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| Full name | Pioneers Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1908 | ||
| Ground | ALSAA Sports Complex Dublin Airport | ||
| Manager | Gary Deegan | ||
| League | Leinster Senior League Amateur Football League League of Ireland | ||
Pioneers Football Club is anIrish association football club based inDublin. It was founded in1908 by members of thePioneer Total Abstinence Association. Between1922–23 and1925–26 they played four seasons in theLeague of Ireland. In 2009–10 Pioneers were playing in the Amateur Football League.[1] In 2015 Pioneers were revived after a five-season period of inactivity. They recently played in theLeinster Senior League before disbanding in 2017.[2][3]
In 1921–22 Pioneers were playing in theLeinster Senior League Senior Division. Other teams in this league this season includedShamrock Rovers,Bohemians B,St James's Gate B,Bray Unknowns,Shelbourne United,Midland Athletic,Brooklyn, Merrion, Glasnevin, CYMS and Richmond.[4]
The1922–23 season saw theLeague of Ireland expand from eight to twelve teams. AfterFrankfort andYMCA dropped out, Pioneers became one of six new teams to join the league. The others wereShamrock Rovers,Shelbourne United,Rathmines Athletic,Athlone Town andMidland Athletic. Pioneers subsequently spent four seasons playing in theLeague of Ireland. They finished the 1922–23 season in 8th place, the1923–24 season in 9th place and both the1924–25 and1925–26 seasons in 10th and last place. At the end of the 1925–26 season they failed to get re–elected and they were replaced byDundalk.[5][6] Pioneers also played in fourFAI Cup campaigns. Their best result was a quarter final appearance in1924–25.[7]
In 1923Gallia Club Paris visited Dublin to play two friendly matches againstBohemians and Pioneers. The tour was significant as it saw theFrench Football Federation officially recognize theFootball Association of Ireland. On Saturday, 31 March, Gallia played a 1–1 draw against Bohemians atDalymount Park. Then on Sunday, 1 April, at same venue, a Pioneer XI played a 0–0 draw with Gallia. The FAI originally hoped that Gallia would play aLeague of Ireland XI. However the FFF had only sanctioned club matches. The Pioneer XI, however, was entirely made up of guest players and was effectively a League of Ireland XI. None of the players selected played for Pioneers. The guest players included, among others,Frank Collins,Ernie MacKay,Charlie Dowdall,Ned Brooks,Bob Fullam andChristy Robinson.[8][9]
| Stat | Opponent | Score | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Record Win | Midland Athletic Rathmines Athletic | 4–0 4–0 | 7 October1922 4 November1922 |
| Record Defeat | Shelbourne | 0–9 | 16 December1922 |
During their four seasons in theLeague of Ireland, Pioneers played their home games at two different venues. During the1922–23 season they played at Strand Hall,Clontarf. The following three seasons,1923–24 to1925–26 saw them play at The Thatch inWhitehall. During the 1923–24 season they shared this venue withMidland Athletic. While playing in the Amateur Football League Pioneers played atSaint Anne's Park. Since 2015 they have been based at the ALSSA Sports Complex, nearDublin Airport.
The following Pioneer F.C. players representedIreland at full international level.
Paddy O'Reilly1924
