A Tale Of Two Cups

Every Game An Away Game by Bluebeard

(first published in the September 2010 Finn Harps match programme)

Once more, Finn Harps and their fans have made the long trip here tonight to challenge us for the points on offer. This year they drew the short straw, and have had to travel twice to play us. At 384 kilometres away by road, according to Google, Finn Harps v Waterford is the second longest away trip in the country. After a journey like that, let’s show them the same warm welcome that has been shown to Blues fans who have made the reverse journey over the years.

This long trip has been a regular fixture for Blues and Harps fans for most of the past 40 years. Harps arrived in Autumn 1969. While we won our third title on the trot, Harps gave a good account of themselves that first season, finishing 7th of 14 teams. This set the tone for their 1970s. Harps played fine football, and with Brendan Bradley spearheading the attack there was little anyone could do to prevent them scoring – it was easier to try to score more than them. You were guaranteed goals when Harps were in town. Second to us in 1973, to Dundalk in 1976, and then Bohemians in 1978, Cup winners in 1974: Harps were one of the teams to beat. Bradley’s goals played a big part and he finished top scorer four times in seven years, (Alfie Hale topping that table two of the other three times). Harps were unlucky not to be champions in the period.

Around this time the season opener was changed. The Shield had been contested since the League’s inception, but its time was up. In 1973, the season was to begin with an all-new competition: the League Cup. In reality, it was simply a rebranding of the old favourite to stymie falling attendances. The “new” competition had the same format: two round robin groups, feeding into semis and on to a final. As before, the bulk of the games were finished before the League started. Business as usual for the mighty Blues – we topped our group with Dundalk, while Harps were second to Cork Hibs. We beat Cork Hibs on penalties, while Harps destroyed Dundalk in Oriel. The final was set for Tolka on Thursday night October 25th – 37 years ago this month.

There was one massive problem – Peter Thomas picked up a groin strain the weekend before playing for Ireland, and was out for two weeks. The deputy keeper was Billy Morgan – All-Ireland captain for the Cork gaelic football team. When called up, however, he decided that the League Cup Final was not as important as the “vital” National League game with Tipperary that Sunday, so we were stranded. A last ditch attempt to sign former international Mick Smyth from Bohs also failed. The omens were bad.

Eventually, Shay Brennan selected Peter Bryan – himself returning from injury against Ujpest Dosza in the European Cup – to go in goal. With Paul Morrissey also out, the team looked like this: Bryan, Brennan, Sleator, Finucane, McConville, Macken, Kirby, O’Neill, Matthews, Buck and Hale. Phil Buck put the Blues a goal up from a shot by Dave Kirby on 38 minutes, and then Johnny Matthews’ penalty doubled the score two minutes later.

With minutes remaining in the half, Bryan – already solid and assured – made an incredible one-handed save from Brendan Bradley. Peter Thomas said it “bordered on the miraculous”. It broke the Harps spirits and killed the second half as a contest. It’s a shame that Charlie Ferry scored two minutes from the end to deny Bryan a clean sheet, but it didn’t deny the Blues the latest in a long procession of trophies. According to the Irish Times there was a “surprisingly big crowd” at the game. Given that these were the previous season’s top two clubs, both playing attractive open attacking football, this should have been no surprise.

It was a good 11 seasons before we saw Finn Harps again in the League Cup, and it was in the final once more on March 18th 1985. This time there were round robins of four, and semis to negotiate. We eased past Limerick, Athlone and Cork into the semis to meet the all conquering Shamrock Rovers; we duly dispatched them 2-0. As in 1973, Dundalk lost to Harps in the other semi. Things went right for us in that final too, and we bounced out 2-1 winners once again on a wet bank holiday Monday in Kilcohan. While it was a long trip for Harps, the Blues had an FAI Cup quarter final in Limerick the day before. The previous day’s exertions told as Harps were a goal up at the half, but goals from Pat Morley (winning one of the few things his father didn’t) and Mick Bennett made us League Cup champions for a second time.

It is hard to believe that this was the last time we won one of the major trophies in Irish football. We came close, reaching FAI Cup finals in 1986 and 2004, and in the League Cup last year, but not close enough. Last week was dispiriting, but this season is not beyond us yet. Let’s get behind the team, and get tonight’s three points, get into the playoffs, and see if we can’t start the journey back to the top of Irish football.