AIB BL team cash in on their only top flight title in style 30 years ago

Allied Irish Bank won their only CBL first division title thirty years ago next season.

The Bank joined the league in August 1975 along with CMP and Pfizers and played their home matches at Farmer’s Cross near Cork Airport. 

After playing for a couple of seasons in the newly formed second division, promotion as champions and Byrne Cup success was finally achieved in 1981/82. 

By this stage AIB was joined by financial rivals Bank of Ireland as the league sought to spread its wings into the inner city for recruitment.

In AIB’s first season of sponsoring the now Mooney Cup competition, 1984/85, the Bank went on to stun in-form OLH United, 4-0, in the final at the Showgrounds. 

After flirting with promotion and relegation, Billy Mulcahy captained the club to win the 1992/93 second division title and looked to lead his club to first division honours two seasons later.

The team had matured in time to open their shield campaign to the 1994/95 with confidence caulking up four wins on the bounce. 

First up was a 3-2 win over Garda Utd. at the Greyhound Track on Sunday, September 4th despite going two down in the first ten minutes and missing two penalties before half-time. 

Two weeks later O’Driscoll’s were under five-nil at the same venue before a three nil win over Janssen and another five goal winning margin, this time against Motorola secured a quarter-final tie with fellow premier outfit Roches Stores at The Farm on Sunday, October 16th which resulted in a two-one defeat.

AIB finally got to play their first league match on Sunday, November 6th when Pfizers travelled up to play the hosts at the Greyhound Track. 

The visitors went into the contest having lost their opening five matches and failed to halt the slide as the Bank ran out comfortable 6-2 winners at the end of the ninety. 

CIE Athletic provided a sterner test a week later as the teams shared ten goals in a cracker.

CIE went two down on two occasions but fought back to draw after goals from Mark Doyle (2), Pat Downey, John Deasy and Mick Dineen cancelled out a Mick Crowley hat-trick and a goal each from Liam Shine and John Leonard.

Seven days before Christmas a 3-2 win over Roches Stores made it two wins out of three before Postal Workers inflicted a first defeat by a solitary goal on Sunday, January 15th 1995. 

The AIB Cup second round got underway two weeks later with a comfortable five-nil win over Naval Services courtesy of goals from Mick Crowley (2), Geoff Martin, Leo Whelan and Liam Shine. 

A difficult away trip to Alsaa Park to face the previous season’s champions Aer Lingus was settled by an early Mick Crowley penalty which closed the gap on leaders Liebert to four points with three games in hand.

Roches Stores reversed their earlier league defeat by winning 2-1 at the Farm on March 19th before leaders Liebert arrived at the Greyhound Track knowing a win would keep their rivals at arms’ length.

The hosts piled on the pressure and were rewarded with the opener in the 25th minute from Mick Crowley. 

Liebert stormed back for Joe Murphy to equalize but Crowley punished a defensive error to score a second and added his third with ten minutes remaining.

AIB went through the month of April unbeaten, racking up three further cup wins, four league wins and one draw. 

Before the cup final meeting with Postal Workers on Sunday, May 7th Garda were beaten 3-1 to maintain hopes of the double. 

In the double first-half goals from Tom O’Donoghue and Tom Lynch set up a thrilling second 45 in which Pat Barrett and Liam Shine pulled the Bank level only for Tony Hackett to edge the Workers ahead eight minutes into extra-time. 

However, Liam Tobin equalized with two minutes remaining to set the tie to a replay a week later which Postal won one nil.

With the league title still up for grabs, a scoreless draw with Liebert and three goal wins over the standard bearers Postal and CIE clinched the club’s only top flight title at Pfizer Park on Wednesday, May 31st.