A regular presence in continental competition in subsequent years, Rovers won their first European tie for the seventh time in the 1966-67 European Cup Winners’ Cup, when they beat Spora Luxembourg 4-1 both home and away to prepare a clash with the giants of Bayern Munich and their much-vaunted trio of Gerd Müller, Sepp Maier and Franz Beckenbauer.
With Liam Tuohy, who had been in the team against Manchester United nine years earlier, acting as player-coach, Rovers drew 1-1 in Dublin before coming back from two goals down in Munich to tie the game at 2-2 and at the end of the second. Half managed to pass thanks to away goals.
However, an 86th-minute goal from Müller denied them what would have been a historic victory, while the German team ultimately won the competition.
Draws against Celtic and Juventus, as well as a friendly against Real Madrid in which Cristiano Ronaldo donned the white shirt for the first time, provided more memorable moments over the years.
More recently, the reward for becoming the first Irish team to reach the group stage of the Europa League in 2011-12 was being paired with Chelsea’s London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
Goalkeeper Richard Brush had been out of football after suffering a wrist injury with previous club Sligo Rovers when he got the call to join the Hoops’ European charge that season.
“I went from being without a club to being thrown into Shamrock Rovers in the title race and at that stage in the Champions League play-offs. I went from not having a club straight into the middle of this massive race,” he said. saying.
“It was entering the unknown after a long injury and then diving into what was the greatest achievement in Irish football at the time.
“I remember the text messages going around, like, ‘You taking the piss, we’ve got the Spurs?’ “It was huge for us.”
In his first competitive match against English opposition since that trip to Old Trafford 54 years earlier, Brush was in inspired form to deny Jermain Defoe and Roman Pavlyuchenko before Stephen Rice put the visitors into a shock lead.
The Spurs, however, turned the game around with three goals in six minutes of the second half.
The second leg in Dublin was a simpler affair for the star-studded Premiership side, who won 4-0, but it provided Brush, who was once Joe Hart’s understudy at Shrewsbury Town, a rare claim to fame. when he conceded the first of Harry Kane’s record 280 goals for Spurs.
“His first goal, for him, is obviously huge,” Brush said.
“As silly as it may seem, it’s a memory for me too. For that to be his first goal and then continue the career he’s had, it’s nice to be remembered in some weird way.”
