The League of Ireland's Finest Moment?

The 1950s was an exciting time for Irish soccer. Most especially so in the Dublin area, where big derby matches between the likes of Shelbourne and Drumcondra or St. Patrick’s Athletic and Shamrock Rovers regularly attracted crowds upwards of 20,000.

In the absence of television coverage of the English leagues, ordinary working-class men and boys instead scrimped and saved all week to see their local heroes in action.

The League of Ireland was at a peak of popularity and perhaps the League’s finest ever moment came in this period, with the arrival of West Germany into town for an international friendly in November 1956.

A friendly, yes, but the tie is notable for two main reasons. Firstly, West Germany were theoretically the world’s best team, having claimed the 1954 World Cup two years earlier. Secondly, the Irish teamsheet on that winter afternoon boasted an incredible seven League of Ireland players.

Of course, at the time it was not uncommon for home-based players to gain representation at national level, but even then, contemporary reporters described the fielding of seven League of Ireland players as “unusually high”.

While supporters were delighted to see so many local heroes get the opportunity to face the world champions, others weren’t so sure. Frank Johnstone, a soccer correspondent with the Irish Times, feared facing the Germans without more English-based players, remarking that it was the youngest and most inexperienced side to ever represent Ireland.

What manager came up with this daring team selection? Well, none actually.

At the time, there was no permanent manager of the Irish team. Rather, it was the FAI top brass who held a controversial sway over player selection. Their original teamsheet contained six League of Ireland players, but Liam Whelan’s late withdrawal from the squad due to club commitments with Manchester United brought the total number of home-based players to seven.

The Irish team that faced West Germany on Sunday, 25 November 1956 was:

Alan Kelly (Drumcondra)
Seamus Dunne (Luton Town)
Noel Cantwell (West Ham United)
Tommy Dunne (St. Patrick’s Athletic)
Gerry Mackey [c] (Shamrock Rovers)
Ronnie Nolan (Shamrock Rovers)
Jimmy McCann (Shamrock Rovers)
Noel Peyton (Shamrock Rovers)
Dermot Curtis (Shelbourne)
Arthur Fitzsimons (Middlesborough)
Joe Haverty (Arsenal)

Four substitutes were also part of the squad. They were:

S. O’Brien (Bohemians)
Christy ‘Bunny’ Fullam (Drumcondra)
Tommy Rowe (Drumcondra)
Tommy Hamilton (Shamrock Rovers)

Though the team did not have a manager, Jackie Carey of Blackburn Rovers was named as coach, while a P. Fox of Bohemians is listed as the team’s trainer.

If our wary soccer correspondent Frank Johnstone feared for the inexperienced Irish team, he could take some heart in the fact that the West Germans were not in a happy place either. They had won only four out of sixteen matches since lifting the Jules Rimet trophy and had been well beaten by Switzerland four days prior to visiting Dublin.

If ever there was a time to play the world champions, this was it.

Newspaper and radio advertisements implored spectators to arrive early at Dalymount Park to guarantee entry. Admission prices ranged from 3 to 6 shillings and excursion trains were available from all parts of the country. For those who couldn’t make it, the match was being broadcast live on Radio Éireann. For those men and children (and possibly a few women) who crammed in to ‘Dalyer’ to see the game in person, it was well worth it.

After a scoreless but exciting first half, a German onslaught was expected. Surprisingly, it didn’t materialise, with the world champions instead opting to play an ultra-defensive style of football. Their strategy backfired spectacularly.

One report enthusiastically cried that the home players, “to a man, threw themselves into the quest for the lead with a heartwarming abandon”. This attacking approach paid dividends in the 62nd minute when Dermot Curtis of Shelbourne was upended in the box. Noel Cantwell, one of the few English-based players on show, stood up and gave Ireland a deserved lead.

The Germans were suddenly sparked into life and the next twenty minutes were full of end-to-end action. Over 40,000 voices desperately urged on their heroes as the match entered its final stages. But that tension soon turned to pure elation as two goals in the last three minutes settled the outcome.

In the 87th minute, Arsenal centre-forward Joe Haverty was played through on goal:

“Kwiatskowski advanced from goal: Juskowiak raced across, and Wewers tried desperately to get back into the centre: but Haverty had them all on toast, and, with Germans to the right and left of him, and one in front of him too, he got in a low drive that made the issue safe.” (Irish Times)

The day was capped off with an extra special moment for domestic football, when Jimmy McCann of Shamrock Rovers struck with a searing left-foot shot in the 89th minute. The World Cup holders had been battered 3-0 in Dublin.

When put in perspective, yes, the Germans were off-form and without the services of their legendary attacker Fritz Walter. Yet, five of their starting eleven had been part of the World Cup winning team from two years before. Using any perspective, this was a massive victory for Irish soccer, especially for the domestic game.

Those part-time League of Ireland footballers were able to return to their jobs the following day knowing they had beaten the world champions.

Sadly, this tremendous result did not leave a lasting legacy. Never had there been such a glorious advertisement for the domestic game and never would it reach such a zenith again. Within ten years, problems were beginning to mount for the League of Ireland. The arrival of the television into Irish homes coincided with England’s iconic 1966 World Cup win, beginning a fascination with English football that permeates to this day.

Closer to home, the GAA continued a remarkable upward rise to solidify its position as Ireland’s national sporting organisation. More than anything, domestic soccer was horribly mismanaged from within.

Despite thumping the Germans, there would not be the same kind of local representation on an Irish soccer team again. Even in the immediate aftermath of the West Germany fixture, the FAI reverted to type and selected more players that were plying their trade in the English leagues.

Indeed, it could be argued that this game was a high watermark point for the League of Ireland during its greatest decades. Sadly, it may be a long time before that mark is breached again.