112-472: Owen Heary (born 4 October 1976) is an Irish professional football player and manager. He is formerly the manager of Shelbourne in the League of Ireland First Division , the club with which he spent most of his playing career. [1] He made his League of Ireland debut for Kilkenny City at Bray Wanderers on 21 November 1993. After one season at Buckley Park he moved home to Home Farm where in 4 seasons he won
224-475: A European Cup winners medal in 1968. The early years of the sixties went great for the Reds . Three-goal wins over Bohemians, Shamrock Rovers and Dundalk put Shelbourne in the 1960 FAI Cup Final where they beat Cork Hibernians 2–0 to get their hands on the trophy for only the second time. Cork Celtic were beaten by a Ben Hannigan goal in a play-off for the league in 1962 and only illness to three key players as
336-419: A corner kick or other set pieces , centre-backs may move forward to the opponents' penalty area ; if the ball is passed in the air towards a crowd of players near the goal, then the heading ability of a centre-back is useful when trying to score. In this case, other defenders or midfielders will temporarily move into the centre-back positions. There are two main defensive strategies used by defensive lines:
448-490: A penalty shootout against Sligo Rovers after Shels had come from two-down late on. In the FAI Cup Final against St. Patrick's, Shels were reduced early on to 10 men as keeper Alan Gough was sent off and, with no sub keeper, midfielder Brian Flood played 70 minutes in goal. Despite trailing 1–0, Tony Sheridan equalised with a stunning lob in the last couple of minutes to force a replay. With Alan Gough back in goal for
560-640: A 0–0 draw in Lansdowne Road in front of 25,000 fans. That season the club also set a record for the longest European run in Irish history, a record they held for seven more seasons. After the Champions League exit at the hands of Deportivo the club was entered into the UEFA Cup . There, Shels met French side Lille and were beaten 4–2 on aggregate, having come back from a two-goal deficit in Lansdowne Road to achieve
672-406: A Shelbourne FC Supporters' Trust was agreed to be launched by fans. The Trust's name was officially voted as "The 1895 Trust" in celebration of the founding year of the club. The Trust was officially launched in 2013. Shelbourne shares a rivalry with Bohemians largely because of geographical proximity as both clubs are now located roughly just one mile apart, and also because of their early days in
784-681: A ball-playing central defender in a 3–5–2 or 3–4–3 formation; in addition to their defensive skills, their technique and ball-playing ability allowed them to advance into midfield after winning back possession, and function as a secondary playmaker for their teams. Some goalkeepers, who are comfortable leaving their goalmouth to intercept and clear through balls, and who generally participate more in play, such as René Higuita , Manuel Neuer , Edwin van der Sar , Fabien Barthez , Hugo Lloris , Marc-André ter Stegen , Bernd Leno , Alisson Becker and Ederson , among others, have been referred to as sweeper-keepers . The full-backs (the left-back and
896-582: A bucketful of personal honours during the season, being voted on to the Eircom League of Ireland Premier Division Team for 2008, receiving 42% of the votes for the right back position [2] and named the eircom/Soccer Writers Association of Ireland (SWAI) player of the month for October [3] . This was topped off when he was named the SWAI Personality of the Year on 4 December. Heary struggled with injuries during
1008-458: A creditable draw thanks to a brace from substitute Glen Fitzpatrick. Shelbourne went on to win the League in 2004. Having just failed to make the group stages of the Champions League and UEFA Cup in 2004, Shels brought in big-name players for the 2005 season, but only finished third in the league and lost to Linfield in the first-ever Setanta Cup Final at Tolka Park, after beating Glentoran . In
1120-551: A fourth-place league finish. In 2018, the team qualified for a promotion playoff after a third-place finish. Shels lost in the first round to Drogheda over two legs. In 2019, however, Shelbourne would regain promotion to the Premier Division for the first time since 2013 by winning the First Division . They claimed the title with a 3–1 away win over Drogheda at United Park on 14 September 2019. In 2020, Shelbourne competed in
1232-510: A full-back who was described as a terzino volante (or vagante , as noted at the time by former footballer and Gazzetta dello Sport journalist Renzo De Vecchi ); the latter position was essentially a libero , which was later also used by Viani in his vianema system, and Rocco in his catenaccio system. Though sweepers may be expected to build counter-attacking moves, and as such require better ball control and passing ability than typical centre-backs, their talents are often confined to
SECTION 10
#17328685753591344-491: A heroic comeback ensued and the team scored three goals to take all three points and avoid the drop. But the reprieve only lasted twelve months, as Shelbourne were relegated on goal difference after finishing level on 13 points with Cork but on −25 goal difference compared to Cork's −21. Shels stay in the First Division was short-lived though, as they came back up straight away with Derry City . After two decades and more in
1456-507: A new stand behind the Drumcondra end goal in 1999. The first-ever League of Ireland match to be broadcast live on TV was a fixture between Shelbourne and Derry City , staged at Tolka Park during the 1996–97 season. In 2015, the club announced a future move as co-tenants of Dublin City Council -owned Dalymount Park once redevelopment was completed around 2020. In 2021, the redevelopment
1568-420: A penalty when it seemed a Rovers defender had handled the ball after it went over the goal-line, as the subsequent penalty was missed. Shels won another Leinster Senior Cup in 1946. Another league title, however, was wrapped up on the last day in 1947 and was again secured against Shamrock Rovers . The closing of the decade marked the end of an era. In April 1949, Shelbourne drew 2–2 against Waterford in what
1680-487: A result Shelbourne were admitted to the Quarterfinals. After victories over Limerick in the Quarterfinals and St Patrick's Athletic in a Semifinal replay they secured a place in the 2011 FAI Cup Final , where they were beaten 4–1 on penalties by Sligo Rovers after the game finished 1–1 after extra time. 2012 saw Shelbourne finish eighth out of 11 teams on their return to the Premier Division. The club also reached
1792-581: A result of vaccinations taken on a League of Ireland representative trip to Italy prevented Shelbourne from winning the FAI Cup and a first 'double' as they went down to Shamrock Rovers in the final despite being red-hot favourites. The FAI Cup was, however, won the following year and it was a repeat of the 1960 final: a 2–0 win over Cork Hibs. With this success came the excitement of European club football. Shelbourne played their first European match against Sporting Clube de Portugal in 1962: they were beaten 2–0 in
1904-443: A second unregistered player had played five games. This all led to Shelbourne claiming their 10th league title, in the same season they were eliminated from the UEFA Cup in the preliminary round by Danish club Brøndby . Under new manager Pat Fenlon the title was missed out on in 2002–03 and Shelbourne were knocked out embarrassingly in the 2002–03 UEFA Champions League First qualifying round by Maltese minnows Hibernians . But for
2016-484: A sweeper. Prior to Viani, Ottavio Barbieri is also thought by some pundits to have introduced the sweeper role to Italian football during his time as Genoa 's manager. Like Viani, he was influenced by Rappan's verrou , and made several alterations to the English WM system or "sistema", which led to his system being described as mezzosistema . His system used a man-marking back-line, with three man-marking defenders and
2128-629: Is an Irish professional football club based in Drumcondra, Dublin , currently playing in the League of Ireland Premier Division . They are the reigning Premier Division. With its first name being associated with its more common nickname, Shels , the club plays its home matches at Tolka Park , in the Dublin suburb of Drumcondra . Founded in Dublin in 1895, Shelbourne F.C.'s colours are primarily red and white, with home jerseys being predominantly red. In 1904,
2240-454: Is sometimes referred to as libero , which is Italian for "free". Austrian manager Karl Rappan is thought to be a pioneer of this role, when he incorporated it into his catenaccio or verrou (also "doorbolt/chain" in French) system with Swiss club Servette during the 1930s, deciding to move one player from midfield to a position behind the defensive line, as a "last man" who would protect
2352-477: Is thought to have been coined by Gianni Brera , originated from the original Italian description for this role libero da impegni di marcatura ( i.e. , "free from man-marking tasks"); it was also known as the "battitore libero" ("free hitter", in Italian, i.e. a player who was given the freedom to intervene after their teammates, if a player had got past the defence, to clear the ball away). In Italian football,
SECTION 20
#17328685753592464-519: The 1928–29 Championship . Having failed to retain the title in 1930, Shels won their third league title in 1931 and were Leinster Senior Cup winners that same year. In 1934 the club got into a dispute with the Irish Free State F.A. when they looked for compensation after the FAIFS had arranged a match for the same day that Shelbourne had a match scheduled. In the row that followed, Shels resigned from
2576-510: The 2010 Leinster Senior Cup and later that year narrowly missed out on a place in the promotion play-offs thanks to a 2–1 defeat at home to Waterford United on the final day of the season. 2011 was a year of mixed fortunes for Shelbourne: a change in the promotion rules allowing automatic promotion to both the First Division Champions and Runners-up, which proved to be beneficial for Shelbourne. The Reds clinched promotion back to
2688-694: The Brandywell as Damien Duff's team rounded off a patchy season with a third straight win. . In 1989 Shelbourne acquired the lease on Tolka Park from Dublin Corporation . Before moving to Drumcondra, Shels had most recently been based in Harold's Cross Stadium , while prior to that they had been housed in Shelbourne Park , Irishtown Stadium and Dalymount Park . Shels had played home games regularly in Tolka during
2800-643: The FAI Cup at the semifinal stage. In the first Qualifying round of the 1998–99 UEFA Cup Shelbourne were drawn against Glasgow side and one of the Old Firm teams, Rangers . Due to security concerns Shelbourne's home leg was moved to Prenton Park in Tranmere . Despite leading the first leg in Tranmere 3–0, Shelbourne were beaten 5–3 and later beaten 2–0 in the second leg. In the 1999 UEFA Intertoto Cup Shelbourne were beaten in
2912-636: The IFA Cup once more, in 1920, after the other semi-final was declared void as both of the teams involved ( Belfast Celtic and Glentoran ) were ejected from the competition, before Shelbourne's association with the Irish Football Association was to come to an end. Following the Anglo-Irish Treaty , Partition of Ireland and establishment of the Irish Free State , the League of Ireland
3024-769: The Intertoto Cup semi-finals in the Northern Region after beating Lithuanian club FK Vėtra 5–0 on aggregate, the largest victory in European Competitions for Shelbourne, but they were knocked out of the competition by Danish side Odense BK 3–1 on aggregate — The Reds had been beaten 3–0 in the first leg at Fionia Park in Odense but earned a very respectable 1–0 win at Tolka, remaining undefeated at home in Europe for eight games, an Irish record. In 2006 Shelbourne also reached
3136-427: The League of Ireland Cup final for the first time since 1998 but lost on penalties. That same year, Shelbourne became a member of the 'European Club Forum'. However, after ongoing financial problems for Shelbourne during the 2006 season, Pat Fenlon resigned as manager and the vast majority of players left, some for rival clubs; others to British clubs. Shelbourne withdrew from the 2007 Setanta Sports Cup and before
3248-590: The Leinster Senior Cup again in 1908 and 1909. In 1909 Shelbourne were City Cup winners and finished third place in the Irish Football League , behind champions Linfield and Glentoran . In 1911 Shelbourne won the IFA Cup for their second time and went on to win the Leinster Senior Cup again in 1913 and 1914. Shelbourne were 1914 Gold Cup runners-up, and then winners in 1915, were Leinster Senior Cup winners again in 1917 and 1919, and winners of
3360-476: The libero is also retroactively thought to have evolved from the centre-half -back role in the English WM system, or sistema, which was known as the centromediano metodista role in Italian football jargon, due to its association with the metodo system; in the metodo system, however, the "metodista" was given both defensive and creative duties, functioning as both a ball–winner and deep-lying playmaker . Juventus manager Felice Borel used Carlo Parola in
3472-519: The libero was usually assigned the number six shirt. One of the first predecessors of the libero role in Italy was used in the so–called " vianema " system, a predecessor to catenaccio , which was used by Salernitana during the 1940s. The system originated from an idea that one of the club's players – Antonio Valese – posed to his manager Giuseppe Viani. Viani altered the English WM system – known as
Owen Heary - Misplaced Pages Continue
3584-411: The sistema in Italy – by having his centre-half-back retreat into the defensive line to act as an additional defender and mark an opposing centre-forward, instead leaving his full-back (which, at the time, was similar to the modern centre-back role) free to function as what was essentially a sweeper, creating a 1–3–3–3 formation; he occasionally also used a defender in the centre-forward role, and wearing
3696-447: The sport of association football , a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring. Defenders fall into four main categories: centre-backs, full-backs, sweepers, and wing-backs. The centre-back and full-back positions are most common in modern formations. The sweeper and wing-back roles are more specialised, often limited to certain formations dependent on
3808-438: The stopper , and a free defender, which was usually known as the sweeper , or libero , whose tasks included sweeping up balls for teammates and also initiating attacks. The sweeper (or libero ) is a more versatile centre-back who "sweeps up" the ball if an opponent manages to breach the defensive line. This position is rather more fluid than that of other defenders who man-mark their designated opponents. Because of this, it
3920-452: The verrou , his system was not as flexible and was a development of the WM rather than the 2–3–5, but it also featured one of the half-backs dropping deep; this allowed the defensive centre-half to sweep in behind the full-backs. In Italy, the libero position was popularised by Nereo Rocco 's and Helenio Herrera 's use of catenaccio . The current Italian term for this position, libero , which
4032-419: The 2007 season due to the club's debt situation. Although the club was saved, since then, Shelbourne had mainly played in the second tier of the League of Ireland with short stints back in the Premier Division in 2012, 2013 and 2020. The club were promoted back to the Premier Division in 2021 and have been competing back in the top flight since then, winning the Premier Division in 2024 Shelbourne Football Club
4144-565: The 2009 season, only making 20 league appearances. [4] . However, he collected his first ever League Cup winners medal in the September as Bohs beat Waterford United 3–1 at the RSC . In November 2009, Heary as captain, collected the Premier Division trophy for the Bohemians first back-to-back league wins. In doing so, he equalled Johnny Matthews record of 7 league winners medals. [5] Despite captaining
4256-467: The Cup semi-finals, losing to Derry in a Replay at Tolka Park. However Shelbourne stayed in the top flight for just two seasons, with the Reds finishing bottom of the 2013 Premier Division Alan Mathews was replaced by Johnny McDonnell as manager on 24 May 2013. The 2014 season saw Shelbourne finish second in the First Division , and the club thus advanced to a promotion playoff against Galway United. Galway won
4368-469: The FAI Cup Final to Cork City after a replay and, worst of all, missed out on the league title on the final day of the season. They were also narrowly eliminated from the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup by Kilmarnock . Richardson departed after this failure and in stepped the uncompromising Dermot Keely . Keely's first season ended in disappointment: Shelbourne finished third in the league and were knocked out of
4480-488: The First Division Shield. He won five league titles and one FAI Cup with Shelbourne after making his debut against Finn Harps at Tolka Park in September 1998. He accompanied Dermot Keely , his former manager at Home Farm (whom Heary had captained) to Shelbourne. Heary, a right-sided full-back noted for his robust tackling, general fitness and frequent sorties up the right flank in support of his attack,
4592-523: The League and were then suspended from football for a year by the FAI. The club played no football during the 1934–35 season and spent the 1935–36 season in the Athletic Union League before being re-admitted to the League of Ireland for the start of the 1936–37 season. During the 1935–36 season a team called Reds United , made up of a number of Shelbourne players and backed by Shels personnel, competed in
Owen Heary - Misplaced Pages Continue
4704-410: The League of Ireland and finished a respectable fourth. At the end of the season, they resigned from the League to make way for Shelbourne’s return. The decade had a happy ending, though, as success in the FAI Cup finally arrived (many fans had started to believe the club was suffering from a curse): it was in the 1939 Cup Final that the supposed curse was broken. Sligo Rovers who boasted Dixie Dean ,
4816-505: The Leinster Senior Cup in 1968. In the years that followed, televised highlights of English football began to be broadcast into Ireland and the crowds around most of the league grounds plummeted. Clubs in the league came under huge financial pressure, players left for England at a younger age, grounds became derelict, and media coverage almost disappeared. There was a bright enough start to the seventies as Athlone Town were beaten in
4928-434: The Premier Division for the first time since 2013. They were condemned to the First Division once again at the end of the 2020 via a promotion/relegation playoff, but secured a return after winning promotion and the 2021 First Division championship on 1 October 2021. Having investigated the purchase of Dundalk F.C. in early 2023, Turkish media company Acun Medya , owners of EFL Championship side Hull City , announced
5040-399: The Premier Division thanks to a 4–0 home victory against Finn Harps on 25 October. 2011 was also a memorable Cup year for Shelbourne, as they were drawn to play Sheriff Y.C. in the fourth round, although despite leading the game by two goals, Shelbourne were beaten by Sheriff 3–2. However, Sheriff were subsequently found to have fielded an ineligible player, were ejected from the Cup, and as
5152-460: The Reds won yet another Leinster Senior Cup. Two seasons later they were hammered 6–0 on aggregate by Icelandic club ÍA Akraness in the UEFA Cup , the previous season they finished third in the league and just two points behind winners Dundalk. Both the League Cup and the FAI Cup were won in sensational circumstances in 1996 under Damien Richardson . The League Cup was won, for the first time, in
5264-512: The Shield final second replay, a win that would see the Reds enter the new UEFA Cup the following season. However, it was to be the last trophy the club would win for some time apart from their Leinster Senior Cup win in 1972. Cork Hibs beat Shels in the replay of the 1973 FAI Cup Final in Flower Lodge — the only time the final was ever played outside Dublin — while Shelbourne were eliminated from
5376-476: The UEFA Cup by Hungarians Vasas SC in what would be their last European game for 21 years. Two years later Shelbourne were shocked in the Cup final by amateurs Home Farm . During this time the club's ongoing problems were covered in a ground-breaking RTÉ fly-on-the-wall documentary entitled In My Book You Should Be Ahead . In 1978, Jimmy Johnstone , a European Cup winner with Celtic in 1967, signed briefly for
5488-482: The back-line and start attacks again. As coach of Switzerland in the 1930s and 1940s, Rappan played a defensive sweeper called the verrouilleur , positioned just ahead of the goalkeeper. During his time with Soviet club Krylya Sovetov Kuybyshev in the 1940s, Aleksandr Abramov also used a position similar to a sweeper in his defensive tactic known as the Volzhskaya Zashchepka , or the "Volga clip". Unlike
5600-432: The ball out from the back. Some sweepers move forward into midfield, and distribute the ball up-field, while others intercept passes and get the ball off the opposition without needing to hurl themselves into tackles. If the sweeper does move up the field to distribute the ball, they will need to make a speedy recovery and run back into their position. In modern football, its usage has been fairly restricted, with few clubs in
5712-618: The ball out from the back; examples of such pairings have included Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique for Barcelona and Spain , David Luiz , Gary Cahill , John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho with Chelsea , Sergio Ramos , Raphaël Varane or Pepe with Real Madrid , Diego Godín and José María Giménez with Atlético Madrid and Uruguay , Nemanja Vidić and Rio Ferdinand with Manchester United , or Giorgio Chiellini , Leonardo Bonucci , Andrea Barzagli and Medhi Benatia with Juventus . Under normal circumstances, centre-backs are unlikely to score goals. However, when their team takes
SECTION 50
#17328685753595824-686: The ball. Other defenders who have been described as sweepers include Bobby Moore , Daniel Passarella , Franco Baresi , Ronald Koeman , Fernando Hierro , Matthias Sammer , and Aldair , due to their ball skills, vision, and long passing ability. Though it is rarely used in modern football, it remains a highly respected and demanding position. Recent and successful uses of the sweeper include by Otto Rehhagel , Greece 's manager, during UEFA Euro 2004 . Rehhagel utilised Traianos Dellas as Greece's sweeper to great success, as Greece became European champions. For Bayer Leverkusen , Bayern Munich and Inter Milan , Brazilian international Lúcio adopted
5936-474: The bay at Tolka Park . During that season Gerry Doyle was appointed manager and a new era was being ushered in for the team. The FAI Youth Cup was won in 1959 and Doyle was true to his word, "if they're good enough, they're old enough" and six of the Youth Cup-winning team became first-team regulars. Amongst them was Tony Dunne who would be later transferred to Manchester United with whom he picked up
6048-457: The biggest leagues using the position. The modern example of this position is most commonly believed to have been pioneered by Franz Beckenbauer , and subsequently Gaetano Scirea , Morten Olsen and Elías Figueroa , although they were not the first players to play this position. Aside from the aforementioned Blason and Picchi, earlier proponents also included Alexandru Apolzan , Velibor Vasović , and Ján Popluhár . Giorgio Mastropasqua
6160-403: The centre-backs during corner kicks and free kicks, when the centre backs usually go forward to attempt to score from headers. That said, full-backs can sometimes score during counterattacks by running in from the wings, often involving one-two passing moves with midfield players. The wing-back is a variation on the full-back, but with a heavier emphasis on attack. Wing-backs are typically some of
6272-422: The centre-half role, as a player who would drop back into the defence to mark opposing forwards, but also start attacks after winning back possession, in a similar manner to the sweeper, which led to the development of this specialised position. Indeed, Herrera's catenaccio strategy with his Grande Inter side saw him withdraw a player from his team's midfield and instead deploy them further-back in defence as
6384-415: The club joined the Irish Football League , which was then an all-Ireland competition, before becoming one of the founding members of the League of Ireland in 1921, winning their first title in the 1925–26 season. Shelbourne have won the league 14 times and are one of three clubs to have won both the IFA Cup and the FAI Cup . In the 2004–05 European season, Shelbourne became the first Irish club to reach
6496-479: The club left the disbanded European Club Forum and joined its replacement, the European Club Association , only to leave this organisation the following year. In 2009, the chance for promotion again evaporated when Shels lost 1–2 at home to Sporting Fingal in the promotion/relegation play-off semi-final. In 2010 former Reds player Alan Mathews became the new manager. Under Mathews, Shelbourne won
6608-614: The club to the Setanta Sports Cup , Bohemians had a disappointing 2010 season where the club lost their league title on goal difference and failed to make an impact in Europe where they made an embarrassing exit to Welsh side The New Saints . Heary retired as a player in 2013. His testimonial was played between Shels and Bohs at Dalymount Park in November 2013. Owen took his first steps into management during 2011 when he took charge of Bohs' A Team and under 19 team and also managed
6720-542: The club. 'Jinky' only played nine games for the Reds and the European Cup winner failed to score in any of his appearances. In 1984, Shelbourne lost out to Shamrock Rovers in the FAI Cup semi-final replay. As the league was to expand to two divisions in the summer of 1985, the bottom four clubs at the end of the 1984/85 season were to be relegated. Needing a win on the last day of the season, Shels found themselves two goals down at half-time away to Galway United . However,
6832-503: The competition again in 1901 and 1904. The club made it to the final of the IFA Cup in 1905 but were beaten by Distillery . The following year Shelbourne defeated Belfast Celtic in the Cup Final 2–0 and became the first Southern club to win the IFA Cup , according to a Dublin newspaper "Tar Barrels and bonfires were blazing across Ringsend and Sandymount that night as the Irish Cup
SECTION 60
#17328685753596944-461: The defensive line, and clearing balls away from the penalty area. Armando Picchi was subsequently also a leading exponent of the more traditional variant of this role in Helenio Herrera's Grande Inter side of the 1960s. The more modern libero possesses the defensive qualities of the typical libero while being able to expose the opposition during counterattacks by carrying or playing
7056-446: The defensive realm. For example, the catenaccio system of play, used in Italian football in the 1960s, often employed a predominantly defensive sweeper who mainly "roamed" around the back line; according to Schianchi, Ivano Blason is considered to be the first true libero in Italy, who – under manager Alfredo Foni with Inter and subsequently Nereo Rocco with Padova – would serve as the last man in his team, positioned deep behind
7168-429: The diamond 4–4–2 formation, demand the full-back to cover considerable ground up and down the flank. Some of the responsibilities of modern full-backs include: Due to the physical and technical demands of their playing position, successful full-backs need a wide range of attributes, which make them suited for adaptation to other roles on the pitch. Many of the game's utility players, who can play in multiple positions on
7280-548: The doldrums, the grey skies were clearing. Tony Donnelly took over the club in 1989 and started to invest heavily. Shels were out of the derelict Harold's Cross Stadium and taking over Tolka Park . Former Irish international Pat Byrne was installed as player-manager, and a plethora of new players arrived shortly after to bring back the glory days. The heavy investment in the club by the Donnelly family gave an almost instant return as Shelbourne captured their eighth league title at
7392-407: The end of the 1991/92 season – the first for 30 years – when they won 3–1 away to outgoing champions Dundalk. Despite only needing a draw, Brian Flood sealed the win with a spectacular goal from 35 yards. Although the league title was lost the following season after two series of play-offs involving Cork City and Bohemians, the FAI Cup was won, again after a 30-year wait, when a Greg Costello header
7504-564: The evolution of the modern game, wing-backs are the combination of wingers and full-backs. As such, this position is one of the most physically demanding in modern football. Successful use of wing-backs is one of the main prerequisites for the 3–5–2 and 5–3–2 formations to function effectively. Wing-backs are often more adventurous than full-backs and are expected to provide width, especially in teams without wingers. A wing-back needs to be of exceptional stamina, be able to provide crosses upfield and defend effectively against opponents' attacks down
7616-468: The fastest players on a team, when employed. Wing-backs are typically used in a formation with three centre-backs and are sometimes classified as midfielders instead of defenders. They can, however, be used in formations with only two centre-backs, such as in Jürgen Klopp 's 4–3–3 system that he used at Liverpool , in which the wing-backs play high up the field to compensate for a lack of width in attack. In
7728-404: The field. For example, a clearance is a long unaimed kick intended to move the ball as far as possible from the defender's goal. Due to the many skills centre-backs are required to possess in the modern game, many successful contemporary central-defensive partnerships have involved pairing a more physical defender with a defender who is quicker, more comfortable in possession and capable of playing
7840-497: The fifties, sixties, seventies, and early eighties. Before Tolka Park was home to Shelbourne it housed Drumcondra F.C. from 1953 until 1972 when Drumcondra unexpectedly went out of business, vacating the ground. Home Farm were the next tenants in Tolka Park, but the club never drew large crowds. When Shelbourne moved into the ground they invested heavily in the stadium, converting it into Ireland's first all-seater stadium and building
7952-508: The final, played in front of over 38,900 fans, but it was only good enough to earn a replay which Athletic won. A sixth league title was won in 1953, and then in 1955–56 Shels played their only season in Irishtown Stadium . The ground, however, was far from complete despite a huge amount of voluntary work being carried out by supporters and offered no shelter for the fans from the elements. The following season Shelbourne were tenants across
8064-544: The first leg held at Dalymount Park and then 5–1 in Portugal to go out 7–1 on aggregate. The following season they took on FC Barcelona in the European Cup Winners' Cup but were beaten 5–1 on aggregate. In 1963 Shelbourne won another Leinster Senior Cup. In 1964 the club finally sold their last interest in Irishtown Stadium . Shelbourne won their first European game and tie in the 1964–65 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup , after
8176-637: The first leg in Croatia, Shelbourne were trailing 3–2, but thanks to a 2–0 victory at home Shelbourne advanced 4–3 on aggregate, becoming the first Irish club to reach the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League and pulling off one of the biggest upsets in European competitions by an Irish club. However, Shelbourne's historic Champions League run came to an end when they were beaten by Spanish club, Deportivo La Coruña 3–0 on aggregate, having achieved
8288-502: The first leg resulted in a 0–0 draw and the second leg finished 1–1. They won a playoff match against Portuguese side Belenenses , although the following round they were eliminated 2–0 on aggregate by Atlético Madrid . On 19 November 1967, in a match between Shelbourne and rivals Bohemians, Shelbourne player Jimmy O'Connor set the record for the world's fastest hat-trick in top tier domestic league history, scoring three goals in two minutes and 13 seconds at Dalymount Park. Shelbourne won
8400-457: The first qualifying round of the Champions League they were knocked out 4–1 on aggregate by Romanian club SC Fotbal Club FCSB SA , despite holding the Bucharest powerhouse to a 0–0 draw in the first leg at Tolka Park. 2006 saw a change in fortunes for Shelbourne, with The Reds winning the title on the last day of the season on goal difference from the old Derry City. They also managed to reach
8512-564: The first round by Swiss club Neuchâtel Xamax . After a mediocre first season, Dermot Keely brought Shels a historic first-ever League and FAI Cup double in 1999–2000. Having secured the league with a 2–0 win in Waterford which saw Shelbourne lose just once before then, the double was claimed thanks to a Pat Fenlon goal in the FAI Cup final replay away in Dalymount Park against Bohemians. The following season, though, saw Shels again let
8624-434: The first team during their Leinster Senior Cup matches. When Pat Fenlon departed for Hibernian , Owen became Aaron Callaghan 's assistant manager for the 2012 season. After a poor run of results during the 2013 season which left Bohs in the relegation zone, Callaghan was sacked as manager and Heary was appointed to take caretaker charge of the club. Due to Heary not possessing the necessary coaching qualifications, this
8736-450: The first time ever, the club won back-to-back titles in 2003 and 2004 as the league changed to a summer season, although they were eliminated from the 2003–04 UEFA Cup in the competition’s opening round by Slovenians NK Olimpija Ljubljana . Shelbourne entered the 2004–05 UEFA Champions League qualifying rounds in the first round. After beating KR Reykjavík they advanced to face the then-Croatian League Champions HNK Hajduk Split . After
8848-408: The flanks, and the position became increasingly specialised for dynamic players who could fulfil that role as opposed to the central defenders who remained fairly static and commonly relied on strength, height and positioning. In the modern game, full-backs have taken on a more attacking role than was the case traditionally, often overlapping with wingers down the flank. Wingerless formations, such as
8960-792: The flanks. A defensive midfielder may be fielded to cover the advances of wing-backs. It can also be occupied by wingers and side midfielders in a three centre-back formation, as seen by ex- Chelsea , ex- Inter Milan , and ex-Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte . Examples of players who could and did play as wing-backs were AC Milan teammates Cafu and Serginho , Barcelona player Dani Alves , Roberto Carlos of Real Madrid's Galácticos era, former River Plate's defender Juan Pablo Sorín , World Cup winning German Andreas Brehme , Parma 's legend Antonio Benarrivo , Angelo Di Livio of Juventus and Italy and former Corinthians , Arsenal and Barcelona star Sylvinho . Shelbourne F.C. Shelbourne Football Club ( Irish : Cumann Peile Shíol Bhroin )
9072-419: The forties started slowly enough for the Reds , and it wasn't until 1944 that the league championship was won again — for a fourth time — along with the Shield. The title was clinched after an epic 5–3 win over local rivals Shamrock Rovers. Luck was reversed though in the FAI Cup Final as Rovers stopped the Reds from winning the treble. Shelbourne went down 3–2 but felt aggrieved that the referee only awarded them
9184-466: The goalscoring legend of the Football League , were eventually beaten after a replay thanks to a long-range goal from 'Sacky' Glen. After so many attempts, the blue ribbon of Irish football made its way to Shelbourne Park for the first time. Official figures put the attendances at 30,000 and 25,000 for the first final and the replay respectively. As the euphoria of the first FAI Cup success wore off,
9296-400: The last line of defence and usually covered opposing forwards in the middle of the field. The later 3–2–5 style involved a third dedicated defender, causing the left and right full-backs to occupy wider positions. Later, the adoption of 4–2–4 with another central defender led the wide defenders to play even further over to counteract the opposing wingers and provide support to their own down
9408-523: The league title slip away on the last day. Shelbourne beat Macedonian club FK Sloga Jugomagnat to set up a tie with Rosenborg BK , but were eliminated by the Norwegians 4–2 on aggregate. The 2001–02 season was dogged by controversy as title challengers St. Patrick's Athletic were docked nine points for fielding an unregistered player in accordance with the league's rules, before having them restored. The league eventually docked them 15 points when it emerged
9520-461: The manager's style of play and tactics. The centre-back (also known as a central defender or centre-half, as the modern role of the centre-back arose from the centre-half position) defends in the area directly in front of the goal and tries to prevent opposing players, particularly centre-forwards , from scoring. Centre-backs accomplish this by blocking shots , tackling , intercepting passes , contesting headers and marking forwards to discourage
9632-413: The number nine shirt, to track back and mark the opposing forwards, thus freeing up the full-backs from their marking duties. Andrea Schianchi of La Gazzetta dello Sport notes that this modification was designed to help smaller teams in Italy, as the man–to–man system often put players directly against one another, favouring the larger and wealthier teams with stronger individual players. In Italy,
9744-722: The old Belfast-centered Irish League and the early Irish Free State league. The club also has rivalries with other Dublin sides: St Patrick's Athletic are arguably their biggest rivals, with both sides having a fierce rivalry filling stadiums on derby day; Shels also have a derby with Shamrock Rovers named the Ringsend derby. Shelbourne have a long, illustrious history in European competitions, taking on clubs such as Sporting Lisbon , Barcelona , Atlético Madrid , Panathinaikos , Rangers , Rosenborg , Brøndby , Hajduk Split , Deportivo de La Coruña , Lille , FCSB (formerly Steaua Bucharest) , and FC Zürich . Shelbourne first performed on
9856-425: The opening 1921–22 season , Shelbourne finished in third place behind winners St James's Gate and Bohemians . Shelbourne finished runners-up the following two seasons and won the 1924 Leinster Senior Cup. The Reds finished third in the league again in the 1924–25 season before winning the league for their first time the following season in 1925–26 . They finished runners-up the following two years before winning
9968-447: The opposing team from passing to them. Centre-backs are often tall and positioned for their ability to win duels in the air. In the modern game, most teams employ two or three centre-backs in front of the goalkeeper . The 4–2–3–1 , 4–3–3 , and 4–4–2 formations all use two centre-backs. In possession of the ball, centre-backs are generally expected to make long and pinpoint passes to their teammates, or to kick unaimed long balls down
10080-581: The pitch, are natural full-backs. Two rather prominent examples are former A.C. Milan left-back Paolo Maldini and the former PSG full-back Sergio Ramos , who have played on the flanks as full-backs and in central defence throughout their career. In the modern game, full-backs often chip in a fair share of assists with their runs down the flank when the team is on a counter-attack like Leighton Baines and Trent Alexander-Arnold . The more common attributes of full-backs, however, include: Full-backs rarely score goals, as they often have to stay back to cover for
10192-448: The purchase of Shelbourne in June 2023. In November 2023, the club announced the restructuring of its shareholdings, with the acquisition by long-term supporter and shareholder Mickey O’Rourke, founder of Setanta Sports, through TDL Media, the shareholding of Acun Medya. On 1 November 2024, Shelbourne won the 2024 League of Ireland Premier Division after a 1-0 win against Derry City at
10304-466: The rematch, Shels won the trophy after Gough saved a late penalty and Stephen Geoghegan scored an even later winner. Shelbourne became only the third club to retain the FAI Cup when they defeated Derry City 2–0 in the 1997 final, but fell to SK Brann in the 1996–97 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Preliminary round. The 1997–98 season brought heartbreak. Shels lost the League Cup Final to Sligo Rovers,
10416-619: The replay in Dublin and scheduled the rematch again for Belfast. Shelbourne refused to comply and forfeited the Cup. Such was the anger over the issue that the Leinster FA broke away from the IFA and formed its own national association, the present-day Football Association of Ireland . Shelbourne became one of the original League of Ireland founder clubs along with Bohemians , St James's Gate , Jacobs , Olympia , Frankfort , Dublin United and YMCA . In
10528-430: The right-back) locate the holding wide positions and traditionally stay in defence at all times, until a set-piece. There is one full-back on each side of the field except in defences with fewer than four players, where there may be no full-backs and instead only centre-backs. In the early decades of football under the 2–3–5 formation , the two full-backs were essentially the same as modern centre-backs in that they were
10640-455: The start of the new league season were demoted to the First Division by the FAI. The club announced on 29 March 2007 that they would not be applying for a UEFA licence to compete in the 2007–08 UEFA Champions League qualifying rounds . The club's majority shareholder Oliver Byrne suffered a brain tumour (he died in August 2007) and Joe Casey was installed as chairman. Former manager Dermot Keely
10752-402: The sweeper role too, but was also not afraid to travel long distances with the ball, often ending up in the opposition's final third. Although this position has become largely obsolete in modern football formations, due to the use of zonal marking and the offside trap , certain players such as Daniele De Rossi , Leonardo Bonucci , Javi Martínez and David Luiz have played a similar role as
10864-564: The third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League . Their performances in European competition and former striker Jason Byrne being capped for the Republic of Ireland whilst with the club, gained Shelbourne international exposure. In the 2023 season, Shelbourne marked another milestone as they qualified for the Europa Conference League qualifiers for the first time in their history. The club lost their Premier Division licence for
10976-515: The two-legged tie, and Shels remained in the First Division. At the end of the 2014 campaign, McDonnell left to manage Drogheda United and was replaced by Kevin Doherty. The 2015 season saw the club finish fourth in the league. A disappointing 2016 campaign ended in a sixth-place finish. Former player Owen Heary took over as manager midway through the season following the resignation of Kevin Doherty. In 2017, Heary's first full season as manager ended in
11088-455: The zonal defence, where each centre-back covers a specific area of the pitch; and man-to-man marking, where each centre-back has the job of tracking a particular opposition player. In the now obsolete man–to–man marking systems such as catenaccio , as well as the zona mista strategy that later arose from it, there were often at least two types of centre-backs who played alongside one another: at least one man–to–man marking centre-back, known as
11200-613: Was 109 for and 15 against. Shelbourne won the principal junior competitions, the Leinster Junior Cup and League Championship. The club decided to enter the senior ranks for the 1897–98 Season and reached the Leinster Senior Cup Final at their first attempt, only to lose to Bohemians . They also finished runners-up in the Leinster Senior League. The club won their first Leinster Senior Cup in 1899/1900, winning
11312-412: Was brought back in and assembled a squad just in time for the club to take its place in the 2007 League of Ireland First Division . A respectable fifth-place finish in the top half of the table was secured. In the 2008 campaign, they were odds-on favourites to win the First Division but a last-minute goal by Limerick 37 in Tolka Park gave Dundalk the division title and the accompanying promotion. In 2008
11424-540: Was elected Player of the Year for the 2001/2002 season by his peers in the Professional Footballers' Association of Ireland . Heary was unveiled as a Bohemians player at a press conference on 22 January 2007 and has since slotted into the side with ease, playing a huge part in Bohs' great defensive record. Owen captained Bohs to the 2008 league title and FAI Cup in a fantastic season for the right back. He collected
11536-681: Was enough to defeat Dundalk in Lansdowne Road . The club made a return to European competitions after a 21-year wait in 1992 when they faced Ukrainian club SC Tavriya Simferopol in the newly formed UEFA Champions League . Despite holding the Ukrainians to a scoreless draw in Dublin they were beaten 2–1 in Ukraine and eliminated from the competition. The following season Shelbourne won their first game in Europe for 30 years when they beat FC Karpaty Lviv of Ukraine and advanced to play Greek Giants Panathinaikos but were beaten 5–1 on aggregate. Later that season
11648-560: Was first sold as a sixteen-page publication priced fifty pence for a home league tie against Cork City on 31 January 1999. The 'Shelbourne Supporters' Development Group' was founded in 2006 with the aim of securing badly needed funding from the Shelbourne supporter base. The Group have been promised shares in Shelbourne FC Ltd and representation on the board if it raises a certain amount of money for Shelbourne FC each year. In October 2012
11760-532: Was for an initial 60-day period until 12 September 2013. Heary now holds a UEFA Pro Licence having been shortlisted by the FAI to do the course in January 2014. Heary managed Sligo Rovers until June 2015. He was appointed as manager of Shelbourne on 28 June 2016 following Kevin Doherty 's resignation. Heary made 41 appearances in European competition and scored against Rhyl F.C. in the 2008 UEFA Intertoto Cup [6] . Defender (association football) In
11872-553: Was formed for clubs in the 26 counties of Ireland that had not remained part of the United Kingdom . The immediate cause of the split lay in a bitter dispute over the venue for the replay of an Irish Cup match in 1921 involving Glentoran of Belfast and Shelbourne. When the first cup match was drawn in Belfast, because of the Irish war of independence , the IFA reneged on a promise to play
11984-462: Was formed in 1895 in the Ringsend area of Dublin by a group of men led by James Rowan. The club took its name from the nearby Shelbourne Road. The club's first pitch was at Havelock Square just behind the north stand at the present day Aviva Stadium . Shelbourne's second season was their first in competitive competition. Shelbourne played 28 matches, won 25, drew two and lost only one. Their goal tally
12096-404: Was formed in 2003 and is the club's single Ultras group. 'Reds Independent' are a Shelbourne supporters group formed in 1998 after Shelbourne FC moved their home UEFA Cup tie with Rangers out of the country and to Prenton Park , the home of Tranmere Rovers FC . The group gives Shelbourne fans an independent voice, through Red Inc. , one of the longest-running fanzines in the world. Red Inc.
12208-454: Was known for revolutionising the role of the libero in Italy during the 1970s; under his Ternana manager Corrado Viciani, he served as one of the first modern exponents of the position in the country, due to his unique technical characteristics, namely a player who was not only tasked with defending and protecting the back-line, but also advancing out of the defence into midfield and starting attacking plays with their passing after winning back
12320-634: Was paraded around the district" . In 1906 Shelbourne player Val Harris became the club's first player to line out for Ireland . In 1906 Shelbourne won their fourth Leinster Senior Cup , the club also playing in a charity match against Bohemians the same year and raised more than 100 pounds to build a church in Ringsend. Shelbourne reached the IFA Cup Final again in 1907 and 1908 but were beaten on both occasions in replays against Cliftonville and Bohemians , respectively. In 1907 Shelbourne were also Irish Football League runners-up to Linfield . They won
12432-459: Was planned to conclude by 2025. In May 2024, the council granted the club a 250-year lease on Tolka Park. This followed proposals in 2022 for the club to repurchase the ground. The club's fanbase is mainly drawn from the northside of Dublin although there are a number of supporters from the Southside , mainly the Ringsend area where the club originates from. 'Briogáid Dearg' ( Red Brigade )
12544-411: Was the club's final competitive game at Shelbourne Park. The plan was that the team would build a new stadium in Ringsend. The 1948–49 season also saw Shels win their seventh Shield and 14th Leinster Senior Cup. In 1951, Shelbourne made it to the FAI Cup final where they met Cork Athletic who had already wrapped up the league. Tommy Carberry had scored in every round for the Reds and did so again in
#358641