Fivemiletown Football: 1904/05

Association Football in Fermanagh

A League is formed

A meeting was held in the committee rooms of the Town Hall, Enniskillen, on the 10^th October 1904 for the purpose of forming a football league.
Two cups have been generously offered for competition by Mr W Wilde and Mr T A Mercer, jewellers, Enniskillen, to be put up under association rules.
There was a good attendance, about forty being present including Viscount Corry, DL and the officials of all the local clubs.

 

AGM

Fivemiletown Football club held their AGM at the beginning of October and the following office bearers were appointed;
Patron, Mr H. de F. Montgomery; president, Mr M. T. Coulter; Captain, Mr s. Breadon; Vice Captain, Mr P. Roche; Secretary, Mr W. Gillespie; Treasurer, Mr A. Bamford; Committee, Martin, Doogan, Mcloughlin, and McNulty.
The club decided to compete for the Clogher Valley Cup and in the newly formed Fermanagh and South Tyrone League.

Derrygonnelly football club was the first to visit Fivemiletown in the Fermanagh and South Tyrone league, and the papers said; ‘the weather was propitious, and an excellent game ended with the score of, Fivemiletown four goals, Derrygonnelly nil.

The next fixture was played at Killyhevlin, Corinthian’s were the first to put the ball in the net but was called offside and it was the Corinthians keeper was in error for the Fivemiletown goal when he fisted the ball into his own net and the only goal scored in the game.

Fivemiletown 2 – o Tempo
The newspaper report only has five lines and doesn’t say if it was at home or away, but this result puts Fivemiletown at the head of the league.

Fintona were the next team to pay a visit to Fivemiletown,
Fivemiletown; Chiddick, Roche, Sloan, Mcloughlin, McCarroll, Breadon, Martin, Gillespie, Weir, McNulty and Evens.

Fivemiletown pressed hard for the most of the first half until Gillespie obtained a chance and sent the ball into the net. Fintona started to push back and shots were coming in hard and fast, but the Fivemiletown keeper, Chiddick, was equal to it and cleared well. Chiddick sent the ball down field and Weir getting possession scored the second goal for Fivemiletown.
The second half was a different game, Fintona were pressing hard and soon got their first goal, they then scored from a free kick and it was Fivemiletown who gifted the third goal with the keeper misjudging a back pass let the ball roll into his own net, with Fivemiletown pushing forward, Fintona broke away and scored their fourth.

Fivemiletown travelled to Enniskillen to take on the Moonlighters at Silverhill.
This game was not finished. The Fivemiletown team leaving the field about ten minutes before full time, owing to a penalty kick being awarded to the Moonlighters.
The score at this time was one goal each.

First mention of a sending off
Fivemiletown 0 – 2 Omagh United
The match took place in Fivemiletown and the home team commenced to play a very rough game. This continued, and Sergeant Crawford, the referee, awarded the visitors three penalties, and, two goals were scored.
Later in the game, McNulty, of Fivemiletown, was ordered off the field for ungentlemanly conduct.

The monthly meeting of the executive council was held in Enniskillen the following week.
Sergeant Crawford reported J. McNulty, of Fivemiletown, against whom there were four charges of misconduct preferred in the match against Omagh United, McNulty. Who did not forward any defence, was suspended until 1^st May.

Fivemiletown travelled to Enniskillen to take on the Fusiliers.
Played at Portora. The Fusiliers were the better side, although Fivemiletown put up a spirited effort they were unable to score. Fusiliers winning by tree goals to one.

Lisbellaw travelled to Fivemiletown but refused to play the match, owing to the state of the ground, although the referee said the ground was fit to be played on. No protest has been lodged, and Fivemiletown rightly claims the two points.

Fivemiletown go back to Enniskillen, this time to take on Enniskillen United
The game started with only eight men each and it was a good ten minutes into the game before the absentees finally turned up.  Enniskillen winning three goals to two.

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In the Fermanagh Times, it was reported that Fivemiletown had lodged an appeal against J. McNulty’s suspension. This application naturally gives rise to some discussion, but, ultimately, it was decided to remove the suspension from 21^st January.
In the Impartial Reporter the same week it reported on a match between Corinthians V Fivemiletown, played at the latter, the game only lasted about twenty-three minutes. The visitors were winning at this point by three goals to one, when a Fivemiletown man gave some terrible trouble, and would not give his name to the referee or leave the field. At this point, the referee declared he would not act as umpire any further in the game.

In the next council meeting, the points were awarded to the Corinthians and the man in question, McLoughlin, owing to his unsportsmanlike conduct was suspended for the remainder of the season.

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Impartial Reporter;
‘Fivemiletown scratched to Derrygonnelly on last Saturday, sooner than travel such a long distance.’

The Fusiliers travelled to Fivemiletown in most inclement weather. The game throughout was of a most displeasing nature, owing to the ground being bad. A protest has been lodged by the soldiers against the ground. On this encounter Fivemiletown came out on top, winning by four goals to three.

The final league game I found involving Fivemiletown was a match due to take place on their home pitch against the Moonlighters, but Fivemiletown grounds were not in a condition to play, as a result of which the Moonlighters were advised by wire not to visit the village. Therefore, there was no contest.

Clubs first go at winning silver wear.
Mr Wilde’s Charity Cup
Mr William Wilde, watchmaker and jeweller, Enniskillen, generously presented in the interest of football, a handsome cup, known as “The Fermanagh Charity Cup”
and the first contest for this trophy was held in Fivemiletown, between Fivemiletown and Enniskillen Celtic, this was a very one-sided affair with Celtic winning by seven goals to nil.

 

1903/04  |  1904/05  |  1905/06