Gaffers by Trevor Keane Page B

services. Tuohy, however, opted to remain in Dublin with Shamrock Rovers. His development continued under Coad, and he subsequently became an important fixture in the successful Rovers team.
    It was while he was at Rovers that Tuohy experienced Continental football for the first time when both he and the club made their debut in European competition in 1959. Liam managed to score the first of four goals for Rovers at this level when he scored their second in a 3–2 away defeat against Nice in the European Cup.
    When he had a third League of Ireland under his belt Tuohy started to consider his future. Approaching twenty-seven he was at his peak as a footballer, and he fancied another challenge before the end of his career. He was now working for Guinness at the St James’ Gate Brewery and with wife Sheila was the proud father of three children.
    After nine part-time years it was time for a change, and that change came in the shape of Newcastle United. The switch to full-time football was always going to be difficult for Tuohy, but in three years with Newcastle he made a total of forty-two appearances and scored nine goals.
    IRELAND CAREER
    Liam earned the first of his eight caps for Ireland in 1955, whilst still on the books of Shamrock Rovers, starting up front in a 4–1 defeat to Yugoslavia. However it was not until four years later, in 1959, when he was a Newcastle player that he earned his second cap, starting in a 2–0 win over Czechoslovakia. He made a more lasting impression this time, as just twenty-one minutes into the game Liam became the first man to score in the European Nations Cup (now known as the UEFA European Championship). His history-making goal saw him keep his place for the return game, but this time Liam made less of an impact and was part of a side that lost 4–0. The lack of consistency in the selection process of the teams adopted by the committee meant that it was almost three years before Liam would feature again for Ireland. That game, a 3–2 friendly defeat at home to Austria saw Liam grab his second international goal in four appearances.
    The next Ireland game saw Liam return to competitive international football as he started and scored in a 4–2 victory over Iceland, also netting another goal in the return game, a 1–1 draw. Almost seven years after making his debut for his country, Liam now had six caps and four goals to his name, impressive statistics despite the gaps between appearances.
    Having left Newcastle to move back to Ireland with Shamrock Rovers, Liam won his seventh cap for Ireland in a 0–0 draw with Austria in 1965. Eleven years after making his debut, he won his last cap in a 2–0 defeat to Belgium.
    MANAGEMENT CAREER
    It was when Liam returned to Shamrock Rovers in 1963 that he began the journey that would eventually lead to the Ireland manager’s job. He took the reigns at Milltown as a player-coach and helped the club win a League of Ireland/FAI Cup double in his first season. Despite winning the League and Cup double, the manager Seán Thomas had decided to leave the club and the club’s directors handed Liam the chance to take on the management of the team, although he would remain a player on the club’s books as well. Liam’s job was made easier by the fact that he inherited a very talented squad with players of the calibre of Frank O’Neill and Johnny Fullam who were full Ireland internationals when Liam took over, while youngsters Mick Leech and Paddy Mulligan were soon to become household names in League of Ireland football and as internationalists.
    Liam was in his early thirties when he took the player-manager role, and his time with Rovers would last a trophy-laden five years, during which time he led the club to a run of five consecutive FAI Cup Final wins. Despite this success he failed to win the League title during his time in charge.
    With his record as a Cup specialist enhanced domestically, Liam got the chance to increase his stock as a player