2006 Shelbourne F.C. season

Overview

Despite having battled with dire finances for much of the 2006 season, mainly due to market risk-taking in the drive for success, over-expenditure on player-purchase fees, high wages, low home attendance rates and continuing tax debts, Shelbourne actually managed to win the title. However, they had been hit with three winding-up orders by the Revenue Commissioners within a spell of nine months but just about managed to gather enough funds and investment to keep the tax collectors off their backs and keep the club running on each occasion. This was at the expense of the players, though, who had gone for weeks without their wages and it seemed that the only thing keeping them performing at the club was the season's climax and the drive for the title, as well as promises (which ultimately turned out to be empty) of a remedy. Once the season came to a close the rot set in and the general public were made fully aware of the true extent of how poor a state the club were in. Due to the finances, many found it extraordinary that Shelbourne had been awarded a Premier Division licence for 2007 by the Independent Assessment Group a few months earlier. They saw it as another chance to criticise the lack of transparency within the organisation that appointed the Group who were supposed to dispense licences to clubs who were solvent and financially stable for the foreseeable future - the Football Association of Ireland. The association has been well used to criticism of its administration in the past, but clearly, the Group could not have been said to have performed their role effectively.

Manager Pat Fenlon tendered his resignation from Shelbourne on 5 December 2006. This was in spite of Shelbourne winning the title on goal difference from Derry City. Fenlon's departure precipitated a widescale exodus from Tolka Park, as players, unhappy with the wage situation, departed to rival clubs - many having their contracts rescinded by law.

Personnel

Managerial/backroom staff

Manager: Pat Fenlon

Assistant Manager: Eamon Collins

2006 squad members

(Captain)

Out on loan

Transfers In

The following players joined Shelbourne for the 2006 campaign:

Transfers Out

Results

League of Ireland Premier Division

Paul Caffrey
Wesley Charles

Trevor Molloy
Paul Keegan Colin Hawkins
Owen Heary

Liam Kearney

Gary O'Neill

Neale Fenn

Stuart Byrne

Jason Byrne
Ollie Cahill

Glen Crowe

Colin Hawkins
Joseph Ndo
Glen Crowe

Jason Byrne
Joseph Ndo
Ollie Cahill

Jason Byrne

Ollie Cahill
Owen Heary

Glen Crowe Roy O'Donovan (pen.) Joe Gamble

Stephen Caffrey

Lee Roche Bobby Ryan
Glen Crowe

Glen Crowe

Glen Crowe
Jamie Harris

Glen Crowe Kevin Deery
Pat Jennings

Richie Baker

Pat McCourt

Greg O'Halloran Gavin Whelan

Adam Hughes (o.g.)

Joe Gamble

Glen Crowe
Richie Baker

Expunged League Results

Joseph Ndo

Final League

League results summary

League Form/Results by Round

UEFA Intertoto Cup

[[2006 UEFA Intertoto Cup#First round|First round]]

Jason Byrne
Glen Crowe Rolandas Karcemarskas
Robertas Vezevicius Shelbourne won 5 - 0 on aggregate

[[2006 UEFA Intertoto Cup#Second round|Second round]]

OB Odense won 3 - 1 on aggregate

FAI Carlsberg Cup

[[FAI Cup 2006#Second round|Second round]]

Jason Byrne
Stuart Byrne

[[FAI Cup 2006#Third round|Third round]]

eircom League Cup

[[League of Ireland Cup 2006#Second round|Second round]]

[[League of Ireland Cup 2006#Quarter-finals|Quarter-Finals]]

Glen Crowe
Greg O'Halloran

[[League of Ireland Cup 2006#Semi-finals|Semi-Finals]]

Jason McGuinness

[[League of Ireland Cup 2006#Final|Final]]

Killian Brennan Ruaidhri Higgins
Darren Kelly Jason Byrne Glen Crowe

Setanta Sports Cup

Main article: 2006 Setanta Sports Cup

[[2006 Setanta Sports Cup#Group B|Group B]]

Glen Crowe

Peter Thompson

Ollie Cahill

Final Group B Table

[[2006 Setanta Sports Cup#Semi-finals|Semi-Finals]]

Neale Fenn David Crawley

Friendlies

Brian King

Glen Crowe
Jason Byrne

Alan Moore
Glen Crowe
Greg O'Halloran
David Crawley

Gary O'Neill

Rory Delap

2006 season Statistics

Player appearances/goals

As of 17 November 2006.

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Top goalscorers

References