Throwback Thursday: 40 years on from Cobh Ramblers' incredible FAI Cup run
Action from the Cobh Ramblers and Sligo Rovers FAI Cup semi-final second replay at Flower Lodge
IT'S 40 years ago since the exploits of non-league Cobh Ramblers in reaching the semi-finals of the FAI Cup caught the imagination of football fans the length and breadth of Ireland.
The 70s had begun in exciting fashion on Leeside with Cork Hibernians winning the league and followed up by winning the cup in successive seasons. Their fierce local derby rivals Cork Celtic were not to be denied, winning their only league title in 1974.
From then on it was all downhill in the second half of the '70s as Hibernians and Celtic went out of football due to money problems leaving Celtic’s replacement Albert Rovers to carry the hopes of Corkonians into a new decade.
However, following a raft of name changes, the last of which was Cork United, the 1981/82 season petered out for the Rebel outfit who, like the many who went before them, made their intentions known that they would not be going forward to contest the following season.
The financial losses incurred by bringing Manchester City to Cork for a friendly in December and an exit in the cup to Dundalk brought United’s financial situation to the attention of the League who expelled the club on June 18 And so, the 1982/83 season commenced without Cork representation for the first time since 1924.
The omens were good as a Cork team featured in the final in a year ending in three for the previous four decades.
Munster Senior League outfit Cobh Ramblers were an emerging side in recent years having won the FAI Intermediate Cup in 1980 and contained a mix of youth and experience with striker Frank 'Sniffer' O’Neill having played in Celtic’s championship-winning team. Winger Paddy Shortt had spells with Limerick and Waterford as well as in Celtic’s title-winning team while defender Eddie O’Halloran and lively forward Paul Crowley gained league experience with Cork United. Captain Georgie Mellerick was also on Celtic’s book and captained the MSL representative team.
The Rams safely navigated their way through three preliminary rounds followings wins over UCC, Longford Town and Dunlaoire Celtic to go into the hat with the League of Ireland teams in round four.
Ramblers were drawn to face league champions Dundalk on Sunday, February 6 at St Colman’s Park with few giving the hosts any chance of progressing. A crowd of 4,000 packed into the harbour ground to witness O’Halloran and Fergus McDaid stun the visitors with goals in the first 16 minutes. John Archbold did manage to beat Paul Keating before half-time but Ramblers hung on to win the tie of the round and set up a meeting with their conquerors of two years before at the same stage, Finn Harps in the quarter-final. Frank O’Neill scored the only goal in the 21st minute to seal a place in the last four for the first time.
The semi-final draws paired Ramblers with Sligo Rovers and Bohemians with Drogheda United. Little did anyone think when the teams set out on Sunday, April 3 that it would take seven matches to separate the teams. At Flower Lodge, an O’Halloran 30th-minute penalty put Cobh ahead only for Mick Graham to equalise three minutes from time.
Two goals down after Harry McLoughlin and Graham scored either side of half-time, Ramblers staged a comeback of epic proportions that bordered on the incredible to take the tie to extra-time.
After Graham headed weakly at Keating with the decisive chance to seal the tie, Paul Crowley curled in a glorious free-kick from 20 yards to reduce the deficit in the 70th minute. By then Liam McMahon had played his trump card by bringing on Mick O’Flynn, a 25-year-old naval draughtsman, for Tim Stack. The sub was in the right place to side-foot Liam Naughton’s cross past Colin Oakley with eight minutes left.
After 20 minutes of extra-time failed to produce a winner, Ramblers were given a standing ovation by both sets of supporters. On the same night, Bohs and Drogheda drew 0-0 for the second time in three days and like Cobh and Sligo had to do it all again the following Wednesday, April 13.
While Ramblers and Bit O’Red played out a disappointing goalless draw in their third meeting back at Flower Lodge in a match ruined by tension and fear, Bohs put three past Drogheda at Tolka Park to reach the final for the eighth time. Four days later it was back to the Showgrounds for the second time in a third replay and in a reversal of their first meeting at the venue, Cobh would go two up before Sligo staged a comeback.
Frank O’Neill netted twice inside the opening thirty-nine minutes before Mark Rutherford (2) dragged the hosts back into contention and Gus Gilligan ended seven hours of dramatic cup action with the winner five minutes into the first half of extra-time.
In a season in which there was no senior football in Cork, Cobh Ramblers made sure the season would live long in the memory.
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