Notable former players
Ireland
The following Midland Athletic players represented Ireland and/or the Republic of Ireland at full international level.
| Full name | Midland Athletic Football Club |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Railway Men |
| Founded | 1904 |
| Ground | The Thatch Whitehall, Dublin |
| League | League of Ireland Leinster Senior League |
Midland Athletic Football Club was an Irish association football club. During the 1920s they played in both the League of Ireland and the Leinster Senior League. Despite the name, the club was based in Dublin and not the Midlands. Like several fellow early League of Ireland clubs, such as St James's Gate, Jacobs, Fordsons and Dundalk, Midland had their origins as a factory or works team. They were originally the football team of the Midland Great Western Railway based in Broadstone, Dublin. [1] The club celebrated its 50th anniversary of its founding by holding a golden jubilee dinner in Moran's Hotel, Dublin on 10 December 1955. The occasion was noted in a Dublin newspaper with a photograph of the team and officials who represented them in the 1909–10 season.
Midland Athletic were founded in 1904 [2] and among its founding members was a young Joe Wickham. Wickham played as a centre-half with Midland Athletic and started his career as a football administrator when he became the club secretary. [3] [4]
In 1921–22 Midland Athletic were playing in the Leinster Senior League. Other teams in this league this season included Shamrock Rovers, Bohemians B, St James's Gate B, Bray Unknowns, Shelbourne United, Pioneers, Brooklyn, Merrion, Glasnevin, CYMS and Richmond. [5]
The 1922–23 season saw the League of Ireland expand from eight to twelve teams. After Frankfort and YMCA dropped out, Midland Athletic became one of six new teams to join the league. The others were Shamrock Rovers, Shelbourne United, Pioneers, Athlone Town and Rathmines Athletic. During their two seasons in the League of Ireland Midland played their home games at The Thatch in Whitehall, Dublin. Midland eventually finished in 9th place in 1922–23 and 10th and last place in 1923–24. Midland Athletic also played in both the 1922–23 and 1923–24 FAI Cups. On both occasions they were knocked out in the first round by the eventual winners, Alton United and Athlone Town respectively. At the end of the 1923–24 season Midland Athletic were not re-elected. They were replaced in the league by Bray Unknowns. [6] [7] [8]
| Stat | Opponent | Score | Competition | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Record Win | Olympia Pioneers Athlone Town | 4–1 4–1 3–0 | League of Ireland League of Ireland League of Ireland Shield | 2 December 1922 30 December 1923 22 March 1924 |
| Record Defeat | Shamrock Rovers Jacobs | 1–9 0–8 | League of Ireland League of Ireland | 3 March 1923 17 February 1923 |
The following Midland Athletic players represented Ireland and/or the Republic of Ireland at full international level.
Shelbourne United Football Club was an Irish association football club based in Dublin. They are often confused with the similarly named current League of Ireland team Shelbourne. Both teams had their origins in the same Ringsend suburb and both teams played in the Leinster Senior League and the League of Ireland during the 1920s. However they were completely different teams.
The Football Association of Ireland Senior Challenge Cup, known as the Sports Direct FAI Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out association football competition contested annually by teams from the Republic of Ireland. Organised by the FAI, the competition is currently sponsored by Sports Direct. It was known as the Free State Cup from 1923 to 1936. Shamrock Rovers hold the record of most wins with 25.
The Leinster Senior Cup is an association football cup competition organized by the Leinster Football Association. It is currently contested by LFA affiliated League of Ireland clubs, Leinster Senior League Senior Division clubs and invited teams from the various LFA affiliated junior leagues. Before the introduction of the FAI Cup, it was considered the major cup competition for clubs in what is now the Republic of Ireland. It is also the oldest association football cup competition in the Republic of Ireland.
Cork Football Club was an Irish association football club based in Cork. They were founded as Fords F.C. and later became known as Fordsons F.C.. They played in the League of Ireland between 1924–25 and 1937–38. Like several fellow early League of Ireland clubs, such as St James's Gate, Jacobs, Midland Athletic and Dundalk, the club had their origins as a factory or works team. They were initially the football team of the Ford Motor Company, a major employer in the city at the time. In 1930, however, Ford ended its association with the club and they were renamed Cork. The club folded in 1938 and were replaced in the League of Ireland by a new club, Cork City.
Reds United Football Club was an Irish association football club, originally formed in Ringsend, Dublin. Reds United were active in the mid–1930s and played in the Leinster Senior League, the League of Ireland and the FAI Cup. The club was formed by former members of Shelbourne after the latter club was suspended from the League of Ireland at the end of the 1933–34 season.
Jacobs Football Club was an Irish association football club based in Crumlin, Dublin. Jacobs were one of the founding members of the League of Ireland and played in the league from 1921–22 until 1931–32. Like several fellow early League of Ireland clubs, such as St James's Gate, Midland Athletic, Fordsons and Dundalk, Jacobs had their origins as a factory or works team. They were originally the football team of Jacobs Biscuit Factory. They remained active as a football club until at least the late 1960s, playing in the round of sixteen of the 1968–69 FAI Cup.
The League of Ireland, is a league of professional football clubs from the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. It is one of the two main governing bodies responsible for organising association football in the Republic of Ireland, along with the Football Association of Ireland. It is also the top-level football league in the Republic of Ireland since its foundation in 1921, but the term was used to refer to a single division league before the introduction of a second division in 1985.
Bray Unknowns Football Club was an Irish association football club based in Bray, County Wicklow. During the 1920s and 1930s the Unknowns were the dominant football club in Bray, playing in the League of Ireland for nineteen seasons from 1924–25 to 1942–43. However, in the 1950s, Bray Wanderers emerged as the town's strongest team, enjoying success in both the Leinster Senior League and the FAI Intermediate Cup. During the 1960s both clubs were in decline. In 1973, after co-existing for nearly fifty years, the two clubs effectively merged under the Wanderers name.
Dolphin Football Club was an Irish association football club, originally based in the Dublin suburb of Dolphin's Barn. They played in the League of Ireland between 1930–31 and 1936–37. In 1934–35 they were League of Ireland champions. After St James's Gate, Shamrock Rovers, Bohemians, Shelbourne and Dundalk, Dolphin became the sixth club to win the League of Ireland title. In 1931–32 and 1932–33 Dolphin played in two successive FAI Cup finals, losing both games to Shamrock Rovers. Between 1930 and 1931 and 1932–33 Dolphin also played in three successive Leinster Senior Cup finals, winning the cup in 1931–32.
Jackie Mooney was an Irish soccer player during the 1960s and 1970s.
Brooklyn Football Club was an Irish association football club, originally based in the Merchants Quay district of Dublin. Brooklyn were active in the 1920s and played in the Leinster Senior League, the League of Ireland and the FAI Cup. They took their name from Brooklyn Terrace and played their home games at nearby Chalgrove Terrace. Both locations no longer exist and have since been redeveloped.
The 1922–23 League of Ireland was the second season of the League of Ireland. It started on 16 September 1922 and ended in March 1923.
The 1924–25 League of Ireland was the fourth season of top-tier football in the Republic of Ireland. It began on 6 September 1924 and ended on 25 April 1925.
The Leinster Senior League Senior Division is the top division of the Leinster Senior League. It is organized by the Leinster Football Association. Together with the Munster Senior League Senior Premier Division and the Ulster Senior League Senior Division, it forms the third level of the Republic of Ireland football league system. Formed in 1896, it is the oldest association football league in what is now the Republic of Ireland. Shelbourne have won the most titles. However, in more recent seasons Crumlin United, Cherry Orchard, Wayside Celtic and Bangor Celtic have been the divisions strongest teams. In 2014–15 Bluebell United were Leinster Senior League champions, 27 years after winning their previous title. Clubs from this division play in the Leinster Senior Cup, the FAI Cup, the FAI Intermediate Cup and the FAI Junior Cup. In recent seasons the winners of the Senior Division have also been invited to play in the League of Ireland Cup.
Dublin United Football Club was an Irish association football club based in Donnybrook, Dublin. They played in the Leinster Senior League and the League of Ireland during the 1920s. In 1921–22 they played their home games at Beech Hill, while in 1922–23 they played their home games at Anglesea Road. In both seasons they shared their ground with Shelbourne United.
Rathmines Athletic Football Club were an Irish association football club based in Rathmines, Dublin. Together with YMCA, Frankfort and Reds United, Rathmines Athletic are one of only four clubs to have played just one season in the top level of the League of Ireland. The 1922–23 season saw Rathmines Athletic finish in 12th and last place and withdraw from the league without playing their last game.
Pioneers Football Club is an Irish association football club based in Dublin. It was founded in 1908 by members of the Pioneer Total Abstinence Association. Between 1922–23 and 1925–26 they played four seasons in the League of Ireland. In 2009–10 Pioneers were playing in the Amateur Football League. In 2015 Pioneers were revived after a five season period of inactivity. They recently played in the Leinster Senior League before disbanding in 2017.
The Athletic Union League is an association football league featuring junior and amateur teams mainly from Northside, Dublin. The AUL currently operates thirteen divisions. Its senior division is known as the Premier A. Teams from the AUL also compete in the FAI Cup, the FAI Junior Cup and the Leinster Senior Cup. The AUL headquarters are at the AUL Complex at Clonshaugh/Swords, Dublin. The AUL is affiliated to both the Football Association of Ireland and the Leinster Football Association.
Dundalk entered the 1987–88 season as the League Cup holders from 1986–87, having won that competition and finished as runners-up in both league and FAI Cup. 1987–88 was Turlough O'Connor's third season as manager, and was Dundalk's 62nd consecutive season in the top tier of Irish football.
Dundalk G.N.R. made their debut in the Free State League, the top tier of Irish football, in 1926–27. They had played the previous four seasons in the Leinster Senior League. The team was managed by Joe McCleery, previously of Belfast Celtic F.C., who used his connections to Northern Irish football to ensure a supply of players for the season ahead. Home matches were played at the Dundalk Athletic Grounds, but on weekends when the Athletic Grounds were unavailable, matches would usually move to the Carroll's Recreation Ground.
