ISSC 30th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
The Origins of the Shamrock Rovers
By RITCHIE CANNON
Back in 1995, Joe Burke and I started thinking about starting a team. At that time there was Club Ireland which was run by Irish but had no Irish players. They were a good team but since there was not much Irish immigration, the players who were here were either with other teams or not at this level. So we said, "Lets do it!" We started with no money, no strip, no balls, and no league.
Initially, we came up with the name Bohemians, but we wanted people to know we were Irish, so we changed to Shamrock Rovers. The first year we decided not to go through the Vancouver Irish Sporting and Social Club, and if we failed it would be our decision and no one else.
We put the word out and at our first practice, we had 20 players out. It was a fantastic response! We had players like Paul Stack and Sean Minagh, who had never played organized soccer before. Our first year, we started in the Richmond league in Division Two.
I hoped we would be in the middle and win half our games. That first year with Plunkett Mallon in goals, guest appearances from Tom O'Sullivan, we won the League. We got to the quarter finals of the Div1-Div2 Cup. Not bad for our first year.
The following year in 1996, we joined the ISSC with great guidance from J.J. Hyland. If it was not for him I still wonder how long it would have been before we would have joined.
He was great on the sidelines. We also received fantastic support from Eamon Billings, Tom Butler, Jimmy Speiran and “Dublin” Dermot Byrne. Some of the players who played with the Rovers include the late David Finnerty, who lost his life in a tragic avalanche accident and is still in our hearts. Another great friend and supporter, the late Don Considine was also a great help.
Overall if you look at our record, the Shamrock Rovers are Division Two league winners, Division One league winners, Premier Champions three times, B.C Overall Champions in 2002, and two President Cup Winners. So for a team that started in the back room at an East Side home one day in August, I think Joe and I can be proud of our small but significant place in ISSC history.
The Club has really given us a place to know that we were welcomed. In 1998, of the 78 registered members, 62 were from the soccer teams. Finally, on a personal note, congratulations to the ISSC on their 30th Anniversary and great future to you all.
|
