Shamrock Rovers F.C. was founded in 1901 but only began playing competitive football when they
joined the Dublin County League in 1903. They won this league in the second year they entered and
this was to be the first of many trophys for the southside club. In 1921 rovers, as a junior club made it
to the final of the F.A.I. cup only to lose in a replay to St. James' Gate. After this successful season,
Rovers applied and were accepted to the League of Ireland and have been part of it ever since.
Rovers won the league at the first go and it proved to be the first of 14 league titles, in 1924/25 season
they managed the treble of league, cup and shield beating ringsend rivals Shelbourne in the final, it
was in 1927 that Rovers decides to get rid of the old striped gear and wore the green and white hoops
for the first time, they also moved to Glenmalure park, in 1926 Ireland played its first international
with a team that had four rovers players on it, the first of many rovers caps.
Rovers had alot of success including a four-in-a-row during the late 80's but when Glenmalure park
was taken from under the clubs noses in the early 90's the clubs fortunes changed and the whole
league became increasingly behind the times as Rovers went from crowds of 30,000 when they had
their "new beginning" in the R.D.S. to crowds as low as 1,500 spectators in the "state of a stadium"
that is Mortan Stadium Santry. The most successful side in ireland only have one league title and a
league cup success to their name, hopefully a new beginning will occer when the hoops move to a
"fixed abode" in Tallaght. |
