2006 Shelbourne F.C. season explained

In the 2006 season, Shelbourne were crowned League of Ireland Premier Division champions.

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from Tolka Park, as players, unhappy with the wage situation, departed to rival clubs - many having their contracts rescinded by law.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)

Transfers In

The following players joined Shelbourne for the 2006 campaign:

Date	Pos.	Name	From
8 December 2005	MF	Greg O'Halloran	Cork City
10 January 2006	DF	Sean Dillon	Longford Town
11 February 2006	MF	Liam Kearney	Cork City

Transfers Out

Date	Pos.	Name	To
19 November 2005	MF	Alan Cawley	UCD
19 November 2005	DF	Kevin Doherty	Longford Town
19 November 2005	FW	Glen Fitzpatrick	Drogheda United
19 November 2005	DF	Curtis Fleming
19 November 2005	DF	Derek Pender	Dublin City
19 November 2005	FW	Ger Rowe	Ballymena United
19 November 2005	MF	Hussain Yazdani	Kilkenny City
30 December 2005	MF	Wes Hoolahan	Livingston
	MF	Brian King	Kilkenny City
12 July 2006	MF	Alan Reynolds	Waterford United

Results

League of Ireland Premier Division

Expunged League Results

Final League

UEFA Intertoto Cup

Shelbourne won 5 - 0 on aggregate

OB Odense won 3 - 1 on aggregate

Setanta Sports Cup

See main article: 2006 Setanta Sports Cup.

Final Group B Table

Friendlies

2006 season Statistics

Player appearances/goals

As of 17 November 2006.

|}

Top goalscorers

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2025, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.

Position	Goalscorer	Total Goals	League Goals	Cup Goals
	Jason Byrne
	Glen Crowe
	Gary O'Neill
	Stuart Byrne
	Ollie Cahill
	Joseph Ndo
	Bobby Ryan
	Colin Hawkins
	Owen Heary
	Greg O'Halloran
	Jamie Harris
	Richie Baker
	Sean Dillon
	Liam Kearney