History

2004-present: the Pete Mahon years

Mahon's UCD continued their fine form in the First Division, starting with a 2-0 away win against promotion rivals Bray and ending with 75 points – a club and, indeed, division record. Alas, on the final day, Finn Harps also beat that record and so, despite losing only two games all season, UCD finished runners-up.

There was some consolation though in a new goalscoring record – Willie Doyle with 15 – and a Cup quarter final against Drogheda United, where the Students were finally knocked out five minutes from the end of extra time in a replay. Darren Quigley, Conor Kenna, Willie Doyle and Brian Gannon were just some of the players uncovered by a revitalised scholarship scheme.

2005 saw more Cup success – another FAI Cup quarter final, with two-time reigning champions Longford Town beaten on the way, while we also reached the League Cup semi. There, we faced league champions Shelbourne – with no fear, having held them 1-1 in Tolka on the opening day of the season. With the score 1-0 to Shels as the game entered injury time, all looked lost, but first Brian Gannon equalised and then Robbie Martin won the game in sensational manner. The final, against Derry City, was the first ever live TV game to be screened from Belfield Park; 2174 crammed into the ground to see Derry sneak the Cup 2-1.

Another Cup quarter followed in 2006 – Derry City doing the damage this time – but the Students ended the season sixth in the table, sealing a first top-half finish since InterToto qualification. At the season's end, UCD finish second in the FAI's IAG assessment process, securing a place in the following season's Premier Division.

Yet another Cup quarter final followed in 2007 – and this time, Pete Mahon broke his duck with a superb 1-0 win in Derry, a game which ranks as possibly his finest hour with the club. Heartbreak followed with a 1-0 loss at home to Longford in the semis, and a red card for Alan Mahon presaged a 3-0 loss in Derry in the League Cup semi-finals.

After all that, the Students' league form collapsed, and where safety had been all but assured eight games out, it needed an 87th minute open goal miss from Waterford in their game against Shamrock Rovers to see UCD avoid the play-offs.

With Irish internationals left right and center (Robbie Doyle, Conor Kenna, Darren Quigley, Shane McFaul, Ronan Finn, Gary Dicker, Darren Forsyth, Timmy Purcell, Conor Sammon and Ian Bermingham all picking up honours ranging from Ireland U-19 to Ireland B under Mahon's tutelage) the prospects looked bright. However that wasn't how things turned out at least in the short term.

The 2008 season saw UCD move into their new home at the UCD Bowl. And far from being a fortress the opposition felt more at home that the Students did with UCD losing 10 League games at their new home and winning only two. Away from home the picture was even bleaker as UCD finished bottom of the table and were effectively down several weeks before the end of the campaign. One bright spark in anotherwise gloomy outlook was that the A Division team won the Championship.

During the close season Pete Mahon quit as manager and into the breach came Martin Russell who had been assisting Pete for the previous three seasons. He quickly moved to appoint former Longford Town manager Aaron Callaghan as coach and their first task in January 2009 was to completely rebuild the side. Matt Gregg went to Bohemians, Enda Stevens went to St. Patrick's Athletic, Ian Bermingham went to Shamrock Rovers Conor Kenna, Brian King and Alan McNally left for Drogheda United, Alan Mahon retired and several other players left the club for pastures new including Shane McFaul who left for Sporting Fingal and Pat McWalter who left the game to take up GAA. Martin with a reduced budget did the only thing possible and promoted from within. Several of the 2008 A Championship winning squad were now the first team.

Used to winning they got off to the best possible start posting a 100% record early on and winning away to both Sporting Fingal and Shelbourne in the first round of fixtures. UCD maintained this form and recovered from a slight blip in results to take the First Division Championship for only the second time in club history, away to Athlone Town on the penultimate day of the season. UCD celebrated despite losing the final home game of the season to Waterford United on a night in they were crowned champions.

The 2010 season begins with UCD only having lost two regular first team members from 2009, John Reilly deciding to emigrate to Canada and Ronan Finn leaving for Sporting Fingal , who have placed him on a scholarship scheme of their own with DCU. They go into this campaign cautiously optimisitic of staying in the top flight and the new arrivals in the first team squad will come in from the 2009 Under 20 League Championship winning side!