ENGLAND TOUR 1972
Back: Jimmy Colfer, Ivan Elvin, Pat Kavanagh, Joe Lynch, Ray Brennan, Owen Sullivan, Stephen Pryle.
Front: Christy Doran, Tom Wheeler, Joey Healy, Mellor Flood, Paddy Reilly, Pat Cantwell.
The club’s early ambitions reflected a pedigree which would carry them through some lean spells. That ambition was clearly evident when they embarked on a brief tour of the U.K. in April 1972, scarcely 5 years old.
Stephen Pryle from Skyrne, a brother of David Pryle, who less than a decade later would be involved with the inaugural mid Meath league, was one of many Irishmen working in London for a firm called J and E Hall. Stephen made contact with the fledgling Irish soccer club and the idea of a mini tour across the Irish Sea was born. Following brief discussions the idea took off and 25 enthusiasts coughed up the £10 fare.
The intrepid travellers set off from Dun Laoghaire en-route to Holyhead and the train to London. Roddy O Neill offered £5 to anyone who scored a hat trick and Mellor Flood almost won it in the second game against J and E Hall. The schedule was quite hectic with the squad departing on Friday and returning on Monday. In between they played three games the statistics of which are:
| Date | Venue | Details | Ratoath Scorers | ||
| 1/4/72 | Bexley | Dartford Heath | 4v1 | Ratoath | Kit Doran |
| 2/4/72 | Dartford | J&E Hall | 1v4 | Ratoath | Mellor Flood (2), Ivan Elvin, Joe Healy |
| 3/4/72 | Dartford | Inter FIC | 1v1 | Ratoath | Owen Sullivan |
| Date | Venue | Details | Ratoath Scorers | ||
| 1/4/72 | Bexley | Dartford Heath | 4v1 | Ratoath | Kit Doran |
| 2/4/72 | Dartford | J&E Hall | 1v4 | Ratoath | Mellor Flood (2), Ivan Elvin, Joe Healy |
| 3/4/72 | Dartford | Inter FIC | 1v1 | Ratoath | Owen Sullivan |
The squad on tour included Roddy O Neill,Joe Healy Senior, Kit Doran, Joe Healy Junior, Jimmy Colfer, Owen Sullivan, Tom Ford, Jim Gorman, Martin Walls, Mellor Flood, Ivan Elvin, Stephen Pyrle, Joe Lynch, Pat OSullivan, Gabriel O Sullivan, Dan O Sullivan, Frank Walls, Charlie Daly, Pat Cantwell, Patsy Kavanagh, Tom Wheeler, Paddy Reilly, Gerry Monaghan, Dermot Foley, Declan Brennan and Ray Brennan.
1960s pop star Marianne Faithful attended one of the games while the squad also took the opportunity to socialise and made the most of the short time they had in London.
St. Patricks Day 1978
Back L-R: Noel Conway, Michael Brady, Paddy Kenny, Terry Brady, Brian Conway, Mark Flood, Martin Dolan.
Front: Christy Doran, Daragh O Neill, Mellor Flood, Des Brady, Paddy Monaghan.
