If Walls Could Speak – The Markets Field

by Brian Kennedy

(first published in the August 2011 Limerick FC match programme)

pic: Limerick Leader

Some football grounds are woven into the fabric of Irish football. Kilcohan, Flower Lodge, Dalymount and yes, dare we say it, Glenmalure Park. Sadly most of these grounds no longer showcase League of Ireland football (we still don’t know what, if anything will happen with Dalymount in years to come) but one familiar hunting ground will return to the League in 2012 when Limerick make a welcome return to the Market’s Field.

The Shannonsiders haven’t kicked a ball on the hallowed turf of their former stomping ground in almost 30 years. The last game at the spiritual home of Limerick football on April 22nd 1984 would be a bitter-sweet experience. Winning the Shield against UCD on a penalty shoot-out but vacating a ground who, if its walls could speak, would tell some truly wonderful stories.

This occurred during a low point in Limerick’s history. A bitter ownership battle which threatened the existence of the club raged during the 1983/84 season with football stopping for six weeks on Shannonside.  Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise owner Pat Grace would win a high court action, change the club name to Limerick City (it was previously Limerick United) and also the club colours to yellow & green. Pat also got to sponsor the League which then became the Pat Grace Kentucky Fried Chicken League!

Rathbane would become the club’s home soon after, the almost-universally unpopular Hogan Park hosting the club before the move to their current home of Jackman Park. Former managers at this time included former Northern Ireland international Billy Hamilton, and Sam Allardyce, who would cut his managerial teeth with the Shannonsiders, winning the 1991 First Division before moving to England.

Limerick of course had seen success before this. Under Ewan Fenton the club had captured the FAI Cup in 1971 with a replay victory over Drogheda FC whilst under Eoin Hand the Shannonside club won the 1980 League of Ireland championship. Perhaps the biggest game played by Limerick, against Real Madrid in the 1980/81 European Cup, was the one most lamented by Limerick fans, not because of the defeat (or Johnny Matthews’ now famous ruled-out goal) but for the fact it wasn’t played in The Market’s Field – an occasion the home of Limerick football deserved.

Much debate had been made about where the game should be staged but in the end the obvious choice of Thomond Park was overlooked for Lansdowne Road.  Although Market’s Field wasn’t really an option, it was still a pity as the ground evoked such strong memories for Limerick football followers.

The switch to Lansdowne proved disastrous. Only 6,000 showed up in Dublin; however they were treated to the unbelievable sight of a part-time League of Ireland side taking the lead via Des Kennedy’s effort before conceding two goals in the last 15 minutes.

Limerick continued on into the nineties and a new century away from their home of 47 years (they moved there in 1937), astonishingly winning the 2002 League Cup whilst finishing bottom of the First Division. And it’s been that division for a long time now. The last time Limerick played Premier football Right Said Fred had three number ones, Jack Charlton still managed Ireland and Leeds United were a half-decent football team.

However that all changed  this year when JP McManus provided a donation through his charitable trust to the Limerick Enterprise Development Partnership to buy the field for the club. The Partnership then reached an agreement with Bord Na gCon to acquire the Market’s Field for a sum around €1.5 million.

The first phase is expected to open for the start of the 2012 season with an initial capacity of 3,000 which would rise to an all-seated 8,100 in following years. On the pitch under Pat Scully there’s also the real possibility of Premier football to re-introduce Limerick to the Market’s Field with the club currently fourth in the table and pushing Monaghan and Cork, and though Shelbourne look shoe-ins for the title (lovely, that’s jinxed them now), Scully’s men would take a promotion slot as just reward for their long hard season.

The romantics and scriptwriters would want it. The Limerick faithful would want it, and a generation who spent their Sundays at the Market’s Field would want it. However, lads, we down in the South East need three points tonight… so forgive us if we want to delay that dream – if only for 90 minutes!