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Galway United Football Club

Though operational in local junior soccer for forty years, it was only in 1977, when Galway United joined the League of Ireland as Galway Rovers, that the game in the West of Ireland came firmly under the spotlight. Like all provincial clubs competing at national level, United have had some turbulent times with regard to financial difficulties and a high level of player turn-over.Galway, who play out of a Terryland Park ground which is owned by the local junior soccer authorities, changed their monicker from Rovers to United in 1981 and while the club may have not set the world alight, they have enjoyed a number of successes. Top of the pile is their FAI Cup success in 1991, when Galway went to Lansdowne Road and shocked firm favourites Shamrock Rovers in the final. Johnny Glynn, a player who even managed to swing a call-up to the Republic of Ireland squad by linking up with them while on holidays in America during the 1992 USA Cup, grabbed the winner as extra-time loomed. That success was a triumph that could well have been nabbed a few years earlier in 1985 as United lost another cup final to Shamrock Rovers on a similar 1-0 scoreline. The Dubliners also denied Galway league honours the following season, the first year of the National League Premier Division. Galway, led up front by Paul McGee, a former Irish international player who had starred with Queen's Park Rangers, pushed the contest the whole way to the final day of the season before they eventually lost out by a mere two points. However, Galway succeeded in winning the League Cup in 1995-1986, a triumph that provided some consolation. While the 1980s saw Galway emerge as one of Ireland's strongest clubs, the 1990s have not been as kind to the club. After taking on Odense of Denmark as reward for participating in the European Cup Winners Cup in 1991, Galway were beset with problems caused by the departure of a number of key players that season. Relegation dawned in spring 1992 but Galway, to their credit, bounced back at the first time of asking as First Division champions. Back in top-flight football, survival again became a struggle and Galway were relegated in 1996, a drop that was decorated by extremely poor attendances in what has been the country's fastest growing city. Bankruptcy threatened a year later but on getting a sound structure in place, events turned around.

League Cup and League Shield honours were secured and in season 1998-1999, Galway demonstrated how great their progress had been. With Don O'Riordan proving an astute manager, a second place league finish meant a return to the Premier Division, while in the cup a record attendance was set when they defeated St. Patrick's Athletic under lights on a Friday evening in March, Fridays being the traditional matchday in recent years.The arrival of Dave Connell starts a new era despite the club's new finacial problems which have pushed some former crowd favourite players to commit themselves to the club and wear the brown colours again. Galway United's best League performance was as runner-up in 1986, and they won their one Cup in 1991. They have won twice both the First Division Shield (in '92 and '96) and the League Cup (in '86 and '92) They are at home at Terryland Park, but they played in Crowley Park during the 94-95 season while the main ground was being redone.



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