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University College Dublin Association Football Club ( ga, Cumann Sacar Choláiste na hOllscoile, Baile Átha Cliath), known commonly as UCD, is the football team of
University College Dublin University College Dublin (commonly referred to as UCD) ( ga, Coláiste na hOllscoile, Baile Átha Cliath) is a public research university in Dublin, Ireland, and a collegiate university, member institution of the National University of Ireland ...
. They play in the
League of Ireland Premier Division The League of Ireland Premier Division ( ga, Príomhroinn Sraith na hÉireann), also known as the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division for sponsorship reasons, is the top level division in both the League of Ireland and the Republic of Ireland ...
. Founded in 1895, the club was elected to the League of Ireland in
1979 Events January * January 1 ** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...
under the management of Dr. Tony O'Neill. Since the
2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing ...
season they have played at the
UCD Bowl UCD can refer to: Education *University College Dublin, Irish university ** University College Dublin A.F.C., the university's association football club ** University College Dublin RFC, the university's rugby union club ** UCD GAA, the universit ...
, also home to the college's rugby team. 'The Students' play in sky blue and navy. Their reserve and freshers teams play in the Leinster Senior League.


History


Foundation and early years

University College Dublin AFC was founded in 1895 as the Catholic University Medical School Football Club, and began playing regular games the following year. A First XI played college games against other universities and a Second XI entered outside competitions. The club was founder members of the Leinster Junior League in 1896 and reached the semi-finals of the Leinster Senior Cup in 1897. The club became University College Dublin AFC when the new university annexed the Medical school in 1908. UCD won the inaugural Intervarsities competition, the
Collingwood Cup The Collingwood Cup is an association football cup competition featuring university teams from the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. It is organised by the Irish Universities Football Union, and is the oldest surviving all Ireland assoc ...
, in 1914 and added the Irish Intermediate Cup the following year, beating Portadown 2–1 in a replayed final. When the
Irish Free State The Irish Free State ( ga, Saorstát Éireann, , ; 6 December 192229 December 1937) was a State (polity), state established in December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty of December 1921. The treaty ended the three-year Irish War of Independ ...
was formed in 1921 and the new Football Association of Ireland was formed, UCD participated in the
FAI Cup The Football Association of Ireland Senior Challenge Cup (FAI Cup), known as the Extra.ie FAI Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out association football competition contested annually by teams from the Republic of Ireland (as well as Derry ...
preliminary round against fellow non-League team
Shamrock Rovers Shamrock Rovers Football Club ( ga, Cumann Peile Ruagairí na Seamróige) is an Irish association football club based in Tallaght, South Dublin. The club's senior team competes in the League of Ireland Premier Division and it is the most su ...
, losing 6–2 in
Windy Arbour Windy Arbour () is a small suburban village in the Dundrum area of Dublin, Ireland. Situated between Dundrum and Milltown, along the banks of the Slang River (also Dundrum or Slann River). History The name of the area was originally Irish ...
. UCD were invited to join the
League of Ireland The League of Ireland ( ga, Sraith na hÉireann), together with the Football Association of Ireland, is one of the two main governing bodies responsible for organising association football in the Republic of Ireland. The term was originally use ...
in 1922, but had to turn it down on the basis of not being able to field a team in the
League of Ireland Shield The League of Ireland Shield ( ga, Sciath Sraithe na hÉireann) is a defunct Irish football tournament which was introduced when the League of Ireland started in 1921 and ran uninterrupted until 1972. It was played before the league season bega ...
in September as the Academic year didn't commence until October. In 1945 they won the
FAI Intermediate Cup The FAI Intermediate Cup ( ga, Corn Comortais Peile na hÉireann), also known as the FAI Umbro Intermediate Cup and the Pat O'Brien Intermediate Challenge Cup, is a cup competition organized by the Football Association of Ireland for intermediat ...
when beating fellow future League of Ireland members
Cobh Ramblers Cobh Ramblers Football Club (CRFC) ( ga, Cumann Peile Chóstóirí Chóbh) is an Irish football club. The club, founded in 1922 and elected to the League of Ireland in 1985, hails from Cobh, County Cork and play their home matches at St. Colm ...
4–2 in the final. UCD appeared in the
FAI Cup The Football Association of Ireland Senior Challenge Cup (FAI Cup), known as the Extra.ie FAI Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out association football competition contested annually by teams from the Republic of Ireland (as well as Derry ...
in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, their final appearance as a non-League outfit coming in 1957 when
Cork Athletic Cork Athletic Football Club was a former Irish football club based in Cork. They played in the League of Ireland between 1948 and 1957. They were the successor club of Cork United. When United quit the league in October 1948, Cork Athletic wa ...
beat UCD 4–2 in the
Mardyke The Mardyke ( ga, An Mhuirdíog) is an area in Cork city, on the northern half of the long western part of the island formed by the two channels of the River Lee near the city centre. It was historically left as open space because the land along ...
.


1970s

In 1970 the club was elected to the
League of Ireland B Division The League of Ireland B Division is a former league within the Republic of Ireland football league system. Its debut season was 1964–65. It was originally a second level league. However following the emergence of the League of Ireland First ...
. From 1976, they embarked on a series of landmark tours, becoming the first western football team to play in China, and following that with tours in places like
India India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...
,
Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta i ...
,
Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northe ...
,
Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
,
Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Ri ...
,
Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
,
Macao Macau or Macao (; ; ; ), officially the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (MSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China in the western Pearl River Delta by the South China Sea. With a po ...
, the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...
, Sudan,
Kenya ) , national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...
and Australia. A second invitation to join the League of Ireland was accepted on 22 July 1979, when
Cork Celtic Cork Celtic F.C., originally Evergreen United F.C., was an Irish football club based in Cork. They played in the League of Ireland between 1951 and 1979 and played their home games at Turners Cross. In 1974, they were League of Ireland champi ...
were expelled for not having their financial affairs in order. Their first competitive game as a senior club was on 26 August, when they lost 2–1 to
Drogheda United Drogheda United Football Club ( ga, Cumann Peile Dhroichead Átha Aontaithe) is a semi-professional Irish association football club based in Drogheda, County Louth playing in the League of Ireland Premier Division. They play their home matches ...
in the
FAI League Cup The League of Ireland Cup ( ga, Corn Sraithe na hÉireann), also referred to in Ireland as the 'League Cup', is an annual knockout competition in men's football in the Republic of Ireland. It is contested by League of Ireland clubs and invited ...
. Theo Dunne was appointed first team coach, and apart from a brief spell at Home Farm 1990–1994, he was in charge of first team affairs until he retired as coach in 2001. Dr. Tony O'Neill, who was General Manager when the club joined the League, remained in that role until his untimely death from cancer in October 1999.


1980s

The club struggled initially in the league after their election, never finishing higher than twelfth in the 16-team league, although they did win the Leinster Senior Cup in December 1980, beating
St Patrick's Athletic St Patrick's Athletic Football Club ( ga, Cumann Peile Lúthchleas Phádraig Naofa) is a professional Irish association football club based in Inchicore, Dublin, that plays in the Irish Premier Division. Founded in May 1929, they played origina ...
2–1 in the final. However, important changes within the club in 1983 marked a dramatic upturn in fortunes. The previously amateur club turned semi-pro, and players outside of the college were allowed to represent the first team. This is still the situation today, although in practice most of the players are either students or ex-students. By the end of the 1983–84 season, UCD had won the
FAI Cup The Football Association of Ireland Senior Challenge Cup (FAI Cup), known as the Extra.ie FAI Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out association football competition contested annually by teams from the Republic of Ireland (as well as Derry ...
, beating
Shamrock Rovers Shamrock Rovers Football Club ( ga, Cumann Peile Ruagairí na Seamróige) is an Irish association football club based in Tallaght, South Dublin. The club's senior team competes in the League of Ireland Premier Division and it is the most su ...
2–1 after a replay. Shamrock Rovers weren't to lose another game in the competition for over three years – until they lost to UCD in 1988. That win saw UCD qualify for European competition – the
European Cup Winners Cup The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a European football club competition contested annually by the winners of domestic cup competitions. The cup was, chronologically, the second seasonal inter-European club competition organised by UEFA. The tourna ...
– for the first time. The draw pitted them against Everton, then one of the leading sides in England and boasting players of the calibre of
Neville Southall Neville Southall (born 16 September 1958) is a Welsh former international footballer. He has been described as one of the best goalkeepers of his generation and won the FWA Footballer of the Year award in 1985. He joined Bury from Winsford ...
, Kevin Sheedy, Graham Sharp,
Peter Reid Peter Reid (born 20 June 1956) is an English football manager, pundit and former player. A defensive midfielder in his playing days, Reid enjoyed a long and successful career. He built his reputation as one of England's brightest midfield ta ...
and Andy Gray. The home leg was played in
Tolka Park Tolka Park ( ga, Páirc na Tulchann) is an Irish football ground located in the north Dublin suburb of Drumcondra, on the northern banks of the River Tolka. It is currently the home ground of League of Ireland club Shelbourne. The stadium ...
and a crowd of 9,000 – many times UCD's average league crowd – saw the Students come away with a scarcely believable 0–0 draw. Another remarkable performance was to follow two weeks later as a solitary Graham Sharp goal gave Everton a 1–0 win. Joe Hanrahan skimmed the bar for the Students late on; had he scored, UCD would have progressed on away goals – as it was, Everton went on to win the entire competition, and smashed several records in winning their nation's league title. UCD's performance was made all the more remarkable by the fact that at the end of the year Everton were voted the best club side in the World for 1985, by the managers of world national teams. That season saw UCD finish fourth in the league, but they were then forced to release many of their best players due to financial difficulties. Joe Hanrahan signed for
Manchester United Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...
for IR£30,000, Ken O'Doherty moved to
Crystal Palace Crystal Palace may refer to: Places Canada * Crystal Palace Complex (Dieppe), a former amusement park now a shopping complex in Dieppe, New Brunswick * Crystal Palace Barracks, London, Ontario * Crystal Palace (Montreal), an exhibition buildin ...
and Alan O'Neill left for
Dundalk Dundalk ( ; ga, Dún Dealgan ), meaning "the fort of Dealgan", is the county town (the administrative centre) of County Louth, Ireland. The town is on the Castletown River, which flows into Dundalk Bay on the east coast of Ireland. It is hal ...
. The team were relegated in 1985/86 with eight points, a record low in the Premier Division. Despite this, in 1987, UCD won the World Collegiate Championships in
Las Cruces, New Mexico Las Cruces (; "the crosses") is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New Mexico and the seat of Doña Ana County. As of the 2020 census the population was 111,385. Las Cruces is the largest city in both Doña Ana County and southern Ne ...
. Promotion in 1988–89 was followed by an immediate relegation, and it was 1994–95 before UCD were to return to the Premier. They did so by recording a then record points tally for the First Division, also breaking the record for most goals scored and fewest goals conceded.


1990s

In 1999–00, a late burst saw UCD finish fourth in the league and qualify for the
Intertoto Cup The UEFA Intertoto Cup (from la, Inter, 'between' + german: toto, ' betting pool'),Most precisely, from ( football pool); cf. often abbreviated and more known in the German-speaking world as UI Cup and originally called the International F ...
. Their opponents were the Bulgarian side
PFC Velbazhd Kyustendil Velbazhd Kyustendil ( bg, Велбъжд Кюстендил) is a Bulgarian association football club based in Kyustendil. The club currently competes in the A RFG Kyustendil, the fourth tier of Bulgarian football. The club was founded in 1919. ...
, who boasted a couple of full
Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Mac ...
internationals, including Ilian Stoyanov, who would go on to represent his country in the 2004 European Championships. UCD kept up their proud European record with a pulsating 3–3 draw in the first leg in Belfield Park, before drawing 0–0 in Bulgaria to bow out on away goals. History unfortunately repeated itself as the Students once again nearly sneaked victory as they hit the post late on.


2000–2009

In 2001,
Paul Doolin Paul Doolin (born 26 March 1963, in Dublin) is an Irish former footballer and manager. Who mostly recently managed NIFL Premiership side Portadown. Career He played for Bohemians, scoring on his debut on 13 September 1981. In April 1983 he pl ...
, one of the most successful players in the League of Ireland, took over as manager from former player Martin Moran. After enjoying a successful first season, the team only just avoided relegation in 2002–03 and were eleven points adrift when Doolin left to take over at
Drogheda United Drogheda United Football Club ( ga, Cumann Peile Dhroichead Átha Aontaithe) is a semi-professional Irish association football club based in Drogheda, County Louth playing in the League of Ireland Premier Division. They play their home matches ...
in September 2003. Pete Mahon was immediately installed as the new manager, and UCD almost staged an incredible Houdini act, losing four games in 16, closing the gap at the bottom to two points and recording the highest points total for a relegated team.
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
saw more of the same, as UCD, together with
Finn Harps Finn Harps Football Club ( ga, Cumann Peile Chláirsigh na Finne) are an Irish football club that play in the First Division of the League of Ireland, as of 2023. The club was founded in 1954 and elected to the league in 1969. However, it was t ...
, smashed the First Division points record and were promoted with ease. UCD marked their return to the Premier Division with a highly creditable 1–1 draw away to two-time reigning champions Shelbourne. There was a bright point in College's ultimately indifferent season when they got into the
League Cup In several sports, most prominently association football, a league cup or secondary cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament t ...
final after a last-gasp 2–1 victory over Shelbourne in the semi-final at Tolka Park. They went on to lose the final 2–1 to Derry City at Belfield Park. 2006 was one of UCD's most successful seasons in a few years. Despite being knocked out of the League Cup in the first round, The Students recovered well, finishing the season in 6th place and reaching the quarter-finals of the
FAI Cup The Football Association of Ireland Senior Challenge Cup (FAI Cup), known as the Extra.ie FAI Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out association football competition contested annually by teams from the Republic of Ireland (as well as Derry ...
. The performances of many in the squad did not go unnoticed, with Darren Quigley and
Gary Dicker Gary Richard Perry Dicker (born 31 July 1986) is an Irish football coach and former professional player who is under-21's assistant manager at Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion. He started his career with League of Ireland club UCD a ...
establishing themselves as under-21 internationals. Quigley then went one better and became on B international, when he appeared as a substitute against
Scotland B The Scotland national football B team, controlled by the Scottish Football Association, is run occasionally as a second team for the Scotland national football team. During the period when Berti Vogts was manager of the national team, it was also ...
in November. UCD players also attracted interest from many British clubs. Quigley had trials at many clubs across the water,
Stockport County Stockport County Football Club are a professional football club in Stockport, England, who compete in EFL League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system. Formed in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers, they were renamed Stockport Co ...
paid €56,000 for Dicker in May 2007 and
Patrick Kavanagh Patrick Kavanagh (21 October 1904 – 30 November 1967) was an Irish poet and novelist. His best-known works include the novel ''Tarry Flynn'', and the poems " On Raglan Road" and "The Great Hunger". He is known for his accounts of Irish life t ...
signed for
Birmingham City Birmingham City Football Club is a professional football club based in Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, it was renamed Small Heath in 1888, Birmingham in 1905, and Birmingham City in 1943. Since 2011, the first te ...
after impressing on trial there. The club were relegated at the end of the 2008 season and Manager Pete Mahon wasn't offered a new contract.


2009–present

Mahon's assistant since 2005
Martin Russell Martin Russell is an English recording engineer, record producer, composer, and musician. He has been a core member of the music group Afro Celt Sound System since the recording of the first album '' Volume 1: Sound Magic'' in mid-1995, and has t ...
took over as manager. With a largely new team, UCD bounced back to the top flight of Irish football at the first time of asking by securing their second First Division title, promoted after a 5–0 away win over
Athlone Town Athlone Town Association Football Club () is an Irish football club from Athlone who are playing in the League of Ireland. The club is the oldest in the League as it was founded in 1887. First elected to the League of Ireland in 1922, they pl ...
in the penultimate match of the season on 30 October 2009, ahead of former Premier Division teams Shelbourne,
Longford Town Longford () is the county town of County Longford in Ireland. It has a population of 10,008 according to the 2016 census. It is the biggest town in the county and about one third of the county's population lives there. Longford lies at the mee ...
, Waterford United FC as well as a strong challenge from recently formed Sporting Fingal FC. In the 2009 FAI Cup, UCD's second team qualified for the first round by virtue of reaching the final of the 2008/09 FAI Intermediate Cup. They lost 2–1 at home to Arklow Town, who were drawn to play UCD's first team in the second round, also in the UCD Bowl. Despite taking the lead, Arklow, who had no eligible goalkeeper for the tie, ultimately lost 3–1. Under Russell, UCD remained in the
Airtricity League The League of Ireland ( ga, Sraith na hÉireann), together with the Football Association of Ireland, is one of the two main governing bodies responsible for organising association football in the Republic of Ireland. The term was originally use ...
Premier Division. In 2011 the club qualified for the
Setanta Sports Cup The Setanta Sports Cup was a club football competition featuring teams from both football associations on the island of Ireland. Inaugurated in 2005, it was a cross-border competition between clubs in the League of Ireland from the Republic of ...
, an All-Ireland competition, where they lost to Lisburn Distillery FC 2–0 over two legs. At the beginning of the 2014 season Russell was replaced by former coach Aaron Callaghan, who had to serve out a five-game dug-out suspension awarded while at rivals
Bohemian FC Bohemian Football Club ( ga, an Cumann Peile Bóihéamach), more commonly referred to as Bohemians or Bohs, is a professional football club from Dublin, Ireland. Bohemians compete in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland, and are the ...
. UCD struggled all year and the Students lost a two-legged relegation/promotion play-off with Galway FC in November 2014. In July 2015, UCD became the first League of Ireland team from the second tier to progress through a European tie when they saw off Luxembourg champions
F91 Dudelange F91 Dudelange (; lb, F91 Diddeleng, italic=no, ) is a Luxembourger professional football club based in Dudelange which plays in the Luxembourg National Division. It was formed in 1991 as a merger between three teams in the town: Alliance Du ...
in the
Europa League The UEFA Europa League (abbreviated as UEL, or sometimes, UEFA EL), formerly the UEFA Cup, is an annual football club competition organised since 1971 by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. ...
. A lone Ryan Swan strike at the UCD Bowl gave the college their first win in a European game, and then a remarkable game at the Stade Jos Nosbaum saw Swan give UCD the lead early in the game, but after Seán Coyne was sent off, F91 scored twice before half-time through Joël Pedro and Kevin Nakache. UCD players put up the most incredible defensive display of the season led by goalkeeper
Niall Corbet Niall is a male given name of Irish origin. The original meaning of the name is unknown, but popular modern sources have suggested that it means "champion" (derived from the Old Irish word ''niadh''),. According to John Ryan, Professor of Early a ...
and kept the second half scoreless to progress on away goals after a 2–2 aggregate draw, winning on the away goals rule. In the second round, UCD lost to a late deflected goal away to a Slovan Bratislava with three players who had played at the
2010 FIFA World Cup , image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg , size = 200px , caption = ''Ke Nako. (Tswana and Sotho for "It's time") Celebrate Africa's Humanity'It's time. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'' (English)''Dis tyd. Vier Afrika se mensd ...
, before losing the return leg 5–1, conceding three goals in the last ten minutes. In 2017, the club competed in the UEFA Youth League, losing on penalties to a
Molde FK Molde Fotballklubb () is a professional football club based in Molde, Norway, that competes in Eliteserien, the top flight of Norwegian football. Founded on 19 June 1911, the club was originally known as International and changed its name to ...
which included
Erling Haaland Erling Braut Haaland (; born 21 July 2000) is a Norwegian professional footballer who plays as a striker for club Manchester City and the Norway national team. Considered one of the best players in the world, he is known for his speed, stre ...
. Haaland was introduced as a sub in the return game in the
Aker Stadion The Aker Stadion (known as Molde Stadion for UEFA competitions and prior to sponsorship) is an all-seater football stadium located at Reknes in Molde, Norway, and is the home of Eliteserien club Molde. The stadium has a current capacity of ...
and didn't score in his half-hour on the pitch, although he did score in the penalty shoot-out. In September 2018 the club won promotion to the Premier Division after a 1–1 draw with Finn Harps F.C which secured the Students the title. They also reached the semi-finals of the FAI Cup for the first time in 12 years only to lose 1–0 away to reigning double-champions Dundalk. However, a tumultuous 2019 season saw a number of players leave mid-season as they had finished college. A club record 12 consecutive defeats were followed by a record 10–1 defeat away to Bohemians, a match which brought about the end of Collie O'Neill's five years in charge. The club were relegated back to the First Division for 2020. After finishing third in the table in the
2021 League of Ireland First Division The 2021 League of Ireland First Division season was the 37th season of the League of Ireland First Division, the second tier of Ireland's association football league. The fixture list was released on 8 February 2021 and the competition commenc ...
, UCD defeated Treaty United and
Bray Wanderers Bray Wanderers Football Club ( ga, Cumann Peile Fánaithe Bhré) are an Irish association football club playing in the League of Ireland First Division. The club in its present form was founded in 1942 in Bray, and was known until 2010 as ''B ...
in the First Division Play-Offs before defeating Waterford FC 2-1 in the Promotion/Relegation Play-Off to win promotion back to the 2022 League of Ireland Premier Division. In the 2022 League of Ireland Premier Division, UCD spent most of the season battling with Finn Harps to avoid automatic relegation. It was 15 games into the season before UCD managed their first win of the season, a 1-0 win away to Finn Harps. However, a strong finish to the season and a 3-1 win away to Finn Harps in the penultimate game of the season ensured that UCD finished in 9th place and avoided automatic relegation to the First Division, instead qualifying for the promotion/relegation playoff where they faced Waterford FC in a repeat of the 2021 playoff. A 15th minute goal by Tom Lonergan, his 7th of the season, led UCD to a 1-0 win and ensured their survival in the Premier Division.


Scholarship scheme

UCD AFC is noted for its highly regarded scholarship scheme, which gives players the chance to combine senior football with the opportunity to earn a college degree. This was based on the North American model and created in 1979 on UCD's entry into the League of Ireland Senior Division. The first recipient of the award was Keith Dignam, sponsored by Irish Potato Crisp manufacturer Tayto. Past scholars include
Kevin Grogan Kevin Grogan (born 15 November 1981 in Dublin) is an Irish former professional football player and current coach of Clarkstown SC Eagles in the National Premier Soccer League. A uniquely talented youth player, Grogan was signed by Alex Fergus ...
, Joe Hanrahan and his brother
Peter Hanrahan Peter Hanrahan (born 23 February 1968, in Limerick) was an Irish soccer player during the 1980s and 1990s. He was a midfielder or forward who played for UCD, Dundalk, Limerick City, Bohemians during his career in the League of Ireland. Ha ...
,
Jason Colwell Jason Colwell (born 31 January 1974 in Dublin) is an Irish former footballer. Career A midfielder Jason made his League of Ireland debut for UCD at Cobh Ramblers on 6 October 1991. After 160 league appearances over 6 years at UCD he join ...
,
Jason Sherlock Jason Sherlock (born 10 January 1976 in Dublin) is an Irish former Gaelic footballer who played at senior level for the Dublin county team between 1995 and 2010. He played most of his club football for Na Fianna in Glasnevin in the northern ...
,
Clive Delaney Clive Delaney (born 2 January 1980 in Dublin) is a former Irish footballer who resides in Sydney, Australia. Clive started his career on a scholarship at University College Dublin AFC in 1997 within the club's reserve team, transitioning to t ...
,
Gary Dicker Gary Richard Perry Dicker (born 31 July 1986) is an Irish football coach and former professional player who is under-21's assistant manager at Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion. He started his career with League of Ireland club UCD a ...
, Paul Corry and Robbie Benson.


Former players

Many famous players have played for UCD down the years.
Todd Andrews Christopher Stephen Andrews (Todd) (6 October 1901 – 11 October 1985) was a noted public servant. He participated in the Irish War of Independence and Civil War as a political and military activist in the Irish Republican movement. Todd And ...
, future Chairman of CIÉ and RTÉ, and his son David Andrews, a future Minister for Foreign Affairs, both played in the Leinster Senior League for the club, as did Brian Lenihan, who scored in a 1953 FAI Cup tie against
Sligo Rovers Sligo Rovers Football Club ( ga, Cumann Peile Ruagairí Shligigh) is an Irish professional football club playing in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland. The club is based in Sligo in the west of Ireland. The club was founded in 192 ...
and later ran for President of Ireland.
Willie Browne William Browne (21 February 1936 – 14 October 2004) was an Irish soccer player during the 1960s. A Bohemian F.C. legend, he was the last amateur to have been capped for the full Republic of Ireland national team for 43 years until Joseph ...
won numerous international university caps while at UCD, he subsequently went on to win 3 full
Republic of Ireland Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 Counties of Ireland, counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern ...
caps, 16 amateur caps, one Republic of Ireland B cap and six Inter-League caps and captained Bohemian for 3 consecutive seasons. Former Irish international Kevin Moran, who would later play for
Manchester United Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...
,
Sporting de Gijón Real Sporting de Gijón, S.A.D. (), commonly known as Real Sporting, Sporting Gijón, or simply Sporting (although in an international context this can lead to confusion with Sporting Clube de Portugal) is a Spanish football club from Gijón, P ...
and
Blackburn Rovers Blackburn Rovers Football Club is a professional football club, based in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, which competes in the , the second tier of the English football league system. They have played home matches at Ewood Park since 1890. T ...
played in the
League of Ireland B Division The League of Ireland B Division is a former league within the Republic of Ireland football league system. Its debut season was 1964–65. It was originally a second level league. However following the emergence of the League of Ireland First ...
and was signed for Manchester United from UCD's graduate team, Pegasus. Moran also won an
All-Ireland All-Ireland (sometimes All-Island) refers to all of Ireland, as opposed to the separate jurisdictions of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. "All-Ireland" is most frequently used to refer to sporting teams or events for the entire islan ...
Gaelic football Gaelic football ( ga, Peil Ghaelach; short name '), commonly known as simply Gaelic, GAA or Football is an Irish team sport. It is played between two teams of 15 players on a rectangular grass pitch. The objective of the sport is to score by ki ...
winner's medal with
Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 ...
in 1976 while at UCD, as would
Jason Sherlock Jason Sherlock (born 10 January 1976 in Dublin) is an Irish former Gaelic footballer who played at senior level for the Dublin county team between 1995 and 2010. He played most of his club football for Na Fianna in Glasnevin in the northern ...
nineteen years later. Conor Sammon,
Enda Stevens Enda John Stevens (born 9 July 1990) is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a left back for club Sheffield United and the Republic of Ireland national team. Stevens started his career at UCD. He has experience of football at a cont ...
and
Andy Boyle Andrew Boyle (born 7 March 1991) is an Irish professional footballer, who primarily plays as a centre-back. Boyle currently plays for Dundalk. He has previously played for League of Ireland sides Dundalk, UCD and Shelbourne, Scottish club ...
also won senior international caps having started their careers with UCD. Hugo MacNeill won the Collingwood with UCD, but went on to greater things with the
Ireland national rugby union team The Ireland national rugby union team is the men's representative national team for the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team represents both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Ireland competes in the annual Six Nations Cha ...
, winning the
Triple Crown Triple Crown may refer to: Sports Horse racing * Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing * Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States) ** Triple Crown Trophy ** Triple Crown Productions * Canadian Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing * T ...
in 1985 and playing in the
1987 Rugby World Cup The 1987 Rugby World Cup was the first Rugby World Cup. It was co-hosted by New Zealand and Australia – New Zealand hosted 21 matches (17 pool stage matches, two quarter-finals, the third-place play-off and the final) while Australia hosted 11 ...
in New Zealand. In 1983, the
Leeds United Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire in England. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of England's football league system, and plays its home matches at Elland Road ...
legend and record goalscorer
Peter Lorimer Peter Patrick Lorimer (14 December 1946 – 20 March 2021) was a Scottish professional footballer, best known for his time with Leeds United and Scotland during the late 1960s and early 1970s. An attacking midfielder and the club's youngest-ever ...
played three games before returning to England for a final spell with Leeds.
Dave Norman Dave may refer to: Film, television, and theater * ''Dave'' (film), a 1993 film starring Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver * ''Dave'' (musical), a 2018 stage musical adaptation of the film * Dave (TV channel), a digital television channel in the ...
played senior international football for
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tota ...
while at UCD and went on to play in the
1986 World Cup The 1986 FIFA World Cup was the 13th FIFA World Cup, a quadrennial football tournament for men's senior national teams. It was played in Mexico from 31 May to 29 June 1986. The tournament was the second to feature a 24-team format. Colombia had ...
. Former
Sky Sports Sky Sports is a group of British subscription sports channels operated by the satellite pay television company Sky Group (a division of Comcast), and is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It h ...
and current
Setanta Sports Setanta Sports is a sports television company based in Dublin, Ireland broadcasting throughout select Eurasian. The company was formed in 1990 to facilitate the broadcasting of Irish sporting events to international audiences. The company previo ...
pundit
Paul Dempsey Paul Anthony Dempsey (born 25 May 1976) is an Australian musician. He is best known as the lead singer, guitarist and principal lyricist of rock group Something for Kate. Dempsey released his debut solo album, ''Everything Is True'', on 20 Aug ...
played for one season in 1982/83 before taking up a job with the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
Gavin Whelan (nephew of
Ronnie Whelan Ronald Andrew Whelan (; born 25 September 1961) is an Irish former professional footballer player who played as a midfielder and sometimes as a defender. He played an integral role in the dominant Liverpool side that won a wealth of titles in ...
) and Pat Jennings (son of Northern Irish international
Pat Jennings Patrick Anthony Jennings (born 12 June 1945) is a Northern Irish former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He played 119 international matches for Northern Ireland in an international career which lasted for over 22 years. D ...
) played for UCD in the mid-2000s. In August 2016, Dylan Watts signed for English Premiership champions
Leicester City Leicester ( ) is a city, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands. The city lies on the River Soar and close to the eastern end of the Nation ...
from UCD. A popular rumour has it that Brazilian star
Sócrates Sócrates Brasileiro Sampaio de Souza Vieira de Oliveira (19 February 1954 – 4 December 2011), simply known as Sócrates, was a Brazilian footballer who played as a midfielder. His medical degree and his political awareness, combined with sty ...
ever played for the club; however, there is no evidence for this.


Fan culture

UCD has a small fanbase, which included until his untimely death the ''
Father Ted ''Father Ted'' is a sitcom created by Irish writers Graham Linehan and Arthur Mathews and produced by British production company Hat Trick Productions for Channel 4. It aired over three series from 21 April 1995 until 1 May 1998, including ...
'' actor
Dermot Morgan Dermot John Morgan (31 March 1952 – 28 February 1998) was an Irish comedian and actor, best known for his role as Father Ted Crilly in the Channel 4 sitcom ''Father Ted''. Early life Morgan was born in Dublin, the son of Hilda "Holly" (née ...
, an occasional visitor to Belfield. When asked why he attended UCD matches, Dermot reportedly replied "Because I hate crowds". From 2001 to 2010, the unofficial club fanzine ''Student Till I Graduate'' published a record 91 issues. The book ''One Night in Dudelange – Adventures in the UEFA Europa League'' chronicles the club's 2015 Europa League campaign and was listed for Sports Book of the Year in 2019. The
UCD Superleague UCD can refer to: Education * University College Dublin, Irish university **University College Dublin A.F.C., the university's association football club ** University College Dublin RFC, the university's rugby union club ** UCD GAA, the universit ...
is an inter-varsity league consisting of teams predominantly made up of UCD students and alumni. The league has produced a handful of UCD and other
League of Ireland The League of Ireland ( ga, Sraith na hÉireann), together with the Football Association of Ireland, is one of the two main governing bodies responsible for organising association football in the Republic of Ireland. The term was originally use ...
players.


European record

''Correct as of 18 October 2017''


Overview


Matches

Senior Youth Notes * 1R: First round * 1Q: First qualifying round


Players


Current squad


Notable former players

''Current players excluded. Some players spanned several decades, they are placed in the decade they made their debut for UCD.'' 1920s *
Todd Andrews Christopher Stephen Andrews (Todd) (6 October 1901 – 11 October 1985) was a noted public servant. He participated in the Irish War of Independence and Civil War as a political and military activist in the Irish Republican movement. Todd And ...
* Ernie Crawford 1930s *
Morgan Crowe Morgan Patrick Crowe (5 March 1907 – 8 April 1993) was a rugby union centre who played thirteen times for between 1929–34. He played his club rugby for Leicester Tigers and Lansdowne. Crowe made his international debut for on 9 ...
1950s * David Andrews *
Willie Browne William Browne (21 February 1936 – 14 October 2004) was an Irish soccer player during the 1960s. A Bohemian F.C. legend, he was the last amateur to have been capped for the full Republic of Ireland national team for 43 years until Joseph ...
* Brian Lenihan 1960s * Ollie Byrne 1970s * Kevin Moran * Hugo MacNeill 1980s * David Norman * Joe Hanrahan *
Dermot Keely Dermot Keely (born 8 March 1954) is an Irish former manager and player. He was a schoolteacher by profession. Family Keely's family have played League of Ireland football at various levels. His late father Peter Keely played for Shelbourne., h ...
* Ken O'Doherty * Alan O'Neill *
Peter Lorimer Peter Patrick Lorimer (14 December 1946 – 20 March 2021) was a Scottish professional footballer, best known for his time with Leeds United and Scotland during the late 1960s and early 1970s. An attacking midfielder and the club's youngest-ever ...
1990s *
Clive Delaney Clive Delaney (born 2 January 1980 in Dublin) is a former Irish footballer who resides in Sydney, Australia. Clive started his career on a scholarship at University College Dublin AFC in 1997 within the club's reserve team, transitioning to t ...
* Ciarán Martyn * Tony McDonnell * Barry Ryan *
Jason Sherlock Jason Sherlock (born 10 January 1976 in Dublin) is an Irish former Gaelic footballer who played at senior level for the Dublin county team between 1995 and 2010. He played most of his club football for Na Fianna in Glasnevin in the northern ...
2000s *
Ian Bermingham Ian Bermingham (born 6 June 1989 in Dublin) is an Irish former professional footballer that played 13 seasons with League of Ireland Premier Division club, St Patricks Athletic, where he was club captain and is the all-time appearance record h ...
*
Andy Boyle Andrew Boyle (born 7 March 1991) is an Irish professional footballer, who primarily plays as a centre-back. Boyle currently plays for Dundalk. He has previously played for League of Ireland sides Dundalk, UCD and Shelbourne, Scottish club ...
*
Conan Byrne Conan Byrne (born 10 July 1985) is a retired Irish footballer who last played for NIFL Premiership club Glenavon, having spent six seasons with St Patrick's Athletic, three seasons with Sporting Fingal, three seasons with Shelbourne and thr ...
* Alan Cawley * Paul Corry *
Gary Dicker Gary Richard Perry Dicker (born 31 July 1986) is an Irish football coach and former professional player who is under-21's assistant manager at Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion. He started his career with League of Ireland club UCD a ...
*
Ronan Finn Ronan Finn (born 21 December 1987) is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Shamrock Rovers in the League of Ireland. He has also played for UCD, Sporting Fingal and Dundalk. Having made over 50 appearances in Europe ...
*
Ciarán Kilduff Ciarán Kilduff (born 29 September 1988) is an Irish footballer who most recently played as a striker with Shelbourne in the League of Ireland Premier Division. He has played for seven clubs in the League of Ireland throughout his career and ...
* Shane McFaul * David McMillan * Evan McMillan * Conor Sammon *
Enda Stevens Enda John Stevens (born 9 July 1990) is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a left back for club Sheffield United and the Republic of Ireland national team. Stevens started his career at UCD. He has experience of football at a cont ...
* Derek Swan 2010s * Robbie Benson * Ayman Ben Mohamed * Dylan Watts * Simon Power * Jason Byrne *
Kaleem Simon Kaleem Strawbrige-Simon (born 8 July 1996) is a professional footballer who plays as a winger for UAE First Division League club Gulf United. Born in England, he plays for the Montserrat national team. Club career Simon came through the UC ...
* Gary O'Neill * Greg Sloggett * Dáire O'Connor *
Liam Scales Liam Scales (born 8 August 1998) is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a centre-back or left-back for Scottish Premiership club Aberdeen, on loan from Celtic. Personal life Scales is from Barndarrig, County Wicklow. He studied Iri ...
*
Georgie Kelly George Martin Kelly (born 12 November 1996) is an Irish association football player who plays as a forward for EFL Championship club Rotherham United. Career UCD Kelly joined UCD after a brief stint with Derry City. In 2017, Kelly scored a ha ...
* Jason McClelland *
Liam Kerrigan Liam Kerrigan (born 9 May 2000) is an Irish footballer who plays as a midfielder, winger, or striker for Como. Career Kerrigan started his career with Irish side Sligo Rovers. After 3 years with UCD, he signed for Como in the Italian second ...


Current technical staff


Honours

;First Team *
FAI Cup The Football Association of Ireland Senior Challenge Cup (FAI Cup), known as the Extra.ie FAI Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out association football competition contested annually by teams from the Republic of Ireland (as well as Derry ...
: 1 ** 1983–84 * FAI Super Cup: 1 ** 2000–01 *
League of Ireland First Division The League of Ireland First Division ( ga, Céad Roinn Sraith na hÉireann), also known as the SSE Airtricity League First Division, is the second level division in both the League of Ireland and the Republic of Ireland football league system. ...
: 3 ** 1994–95,
2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...
,
2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
*
League of Ireland First Division Shield The League of Ireland First Division Shield was an association football competition featuring teams from the League of Ireland First Division. The inaugural winners were Derry City. It was also the first competition Derry City won after they joi ...
: 2 ** 1991–92, 1994–95 * Leinster Senior Cup: 3 ** 1980–81, 1994–95, 1995–96 *
FAI Intermediate Cup The FAI Intermediate Cup ( ga, Corn Comortais Peile na hÉireann), also known as the FAI Umbro Intermediate Cup and the Pat O'Brien Intermediate Challenge Cup, is a cup competition organized by the Football Association of Ireland for intermediat ...
: 1 ** 1944–45 * Irish Intermediate Cup: 1 ** 1914–15 ;Reserve team *
League of Ireland B Division The League of Ireland B Division is a former league within the Republic of Ireland football league system. Its debut season was 1964–65. It was originally a second level league. However following the emergence of the League of Ireland First ...
: 1 ** 1997–98 *
A Championship The A Championship, also known as the Newstalk A Championship, was an association football league featuring League of Ireland reserve teams and emerging senior teams. It was a third level league in the Republic of Ireland football league system. ...
: 2 **
2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing ...
,
2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
;Youth team * Dr Tony O'Neill Cup: 5 ** 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2016 * Enda McGuill Cup: 1 ** 2014–15 ;Intervarsity *
Collingwood Cup The Collingwood Cup is an association football cup competition featuring university teams from the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. It is organised by the Irish Universities Football Union, and is the oldest surviving all Ireland assoc ...
: 47 ** 1914,1921, 1922, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1930, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1941, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1956, 1958, 1959, 1961, 1969, 1972, 1973, 1976, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1994, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2018, 2022 ollingwood Cup Brochure* Harding Cup: 17 ** 1971, 1974, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1987, 1991, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2016 * Farquhar Cup: 1 ** 2012


Club records


Most senior appearances for UCD AFC

(Players in bold still playing for UCD)


Most senior goals scored for UCD AFC

(Players in bold still playing for UCD)


Record wins


Record defeats


Highest aggregate scores


UCD AFC Supporters' Player of the Year


List of UCD seasonsNote – all data quoted with reference to match results and tables published in contemporary newspapers, particularly the Irish Press, Irish Independent, and Evening Herald


Notes


Managers

* Ronnie Nolan (–1979) * Dr Tony O'Neill (1979–83) * Dermot Keely(1983 Player manager July–November) * Theo Dunne (1983–90) * Dr Tony O'Neill (1990–94) General Manager 1979-1999 * Theo Dunne (1994–99) * Martin Moran (1999–2001) *
Paul Doolin Paul Doolin (born 26 March 1963, in Dublin) is an Irish former footballer and manager. Who mostly recently managed NIFL Premiership side Portadown. Career He played for Bohemians, scoring on his debut on 13 September 1981. In April 1983 he pl ...
(2001–03) * Pete Mahon (Sept 15, 2003–Jan 12, 2009) *
Martin Russell Martin Russell is an English recording engineer, record producer, composer, and musician. He has been a core member of the music group Afro Celt Sound System since the recording of the first album '' Volume 1: Sound Magic'' in mid-1995, and has t ...
(13 Jan 2009 – Oct 2013) * Aaron Callaghan (November 2013-October 2014) * Collie O'Neill (2015–August 2019) *
Maciej Tarnogrodzki Maciej Tarnogrodzki (born 28 August 1975) is a Polish professional football manager and former player who is currently in charge of IV liga Masovia club Weszło Warsaw. From 2009 to 2012, Tarnogrodzki worked with youth and reserve teams of ...
(August 2019–December 2019) * Andy Myler (2020-)


Footnotes


External links


UCD AFC website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dublin Association football clubs established in 1895 Association football clubs in Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown Football Belfield, Dublin University and college association football clubs in the Republic of Ireland League of Ireland Premier Division clubs 1895 establishments in Ireland Former League of Ireland First Division clubs League of Ireland B Division clubs Leinster Senior League (association football) clubs