ALBERT ROVERS 1995

AUL SOCCER 1 BILLY LYONS



ALBERT ROVERS 19/1/95



Albert Rovers have recovered from a poor enough start to the

season to move into a challenging position in Murphy's Stout AUL

1 and are expected to give current leaders Macroom, with whom

they drew recently, a good run for their money. Killowen and

resurgent Hillington are also in contention for the title.



The Alberts side is managed by Mick Dalton who is in his third

year with the club. He started off with the second team in 3A

and they won promotion that year by finishing second to Village

Utd. Mick is also on the club committee.



His assistant on the sideline is club chairman Seamus Cotter.

Another ever present on the Alberts line, always a great help to

manager and players alike, is Mick O'Connor. They train twice

weekly on the all weather pitch in Ursulines.



Noel Hayes is the first team skipper and the others on Dalton's

squad are: Ger Condon (keeper), Mark Murray, Stephen Walsh,

Billy Geaney, John Lowry, Pat Kelleher, Peter Creedon, Rory

Morrissey, Don O'Sullivan, Daniel Quinlan, John Creedon, Willie

O'Brien, Donal Hurley, Brendan Allen, Tadgh Leonard, and Ger

O'Sullivan.



Tadgh Leonard has quite a unusual distinction. In 1982, he was

on the Alberts team that won the Pop Keller Cup and, in 1993, on

the side that won the City Challenge Cup; he captained both

teams.



Alberts no longer field underage teams. But the value of

underage football within a club is underlined by the fact that

quite a few of the current players (including keeper Condon and

centre-half Walsh) came through from the team that won the title

in AUL Youths 2 back in 1986/87.



The second team is also giving a good account of itself in AUL 2A

and the weekend before last showed their well-being with a great

win over leaders Kanturk. Trevor Duggan is the manager here.



The name of Albert Rovers has been engraved on major national and

provincial trophies. In 1950, a powerful side defeated League of

Ireland teams Cork United and Waterford on their way to winning

the Munster Senior Cup. In 1954 and 1959, they won the FAI

Intermediate Cup and captured the Munster Senior League title in

1959 and 1960.



The club then hit a comparatively lean period but fielded a

formidable junior side which reached the quarter-final of the FAI

Junior Cup in 1968.



A season in the League of Ireland followed for Alberts in 1977.

In the following season, they were back in the MSL and also

continued to field a strong side in Division Two of the AUL

Junior leagues.



Throughout the 1980s, very strong schoolboy and minor squads

represented the club. In 1984/85, the junior side won promotion

from AUL 2 to AUL 1.



The club went out of senior football after 1990 but many of the

players stayed to play leading roles in the strong junior sides.

Success came again in 1993 when Albert Rovers, managed by

dedicated clubman Seamus Cotter, scored a thrilling 2 - 1 victory

over Grangevale in the City Challenge Cup final at Turner's

Cross.



The players of Alberts Rovers still wear the original red and

black colours, maintaining a tradition that goes back to their

founding in 1946. The fiftieth birthday party is not too far

away and there should be no shortage of yarns when past and

present members get together next year.



end of story

ALBERT ROVERS DONERAILE 2000

PRESIDENT'S CUP FINAL PREVIEW



Albert Rovers v Doneraile, Turner's Cross, Sunday next, kick off 2.15.



"There is a great buzz in the town" said Doneraile's handy defender Andy Murphy as he spoke of Sunday's visit to Turner's Cross to take on Albert Rovers in the Murphy's Stout President's Cup final (kick off 2.15pm). "We've had a great run to date and if we can repeat the quarter-final performance against Afton Villa, we could well take the cup."



Alberts manager Mick Dalton is also quietly confident but a little worried as to how his young charges will take to the Cross but is hopeful that they'll revel in the wide open spaces.



The cup run is great boost to Doneraile, just back in league soccer after a two year lapse. Murphy says the league results haven't been great, though they are still well in it: "The cup run could yet make our season". This is a first final for Doneraile who have previously been successful in 3A (in 1993) and in 2A (in '94).



While Alberts rely totally on youth, Doneraile have a good blend of experienced performers and young talent. Most of the experience is at the back and it will be interesting to see how skipper Dave Donlon, keeper Tom Cole, Gerry O'Connell (ex Boher) and Murphy himself, cope with the scoring prowess of forty goal Michael Cummins.



Dave Ryall, though only 22, is one of the more experienced of the North Cork sides and, able to use both left and right feet, is an outstanding midfielder. They have promising young players in the likes of defender John McAuliffe, William Carey, and Eddie O'Brien, all teenagers.



The full Doneraile squad is: Tom Cole, Andy Murphy, John McAuliffe, David Donlon, Gerry O'Connell, Dave Ryall, Hugh Nolan, William Carey, Eddie O'Brien, Jim Landy, David Walsh, Billy O'Brien, John Hickey, Mick McKeown, and Don Fitzgerald.



Keeper Shane O'Neill, alert and confident, is a key player in the Alberts team. Full back Paul O'Brien is a confident ball carrier, source of many an attack, while centre half Kevin O'Callaghan is cool and commanding.



Midfielder Alfie Davis is a delight to watch, loves to run and beat defenders and supply Cummins. Niall Goodman Timmy O'Connor and Stuart French are also well able to prise an opening from the centre.



Cummins has plenty of help upfront where Alan Daly and John Dalton also operate. Cummins is one of the brightest stars in the lower division and has already scored an incredible forty goals this season, his latest feat a four goal haul in last Sunday's league win over Dunbar. Is there a line of form here? Alberts beat Dunbar 5 - 1 while Doneraile needed extra time to win 4 - 1.



The average age of the side is 19 and these kids train hard, kept to a rigorous schedule by Darren Healy whose efforts are hugely appreciated by the lads. Michael O'Connor is another great servant of the club and is always there to lend a hand.



Manager Mick Dalton picks from: Shane O'Neill, Alan Gould, Paul O'Brien, Kevin O'Callaghan, Patrick Ahern, Alfie Davis, Niall Goodman, Tim O'Connor, Stuart French, Alan Daly, John Dalton, Seamus Healy, Ryan Dineen, Pakie Higgins, Ian O'Mahony, Mossie O'Sullivan, Michael Cummins (captain),.



Paths to the final:

Jimmy Landy may not be quite as prolific as Alberts ace Michael Cummins but the Doneraile striker has scored regularly in the cup to date and that included last minute equalisers in the games against Castle Celtic and Dunbar Celtic.



Castle Celtic were the first round opposition and Landy's intervention brought the tie to extra time where strike partner Dave Walsh delivered the final coup in a 2 - 1 win.



Doneraile got a bye in the second round and took on Dunbar Celtic in the third. Defeat was again staring them in the face until Landy headed his last minute equaliser and they went on to win 4 - 1 in extra time.



The North Cork side came up against a strong Afton Villa outfit in the quarter final and turned on the style to advance, Landy and Walsh again on target. They were drawn away to Lakewood Athletic in the semi-final. Landy didn't get on target this time but he was brought down for the spotter from which Dave Ryall made it 1 - 0 to book a place at The Cross.



Ardmanning Celtic were the first round opposition for Alberts and both Cummins and Stuart French scored as they advanced to a second round date with Shandon Celtic. Cummins netted all four as Celtic were outgunned 4 - 2.



Whitethorn were expected to give Alberts a hard time of it but Cummins was in hat trick form and French added another in a 4 - 1 win at Killowen. Ballincollig were next to test the Alberts men but they went down 3 - 1 to goals by Cummins (2) and Alan Daly.



Macroom did better than most against Alberts and managed to score twice but that was not enough. Cummins was again in hat trick form and Alan Daly also goaled in a 4 - 2 semi-final decision.



Dan Deady is the referee for next Sunday's final and his assistants are John Jones and Sean Hegarty.

ALBERT ROVERS 1993

ALBERT ROVERS 1993

Some of Cork's most illustrious footballers have sported the famous red and

black of Albert Rovers and made the club a force in Munster football over the

years. Founded in 1946, the club is based in the Albert Road and Marina area.

Indeed, the "Jewtown" corner, opposite the Marina Filling Station, has been

the players' match day pick up point from year one right down to the present.



From the start, Alberts fielded junior and senior sides. Rovers is quite a an

appropriate name as the club has been "at home" in many different venues:

Southern Park (Blackrock), Ballinure, Knockraha, Bottle Hill, Water Rock

(Midleton), Farmer's Cross, and in Lakewood (Ovens).



They almost set up a home of their own in the early eighties. The target then

was to fully develop a pitch on the Carrigrohane Road but this was eventually

abandoned due to the prohibitive costs. Nowadays, Alberts play their football

on AUL Number One, off the Skehard Road, Blackrock.



The name of Albert Rovers has been engraved on major national and provincial

trophies. In 1950, a powerful side defeated League of Ireland teams Cork

United and Waterford on their way to winning the Munster Senior Cup. In 1954

and 1959, they won the FAI Intermediate Cup and captured the Munster Senior

League title in 1959 and 1960.



The club then hit a comparatively lean period but fielded a formidable junior

side which reached the quarter-final of the FAI Junior Cup in 1968. Back in

senior football again, the club won the Elvery Cup in 1974, followed by a

terrific 8 - 0 triumph over Crosshaven in the 1976 Pop Keller Cup final.



A season in the League of Ireland followed for Alberts in 1977. In the

following season, they were back in the MSl and also continued to field a

strong side in Division Two of the AUL Junior leagues.



During 1978 and 79, there was a League of Ireland team called Cork Alberts

who, though it had connections with Rovers, was a separate entity and played

home fixtures at Turner's Cross. Throughout the 1980s, very strong schoolboy

and minor squads represented the club. Pat Horgan (later to manage victorious

UCC Collingwood Cup teams) managed the junior side that, in 1984/85, won

promotion from AUL 2 to AUL 1.



The club went out of senior football after 1990 but many of the players stayed

to play leading roles in the strong junior sides, one in first division, the

other in second. These AUL teams are now the only two being fielded by the

club who are no longer represented in underage football.



Albert Rovers finished two points off the top of League 1 in 1991/92 and were

beaten finalists in the City Challenge Cup. The second string, Albert Utd,

managed by Michael Dalton, finished second in League 3A in the same season and

a few points off the top of League 2A in the next.



In 1992/93, the first team, managed then by Seamus Cotter, were Cork area

qualifiers for the Munster Junior Cup and were most unlucky losers to eventual

finalists Mungret Regional who won with a late goal.



Success was just around the corner when, last May, Albert fashioned a

thrilling 2 - 1 victory over Grangevale in the City Challenge Cup final at

Turner's Cross. This fine victory was a fitting reward for Cotter's hard work

over the season. The event was celebrated in style, a generous helping hand

given by sponsors John Treacy (Venue Bar) and Willie O'Leary (Marina Bar).



The winning team was; Ger Condon, Brendan Allen, Tadgh Leonard (captain),

Willie O'Brien, John Lowry, Noel Hayes, Steve Walsh, Richard Lowry, Peter

Creedon, Martin Davies, and Barry Twomey. Sub used: Philip Graham. Others

who contributed to the run were: Patsy O'Herlihy, Mark Murray, Mark Healy,

John O'Connor, Gary Connolly, Aidan Foley, Colin McTaggart, John Allen, Martin

Cooney, and Pat Harrington.



This is an experienced bunch of players and should serve Alberts well in the

seasons to come. There is still a burning ambition to have a place of their

won, to win more competitions, to move on to higher levels.



The club officers are Seamus Cotter, Finbarr Desmond, and John Lowry. Amongst

those active at committee level are: John O'Mahony, Jim O'Sullivan, Michael

O'Connor, and Tim Leonard. The managers are Joe Whelton and Trevor Duggan and

their assistants are Seamus Cotter and Finbarr Desmond.



Supporters, sponsors, and others willing to work are always welcome to the

club which is now providing a platform for the youth of the area. It has a

great tradition. It has enjoyed the good years and survived the bad, and

stands proud among Cork football clubs as it looks forward to the fiftieth

birthday celebrations in a few years time.



With that 50th anniversary in mind, the club is researching its history and

would dearly like to hear from ex players and members. Chairman Seamus Cotter

can be contacted at 364463 and secretary Finbarr Desmond at 13 Maryville

Estate, Ballintemple.