LO100: Week Three - 'Well done, Bohs!' (October 3 1921)

Dateline: Dublin 03 October 1921

‘Well done, Bohs’ screamed the Sunday newspaper headlines following the Gypsies' 2-0 victory over Shelbourne at Dalymount Park the previous afternoon. 

This game was the first clash of these old rivals in the League of Ireland and a substantial crowd paid a gate of £125, a decent figure considering that last week’s big game in Belfast saw a crowd of 4,000 pay a gate of £80 to watch Linfield vs Distillery. 

Shelbourne, who have looked very much at home in Dalymount over recent seasons, were handicapped by the injury-mandated reshuffling of their team which saw Foley dropping back from forward to half and McCarthy coming in. Both Bohs goals were scored by Haine, who continued the improvement he showed against Jacobs last week.

The Biscuitmen again found themselves up against a strong home team this time around as they drew 2-2 with YMCA at Claremont Road. Frankfort were the Gate’s latest victims as the Brewerymen provided fast football, fluctuating and fascinating, in their 2-0 triumph at the Barn. Bohemians and the Gate are on maximum points with the former heading the table by a goal.

Shamrock Rovers remain top of the Leinster Senior League having defeated Bray Unknowns 4-0. Rovers are playing ex-international Johnnie Murphy in their forward line. The magnificent judgement and accuracy of the ex-Shels and Bradford City man has been responsible for many of Rovers goals this season. 

Bray fought valiantly, and were only trailing by Fullam’s early strike with fifteen left to play. However, the shine was taken off Vance’s excellent display in the Wicklow men’s nets by a late flurry of goals from Gregg and Flood (2). Vance was not the most unfortunate keeper in the LSL on Saturday, however. 

Elsewhere in provincial action, the goalies of both Bohs B (O’Connor) and Glasnevin (Daly) were taken to hospital after colliding with the opposition’s goalscorer in similar accidents during their meeting at Ballymun Road. The Gypises ultimately defeated the Diggers 4-1.

The team selected by the IFA to meet England in Belfast on 22 October does not contain a single player registered to a club on the island of Ireland. Three of the selected team are from outside Carsonia: Glasgow Celtic’s Patsy Gallacher (born in Milford, Co Donegal), Luton Town’s Louis Bookman (grew up in Dublin’s ‘Little Jerusalem’), and Liverpool’s Billy Lacey (born and reared in Enniscorthy, Co Wexford).

In other news, it is not known if any football men were among the escapees from the Curragh last night but patriotic aficionados of the association game are still grinning at the exploits of UCD AFC’s CS Andrews who was one of over forty IRA men to avail of a tunnel out of the internment camp last month.