League of Ireland Series – UCD FC. - this cache is one of a series based around League of Ireland football clubs. The caches are all located at or near venues where current League of Ireland soccer teams play.
The League of Ireland Series is open to everyone, if you would like to place a cache at any other club in your area please feel free to do so, you can follow the general format of my series pages if you like.
In 1970, UCD were elected to the League of Ireland B - just one step down from senior football. It was around this time that Dr Tony O'Neill came to the club. In 1974, Dublin won the All-Ireland football championship, beating Kerry in the final. Playing in the Dubs' team was one Kevin Moran, later to play 70 times for Ireland and win the FA Cup with Manchester United and the Premiership with Blackburn Rovers. At the time, he was playing soccer for UCD - playing GAA on the Saturday and soccer on the Sunday.
July 1979 saw the day UCD enter the League of Ireland top division. Tony O'Neill was manager, Theo Dunne was coach and Keith Dignam was the first scholarship player. This was Dr. O'Neill's biggest contribution to the club and UCD's unique contribution to Irish football. Players offered a scholarship could sit for a degree while playing top-level football in Ireland. Practically everyone who has gone through the system has spoken highly of it, especially those who subsequently moved on to England. Kevin Moran, though technically never a scholarship recipient, has often said that delaying his move to England until after he completed his Commerce degree meant both that he was more mature when heading over, and also less worried about his future, as he had his degree.
By the end of the 1982/83 season, though, it was apparent that the current system – of students only - wasn't working as they had to apply for re-election for the second time in only four seasons. So UCD decided to abandon the student-only policy, allowing anyone to play for the College. This has been refined somewhat to-day - UCD generally only have students or graduates (an important distinction) in the team, with the occasional guest players. And of course, with the scholarship scheme, UCD can sign players from England and give them a college education, meaning that they aren't restricted to what comes through the CAO in early September. Scouts also check out the top schoolboy talent in the country and offer them scholarships on the condition that they obtain the relevant points requirement in the Leaving Cert. In 1983, those changes were rung rather dramatically. Another former international was Paddy Dunning, a centre-back with two senior Irish caps. Alan O'Neill was the most instrumental signing. The policy worked, as at the end of the season, UCD finished sixth in the league - by far the highest position in UCD's short league history - and won the FAI Cup.
The 1984/85 season started off even better - they drew Everton in the European Cup Winners' Cup. A hammering was expected - but in front of a sell-out Tolka Park, they held the star-studded Toffees scoreless. Everton went on to win the home leg 1-0, but it could have been different as Ken O'Doherty skimmed the bar late on. By Christmas of 1984, UCD were incredibly second in the league, but they ended up in fourth spot in the end.
The 2008 season saw UCD move into their new home at the UCD Bowl. And far from being a fortress the opposition felt more at home that the Students did with UCD losing 10 League games at their new home and winning only two. Away from home the picture was even bleaker as UCD finished bottom of the table and were effectively down several weeks before the end of the campaign. One bright spark in anotherwise gloomy outlook was that the A Division team won the Championship.
The 2009 season got off to the best possible start posting a 100% record early on and winning away to both Sporting Fingal and Shelbourne in the first round of fixtures. UCD maintained this form and recovered from a slight blip in results to take the First Division Championship for only the second time in club history, away to Athlone Town on the penultimate day of the season. UCD celebrated despite losing the final home game of the season to Waterford United on a night they were crowned champions.
To date UCD continue to play in the Premier Division of the league.