Limerick F.C. - European Record

European Record

Limerick appeared in European competitions on six occasions in its history. In 12 matches they scored 7 goals and while the club never won a European game, it drew twice. One of those draws was achieved at The Dell against a Southampton team that included former European Footballer of the Year Kevin Keegan and Mick Channon. In the home fixture famous rugby international Tony Ward (rugby player) gave Yugoslav international defender Ivan Golac a roasting. Limerick first competed in 1960 in the European Cup against Young Boys Berne, but suffered their heaviest aggregate defeat. Limerick moved their 1965 Cup Winners' Cup home leg to Dalymount Park - one of only two 'home' games played outside of Limerick. Interestingly, Pat Nolan is the only player ever to have scored for Limerick in Limerick in a European game.

The most famous European game was the 'home' match against Real Madrid in the European Cup in 1980. Because of concerns over crowd control at both The Market's Field and Thomond Park, the match was played at Lansdowne Road in Dublin. Although a crowd of up to 30,000 was expected, Dublin football fans stayed away en masse and only 6,500 people saw a Limerick team, under Eoin Hand, almost beat the aristocrats of European soccer. A number of controversial refereeing decisions, including a disallowed Johnny Matthews goal and a dubious penalty award, went against Limerick and they were beaten by 2-1. Des Kennedy scored twice in the tie, one at home and one in the 5-1 away defeat, in front of a crowd of 60,000 in Madrid.