup semi-final. McDonald left in 2018, and Tommy Barrett took over. Pat O'Sullivan also announced he wanted to sell his share in the club.

Treaty United

In December 2019, Limerick FC faced big financial problems and had debts. They did not get a League of Ireland license for the 2020 season. A new group, first called Limerick United, was given a license for the First Division in January 2020. They later had to change their name to Treaty United. Treaty United officially joined the league for the 2021 League of Ireland First Division season.

Home Stadiums

Limerick FC played its home games at several places over the years. These included Markets Field, Jackman Park, Hogan Park, Thomond Park, and Pike Rovers' ground.

The Markets Field is seen as the club's true home. Limerick had a lot of success there. Moving away from it often led to tougher times for the club. Before 2012, Limerick played at Jackman Park.

In 2013, when Limerick was promoted to the Premier Division, they moved their home games to Thomond Park. This is a much larger stadium. In 2011, a group bought the Markets Field with plans for Limerick FC to return. On June 5, 2015, Limerick FC played their first game back at the Markets Field in 31 years.

European Adventures

Limerick FC played in European competitions six times. In 12 matches, they scored seven goals. They never won a European game, but they did draw twice. One famous draw was against Southampton in England. That Southampton team had famous players like Kevin Keegan.

Limerick first played in Europe in 1960 in the European Cup. They had their biggest defeat in that competition. In 1965, they played a Cup Winners' Cup home game in Dublin, not Limerick. Pat Nolan is the only player to score for Limerick in Limerick during a European game.

The most famous European match was against Real Madrid in the European Cup in 1980. Because of worries about crowds, the game was played in Dublin at Lansdowne Road. Even though many fans were expected, only 6,500 people came. Limerick, managed by Eoin Hand, almost beat the famous Real Madrid team. Some referee decisions went against Limerick, and they lost 2–1. Des Kennedy scored twice in the two games against Real Madrid.

European Record Overview

European Matches Played

Season	Competition	Round	Opponent	Home Score	Away Score	Total Score
1960–61	European Cup	Preliminary Round	Young Boys	0–5	2–4	2–9
1965–66	European Cup Winners' Cup	First Round	CSKA Cherveno Zname	1–2	0–2	1–4
1971–72	European Cup Winners' Cup	First Round	Torino	0–1	0–4	0–5
1980–81	European Cup	First Round	Real Madrid	1–2	1–5	2–7
1981–82	UEFA Cup	First Round	Southampton	0–3	1–1	1-4
1982–83	European Cup Winners' Cup	Preliminary Round	Alkmaar	1–1	0–1	1–2

Club Achievements

• League of Ireland: 2
  • 1959–60, 1979–80
• FAI Cup: 2
  • 1970–71, 1981–82
• League of Ireland Cup: 3
  • 1975–76, 1992–93, 2001–02
• League of Ireland First Division: 3
  • 1991–92, 2012, 2016
• League of Ireland Shield: 2
  • 1953–54, 1983–84
• Dublin City Cup: 2
  • 1958–59, 1969–70
• Munster Senior League: 1
  • 1985–86
• Munster Senior Cup: 13
  • 1937–38, 1948–49, 1953–54, 1958–59, 1962–63, 1976–77,1983–84, 1984–85, 1988–89, 1994–95, 2005–06, 2011–12, 2014–15

Famous Players and Managers

Notable Former Players

This list includes players who had great careers with Limerick and other clubs, or who played for their country.

Awards for Players and Managers

Personality of the Year

This award from the Soccer Writers' Association of Ireland (SWAI) started in 1961.

• Eoin Hand 1980
• Al Finucane 1967

Player of the Month

The SWAI Player of the Month Award has been given out since 1971.

• Ian Turner – October 2015
• Vinny Faherty – August 2015
• Rory Gaffney – August 2014
• Ken DeMange – December 1992
• Billy Hamilton – September 1988
• Tommy Gaynor – March 1985
• Al Finucane – January 1985
• Liam Murphy – February 1984
• Des Kennedy – September 1980
• Brendan Storan – November 1979
• Eoin Hand – September 1979
• John Herrick – April 1977

Notable Former Managers

• Ewan Fenton (1960–67), (1970–72), (1975–76)
• Eoin Hand (1979–83)
• Billy Hamilton (1987–89)
• Sam Allardyce (1991–92)
• Neil McDonald (2017-2018)

See also

In Spanish: Limerick Football Club para niños