1975–76 Dundalk F.C. season

June 2019 June 2019 Dundalk 1975–76 Jim McLaughlin League of Ireland 1st (champions) FAI Cup First round League Cup Second round Leinster Senior Cup First round Terry Flanagan (11) Terry Flanagan (11) _blackborder _collarblack _blackborder _3_stripes_black _3_stripes_white FFFFFF FFFFFF FFFFFF 000000 FFFFFF 1974–75 1976–77 Dundalk entered the 1975–76 season on the back of a fifth-place finish the previous season. 1975–76 was Jim McLaughlin's first full season as manager, having replaced John Smith in November 1974. It was Dundalk's 50th consecutive season in the top tier of Irish football. Season summary The previous season had seen manager John Smith quit only two matches into the league programme for a new job outside football.https://archive.irishnewsarchive.com/Olive/APA/INA/SharedView.Article.aspx?href=IPR%2F1974%2F10%2F15&id=Ar01615&sk=61B548BA A Surprise Smith Move The Irish Press 15 October 1974 23 April 2019 Irish Newspaper Archives 28 August 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200828003025/https://archive.irishnewsarchive.com/Olive/APA/INA/SharedView.Article.aspx?href=IPR%2F1974%2F10%2F15&id=Ar01615&sk=61B548BA live Smith's resignation paved the way for the appointment of Jim McLaughlin as player-manager on 20 November 1974.https://archive.irishnewsarchive.com/Olive/APA/INA/SharedView.Article.aspx?href=EHD%2F1974%2F11%2F18&id=Ar01300&sk=B2C2422F Soccer Evening Herald 18 November 1974 23 April 2019 Irish Newspaper Archives 27 August 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200827235958/https://archive.irishnewsarchive.com/Olive/APA/INA/SharedView.Article.aspx?href=EHD%2F1974%2F11%2F18&id=Ar01300&sk=B2C2422F live But the Dundalk board that had taken control of the club in the summer of 1973 had already exhausted its available funding, and McLaughlin had been obliged to see what could be salvaged of the season with Smith's squad. His fifth-place finish was seen as "creditable", given the decline in the club's fortunes since the previous League title win in 1966–67. Going into the new season, he retained the players who had impressed, and signed a number of players who had been on the fringe at their clubs or were coming from non-League sides – reflecting the limited budget he was operating under.Ryan Sean Dundalk https://archive.irishnewsarchive.com/Olive/APA/INA/SharedView.Article.aspx?href=SIN%2F1975%2F09%2F07&id=Ar02005&sk=29224244 3 December 2019 Sunday Independent 7 September 1975 28 August 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200828004924/https://archive.irishnewsarchive.com/Olive/APA/INA/SharedView.Article.aspx?href=SIN%2F1975%2F09%2F07&id=Ar02005&sk=29224244 live The season opened with the League Cup in September, and McLaughlin's new side were knocked out in the second round. Louth rivals Drogheda United knocked them out of the Leinster Cup in the first round. The league schedule got under way on 5 October 1975, and saw a number of formerly successful clubs, such as Waterford, Cork Celtic and Cork Hibernians, all bring in fading stars from England – Bobby Charlton, George Best, Geoff Hurst and Rodney Marsh – in a bid to entice back the support they had lost as their fortunes had ebbed.Martin Seamus Stars are uninspiring https://archive.irishnewsarchive.com/Olive/APA/INA/SharedView.Article.aspx?href=IND%2F1976%2F02%2F23&id=Ar01202&sk=2C173FD4 Irish Independent 23 February 1976 28 August 2020 3 December 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20200828000248/https://archive.irishnewsarchive.com/Olive/APA/INA/SharedView.Article.aspx?href=IND/1976/02/23&id=Ar01202&sk=2C173FD4 live Meagan Jimmy Big Crowd Treated As Bobby Shows His Magic https://archive.irishnewsarchive.com/Olive/APA/INA/SharedView.Article.aspx?href=IPR%2F1976%2F01%2F19&id=Ar01407&sk=DE2CD302 24 November 2019 Irish Press 19 January 1976 28 August 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200828001825/https://archive.irishnewsarchive.com/Olive/APA/INA/SharedView.Article.aspx?href=IPR%2F1976%2F01%2F19&id=Ar01407&sk=DE2CD302 live Redmond John Shels Take The Honours https://archive.irishnewsarchive.com/Olive/APA/INA/SharedView.Article.aspx?href=IPR%2F1976%2F01%2F19&id=Ar01417&sk=432895C5 24 November 2019 Irish Press 19 January 1976 28 August 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200828004700/https://archive.irishnewsarchive.com/Olive/APA/INA/SharedView.Article.aspx?href=IPR%2F1976%2F01%2F19&id=Ar01417&sk=432895C5 live Meanwhile, Dundalk, needing no circus acts, were soon in a two-way tussle with Finn Harps at the top of the table. Struggling for goals early on, the signing of Terry Flanagan from Bohemians in November, after what would be their only defeat of the season, allowed them to press on. A 2–0 victory in a top of the table clash away to Finn Harps in February, in which Flanagan scored both goals, saw Dundalk go clear in the table.Kelly Liam Harkin Sent Off In Rousing Tussle https://archive.irishnewsarchive.com/Olive/APA/INA/SharedView.Article.aspx?href=IPR%2F1976%2F02%2F09&id=Ar01010&sk=395DDA61 3 December 2019 Irish Press 9 February 1976 28 August 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200828002657/https://archive.irishnewsarchive.com/Olive/APA/INA/SharedView.Article.aspx?href=IPR%2F1976%2F02%2F09&id=Ar01010&sk=395DDA61 live They were knocked out in the first round of the FAI Cup a week later, but they dropped only two points in the League subsequently, before clinching the title by beating Cork Hibernians at home in front of a packed Oriel Park with a game to spare.https://archive.irishnewsarchive.com/Olive/APA/INA/SharedView.Article.aspx?href=IPR%2F1976%2F04%2F05&id=Ar01417&sk=A64263CB Flanagan's goal title Clincher Jimmy Meagan The Irish Press 5 April 1976 23 April 2019 Irish Newspaper Archives 28 August 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200828002448/https://archive.irishnewsarchive.com/Olive/APA/INA/SharedView.Article.aspx?href=IPR%2F1976%2F04%2F05&id=Ar01417&sk=A64263CB live First-team squad (1975–76) Sources:Murphy Jim A Dundalk FC Miscellany 2013 Self-published Ireland 259 No.NameYearsLeagueFAI CupLeague CupLeinster Senior CupTotalGoals1ENG Richie Blackmore 1974–1985 26 1 3 1 31 02IRE Brian McConville History of Dundalk F.C. (1966–2002)#Brian & Tommy McConville 1964–1978 26 1 3 1 31 03NIR Jim McLaughlin Jim McLaughlin (footballer) 1974–1983 26 1 3 0 30 14IRL Tommy McConville 1967–1986 25 1 3 1 30 45NIR Jackie McManus 1973–1977 26 1 3 1 31 66NIR Seamus McDowell 1975–1977 26 1 3 0 30 107ENG Jimmy Dainty 1973–1980 25 1 3 1 30 78NIR Sean McLoughlin 1975–1976 23 1 2 0 26 49IRE Terry Flanagan Terry Flanagan (footballer) 1975–1978 18 1 0 0 19 1110IRE Sean Sheehy 1970–1977 26 1 2 1 30 911NIR Tony Cavanagh 1972–1977 24 1 2 1 28 312NIR Con Davey 1973–1975 6 0 2 1 9 113IRE Paul Connellan 1974–1976 7 0 2 1 10 114ENG Alan Spavin 1976 5 0 0 0 5 015IRE Joe Nicholl 1975–1976 2 0 3 0 5 2 Competitions League Cup Source: First round 14 September 1975 0–3 Dundalk Shelbourne Harold's Cross Stadium Dublin 21 September 1975 3–1 Dundalk Shelbourne Oriel Park Dundalk Dundalk won 6–1 on aggregate Second round 28 September 1975 2–0 Dundalk Waterford Kilcohan Park Waterford Leinster Senior Cup Source:Murphy Jim 2003 History of Dundalk FC - the First 100 Years Dundalk Jim Murphy 467 First round 25 September 1975 1–2 Dundalk Drogheda United Oriel Park Dundalk FAI Cup Source: First round 15 February 1976 Cork Celtic 3–0 Dundalk Turners Cross Cork League Source: Round 1 5 October 1975 Dundalk 0–1 Athlone Town W Round 2 12 October 1975 Dundalk 2–2 Home Farm D Round 3 19 October 1975 Dundalk 1–4 Limerick W Round 4 26 October 1975 Dundalk 2–2 St Patrick's Athletic D Round 5 2 November 1975 Dundalk 2–1 Cork Celtic L Round 6 9 November 1975 Dundalk 1–1 Finn Harps D Round 7 16 November 1975 Dundalk 1–1 Bohemians D Round 8 23 November 1975 Dundalk 4–1 Shelbourne W Round 9 7 December 1975 Dundalk 1–2 Drogheda United W Round 10 14 December 1975 Dundalk 5–2 Shamrock Rovers W Round 11 21 December 1975 Dundalk 1–1 Cork Hibernians D Round 12 28 December 1975 Dundalk 3–2 Sligo Rovers W Round 13 30 December 1975 Dundalk 0–2 Waterford W Round 14 11 January 1976 Dundalk 0–0 Home Farm D Round 15 12 January 1976 Dundalk 3–0 Athlone Town W Round 16 18 January 1976 Dundalk 1–0 Limerick W Round 17 25 January 1976 Dundalk 2–2 St Patrick's Athletic D Round 18 1 February 1976 Dundalk 3–2 Cork Celtic W Round 19 8 February 1976 Dundalk 0–2 Finn Harps W Round 20 22 February 1976 Dundalk 2–2 Bohemians D Round 21 29 February 1976 Dundalk 1–2 Shelbourne W Round 22 14 March 1976 Dundalk 1–1 Waterford D Round 23 21 March 1976 Dundalk 4–1 Drogheda United W Round 24 28 March 1976 Dundalk 0–3 Shamrock Rovers W Round 25 4 April 1976 Dundalk 1–0 Cork Hibernians W Round 26 11 April 1976 Dundalk 1–1 Sligo Rovers D League table main WDL QR auto 2 DUN Dundalk F.C. FHA Finn Harps F.C. WAT Waterford F.C. BOH Bohemian F.C. CHF Cork Hibernians F.C. DRO Drogheda United F.C. ATH Athlone Town A.F.C. CCF Cork Celtic F.C. SHE Shelbourne F.C. SLI Sligo Rovers F.C. StP St Patrick's Athletic F.C. HOM Home Farm F.C. LIM Limerick F.C. SHM Shamrock Rovers F.C. 15 10 1 54 26 15 6 5 57 35 13 8 5 54 37 10 12 4 44 25 11 9 6 37 24 11 6 9 42 45 12 4 10 40 49 11 5 10 41 34 7 7 12 42 44 6 8 12 32 49 7 5 14 31 53 4 9 13 35 54 6 4 16 37 49 4 7 15 27 49 complete www.rsssf.com Awards Player of the Month MonthPlayerReferencesMarchNIR Seamus McDowellSeamus McDowell is 'Player of the Month' for MArch https://archive.irishnewsarchive.com/Olive/APA/INA/SharedView.Article.aspx?href=EHD%2F1976%2F04%2F02&id=Ar02804&sk=7308FF5D 3 December 2019 Evening Herald 2 April 1976 28 August 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200828001333/https://archive.irishnewsarchive.com/Olive/APA/INA/SharedView.Article.aspx?href=EHD%2F1976%2F04%2F02&id=Ar02804&sk=7308FF5D live References Bibliography Jim Murphy The History of Dundalk F.C.: The First 100 Years Dundalgan Press 2003 B0042SO3R2 Graham Alex Football in the Republic of Ireland a Statistical Record 1921–2005 Soccer Books Limited 1-86223-135-4 MacSweeney Niall A Record of League of Ireland Football 1921/2 - 1984/5 Association of Football Statisticians 1985 B008H2CBJQ Ryan Sean Dunne Noel The Bass Book of Irish Soccer 24 October 1975 Mercier Press 9780853424505 Citations External links Dundalk F.C. on YouTube Category:Dundalk F.C. seasons Dundalk