Best and Worst of European Adventures
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With Sligo Rovers, Bohemians, St. Patrick’s Athletic and Derry City beginning their European adventures in the coming weeks, the importance of a good Cup run is more prevalent than it ever has been before. In this harsh economic climate, where a number of clubs (including Bohemians) are struggling financially, the revenue that a club can generate from these European encounters can be of far greater benefit to them than their remaining league games put together.
The reward can be even greater if they manage to make it to the next round. Extratime.ie looks back on some of those who have achieved the unexpected in Europe in the past, and also those who have had nights to forget when facing foreign opposition.
St. Patrick’s Athletic: 2008-09
The European stage hasn’t been the kindest to St. Pat’s at times, having only won five out of 26 games in a variety of competitions. However, this record looked a lot worse before last year where they played six matches in the UEFA Cup, winning three and drawing two before eventually being knocked out in the first round proper by German side Hertha Berlin. A 3-0 aggregate win against Austrians JFK Olimps Riga was followed by a 4-3 aggregate victory against Elfsborg in the final qualifying round. Mark Quigley and Gary Dempsey scored a couple of vital away goals in the Boras Arena. Things looked bad for Pat’s in the second leg at Richmond Park when the Swedes held an early 1-0 lead for most of the game, but goals in the final three minutes from Jason Gavin and Quigley gave Johnny McDonnell’s side a dramatic victory on a night when Keith Fahey (soon to be featuring in the English Premiership) was outstanding. A 2-0 defeat to Berlin away from home proved to be too much for the Inchicore outfit, but there was much to admire in their performance at Richmond where they managed to hold Hertha to a 0-0 draw.
Derry City: 2006-07
Very often in European competitions, you can be at a disadvantage playing an away tie first because if the opposition make the most of playing on their home turf, it may leave their opponents with too much to do once the second leg comes around.
Obviously nobody told Derry City this when they faced Gretna in Fir Park, Motherwell in August 2006 as they went on to enjoy a comprehensive 5-1 victory, the largest away winning margin for any League Of Ireland team in European competition. Goals from Kevin Deery (2), Ciaran Martyn (2) and Darren Kelly left the Scottish Cup Finalists in shock, and though Gretna managed two away goals at the Brandywell, Derry still romped to a comfortable 7-3 aggregate victory.
They would go on to face French powerhouses Paris St. Germain, drawing with them at home before being beaten 2-0 in France. It was a successful European odyssey for the Northerners nonetheless though, and also included two 1-0 victories over IFK Gothenburg.
Bohemians: 2000-01
At the beginning of what would be the club’s first double-winning season, the Roddy Collins-managed Bohemians caused a major surprise when they got the better of Scottish side Aberdeen in the UEFA Cup qualifying round. A 2-1 away victory was the catalyst for this triumph (the first time an Irish club defeated British opposition away from home in Europe), and gave them a lucrative tie against Kaiserslautern, the German outfit who had Mario Basler (Bayern Munich’s goal scorer when Man United beat them in the ’99 Champions League Final), and World Cup-winner Youri Djorkaeff in their side. They came away from Dalymount Park with a 3-1 victory, which left Bohemians in an almost impossible position heading over to Germany. They showed great spirit in the second leg though, and a Glen Crowe goal gave Bohemians a well-deserved 1-0 victory as they bowed out of Europe in glory.
Shelbourne: 2004/05
Again, another first here. Shelbourne became the first Irish club to reach the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League after victories against KP Reykjavik (on away goals) and Croatian Champions Hajduk Split (4-3 on aggregate). This meant they were only one game away from qualifying for the group stages of the Champions League, but they faced tough opposition from Deportivo La Coruna, who had beaten Man United in the 2001/02 group stage at Old Trafford. The first leg took place in front of 25,000 fans in Lansdowne Road when Shelbourne, managed by current Bohemians boss Pat Fenlon, came away with 0-0 score line after a superb performance. This generated a lot of fanfare for the League of Ireland with the knowledge that the Tolka Park outfit were only a score draw away from the promised land. It proved to be a step too far for Shelbourne, though, but this is the closest that a League Of Ireland club has gotten to facing the big boys at a competitive level, and is arguably the greatest success in the modern era for a League of Ireland side on the European scene.
Cork City: 1991/92
Though Cork City did not get past the first stage in their Uefa Cup journey this season, they did get to face off against the mighty Bayern Munich, whom they held to a 1-1 draw in Musgrave Park in their first leg encounter. Indeed, Cork City had briefly held the lead in that game, when future club manager and two-time All-Ireland winner Dave Barry drilled a low shot past the Bayern ‘keeper. Bayern soon equalized though, and would win the second leg 2-0 in Bavaria, but this was no disgrace against such a massive club, which included star players such as Steffen Effenberg, who would feature on the team that won the Champions League just short of ten years later.
Waterford United: 1968/69
Waterford must have feared the worst when they were drawn against Manchester United in the first round of the European Cup. Always a formidable opponent, this was United’s first European match since their victory against Eusebio’s Benfica in the previous May’s final. In the end, Waterford were resoundingly beaten 10-2 on aggregate, with Denis Law coming up with seven of those goals. In the return leg at Old Trafford, Bobby Charlton got one the score sheet, and England’s record goal scorer would later enjoy a 31 game spell with Waterford in 1975, scoring 18 goals. They would also lose a second round game 10-2 on aggregate two years later, this time against Glasgow Celtic.
St. Patrick’s Athletic: 1999/00
After a decent showing against Celtic the year before (they drew 0-0 at home, before losing 2-0 at Parkhead), hopes were high that Pat’s could really make a splash against Moldovan side FC Zimbru Chisinau. What transpired was an absolute disaster, however, as Liam Buckley’s side were defeated 10-0 on aggregate, with two 5-0 defeats to their name.
Bray Wanderers: 1999/00
For a club like Bray Wanderers, who wouldn’t have the same expectations as some of the other clubs on this list, being in European competition would undoubtedly be seen as a bonus no matter what happens to them once they get there. At the same time though, you would still want to do your best once you get there, and the 8-0 aggregate defeat to Grasshopper-Club Zurich in 1999 (they qualified because of their FAI Cup success the same year) would have come as a huge disappointment to a lot of people at the club.
Shamrock Rovers: 1994/95
Shamrock Rovers were the first Irish club to enter into European competition in the 1957 but, it must be said, their record leaves a lot to be desired. The biggest disappointment came in 1994 when they were defeated by Gornik Zabrze 8-0 on aggregate, with a 7-0 defeat in Poland meaning the result was already decided before the second leg even came around.
Cork City: 1989/90
In Cork City’s first foray in Europe, they suffered a defeat which wouldn’t have suggested that they could put it up to Bayern Munich just two years later. A 6-0 aggregate defeat to Russian side Torpedo Moscow was one that the Leesiders would have tried to forget very quickly, though it was a lesson that they would learn very quickly, and would in a way actually benefit them in the future.
The reward can be even greater if they manage to make it to the next round. Extratime.ie looks back on some of those who have achieved the unexpected in Europe in the past, and also those who have had nights to forget when facing foreign opposition.
- THE BEST
St. Patrick’s Athletic: 2008-09
The European stage hasn’t been the kindest to St. Pat’s at times, having only won five out of 26 games in a variety of competitions. However, this record looked a lot worse before last year where they played six matches in the UEFA Cup, winning three and drawing two before eventually being knocked out in the first round proper by German side Hertha Berlin. A 3-0 aggregate win against Austrians JFK Olimps Riga was followed by a 4-3 aggregate victory against Elfsborg in the final qualifying round. Mark Quigley and Gary Dempsey scored a couple of vital away goals in the Boras Arena. Things looked bad for Pat’s in the second leg at Richmond Park when the Swedes held an early 1-0 lead for most of the game, but goals in the final three minutes from Jason Gavin and Quigley gave Johnny McDonnell’s side a dramatic victory on a night when Keith Fahey (soon to be featuring in the English Premiership) was outstanding. A 2-0 defeat to Berlin away from home proved to be too much for the Inchicore outfit, but there was much to admire in their performance at Richmond where they managed to hold Hertha to a 0-0 draw.
Derry City: 2006-07
Very often in European competitions, you can be at a disadvantage playing an away tie first because if the opposition make the most of playing on their home turf, it may leave their opponents with too much to do once the second leg comes around.
Obviously nobody told Derry City this when they faced Gretna in Fir Park, Motherwell in August 2006 as they went on to enjoy a comprehensive 5-1 victory, the largest away winning margin for any League Of Ireland team in European competition. Goals from Kevin Deery (2), Ciaran Martyn (2) and Darren Kelly left the Scottish Cup Finalists in shock, and though Gretna managed two away goals at the Brandywell, Derry still romped to a comfortable 7-3 aggregate victory.
They would go on to face French powerhouses Paris St. Germain, drawing with them at home before being beaten 2-0 in France. It was a successful European odyssey for the Northerners nonetheless though, and also included two 1-0 victories over IFK Gothenburg.
Bohemians: 2000-01
At the beginning of what would be the club’s first double-winning season, the Roddy Collins-managed Bohemians caused a major surprise when they got the better of Scottish side Aberdeen in the UEFA Cup qualifying round. A 2-1 away victory was the catalyst for this triumph (the first time an Irish club defeated British opposition away from home in Europe), and gave them a lucrative tie against Kaiserslautern, the German outfit who had Mario Basler (Bayern Munich’s goal scorer when Man United beat them in the ’99 Champions League Final), and World Cup-winner Youri Djorkaeff in their side. They came away from Dalymount Park with a 3-1 victory, which left Bohemians in an almost impossible position heading over to Germany. They showed great spirit in the second leg though, and a Glen Crowe goal gave Bohemians a well-deserved 1-0 victory as they bowed out of Europe in glory.
Shelbourne: 2004/05
Again, another first here. Shelbourne became the first Irish club to reach the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League after victories against KP Reykjavik (on away goals) and Croatian Champions Hajduk Split (4-3 on aggregate). This meant they were only one game away from qualifying for the group stages of the Champions League, but they faced tough opposition from Deportivo La Coruna, who had beaten Man United in the 2001/02 group stage at Old Trafford. The first leg took place in front of 25,000 fans in Lansdowne Road when Shelbourne, managed by current Bohemians boss Pat Fenlon, came away with 0-0 score line after a superb performance. This generated a lot of fanfare for the League of Ireland with the knowledge that the Tolka Park outfit were only a score draw away from the promised land. It proved to be a step too far for Shelbourne, though, but this is the closest that a League Of Ireland club has gotten to facing the big boys at a competitive level, and is arguably the greatest success in the modern era for a League of Ireland side on the European scene.
Cork City: 1991/92
Though Cork City did not get past the first stage in their Uefa Cup journey this season, they did get to face off against the mighty Bayern Munich, whom they held to a 1-1 draw in Musgrave Park in their first leg encounter. Indeed, Cork City had briefly held the lead in that game, when future club manager and two-time All-Ireland winner Dave Barry drilled a low shot past the Bayern ‘keeper. Bayern soon equalized though, and would win the second leg 2-0 in Bavaria, but this was no disgrace against such a massive club, which included star players such as Steffen Effenberg, who would feature on the team that won the Champions League just short of ten years later.
- THE WORST
Waterford United: 1968/69
Waterford must have feared the worst when they were drawn against Manchester United in the first round of the European Cup. Always a formidable opponent, this was United’s first European match since their victory against Eusebio’s Benfica in the previous May’s final. In the end, Waterford were resoundingly beaten 10-2 on aggregate, with Denis Law coming up with seven of those goals. In the return leg at Old Trafford, Bobby Charlton got one the score sheet, and England’s record goal scorer would later enjoy a 31 game spell with Waterford in 1975, scoring 18 goals. They would also lose a second round game 10-2 on aggregate two years later, this time against Glasgow Celtic.
St. Patrick’s Athletic: 1999/00
After a decent showing against Celtic the year before (they drew 0-0 at home, before losing 2-0 at Parkhead), hopes were high that Pat’s could really make a splash against Moldovan side FC Zimbru Chisinau. What transpired was an absolute disaster, however, as Liam Buckley’s side were defeated 10-0 on aggregate, with two 5-0 defeats to their name.
Bray Wanderers: 1999/00
For a club like Bray Wanderers, who wouldn’t have the same expectations as some of the other clubs on this list, being in European competition would undoubtedly be seen as a bonus no matter what happens to them once they get there. At the same time though, you would still want to do your best once you get there, and the 8-0 aggregate defeat to Grasshopper-Club Zurich in 1999 (they qualified because of their FAI Cup success the same year) would have come as a huge disappointment to a lot of people at the club.
Shamrock Rovers: 1994/95
Shamrock Rovers were the first Irish club to enter into European competition in the 1957 but, it must be said, their record leaves a lot to be desired. The biggest disappointment came in 1994 when they were defeated by Gornik Zabrze 8-0 on aggregate, with a 7-0 defeat in Poland meaning the result was already decided before the second leg even came around.
Cork City: 1989/90
In Cork City’s first foray in Europe, they suffered a defeat which wouldn’t have suggested that they could put it up to Bayern Munich just two years later. A 6-0 aggregate defeat to Russian side Torpedo Moscow was one that the Leesiders would have tried to forget very quickly, though it was a lesson that they would learn very quickly, and would in a way actually benefit them in the future.
About Daire Walsh
Daire Walsh began reporting for Extratime in 2009, when he covered Kildare County's games in the League Of Ireland First Division. He currently reports on games involving the league's Dublin sides and also Bray Wanderers. … View Full Profile