LOI100: Weeks 10 & 11 - Brewerymen stagger, new cup commences, and a first FAI resignation

Bohs in the headlines

Bohs in the headlines Credit: Extratime Team (ETPhotos)

Dateline: Dublin, 27 November 1921

The big news in the past fortnight has been the faltering form of League of Ireland pace-setters, St James’s Gate.

The Brewerymen went down 2-1 to Frankfort at Richmond Road on 19 November before a scoreless draw with Jacobs in the Dolphin’s Barn derby. The Biscuitmakers will be pleased with recent results with the point gained from the Gate adding to two taken from a win against luckless YMCA who put up a good show at Rutland Avenue, and even took the lead before falling to a 3-1 defeat.

The Gate will still be confident of becoming champions as their dominance heretofore has given them a considerable cushion at the top of the table.

In part this gap has been the consequence of the inconsistent form of traditional powerhouses Shelbourne and Bohemians. The Reds have not recovered from losing so many players earlier in the year, but they gained revenge over the amateurs for last month’s defeat with a 2-1 victory in the teams’ second meeting at Dalymount this season.

The poor crowd at this fixture may have some wondering about the wisdom of playing all of these games in Phibsborough. 

The Reds backed up their derby triumph up with a 4-1 win away to YMCA, while Bohemians convincingly defeated Leinster Senior Cup holders Dublin United at Dalymount Park. Thomas and Sullivan impressed for the Gypsies, with the latter returning to the side having missed the game against Shels.

United are in a poor run of form having been defeated 3-0 by Olympia at Bell Vue Lodge the previous week, although their cause in that fixture was not helped by the fact that their star-man, Grouse, showed up 15 minutes after kick-off. 

Neither Olympia nor Frankfort could back up their great wins of the previous week as they played out a roughly contested 1-1 draw at the former’s ground. Olympia will perhaps be more pleased with the result. They suffered the greater damage from injuries and were down to ten men for a time. Frankfort missed a penalty and will regret that the game kicked off 25 minutes late, and so was reduced to 40 minutes each way, as they pressed strongly for a winner throughout the second half.

The qualifying rounds for the new FAI Cup took place over the past fortnight. Disappointingly there were a lot of walkovers in country districts but competition was vigorous in Dublin where Shelbourne United sounded the death-knell for the Diggers with a 2-1 victory over Glasnevin at Beech Hill.



Nearby, CYMS defeated Merrion, while Midland Athletic, Bohs B and St James’s Gate II all had easy victories. 

One victory that was not easy was Shamrock Rovers 6-2 triumph over UCD at Windy Arbour. UCD AFC have somehow neglected to enter a league this season so this was their first competitive game.

The students put up a great fight against Rovers, but the Stripes’ forward line of Bob Fullam, John Joe Flood, and Dinny ‘Nettler’ Doyle ultimately had too much quality.

The qualifying rounds of the cup disrupted the Leinster Senior League, although Bohs B fell to their first defeat of the season losing to St James’s Gate II.

FAI chairman Robert Ritchie has had to resign his post. Ritchie’s personal business has necessitated a move to Belfast. Although Ritchie was from the north, and as such was reluctant to break with the IFA, he has been a staunch advocate for the new association in recent months. 

Belfast itself has seen much death and destruction due to political violence in recent week. This, added to the lower quality of football in the absence of all-island competition has seen some poor attendances in recent weeks. Linfield’s league clincher vs Cliftonville at Solitude, and their City Cup fixture versus Glentoran at Windsor Park, both drew gates of £100.



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