Shamrock Rovers

.

The origins of Shamrock Rovers is disputed amongst supporters of the club. There is no official record of the time period is available. The earliest mentioned information about the team in newspaper archives of the National Library of Ireland came from the year 1901. A report in the club's annual programme that was published on 28 December 1941 states it was established in the year. The research conducted by Shamrock Rovers Heritage Trust Shamrock Rovers Heritage Trust uncovered an extremely brief article published in the Evening Herald from April 1899 regarding a match that took place between Shamrock Rovers and Rosemount, which proved that the club was operating since at least the time of its founding. The only two certainty regarding the history of the club as it relates to the year in which they founded are that Rovers only played exhibition matches during the initial two years of their existence . Also, they registered in the Leinster Football Association in 1901. The issue is about the fact that the two years of exhibition matches were played prior to or after registration. Through the 1970s and the 1980s, the year 1899 was noted upon the gate at Glenmalure Park but since the 1990s, 1901 has been selected as the year of the founding by the various administrations that had governed the club. Following the finding of evidence to support the existence of a founding date prior to April 1899, the club inaugurated the 1899 Suite at Tallaght Stadium in February 2017.

Shamrock Rovers originate from Ringsend in the Southside suburban area in Dublin. The club's name is derived in Shamrock Avenue in Ringsend, where the first club rooms were erected. The club was founded in September of 1906. following several seasons of operation, Rovers withdrew from the First Division of the Leinster Senior League. Then, in 1914, the club reinstated and began playing games in Ringsend Park. On the 17th of April, 1915, they was awarded the Irish Junior Cup, which was then the most prestigious junior tournament held in an international basis. They beat Derry Celtic Swifts 1-0 in the final match, which was played in Dublin. Then, Ringsend park became unavailable within two years. The club disbanded , and was a mere exhibition team for the following five years. The year 1921 saw Shamrock Rovers were resurrected in a different form, this time as an Leinster Senior League outfit, and they made it to in the last four of first FAI Cup, where they were defeated by St James's Gate in a match marred by violence from the crowd. In the following season Shamrock Rovers won the League of Ireland title at the first try, playing 21 games without losing and scoring scores of 77 goals. In 1924, a key part of the League winning team of two years earlier, Bob Fullam, returned to Rovers from Leeds United and combined with John Flood, John Fagan and Billy Farrell to complete the forward line, known as The Four Fs. At the end of five seasons during the League of Ireland in 1924, the club had achieved three League titles as well as the FAI Cup. In in the 30s the team won another three League titles as well as 5 FAI Cups with Irish internationals, Paddy Moore and Jimmy Dunne, playing a key role in their success. They were backed by a crowd of nearly 30000 people in Glenmalure Park. In 1949, Shamrock Rovers had established themselves as the most successful Irish football club. The 44 major trophies they won included Six League of Ireland titles, 11 FAI Cups, seven League of Ireland Shields and the six Leinster Senior Cups, two Dublin City Cups, four Intercity Cups and eight President's Cups.

The month of November, 1949 was the time that following death of Jimmy Dunne, Paddy Coad took over the role of manager-player having been for the club for more than eight years. In that the time he had earned himself the reputation of being one of Ireland's most successful athletes within the League of Ireland. Coad chose to implement a revolutionary youth policy, and in the time of his initial three years as manager was able to sign all of the schoolboy international team to Rovers. The way he trained was revolutionary that focused on the technical ability and possession that led to a quick and a moving style of soccer which contributed greatly to the growth and growth of football in Ireland. The year 1954 saw the club was awarded the League of Ireland for the first time in 15 years, and Paddy Ambrose finished the season as the leading scorer for the team. The team was dominated by players such as Liam Tuohy and Coad himself The team, known as Coad's Colts continued to take home another two league championships, as well as 2 FAI Cups, concluding the golden age of Irish football as one of the greatest teams.

Following Coad's departure in Coad in the year 1960, and following an ineligible campaign with Albie Murphy Sean Thomas took on the responsibility in rebuilding the Rovers team that had been affected by the split in Coad's Colts. Paddy Ambrose and Ronnie Nolan were still at the club, as did Ronnie Nolan. They were joined by huge number of new signings, including Irish players who were internationals like Frank O'Neill and Johnny Fullam. The decision of Liam Tuohy to rejoin Newcastle United as the captain after four successful seasons in Newcastle United, effectively saw the end of Thomas the team. Newcastle United won every national award, with the exception of that of the Top Four Competition in the 1963-64 season , and was narrowly defeat by holders of the trophy and champions, Valencia, in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. Thomas was able to leave the Hoops at the close of the season after an argument against Cunninghams Cunninghams (Owners) regarding the selection of players. Liam Tuohy took over as manager and player and led the club to another five FAI Cups in succession, finishing a string of six. One of them was a 3-0 win over League of Ireland champions, Waterford in 1968, the presence of 40,000 fans on Dalymount Park. The entire summer of 1967 was filled with travel to United States, participating in the formation of the United Soccer Association, where Rovers played for Boston under the name of Boston Rovers. The season of 1968-69 was a memorable one, with Mick Leech score a total of 56 goals for the club, with two in the final FAI Cup final of the Six in Row Row period, in the match against Cork Celtic.

The Hoops were defeated by Shelbourne in the opening round of the FAI Cup in 1970, their first loss over 32 Cup games in seven years, was the beginning of the downward spiral that the team. Although the club only narrowly missed out on winning the League title in the 1970-71 campaign in controversial circumstances, the following 12 years were an unforgiving time for the club, both in and off the field. On the 25th of April, 1971 Rovers played Cork Hibs in Dalymount in an League play-off that was watched by over 28,000 spectators. The build-up for the match was chaotic as directors and players fought over the win bonus. Hibs took the play-off by a score of 3-1. The following season was when the Cunninghams were now in the hands of their sons Arthur and Des sold the club in the hands of three brothers who were from Dublin; Paddy, Barton and Louis Kilcoyne. The Kilcoynes were accustomed to large crowds at Irish football games and hoped to buy the club, primarily for commercial reasons. But, in the span of five years the huge crowds vanished from Irish stadiums for football and were together with the decline of Drumcondra and Cork Hibs, the decline in the fortunes of a variety of top clubs as well as the absence of action from the FAI and the FAI, the League of Ireland was plunged into a soaring decline. With a declining attendance The Kilcoynes made the decision to starve the club and shrewdly sell senior players , who were substituted with junior footballers. While on a tour in Japan during 1975 Mick Meagan and Theo Dunne's youngsters beat Japan's Japanese national team by a score of 3-2 before more than 60,000 fans on the Olympic Stadium, but that victory was the most memorable moment of the season that saw the team finish at the bottom of the table. They then applied to join the League of Ireland.

In the year 1976, Meagan and Dunne resigned from the club. They they were succeeded by Sean Thomas, the architect of the Six in a Row side which, with limited funds were able to sign Johnny Fullam and Mick Leech along with John Conway from Bohemians. Rovers ended the season 1976-77 in 11th place, but had the sole League of Ireland Cup, Leech's 250th goal in his career being the deciding factor against Sligo. The team was re-elected in July of 1977. Irish manager and international footballer John Giles returned to Dublin to assume the same position at Rovers. The Kilcoynes adopted an all-time policy, and announced plans to revamp Glenmalure Park as a 50,000 all-seater stadium and creating an academy of excellence for Irish football that was capable of competing for European honors. Giles hired Irish internationals Ray Treacy, Eamon Dunphy and Paddy Mulligan to complement the youth squad. In his first year in his charge of the team, they took home the 21st FAI Cup, defeating Sligo in an unpopular final. However, despite the success and astonishing wins in European competitions in the face of Apoel Nicosia as well as Fram Reykjavik, Giles' method of focusing on possession football was not successful and on the 3rd of February 1983, he quit the club.

At the end of summer 1983 Jim McLaughlin replaced Noel Campbell as Rovers manager, following an impressive time at Dundalk. Louis Kilcoyne made money available to McLaughlin who responded by selling and disbanding almost all the players which he inherited from the Giles time period, which included the fan favourite, Alan O'Neill, while keeping the expertise from Liam Buckley, Harry Kenny, Alan Campbell and Peter Eccles. The team he brought in was basically an League of Ireland XI which included Jody Byrne and Noel King from Dundalk, Mick Neville from Drogheda, the trio of Eviston, Brady and O'Brien from Bohemians and Anto Wolan as well as Neville Steedman from Manchester United and Thurles Town. 1 April 1984 was the day that the club claimed the premier League of Ireland title in 20 years in an impressive 3-1 victory over Shelbourne and fourteen days later, against Limerick on Glenmalure Park, midfielder and captain Pat Byrne was presented with the award. Following the win the club's two best forwards Campbell Buckley and Campbell Buckley, were moved into Racing de Santander and K.S.V. Waregem. McLaughlin took over the team with Mick Byrne and Noel Larkin and the duo proved to be efficient as the club went on to take home three League titles as well as three FAI Cups, with Byrne winning the final game in The four in a Row period as the league's top goal-scorer. Dermot Keely was manager and played for the club in the year following McLaughlin's decision move into Derry City The Hoops won the majority of League match out of their 100 between August 1983 until April 1987, and only lost 11.

Following their fourteenth League championship, Louis Kilcoyne announced that the Kilcoynes were selling Glenmalure Park, which they had purchased recently by the Jesuits. The team played for the whole 1987-88 season in an completely empty Tolka Park as a result of a boycott demanded from the Shamrock Rovers Supporters' Club and KRAM (Keep Rovers At Milltown) and KRAM (Keep Rovers at Milltown), which was accepted by the majority of Hoops supporters. After the end of the season boycotted in Tolka The Kilcoynes sold the the club Dublin commercialist John McNamara, who put the idea of a controversial move to join Bohemians in Dalymount Park. KRAM was able to vote whether or not to end the boycott, as well as the plan to move to Dalymount. Both motions passed, and the team played the following two seasons playing at the Phibsboro stadium, playing an unrecognizable team performing in tiny numbers of fans.

After the 1989-90 campaign ended the club announced they were moving to RDS in Ballsbridge situated halfway in between Ringsend as well as Milltown in Milltown on the Southside of Dublin. On September 30, 1990 the RDS hosted Shamrock Rovers against St. Patrick's Athletic in front of a crowd of around 25,000 . The match kicked off an eight-year run at the venue , which included the League title-winning season between 1993 and 1994. Ray Treacy managed the League winning side that included Paul Osam, Gino Brazil, John Toal, Alan Byrne and Stephen Geoghegan who finished the season as the leading goal scorer. In the following season, a few important players were let go as Treacy and McNamara established a strict budget and decided to build the team with youngsters. The team started this season in a crushing loss in the UEFA Cup to Gornik Zabrze at the UEFA Cup and struggled their to get into a mid-table position. They began the 1995-96 campaign with a poor start and at the end of the season, following nearly two years of growing fan discontent over the direction of the team, Treacy was forced to quit and McNamara following shortly after. One of McNamara's last acts was to name Alan O'Neill and Terry Eviston who both had been back in the team since 1993 to be joint managers of the team. They were successful in eliminating the possibility of relegation, and nearly led the team to European qualifying.

When the 1995-96 season ended, John McNamara sold the club to Premier Computers, headed by Alan McGrath. McGrath revealed the idea of building an all-new arena located in Tallaght, which is in the Dublin northwest suburb Tallaght and hired Pat Byrne as commercial manager. After several weeks of waiting and losing the first fixture of the campaign O'Neill was fired, and Eviston quit as a sign of solidarity. Byrne was named manager of the team that played at Tolka Park again and they struggled for the rest of the season, with the highest scoring player in the league, Tony Cousins playing a key role in keeping them from the relegation. On May 27, 1997 Alan McGrath resigned as chairman of the club and succeeded by Brian Kearney, also of Premier Computers, who succeeded in obtaining permission to construct this new arena in January of 1998. The permission was delayed due to objections up to November 1998, by when Joe Colwell had replaced Kearney as chairman, and formally ended Premier Computers' involvement with the club. On the field, Mick Byrne guided Rovers to an Intertoto Cup spot in 1997-98 and a finish of eighth the following season. His replacement was Damien Richardson, who managed the club for a time in Morton Stadium before his dismissal in April 2002 following an argument with Colwell. In the meantime the half-built structure of a stadium stood on the Tallaght site. Mulden International Ltd, recruited by Colwell to finish the project, been unable to construct the stadium. They let the stadium to a separate entity and transferred the responsibility and concentrating on four acres they kept to themselves.

Tony Maguire replaced Colwell as chairman, and began searching for investors. In his first year in charge, Liam Buckley guided the club to the FAI Cup final and European qualification, while they played in Richmond Park. In 2003, the season characterized by the club's declining finances and a potential deal with investor Conor Clarkson was held up because of Mulden's inability to sell the land. After successfully submitting an extension of one year at the end of October, 2003, the team then applied for an additional extension few months following Buckley's departure at the end of September. SDCC declined the request, but they clarified their position declaring their intention to construct the stadium with the club once the ownership dispute was resolved. The trustees from the 400 Club (supporters group) told their board they no longer wanted to fund their stake in Shamrock Rovers.

With the option of either remaining with Clarkson who's plans were thwarted by the SDCC's decision or cooperating with the council Maguire went for the former option and in conjunction with the financing of Mulden, started the High Court judicial review of the decision. The review failed , and on April 11, 2005, the club was in debt that exceeded two million Euro The club went into an examinership. In the 400 Club, 400 Club agreed to completely finance the club throughout the course of the review. On May 5, 2005 Tony Maguire resigned on an appeal from the FAI after they discovered that the team had included their accounts for 2003 in their application for a license for 2005. This led to being penalized for points, and then demotion to the second division under Roddy Collins. The examination ended in July 2005 , with the examiner approving the 400 Club's proposal to purchase Shamrock Rovers, saving the club from being wiped out and the club owned by supporters gained promotion on the first attempt with Pat Scully. The 2007 and 2008 seasons at Tolka Park were ones of overachievement and stability,[unreliable source?] however the most significant moment of the time was the restart of construction on the stadium following over two years of court dispute with the city council as well as Thomas Davis CLG.

The 2009 season was able to be an exciting one that the football club experienced, beginning with the building of the stadium, and concluding with a 2nd-place finish and being able to participate in the Europa League under the management of Michael O'Neill. Tallaght Stadium hosted the highest attendances in the League of Ireland, regularly being sold out of capacity. The 2010-11 season was also highlighted by the return by Real Madrid to Tallaght Stadium in which they beat The Hoops 1-0 in front of a record crowd of 10,900 fans. The team was in into the 2011-11 Europa League in the second qualifying round, and they defeated Bnei Yehuda of Israel to be able to play an additional qualifying round match against Juventus. The Italian team won the match 3-1 on an aggregate. Shamrock Rovers finished the 2010 season as champions, bringing to an end an unbroken streak of 16 years by beating Bohemians for the crown by goal difference. Rovers were also able to reach their first FAI Cup final, the first at Aviva Stadium, where, in the presence that was more than 3000, they were beaten with penalties against Sligo Rovers.

In 2011, the club hosted the first Champions League game and its first match at the top quality in European Cup Competition since the 1987-88 European Cup, beating Estonian Champions Flora Tallinn in the 2011-12 Champions League Second qualifying round. The club achieved this feat with a 1-0 win in the opening leg at Tallaght Stadium and drawing 0-0 in the second match in Estonia and advancing with a 1-0 an aggregate. Rovers were then defeated by 3-0, a total of 3-0, in the following round by Danish Champion Copenhagen but they made it to the Europa League 2011-12 Play-off round. They were then drawn against Serbian Champions FK Partizan, whom they beat 3-2 on the aggregate (2-1 in the final game after an extra period) to advance to the group stage for the Europa League. This was a landmark victory for Irish football, since this was the very first time that an Irish club reached the group stage of the major European tournament. Rovers also were the winners of their first All Ireland Setanta Sports Cup in 2011, beating Dundalk to win the championship in Tallaght Stadium. Rovers secured their third league win in a row by winning an improbable victory against UCD on the pitch at Belfield on the 25th of October, 2011.

The club went through a slump after the peak of the season of 2011. Michael O'Neill departed to manage the Northern Ireland national team and was replaced by Stephen Kenny. But, Kenny was fired after just a few months in 2012. The successor Trevor Croly also did not complete a full year as manager, despite having won two minor awards, that of the League Cup and Setanta Cup in 2013. Pat Fenlon a former Rovers player was named manager the following season, but he also was unsuccessful in winning major trophies. In the year 2016, he got replaced Stephen Bradley, another former player who at the time was the coach of an of Rovers' youth teams. It took a while to allow Bradley to create an unbeaten team to compete against the once dominant Dundalk.

However, by introducing youngsters and talented singers like Jack Byrne, Rovers steadily increased under Bradley's direction. Bradley's team in 2019 was victorious in the FAI Cup, defeating Dundalk with penalty shootouts in the championship in front of a crowd of more than 33,000. This was the first time Rovers were the winners of this Cup after 1987. Following the season, which was cut short due to the pandemic Covid-19, Rovers won a shortened league season without losing. The Europa League qualifying rounds Rovers were beaten by a narrow 2-0 margin against Italian bigwigs AC Milan. Dundalk did not allow Bradley's team to score the 'double', however, defeating they during their FAI Cup Final, which due to the spread of the virus, was played in a closed-doors environment. The 2021 season was a success, even though they lost top players like Jack Byrne and Aaron McEneff prior to the beginning of the season Shamrock Rovers retained the title and finished 16 points ahead of the nearest competitor St Patrick's Athletic and picking the trophy in front of an enthralled crowd at Tallaght Stadium against Drogheda United.

Up until the year 1926 Shamrock Rovers wore green and white stripes on their jerseys, but after a suggestion from one of the committee members, John Sheridan, the club decided to wear the hooped green and white strip. The club had a strong relationship with Shamrock Rovers as well as Belfast Celtic and it was because of this that the concept was born. The first game played in the new jerseys was played against Bray Unknowns in a FAI Cup match on January 9 1927, at Shelbourne Park. The Hoops lost the match 3-1 and the senior players of the club contemplated dropping their new jersey. However the team continued wear the white and green hoops, and has done so since. This was the first that the hoops have been made that they weren't woven over the part on the jersey. The style of the sleeves has been altered on many occasions. The colors of the away club have changed over the years. In the early 1980s the club was wearing the yellow away shirt. The mid-1990s saw a purple hooped jersey was introduced. The team in 2011 donned black away strips that were all-black.

The emblem of the club is the shamrock and a football and has been so for the entirety of the long history of the club. Modifications to the badge of the club have included changing the look of the shamrock as well as the dimensions of the lines diagonally. In 2005 the badge was adorned with a star on top of the badge in recognition of all the 10 initial League of Ireland titles won by the club. Following the takeover from the team by supporters, black was adopted as the third official color of the club to commemorate the loss from Glenmalure Park. It was also determined that number 12 will not wear by anyone Shamrock Rovers player and instead will represent the supporters of the club.

.

On September 11, 1926 Shamrock Rovers played their first game at Glenmalure Park, Milltown against Dundalk prior to that, they had participated in Ringsend Park, Shelbourne Park, Windy Arbour and a separate pitch from the famed Milltown one. The opening ceremony took place on the 19th day of September 1926 when Belfast Celtic provided the opposition in an exhibition match. After the Cunninghams purchased this club during the 1930s the stadium was named Glenmalure Park in honour of their home of ancestral origin in Glenmalure. The stadium was completed with adding terraces including one with a covered. The stadium was largely unchanged until the time of its demolishment in 1990, with the exception of the demolition of a small terrace as well as the installation of floodlights in the 1980s. Its capacity was estimated at 20,000. During its entire existence, the highest reported attendance of 28,000 placed against Waterford in the year 1968. Unreportedly, larger attendances were also present prior to that.

In 1987 in 1987, the Kilcoynes made the decision that they would sell their stadium property developers after having recently bought this stadium from Jesuits. The final game played in Glenmalure Park was an FAI Cup semi-final match between Shamrock Rovers and Sligo Rovers on the 12th of April, 1987. The game was marred by a pitch crowd of supporters who protested against the decision to sell the stadium. In the following season, the fans created an association known as Keep Rovers at Milltown and put up a protest at home matches on Tolka Park, effectively bankrupting the owners of the club. They collected funds, primarily by way of contributions from supporters and a bid to purchase the stadium , but did not beat the offer of an estate developer to whom the Kilcoynes later transferred the stadium. After a long appeals process, Glenmalure Park was demolished in 1990, to be replaced by an apartment building.

In the 90s, Shamrock Rovers were granted an area located in Tallaght, a Dublin area of Tallaght for the construction of an additional stadium. On the 30th of March, 2000, the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern turned the sod on the site. The construction of the stadium was stopped in 2001. In the month of March, 2005 South Dublin County Council announced that they would take back the land they had given to the club, since the terms of the planning permit weren't being satisfied. The public process of consultation was launched in July of 2005 and the resolution was approved in December 2005 that changed the venue to allow senior GAA games and still have Shamrock Rovers as the preferred owners. The decision was contingent on an additional funding from the government. The funds were not provided and on the 13th of January, 2006, the council decided to continue in the same way as originally planned.

The second vote was contested by an Irish Local Gaelic Athletic Association club, Thomas Davis who wanted the vote of the 13th January declared illegal, thereby requiring the council of county to construct the GAA stadium. Thomas Davis claimed that the capacity of the stadium (initially 10,000, later 6,000) will not be affected by the decision, however the other parties involved disagreed with this claim and claimed that the capacity will be diminished. A request under the freedom of information act each of South Dublin County Council and the Department of Sport showed that Thomas Davis had not submitted any plans that showed capacity wouldn't be affected.

Thomas Davis GAA club instituted Judicial Review proceedings in the High Court in May 2006. The main reason for their appeal included that the choice taken by the council on the 13th of February 2006 to return to the initial plans for the stadium that did not include an older GAA pitch was illegal. Their argument on the issue of technicality was supported by arguments based on culture that "the young people from Tallaght will be limited to an eating regimen consisting of Association football', and that a stadium that is solely for soccer will put the applicant in a difficult position when it comes to attracting the young in Tallaght into the Club as well as the sport and GAA culture. However, the stadium as it was designed originally can accommodate young GAA games, as the pitch in this particular level is within the dimensions of the stadium. The only exception was the adult GAA games that could not be accommodated.

The minister at the time, Arts, Sport and Tourism, John O'Donoghue, consistently was in favor of the decision by the government to allow the stadium to be built that has soccer pitches of various sizes, and declared that the GAA had been stymied by the plan that he believed there was no need for , on top of their facility in Rathcoole. On the 14th of December, 2006, The Football Association of Ireland pledged financial support for this Hoops' High Court battle that involved Thomas Davis.

The judicial review started on the 20th of April 2007 and ended on the 14th day of December. The High Court decision Mr. Justice Roderick Murphy found in favor the decision of South Dublin Co. Council and Shamrock Rovers. South Dublin County Council were right in their vote on 13 February 2006 to go ahead with the stadium in the way originally intended. The application of Thomas Davis for leave to appeal the ruling in the Supreme court was denied from Judge Murphy on January 25, 2008. Construction began on the stadium on the 6th of May, 2008. Shamrock Rovers played their first "home" game in over 20 years at this stadium on March of 2009.

Shamrock Rovers F.C. is owned in part through Shamrock Rovers Members Club. Shamrock Rovers Members Club, with businessman Ray Wilson owning 50% of the club as of the year 2016. Shamrock Rovers Members Club Shamrock Rovers Member Club initially established by part of the 400 Club in November 2002 by the privately-owned board of directors of the football club to raise money through the support of fans for the sole purpose of providing a mortgage to finance the advancement of the abandoned football stadium in Tallaght. The monthly membership cost was set at 40 euros. It was later discovered to the members that money was being used for reasons that were not part of the purpose for which they were set. The membership took over the 400 Club, adopted a transparent constitution and structure, and declared that it was completely free of the Shamrock Rovers' board. Shamrock Rovers. 400 Club was a key component of the 400 Club consortium played a vital role in the success of Shamrock Rovers when the club began its examination in April of 2005. They paid off a significant portion of the club's liabilities and took on the responsibility of running the club. Following the purchase of the club via the process of examinership 400 Club Trustees took over members of the Board of Directors for Shamrock Rovers Football Club and began to create a financially viable club using sound business methods. Numerous supporters and clubs later sought their advice on how to implement their model Club elsewhere. The annual gathering of the 400 Club in 2006, the members voted to name it the SRFC Members Club, reflecting the fact that they were owners over the club's football. The 2008 meeting was the first time the fee for membership per month was raised to EUR50. In January 2012 the club had more than 400 members in the club. The membership is open to anyone.

Most Shamrock Rovers supporters originate from the Southside of Dublin however, Shamrock Rovers draws fans from all over the country and in the city. Since its inception the club has maintained its proud Irish identity. Their supporters display this in the flags and banners that they carry. The support base of the club includes several clubs that are dedicated for supporting them in away games. They also have an ultras groupthat was the first to be formed in Ireland and is known as and the SRFC Ultras, who produce elaborate displays of support during matches. They also have connections to other European groups that include supporters of Roma, Hammarby and Panathinaikos.

In the 1970s, Glenmalure Park regularly hosted attendances around 20,000 people. However, when most members of those in Irish public turned their backs towards Irish football, the numbers fell. Despite winning the League of Ireland four times consecutively in the 1980s, attendances during the time averaged about a quarter of the amount. The stadium's sale resulted in a further decrease in attendance. In the years of homelessness and particularly on the Northside and the Northside, attendances continued decline, but with the exception of those that were recorded in the period of the club's stay at the RDS that included the opening day capacity of 22,000. Prior to the move to Tallaght the club's support base had decreased to a solitary group of more than 1,000 individuals. It is currently comprised of around 2700 members of the season tickets.

Through their long history, Shamrock Rovers have shared several rivalries with differing significance and in intensity. The oldest rivalry of this kind is one that they share with Shelbourne which was formed upon the club's foundations in Ringsend. It is an additional rivalry with similar significance to local derby that is contested by St. Patrick's Athletic. In the 1950s and 1960s the main rival of the club was the now defunct Drumcondra. In the 1970s they were taken over as the primary team on the Northside by Bohemians. The minor rivalry among Shamrock Rovers and Bohemians has grown into a classic rivalry that has produced huge crowds and intense games.

.

football club that was based in Dublin. This was the ladies' division that was part of Shamrock Rovers F.C. In the latter part of the 1990s and the early 2000s, Shamrock Rovers Ladies were one of the teams that had the highest success in women's association soccer within the Republic of Ireland, winning both the Dublin Women's Soccer League and the FAI Women's Cup five times in succession. In 2002-03, Rovers were the first team of women to play for Ireland. Republic of Ireland in Europe and in 2011-12 they became the first women's team to join the women's national league.

Through its time Rovers have been part of reserve teams in a variety of leagues like that of Leinster Senior League Senior Division as well as the League of Ireland B Division as well as the A Championship and the League of Ireland U19 Division. In 2014, they were part of the League of Ireland First Division. In January of 2020 it was announced Shamrock Rovers II, a team, was going to be in the 2020 League of Shamrock Rovers II would be joining into the League of Ireland First Division

The current sections for schoolboys in Shamrock Rovers date back to 1996, when Rovers as well as Tallaght Town AFC amalgamated to create a new section that would serve the Tallaght region that is South West Dublin. Tallaght Town initially remained in operating as a limited-company and also as a trustee of a facility for training that was used by youth teams of Shamrock Rovers. The relationship between the two clubs ended again in the mid-2000s and Tallaght Town retaining the training facility in Carolan Park in Kiltipper. However the underage or schoolboy section was still in the hands of Shamrock Rovers and was fully accepted into the club after Rovers started training in the Tallaght Stadium in 2009. Between 2009 and 2014, Shamrock Rovers underage teams continued to train and play in Tallaght Town's fields located in Kiltipper. However, in 2014, Rovers have their own training grounds located at Roadstone in Clondalkin and the club's underage teams as well as the first-team moved their training facilities to the new location. Shamrock Rovers also opened their own academy for football at the location. The Roadstone facility features an AstroTurf field as well as two pitch hybrids (mainly grass) that were constructed to replace grass pitches in 2016-17. The training facility was opened officially in the year 2017. A former teammate Shane Robinson is the current Director of the academy.

Over 200 youngsters participate in Shamrock Rovers. Shamrock Rovers has teams for every age from under 8 to 13 within the Dublin and District Schoolboy League as well as U14, U15, and U19 male teams playing in the elite youth FAI National League. There is also an Under 17 women's squad with an amputee group currently. There is a plan to establish additional female teams. A Monday morning Sunday school for youngsters aged between 4 and 6 is also operating. The youth teams of the club have been involved at the Milk Cup and Dallas Cup. In recent times Shamrock Rovers Academy has Shamrock Rovers Academy has successfully introduced a number of young players to professional sports, such as Irish International goalie Gavin Bazunu, who was transferred to Manchester City FC and Kevin Zefi who joined Inter Milan, as well as players like Trevor Clarke, Aaron Bolger and, most recently, Aidomo Emakhu who made it to the Rovers first team.

The club offers scholarships to every level of schooling. Academy players also get tuition for the leaving Certificate from Ashfield College with whom Rovers have an agreement. The club also has an initiative for students in the transition year that allow students in one class of students (Under 15s) to train at Roadstone every week at a morning session and to study during the afternoons in a classroom located at Roadstone. Roadstone is also home to a Community Officer who has relationships with underage football schools and clubs within the local region.

.

• League of Ireland/League of Ireland Premier Division: 19 (record)
  • 1922–23, 1924–25, 1926–27, 1931–32, 1937–38, 1938–39, 1953–54, 1956–57, 1958–59, 1963–64 
    1983–84, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1993–94, 2010, 2011, 2020, 2021
• FAI Cup: 25 (record)
  • 1924–25, 1928–29, 1929–30, 1930–31, 1931–32, 1932–33, 1935–36, 1939–40, 1943–44, 1944–45, 1947–48, 1954–55, 1955–56, 1961–62, 1963–64, 1964–65, 1965–66, 1966–67, 1967–68, 1968–69, 1977–78, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87, 2019
• League of Ireland First Division
  • 2006
• League of Ireland Shield: 18 (record)
  • 1924–25, 1926–27, 1931–32, 1932–33, 1934–35, 1937–38, 1941–42, 1949–50, 1951–52, 1954–55, 1955–56,
    1956–57, 1957–58, 1962–63, 1963–64, 1964–65, 1965–66, 1967–68
• League of Ireland Cup: 2
  • 1976–77, 2013
• LFA President's Cup: 21 (record)
  • 1929–30, 1932–33, 1940–41, 1941–42, 1943–44, 1944–45, 1945–46, 1948–49, 1954–55, 1956–57, 1957–58, 1959–60, 1962–63, 1968–69, 1969–70, 1970–71, 1972–73, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1987–88
• Dublin City Cup: 10
  • 1944–45, 1947–48, 1952–53, 1954–55, 1956–57, 1957–58, 1959–60, 1963–64, 1966–67, 1983–84
• Top Four Cup: 3
  • 1955–56, 1957–58, 1965–66
• FAI Super Cup: 1
  • 1998–99
• Setanta Sports Cup: 2
  • 2011, 2013
• President of Ireland's Cup: 1
  • 2022
• Leinster Senior League: 1
  • 1921–22 
• Leinster Senior Cup: 18
  • 1922–23, 1926–27, 1928–29, 1929–30, 1932–33, 1937–38, 1952–53, 1954–55, 1955–56, 1956–57, 1957–58, 1963–64, 1968–69, 1981–82, 1984–85, 1996–97, 2011–12, 2012–13

• Leinster Senior League: 2
  • 1924–25, 1939–40
• LFA Metropolitan Cup: 8
  • 1924–25, 1927–28, 1934–35, 1939–40, 1946–47, 1947–48, 1948–49, 1949–50
• League of Ireland B Division: 4
  • 1967–68, 1984–85, 1986–87, 1995–96
• A Championship: 1
  • 2009
• League of Ireland U20 Division: 1
  • 2010

.

Shamrock Rovers have a long time in European competition. The club was the very first Irish team to participate in European competition and played frequently throughout the 1980s and 1960s. The club has enjoyed some successes, including wins in the Intertoto-Cup as well as the Europa League. Through their participation, Rovers have been able to beat squads that hail from Luxembourg, Cyprus, Iceland and Germany as well as being among the first Irish club to defeat players that came from Turkey, Poland, Israel and Serbia. Their first win during the UEFA Champions League came in an 1-0 win in the qualifying phase of 2011-12 with FC Flora Tallinn at Tallaght Stadium .

Their greatest victory was a seven-0 aggregate win (3-0 home, away and 4-0 at home) against Fram Reykjavik in the UEFA Cup first round in September of 1982, which is still a records for League of Ireland clubs in European competition.

On the 25th of August, 2011 They became the very first Irish team to be selected for UEFA Europa League group stage after they beat Partizan Belgrade 2-1 after extra-time in Serbia with an aggregate win of 3-2.

Correct as of June 2018

Notes

• PR: Preliminary round
• QR: Qualifying round
• 1R: First round
• 2R: Second round
• 1Q: First qualifying round
• 2Q: Second qualifying round
• 3Q: Third qualifying round
• PO: Play-off round