2007: The Year That

Wasn’t Good for Me @ Being a Good Supporter
Might sound a bit hard, as I tried to keep up to date with all the goings on, on and off the field, but I think I only made it to about 10 matches all season, which was well below the 25-30 matches attended in previous seasons.

I didn’t even make any of the really big games like the European home game or the League Cup Final, as always timing and money came into the frame – something that will definitely have to be rectified this season. Also me learning to drive and getting a car would probably help me get to The Brandywell a bit more often.


Wasn’t Good for the League
When Pat Fenlon came in for the 2007 season, I thought we got the best man available for the job. However, one of the lads in work, a life long Shelbourne supporter said to him he believed it to be a mistake, as Fenlon wasn’t that good a manager, but considering the money he had to spend at Shels, it would have been hard not to win the league.

Well it’s often you’ll hear me say it, but a Shels fan got it right and I got it wrong, as Pat didn’t last half a season and now he’s at Bohs for the 2008 season.

He didn’t leave us in the best of shape and then John Robertson came in to steady the ship. The ship was steadied but a lot of draws in the league until the end of August meant we stayed mid table and that’s how it was meant to be for the rest of the season. We ended up 7th, 31 points behind Drogheda United, who won the league for the first time, congrats to them.

But 31pts behind the leaders after coming so close the previous 2 seasons is still kinda hard to wrap your head around. Some people may say we were punching above our weight in previous seasons, but I don’t think that was the case at all.

Well, roll on 2008


Wasn’t Good for Me @ Updating This Blog
5 updates to the Blog in 2007, the last one being in May say it all. Considering how easy it is to update the Blog and the fact that I’m not to worried about the literally content, there were ample times last season that I should have updated it, but never bothered my lazy ass.


Wasn’t Our Year for Europe
With Shels being relegated for financial reasons, their spot in the Champions League qualifiers fell to us. Unfortunately the Champions League isn’t regionalised like the UEFA Cup, so we ended up being drawn against FC Pyunik from Armenia. We were at home first, where we played out a 0-0 draw. Unfortunately we could take the chances to take a lead into the away game. I watched the match in Fitzsimmons in Temple Bar, Dublin with a load of Derry lads down working in Intel for a year.

In the away match, I ended up in the same pub, watching it with a couple from Derry, we lost 2-0 to 2 soft goals, and the European Dream ended for another year. A big mention has to go out to the fans how were able to make it over to the away game in Armenia, as it was one hell of a hard place to get to, and coming back most have been a real downer, as anyone knows travelling back from a lost away game always seems to be longer.


Was The Year for 3 in a Row
League Cup – 3rd year in the trot we’ve won the league cup. This time round it was against Bohemians up in The Brandywell. I ended up watching it in the house on my own, how bloody sad is that. Kevin McHugh won the game in extra-time with a wonder goal that went on to win Goal of the Season on TV3. Kevin scored in every round of the League Cup. You can watch it here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NI-m1nQQFQ0 – all thanks goes to martyc1989 for uploading it. Check out other clips uploaded from him, some great clips of The Candystripes there to be watched.

Was Good For Killer Football & Setanta Cup Predictions Competitions
As always, I ran the ePL Killer football to raise money for the SC, and made around €250 out of the Killer alone, and it still continues into 2008, and I’ve found my form again in Round 2, going out after 2 weeks over Christmas, but with 40 people in, it’s another €80 raised for the SC.

Also in 2007 I ran a Setanta Cup Predictions competition, raising €90 for the SC and €120 being split 3 ways between the winners, each getting a massive 70pts (out of a possible 310pts), with Stephen “Haircut 100” Large flying the flag for the SC.


Stephen Kenny Returned
28th December 2007 – Stephen Kenny is unveiled as the new Derry City FC Manager. I believe this has somewhat heightened the hopes of fans for next season, although as he said in the interview at the unveiling, he believes the fans will also be realistic in expectations for 2008.