One of the founding members of the League of Ireland, St James Gate FC, has folded after 120 years.
Established in 1902 for the workers of St James’s Gate Brewery, the Dublin club were one of the founding members of the Free State League in 1921/22. They competed at senior level until 1944.
In 1990, they returned to the First Division and competed there until 1996.
🖤 1902 - 2022 🖤 pic.twitter.com/bSdzs7Ni1w
— St. James Gate FC (@StJamesGate1902) July 12, 2022
In a statement released on social media, the club said: “The day has come where we have no choice but to close the doors on 120 years of history.
“Many circumstances had led to our decision, but effective immediately St James Gate FC will not be submitting a team for the upcoming Leinster Senior League season and will no longer be competing moving forward.
“The club has enjoyed many successes over the years including becoming the first winners of the League of Ireland and FAI Cups, meaning our names will forever be etched in Irish football’s history books.”
“Myself and Jack O’Doyle, the chairman, took over seven or eight years ago,” vice-chairman Alex Sexton explains to The42. “Mick Mougan was there before. He did an exceptional role in keeping the club afloat, taking on various roles including player-manager at one stage.
“We’ve been fighting the wolves from the door since day one. Never on the front foot. Working in the catchment area of Dublin 12, it is very difficult to attract players. Crumlin United, Bluebell United, Bangor Celtic are all around the same area scraping for the same players and resources in terms of sponsorship.
“It has been a hard slog. We tried everything. Even up until the last few weeks, we reached out to ex-players, former coaches and committee members to tell them the situation and look for solutions. We could never get to a position to keep things going.”
Ultimately, due to a lack of funding, resources and people the club were faced with no alternative. On social media, there has been an outpouring of tributes in the aftermath of the news. A club with a rich history and several former Irish internationals has folded.
“I think it should be a warning,” stresses Sexton. “The state of junior football right now is dying off. I’ve been around this level, intermediate football and below for the last 20 years. It is at its worst now.”
