Reds United
Some clubs have original names, some do not, and
some clubs come from original origins and some don’t. Like this next club we
are going to write about. Even back in the 1930’s the League of Ireland was
creating headlines for the wrong reasons. Yes, scandal is never far away from
‘The problem child’ of Irish football, but that is what makes it one of the
most interesting leagues in the world right? What other league in the world can
say they have had their title winners relegated in the same season? Or have a
club banned for not paying a fine, only for it to be replaced by the original
club’s supporters. Can you guess what club they replaced or was? Of course, it
was Shelbourne FC, and as we just covered Shelbourne United it only feels right
that we continue with the theme connected with the ‘Reds’. A club with so much
history and surely one with the most controversial clubs to ever play in the
League of Ireland. Their supporters, like in modern times, simply would not
listen to the FAI and would not be excluded from the League of Ireland. So when
Shelbourne FC were banned for a year the only thing their supporters could do
was create a new club and enter them into the League. That club was simply
called Reds United FC. Here we go…
Reds United were a football club
set up in Ringsend in 1934, by members of Shelbourne Football Club after a row
with the FAI saw Shelbourne banned from all football activities for a year at
least. In the 1933-34 season, Shelbourne were brought before the FAI after
allegations were made against the club for poaching players from other clubs in
and around where Shelbourne were based. They were found guilty by the FAI and
had a fine imposed on them. Shelbourne at the time responded with a letter to
say they wouldn’t be paying the fine and were withdrawing from the League of
Ireland and the League of Ireland shield, and would be applying for membership
to the IFA (Northern Irish football association). At the time, the two
associations didn’t see eye to eye or speak to each other, so the FAI responded
by suspending Shelbourne for one year, and all the board members were banned
from joining boards of other clubs affiliated with the league. Shelbourne were
also banned from competing in the league and Waterford took their place.
Later that year, some members,
and players of Shelbourne, probably annoyed at the ban and the actions the club
had taken, decided to form their own football club. They put forward an
application to join the Leinster Senior League which were successful. That
season, they were champions of the Leinster Senior League with a team that
included John Joe Flood one of only two Reds United players to play for the
Republic of Ireland (he didn’t play for them at the time), also entered the
1934-35 FAI cup where they held Bohemians to a 3-3 draw but lost the replay
4-3. After being crowned Leinster senior League champions they, along with Brideville,
also from Dublin, were elected to join the League of Ireland the next season.
Reds United played their home
games at Glenmalure Park, the home of Shamrock Rovers, but when they played
Rovers, they played in Dalymount Park for their home fixture against them.
Their first ever League of Ireland game was in The Mardyke, the home of
University College Cork against Cork FC who would later go on to be renamed as
Fordsons FC. Reds United went on to win 2-0. With ex-players from League of
Ireland teams like Shamrock Rovers and even teams from Scotland, most notably
top goal scorer for them and third top goalscorer in the league that year,
Willie Ouchterlonie. (20 goals). They finished 4th in their first
season in the league, finishing 11 points behind champions Bohemians with a
record of 12 wins 1 draw and 9 defeats. They also reached the quarterfinals of
the FAI Cup losing 2-1 away to Dundalk who were beaten in the semi-finals by
eventual winners Shamrock Rovers who beat Cork in the Final.
Shelbourne,
who had spent the year they were banned playing in the Athletic Union League,
applied for re-election to the League of Ireland and, with the support of
Shamrock Rovers were re-elected to the League of Ireland. While Shelbourne got
back into the league, Reds United agreed to step aside and duly left the
league.
There’s not much documented
about Reds United after that season in the League of Ireland, but there is some
evidence as two players that played in the League of Ireland, Tommy Godwin and
Ossie Nash, were documented to have played Amateur football for Reds United in
the 40’s, but for one season at least, Reds United, it was fair to say had a
decent go in the League of Ireland.
It is an interesting story
and one that I’m sure modern-day Shelbourne fans can relate to, having gone
through difficult times, fighting for survival and fighting against the
hierarchy to remain a League of Ireland club, like their past comrades. It goes
to show that even back in the 1930’s football belonged to the fans and always
will.