In Pictures: Limerick soccer legend Al Finucane celebrates 80th birthday

LIMERICK soccer legend Al Finucane celebrated his 80th birthday with family and friends at the Greenhills Hotel last weekend.

Finucane made more than 630 appearances in the League of Ireland between December 1960 and April 1988. 

Former defender Finucane enjoyed an incredible playing career spanning 28 years with Limerick, Waterford United and Newcastlewest, which included 634 league appearances. 

He was never sent off and was booked only three times. He captained both Limerick AFC and Waterford Utd to FAI Cup glory.

PFAI Merit Award winner Finucane is one of only two League of Ireland players to captain the Republic of Ireland at senior level.

The three-time FAI Cup medal winner won 11 senior captains for Ireland, captaining his country against Austria in Linz. Finucane also played in two uncapped internationals against West Germany’s Olympic team and Australia and played in an U-23 game against France.

The Limerick central defender’s League of Ireland career began with Limerick in a 2-2 draw against Shamrock Rovers at Miltown on December 4, 1960 as a 17-year-old. 

Finucane, from Quins Cottages, in Rosbrien, moved to Waterford United in the 1973-’74 season where he remained until the start of the 1981-’82 season when he returned to Limerick Utd.

Finucane’s final two season’s in the League of Ireland were with Waterford Utd in 1986-’87 and Newcastle West in 1987-’88. The stylish defender made his final appearance in senior football for Newcastle West in their First Division tie with UCD at Ballygowan Park on April 10, 1988.

The star defender was renowned for his sense of positioning, composure and distribution skills.

To top it off, he is the oldest player to play in European competition at 43 years and 261 days old, quite some feat and those records will be difficult to surpass in the modern game.

Meanwhile, Dave McMahon recalled how the late RTE soccer commetator Jimmy Magee nominated Al Finucane as the most outstanding League of Ireland player ever.

"IT was an RTÉ Sunday Sports programme with a twist. Jimmy Magee had vacated the presenters chair and was now the main studio guest as his RTÉ colleagues plied him with questions on his wonderful sporting career.

Listeners were invited to ring through with their questions, so I thought for a few moments and then made the call with a question that was put to Jimmy 10 minutes later.

The question was: “In your time in soccer, who was the most outstanding League of Ireland player?”

Jimmy took a few minutes out, jotting down names at a furious pace before coming back with his answer.

“Paddy Coad was an exceptional player with Waterford and Shamrock Rovers, and Tommy Eglinton was not far behind. Nearer the present day, Frank O’Neill and Liam Touhy were brilliant Rovers wingers, while Mick Leech was a scoring machine, and Tommy Hamilton was a supreme playmaker.”

Now warming to the task, Jimmy stayed with Dublin as he rattled off names.

“Ronnie Whelan Snr was a terrific inside-forward with Pats, while Willie Browne of 'Bohs' was a gifted amateur who played for the full international team on three occasions.

"From Shelbourne, Freddie Strahan was a tremendous centre-half while Big Ben Hannigan was both a gifted inside-forward and one of the League’s all-time great characters. Both with Bohs and Dundalk, Turlough O’Connor was sheer class, while Brendan Bradley scored goals for fun for Finn Harps.”

“Down Waterford way, Alfie Hale, Johnny Matthews and Peter Thomas stand out. Alfie was a magnificently industrious forward, while Johnny Matthews goal-scoring record was close to the top.

"As goalkeepers go, Mick Smyth, Eamonn Darcy, Dinny Lowry and Kevin Blount all played for years with distinction, but the best keeper I saw was Peter Thomas, a quite brilliant shot stopper – a few inches taller and Thomas would have played in the English First Division.”

 “Down South, I have great memories of Flower Lodge and Turners Cross.

Cork Hibs had huge success under Dave Bacuzzi. Dave Wigginton was from the top drawer of goal-scorers, while Dave Bacuzzi himself and John Herrick were wonderful full-backs. And what of little Miah Dennehy, yet another striker supreme.”

His search for a single name had taken Jimmy on a tour of the country, weighing up all the candidates before giving his verdict.

“I have mentioned many great players but given the task of naming just one as the outstanding League of Ireland player of my generation, I would unequivocally say that for application, longevity, sportsmanship and skill, my vote would go to the incomparable Al Finucane who was a supremely gifted defender over an incredible lifespan in League of Ireland history.”

Photographer Brendan Gleeson captured a special occasion for Al Finucane, his family and friends as he celebrated his 80th birthday last weekend.

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