Finn Harps F.C.

After they were knocked out of that competition, club directors Fran Fields and Patsy McGowan decided to apply to the League of Ireland for membership.Finn Harps won their first senior trophy, the Dublin City Cup, in 1971–72, after a goal from club legend and all-time League of Ireland record goalscorer Brendan Bradley defeated Cork Hibernians at Dalymount Park.They appeared in the UEFA Cup three times against Aberdeen, Derby County and Everton respectively, after finishing as runners-up in the league.Through the 1970s, the club never once finished in the bottom half of the table and were widely respected for their attractive and attacking football style.A series of managerial changes occurred over the following few years in an attempt to raise the club's status, but signs of improvement did not appear until the early 1990s.The next three seasons saw the club finish in the play-off position twice, though they were beaten both times (once by Cobh Ramblers and once by Athlone Town).[2] In 1998–99, Finn Harps finished fourth in the Premier Division; one point behind Shelbourne in third position and just missed out on Europe.However, after a run of 14 games undefeated and a late-season fightback, Finn Harps were ultimately relegated to the First Division on the last day of the season.[1] Speak's first full season in charge saw the club finish second to Drogheda United in the First Division, thus securing them a play-off place for promotion.Speak managed to hold most of the squad together, despite their top-scorer Kevin McHugh (who formed a successful forward partnership with English striker Damien Whitehead) attracting the interest of several Premier Division clubs.This poor run included a home-loss to the neighbouring northwest club Sligo Rovers and a home-draw against league leaders Dublin City, the latter game billed as a must-win match.Speak's assistant, Sean McGowan, took temporary charge until a suitable placement was found and steadied the club with two wins from two.They disposed of Bray Wanderers in the semi-finals but lost in the final to local rivals Derry City, who had finished ninth in that season's Premier Division.[1] Noel King lasted six games into the 2004 season before leaving the club by mutual consent, with the amount of travelling the Dubliner had to endure being cited as one of the main reasons for his departure.Fans viewed this as a bold move by the Finn Harps board of directors, considering Healy's history with the club's fiercest rivals.[1] The 2007 season started sluggishly with a number of defeats and "bore draws" (notably against Monaghan United), but a lengthy unbeaten run left the club in second place in the league, only one point behind Cobh Ramblers.On 3 May 2011, Peter Hutton took over as manager, while former Northern Ireland international and fellow former Derry City player Felix Healy also arrived to take the role of club director of football.Following the final home game of the 2013 season (a 3–2 win against champions Athlone Town), Hutton announced his resignation as manager.[5] In his first season in charge, Horgan led the club to an FAI Cup semi final for the first time in 15 years, before being beaten by Premier Division side St. Patrick's Athletic in Richmond Park.The 2015 season concluded with Finn Harps securing promotion to the League of Ireland Premier Division by beating Limerick 2–1 on aggregate in a famous relegation/promotion playoff, the second leg of which occurred on 6 November 2015.[6] Against all the odds, Horgan managed to keep Finn Harps in the Premier Division in 2016, however, in their second season back in the top flight they were relegated once again.[9] This ended a long spell of years in the Premier Division, with six out of seven seasons spent at the top tier of Irish football for the club.The area allocated to supporters of visiting teams is the terrace opposite the seated stand (situated in the Shed End).