Jacobs Football Club was an Irish association football club based in Crumlin, Dublin. Jacobs were one of the founding members of the League of Ireland and played in the league from 1921âÂÂ22 until 1931âÂÂ32.
Like several fellow early League of Ireland clubs, such as St James's Gate, Midland Athletic, Fordsons and Dundalk, Jacobs had their origins as a factory or works team. They were originally the football team of Jacobs Biscuit Factory. In total, they lasted eleven seasons in the League of Ireland. They remained active as a football club until at least the late 1960s, playing in the round of sixteen of the 1968âÂÂ69 FAI Cup.
In 1914âÂÂ15 Jacobs played in the Leinster Junior League alongside Shamrock Rovers and in 1916âÂÂ17 they were runners up in the IFA Junior Cup, losing in the final to a team representing the Royal Irish Rifles. During the 1919âÂÂ20 season, played against the background of the Irish War of Independence, a group of Jacobs players were found guilty of invading the dressing room of their opponents, Olympia, after a Leinster Senior Cup game. Two Jacobs players received lengthy suspensions from the Leinster Football Association as did an Olympia player when it emerged that Jacobs had been taunted for "playing (British Army) soldiers" in their team.
In 1921âÂÂ22, together with Shelbourne, Bohemians, St James's Gate, Frankfort, Olympia, YMCA and Dublin United, Jacobs became founder members of the League of Ireland. Like Jacobs, the other seven founding members had spent the 1920âÂÂ21 season playing in the Leinster Senior League. In the 1921âÂÂ22 Leinster Senior Cup Jacobs were finalists, losing 1âÂÂ0 to eventual treble winners, St James's Gate. The highlight of their time in the League of Ireland was a third-place finish in 1923âÂÂ24. They were also FAI Cup semi-finalists in 1922âÂÂ23 and 1925âÂÂ26. After finishing bottom of the table three consecutive seasons, Jacobs failed to gain re-election at the end of the 1931âÂÂ32. Together with Brideville they left the league which was reduced from twelve to ten clubs.
After leaving the League of Ireland, Jacobs rejoined the Leinster Senior League. During the 1950s they enjoyed something of a revival. In 1949âÂÂ50 they won the FAI Intermediate Cup after beating St Patrick's Athletic in the final. They were also runners up in this cup competition in 1952âÂÂ53, 1953âÂÂ54 and 1960âÂÂ61. Between 1952âÂÂ53 and 1954âÂÂ55 they were Leinster Senior League champions on three consecutive seasons. In 1967âÂÂ68 they won a fourth Leinster Senior League title.
The following Jacobs F.C. players represented Ireland and/or the Republic of Ireland at full international level.