St Patrick's Athletic have revealed that they will prepare for the first of their forthcoming Uefa games with a friendly against Tottenham Hotspur, to be played at Richmond Park on July 12th. Tickets, priced €20 and €35 with a limited number of concessions also available, go on sale this morning from the club's offices at 125 Emmet Road, Inchicore (telephone: 454 6332).
"This will be a really good test for us halfway through our season," said the club's director of football, Brian Kerr, yesterday, "Given the quality of the current Spurs squad it should prove to be a very attractive fixture, not just for our fans but for all football people in Dublin. Johnny (McDonnell) and I are conscious of the need to test our squad against the best opposition possible in advance of the Uefa Cup which starts a week later."
The club's chairman and owner suggested that the game is an early indication of the progress being made with improving Richmond Park just a matter of months after his takeover was completed.
"Over the longer term we intend to refurbish the whole stadium," said Garrett Kelleher, "but it's because we've already done a certain amount of work on the facilities that we're better positioned now to host such an exciting fixture. The FAI has facilitated us by moving our home league fixture with Longford Town from Friday 13th to Sunday July 15th and we're grateful to them and to Longford for their co-operation."
Former St Patrick's star Curtis Fleming has been appointed assistant manager by Scottish First Division outfit Livingston. The 38-year-old Dubliner will work alongside former Middlesbrough team-mate Mark Proctor, who became the club's manager last month.
"When I signed for Middlesbrough from St Pat's back in 1991, I think it was 'Proc' who took me under his wing a little bit," said Fleming. "I was a little bit green and he looked after me. We've kept in touch and I was thrilled when he gave me the call.
"I've been offered a few things but it (senior team coaching) wasn't something I was going to dive into," said the former Ireland international who has been working with the youths at Middlesbrough in recent times.
"Since I started doing the coaching, though, I've really got the bug for it. I was back in Dublin this week trying to finish my Uefa B level and I've been flying through it."
Fleming, who was approached about working with Pat Fenlon at Derry City, admitted to not having known a great deal about his new club before arriving at Almondvale over the past couple of days. " There are a lot of people at clubs in the lower leagues down in England who would kill for what's already in place up here."
