Erin Duchy F.C.
| Full name | Erin Duchy Football Club |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Harps |
| Founded | 1898 |
| Ground | Sheridan Park |
| Capacity | 18,000 |
| Owner | Alexander, 4th Duke of Erin (64%) Erin Duchy FC Supporters Group (10%) |
| Chairman | Arthur, 8th Earl of Dangenny |
| Manager | James Finney O'Ginneghan |
| League | VFL National League |
| 2020-21 | 4th |
Erin Duchy Football Club, often referred to simply as Erin, is a Vionnan professional football club based in Kilmartin, Duchy of Erin. The club competes in the National League, the second tier of Vionna-Frankenlischian football. Their home ground is Sheridan Park which has a seated capacity of 18,000.
History
Home Stadium
Harper's Field
At the founding of Erin Duchy in 1898, a rudimentary ground was made available for the club by its owner, the 1st Duchess of Erin. Harper's Field was laid out in a disused area of the Duchess' Kilmartin estate and, over a three week period; the ground was levelled, a wooden ticketing booth installed, 200 seats emplaced, and tents erected as temporary dressing rooms. The Duchess was anxious that the ground would be ready for the opening of the 1898-99 season of the Erinite Association Football Division and spent a considerable amount of money to secure the talents of experienced groundsman John Gall from Royal Barbican. The work was completed with three days to spare and Harper's Field played host to Erin Duchy's first competitive match on 12th September 1898, when the club beat local rivals Kilmartin Royal 2-1.
At the end of the 1898-99 season, in which Erin finished 9th out of 12 teams, the Duchess of Erin made funds available for the very rudimentary Harper's Field to be revamped into a more complete ground. During the three-month gap between seasons (Erinite football seasons were much shorter, as teams were mostly made up of amateurs and rugby had yet to be overtaken as the most popular sport in the region), the players' tents were struck and a building was constructed containing home and away dressing rooms, a medical room, club offices, and a small gymnasium. A wall was erected around the perimeter of the ground and an additional 600 seats were installed and large areas were fenced off for standing spectators. The work cost the Duchess of Erin a reported 2000 Lucans and is considered by some historians to have been a serious factor in the rise in professionalism in Erinite sports.
Harper's Field remained in this configuration until 1911 when the main football leagues of Erin, Oxbridge, Ballaeter and Edrington combined to form the Middle Vionna League. In order to cope with the increased number of games and supporters, the ground was once again expanded. Funds were provided by the Duchess of Erin and were also procured from sponsorship by local businesses. A fundraiser amongst supporters also raised a sum to help. The work was extensive, lasting five months. Erin were forced to play their first five games away in order to allow the work to finish. A full stand seating 2,000 spectators was constructed. Canopies were built over standing terraces, which were also expanded. The club building had a second floor built to cope with the club's expansion. Additional spectator amenities were installed (though contemporary plans are vague on their exact details). Several elevated boxes were constructed for local notables and pre-existing seating areas were expanded and updated. Expansion works cost L2,200 and made Harper's Field the largest ground in the Middle Vionna League, with capacity (reportedly) for 8,000 spectators.
Sheridan Park
Rivalries
Players
Curent first-team squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under international eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one nationality.
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