Finn Harps Football Club ( irish : Cumann Peile Chláirsigh na Finne ) are an irish football clubhouse that play in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland, as of 2020. The clubhouse was founded in 1954 and elected to the league in 1969. however, it was technically founded on 30 November 1953. They hail from Ballybofey, County Donegal and play their home matches at Finn Park. The club ‘s colours are gloomy and flannel, and they go by the dub Harps. The independent successes of the club include winning an FAI Cup in 1973–74 and the First Division title in 2004. They besides contested the 1999 FAI Cup Final ( south ), a second gear replay of which ended in a narrow frustration, the first replay having been lost to a draw with 30 seconds left to play. Finn Harps parcel a local anesthetic competition with Derry City with whom they contest the Northwest Derby.
Reading: Finn Harps F.C.
history [edit ]
early years [edit ]
Finn Harps was formed in 1954 as a junior club. The club ‘s name derives from the river that runs through Ballybofey – the River Finn – and a traditional irish symbol – the harp. They first came to national prominence by winning the 1968 FAI Junior Cup. This enabled them to compete in the 1969 FAI Intermediate Cup. After they were knocked out of that competition, club directors Fran Fields and Patsy McGowan decided to apply to the League of Ireland for membership. The clubhouse was admitted into the senior ranks in May 1969 and played their first senior game against Shamrock Rovers on 17 August 1969. They lost the game 10–2. After initial worries that the club were not of sufficient standard, the club became a considerable impel during the 1970s .
1970s : A decade of laterality [edit ]
Finn Harps won their foremost senior trophy, the Dublin City Cup, in 1971–72, after a goal from golf club legend and all-time League of Ireland record goalscorer Brendan Bradley defeated Cork Hibernians at Dalymount Park. This was significant as before others had dismissed the idea of Finn Harps in the league. Two years later, Dalymount Park was again the view as the club secured its first and merely FAI Cup win. Two goals from Brendan Bradley and one from Charlie Ferry saw off the challenge of St Patrick ‘s Athletic. Finn Harps qualified for european competitions on four occasions during the 1970s. They appeared in the UEFA Cup three times against Aberdeen, Derby County and Everton respectively, after finishing as runner-up in the league. They appeared once in the european Cup Winners Cup, playing turkish Cup winners Bursaspor. The club was again runner-up in the League of Ireland Cup finals of 1974 and 1975 to Waterford and Bohemians respectively. Through the 1970s, the golf club never once finished in the bottom one-half of the mesa and were widely respected for their attractive and attacking football vogue. [ 1 ] The 1974 concluding was the inaugural to be broadcast in color .
behind decline [edit ]
The 1980s saw a gradual decline of the club when it came to competing against the best in Ireland. [ 1 ] An FAI Cup semi-final in 1981 and a League of Ireland First Division Shield final get the better of by EMFA were the highlights of the decade for them and by 1985 the cabaret had been relegated to the newly formed First Division. A series of managerial changes occurred over the following few years in an undertake to raise the club ‘s condition, but signs of improvement did not appear until the early 1990s. [ 1 ] Patsy McGowan took over as director for the third base fourth dimension at the depart of the 1992–93 season. The adjacent three seasons saw the cabaret coating in the play-off side twice, though they were beaten both times ( once by Cobh Ramblers and once by Athlone Town ). The cabaret let McGowan go before his target of promotion could be completed. Following this the club ‘s fortunes improved. however, Finn Harps won forwarding at the end of the 1995–96 temper, thus bringing an end to end their 11-season spell in the First Division. During the summer of 1996, a consortium of businessmen offered to take control condition of the clubhouse, but – when their offer was rejected – the coach and certain members of the club committee resigned. The baseball club appointed Charlie McGeever as director and, despite time being against him, he managed to assemble a squad for the opening of the 1996–97 season. By the season ‘s decision, he had ensured that the clubhouse ‘s Premier Division condition was retained. Off the plain, the remaining committee members set the cabaret up as a co-operative club, selling shares to the ordinary supporters, to ensure that the club would be owned and run by the people whom they felt would rightfully care about it. A long-run blueprint for the future was put in rate. [ 2 ] In 1998–99, Finn Harps finished one-fourth in the Premier Division ; one degree behind Shelbourne in third base position and good missed out on Europe. They made it to the 1999 FAI Cup Final but lost to Bray Wanderers after a number of replays, leaving themselves with nothing to show ( bar the irish News Cup ) for what is considered to be one of their most impressive seasons. [ 1 ] After a very poor depart to the 1999–00 temper, and with the team having won one point from a possible 21, McGeever resigned as director. The club appointed Gavin Dykes as coach and, though he managed to retain the club ‘s Premier Division condition, they were forced to go populace company due to fiscal difficulties and debts amounting to £280,000. The following season, and after an abysmal run of results, Dykes resigned. Fan-favourite Jonathan Speak took his put as raw fiscal structures were put into place and a newly appointed fund-raise committee established along with numerous patron clubs around the nation. however, after a run of 14 games undefeated and a late-season fightback, Finn Harps were ultimately relegated to the First Division on the last sidereal day of the season. This ended a five-year prevail in the top escape. [ 1 ]
Speak ‘s inaugural full season in accusation saw the club coating irregular to Drogheda United in the First Division, therefore securing them a play-off place for promotion. Longford Town beat them on penalties. The follow season saw the club finish third and lose at the play-off semi-final stage to Galway United. Speak managed to hold most of the team together, despite their top-scorer Kevin McHugh ( who formed a successful ahead partnership with English striker Damien Whitehead ) attracting the interest of several Premier Division clubs. Considered bookmaker ‘s favourites to lift the 2003 title and win promotion, Finn Harps began well but fell to fourth place after having gone without a acquire for a month by mid-september. This poor run included a home-loss to the neighbor northwest clubhouse Sligo Rovers and a home-draw against league leaders Dublin City, the latter game billed as a must-win equal. [ 1 ] Despite losing only two games for the entire season, the nine draw cost Speak his job. Speak ‘s adjunct, Sean McGowan, took irregular cathexis until a desirable placement was found and steadied the club with two wins from two. Approaching the final one-third of the season, the club appointed Noel King as director. They were rejuvenated and stormed second to the top of the First Division table with a clubhouse record-equalling six wins on the trot. [ 1 ] With entirely four games remaining, Finn Harps led the table by a degree but losses away to Bray Wanderers and Dublin City handed the style to Dublin City and left Finn Harps in the now-dreaded playoffs once again. They disposed of Bray Wanderers in the semi-finals but lost in the final to local rivals Derry City, who had finished ninth in that season ‘s Premier Division. [ 1 ] Noel King lasted six games into the 2004 season before leaving the club by reciprocal accept, with the sum of travelling the Dubliner had to endure being cited as one of the main reasons for his departure. [ 1 ] Sean McGowan, his adjunct, once again took mission for two games but within ten-spot days the club announced a shock refilling. Felix Healy, the former Derry City player and coach who had won all domestic major honours with his home-town club, would be the modern coach. Fans viewed this as a boldface be active by the Finn Harps board of directors, considering Healy ‘s history with the club ‘s fiercest rivals. [ 1 ] however, Healy – in the clubhouse ‘s gold jubilee year – won the club ‘s first base First Division championship and achieved the forwarding to the Premier Division that had eluded thus many managers before him. however, the following temper saw the baseball club fight in the Premier Division and Harps sacked Healy in July. Anthony Gorman agreed to become player-manager until the end of the season. however, at the season ‘s end and with Finn Harps relegated again, Gorman agreed to take the position on a full-time basis only to leave following the 2006 season as his efforts to lead the baseball club to promotion failed. In 2007, after Paul Hegarty took charge of managing the team, [ 3 ] fiscal difficulties that had closely bankrupted the club some seasons earlier became more prevailing so the golf club – clamber in the lower one-half of the First Division – put all players on sale. [ 1 ] The 2007 season started sluggishly with a numeral of defeats and “ hold withdraw ” ( notably against Monaghan United ), but a drawn-out unbeaten run left the club in second place in the league, only one luff behind Cobh Ramblers. They emerged as victors over Dundalk from the first attack of the First Division play-off, with a 2–0 win. The beginning leg of the final play-off round against Waterford United ended at Finn Park with Harps taking a 3–0 advantage to the Waterford RSC ahead of the render peg, which ended 3–3. thus, Harps secured promoted to the Premier Division 6–3 on aggregate. In 2008, Harps began the conversion from a semi-professional, part-time club to a full-time apparatus over the off-season, with 16 full-time players on the books as of the open day of the temper. The conversion succeeded but relegation beckoned once again for the club, this time on the final day. Though they won their game, Galway United ‘s win sealed the destiny of Harps. In 2009, Finn Harps played in the FAI First Division, on a semi-professional basis once again. On 11 May 2009, Paul Hegarty left the club, citing “ personal reasons ”. James Gallagher replaced Hegarty as coach. On 3 May 2011, Peter Hutton took over as director, while early Northern Ireland international and chap former Derry City player Felix Healy besides arrived to take the function of cabaret director of football. Following the final family game of the 2013 temper ( a 3–2 win against champions Athlone Town ), Hutton announced his resignation as director. [ 4 ]
rejuvenation and the ‘Ollie Years ‘ [edit ]
On 25 November 2013, the club named Galway native and former Fanad United coach Ollie Horgan as coach for the 2014 season. [ 5 ] In his inaugural temper in charge, Horgan led the club to an FAI Cup semi final for the first base time in 15 years, before being beaten by Premier Division side St. Patrick ‘s Athletic in Richmond Park. The 2015 season concluded with Finn Harps securing forwarding to the League of Ireland Premier Division by beating Limerick 2–1 on sum in a celebrated relegation/promotion playoff, the second leg of which occurred on 6 November 2015. [ 6 ] Against all the odds, Horgan managed to keep Finn Harps in the Premier Division in 2016, however, in their second season back in the top flight they were relegated once again. They spent 2018 in the First Division, achieving immediate promotion – again at the expense of Limerick in the relegation/promotion play-off, though this time on a 3-0 aggregate score. 2019 saw another relegation battle, as Harps defeated Drogheda United in the relegation play-off game in Finn Park to retain their Premier Division condition for 2020. 2019-20 marks Harps ‘s fiftieth season in the League of Ireland. [ 7 ] In a COVID-19 interrupt 2020 season, Harps again managed to avoid the drop, with a concluding day of the season win against Waterford F.C. securing their place in the Premier Division again under Horgan, in what was his one-seventh temper in charge of Harps. The 2021 season got off to a adept start with Adam Foley securing a win over Bohemians. May 2021 would see Finn Harps get their first ever away success over Derry City at league level. [ 8 ]
stadium [edit ]
Finn Harps maneuver at Finn Park in Ballybofey, County Donegal. Finn Park is formed chiefly of open terracing surrounding the football pitch. In 2005, the terraces were renovated for health and safety reasons as new concrete surfaces replaced the erstwhile wake slopes. [ 9 ] [ 10 ] In entire, the ground ‘s capacitance accommodates approximately 6,000 spectators. The stadium has one covered stand, which besides caters for 350 seat supporters. The area allocated to supporters of visiting teams is the terrace opposite the induct stand ( situated in the Shed End ). The slope dimensions measure 110 yards in length by 80 yards in width. [ 11 ] Sitting on the banks of the River Finn, Finn Park is prone to waterlogging in times of wet weather .
New stadium [edit ]
The cabaret planned to move to a newly cover 6,600 all-seater stadium just across the River Finn in Stranorlar. The marriage proposal would besides feature an FAI Regional Development Centre. [ 12 ] Club shareholders gave the club ‘s board a mandate in 2005 to proceed with the stadium plans. Planning license was obtained in mid-2005. Approval to proceed to tender was obtained from the Football Association of Ireland in early 2006 and local developers, Joseph McMenamin and Sons, won the tender process and had their tender approved a year late. Finn Harps received fund of €750,000 in 2007 to commence works at the fresh stadium. They hoped to be in the newly stadium for the 2013 season. workplace ceased on the new stadium due to the recession and miss of funds. [ 13 ] Work was expected to resume on the stadium in early 2011 but in the end it did not restart until late 2014. [ 14 ]
Colours and crests [edit ]
The traditional color of Finn Harps are blue and white. The cabaret played in white jerseys and blue shorts upon entrance into the League of Ireland. Their aside plunder was all green. Since that time Harps have played in either white or blue jerseys as their primary tinge and used green, jaundiced or white as their away colours. In the 1975/76 and 1976/77 Harps wore blue and white stripes and repeated this during 1983/84 and 1984/85. Harps kits and training gear is presently manufactured by Joma Sports, and the club ‘s jerseys are sponsored by the KN Group, with Superior Group and Joey O’Leary sponsoring the back and sleeves respectively. The current home strip is made up of a bluing new jersey with white sleeves, egg white shorts and aristocratic socks with the home goalkeeping kit being pretty exchangeable except with a sparkle green jersey with blacken shorts and black socks. The stream away strip consists of a aglow yellow jersey with navy trim, united states navy shorts and united states navy socks, the away goalkeeping kit out is made up of a black jersey, black shorts and black socks. Harps current third kit is made up of a dark silver/grey jersey with blue trim, with match shorts and socks, the third gear goalkeeping kit consists of a chicken jersey with black shorts and black socks.
Read more: Paris Saint-Germain F.C.
Finn Harps have sported assorted crests throughout their history. All, largely round in composition, have featured a harp and fresh designs have basically been modernised updates of the previous crest. The harp has traditionally been a symbol of Ireland. Footballs have besides been a common feature of speech. The modern conventionalized crests contain the club ‘s name in a Gaelic-style font, exchangeable to the Gandalf font. For the club ‘s fortunate jubilee year, 2004, they introduced a new fortunate crest which was very like to their early crest. Bar this crest, amobarbital sodium, green and white have been coarse colours used. In 2010, Finn Harps decided to play in an all-white kit due to demand from supporters after they wore an all-white kit against Shelbourne to celebrate 40 years in the League of Ireland in 2009. They reverted to blue base kits in 2011. For the 2021 temper, Joma sport has been announced as the jersey partner .
Supporters [edit ]
Finn Harps supporters share a friendly competition with their northwest neighbours, Derry City. The most exciting meet between the two sides was possibly the 2003 delegating play-off between the two sides. A Brandywell Stadium packed with both sets of fans witnessed a Finn Harps english managed by Noel King ( a former Derry City coach ) lose a highly charged affair that finished 2–1 to Derry after an extra-time goal from Derry City favorite, Liam Coyle. [ 15 ] A friendly competition is maintained between the two clubs, so far both have encountered times of trouble in holocene years. One team has often been helped by the other in this respect. Harps ‘ other main bowler hat is with southerly neighbours Sligo Rovers Harps have a good relationship with Shamrock Rovers. The clubs have provided fiscal aid to each early in the past and both sets of supporters socialise in concert when the clubs play one another. The cabaret ‘s anthem “ The Finn Harps song ” can often be heard being sung by the club ‘s supporters and its lyrics “ they follow them in Donegal, Derry and Tyrone ” illustrates that the main core of the Harps documentation comes from the North West of Ireland .
Players [edit ]
team [edit ]
- As of 4 July 2021 (UTC)[16]
notice : Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality .
- Out on loan
note : Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality .
technical staff [edit ]
Position
Staff
Manager
Ollie Horgan
Assistant Manager
Paul Hegarty
First Team Coach
Alan Henry
Coach
Andrew Foley
Performance Analysis
Thomas Hughes
Goalkeeping Coach
David Crawford
Reserve Team Manager
Tommy Canning
Strength and Conditioning
Pearse Lafferty
First Team Physio
Conall McFadden
First Team Masseuse
Ronan Steede
Youth Team Physio
Mickey McGlynn
Club Nutritionist
Nina Singaroyan
Kitmen
Dougie McNulty & Tommy Harkin
Academy staff [edit ]
Position
Staff
Head of Youth Development
Kevin McHugh
Under-19 Team Manager
Stephen McNutt
Under-17 Team Manager
Dan Nolan
Under-16 Development Team Manager
Ben Reuven
Under-15 Team Manager
Eamonn Curry
Under-14 Team Manager
Kevin McHugh
Under-13 Development Team Manager
Conrad Clarke
Honours [edit ]
Source : [ 17 ] [ 18 ]
european record [edit ]
overview [edit ]
Competition
Matches
W
D
L
GF
GA
UEFA Cup
6
0
0
6
3
33
European Cup Winners’ Cup
2
0
1
1
2
4
TOTAL
8
0
1
7
5
37
Matches [edit ]
Rivalries [edit ]
Finn Harps and Derry City share what is called the Northwest Rivalry. Although Sligo Rovers besides play in the Northwest of Ireland, the clubs ‘ respective games with this team are not considered to represent the meet of the traditional Northwest Derby. It has been heatedly contested since Derry entered the League in 1985. The near proximity of the two clubs, being alone 40 miles apart, has contributed to the competition with Sligo being foster away for both clubs. The potent contrast between the two clubs, Rural/Urban and the gulf in achiever, has aided the competition. Both sets of fans can be frequently heard singing songs about each other. many players have played for both clubs, the most noteworthy of whom is Kevin McHugh. Their competition with Shamrock Rovers did not improve after Rovers were unduly given a soft penalty in the 2020 season. This led to Finn Harps falling out of that years competition and is seen by some as unfair .