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The Early Days
The Early Days
The genesis of structured soccer in the Town in the mid-1950’s centred on a team who played in Broomfield’s field, just off the Dublin Road, in what is now Fielbrook housing estate. Managed by Mick (Horsey) Quinn (R.I.P.) with players including Joe Bland, Donie Aldritt, a very young Mick O’Reilly (R.I.P.) and Wally Shaughnessy (R.I.P.) amongst others, before the loss of the playing pitch temporarily saw the Club fold.
With the loss of an official pitch, soccer continued to be played in different areas of the Town, Kelly’s field on the Borris Road where St. Paul’s National School now stands, the New Road where the Ging and Egan families were in the forefront, and in Brophy’s field just off Market Square. There, Tom and Katie Brophy provided an outlet for youngsters that was decades before its time, not only in the provision of a small 90ft sq. pitch, but also by sharing their home as a kind of ‘Youth Club’ before such facilities were in existence.
With the arrival of two Limerick-born ESB employees, Eddie Barry and Liam Flannery, and the acquisition of the old club (green) jerseys from Mick Quinn, a new team formed with all games played away. Most of these matches were friendlies, played in places like Clonmel, Thurles, Tullamore, Durrow and Carlow. The first competitive outings, around 1962, involved Portlaoise participating in the Athy Summer League where the side finished Runners-up.
A useful team was beginning to form by then, with Jimmy Martley (R.I.P.) a Junior International with Clonmel providing the class and leadership to what was essentially a young and inexperienced side. It was during this period that the Club won its first award, the Hamilton Cup in a tournament in Durrow, with Martley, Noel Hopper (R.I.P) and Mick O’Reilly starring in the Final.
When Barry and Flannery left the Town, the organisation and running of the team was taken up by a couple of the ‘Brophy Boys’ who ambitiously added minor and u/21 teams into the Tullamore Summer Leagues of 1965 and ’66. A six-a-side Town League in St. Fintan’s field on the Dublin Road at Easter 1966 was an outstanding success and shortly afterwards, the arrival of Scotsman John Darcy to the Town heralded a major step in the development of the Club. Through his influence, and with the co-operation of Dr. J. Hill (R.I.P.) and the St. Fintan’s Hospital authorities, a playing pitch was acquired in the hospital grounds in July 1966.