1983: LIMERICK's Football SHAMBLES | Sixty Minutes | Classic BBC Sport | BBC Archive

Philip Tibenham reports from the Republic of Ireland, where a tragicomic tale is unfolding. It's a tale of two football teams - Limerick United and Limerick City, one ground - Markets Field, boardroom battles, recruiting players outside the pub, and a chicken franchise naming snafu.
To unravel this bewildering tale, Philip chats to Pat Grace - the millionaire owner of both the aforementioned chicken franchise (now known as Pat Grace's Famous Fried Chicken - formerly Kentucky Fried Chicken), which is the principal sponsor of the League of Ireland. Grace has also invested heavily in the Limerick United soccer team, but has recently formed a breakaway side, Limerick City - which he intends to replace United in this season's Pat Grace's Famous Fried Chicken League of Ireland. This has not gone down well with Limerick United die-hards, or indeed the High Court, as former Republic of Ireland international Eamon Dunphy and Limerick United director Mick Crowe explain.
Clip taken from Sixty Minutes, originally broadcast 1 November, 1983.
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[@ordetschmordet9227]

"I'll tell you who sponsored it. I can remember his name. Pat Grace! He's the guy who ran away and left his old club for a young wan."

[@electroid8119]

5:10

[@fredo1070]

This documentary is like gold dust. I used to go to the family farm in Limerick in the 1970s and 80s when Gaelic and Hurling was the game. When I returned in the 1990s Ireland was Football mad and there was a soccer pitch built across the lane from my grandfathers farm. I salute you Pat Grace for turning football from a barracks room game into a national sport!

[@HPLovecraftsCat87]

The audacity to consume any fried poultry in Limerick that isn't Chicken Hut.

[@user-sp5pi9pg6x]

A real gem of a documentary

[@Rasle500]

Back when shorts were actually short…

[@komodosp]

"... and if that sounds Irish, it is!" LOL! 🤦‍♂️

[@a34rwl]

'It is unique' Yeah, apart from AC and Inter Milan ps. We met Philip on holiday in Torquay. Nice man, he sent us a Christmas card.

[@TtableWhey]

Is the reporter using the word "Irish" as a pejorative? Wow. 1983.

[@gomey70]

Blind Boy should do a pod about this lol.

[@25pappy]

Is that an instrumental of THE BANKS OF MY OWN LOVELY LEE? If so...wrong City BBC. This is Limerick, not Cork.

[@lkrnpk]

Kentucky Fried Chicken League of Ireland :D

[@Thorlongus1175]

3:30

[@subsoil007]

At this time there was a JCB driver called JP plotting his way to beat the bookies.

[@komodosp]

although £25,000 isn't much to suffer a ridiculous name like the "Kentucky Fried Chicken League of Ireland", even in 1983 money...

[@stephengallagher2209]

Wow, the KFCLI? I thought Dunpho made that chicken league jibe up when he was pushing for relocating Wimbeldon to Dublin. Pat Grace's Famous Fried Chicken League of Ireland? 😂

[@CianODonnell]

Well that wasnt confusing at all.

[@OscarOSullivan]

2 clubs is minor compared to the 5 major rugby union clubs at the time and still exist Shannon RFC, Garryowen FC, Young Munster and UL Bohemians.

[@TheLastAngryMan01]

This comes across as a mockumentary.

[@alancawfield6549]

This has been a problem with the domestic game in general in Ireland.Too many teams in the same area.There are 2 League of Ireland teams in Cork, 2 in the Southeast, 3 in the Northwest and there used to be 2 in Galway City as well.Really could have done with organizing the game better and having a more even spread of League of Ireland teams throughout the country.