League of Ireland XI


The League of Ireland XI, more recently referred to as the Airtricity League XI for sponsorship reasons, is the representative team of the League of Ireland, the national association football league of the Republic of Ireland. For much of its history, the League of Ireland XI has effectively acted as a reserve or B team to the senior Republic of Ireland national team, providing international representative honours to home-based players. In fact it has played considerably more games than the actual Republic of Ireland B national football team. In addition to playing regular games against similar representative teams, such as the Irish League XI, the Scottish Football League XI and the Football League XI, the League of Ireland XI has also played in prestige friendlies against the full national teams of both Argentina and Brazil. The League of Ireland XI also represented Ireland in the qualifying stages of the 1988 Olympic Football Tournament. More recently a League of Ireland U-23 XI has represented the Republic of Ireland in the International Challenge Trophy. Meanwhile, a senior team with no age or nationality restriction regularly plays visiting club sides. More recently the team competed in the 2011 Dublin Super Cup

History

1920s and 1930s

During the 1920s and 1930s, the four national associations that made up the International Football Association Board – The Football Association, the Scottish Football Association, the Football Association of Wales and Northern Ireland's Irish Football Association – refused to recognise the rights of the Football Association of Ireland when it came arranging full internationals. Consequently, the FAI could not arrange full internationals against its nearest neighbours. The IFAB, however, did permit inter-league games to be played. In the absence of full internationals against England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, these inter-league matches between the League of Ireland XI, the Irish League XI, the Welsh Football League XI and the Scottish Football League XI were highly regarded by both the FAI and Irish football fans alike. Attendances of up to 30,000 at these matches at Dalymount Park led them to have been treated almost as full internationals.
The League of Ireland XI made their official debut with a 3–3 draw against a Welsh Football League XI on 19 February 1924. Ernie MacKay scored the representative team's first ever goal while Dave Roberts added the other two. The League of Ireland XI played the Irish League XI for the first time on 13 March 1926. Charlie Dowdall scored twice in a 3–1 win for the home team. On St. Patrick's Day, 1937, a League of Ireland XI also played and defeated a visiting Yugoslav League XI 3–2. The League of Ireland XI played the Scottish League XI for the first time on St. Patrick's Day, 1939. The Scottish team was billed as a team of all-stars and had a combined valuation estimated to be £60,000. In front of a crowd of 35,000 at Dalymount Park, the League of Ireland XI defeated the Scottish League XI with Johnny Johnstone and Paddy Bradshaw scoring the goals in the 2–1 win

National Team

The League of Ireland XI has always enjoyed a close relationship with the senior Republic of Ireland national team. When Ireland competed at both the 1924 and 1948 Olympic Football Tournaments, they were represented by League of Ireland XIs made up of amateur players. On at least three further occasions before the Second World War, the FAI selected a full international team entirely made up of players playing in Ireland. On 21 March 1926, for the game against Italy, the Ireland team even featured Drumcondra’s Joe Grace from the Leinster Senior League. It was a League of Ireland XI that played Belgium on 12 February 1928 and then the Netherlands on 8 December 1935. Before the Second World War, League of Ireland players made up the nucleus of just about every FAI Ireland full international team.

Post-Second World War

For most of the Second World War era, the League of Ireland XI's only opponents were the Irish League XI. However once the conflict ended, the fixture against the Scottish League XI was revived. They also began to play the Football League XI on a regular basis. With the majority of the leading Irish players now playing in the Football League, however, the League of Ireland XI now found itself at a disadvantage. As a result, the majority of the games they played against the Scottish League XI and the Football League XI usually ended in heavy defeat. However, there was the occasional success story. On 2 October 1963 at Dalymount Park, the League of Ireland XI defeated the Football League XI 2–1, thanks to goals from Eddie Bailham and Ronnie Whelan. This Football League XI included four players – Ray Wilson, Bobby Moore, Roger Hunt and Martin Peters – who subsequently went on to help England win the 1966 FIFA World Cup. At the time Whelan was working for Unidaire, a Finglas-based electrical firm, and he subsequently received a warning from his boss at the company for taking time off to play in this game.

Prestige Friendlies

From the late 1970s onwards, the League of Ireland XI also began to play friendlies against national teams. These included two prestige games against the full Argentina national team. On 19 April 1978, at the Estadio Alberto J. Armando, Argentina played the League of Ireland XI in a warm up game as part of their preparations for hosting the 1978 FIFA World Cup. A team that included the former England international Bobby Tambling and several Republic of Ireland internationals such as Johnny Giles, Ray Treacy, Eamonn Gregg, Noel Synnott, Cathal Muckian, Jerome Clark and Synan Braddish lost 3–1 to a very strong Argentina. The starting eleven for Argentina included ten players who later played in the 1978 FIFA World Cup Final. In addition a young Diego Maradona also came on as a substitute. Leopoldo Luque, Oscar Ortiz and Ricardo Villa scored for Argentina before Synan Braddish grabbed a consolation goal for the league select. On 29 May 1979, Argentina, then the reigning World Cup holders, visited Lansdowne Road and were held to a 0–0 draw by a Republic of Ireland XI in a UNICEF fundraiser; this team is sometimes incorrectly listed as a League of Ireland XI.
30 April 1980 saw the League of Ireland XI play Argentina for a second time, this time at the Estadio Monumental. On this occasion, a team that included Liam Buckley, Terry Eviston, Johnny Walsh and Tommy McConville lost 1–0 to a goal scored by Diego Maradona. A month later, Argentina beat the senior Republic of Ireland 1–0 at Lansdowne Road.
In another notable game from this era, the League of Ireland XI also became the first representative team to play the Basque Country following the ending of the Francoist regime. This game was played on 16 August 1979 at the San Mamés Stadium. The Basque team was made up of Real Sociedad and Athletic Bilbao players and all eleven subsequently became full Spain internationals. In contrast the league select was under strength and was referred to in newspaper reports as a League of Ireland B team. The Basque Country team easily defeated this League of Ireland XI 4–1. In 1981, the League of Ireland XI returned to South America and this time played Brazil. A team managed by Jim McLaughlin lost 6–0 with the legendary Zico scoring four of Brazil’s goals.

Olympic qualifiers

League of Ireland XIs made up of amateur players represented Ireland in qualifiers for the 1960, 1972, 1976 and 1980 Olympic Football Tournaments. For the 1988 Olympic Football Tournament qualifiers, a senior League of Ireland XI featuring professionals represented Ireland. They were drawn in a "group of death" that also included Hungary, Sweden, Spain and France – France had won the gold medal at the 1984 Olympic Football Tournament. This League of Ireland XI was again managed by Jim McLaughlin.
The team kicked off their Olympic campaign with a 2–1 defeat against Hungary at Glenmalure Park on November 11, 1986. Their next opponents were Spain at Tolka Park on February 4, 1987. Goals from Noel Larkin and Mick Byrne saw the League of Ireland XI draw 2–2. Their first away games came against Sweden and France. The League of Ireland XI lost 1–0 to Sweden after they conceded a very late goal but managed to hold France to a 1–1 draw. On August 26, 1987 a crowd of less than 1,000 saw the League of Ireland XI lose 1–0 at Dalymount Park to a Sweden team that included Thomas Brolin. Next came the home match against France on 18 November 1987 at Dalymount Park. A crowd of just 4,000 would witness one of the League of Ireland XI's best results. Two goals from Mick Bennett and one from Peter Eccles saw them gain a 3–0 win. Ireland finished the qualifying group with two away games. Dave Barry scored in Hungary but the League of Ireland XI lost 3–1 while goals from Barry Kehoe and Bennett earned them a 2–2 with Spain in Alicante. The League of Ireland XI finished fourth in the group. Sweden qualified for the finals where they were knocked out in the quarter-finals.
Group C Final Table
RankTeam
18611136+713
28512138+511
38143912−36
4 League of Ireland XI81341012−25
58134916−75

1988 Marlboro Cup

In August 1988, the League of Ireland XI competed in the Marlboro Cup, a four team tournament, held at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. They lost their first game 3–0 against Club Universidad de Guadalajara on 5 August, with Mick Neville conceding an own goal. They then lost 1–0 to El Salvador in a third place playoff two days later. The tournament was won by Guatemala, who beat Club Universidad 3–2 in the final.
DateTeam #1ResultTeam #2Round
August 5, 1988 Club Universidad de Guadalajara3-0 League of Ireland XISemi-finals
August 5, 19881–2Semi-finals
August 7, 19881–0 League of Ireland XIThird Place Match
August 7, 19883–2 Club Universidad de GuadalajaraFinal

Aviva Stadium

Manchester United

On 4 August 2010, the League of Ireland XI hosted the first soccer match to be played at the Aviva Stadium. A team managed by Damien Richardson lost 7–1 to Manchester United. The league select were 6-0 down after 70 minutes, with goals from Park Ji-sung, Michael Owen, Javier Hernández, Antonio Valencia and Jonny Evans. Park opened the scoring in the 13th minute in bizarre fashion; as he went to block a defender's clearance, the ball ricocheted off him and into the net. Owen doubled United's lead in the 25th minute with a chipped shot over the goalkeeper, before half-time substitute Hernández made it 3–0 two minutes after the break. Three goals in the space of nine minutes from Valencia, a second from Park and Jonny Evans increased the lead to 6–0, before Dave Mulcahy scored a consolation goal for the League of Ireland XI in the 78th minute. Nevertheless, there was still time for Nani to get a seventh goal, converting a penalty after Hernández had been fouled in the penalty area.

Dublin Super Cup

was again in charge of the League of Ireland XI when the Aviva Stadium hosted the 2011 Dublin Super Cup, a tournament which saw the representative team take on both Manchester City and Celtic. Shamrock Rovers players, however, were not available because of a clash with the 2011–12 UEFA Champions League qualifying phase and play-off rounds. As a result, Richardson had to field an understrength team. They lost their opening game to Manchester City 3–0, then lost 5–0 to Celtic. The League of Ireland XI were the only team in the tournament that didn't win a match or score any goals.

League of Ireland XI matches

DateOpponentsResultScoreCompetitionVenueAttendance
19/02/1924Welsh Football League XID3–3friendlyDalymount Park
23/02/1924CelticL0–3friendlyDalymount Park22,000
14/03/1925Welsh Football League XIL1–2friendlyDalymount Park17,000
07/11/1925Welsh Football League XID2–2friendlySwansea
13/03/1926Irish League XIW3–1friendlyDalymount Park18,000
05/03/1927Irish League XID1–1friendlyWindsor Park15,000
02/04/1927Welsh Football League XIL1–2friendlyDalymount Park7,000
10/03/1928Irish League XIW3–1friendlyShelbourne Park12,000
06/10/1928Welsh Football League XIW4–3friendly
09/03/1929Irish League XIL1–2friendlyThe Oval15,000
01/03/1930Irish League XIL1–6friendlyDalymount Park12,000
03/05/1930Welsh Football League XIL1–6friendlySwansea
16/10/1932Welsh Football League XIW2–0friendlyDalymount Park
18/03/1935Welsh Football League XIW2–1friendly
17/03/1937Yugoslav League XIW3–2friendlyDalymount Park
17/03/1938Irish League XIL1–3friendlyDalymount Park30,000
11/03/1939Irish League XIW2–1friendlyWindsor Park11,000
17/03/1939Scottish Football League XIW2–1friendlyDalymount Park35,000
18/03/1940Irish League XIW2–0friendlyDalymount Park26,000
17/03/1941Irish League XIL3–8friendlyDalymount Park6,000
14/04/1941Irish League XIL1–2friendlyWindsor Park25,000
17/03/1942Irish League XID2–2friendlyDalymount Park31,000
06/04/1942Irish League XIL2–5friendlyWindsor Park30,000
17/03/1943Irish League XIL0–1friendlyDalymount Park28,000
26/04/1943Irish League XID2–2friendlyWindsor Park21,000
17/03/1944Irish League XIL3–4friendlyDalymount Park28,000
10/04/1944Irish League XID2–2friendlyWindsor Park35,000
17/03/1945Irish League XIW2–1friendlyDalymount Park36,000
02/04/1945Irish League XIW5–3friendlyWindsor Park32,000
18/03/1946Irish League XIL1–2friendlyDalymount Park37,000
22/04/1946Irish League XIL0–3friendlyWindsor Park32,000
17/03/1947Irish League XID2–2friendlyDalymount Park20,000
07/04/1947Irish League XIW1–0friendlyWindsor Park30,000
30/04/1947Football League XIL1-3friendlyDalymount Park
17/03/1948Irish League XIW2–1friendlyDalymount Park25,000
29/03/1948Irish League XIL0–4friendlyWindsor Park
14/04/1948Football League XIL0-4friendlyDeepdale
24/04/1948Scottish Football League XIL0–2friendlyDalymount Park25,000
29/09/1948Scottish Football League XIL1–5friendlyIbrox Stadium57,600
17/03/1949Irish League XID0–0friendlyDalymount Park20,000
18/04/1949Irish League XIL1–4friendlyWindsor Park25,000
04/05/1949Football League XIL0–5friendlyDalymount Park
19/10/1949Scottish Football League XIL0–1friendlyDalymount Park17,000
15/02/1950Football League XIL0–7friendlyMolineux Stadium
17/03/1950Irish League XIW3–1friendlyDalymount Park18,000
10/04/1950Irish League XID2–2friendlyWindsor Park10,000
17/01/1951Scottish Football League XIL0–7friendlyCeltic Park10,000
04/04/1951Football League XIL0–1friendlyDalymount Park
10/10/1951Football League XIL1–9friendlyGoodison Park
17/03/1952Scottish Football League XIL0–2friendlyDalymount Park33,000
08/10/1952Scottish Football League XIL1–5friendlyCeltic Park10,000
17/03/1953Football League XIL0–2friendlyDalymount Park
22/04/1953Irish League XIL0–3friendlyDalymount Park16,000
23/09/1953Welsh Football League XIW3–1friendlyDalymount Park
10/02/1954Football League XIL1–9friendlyMaine Road
17/03/1954Scottish Football League XIL1–3friendlyDalymount Park35,000
19/04/1954Irish League XID0–0friendlyWindsor Park
02/05/1954HessenligaW1–0friendlyDalymount Park
22/09/1954Football League XIL0–6friendlyDalymount Park
18/11/1954Scottish Football League XIL0–5friendlyShawfield Stadium18,000
17/03/1955Irish League XIW2–1friendlyDalymount Park30,000
14/05/1955HessenligaL2–7friendlyFrankfurt
19/05/1955HessenligaL0–5friendlyKassel
21/09/1955Scottish Football League XIL2–4friendlyDalymount Park
07/12/1955Football League XIL1–5friendlyGoodison Park
12/02/1956HessenligaW4–1friendlyDalymount Park
17/03/1956Irish League XIW1–0friendlyDalymount Park23,000
02/04/1956Irish League XIL0–6friendlyWindsor Park20,000
19/09/1956Football League XID3–3friendlyDalymount Park
26/09/1956Scottish Football League XIL1–3friendlyShawfield Stadium23,000
18/03/1957Irish League XID2–2friendlyDalymount Park28,000
22/04/1957Irish League XIW2–1friendlyWindsor Park15,000
18/09/1957Scottish Football League XIL1–5friendlyDalymount Park23,000
19/10/1957Football League XIL1–3friendlyElland Road
17/03/1958Irish League XID2–2friendlyDalymount Park32,000
07/04/1958Irish League XIL1–3friendlySolitude Ground29,000
24/09/1958Scottish Football League XIL0–1friendlyIbrox Stadium9,000
29/10/1958Irish League XIW3–2friendlyWindsor Park5,000
17/03/1959Football League XID0–0friendlyDalymount Park
02/09/1959Scottish Football League XIL1–4friendlyDalymount Park26,000
04/11/1959Football League XIL0–2friendlyEwood Park
17/03/1960HessenligaW5–2friendlyDalymount Park
12/04/1960Irish League XIW2–1friendlyTolka Park8,000
14/09/1960Football League XIL0–1friendlyDalymount Park
05/10/1960Scottish Football League XIL1–5friendlyCeltic Park23,000
17/03/1961Irish League XIL2–3friendlyDalymount Park12,000
03/04/1961Irish League XID1–1friendlySolitude Ground22,000
06/09/1961Scottish Football League XID1–1friendlyDalymount Park6,000
11/10/1961Football League XIL2–5friendlyEastville Stadium
17/03/1962Italian League BL0–3friendlyDalymount Park
04/04/1962Irish League XIL1–3friendlyWindsor Park4,000
06/05/1962Italian League BL0–6friendlyRimini
28/11/1962Scottish Football League XIL0–11friendlyCeltic Park8,000
18/03/1963Irish League XIL1–3friendlyDalymount Park15,000
02/10/1963Football League XIW2–1friendlyDalymount Park30,000
17/03/1964Irish League XIW4–2friendlyDalymount Park8,000
15/04/1964Irish League XID2–2friendlyWindsor Park7,000
25/05/1964International XIfriendlyFlower Lodge20,000
23/09/1964Scottish Football League XID2–2friendlyDalymount Park25,000
14/05/1965Irish League XIL1–0friendlyFlower Lodge3,500
27/10/1965Football League XIL0–5friendlyBoothferry Park28,283
07/09/1966Scottish Football League XIL0–6friendlyCeltic Park12,000
22/03/1967Irish League XIL1–3friendlyWindsor Park6,000
25/10/1967Irish League XIW3–2friendlyDalymount Park10,000
08/11/1967Football League XIL2–7friendlyDalymount Park27,000
04/09/1968Scottish Football League XID0–0friendlyDalymount Park25,000
09/04/1969Irish League XIW2–1friendlyWindsor Park5,000
10/09/1969Football League XIL0–3friendlyOakwell
17/03/1970Irish League XIL0–2friendlyDalymount Park10,000
02/09/1970Scottish Football League XIL0–1friendlyCeltic Park7,654
27/11/1970Australian League XIW1–0friendlyDalymount Park
22/09/1971Football League XIL1–2friendlyLansdowne Road
03/02/1972Italian League BD1–1friendlyDalymount Park
22/03/1973Italian League BL0–2friendlyCatanzaro
18/03/1974Irish League XIW3–2friendlyDalymount Park2,000
01/12/1974Torpedo MoscowD0–0friendlyDalymount Park
19/08/1976Torino F.C.D0–0friendlyDalymount Park2,000
19/01/1977Italian League BL0–2friendlyUdine22,000
16/03/1977Italian League BW2–0friendlyOriel Park
21/09/1977L1–2friendlyDalymount Park
19/04/1978L1–3friendlyEstadio Alberto J. Armando
02/08/1978LiverpoolL1–3friendlyLansdowne Road25,000
14/04/1979Italian League BL0–1friendlyMantua
23/06/1979Malaysia League XIL0–1friendlyKuala Lumpur25,000
25/06/1979W4–1friendly-
16/08/1979L1–4friendlySan Mamés Stadium40,000
12/10/1979W2–1friendlyTolka Park
17/03/1980Scottish Football League XIW2–1friendlyDalymount Park5,000
30/04/1980L0–1friendlyEstadio Monumental
15/04/1981Irish League XIW1–0friendlyTolka Park2,000
23/09/1981L0–6friendlyEstádio Rei Pelé54,000
08/05/1982L0–1friendlyRotorua
09/05/1982L0–1friendlyRotorua
12/05/1982D0–0friendlyGisborne, New Zealand12,000
16/05/1982W2–1friendlyDunedin
19/05/1982L0–1friendlyInvercargill
27/04/1983Italian League BL0–2friendlyStadio Olimpico
20/08/1983Newcastle UnitedL0–3friendlySt James' Park
14/02/1984Italian League BD0–0friendlyPadua
30/10/1984Irish League XIL0–4friendlyWindsor Park873
17/03/1986Irish League XIW2–1friendlyTolka Park1,500
28/04/1986L0–1friendlyAl-Shaab Stadium25,000
28/08/1986D1–1friendlyNational Stadium, Singapore
31/08/1986L0–3friendlyNational Stadium, Singapore
19/11/1986L1–2Olympic qualifierGlenmalure Park
04/02/1987D2–2Olympic qualifierTolka Park
17/03/1987Irish League XIL1–2friendlyThe Showgrounds700
05/05/1987L0–1Olympic qualifierSolna
11/08/1987D1–1Olympic qualifierDunkirk
26/08/1987L0–1Olympic qualifierDalymount Park
18/11/1987W3–0Olympic qualifierDalymount Park
04/05/1988L1–3Olympic qualifierBudapest
18/05/1988D2–2Olympic qualifierAlicante
05/08/1988Club Universidad de GuadalajaraL0–3Marlboro CupLos Angeles Memorial Coliseum
07/08/1988D0–1Marlboro CupLos Angeles Memorial Coliseum
17/05/1989Irish League XIW3–0friendlyOriel Park500
18/06/1989D1–1friendlyTrinidad
20/06/1989L0–1friendlyTrinidad
07/05/1990Irish League XIW1–0friendlyThe Oval500
19/11/1991Irish League XIL0–2friendlyTolka Park2,000
17/07/1992Celtic F.C.L0–5friendlyTolka Park
18/07/1992Manchester CityL0–3friendlyTolka Park
23/07/1993Leeds UnitedD2–2friendlyTolka Park
06/08/1993Blackburn RoversL0–1friendlyTolka Park
17/08/1993Czechoslovakia XIL1–4friendlyTolka Park
19/08/1993LiverpoolL1–2friendlyLansdowne Road
07/10/1994Welsh Football League XIW2–0friendlyPorthmadog
08/11/1994IFK GöteborgW1–0friendlyTolka Park
07/03/1995Irish League XID1–1friendlyRichmond Park600
02/04/1996Welsh Football League XIL0–1friendlySt Colman's Park
05/06/1996D2–2friendlyHunky Dorys Park
11/06/1996D1–1friendlyAUL Complex
28/07/1996Manchester UnitedL1–4friendlyTolka Park7,720
25/02/1997England CW2–0friendlyRichmond Park
04/03/1997Welsh Football League XIW1–0friendlyLeckwith
17/03/1997Republic of Ireland BD1–1friendlyTolka Park
02/09/1997L0–3friendlyTolka Park
09/02/1999Republic of Ireland BL3–4friendlyCarlisle Grounds
01/11/2000Irish League XIL0–2friendlyTerryland Park350
04/08/2010Manchester UnitedL1–7friendlyAviva Stadium49,800
30/07/2011Manchester CityL0–3Dublin Super CupAviva Stadium
31/07/2011CelticL0–5Dublin Super CupAviva Stadium

Recent squad

The following players were called up for the 2011 Dublin Super Cup
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Non-Irish players

Throughout the history of the League of Ireland, the vast majority of the players have come from either the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland. Consequently, the League of Ireland XI has largely been made up of Irish players. However, there has always been a contingent of non-Irish players and, right from the beginning, they have been selected to play for the League of Ireland XI. Dave Roberts from England scored twice in the team's very first game. Another English-born player, Johnny Matthews, scored a penalty against Gordon Banks when the League of Ireland XI played the Football League XI in 1971 at Lansdowne Road. Like Roberts and Matthews, most of the non-Irish players have come from Great Britain but some have come from further afield.