Longford Town F.C.
Longford Town Football Club (Irish: Cumann Peile Bhaile Longfort) is an Irish football club playing in the League of Ireland First Division. The club, founded in 1924[1] and elected to the league in 1984,[1] is based in Longford, County Longford and play their home matches at Strokestown Road, which for sponsorship reasons is also known as Bishopsgate. Club colours are red and black, and the club goes by the nickname 'De Town'.
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| Full name | Longford Town Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Town or De Town | ||
| Founded | 1924 | ||
| Ground | Bishopsgate, Longford, County Longford | ||
| Capacity | 4,960 all seated | ||
| Chairman | Jim Hanley | ||
| Manager | Daire Doyle | ||
| League | League of Ireland First Division | ||
| 2019 | League of Ireland First Division, 3rd of 10 | ||
| Website | Club website | ||
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History
Longford Town Football Club was founded in 1924 at a meeting held in the Temperance Hall. At the meeting, it was decided that the club colours were to be those of the famous Dublin club, Bohemian, ‘Red and Black’. Present at the meeting were Michael (Ikey) Kelly, Paddy Farrell, Michael Hanley, Tom Malone, Johnny Foley, Willie Jarrett, Tom Kelly, Tom Colbert and Jim Mulligan.[1]
The Town had £24 in the kitty to start off and their first big success was winning the Leinster Junior Cup in the 1930-31 season when they beat St. Malachy’s of Dundalk at Longford Park. After the game, the Foresters Brass and Reed Band and Longford Pipe and Drum Band led the victory parade through the streets of the town. The Longford team included Tom O’Beirne, Packy Shine, Mel Deane, Jimmy Malynn, John Dennigan, Jimmy and Billy Clarke, Freddy Dykes and Jimmy Breslin. In the 1935-36 season, the Town were promoted to Division 1 of the Leinster Senior League. The following season saw the Town clinch the FAI Intermediate Cup which was a considerable achievement coming so soon after promotion from the Junior ranks. Further Intermediate Cup successes, as well as Metropolitan Cup wins, followed in the 1950s and 1960s.[1]
Longford Town reached the final of the Leinster Senior Cup in 1954, when they lost 2-1 to Shamrock Rovers, on St.Stephen’s Day. The Hoops, then at their peak, got the winning goal with less than three minutes to go. Longford's team on the day was: Peter Keogh, Seamus Devlin, Sonny Canning, Billy Murphy, Paddy Kinsella, Johnny Peelo, Paschal Quinn, Andy Reville, Paddy Gilbert, Gerry Malone and Joe O’Brien.[1]
Many Longford-born players received International or inter-league honours over the years. Mel Deane was the first, when he was capped against Scotland in a Junior International. Then followed Junior International honours versus England for Jimmy and Paddy Clarke, as well as Youth International caps for Ignatius Branigan (against Holland) and Teffia Park's Mark Devlin.[1]
The club was 60 years in existence before its election to the League of Ireland, in 1984. In their first season in the league they finished last in the Premier Division and were one of the four sides to be relegated to the newly created First Division for the following season.[1] In their second season they finished bottom of the First Division with only 7 points. Town finished in the bottom six of the ten-team First Division in each of the next eleven seasons.[1]
The appointment of the then 26-year-old rookie manager Stephen Kenny in the summer of 1998 proved the catalyst for a major upturn in the club's fortunes on the pitch. In the 1998/99 season, they missed out a place in the promotion/relegation play-off by just four points. The following season saw further improvement when the Town finished in second place and, as a result, won promotion to the Premier Division. This was secured on the final day of the season, 22 April 2000, with a 2-0 victory away to Cobh Ramblers. The starting XI was: Stephen O'Brien, Enda Kenny, Wes Byrne (captain), Paul McNally, Stephen Kelly, Paul Perth, Vinny Perth, Stephen Gavin, Shay Zellor, Keith O'Connor and Richie Parsons. Early goals from O'Connor (the 1999/2000 First Division top scorer) and Byrne proved the difference.
Longford performed admirably in their first season back in the Premier Division, finishing in mid-table. That season also saw the club reach the FAI Cup Final for the first time, where they lost 1–0 to Bohemians. As Bohs had also won the League title that season, Longford Town FC qualified to play in the UEFA Cup in July 2001. A meeting over two games with Bulgarian club side PFC Litex Lovech ended in a 3–1 aggregate victory for the Bulgarians.[1]
Things were less comfortable in the league during the 2001/02 season after that, as they ended up in the relegation/promotion play-off, where they played Finn Harps in a two-legged affair. Longford won in a penalty shootout after the tie ended 3–3 on aggregate. After the 2002/03 season, the club became an established top division side, led by manager Alan Mathews, with four successive top-six finishes.
On 26 October 2003, the Town clinched their first title in senior football when winning the FAI Cup following a 2-0 victory over St. Patrick's Athletic at Lansdowne Road. The starting XI was: Stephen O'Brien, Alan Murphy, Barry Ferguson (captain), Brian McGovern, Seán Dillon, Alan Kirby, Vinny Perth, Philip Keogh, Sean Prunty, Shane Barrett and Sean Francis. Barrett and Francis found the net and victory more than made up for the disappointment of having lost the League Cup final, against the same opposition, two months previously.
2004 would prove to be the most successful year in the club's history. The Town produced a cup double by first winning the League Cup with a 2-1 victory over Bohemians, in a final held in Longford, with the crucial second goal scored by local player Seán Prunty. The FAI Cup was retained following a dramatic 2-1 win over Waterford United at Lansdowne Road on 24 October 2004. Trailing with five minutes to go, late goals by Waterford-born Alan Kirby and sub Paul Keegan sent the 6,000 Longford fans into a frenzy. The starting XI was: Stephen O'Brien (captain), Alan Murphy, Graham Gartland, Seán Dillon, Sean Prunty, Dean Fitzgerald, John Martin, Alan Kirby, Shane Barrett, Dessie Baker and Eric Lavine.[1]
The FAI Cup successes saw the club enter the UEFA Cup in both 2004 and 2005. On both occasions, however, they lost in the first qualifying round on aggregate.[1]
The 2007 season was a disappointing one for the midlands club as, along with losing the FAI Cup Final to Cork City, the club were relegated after finishing bottom of the Premier Division. That does not tell the whole story however, as the club were deducted six league points during the season for failing to comply with club licensing procedures.[2] These six points proved crucial in the end as, without this deduction, they would have finished safe from relegation and the relegation play-off.[1]
This cost the club dearly, as there followed six frustrating years in the First Division, before being promoted as Champions at the end of the 2014 season. The title was clinched, under the management of Tony Cousins, following a resounding 5–0 victory at home to Shamrock Rovers B on 3 October 2014.[3] This league title triumph was the club's first-ever in senior football with the trophy presented to club captain Mark Salmon. The goals of David O'Sullivan and Gary Shaw, along with the contribution of the experienced quartet of Pat Sullivan, Pat Flynn, Stephen Rice and Kevin O'Connor, were pivotal in the success.[1]
In their first season back in the Premier Division, de Town finished off the 2015 season in a creditable 6th position. The 2016 league season was very disappointing with Longford finishing bottom and relegated back to the First Division.[1]
The 2020 League of Ireland season was suspended after a few weeks due to the Covid-19 pandemic. De Town had played, and won, just two league matches before the suspension of the season and it wasn't until 31st July, after a break of some four and a half months, that the season resumed. A new, truncated, format was agreed upon, consisting of two rounds of fixtures in place of the original three - each club playing all of the other clubs home and away. The League Cup and Leinster Senior Cup competitions were cancelled for this season.
European record
Last update: July 2005[4]
Overview
| Competition | P | W | D | L | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UEFA Cup | ||||||
| TOTAL |
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Current squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Coaching and medical staff
| Position | Staff |
|---|---|
| Manager | Daire Doyle |
| Assistant Manager | John Martin |
| S&C Coach | Stephen Maher |
| Goalkeeping Coach | Gerard Mooney |
| Physiotherapist | Albert Byrne |
| Masseur | Willie Conlon |
| Kit Manager | Ian Maher |
2020 Fixtures / Results
Airtricity League First Division
| Home | Opposition | Away |
|---|---|---|
| 2-0 | Athlone Town | 25/9 |
| 0-2 | Bray Wanderers | 18/9 |
| 17/8 | Cabinteely FC | 9/10 |
| 17/10 | Cobh Ramblers | 22/8 |
| 12/9 | Drogheda United | 1-0 |
| 3/10 | Galway United | 1-0 |
| 2-0 | Shamrock Rovers II | 4/9 |
| 21/9 | UCD | 0-0 |
| 31/8 | Wexford FC | 24/10 |
Longford Town score first in all cases
FAI Cup
| Round | Date | Opposition | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First | 11/8/2020 | Cork City | Turners Cross | 0-1 AET |
Longford Town score first in all cases
EA Sports Cup
| Round | Date | Opposition | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First | - | Cockhill Celtic | Bishopsgate | - |
Competition cancelled due to COVID-19
Leinster Senior Cup
| Round | Date | Opposition | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fourth | - | - | - | - |
Competition cancelled due to COVID-19
2020 Goalscorers
| Player | FD | FAI | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Verdon | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Aaron McCabe | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Aodh Dervin | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Rob Manley | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| TOTAL | 6 | 0 | 6 |
FD = First Division, FAI = FAI Cup
Honours
- FAI Cup: 2
- 2003, 2004
- League of Ireland Cup: 1
- 2004
- League of Ireland First Division: 1
- FAI Intermediate Cup: 5
- 1936–37, 1954–55, 1959–60, 1961–62, 1968–69
- Connacht Junior Cup 1
- 1931–32
- Enda McGuill Cup: 1
- 2002–03
Records
- League victory: 7–1 v Athlone Town, 19 August 2017 and 6–0 v Shamrock Rovers F.C. B, 30 May 2014[1]
- League defeat: 1–8 v Waterford United, 12 November 1989[1]
- Points in a season: 70, 1999–2000 (36 games)[1]
- League goals in a season (player): 24, David O'Sullivan, 2013[1]
- League goals: 69, David O'Sullivan, 2013–2017[1]
- League appearances: 250, Stephen O'Brien, 1998–2005[1]
References
- "Longford Town Club Information". airtricityleague.ie. 9 February 2009. Archived from the original on 22 September 2012. Retrieved 7 September 2012.
- Longford deducted six points for licensing indiscretion Archived 4 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine, eleven-a-side.com, 2007. Retrieved 5 January 2008
- "Longford Town claim First Division crown and promotion". Raidió Teilifís Éireann. 8 October 2014. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
- "Longford –". UEFA. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
