Celtic vs Irish Free State XI: The Highest Paid Football Experts in the World

On 23.02.24 a warmly received Glasgow Celtic played a hastily arranged friendly against an Irish Free State XI in Dublin. Celtic won 3-0. There was a 20,000 crowd that spilled onto the pitch and perched on the roofs of stands.  

The match was a fundraiser to help send an Irish Free State team to that summer's Olympics. Takings were £1,200, which , after tax, expenses and  paying for the ground left £400 for the fund. 

Acknowledging the efforts of the outplayed home team, the Dublin Evening Telegraph stated 'They were opposed by what probably the best football on earth, the highest paid football experts in the world'. 

Irish Free State FA		Celtic
W. O’Hagan (Fordsons)	G	C. Shaw
P. Kavanagh (Shelbourne)	FB	A. McNair
J. McCarthy (Bohemians)	FB	H Hilley
E. McKay (St. James’s Gate)	HB	H. P. Wilson
V. Harris (Shelbourne)	HB	J. McStay
M. Foley (Shelbourne)	HB	J. McFarlane
J. Simpson (Shelbourne)	F	A. McAtee
A. Kirkland (Shamrock Rovers)	F	P. Gallacher
Dr. O’Flaherty (University College)	F	J. Cassidy
J. Dowdall (St. James’s Gate)	F	A. Thompson
J. Fagan (Shamrock Rovers)	F	A. McLean

Goals were scored by Thomson, McAtee and Cassidy (all Scotland internationalists).

The Celtic line up featured Irish international Patsy Gallacher, who would later represent the Free State.

There was talk of another Celtic visit to Ireland in May, when Croke Park was proposed as a (much larger) venue, but this never took place. 

Andy McAtee

Alec 'EverReady' Thomson 

'Trooper' Joe Cassidy

Olphie Stanfield

Olphert Stanfield was the most capped international footballer in the 19th century, becoming the first man to each 20 caps (24.02.94) and 30 caps (27.03.97).
He made his debut at 17. 

He scored 11 international goals, an Irish record that stood until 1926.

Ireland's record in the 30 matches in which Stanfield played:

W	D	L	F	A
4	3	23	43	137

Stanfield played his club football for Distillery.  Stanfield  played 181 competitive games for Distillery, scoring 178 goals. He also played in 115 friendlies, (62 goals).
In the 1888-89 season he scored hat-tricks in four consecutive games.
His domestic honours were: 

Irish League Champion 1895-96.

Irish Cup Winner 1888-89, 1893-94, 1895-96.

Bloomer

In his 5th England appearance 23 year old Steve Bloomer of Derby County nets his 11th international goal.
The 85th minute strike was England's final goal in the 6-0 win over Ireland at Trent Bridge (20.02.97)
Tom Scott is the goalkeeper.

Irish Association Football in Argentina

Lobos Athletic Club 1892

Here is a link to the article Irish Association Football in Argentina by Víctor Raffo. 
The influence of Irish settlers on the development of football in Argentina, particularly the Lobos Athletic and Club Atlético Porteño is examined. Lobos A.C were important in the development of Alumni A.C.
Lobos were also the first Argentine side to play abroad: In 1899 they traveled to Montevideo, beating  Albión (2-1) and Peñarol (2-0) before a revolution forced their departure aboard a battleship!

Wales' Record Score

Only 2000 people were at The Racecourse on 03.03.88 to witness Wales registering an 11-0 win over Ireland. Wales had lost their opening match against England 5-1 and the following week would go down by the same score against Scotland. Things didn't get much better for Ireland- they lost 10-2 against Scotland, making their 5-1 defeat at the hands of England relatively creditable.
The scorers for Wales were Jack Doughty (4) Roger Doughty (2) Edmund Howell (2) Job Wilding (2) and William Pryce-Jones

The Wales team, pictured above: standing l-r: Reuben Humphreys (Ruabon Druids); Joe Davies (Newton Heath); Dr. Alfred O. Davies (Swifts); Dr. Bob Mills-Roberts (Preston North End); Jack  Powell (Newton Heath); Di Jones (Chirk AAA); seated l-r: William Pryce-Jones (Cambridge University); Job Wilding (Bootle); Jack Doughty (Newton Heath); Roger Doughty (Newton Heath); Edmund Gwynne Howell (Builth).

 Alfred O. Davies, William Pryce-Jones and E. Gwynne Howell left the field early in order to catch a train with Wales 10-0 up.

Ireland's unfortunate goalkeeper was Cliftonville debutant Jack Clugston. He was omitted for the rest of the season but came back the following year. In total he played 14 internationals, shipping 69 goals.

Tylers Football Boots

Ireland in the early 1900s. Buy a pair of Tylers Football Boots. Judging by the illustration they were 'the best' for ruthlessly cropping your opponents.

Ireland, Ireland!

The Irish Football Association was formed in 1880 and, though focused on Belfast, was responsible for the administration of the game throughout the island. 
Although there were cultural and sectarian divisions, Ireland was a single country up until the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921. The area now known as Northern ireland opted out of the self-proclaimed Irish Republic (founded in 1919). The south was known as the Irish Free State between 1922 and 1937, when it became the Republic of Ireland.

The situation regarding football now became complex. There was growing discontent in the south regarding what was percieved as northern bias on the part of the Irish Football Association. The IFA defended their position; the north, they argued, was the heartland of football in Ireland.
In September 1921 the Football Association of the Irish Free State (later known as the Football Association of Ireland) was formed by southern clubs and Leinster FA, which had seceded from The Irish Football Association.
Initially both the IFA and the FAI claimed to represent the whole of Ireland. Therefore during the period with which we are concerned, there existed a situation in which there were 2 bodies selecting 'all Ireland' sides. The Football Association of Ireland side was not not considered to represent only the Irish Free State.
In 1923 the Football Association of the Irish Free State joined FIFA and in 1924 the  Olympic Council of Ireland  selected a team to represent The Irish Free State at the Olympics.
In 1936 the  FAI adopted a policy of selecting Northern players, a practice that persisted until 1946. Therefore, between the foundation of the the Football Association of the Irish Free State and the end of the era this blog covers (summer 1937), a number of players were selected to represent both The Irish Football Association and the the Football Association of the Irish Free State (Football Association of Ireland).

For their campaign at the 1924 Olympic Games the Olympic Council of Ireland selected just 1 player who had previously been capped by the Irish Football Association :

	Irish Football Association		Olympic Council of Ireland
	Dates	Games	Dates	Games
Dinny Hannon	1908-13	6	1924	2
Inside right. Bohemians, Athlone Town.

The following players were selected by the Football Association of the Irish Free State/ Football Association of Ireland having previously represented the Irish Football Association:

	Irish Football Association		Football Association of Ireland
	Dates	Games	Dates	Games
Billy Lacey	1909- 24	23	1927-30	3
During his career he played in all 11 positions! Shelbourne, Everton, Liverpool, New Brighton, Cork Bohemians.
Jimmy Dunne	1928-32	7	1930-39	15
Forward.  Shamrock Rovers, New Brighton, Sheffield United, Arsenal, Southampton.
Jimmy Kelly	1931-36	11	1932-36	4
Outside right. Coleraine, Liverpool, Derry City, Shamrock Rovers, Dundalk, Ballymena United, Ballymoney United.
Tommy Breen	1935-39	9	1937-45	5
Goalkeeper.  Newry Town, Belfast Celtic, Manchester United, Linfield, Shamrock Rovers, Glentoran.
Mick O'Brien	1921-27	10	1927-32	4
Centre half/ forward. Blyth Spartans, Celtic,  Brentford, Norwich City,  South Shields,  Queens Park Rangers, Leicester City, Hull City, Brooklyn Wanderers,  Derby County, Walsall, Watford.
Jackie Brown	1935-39	10	1937	2
Outside right. Belfast Celtic, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Coventry City, Birmingham City, Barry Town, Ipswich Town.
Patsy Gallagher	1919-27	11	1931	1
Inside-forward. Celtic, Falkirk.
Tom Farquharson	1923-25	7	1929-31	4
Goalkeeper. Cardiff City.
Harry Chatton	1924-25	3	1931-34	3
Half back.  Dumbarton, Partick Thistle, Indiana Flooring, Heart of Midlothian, New York Nationals, Shelbourne, Cork.
Peter Kavanagh	1929	1	1931	1
Outside left. Bohemians, Celtic, Northampton Town, Hibernian, Stranraer, Babcock & Wilcox, Waterford United.
Frank Collins	1922	1	1927	1
Goalkeeper. Jacobs, Celtic.
Christy Martin	1925	1	1927	1
Outside right. Bo'ness, Falkirk, Brooklyn Wanderers.
Ed Brooks	1920	1	1924	1
Forward.  Shelbourne, Bohemians, Stockport County and Athlone Town.

Billy Lacey

Peter Kavanagh

Alex Stevenson



These players first represented the Football Association of Ireland before being selected by the Irish Football Association: 

	Football Association of Ireland		Irish Football Association
	Dates	Games	Dates	Games
Alex Stevenson	1932-48	7	1934-48	17
Inside left. Dolphin, Glasgow Rangers, Everton
Harry Duggan	1927-37	5	1929-35	8
Outside right. Richmond United, Leeds United, Newport County.
Patrick Moore	1931-36	9	1932	1
Forward. Shamrock Rovers, Merthyr Town, Cardiff City, Tranmere Rovers, Aberdeen, Shelbourne, Brideville.
Tom Davis	1936-38	4	1938	1
Centre forward. Torquay United, New Brighton, FC Metz, Oldham Athletic, Tranmere Rovers, Cork City.
Owen Madden	1936	1	1937	1
Forward. Cork, Norwich City, Birmingham, Cork United.