League of Ireland XI

Football representative team of the League of Ireland

League of Ireland XIAssociation| Football Association of Ireland

|

Head coach| Damien Richardson 2010-
Home stadium| Dalymount Park 1924–1987
Aviva Stadium 2010–

First colours

Second colours

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First international
League of Ireland XI 3–3 Welsh League XI
(Dalymount Park, Ireland; 19 February 1924)
Biggest defeat
Scottish League XI 11–0 League of Ireland XI
(Celtic Park, Glasgow, Scotland; 28 November 1962)

The League of Ireland XI, more recently referred to as the Airtricity League XI for sponsorship reasons, is the representative team of the League of Ireland, the national association football league of Ireland. For much of its history, the League of Ireland XI has effectively acted as a reserve or B team to the senior Republic of Ireland national team, providing international representative honours to home-based players. In fact it has played considerably more games than the actual Republic of Ireland B national football team. In addition to playing regular games against similar representative teams, such as the Irish League XI, the Scottish Football League XI and the Football League XI, the League of Ireland XI has also played in prestige friendlies against the full national teams of both Argentina and Brazil. The League of Ireland XI also represented Ireland in the qualifying stages of the 1988 Olympic Football Tournament. More recently a League of Ireland U-23 XI has represented the Republic of Ireland in the International Challenge Trophy. Meanwhile, a senior team with no age or nationality restriction regularly plays visiting club sides. More recently the team competed in the 2011 Dublin Super Cup.

## History

[edit]

### 1920s and 1930s

[edit]

During the 1920s and 1930s, the four national associations that made up the International Football Association Board (IFAB)– The Football Association, the Scottish Football Association, the Football Association of Wales and Northern Ireland's Irish Football Association – refused to recognise the rights of the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) when it came arranging full internationals. Consequently, the FAI could not arrange full internationals against its nearest neighbours. The IFAB, however, did permit inter-league games to be played. In the absence of full internationals against England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, these inter-league matches between the League of Ireland XI, the Irish League XI, the Welsh Football League XI and the Scottish Football League XI were highly regarded by both the FAI and Irish football fans alike. Attendances of up to 30,000 at these matches at Dalymount Park led them to have been treated almost as full internationals.

The League of Ireland XI made their official debut with a 3–3 draw against a Welsh Football League XI on 9 February 1924. Ernie MacKay scored the representative team's first ever goal while Dave Roberts added the other two. The League of Ireland XI played the Irish League XI for the first time on 13 March 1926. Charlie Dowdall scored twice in a 3–1 win for the home team. On St. Patrick's Day, 1937, a League of Ireland XI also played and defeated visiting Yugoslav side SK Jugoslavija 3–2.[1] The League of Ireland XI played the Scottish League XI for the first time on St. Patrick's Day, 1939. The Scottish team was billed as a team of all-stars and had a combined valuation estimated to be £60,000. In front of a crowd of 35,000 at Dalymount Park, the League of Ireland XI defeated the Scottish League XI with Johnny Johnstone and Paddy Bradshaw scoring the goals in the 2–1 win [2][3][4]

### National Team

[edit]

The League of Ireland XI has always enjoyed a close relationship with the senior Republic of Ireland national team. When Ireland competed at both the 1924 and 1948 Olympic Football Tournaments, they were represented by League of Ireland XIs made up of amateur players. On at least three further occasions before the Second World War, the FAI selected a full international team entirely made up of players playing in Ireland. On 21 March 1926, for the game against Italy,[5] the Ireland team even featured Drumcondra’s Joe Grace from the Leinster Senior League. It was a League of Ireland XI that played Belgium on 12 February 1928[6] and then the Netherlands on 8 December 1935.[7] Before the Second World War, League of Ireland players made up the nucleus of just about every FAI Ireland full international team.

### Post-Second World War

[edit]

For most of the Second World War era, the League of Ireland XI's only opponents were the Irish League XI. However once the conflict ended, the fixture against the Scottish League XI was revived. They also began to play the Football League XI on a regular basis. With the majority of the leading Irish players now playing in the Football League, however, the League of Ireland XI now found itself at a disadvantage. As a result, the majority of the games they played against the Scottish League XI and the Football League XI usually ended in heavy defeat. However, there was the occasional success story. On 2 October 1963 at Dalymount Park, the League of Ireland XI defeated the Football League XI 2–1, thanks to goals from Eddie Bailham and Ronnie Whelan. This Football League XI included four players – Ray Wilson, Bobby Moore, Roger Hunt and Martin Peters – who subsequently went on to help England win the 1966 FIFA World Cup.[8] At the time Whelan was working for Unidaire, a Finglas-based electrical firm, and he subsequently received a warning from his boss at the company for taking time off to play in this game.[9]

### Prestige Friendlies

[edit]

From the late 1970s onwards, the League of Ireland XI also began to play friendlies against national teams. These included two prestige games against the full Argentina national team. On 19 April 1978, at the Estadio Alberto J. Armando, Argentina played the League of Ireland XI in a warm up game as part of their preparations for hosting the 1978 FIFA World Cup. A team that included the former England international Bobby Tambling and several Republic of Ireland internationals such as Johnny Giles, Ray Treacy, Eamonn Gregg, Noel Synnott, Cathal Muckian, Jerome Clark and Synan Braddish lost 3–1 to a very strong Argentina. The starting eleven for Argentina included ten players who later played in the 1978 FIFA World Cup Final in which Argentina beat the Netherlands 3–1. In addition a young Diego Maradona also came on as a substitute. Leopoldo Luque, Oscar Ortiz and Ricardo Villa scored for Argentina before Synan Braddish grabbed a consolation goal for the league select.[10][11] On 29 May 1979, Argentina, then the reigning World Cup holders, visited Lansdowne Road and were held to a 0–0 draw by a Republic of Ireland XI in a UNICEF fundraiser; this team is sometimes incorrectly listed as a League of Ireland XI.[12] 30 April 1980 saw the League of Ireland XI play Argentina for a second time, this time at the Estadio Monumental. On this occasion, a team that included Liam Buckley, Terry Eviston, Johnny Walsh and Tommy McConville lost 1–0 to a goal scored by Diego Maradona. A month later, Argentina beat the senior Republic of Ireland 1–0 at Lansdowne Road.[8] [13]

In another notable game from this era, the League of Ireland XI also became the first representative team to play the Basque Country following the ending of the Francoist regime. This game was played on 16 August 1979 at the San Mamés Stadium. The Basque team was made up of Real Sociedad and Athletic Bilbao players and all eleven subsequently became full Spain internationals. In contrast the league select was under strength and was referred to in newspaper reports as a League of Ireland B team. The Basque Country team easily defeated this League of Ireland XI 4–1.[14][15] In 1981, the League of Ireland XI returned to South America and this time played Brazil. A team managed by Jim McLaughlin lost 6–0 with the legendary Zico scoring four of Brazil's goals.[16]

### Olympic qualifiers

[edit]

Main article: Football at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's European Qualifiers

League of Ireland XIs made up of amateur players represented Ireland in qualifiers for the 1960, 1972, 1976 and 1980 Olympic Football Tournaments. For the 1988 Olympic Football Tournament qualifiers, a senior League of Ireland XI featuring professionals represented Ireland. They were drawn in a "group of death" that also included Hungary, Sweden, Spain and France – France had won the gold medal at the 1984 Olympic Football Tournament. This League of Ireland XI was again managed by Jim McLaughlin.

The team kicked off their Olympic campaign with a 2–1 defeat against Hungary at Glenmalure Park on November 11, 1986. Their next opponents were Spain at Tolka Park on February 4, 1987. Goals from Noel Larkin and Mick Byrne saw the League of Ireland XI draw 2–2. Their first away games came against Sweden and France. The League of Ireland XI lost 1–0 to Sweden after they conceded a very late goal but managed to hold France to a 1–1 draw. On August 26, 1987, a crowd of less than 1,000 saw the League of Ireland XI lose 1–0 at Dalymount Park to a Sweden team that included Tomas Brolin. Next came the home match against France on 18 November 1987 at Dalymount Park. A crowd of just 4,000 would witness one of the League of Ireland XI's best results. Two goals from Mick Bennett and one from Peter Eccles saw them gain a 3–0 win. Ireland finished the qualifying group with two away games. Dave Barry scored in Hungary but the League of Ireland XI lost 3–1 while goals from Barry Kehoe and Bennett earned them a 2–2 with Spain in Alicante. The League of Ireland XI finished fourth in the group. Sweden qualified for the finals where they were knocked out in the quarter-finals.[17]

Group C Final Table

Rank  | Team  | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts

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1 |  Sweden | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 6 | +7 | 13
2 |  Hungary | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 8 | +5 | 11
3 |  Spain | 8 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 12 | −3 | 6
4 |  League of Ireland XI | 8 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 10 | 12 | −2 | 5
5 |  France | 8 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 16 | −7 | 5

[18]

### 1988 Marlboro Cup

[edit]

In August 1988, the League of Ireland XI competed in the Marlboro Cup, a four team tournament, held at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. They lost their first game 3–0 against Club Universidad de Guadalajara on 5 August, with Mick Neville conceding an own goal. They then lost 1–0 to El Salvador in a third place playoff two days later. The tournament was won by Guatemala, who beat Club Universidad 3–2 in the final.[19]

Date  | Team #1  | Result  | Team #2  | Round

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August 5, 1988 |  Club Universidad de Guadalajara | 3-0 |  League of Ireland XI | Semi-finals
El Salvador | 1–2 |  Guatemala
August 7, 1988 |  El Salvador | 1–0 |  League of Ireland XI | Third Place Match
Guatemala | 3–2 |  Club Universidad de Guadalajara | Final

### Aviva Stadium

[edit]

#### Manchester United

[edit]

On 4 August 2010, the League of Ireland XI hosted the first soccer match to be played at the Aviva Stadium. A team managed by Damien Richardson lost 7–1 to Manchester United. The league select were 6–0 down after 70 minutes, with goals from Park Ji-sung (2), Michael Owen, Javier Hernández, Antonio Valencia and Jonny Evans. Park opened the scoring in the 13th minute in bizarre fashion; as he went to block a defender's clearance, the ball ricocheted off him and into the net. Owen doubled United's lead in the 25th minute with a chipped shot over the goalkeeper, before half-time substitute Hernández made it 3–0 two minutes after the break. Three goals in the space of nine minutes from Valencia (60th minute), a second from Park (63rd) and Jonny Evans (69th) increased the lead to 6–0, before Dave Mulcahy scored a consolation goal for the League of Ireland XI in the 78th minute. Nevertheless, there was still time for Nani to get a seventh goal, converting a penalty after Hernández had been fouled in the penalty area.[20][21][22][23]

#### Dublin Super Cup

[edit]

Damien Richardson was again in charge of the League of Ireland XI when the Aviva Stadium hosted the 2011 Dublin Super Cup, a tournament which saw the representative team take on both Manchester City and Celtic. Shamrock Rovers players, however, were not available because of a clash with the 2011–12 UEFA Champions League qualifying phase and play-off rounds. As a result, Richardson had to field an understrength team. They lost their opening game to Manchester City 3–0,[24] then lost 5–0 to Celtic.[25] The League of Ireland XI were the only team in the tournament that didn't win a match or score any goals.[26]

## League of Ireland XI matches

[edit]

This section may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. The specific problem is: date format. Please help improve this section if you can. (December 2012) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

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[4][27][28]

Date  | Opponents  | Result  | Score  | Competition  | Venue  | Attendance

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09/02/1924 | Welsh Football League XI | D | 3–3 | friendly | Dalymount Park |
23/02/1924 | Celtic | L | 0–3 | friendly | Dalymount Park | 22,000
[29][30][31][32]
14/03/1925 | Welsh Football League XI | L | 1–2 | friendly | Dalymount Park | 17,000
07/11/1925 | Welsh Football League XI | D | 2–2 | friendly | Swansea |
13/03/1926 | Irish League XI | W | 3–1 | friendly | Dalymount Park | 18,000
05/03/1927 | Irish League XI | D | 1–1 | friendly | Windsor Park | 15,000
02/04/1927 | Welsh Football League XI | L | 1–2 | friendly | Dalymount Park | 7,000
10/03/1928 | Irish League XI | W | 3–1 | friendly | Shelbourne Park | 12,000
06/10/1928 | Welsh Football League XI | W | 4–3 | friendly | Dalymount Park |
09/03/1929 | Irish League XI | L | 1–2 | friendly | The Oval | 15,000
01/03/1930 | Irish League XI | L | 1–6 | friendly | Dalymount Park | 12,000
03/05/1930 | Welsh Football League XI | L | 1–6 | friendly | Swansea |
16/10/1932 | Welsh Football League XI | W | 2–0 | friendly | Dalymount Park |
18/03/1935 | Welsh Football League XI | W | 2–1 | friendly[33] |  |
17/03/1937 | Yugoslav League XI | W | 3–2 | friendly | Dalymount Park |
17/03/1938 | Irish League XI | L | 1–3 | friendly | Dalymount Park | 30,000
11/03/1939 | Irish League XI | W | 2–1 | friendly | Windsor Park | 11,000
17/03/1939 | Scottish Football League XI | W | 2–1 | friendly[2] | Dalymount Park | 35,000
18/03/1940 | Irish League XI | W | 2–0 | friendly | Dalymount Park | 26,000
17/03/1941 | Irish League XI | L | 3–8 | friendly | Dalymount Park | 6,000
14/04/1941 | Irish League XI | L | 1–2 | friendly | Windsor Park | 25,000
17/03/1942 | Irish League XI | D | 2–2 | friendly | Dalymount Park | 31,000
06/04/1942 | Irish League XI | L | 2–5 | friendly | Windsor Park | 30,000
17/03/1943 | Irish League XI | L | 0–1 | friendly | Dalymount Park | 28,000
26/04/1943 | Irish League XI | D | 2–2 | friendly | Windsor Park | 21,000
17/03/1944 | Irish League XI | L | 3–4 | friendly | Dalymount Park | 28,000
10/04/1944 | Irish League XI | D | 2–2 | friendly | Windsor Park | 35,000
17/03/1945 | Irish League XI | W | 2–1 | friendly | Dalymount Park | 36,000
02/04/1945 | Irish League XI | W | 5–3 | friendly | Windsor Park | 32,000
18/03/1946 | Irish League XI | L | 1–2 | friendly | Dalymount Park | 37,000
22/04/1946 | Irish League XI | L | 0–3 | friendly | Windsor Park | 32,000
17/03/1947 | Irish League XI | D | 2–2 | friendly | Dalymount Park | 20,000
07/04/1947 | Irish League XI | W | 1–0 | friendly | Windsor Park | 30,000
30/04/1947 | Football League XI | L | 1-3 | friendly | Dalymount Park |
17/03/1948 | Irish League XI | W | 2–1 | friendly | Dalymount Park | 25,000
29/03/1948 | Irish League XI | L | 0–4 | friendly | Windsor Park |
14/04/1948 | Football League XI | L | 0-4 | friendly[34] | Deepdale |
24/04/1948 | Scottish Football League XI | L | 0–2 | friendly | Dalymount Park | 25,000
29/09/1948 | Scottish Football League XI | L | 1–5 | friendly | Ibrox Stadium | 57,600
17/03/1949 | Irish League XI | D | 0–0 | friendly | Dalymount Park | 20,000
18/04/1949 | Irish League XI | L | 1–4 | friendly | Windsor Park | 25,000
04/05/1949 | Football League XI | L | 0–5 | friendly | Dalymount Park |
19/10/1949 | Scottish Football League XI | L | 0–1 | friendly | Dalymount Park | 17,000
15/02/1950 | Football League XI | L | 0–7 | friendly | Molineux Stadium |
17/03/1950 | Irish League XI | W | 3–1 | friendly | Dalymount Park | 18,000
10/04/1950 | Irish League XI | D | 2–2 | friendly | Windsor Park | 10,000
17/01/1951 | Scottish Football League XI | L | 0–7 | friendly | Celtic Park | 10,000
04/04/1951 | Football League XI | L | 0–1 | friendly | Dalymount Park |
10/10/1951 | Football League XI | L | 1–9 | friendly[35] | Goodison Park |
17/03/1952 | Scottish Football League XI | L | 0–2 | friendly | Dalymount Park | 33,000
02/05/1952 | United States men's soccer team | W | 4–0 | friendly | Dalymount Park | 8,000
08/10/1952 | Scottish Football League XI | L | 1–5 | friendly[36] | Celtic Park | 10,000
17/03/1953 | Football League XI | L | 0–2 | friendly | Dalymount Park |
22/04/1953 | Irish League XI | L | 0–3 | friendly | Dalymount Park | 16,000
23/09/1953 | Welsh Football League XI | W | 3–1 | friendly | Dalymount Park |
10/02/1954 | Football League XI | L | 1–9 | friendly | Maine Road |
17/03/1954 | Scottish Football League XI | L | 1–3 | friendly | Dalymount Park | 35,000
19/04/1954 | Irish League XI | D | 0–0 | friendly | Windsor Park |
02/05/1954 | Hessenliga | W | 1–0 | friendly | Dalymount Park |
22/09/1954 | Football League XI | L | 0–6 | friendly | Dalymount Park |
18/11/1954 | Scottish Football League XI | L | 0–5 | friendly[37] | Shawfield Stadium | 18,000
17/03/1955 | Irish League XI | W | 2–1 | friendly | Dalymount Park | 30,000
14/05/1955 | Hessenliga | L | 2–7 | friendly | Frankfurt |
19/05/1955 | Hessenliga | L | 0–5 | friendly | Kassel |
21/09/1955 | Scottish Football League XI | L | 2–4 | friendly | Dalymount Park |
07/12/1955 | Football League XI | L | 1–5 | friendly[38] | Goodison Park |
12/02/1956 | Hessenliga | W | 4–1 | friendly | Dalymount Park |
17/03/1956 | Irish League XI | W | 1–0 | friendly | Dalymount Park | 23,000
02/04/1956 | Irish League XI | L | 0–6 | friendly | Windsor Park | 20,000
19/09/1956 | Football League XI | D | 3–3 | friendly | Dalymount Park |
26/09/1956 | Scottish Football League XI | L | 1–3 | friendly | Shawfield Stadium | 23,000
18/03/1957 | Irish League XI | D | 2–2 | friendly | Dalymount Park | 28,000
22/04/1957 | Irish League XI | W | 2–1 | friendly | Windsor Park | 15,000
18/09/1957 | Scottish Football League XI | L | 1–5 | friendly | Dalymount Park | 23,000
19/10/1957 | Football League XI | L | 1–3 | friendly | Elland Road |
17/03/1958 | Irish League XI | D | 2–2 | friendly | Dalymount Park | 32,000
07/04/1958 | Irish League XI | L | 1–3 | friendly | Solitude Ground | 29,000
24/09/1958 | Scottish Football League XI | L | 0–1 | friendly | Ibrox Stadium | 9,000
29/10/1958 | Irish League XI | W | 3–2 | friendly | Windsor Park | 5,000
17/03/1959 | Football League XI | D | 0–0 | friendly | Dalymount Park |
02/09/1959 | Scottish Football League XI | L | 1–4 | friendly[39] | Dalymount Park | 26,000
04/11/1959 | Football League XI | L | 0–2 | friendly | Ewood Park |
17/03/1960 | Hessenliga | W | 5–2 | friendly | Dalymount Park |
12/04/1960 | Irish League XI | W | 2–1 | friendly | Tolka Park | 8,000
14/09/1960 | Football League XI | L | 0–1 | friendly | Dalymount Park |
05/10/1960 | Scottish Football League XI | L | 1–5 | friendly | Celtic Park | 23,000
17/03/1961 | Irish League XI | L | 2–3 | friendly | Dalymount Park | 12,000
03/04/1961 | Irish League XI | D | 1–1 | friendly | Solitude Ground | 22,000
06/09/1961 | Scottish Football League XI | D | 1–1 | friendly | Dalymount Park | 6,000
11/10/1961 | Football League XI | L | 2–5 | friendly | Eastville Stadium |
17/03/1962 | Italian League B | L | 0–3 | friendly | Dalymount Park |
04/04/1962 | Irish League XI | L | 1–3 | friendly | Windsor Park | 4,000
06/05/1962 | Italian League B | L | 0–6 | friendly | Rimini |
28/11/1962 | Scottish Football League XI | L | 0–11 | friendly[9] | Celtic Park | 8,000
18/03/1963 | Irish League XI | L | 1–3 | friendly | Dalymount Park | 15,000
02/10/1963 | Football League XI | W | 2–1 | friendly[9] | Dalymount Park | 30,000
17/03/1964 | Irish League XI | W | 4–2 | friendly | Dalymount Park | 8,000
15/04/1964 | Irish League XI | D | 2–2 | friendly | Windsor Park | 7,000
25/05/1964 | International XI |  |  | friendly[40] | Flower Lodge | 20,000
23/09/1964 | Scottish Football League XI | D | 2–2 | friendly | Dalymount Park | 25,000
14/05/1965 | Irish League XI | L | 1–0 | friendly | Flower Lodge | 3,500
27/10/1965 | Football League XI | L | 0–5 | friendly | Boothferry Park | 28,283
07/09/1966 | Scottish Football League XI | L | 0–6 | friendly | Celtic Park | 12,000
22/03/1967 | Irish League XI | L | 1–3 | friendly | Windsor Park | 6,000
25/10/1967 | Irish League XI | W | 3–2 | friendly | Dalymount Park | 10,000
08/11/1967 | Football League XI | L | 2–7 | friendly | Dalymount Park | 27,000
04/09/1968 | Scottish Football League XI | D | 0–0 | friendly | Dalymount Park | 25,000
09/04/1969 | Irish League XI | W | 2–1 | friendly | Windsor Park | 5,000
10/09/1969 | Football League XI | L | 0–3 | friendly | Oakwell |
17/03/1970 | Irish League XI | L | 0–2 | friendly | Dalymount Park | 10,000
02/09/1970 | Scottish Football League XI | L | 0–1 | friendly | Celtic Park | 7,654
27/11/1970 | Australian League XI | W | 1–0 | friendly | Dalymount Park |
22/09/1971 | Football League XI | L | 1–2 | friendly | Lansdowne Road |
03/02/1972 | Italian League B | D | 1–1 | friendly | Dalymount Park |
22/03/1973 | Italian League B | L | 0–2 | friendly | Catanzaro |
18/03/1974 | Irish League XI | W | 3–2 | friendly | Dalymount Park | 2,000
01/12/1974 | Torpedo Moscow | D | 0–0 | friendly | Dalymount Park |
19/08/1976 | Torino F.C. | D | 0–0 | friendly | Dalymount Park | 2,000
19/01/1977 | Italian League B | L | 0–2 | friendly | Udine | 22,000
16/03/1977 | Italian League B | W | 2–0 | friendly | Oriel Park |
21/09/1977 |  Republic of Ireland | L | 1–2 | friendly | Dalymount Park |
19/04/1978 |  Argentina | L | 1–3 | friendly | Estadio Alberto J. Armando |
02/08/1978 | Liverpool | L | 1–3 | friendly[41] | Lansdowne Road | 25,000
14/04/1979 | Italian League B | L | 0–1 | friendly | Mantua |
23/06/1979 | Malaysia League XI | L | 0–1 | friendly | Kuala Lumpur | 25,000
25/06/1979 |  Singapore | W | 4–1 | friendly |
16/08/1979 |  Basque Country | L | 1–4 | friendly[42] | San Mamés Stadium | 40,000
12/10/1979 |  New Zealand | W | 2–1 | friendly | Tolka Park |
17/03/1980 | Scottish Football League XI | W | 2–1 | friendly | Dalymount Park | 5,000
30/04/1980 |  Argentina | L | 0–1 | friendly | Estadio Monumental |
15/04/1981 | Irish League XI | W | 1–0 | friendly | Tolka Park | 2,000
23/09/1981 |  Brazil | L | 0–6 | friendly[16][43] | Estádio Rei Pelé | 54,000
08/05/1982 |  New Zealand | L | 0–1 | friendly | Rotorua |
09/05/1982 |  New Zealand | L | 0–1 | friendly | Rotorua |
12/05/1982 |  New Zealand | D | 0–0 | friendly | Gisborne, New Zealand | 12,000
16/05/1982 |  New Zealand | W | 2–1 | friendly | Dunedin |
19/05/1982 |  New Zealand | L | 0–1 | friendly | Invercargill |
27/04/1983 | Italian League B | L | 0–2 | friendly | Stadio Olimpico |
20/08/1983 | Newcastle United | L | 0–3 | friendly | St James' Park |
14/02/1984 | Italian League B | D | 0–0 | friendly | Padua |
30/10/1984 | Irish League XI | L | 0–4 | friendly | Windsor Park | 873
17/03/1986 | Irish League XI | W | 2–1 | friendly | Tolka Park | 1,500
28/04/1986 |  Iraq | L | 0–1 | friendly | Al-Shaab Stadium | 25,000
28/08/1986 |  Saudi Arabia | D | 1–1 | friendly | National Stadium, Singapore |
31/08/1986 |  Saudi Arabia | L | 0–3 | friendly | National Stadium, Singapore |
19/11/1986 |  Hungary | L | 1–2 | Olympic qualifier[18] | Glenmalure Park |
04/02/1987 |  Spain | D | 2–2 | Olympic qualifier[18] | Tolka Park |
17/03/1987 | Irish League XI | L | 1–2 | friendly | The Showgrounds | 700
05/05/1987 |  Sweden | L | 0–1 | Olympic qualifier[18] | Solna |
11/08/1987 |  France | D | 1–1 | Olympic qualifier[18] | Dunkirk |
26/08/1987 |  Sweden | L | 0–1 | Olympic qualifier[18] | Dalymount Park |
18/11/1987 |  France | W | 3–0 | Olympic qualifier[18] | Dalymount Park |
04/05/1988 |  Hungary | L | 1–3 | Olympic qualifier[18] | Budapest |
18/05/1988 |  Spain | D | 2–2 | Olympic qualifier[18] | Alicante |
05/08/1988 | Club Universidad de Guadalajara | L | 0–3 | Marlboro Cup | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum |
07/08/1988 |  El Salvador | D | 0–1 | Marlboro Cup | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum |
17/05/1989 | Irish League XI | W | 3–0 | friendly | Oriel Park | 500
18/06/1989 |  Ecuador | D | 1–1 | friendly | Trinidad |
20/06/1989 |  Trinidad and Tobago | L | 0–1 | friendly | Trinidad |
07/05/1990 | Irish League XI | W | 1–0 | friendly | The Oval | 500
19/11/1991 | Irish League XI | L | 0–2 | friendly | Tolka Park | 2,000
17/07/1992 | Celtic F.C. | L | 0–5 | friendly | Tolka Park |
18/07/1992 | Manchester City | L | 0–3 | friendly | Tolka Park |
23/07/1993 | Leeds United | D | 2–2 | friendly | Tolka Park |
06/08/1993 | Blackburn Rovers | L | 0–1 | friendly | Tolka Park |
17/08/1993 | Czechoslovakia XI | L | 1–4 | friendly | Tolka Park |
19/08/1993 | Liverpool | L | 1–2 | friendly | Lansdowne Road |
07/10/1994 | Welsh Football League XI | W | 2–0 | friendly | Porthmadog |
08/11/1994 | IFK Göteborg | W | 1–0 | friendly | Tolka Park |
07/03/1995 | Irish League XI | D | 1–1 | friendly | Richmond Park | 600
02/04/1996 | Welsh Football League XI | L | 0–1 | friendly | St Colman's Park |
05/06/1996 |  Croatia | D | 2–2 | friendly | Hunky Dorys Park |
11/06/1996 |  South Korea U23 | D | 1–1 | friendly | AUL Complex |
28/07/1996 | Manchester United | L | 1–4 | friendly | Tolka Park | 7,720
25/02/1997 | England C | W | 2–0 | friendly | Richmond Park |
04/03/1997 | Welsh Football League XI | W | 1–0 | friendly | Leckwith |
17/03/1997 | Republic of Ireland B | D | 1–1 | friendly | Tolka Park |
02/09/1997 |  Republic of Ireland | L | 0–3 | friendly | Tolka Park |
09/02/1999 | Republic of Ireland B | L | 3–4 | friendly | Carlisle Grounds |
01/11/2000 | Irish League XI | L | 0–2 | friendly[9] | Terryland Park | 350
04/08/2010 | Manchester United | L | 1–7 | friendly | Aviva Stadium | 49,800[21][44]
30/07/2011 | Manchester City | L | 0–3 | Dublin Super Cup[45][24] | Aviva Stadium |
31/07/2011 | Celtic | L | 0–5 | Dublin Super Cup[46][25] | Aviva Stadium |

## Recent squad

[edit]

The following players were called up for the 2011 Dublin Super Cup[47][48]

No. | Pos. | Player  | Date of birth (age)  | Caps  | Goals  | Club

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|

1  | 1GK |  Gerard Doherty |  (1981-08-24)24 August 1981 (aged 29)  |  |  |  Derry City
16  | 1GK |  Barry Murphy |  (1985-06-08)8 June 1985 (aged 26)  |  |  |  Bohemians
2  | 2DF |  Owen Heary |  (1976-10-04)4 October 1976 (aged 34)  |  |  |  Bohemians
4  | 2DF |  Aidan Price |  (1981-12-08)8 December 1981 (aged 29)  |  |  |  Bohemians
5  | 2DF |  Ryan McBride  |  (1989-12-15)15 December 1989 (aged 21)  |  |  |  Derry City
6  | 2DF |  Ger O'Brien |  (1984-07-02)2 July 1984 (aged 27)  |  |  |  Bohemians
14  | 2DF |  Daniel Lafferty |  (1989-04-01)1 April 1989 (aged 22)  |  |  |  Derry City
18  | 2DF |  Shane McEleney  |  (1991-01-31)31 January 1991 (aged 20)  |  |  |  Derry City
| 2DF |  Stewart Greacen |  (1982-03-31)31 March 1982 (aged 29)  |  |  |  Derry City
| 2DF |  Simon Madden |  (1988-05-01)1 May 1988 (aged 23)  |  |  |  Derry City
| 2DF |  Danny Murphy |  (1982-12-04)4 December 1982 (aged 28)  |  |  |  Cork City
7  | 3MF |  Daniel Kearns |  (1991-08-26)26 August 1991 (aged 19)  |  |  |  Dundalk
8  | 3MF |  Joe Gamble |  (1982-01-14)14 January 1982 (aged 29)  |  |  |  Limerick
11  | 3MF |  James McClean |  (1989-04-22)22 April 1989 (aged 22)  |  |  |  Derry City
12  | 3MF |  Ruaidhri Higgins |  (1984-10-23)23 October 1984 (aged 26)  |  |  |  Derry City
13  | 3MF |  John Dillon  |  (1991-08-26)26 August 1991 (aged 19)  |  |  |  Sligo Rovers
15  | 3MF |  Barry Molloy  |  (1983-11-29)29 November 1983 (aged 27)  |  |  |  Derry City
17  | 3MF |  Dean Bennett |  (1977-12-13)13 December 1977 (aged 33)  |  |  |  Dundalk
19  | 3MF |  John Russell |  (1985-05-18)18 May 1985 (aged 26)  |  |  |  Sligo Rovers
20  | 3MF |  Stephen McLaughlin |  (1990-06-14)14 June 1990 (aged 21)  |  |  |  Derry City
21  | 3MF |  Gareth McGlynn |  (1982-10-29)29 October 1982 (aged 28)  |  |  |  Derry City
23  | 3MF |  Danny Ventre |  (1986-01-23)23 January 1986 (aged 25)  |  |  |  Sligo Rovers
9  | 4FW |  Éamon Zayed |  (1983-10-04)4 October 1983 (aged 27)  |  |  |  Derry City
10  | 4FW |  Daryl Kavanagh |  (1986-08-11)11 August 1986 (aged 24)  |  |  |  St Patrick's Athletic
22  | 4FW |  Jason Byrne |  (1978-02-23)23 February 1978 (aged 33)  |  |  |  Dundalk

## Non-Irish players

[edit]

Throughout the history of the League of Ireland, the vast majority of the players have come from either the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland. Consequently, the League of Ireland XI has largely been made up of Irish players. However, there has always been a contingent of non-Irish players and, right from the beginning, they have been selected to play for the League of Ireland XI. Dave Roberts from England scored twice in the team's very first game. Another English-born player, Johnny Matthews, scored a penalty against Gordon Banks when the League of Ireland XI played the Football League XI in 1971 at Lansdowne Road. Like Roberts and Matthews, most of the non-Irish players have come from Great Britain but some have come from further afield.

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (May 2012)

|

* Dave Roberts 1924–27
* Charlie Heinemann 1927
* Len Richards 1935
* Pat Broadley 1949–50
* Johnny Matthews 1970–71
* Dave Bacuzzi 1971–72
* Bobby Tambling 1977–78
* Ryan Guy 2010
* Joseph N'Do 2010
* Dean Bennett 2011
* Stewart Greacen 2011
* Danny Ventre 2011

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "SK Jugoslavija's visit to Ireland | Playing Pasts".
2. ^ a b www.fai.ie Archived 2013-07-31 at the Wayback Machine
3. ^ Donal Cullen: Freestaters – The Republic of Ireland Soccer Team 1921–1939
4. ^ a b Scottish Football League results by Opponent: League Of Ireland, London Hearts Supporters Club
5. ^ www.soccerscene.ie
6. ^ www.soccerscene.ie
7. ^ www.soccerscene.ie
8. ^ a b foot.ie/archive
9. ^ a b c d Balls Remembers The Night The League Of Ireland Beat The English Football League, Balls.ie, 29 December 2017
10. ^ www.irishtimes.com
11. ^ "Bobby Tambling: The Other Blue" Archived 2013-03-03 at the Wayback Machine by Shane Murphy, first published in the March 2010 Derry City programme, from the Waterford United website
12. ^ www.irishtimes.com
13. ^ www.rsssf.com Archived 2009-06-03 at the Wayback Machine
14. ^ Basque Country (Euskadi) Autonomous Team Matches
15. ^ www.irishtimes.com
16. ^ a b www.rsssfbrasil.com
17. ^ Donal Cullen: “When the LOI fried the French” You Boys In Green
18. ^ a b c d e f g h i rsssf.org Games of the XXIV. Olympiad Football Qualifying Tournament: Europe, RSSSF
19. ^ rsssf.org Marlboro Soccer Cup Series (USA) 1987-1990 RSSSF
20. ^ Coppack, Nick (4 August 2010). "Ireland XI 1 United 7". ManUtd.com. Manchester United. Retrieved 4 August 2010.
21. ^ a b "Red Devils to face Airtricity League XI". RTÉ Sport. Raidió Teilifís Éireann. 2010-05-12. Archived from the original on 2010-05-15. Retrieved 2010-05-12.
22. ^ "Airtricity League 1–7 Man Utd", BBC Sport, Dublin, 4 August 2010.
23. ^ www.fai.ie
24. ^ a b Manchester City enjoy comfortable win over the League of Ireland XI, Manchester Evening News, 31 July 2011
25. ^ a b Celtic 5 - 0 League of Ireland XI, Sky Sports, 31 July 2011
26. ^ www.airtricityleague.ie Archived 2014-01-06 at the Wayback Machine
27. ^ "Irish League Representative Match Results". irishleaguegreats.blogspot.com. August 2008. Retrieved 7 April 2010.
28. ^ England - Football League - International Results, RSSSF
29. ^ Celtic, 3; Irish Free State, 0, The Glasgow Herald, 25 February 1924
30. ^ Celtic FC take on the Irish Free State in 1924, Chris Holme, The History Company, 14 September 2011
31. ^ A Record Crowd... (video), British Pathe, 1924
32. ^ Celtic vs Irish Free State XI: The Highest Paid Football Experts in the World, Before The 'D'...Association Football around the world, 1863-1937, 6 November 2018
33. ^ www.irishtimes.com
34. ^ Irish Independent March 31, 1948
35. ^ "Easy Win For The Football League". The Times. 11 October 1951. p. 9.
36. ^ Scottish League Forwards' Revel, Glasgow Herald, 9 October 1952 (via Partick Thistle History Archive)
37. ^ Scotland's brilliant play in first half, Glasgow Herald, 19 November 1954 (via Partick Thistle History Archive)
38. ^ "Football League Should Beat Ireland". The Times. 7 December 1955. p. 14.
39. ^ League of Ireland 1, Scottish League 4, Glasgow Herald, 3 September 1959 (via Partick Thistle History Archive)
40. ^ International XI. League of Ireland XI Cork Past and Present
41. ^ League of Ireland XI v Liverpool 1-3 (Friendly: August 2, 1978), Play Up, Liverpool
42. ^ Marcus Maher (18 February 2017). "The symbolic day an Irish XI faced their Basque counterparts". Newstalk. Archived from the original on 23 April 2019. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
43. ^ Brazil vs. League of Ireland XI full match, Footballia.net
44. ^ [1] Archived 2014-01-06 at the Wayback Machine, Extratime.ie, Dublin, 4 August 2010.
45. ^ "Airtricity League XI v Manchester City - Unknown - Extratime.ie - League of Ireland Fixtures". Archived from the original on 2013-02-17. Retrieved 2012-11-29.
46. ^ "Airtricity League XI v Celtic - Unknown - Extratime.ie - League of Ireland Fixtures". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2012-11-29.
47. ^ www.airtricityleague.ie
48. ^ www.rte.ie

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