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Paul Byrne Shelbourne FC No#1 Fan Paul Byrne was
the only fan present when the team toured Australia back in 1992. He remembers it vividly too. “We played in Canberra, went up to Sydney to play a game and then flew to Perth to play a game there. We played three nil-all matches,” he laughs. “We were there to commemorate the 30th anniversary of winning the league, when we won in ‘62. Because I was a part of the official tour, I ended up going as the kitman, it was good fun, I didn’t have a kit with me sure. It was a great aul trip.” It could be argued that Byrne is Shelbourne FC’s biggest fan. He’s been to about 1,400 games, “give or take a few,” and has familial connections to the club tracing back to 1895. “My dad played for them, but he got badly injured when he was about 20 so he never actually played for the senior team. If he had gotten treatment, he would have been out of work for about a year which in those days, it wasn’t going to happen,” he says. “I also have cousins who played for Shelbourne and my dad’s uncle played for them back in 1906.” Now 62, Byrne says the first game that he really remembers was when Shelbourne played Dundalk in 1964. “Back then they used to advertise the revenue taken in at the gate and it was £1,998. I was sitting on my Dad’s shoulders and heard that being announced, that’s why I remember that game so clearly.” Byrne is a wealth of knowledge about the League of Ireland and particularly Shelbourne FC. He casually recites the great rivalries that his beloved club had with Derry and Dundalk in the early ‘90s and the club’s time playing in Harold’s Cross Stadium during the ‘80s. Byrne is more than a ticket-buying fan, however. Over the decades he has been involved with the club at different times and at different levels. In Harold’s Cross Stadium, he and a few others were responsible for making sure all the rubbish left behind from the dog racing the night before was cleaned up prior to kick-off. Before the club permanently moved into Tolka Park in 1990, he helped get the stadium ready with general handywork. He also ran the souvenir shop for a period and helped out on the turnstiles when he could. “I like to help out as much as I can. We always had designated turnstile people and stewards and so on but for the bigger games we would chip in.” “I was programme editor about 30 years ago and it’s now coming around again. I do that and I’m also the Chairman of the SSDG, the Shelbourne Supporters Development Group. We’re a supporter’s club that would have to be fairly influential on club policy.” Byrne thinks for a moment when asked about what his favourite memory would be supporting his boyhood club. Eventually, after a few seconds, he recalls the time that Shelbourne beat Dundalk to win the league after a 30 year wait. “In 1992, we went up to Oriel Park (Dundalk’s stadium) and won 3-1. It was personally, very emotional for me because my father died a few years beforehand. I was with my uncle and cousin and I remember my uncle said to me, ‘I wish Billy was here.’ It even gets to me now, thinking about it.” On the flip side, Byrne expresses disappointment in the team’s position over the past few seasons. “The last six years being in the first division, for a club like Shels and our achievements, it has been tough. We have got new investors in and signed some good, young players so I’m hoping we win promotion this season.” “Going forward we will be debt free, have a lot more Dublin derbies, a lot more revenue – I think we’ll have a higher profile. We’ll be in a place where a club like Shelbourne should be.” Although Byrne is looking forward to clashing once again with old Dublin foes, he has reservations about the groundshare. “There won’t be one fan that will want to move to Dalymount Park but having said that the reality is that the debt will be written off and we’ll be going to a purpose-built stadium. It’s going to be very difficult for us to go over and try and drum up support in that area. We’re essentially going in as the arch rivals, it won’t be easy.” “We have our concerns about practical situations and how things are going to unfold but I’m very hopeful that things are on the up and I’m hopeful that it’ll work out.” It even gets to me now, thinking about it. 26