OZO 24/7 Collect & Recycle are current match sponsors for St Patrick's Athletic Fooball Club for 2010-2011.
St Patrick's
Athletic F.C. was founded in 1929. Before
gaining league membership, St Patrick's Athletic dominated
Leinster League football and they finally took their
place in the League of Ireland in 1951 - winning the
championship at their first attempt. Two more championship
successes were to follow in 1954/55 and 1955/56. It
was 1959 before the first FAI Cup success for "Pat's"
and this cup triumph was repeated in 1961.
The glory years of the fifties are fondly
remembered, as are many of the great players who wore
the famous red and white during that great era - Ginger
O'Rourke, Harry Boland ('The Legend', 1926-2000),
Shay Gibbons, Ronnie Whelan and Willie Peyton are
names synonymous with the club to this day and many
of them are still regulars today.
The team had a long history of turmoil,
changing grounds and instability in the early years
and among the venues used for the club were Milltown,
Chaplelizod and Dalymount Park.
The club returned to Richmond Park in
1960 and stayed until 1989. Success was limited during
this time and it was after we returned to Richmond
Park in 1993 that the good times returned.
The appointment of Brian Kerr as manager
in 1986 was a major turning point in the fortunes
of the club. A Drimnagh man, Brian had supported the
club from his schoolboy days and he began the task
of assembling a new side that was to became a new
breed of heroes.
The championship was denied them in
1988 on the final day but two years later they were
crowned Champions of Ireland and thus began the magic
era of the 90's and the birth of the 'Supersaints'.
The club spent four years in Harold's
Cross and returned to a revamped Richmond Park in
1993. Brian Kerr began the task of building a championship
winning squad. This time he was aided by the club's
newly appointed Chief Executive, Patrick Dolan and
by the club's new Chairman, Tim O'Flaherty. The league
trophy returned to Richmond Park in 1996.
New stars emerged in the shape of Eddie
Gormley, Paul Osam, Colin Hawkins, Trevor Molloy and
Trevor Wood and thousands flocked to Inchicore for
magical Friday nights beside the Camac. The glory
continued as further championships were secured in
1998 and 1999 and of course the memorable night in
the European Cup versus Celtic at Parkhead.
The four titles in the nineties have
been matched off the pitch where the development of
the Stadium of Light has been a catalyst and inspiration
for further eircom League developments at other clubs.
Into the new millennium the success
has continued. Crowned League Cup Champions and Leinster
Senior Cup winners in 2000/01 and League winners in
2001/02, the Supersaints have grown accustomed to
success on the field.
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