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From Dublin to Shanghai: Football veterans reunite after 50 years

By China Daily | chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2026-04-25 00:01
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Participating members from both the UCD side and the Shanghai football team pose for a group photo at the commemorative event celebrating their half-century friendship.  [Li Junfeng/chinadaily.com.cn]

A commemorative event marking the 50th anniversary of University College Dublin's soccer team visiting China in 1976 was held at Shanghai Stadium on April 24.

Participating members from both the UCD side and their Shanghai opponents reunited to celebrate a half-century of friendship.

The delegation's pioneering visit occurred before the official establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Ireland in 1979, and took in several Chinese cities, including Shanghai.

At the time, the matches were not only sporting contests but also cultural exchanges that drew wide coverage in Irish newspapers, deepening Ireland's understanding of China.

"The tour in 1976 made such an impression upon us," said team captain Patrick Dwyer, who was 18 years old in 1976 and retired only a few months ago after 46 years in sports retail.

Former members of the University College Dublin’s football team that visited China in 1976 attend commemorative event in Shanghai on April 24.  [Li Junfeng/chinadaily.com.cn]

"That trip really was the glue. It bonded us even further. China holds a very warm place in our hearts," he said. "I'm a great believer in sport. You can travel anywhere in the world and if you have sport in your body and in your mind, it travels all over the world."

Ding Longfa, a former player on the Shanghai soccer team, echoed Dwyer's view. "Victory or defeat is temporary, but the friendship between our two teams and the people of both countries last forever," he said.

As 18 original UCD team members returned to Shanghai after 50 years, they not only celebrated a shared history between the two cities, but were also stunned by the city's rapid development, which "is something to be proud of" for Shanghai, as said by Brian Purcell, a member of the 1976 squad.

David Murphy, Ireland's consul general in Shanghai, noted that Shanghai occupies a special place, as both one of the world's largest ports and also a major economic engine for the rest of China. Compared to other cities in the country, Shanghai is highly cosmopolitan, which gives it a critically important function to perform.

"Ireland and China cooperate in business, culture, education, sport, and government, so our partnership spans a wide range of areas," he said. "However, it is the people-to-people exchanges like this one that underpin everything, making these connections real, and adding substance to cooperation across all sectors."

The visiting former UCD football team members interact with Shanghai local children players.  [Li Junfeng/chinadaily.com.cn]

Li Junfeng contributed to this story.

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