A gentle giant remembered: John 'Langton' Fitzgerald was a true legend of Cork amateur soccer
Ringmahon Rangers legend John Fitzgerald, on the left, with Tony Fitzgerald (Brideville) prior to an FAI Intermediate Cup tie in 1967.
The death has occurred of John 'Langton' Fitzgerald of Ringmahon Rangers — one of the great characters of Cork’s amateur game during the 1950s to the 1970s.
Top English clubs were regular visitors to Cork in the early '50s, and in 1952 Ringmahon Rangers made their schoolboy debut as the curtain-raiser to one such glamour fixture. Early arrivals at the Mardyke saw Ringmahon face Western, and one youngster stood out immediately: a tall, commanding figure six inches above anyone else on the pitch.
He was John 'Langton' Fitzgerald, and his physique made him a natural at centre-half. But he was far more than a stopper — a gentle giant with superb positional sense and an excellent range of passing, qualities that endured at every level he played.
They went on to dominate AUL football in the late '50s and early '60s, winning the Munster Junior Cup (1959), AOH Cup (1959 & 1960), as well as League, Shield, Presidents and O’Keeffe Cups. Langton was a pivotal figure in every triumph and continued to star as Ringmahon rewrote the Munster Senior League record books over the next decade.
On three occasions, they narrowly missed out on 10 consecutive titles — twice by a single point and once in a play-off defeat to Wembley.
The 'Langton' nickname often caused confusion as many assumed it was his surname. A Connacht v Munster Inter-Pro match report once read: “The Connacht attacks were repeatedly broken up by the towering Munster centre half John Langton.” Opposition defenders dreaded his presence at set-pieces, where he was a constant threat at the far post.
When his playing days ended, John turned his energy to the club’s administration, serving in every capacity on Ringmahon’s management committee. In an era of frequent club-hopping, his 70 years of loyal service to one club, stands as a fitting tribute to a true Ringmahon legend.
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