Month: December 2022

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Shelbourne Football Club is delighted to announce Culligan Ireland as our new primary partner and front of shirt sponsor as part of a multi-year agreement. 

Culligan Ireland is a part of Culligan International, the world’s largest provider of safe and sustainable high-quality water solutions. Culligan serves over 100 million customers around the world, bringing better water to people anywhere they need it: at home, at work, or on the go.

Culligan Ireland has a reputation for providing reliable drinking water solutions to homes and businesses across Ireland. They are committed to reducing single-use plastic, and their range of water coolers, drinking fountains, and filtered tap dispensers are designed to eliminate the need for plastic water bottles.

Their commitment to sustainability is shared by all at Shelbourne FC as we endeavour to play our part. Our new primary partner’s ongoing commitment to sustainability will both help Cullgian shape a better world and create new opportunities for growth and global change. Culligan’s main goal is to do everything they can in the areas where they are best equipped to truly affect change, and make a positive impact.

We thank Culligan for their commitment to the Reds, having initially come on board as a sponsor in March of 2022, their new expansive sponsorship deal will begin from December 2023 and run until December 2026.

Keith McDarby, Commercial Director, Shelbourne FC said: “We are thrilled to be working with Culligan next season and beyond. This is a really exciting partnership for us and ties in really well with our strategic plans for the future, particularly in the areas of sustainability. 

“There are many benefits to this partnership, but one of the key components is helping us to reduce our use of single-use plastic across Tolka park and our training complex in the AUL.”

John O’Connor​, Culligan Ireland said: “Culligan are delighted to be the main sponsor for  Shelbourne FC men’s team for the 2022/23 season.

These are exciting times for the club, building on the success of last year’s  achievement of reaching the FAI Cup Final.

We at Culligan are looking forward to developing a successful partnership and strengthening the club’s environmental credentials.”

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Shelbourne Football Club is delighted to announce the signing of defender Paddy Barrett from St Patrick’s Athletic. 

The 29-year old has put pen to paper on a deal that will keep him at Tolka Park until November 2023.

A strong and imposing physical presence at the heart of the defence, Barrett’s experience will be a significant boost to Damien Duff’s squad for the upcoming League of Ireland campaign.

The defender endured an injury-interrupted campaign in 2022, which curtailed his contribution to the Saints. 

In 2021, the Waterford native was a key player as Pats won the FAI Cup, playing 28 games that season, including 24 starts. 

Barrett counts Aberbeen, Dundee Utd, Waterford, Galway United, Dundalk, FC Cincinnati, Indy Eleven, and Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng among his previous club.

A proven winner, Barrett was part of the Dundalk title winning teams of 2015 and 2016, while finishing runners up in 2021 with St Pats.

The defender also has two FAI Cup winners medals from 2021 and 2015, while also winning the first division, the Leinster senior cup and the Presidents Cup.

Barrett joins new signings Tyreke Wilson, Matty Smith, Evan Caffrey, Andrew Quinn, Conor Kearns and Kyle Robinson. While returning to the squad for the new campaign are JR Wilson, Mark Coyle, Luke Byrne, Shane Farrell, Shane Griffin, Jack Moylan, Gavin Molloy, Jad Hakiki, Brian McManus, JJ Lunney, Kameron Ledwidge, Luke Browne, Gavin Hodgins, Lewis Temple, Conor Kane, Scott van der Sluis, and Sean Boyd.

Damien Duff, Shelbourne FC Head Coach said: “Paddy has won everything in the game in this country so he is a massive addition to a very young squad. Aligned with being a top defender in the League of Ireland, he brings a presence and a personality that we may have lacked before. After a difficult season for Paddy last year, he is in the right place to get back to his very best”.

Paddy Barrett said: “Really happy to have signed for Shels. I’m looking forward to getting in and meeting the lads and getting stuck into pre-season. I’ve spoken a lot to the manager and I feel like it’s the right move for me. I’m keen to be part of it and build on what the club achieved last year.”

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Shelbourne FC can today confirm the departure of Stephan Negru to Oxford United.

The defender will join the English club on the 1st of January 2023. The 20-year-old made his senior debut in the League of Ireland under Damien Duff towards the end of the 2022 campaign.

Scoring a goal on his debut, Negru headed the equaliser in the Reds’ 1-1 draw away to Finn Harps. He established himself as an ever present from that point and went on to make 9 appearances for Shels.

A product of the Shelbourne FC academy, Negru spent six years playing underage football at elite level with the club.

All at Shelbourne FC would like to wish Stephan all the best with the next stage of his career.

Damien Duff, Shelbourne FC head coach said: “Everybody at the club wishes Steph the best of luck for the future.

He has come right though the academy and finally ended up in the 1st team at the tail end of last season when he did very well.

He has a real drive to go to the UK so we respect that and wish him well.”

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Shelbourne FC kitman Johnny Watson has arranged a fundraiser for Josh Bradley, son of Shamrock Rovers manager Stephen Bradley.

Johnny along with his sons Graham and Karl have arranged a charity cycle to raise funds.

The cycle will take place this Saturday 10th of December from 9am – 6:30pm in Liffey Valley Shopping Centre in Dublin.

Johnny and co will have buckets on the day for a collection. All proceeds will go in aid of St John’s Ward, Crumlin Children’s Hospital. 8-year-old Josh was diagnosed with Acute lymphocytic leukemia earlier this year.

Those who can’t make it down on the day are asked to donate what they can online. There is a GoFundMe Page live now at this link: https://www.gofundme.com/f/cycle-for-josh-bradley

Johnny Watson said: “On the pitch Shels and Rovers are great rivals, off the pitch. Family comes first. We want to show the support to Josh, Stephen and the Bradley family from all at Shelbourne and around the league.”

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Shelbourne FC is pleased to announce the signing of three academy graduates, Gavin Hodgins, Lewis Temple and Luke Browne, to professional terms for 2023. 

The Shels academy has delivered a proven pathway to the first team in recent years and the promotion of the trio is a testament to the work being done at underage level.

Darndale native Hodgins made 6 appearances for Damien Duff’s first team in 2022, having made his debut at just 16-years-old off the bench against Bohs in Dalymount in June 2022. 

Lewis Temple played twice for the Reds in 2022, having made his debut in the 3-0 win over Bray Wanderers in the FAI Cup, the defender also made an appearance off the bench in the 4-0 win over Bonagee United.

Luke Browne overcame two ACL tears in recent years and made his senior debut in the final SSE Airtricity League game of the season against St Pats.

Six academy graduates made their first team debuts in 2022, Luke Browne, Stephan Negru, Lewis Temple, Gavin Hodgins, Kyle O’Connor, Jad Hakiki.

Damien Duff, Head Coach, Shelbourne FC said: “This club needs to be built on the academy so it gives me great pleasure to announce Lewis, Gavin and Luke signing their first professional contracts. 

They are 3 players that have a lot of potential and we have high hopes for them.

They played a big part along with the rest of their peers in Shelbourne U17’s winning the academy’s first National League title last year. For the 3 boys, the real work starts now.”

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Shelbourne Football Club is delighted to announce the signing of Matty Smith from Derry City. 

The 25-year-old Scottish attacker arrives from the Brandywell on a permanent deal having spent half of last season on loan at Tolka Park.

The Reds saw off stiff competition for the signature of the highly sought after Scotland native, who had plenty of offers at the conclusion of the 2023 League of Ireland season.

Smith made 15 appearances for Damien Duff’s side after joining at the end of July 2022, his debut coming in the 3-0 win over Bray Wanderers in the opening round of the FAI Cup, a game in which Smith registered an assist for Jack Moylan’s goal.

A native of Dundee, he made 13 starts and scored twice for the Reds, his first goal coming against old club St Pats in a 4-4 draw at Tolka Park, while the attacker also netted in the 6-0 demolition of Drogheda United.

Smith’s first experience in the League of Ireland came at Waterford, where he joined from Dundee United in 2020, he went on to play every single game of a COVID-19 curtailed season. 

From the Blues, he left to join St Patrick’s Athletic, making 32 appearances and scoring 11 times, making him the club’s top goal-scorer as they finished second in the SSE Airtricity League and won the FAI Cup.

Smith’s success with the Saints earned him a move to Derry City, where he put pen to paper on a two-year deal. The Dundee native had been an important player for the Candystripes in the first half of the season, making 19 appearances, including 14 starts and netting 3 goals.

Smith joins Evan Caffrey, Andrew Quinn, Kyle Robinson, Tyreke Wilson, JR Wilson, Conor Kearns, Mark Coyle, Luke Byrne, Shane Farrell, Shane Griffin, Jack Moylan, Gavin Molloy, Jad Hakiki, Brian McManus, JJ Lunney, Kameron Ledwidge, Conor Kane and Sean Boyd in signing up for the Reds for the upcoming 2023 season.  

Damien Duff, Shelbourne FC Head Coach said: “We are delighted Matty has decided to extend his stay with us for the 2023 season.

Matty is back to his best and will improve again which is exciting. He is a big player in the league and very popular in the dressing room too. He is very happy here hence there was no reason for him to leave. 

Also a big thank you to the club for getting the deal done. It is another statement of where we want to go.”

Matty Smith said: “I’m delighted to sign for Shelbourne, when my loan deal ended a few weeks ago I just wanted to get the deal done and make sure I’d be here next season. 

Shels is where I want to be. I’ve loved it here, it’s a challenging and intense environment but a perfect place for any young player to be. The players, all of the staff and the manager have all been great to me and I’m really excited about the plans here.

It’s a massively ambitious group and we’re just getting started. Tolka Park is home for me and I’m over the moon to sign for Shels permanently.”