Green Is The Colour

Every Game An Away Game by Bluebeard

(first published in the April 2010 Limerick FC programme)

I have been tied to the Blues for longer than I realised. In early memories, I saw a team in green losing to a team in white on telly, and I recall white titling along the bottom: Waterford 1 St Patrick’s Ath. 0. For years I thought I must have been mixing up early memories of the hurling my father religiously watched with the whispered legend of the win. I knew this memory came from the early 1980s, and I also knew with hindsight that the hurling counterparts of tonight’s opponents, who wear green, played Galway in the 1980 All-Ireland Final. I convinced myself that it was a confluence of memories. Then, ten or so years back, Reeling In The Years proved that in 1980 we had worn white and Pats wore green. The memory, it seems, was not apocryphal.

Still, why in the name of God did Pat’s wear green and we wear white? There would be some precedent for us wearing white – it normally is our away colour (let ye with cruel memories not mention yellow abominations), and there are the County and GAA connections, as Waterford’s is a blue and white flag. So does the fault lie with St. Pat’s?

Well, that was all 30 years ago, and seeing as we are celebrating a big anniversary this year in 80 years, let’s look a little at that cup win, with a nod to tonight’s opponents. The Mitre FAI Cup of 1980 started for us in the fourth round, when we travelled to Thurles, one of the four Munster teams in the league at the time, but not one of the whipping boys – Cork United were the worst team in the province then. We hammered Thurles 5-0, and advanced to a home tie with Cork United in the “Intermediate” round, which we duly won 3-0, avenging an earlier 4-1 walloping in the League Cup that season. Rising stars Athlone were next up, at home again. That star was blotted out 1-0, and we were in the semis for the third season running.

Limerick United, recently renamed from AFC, were next up. To get to the final, it looked like we would have to beat every senior Munster team. And it was last weekend 30 years ago we met them, in Dalymount Park on Sunday April 6th. Limerick were cruising, and were on the verge of their second league title, pipping Dundalk by a single point the following weekend. Waterford’s league challenge had long died by this stage, destined to end the season 16 points behind them. The teams had been close in their league games already that season. A 1-1 draw in Limerick was followed by a sensational 4-3 win to the Lims in Waterford. A tight game was predicted and duly delivered and a 1-1 draw in Dalymount led to a replay in Miltown. Another epic was played that day, finally finishing as a 3-2 win to the Blues. So, we were in the final once more, a year after falling at that stage, this time against Pats.

So why were Pats wearing green? They had the home tie, and their choice led us to be playing in white. Did some whim lead them to cast aside their red and white sleeves, to wear green, compelling us to wear white as our blue would “clash” with the green, by old footballing rules?

Well, research into the matter was to yield a result. According to one Pat’s fan, they had worn green in the semi-final but knew little more. Fortunately, the Club Secretary, Philip Nolan, was able to set the record straight. At the time, St. Pats were managed by Charlie Walker, who in turn worked for Venture, who’s corporate colour was green. And for that Cup final, and perhaps the semi against Bohs, Venture sponsored them. But, to our joy, it was not to be on that occasion, as the Blues lifted the cup for the second time on April 20th 1980.