Pioneers
Well, we
have gone through over half of the 'Forgotten Clubs' from the League of
Ireland, and here we have another. This one is also another Dublin club, and
one that is still around today, playing at amateur level. A football club that
never really set the league alight, but did contribute to Irish footballing
history somewhat in spreading our game to other parts of the globe, or at least
getting recognition for it. A club that some would say just made up the
numbers. Nevertheless, they played their part in League of Ireland history and
we cannot forget that. Here is the story of Pioneers FC.
Founded in 1908, and competing
in the Leinster League, Pioneers FC played their football out in the coastal
town of Clontarf, at Strand Hall. The club wore the colours blue and white,
with their crest donning the same colours.
The club did not join the League
of Ireland when it was first created in 1921-22, they waited a season to see
how the whole thing would get on. The league was extended to a 12 club format
and so, Pioneers alongside, Shamrock Rovers, Athlone Town, Midlands Athletic,
Rathmines Athletic and Shelbourne United all joined the league for the 1922-23
season. Frankfort and YMCA were not re-elected.
Playing at Strand Hall, the club
finished a respectable 8th place, winning eight, drawing three and losing
eleven. The big problem was conceding goals, with the team conceding 65 goals
in 22 games, with two of these games ending in 7-0 defeats, once to Bohemians
and the other to Shelbourne FC.
Their FAI Cup campaign wasn't
any better and the club crashed out in the first round to Jacobs, losing the
tie, 4-0, on the 6th January, 1923.
The 1923-24 season was cut down
to 10 teams, with Dublin United, Olympia and Rathmines Athletic all failing to
get re-elected. Brooklyn FC were elected in that year. However, Pioneers, who
had finished above all of those who had not been re-elected, finished 9th that
season, only above Midlands Athletic. They only won two games all season and
once again suffered heavy defeats to Bohemians (7-1) and Shelbourne FC (7-1).
They were also once again knocked out of the FAI Cup in the First Round, losing
to St James Gate, 3-2, on the 5th January, 1924.
The 1924-25 season was no
better. In fact, it was worse, with the club finishing bottom of the table,
winning only two games all season once again. They did, however, play in the
games with the most goals scored in them, entertaining the crowd in their two
wins, a 5-3 win versus St James Gate and a 5-3 win versus Bray Unknowns.
Shamrock Rovers, however, put them to the sword that season, inflicting
Pioneers to their heaviest defeat that campaign, losing 7-1.
The FAI Cup
saw the club reach the second round, but only because they received a bye in
the first round. They were to continue their record of having never won an FAI
cup game when they lost to Bray Unknowns, 4-0 on the 17th January, 1925.
By now, Pioneers were seen as
the whipping boys of the league, but somehow managed to keep getting re-elected
into the league. This may be because of the recognition they gained with the
French Football Association. As a way of recognising the FAI as a proper
football organisation, the French sent over a club, Gallia Club Paris to play
two Irish club sides. One was Bohemians, while the other was Pioneers. The FAI
were cautious about this, evidently, as they suggested that a League of Ireland
IX play instead of Pioneers, but the French insisted that it should be played
against a club if the league. In the end, Pioneers played the game, but it was
effectively a League of Ireland IX with no player in the side actually being
registered with Pioneers. Instead the likes of Bohemians, Nex Brooks and
Shamrock Rovers Bob Fulham were invited as 'Guest players'. The game itself
ended 0-0, but the whole cause behind it worked, even if Pioneers name was the
only thing the club contributed to the whole ordeal.
That season would prove to be
another failure for the club in the league, with the club finishing bottom once
again, winning just one out of their 18 games. They were once again subjected
to a few heavy defeats at the hands of Shamrock Rovers (10-2) and Shelbourne FC
(9-0).
Once again,
they failed to win their first round tie in the FAI Cup, this time losing out
to non league side Lindon, 4-2, on the 9th January, 1926.
Finally, the club were not
re-elected to the league and so their four seasons in the League of Ireland
were up, being replaced by Dundalk GNR or what we know as Dundalk FC today.
The club continued to play at an
amateur level, playing in the Amateur Football League. They did go out of
existence until 2015 when the club was revived, playing their football in the
Leinster Senior League, playing their home games at the ALSSA Sports Complex
right beside Dublin Airport.
A club with an uninspiring
history in the League of Ireland, one that many will probably see as a waste of
time, with the bigger clubs just using these games seemingly to increase their
goals for ratio. The interesting thing about Pioneers though is why they were
picked to play that French team. Why not Shamrock Rovers, which at the time
would have been a more glamour tie? In my research it seems as though it was
the French Football Association that selected Pioneers. Maybe they saw their
record and thought that would be an easy win. Unfortunately for the French, the
FAI probably saw the same thing and acted quickly and smartly enough to stop
what may have been an embarrassing episode that would have dented the FAIs
hopes of gaining credibility in establishing themselves as a footballing
organisation. As bad as they were in the League of Ireland, they are still
around today, which is more than can be said about other former League of
Ireland clubs, ones who won league titles, FAI cups and competed in Europe. So,
maybe the real winners here are Pioneers FC?