Eamonn D'Arcy was a goalkeeper, who was born in Dublin in 1933. He was known as Shiela and started with Junior club Johnville before he turned professional with Shelbourne. he left them for Dundalk in 1952 and two years later he moved into Engllish football with Oldham Athletic here he made forty-five League appearances in two seasons before returning to Dublin to join Shamrock Rovers. He had a successful career with them winning two League of Ireland Championships, in 1956-57 and 1958-59, two League of Ireland Shields in 1958-59 and 1962-63 as well as a hat-trick of Leinster Senior Cups in the years 1956 to 1958 and three Dublin City Cups in 1956-57, 1957-58 and 1959-60, in his seven seasons there. He moved on to Drumcondra in 1963, where he picked up his third League of Ireland Championshipin 1964-65. However that was to behis sole honour that he had to show in his four year stay. He did nor represent Ireland in a full International but was selected three times for the League of Ireland in 1960 and twice made the Ireland "B" team once in 1960 and again in 1963. After his Testimonial he returned to Shelbourne in May 1968.
Programme:
For Leeds, Mick Bates replaced Eddie Gray at Inside Right, David Harvey replaced Gary Sprake in goal and Rod Belfitt replaced Johnny Giles at Inside Left. The Leeds goal was scored by Jack Charlton, in the thirty-fifth minute, while Mick Leech scored the first Drumcondra goal after fifty-eight minutes and Hannigan headed home the winner with four minutes left on the clock. P. Coates was the Referee of the match which was played a Tolka Park.
Match Report: From the Irish Times (Thanks to Steve Bell for Report and Drumcondra team etc)
"The Dublin soccer enthuisiasts who turned out in great numbers for Eamonn D'Arcy's benefit game, at Tolka Park last evening, went home thoroughly satisfied, for not only did they see a match that carried real bite in it, but the home sideemerged victorious in a thrilling finish."
"Leeds went in front with a goal by Charlton in the thirty-fifth minute and looked like stretching this lead in their lightning breakaways"
"However, the Drumcondra selection set the game alive in the fifty-eighth minute when Dixon and Hannigan combined beatifully to present a goal to Mick Leech, which the Rovers' man duly took in his stride"
"From this stage onwards, the home side played with great purpose and the winning goal came four minutes from the end, when Leech floated over a perfect centre and Hannigan made no mistake with his header"
"Johnny Giles was only on the field in the opening twenty minutes but in that time missed a penalty kick for hands against Brennan, Kevin Blount having little difficulty in stopping the inside left's tame shot"
