DUNDALK FC CLUB DIRECTORY Honorary Club President Des Casey Chairman Bill Hulsizer Board Bill Hulsizer, James Baboulas, David Samhat, Fred Spencer and Des DFC MAGAZINE: ISSUE 02 Dunleavy Sporting Director Jim Magilton Secretary Padraig McGowan 03: CONTENTS Finance Officer Elaine Duffy Stadium Manager Aaron Lawless 04: OPENING SHOT Office Manager Ailish Kelly Media Officer Gavin McLaughlin Community Officer Liam Burns 06: COACHES CORNER Ground Staff John Moore, David Caldwell, Jimmy Fisher and Cyril Moore Commercial Manager Ronan Shields 08: POST-MATCH TALK Marketing Consultant Paddy Casey Player Liaison Officer Des Dunleavy Press Officer Darren Crawley 11: WELCOME BOHS Club Ambassadors Paul Brown and Andy Connolly Event Controller Regina O’Hare 14: PLAYER PROFILES Bar Manager Kevin Carthy Office Admin Karen Travers 16: 1973/74: SEVEN-UP DUNDALK FC TEAM MANAGEMENT Team Manager Shane Keegan 20: 1988: EASTER RISING Coach Filippo Giovagnoli Coach Giuseppe Rossi Goalkeeping Coach Graham Byas 26: Q&A: JUNIOR S&C Coach Graham Norton Academy Manager Stephen McDonnell 30: RETRO PROGRAMMES Doctor Dr Dualtach MacColgáin Physiotherapists Danny Miller and David Murphy 32: DFC PARTNERS Sports Science Lorcan Mason Video Analyst Dominic Corrigan Kit Manager Noel Walsh 35: SAVE OUR SONIA! DUNDALK FC MAGAZINE Editors Gavin McLaughlin and Paul 38: PLAYER SPONSORS Dunne, Contributors David Farrelly, Tom O’Connor, Sean De Loughry, Martyn 40: THE NUMBERS GAME Hindley, Padraig McGowan, Darren Crawley, Colm Murphy, Jim Murphy (RIP) Photography Sportsfile, Ciaran Culligan, 42: 2021 STATISTICS Mick Slevin (RIP) Artwork Shane Doyle Thanks to Ray McManus, Stephen 44: THE SPECTATOR McCarthy (Sportsfile) Programme of the Year 2008 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 46: THE QUIZ 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2019 48: TEAMS & OFFICIALS Note: The views expressed in this magazine are those of the individual contributors and are not necessarily shared by Dundalk FC...especially The Spectator! ©2021 Dundalk FC DFC MAGAZINE | 3 OPENING SHOT Dundalk’s Michael Duffy battles with former teammate and Shamrock Rovers centre-back Sean Hoare during the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division match at Tallaght Stadium. Photo by Eóin Noonan/Sportsfile 4 | DFC MAGAZINE Dundalk v Bohemians | Friday April 9th 2021 DFC MAGAZINE | 5 COACHES CORNER FILIPPO GIOVAGNOLI irst of all, if we look quarantine and also suspended. becomes available. There is back at last week’s We had a similar situation also a course in Italy in June game with Shamrock before the Finn Harps game that I will apply for. If I have Rovers in Tallaght, we when Patrick McEleney got enough points to get in, that will be amazing. If not we will had a difficult start injured the day before the game. It is unfortunate but it is what figure it out. The most important because we lost Brian Gartland it is and in a few weeks we’re objective at the minute is for Fright away. We had to rethink going to have a full squad and Dundalk to win matches and our structure but I still think we then it’s going to be different succeed. The rest will follow. created a lot of chances and music for everyone because we the best player on the pitch was know our squad is probably the Finally, I would like to speak Alan Mannus, which gives you strongest in the league. about Brian Gartland. When an idea of how the game went. myself and Giuseppe Rossi I think Rovers were a bit better We have players coming back arrived here last year we didn’t organised but we were stronger from injury and we believe that know anybody and Brian gained his spot in the team through at times and we created a lot of the team is going to be really powerful so we all feel really his performances. He did so chances. We were intense and positive. We have a busy period well, he was amazing. For us, aggressive but we have to add coming up this month and we’re he was a pillar on and off the discipline and organisation to looking forward to this kind of pitch. Right now, he has this this ferocity. schedule. We’ll be able to rotate injury but Brian is a strong man. players while maintaining a lot He’s a really important figure I know that Alessio Abibi of quality. Of course, we were for us and for our team so he received some criticism after expecting to have more points will stay with the group while he the game but football is like but it didn’t happen so we have recovers. We know he’s going that. Remember, he was a hero to keep our heads up, keep to get over this and he’s going in the President’s Cup. He going to work and do our jobs. to do everything he has to do arrived, won a trophy, did well We feel that our time is coming. to heal and we hope to see him against Sligo and then he had back soon. a couple of games with some Bohemians are our opponents mistakes. This can happen. tonight and we’re expecting a Enjoy the game, Alessio is a young goalkeeper war because they have had a Filippo Giovagnoli with a lot of room for bad start and we have also had improvement and the club and a bad start. Both teams will all of the coaching staff really want to win the game badly. believe in him. He’s a really They will come here to fight good character, always hard- and we know that so we’re working and wants to improve. expecting a really difficult He’s got a really good attitude game which is nothing different and we think he has a really because everyone wants to good career in front of him. perform well against a club like Dundalk. From a coaching perspective, it is very difficult having to Over the past couple of change your plans so quickly months, lots of people have into a game. Of course, all the been speaking about my pro- players have to be ready to go, licence but the situation is but the injury to Brian caused simple. The Italian federation tactical problems because we has given me permission to do didn’t have another centre- the course in Ireland - if one back. Sonni Nattestad was in 6 | DFC MAGAZINE Dundalk v Bohemians | Friday April 9th 2021 DFC MAGAZINE | 7 Patrick Hoban sees a header come back off the Shamrock Rovers post ‘Embarrassing’ is the They played some nice defending. word that Dundalk striker football but they didn’t “I thought we did quite Patrick Hoban used really hurt us and to well at times, we created to describe Dundalk’s concede two goals from chances, we hit the return of just one point 20 plus yards is very crossbar, I hit the post, frustrating. the keeper pulled off from their opening three “There were a lot some good saves but, SSE Airtricity League of words said in the at the end of the day, matches. dressing room,” he you’ve got a mountain After drawing against added. “We need to start to climb when you’re 2-0 Sligo Rovers in their taking a long, hard look down against anyone league opener, the at ourselves and make in this league and we Lilywhites slumped to sure that we win against need to stop doing that to a home defeat to Finn Bohemians, plain and ourselves,” said Hoban. Harps and followed that simple. There’s no two The points return up with another reverse ways about it. represents the club’s in Tallaght last week “We need to make sure worst start to a league as goals from Danny we get things going and season since the first Mandroiu and Dylan make sure we’re ready division campaign in Watts earned Shamrock for Bohs now because we 2006 and their worst start Rovers a 2-1 win. need three points and we to a Premier Division Hoban found his way need to stop conceding season since 1998/99 onto the scoresheet terrible goals. and Hoban again in the games against “We can’t feel sorry reiterated his disgust at Harps and Rovers but for ourselves. We can’t such a bad opening. SHAMROCK ROVERS 2-1 DUNDALK FC DUNDALK 2-1 ROVERS SHAMROCK speaking after the loss to afford to because before “I’m not used to losing Stephen Bradley’s side, we know it we’ll be out of games of football his attention was fully the title race. It’s so early for Dundalk FC and focused on matters at the in the season for me that’s why I’m highly other end of the pitch. to say that and I never embarrassed,” he said. “I missed a few thought I’d ever have to “We need to make sure chances, hitting the post say that but I’m actually we train well and make and stuff like that, but embarrassed that we’ve sure we play Bohs and at the end of the day, if only got one point from get three points, plain you’re going to concede three games. Completely and simple. goals like we did, you’re embarrassed and it “There’s nothing else going to make it a long needs to change.” I can say to you that season for yourself. Reflecting on the team’s would make me think “We need to stop overall display against any different. We need conceding sloppy goals. Rovers, Hoban felt that to start winning games It’s frustrating. We spoke Dundalk carried plenty of of football, because at before the game about threat in attack but were this moment in time, it’s POST-MATCH TALK POST-MATCH Rovers taking quick free let down by some sloppy simply not good enough.” A frustrated Patrick Hoban leaves the pitch at Tallaght Stadium kicks and stuff like that.