Aciéries d'Angleur Trophy

The Aciéries d'Angleur tournament^[1] was a football tournament held in Belgium in 1929 which was won by Irish club Bohemian F.C.^[2] The competition included clubs from the industrial areas around the city of Liège and included Standard Liège, R. Charleroi S.C. and R.F.C. Tilleur-Saint-Nicolas. The final game of the tournament was between Bohemian F.C. and Standard Liège and ended in a 3-2 victory for the Irish team who had won both their previous games. Bohemians three goals were scored by Jimmy Bermingham, Bill Dennis and Johnny McMahon.^[3] The game between Bohemians and Charleroi had provoked a minor diplomatic incident when as the teams were led out onto the pitch a Union Jack was raised, much to the consternation of the Bohemian club's management and members of the Irish consulate.^[4] The game finished in a 2-1 victory for Bohemians with goals from Bill Dennis and Bill Cleary.^[5] The Aciéries d'Angleur tournament, remains, to date the only European trophy ever won by a club side from the Republic of Ireland and Bohemian F.C. were officially praised by the Dundalk F.C. Chairman P.J. Casey at a Council meeting of the Irish Free State Football Association.^[6]

References