Where are they now? Keith Doyle - It all adds up
Credit:
Keith Doyle – It all adds up
A lovely summers evening descends over the mountains in south county Dublin. Overlooking this
view from his desk is a man who can count himself as one of a select few in this country or indeed on
this continent that can call himself a European champion in football.
Keith Doyle was the left full for Brian Kerr’s victorious Republic of Ireland under 18’s that won the European Championships in Cyprus in 1998.
It was the icing on the cake for the 19 year old that had just experienced the summer of dreams.
Yet if things had gone a little differently one day in the mid 80’s in Clonsilla, Keith could have been on another part of the pitch that day.
“At the age of six or seven I started with Swords Celtic and in my first game against St Mochta’s I played in goal. We lost 13-0,” said Doyle “So that was the end of my goalkeeping career.” Despite not becoming the next Gordon Banks, Keith developed into a left full and spent ten years at his local club before at the age of 17 earning a trial at English club Millwall along with former Irish international and now respected football pundit Richard Sadlier.
“John Docherty was the boss there at the time and I went over for two, two week stints. They offered me an apprenticeship, but I wanted to finish my Leaving Cert first.”
Millwall kept an eye on the young Swords native but sadly circumstances were to change: “Docherty left soon after and there was a clear out of the backroom staff and the youth development officer, who was to keep an eye on me over that period was gone too.”
Keith then signed for Belvedere at under 18 level and came into contact with the great Noel O’Reilly. After a year at the famous schoolboy club, O’Reilly asked Keith to go to a pre-season tournament with St. Patrick’s Athletic that was to be held in UL.
“It was the winter football back then so there was a number of English clubs in the tournament too. I played a couple of games and did quite well.”
Due to them performances, Keith was signed by the Inchicore outfit in the summer of 1997. Indeed that was a busy summer in Dublin 8. It was going to be Pat Dolan’s first full season in charge and he went on a major recruiting splurge.
He signed essentially the spine of the Irish under 20 squad that had come third in the World Cup in Malaysia earlier that summer. Colin Hawkins, Thomas Morgan and Trevor Molloy all signed on at Richmond Park.
These signings added to the experience that was already at the club since the Brian Kerr days in the form of Eddie Gormley, Paul Osam and Packie Lynch, and it meant expectations were high amongst the Inchicore faithful.
His first season at Pats was to be a memorable one. Including a never to be forgotten two horse race with Shelbourne in the league and a titanic battle in the FAI Cup.
The first two clashes between the sides that season had seen away victories (3-2 to Shels in Richmond in September and 2-0 to Pats in Tolka in December). However, it was an 11 day spell in March 1998 where the teams with meet each other force times, once in the league and amazingly three times in the FAI Cup that defined their rivalry during that season.
All four games ended in draws but Pat’s had been agonisingly close to winning in the final game of the four in Tolka, which was the 2nd replay of the FAI cup quarter final.
“Late in the game we were 2-1 up and Tony McCarthy equalised” explained Doyle “He got above me and scored sadly” Shels were to win that cup tie on penalties but Pats still held the slight upper hand in the league.
That was to change on Good Friday when they lost 2-0 at home to Bohs. And when in their second last game of the season Shels controversially beat Rovers 2-1 at Tolka to go four points clear, it looked that the Reds were going to win the title.
However Pats weren’t finished yet. Two days after that game they played Dundalk at home and won 4-2.
“We struggled in that game, but all we could do was look after ourselves in the last two games and that’s how we approached it, and whatever happened with Shels, happened with Shels”
Friday 1st May 1998 was to be D-Day. Shels were away to Dundalk and Pat’s were away to already relegated Kilkenny City.
While the game in Oriel remained scoreless, Ian Gilzean had given pats the lead in Buckley Park but Michael Reddy equalised for the Noresiders. “He tormented us all night he could have scored another two or three” said Doyle.
Unbelievably against all odds, Shels then went two down in Oriel and Pat’s were searching desperately for the winner. It arrived in the shape of captain Eddie Gormley.
It was only then that the Pat’s players became aware of the situation in Dundalk. “We only became aware after Eddie’s goal that Shels were losing when word filtered through.”
Meanwhile Stephen Geoghegan netted a late consolation for Shels in Dundalk but it wasn’t enough and Shels had lost 2-1. It meant that if Pat’s could hold on in Kilkenny they were champions.
They did hold on and Pat’s fans invaded the pitch, although on the night Pats weren’t presented with the league trophy.
“We were presented with some sort of cup all right but it didn’t really matter, we were league champions and we had a good night in Inchicore after and a good week following.”
There was no rest for Keith though, as he had to gear up for qualifying for the European Championships with the Republic of Ireland under 18’s. After defeating Greece in Tolka Park the team were through to play in the competition in Cyprus in July 1998.
In the first game, Ireland hammered Croatia 5-2 with the likes of Stephen McPhail and Robbie Keane getting on the scoresheet. However, two days later the young boys in green were to suffer a major setback.
A goal from Leeds United youngster Alan Smith was enough to give England a 1-0 victory over us. “It looked as if we were finished, we couldn’t see them losing to Croatia.”
“We were staying in the same hotel as the England squad and that night Brian and Noel got us together for a chat around the pool.”
“Noel then got his famous guitar out and we had one of those famous sing-songs” This however didn’t go down well with the English supremo Howard Wilkinson.
“He came down to give out to us, that this was interfering with his team’s preparations. Brian told him in no uncertain terms that a team meeting was happening.”
With morale boosted once again Ireland went out and beat the hosts Cyprus by three goals to nil. In a quirky similarity to what had happened the previous May, an unexpected result happened elsewhere.
England were defeated by Croatia and Ireland were thorough to the final on goal difference to face Germany.
“It was a tough game they were very physical,” Keith says. Ireland took the lead thanks to a quality goal by Alan Quinn and they kept this lead until very late in the game when with only 10 seconds left Andreas Gensler equalised for the Germans.
Extra time came and went without much happening and then it was onto penalties, with Germany having two saved by Alex O’Reilly and Robbie Keane seeing his effort saved it was 3-3 and Liam George was set to take the decisive penalty. The young Luton Town striker duly dispatched the spot kick and Ireland had their second European victory over that summer and Keith Doyle had his second winners medal of that year also.
However, he was unaware that Liam George’s penalty had won it. “For whatever reason I thought there was still one penalty left and when the rest of lads took off I wondered why. It was only then I realised we won it so I was the last to take off towards him.”
The highlights kept coming for the young Dubliner because the following Wednesday he played for Pat’s against Celtic in a Champions League qualifier.
Then the weekend after played against Liverpool and Lazio at Lansdowne Road in the short lived Carlsberg Trophy.
Meanwhile over at Richmond Park there were changes afoot. Pat Dolan moved back upstairs and in came Liam Buckley. Keeping the nucleus of the side that won the league Buckley only added one or two players, including current UCD boss Martin Russell.
Pat’s were more pleasing on the eye and played a more flamboyant 3-5-2 system but with a back three of McGuiness, Hawkins and Lynch were still tough to beat. That season their main challengers were FAI cup holders Cork City. In the first meeting in October1998 between the sides, Pat’s won 2-0 at home.
Then on a Saturday afternoon in January in front of the RTE cameras Pat’s picked up a massive three points with a 2-1 win in Turner’s Cross. Pat Morley gave Cork the lead but goals from Leon Braithwaite and Stephen McGuinness gave the Saints the victory.
In the final meeting in April the sides went into it neck and neck but a Paul Osam goal was enough to give Pats all three points.
Then two weeks later on the final day of the season a Jeff Clarke goal gave Pats a 1-0 victory over Bray Wanderers and give the Saints a second consecutive league title.
During that season Doyle had been called away to the under 20 World Cup in Nigeria. The likes of Damien Duff, Robbie Keane, Richard Dunne, Colin Healy and Dean Delaney were also in that squad. However, the underage successes of the previous two years was to come to an end as unluckily Ireland exited the tournament in the second round on penalties to host country Nigeria.
Pat’s were now looking for three in a row but before the domestic campaign began they suffered a massive setback when they were defeated 10-0 on aggregate (5-0 in both legs) by Moldovan outfit FC Zimbru Chisinau. “My contract had ended at the end of the previous season and when my new one was agreed the registration didn’t go in in time to play in the European ties.” A lucky escape then for Doyle, who at the time was been chased by Shels boss Dermot Keely.
The 99-00 season was to be a very disappointing one for the Inchicore side. Three in a row never looked likely and Liam Buckley and the club parted company and Pat Dolan returned as manager. The Leinster Cup was all they had to show for their efforts that season.
Keith spent one more year in Inchicore. “I was still young and I wanted to experience the league in other shapes and forms.”
Keith then dropped down a division to be re-united with Buckley at Athlone Town. In his time at the midlands club Keith played in centre midfield but his stay at St Mels was to be a short one.
“I enjoyed my time there but halfway during that season a lot of the non-local players were let go. I was playing centre midfield for Athlone and away to Cobh I hit a left footed drive from 25 yards and it flew in.”
It was then onto Bray for Keith “Pat Devlin was looking for a left sided player and he gave me a call. ” Thanks to Keith and former Pat’s midfield maestro Eddie Gormley, Bray kept their Premier Division status thanks to a 1-0 victory away to Monaghan United.
Summer of 2002 and Keith was once again re-united with Liam Buckley, this time at Shamrock Rovers.
Despite winning their first game of the season away to Derry, the Hoops didn’t win for another eight games until defeating Bray 2-1. Was this a case of a new team taking time to gel?
“In pre-season Liam tried something a little different, Instead of running around pitches he tried it from a scientific view with dieticians, psychologists etc. We still did all the right things but for whatever reason it just didn’t happen in the first six or seven weeks.”
Despite that bad start, Rovers were still in the cup and after that win over Bray their season began to take off. Keith was making the left back slot his own until disaster struck.
“I got an injury which one or two of the other players got. It was osteoarthritis. It was wear and tear on the hip and groin area. A lot of sports players get it due to twisting and turning”
Rovers would get to the cup final and come 3rd in the league to qualify for Europe “What Liam did in pre season did stand to us towards the end of that season.”
“Liam was very patient with me and I tried to play with injections but it didn’t happen. I was never really the same player after that it took a lot out of me.”
2003 was to be the first season of summer soccer in Ireland and expectations were high amongst the Hoops faithful that the previous seasons 3rd place could be bettered.
The signings of Barry Ryan and Alan Reynolds only added to that expectation but despite a sluggish start when Europe came around in June, the Hoops were only a point of top spot.
Rovers defeated Polish side Odra Wodzislaw 3-1 on aggregate and became the first League of Ireland club to win two legs in a European tie for over 20 years. Many Hoops fans regard the first leg win in Poland as one of their greatest nights
However it was a bitter sweet memory for Doyle “I was coming back from the previous seasons injury and it was my first game back. I came on as a sub and got a fractured jaw when going up for a header.”
Rovers were on a high but in the next round Slovan Liberec proved to be a bridge too far but more worrying for Rovers things were starting to go wrong off the pitch.
Stories of players not being paid began to circulate: “Yes, that was true and the main thing for us was to make sure that the full time players were looked after first as the money from football was there. “In this the lads were willing to work with the club to find a resolution and Liam was the go between for the players and the club, but the biggest disappointment was the lack of what we felt as players was honest communication from the club.”
“Sadly we had to ballot for strike action but the club came up with the money so thankfully that was averted. People will say that it shouldn’t affect you on the pitch but it does as it’s always in the back of your mind.”
“It affects your focus. You still give 100% on the pitch but your focus level is maybe less because of the worry.”
That season which had promised so much ended with Rovers finishing 7th, the Barry Ryan scandal hanging over the club and Tallaght still nowhere near to being completed.
Season 2004 was to be more of the same for the Hoops, players were still being unpaid, the stadium in Tallaght was now becoming an eyesore and the fans and club were starting to disagree on how the club should be run.
Understandably there was never going to be consistency on the pitch for the Hoops even though there was some fantastic results including a 3-0 win over undefeated champions Shelbourne and a 2- 1 win over Bohemians in Dalymount on the day Euro 2004 started.
It meant by August, Rovers’ only hope of success was in the FAI Cup and in the last 16 were drawn away to holders Longford Town.
Rovers were one down into the second half when something rare happened. “I remember cutting inside to whip a ball across” explains Doyle “It was on my right foot and unbelievably it went in.”
It was to be his only goal for the Hoops, and it earned a replay. However, Longford would win the replay and ultimately this game would cost Liam Buckley his job when he and Rovers parted company soon after.
Noel Synott took temporary charge before Roddy Collins was appointed somewhat controversially from Dublin City towards the end of the season in which Rovers would finish 11th.
The off season was to be like a revolving door at Rovers as Collins and players came and went including the mercurial Pat McCourt.
It was to be a memorable, unforgettable season for Rovers, as the club went into Examinership before being taken over by the fans (in the guise of the 400 club) and Ray Wilson.
It was also to be memorable for Keith too as he got married. “I got married on a Wednesday, missed the Friday night game in Waterford but was only away in New York for 3 days for my honeymoon.”
Rovers had been deducted 8 points and it meant that the team was at the wrong end of the table for most of the season and were to be in the relegation play off. Roddy Collins was relieved of his duties as manager to be temporarily replaced by Alan O’Neill. Fate decreed that Rovers would face Dublin City in the play off, who would win 3-2 on aggregate.
“We lost that in the first game in Dalymount; we didn’t play and whatever we tried to do it just didn’t happen.
“That was the lowest point in my career, indeed it was one of the most disappointing things to happen to me in my life. Relegation it felt like a kick in the proverbials”
It was to be Keith’s last appearance in a Hoops shirt. At the beginning of the following season he was to sign for Dublin City. However, his stay with the newly promoted club was to be short lived as they were to go bust halfway during the season.
“There had been no money issues with players up to that date” said Doyle “There was a meeting in the Skylon and Ronan (Seery) said to us ‘The club can no longer on’ and that was it.”
It meant that Keith was on the lookout for a club again but not for long.
“Pete Mahon got in touch with me so I signed for UCD. I played in an under 21 game against Bohs to get some match practice in but I got a wrist injury and was out for six weeks. I also missed a tax exam because of that.”
However things were to improve for Keith at the Students later that year: “I got back to enjoying my football and felt I was playing the best I had in three or four years.” Despite tha,t due to personal circumstances Keith decided at the end of the 2006 season to take a some time out from the game.
“I was moving job, moving house and we were expecting our second child so I decided to take the year out, take a breather as I had been playing League of Ireland football for a decade at that stage”
He was never to come back. “You lose touch with the game. After that year the league had taken on more of a full time element to it, but I was developing my career in accountancy and I didn’t feel that was security for me at the time with a young family, to take a step into full time football.”
Did he regret not going back? “In a way I did but I had had my time, I felt I had given what I could give. I could have gone back and played non-league but I wouldn’t have enjoyed it, I felt I wouldn’t have given it 100% and if I was to go back I was going to do it right.”
Away from football Keith is married to Karen with two kids Cara and Jack. He is also a qualified accountant.
He went to DCU where he completed a three year degree. “I then got a training contract in OSK through Dave Keogh who was connected with Pat’s, I spent eight years there before moving to Deloitte and then I went to Hayden and company”
These days Keith is Audit Director at Sheehan Quinn and Co., a well respected accountancy firm in Sandyford in Dublin 18.
So as Keith begins to review another file in Sheehan Quinn no doubt when he comes to do an audit on his football career, he can gain a lot of satisfaction from the evidence.
Keith Doyle was the left full for Brian Kerr’s victorious Republic of Ireland under 18’s that won the European Championships in Cyprus in 1998.
It was the icing on the cake for the 19 year old that had just experienced the summer of dreams.
Yet if things had gone a little differently one day in the mid 80’s in Clonsilla, Keith could have been on another part of the pitch that day.
“At the age of six or seven I started with Swords Celtic and in my first game against St Mochta’s I played in goal. We lost 13-0,” said Doyle “So that was the end of my goalkeeping career.” Despite not becoming the next Gordon Banks, Keith developed into a left full and spent ten years at his local club before at the age of 17 earning a trial at English club Millwall along with former Irish international and now respected football pundit Richard Sadlier.
“John Docherty was the boss there at the time and I went over for two, two week stints. They offered me an apprenticeship, but I wanted to finish my Leaving Cert first.”
Millwall kept an eye on the young Swords native but sadly circumstances were to change: “Docherty left soon after and there was a clear out of the backroom staff and the youth development officer, who was to keep an eye on me over that period was gone too.”
Keith then signed for Belvedere at under 18 level and came into contact with the great Noel O’Reilly. After a year at the famous schoolboy club, O’Reilly asked Keith to go to a pre-season tournament with St. Patrick’s Athletic that was to be held in UL.
“It was the winter football back then so there was a number of English clubs in the tournament too. I played a couple of games and did quite well.”
Due to them performances, Keith was signed by the Inchicore outfit in the summer of 1997. Indeed that was a busy summer in Dublin 8. It was going to be Pat Dolan’s first full season in charge and he went on a major recruiting splurge.
He signed essentially the spine of the Irish under 20 squad that had come third in the World Cup in Malaysia earlier that summer. Colin Hawkins, Thomas Morgan and Trevor Molloy all signed on at Richmond Park.
These signings added to the experience that was already at the club since the Brian Kerr days in the form of Eddie Gormley, Paul Osam and Packie Lynch, and it meant expectations were high amongst the Inchicore faithful.
His first season at Pats was to be a memorable one. Including a never to be forgotten two horse race with Shelbourne in the league and a titanic battle in the FAI Cup.
The first two clashes between the sides that season had seen away victories (3-2 to Shels in Richmond in September and 2-0 to Pats in Tolka in December). However, it was an 11 day spell in March 1998 where the teams with meet each other force times, once in the league and amazingly three times in the FAI Cup that defined their rivalry during that season.
All four games ended in draws but Pat’s had been agonisingly close to winning in the final game of the four in Tolka, which was the 2nd replay of the FAI cup quarter final.
“Late in the game we were 2-1 up and Tony McCarthy equalised” explained Doyle “He got above me and scored sadly” Shels were to win that cup tie on penalties but Pats still held the slight upper hand in the league.
That was to change on Good Friday when they lost 2-0 at home to Bohs. And when in their second last game of the season Shels controversially beat Rovers 2-1 at Tolka to go four points clear, it looked that the Reds were going to win the title.
However Pats weren’t finished yet. Two days after that game they played Dundalk at home and won 4-2.
“We struggled in that game, but all we could do was look after ourselves in the last two games and that’s how we approached it, and whatever happened with Shels, happened with Shels”
Friday 1st May 1998 was to be D-Day. Shels were away to Dundalk and Pat’s were away to already relegated Kilkenny City.
While the game in Oriel remained scoreless, Ian Gilzean had given pats the lead in Buckley Park but Michael Reddy equalised for the Noresiders. “He tormented us all night he could have scored another two or three” said Doyle.
Unbelievably against all odds, Shels then went two down in Oriel and Pat’s were searching desperately for the winner. It arrived in the shape of captain Eddie Gormley.
It was only then that the Pat’s players became aware of the situation in Dundalk. “We only became aware after Eddie’s goal that Shels were losing when word filtered through.”
Meanwhile Stephen Geoghegan netted a late consolation for Shels in Dundalk but it wasn’t enough and Shels had lost 2-1. It meant that if Pat’s could hold on in Kilkenny they were champions.
They did hold on and Pat’s fans invaded the pitch, although on the night Pats weren’t presented with the league trophy.
“We were presented with some sort of cup all right but it didn’t really matter, we were league champions and we had a good night in Inchicore after and a good week following.”
There was no rest for Keith though, as he had to gear up for qualifying for the European Championships with the Republic of Ireland under 18’s. After defeating Greece in Tolka Park the team were through to play in the competition in Cyprus in July 1998.
In the first game, Ireland hammered Croatia 5-2 with the likes of Stephen McPhail and Robbie Keane getting on the scoresheet. However, two days later the young boys in green were to suffer a major setback.
A goal from Leeds United youngster Alan Smith was enough to give England a 1-0 victory over us. “It looked as if we were finished, we couldn’t see them losing to Croatia.”
“We were staying in the same hotel as the England squad and that night Brian and Noel got us together for a chat around the pool.”
“Noel then got his famous guitar out and we had one of those famous sing-songs” This however didn’t go down well with the English supremo Howard Wilkinson.
“He came down to give out to us, that this was interfering with his team’s preparations. Brian told him in no uncertain terms that a team meeting was happening.”
With morale boosted once again Ireland went out and beat the hosts Cyprus by three goals to nil. In a quirky similarity to what had happened the previous May, an unexpected result happened elsewhere.
England were defeated by Croatia and Ireland were thorough to the final on goal difference to face Germany.
“It was a tough game they were very physical,” Keith says. Ireland took the lead thanks to a quality goal by Alan Quinn and they kept this lead until very late in the game when with only 10 seconds left Andreas Gensler equalised for the Germans.
Extra time came and went without much happening and then it was onto penalties, with Germany having two saved by Alex O’Reilly and Robbie Keane seeing his effort saved it was 3-3 and Liam George was set to take the decisive penalty. The young Luton Town striker duly dispatched the spot kick and Ireland had their second European victory over that summer and Keith Doyle had his second winners medal of that year also.
However, he was unaware that Liam George’s penalty had won it. “For whatever reason I thought there was still one penalty left and when the rest of lads took off I wondered why. It was only then I realised we won it so I was the last to take off towards him.”
The highlights kept coming for the young Dubliner because the following Wednesday he played for Pat’s against Celtic in a Champions League qualifier.
Then the weekend after played against Liverpool and Lazio at Lansdowne Road in the short lived Carlsberg Trophy.
Meanwhile over at Richmond Park there were changes afoot. Pat Dolan moved back upstairs and in came Liam Buckley. Keeping the nucleus of the side that won the league Buckley only added one or two players, including current UCD boss Martin Russell.
Pat’s were more pleasing on the eye and played a more flamboyant 3-5-2 system but with a back three of McGuiness, Hawkins and Lynch were still tough to beat. That season their main challengers were FAI cup holders Cork City. In the first meeting in October1998 between the sides, Pat’s won 2-0 at home.
Then on a Saturday afternoon in January in front of the RTE cameras Pat’s picked up a massive three points with a 2-1 win in Turner’s Cross. Pat Morley gave Cork the lead but goals from Leon Braithwaite and Stephen McGuinness gave the Saints the victory.
In the final meeting in April the sides went into it neck and neck but a Paul Osam goal was enough to give Pats all three points.
Then two weeks later on the final day of the season a Jeff Clarke goal gave Pats a 1-0 victory over Bray Wanderers and give the Saints a second consecutive league title.
During that season Doyle had been called away to the under 20 World Cup in Nigeria. The likes of Damien Duff, Robbie Keane, Richard Dunne, Colin Healy and Dean Delaney were also in that squad. However, the underage successes of the previous two years was to come to an end as unluckily Ireland exited the tournament in the second round on penalties to host country Nigeria.
Pat’s were now looking for three in a row but before the domestic campaign began they suffered a massive setback when they were defeated 10-0 on aggregate (5-0 in both legs) by Moldovan outfit FC Zimbru Chisinau. “My contract had ended at the end of the previous season and when my new one was agreed the registration didn’t go in in time to play in the European ties.” A lucky escape then for Doyle, who at the time was been chased by Shels boss Dermot Keely.
The 99-00 season was to be a very disappointing one for the Inchicore side. Three in a row never looked likely and Liam Buckley and the club parted company and Pat Dolan returned as manager. The Leinster Cup was all they had to show for their efforts that season.
Keith spent one more year in Inchicore. “I was still young and I wanted to experience the league in other shapes and forms.”
Keith then dropped down a division to be re-united with Buckley at Athlone Town. In his time at the midlands club Keith played in centre midfield but his stay at St Mels was to be a short one.
“I enjoyed my time there but halfway during that season a lot of the non-local players were let go. I was playing centre midfield for Athlone and away to Cobh I hit a left footed drive from 25 yards and it flew in.”
It was then onto Bray for Keith “Pat Devlin was looking for a left sided player and he gave me a call. ” Thanks to Keith and former Pat’s midfield maestro Eddie Gormley, Bray kept their Premier Division status thanks to a 1-0 victory away to Monaghan United.
Summer of 2002 and Keith was once again re-united with Liam Buckley, this time at Shamrock Rovers.
Despite winning their first game of the season away to Derry, the Hoops didn’t win for another eight games until defeating Bray 2-1. Was this a case of a new team taking time to gel?
“In pre-season Liam tried something a little different, Instead of running around pitches he tried it from a scientific view with dieticians, psychologists etc. We still did all the right things but for whatever reason it just didn’t happen in the first six or seven weeks.”
Despite that bad start, Rovers were still in the cup and after that win over Bray their season began to take off. Keith was making the left back slot his own until disaster struck.
“I got an injury which one or two of the other players got. It was osteoarthritis. It was wear and tear on the hip and groin area. A lot of sports players get it due to twisting and turning”
Rovers would get to the cup final and come 3rd in the league to qualify for Europe “What Liam did in pre season did stand to us towards the end of that season.”
“Liam was very patient with me and I tried to play with injections but it didn’t happen. I was never really the same player after that it took a lot out of me.”
2003 was to be the first season of summer soccer in Ireland and expectations were high amongst the Hoops faithful that the previous seasons 3rd place could be bettered.
The signings of Barry Ryan and Alan Reynolds only added to that expectation but despite a sluggish start when Europe came around in June, the Hoops were only a point of top spot.
Rovers defeated Polish side Odra Wodzislaw 3-1 on aggregate and became the first League of Ireland club to win two legs in a European tie for over 20 years. Many Hoops fans regard the first leg win in Poland as one of their greatest nights
However it was a bitter sweet memory for Doyle “I was coming back from the previous seasons injury and it was my first game back. I came on as a sub and got a fractured jaw when going up for a header.”
Rovers were on a high but in the next round Slovan Liberec proved to be a bridge too far but more worrying for Rovers things were starting to go wrong off the pitch.
Stories of players not being paid began to circulate: “Yes, that was true and the main thing for us was to make sure that the full time players were looked after first as the money from football was there. “In this the lads were willing to work with the club to find a resolution and Liam was the go between for the players and the club, but the biggest disappointment was the lack of what we felt as players was honest communication from the club.”
“Sadly we had to ballot for strike action but the club came up with the money so thankfully that was averted. People will say that it shouldn’t affect you on the pitch but it does as it’s always in the back of your mind.”
“It affects your focus. You still give 100% on the pitch but your focus level is maybe less because of the worry.”
That season which had promised so much ended with Rovers finishing 7th, the Barry Ryan scandal hanging over the club and Tallaght still nowhere near to being completed.
Season 2004 was to be more of the same for the Hoops, players were still being unpaid, the stadium in Tallaght was now becoming an eyesore and the fans and club were starting to disagree on how the club should be run.
Understandably there was never going to be consistency on the pitch for the Hoops even though there was some fantastic results including a 3-0 win over undefeated champions Shelbourne and a 2- 1 win over Bohemians in Dalymount on the day Euro 2004 started.
It meant by August, Rovers’ only hope of success was in the FAI Cup and in the last 16 were drawn away to holders Longford Town.
Rovers were one down into the second half when something rare happened. “I remember cutting inside to whip a ball across” explains Doyle “It was on my right foot and unbelievably it went in.”
It was to be his only goal for the Hoops, and it earned a replay. However, Longford would win the replay and ultimately this game would cost Liam Buckley his job when he and Rovers parted company soon after.
Noel Synott took temporary charge before Roddy Collins was appointed somewhat controversially from Dublin City towards the end of the season in which Rovers would finish 11th.
The off season was to be like a revolving door at Rovers as Collins and players came and went including the mercurial Pat McCourt.
It was to be a memorable, unforgettable season for Rovers, as the club went into Examinership before being taken over by the fans (in the guise of the 400 club) and Ray Wilson.
It was also to be memorable for Keith too as he got married. “I got married on a Wednesday, missed the Friday night game in Waterford but was only away in New York for 3 days for my honeymoon.”
Rovers had been deducted 8 points and it meant that the team was at the wrong end of the table for most of the season and were to be in the relegation play off. Roddy Collins was relieved of his duties as manager to be temporarily replaced by Alan O’Neill. Fate decreed that Rovers would face Dublin City in the play off, who would win 3-2 on aggregate.
“We lost that in the first game in Dalymount; we didn’t play and whatever we tried to do it just didn’t happen.
“That was the lowest point in my career, indeed it was one of the most disappointing things to happen to me in my life. Relegation it felt like a kick in the proverbials”
It was to be Keith’s last appearance in a Hoops shirt. At the beginning of the following season he was to sign for Dublin City. However, his stay with the newly promoted club was to be short lived as they were to go bust halfway during the season.
“There had been no money issues with players up to that date” said Doyle “There was a meeting in the Skylon and Ronan (Seery) said to us ‘The club can no longer on’ and that was it.”
It meant that Keith was on the lookout for a club again but not for long.
“Pete Mahon got in touch with me so I signed for UCD. I played in an under 21 game against Bohs to get some match practice in but I got a wrist injury and was out for six weeks. I also missed a tax exam because of that.”
However things were to improve for Keith at the Students later that year: “I got back to enjoying my football and felt I was playing the best I had in three or four years.” Despite tha,t due to personal circumstances Keith decided at the end of the 2006 season to take a some time out from the game.
“I was moving job, moving house and we were expecting our second child so I decided to take the year out, take a breather as I had been playing League of Ireland football for a decade at that stage”
He was never to come back. “You lose touch with the game. After that year the league had taken on more of a full time element to it, but I was developing my career in accountancy and I didn’t feel that was security for me at the time with a young family, to take a step into full time football.”
Did he regret not going back? “In a way I did but I had had my time, I felt I had given what I could give. I could have gone back and played non-league but I wouldn’t have enjoyed it, I felt I wouldn’t have given it 100% and if I was to go back I was going to do it right.”
Away from football Keith is married to Karen with two kids Cara and Jack. He is also a qualified accountant.
He went to DCU where he completed a three year degree. “I then got a training contract in OSK through Dave Keogh who was connected with Pat’s, I spent eight years there before moving to Deloitte and then I went to Hayden and company”
These days Keith is Audit Director at Sheehan Quinn and Co., a well respected accountancy firm in Sandyford in Dublin 18.
So as Keith begins to review another file in Sheehan Quinn no doubt when he comes to do an audit on his football career, he can gain a lot of satisfaction from the evidence.
