People always talk about how the culture at Shelbourne sets it apart, but what’s really behind the meaning of the ‘Once a Red always a Red’ ethos at the North Dublin club?
Two players at varying degrees in their career - Leah Doyle and Pearl Slattery - spoke on the magic ingredient that sparks a fire of passion for their side in conversation with Balls.ie this week, ahead of their WFAI Cup final showcase versus Athlone Town this weekend.
With some of the league’s most vocal fans and impressive players, their rapport is the thing that perhaps stands to them most.
It’s the reason why Slattery is staring down the barrel of her 10th year with the club next season, a fact she’s proud of even if she continues to be astonished by that reality.
“This year honestly I’ve loved every minute as much as my first and that’s a mad feeling really, but I’m enjoying every minute with the girls both on and off the pitch,” she says.
Despite the high profile retirements of “girls in and around the same age” as Slattery recently, notably Stephanie Zambra (Roche) and Niamh Reid Burke, the Shels captain is looking forward to soldiering on for the time being and why wouldn’t she?
With a battalion of friends and teammates who’ve battled with her over the years still by her side in Rachel Graham, Noelle Murray and Co, and others who’ve since hung up the boots offering her words of wisdom, she’s already ready to go again next year.
“I’ve got great advice over the years to play as long as you can,” the Dubliner explains.
"In my early thirties my head was probably being turned with coaching and other stuff, but then I thought, 'You know what? I can only play as long as I can' and I’m enjoying it.
"I think that’s the best decision I’ve ever made because I’ve been really focusing on being a player and not having the expectation of everything else, I think that’s really helped me.
"I think that’s why, and as a group we’ve had a really good season but, individually, for the experienced players, we’ve played nearly ever game.
This season felt like any other, which is remarkable when you factor in the introduction of new management brought by Eoin Wearen’s succession of Noel King.
Everything could have been disrupted in that changing of the guard, but Shels held firm.
5 October 2024; Pearl Slattery of Shelbourne celebrates her 200th appearance with her family, from left to right, brother in law Patrick Moore, sister Samantha Moore, niece Tori Moore, mother Patricia McCann, and nieces Paige Moore and Maisie Moore after the SSE Airtricity Women's Premier Division match between Shelbourne and Peamount United at Tolka Park in Dublin. Photo by Thomas Flinkow/Sportsfile
“For me, you can have the best pitches, facilities, whatever you want, but if you don’t have that deep soul within a dressing room it’s very hard, and I think we have that in abundance,” Slattery says.
'Eoin and Rory [Kirk] have been a breath of fresh air really in terms of their organisation, the sessions, the way they want to play. But in more specific terms, they believed in me, the older girls and everyone in the dressing room from the start, and we could sense that."
It’s something fellow Shels woman Leah Doyle also noticed as a tangible factor, citing that they’ve been “really patient” with the team in adapting to a new formation, and that their build up has been 'meticulous for every single game, whether it’s the cup final or the first game of the season.'
“With the culture and the environment that’s created and maintained by those more experienced players, I just think everything they’ve done within the club is just so incredible and whenever any new people come in they just take them in,” Doyle explains.
'If it’s a young player, if it’s a more experienced player, everyone gets treated the same.
"There’s always that togetherness and element of enjoying every match that we’re playing in."
That, coupled with “Pearl bringing you for tea, Jess Gargan sending you voice messages” is what keeps Doyle and others at the club. And the calibre they've been able to retain as a result aids them in continuing to challenge at the top of the table year-on-year.
Slattery is the first to admit that, while they were gutted not to get over the line this time around, there was a grain of destiny in the sustained rise that was Athlone’s story over recent years, culminating in them emerging as league champions just weeks ago.
“I think certain years are just certain clubs' time, and I think this year the league was meant for Athlone,” she explains.
That said, Sunday is a different story.
The Batman to each other's Robin over the last few years, this year’s meeting in the showpiece event means the Midlands side will be their dancing partner in the FAI Cup final for the third year running.
With a bubbling optimism as always, perhaps there’s a Shels tint left to what else is written in the stars this season.
“Personally, as their captain, I’d love to bring the cup home for them now on Sunday, for the reward of everything everyone has put in this season,” Slattery says.
She has done it before and Slattery knows her squad has what it takes to do it again.
