A Manchester United Legends XI will visit New York next summer to take on a selection of NY Shamrocks Legends in a historic fundraiser for the Queens-based soccer club.

This thrilling once-in-a-lifetime event will double up as the annual Robbie Walsh Memorial Exhibition Game and will take place on Saturday June 22, 2019 at Gaelic Park.

Shamrocks technical director Kevin Grogan, club president Teresa Brink and committee member, Paddy Geraghty, who were pictured this past weekend at the Courtyard Ale House, sponsor of the Shamrocks Soccer Club, as they launched the 2019 Robbie Walsh Memorial Exhibition Game. Picture credit: John Riordan

There will also be an exciting curtain raiser with a League of Ireland Legends selection coming to town to play a Shamrocks Over 30s line-up.

The double header in the Bronx will be followed by a banquet in Queens which will gather together all club members and supporters for an evening of season awards and entertainment.

Welcoming the announcement, Shamrocks club president Teresa Brink said, “We are very proud to welcome former Manchester United players to take part in the Robbie Walsh Memorial Exhibition Game next summer. It should be a really historic day.

“Robbie was a big Manchester Utd fan and so it will be a huge honor for our club to put on this event in his memory. We are all looking forward to the day and we are very much committed to making it an occasion to remember.”

Paddy Geraghty, who has steered the 2019 Robbie Walsh Memorial Exhibition Game Committee, paid tribute to everyone who had worked with him to make the event a possibility.

“Our current crop of Shamrocks Legends will welcome some former Legends back to pull on the jersey one more time,” said Geraghty.

“They’ll have the opportunity to play against their heroes and in some cases, join them as guest players for Manchester United. We will announce full details in the coming months including the Manchester United Legends team, ticket information, sponsorship opportunities, and special events that will run all weekend.

“We would like to thanks Colin Telford and Tony Browne at Legends XI for making the event possible, Manhattan College for the use of Gaelic Park, and the Shamrock’s Committee for all their hard work behind the scenes.”

The Shamrocks first team coach and technical director Kevin Grogan, who began his professional football career at Manchester United in the mid 1990s, said he was looking forward to the historic event.

“Obviously Manchester United has a spot in my heart from my playing days,” said Grogan. “It’s a club with an amazing history and it’s fitting they are coming over to play the NY Shamrocks who also have an amazing history. Two great clubs playing in a great city.”

Robbie Walsh was a former Shamrocks stalwart who, as captain, led the Rocks to back-to-back CSL League Cup victories, and, as coach, helped keep them together in hard times. Walsh, a County Kildare native, died in Queens in November 2016. He was 44.

Meanwhile, the Shamrocks first team bowed out of the Manning Cup after a 2-0 loss to Pancyrpians at St John’s.

“It was a good effort by our players,” said Grogan. “I cant knock their dedication to the cause. All focus now on our massive league game next week against CPR.”

The reserves team won 2-1 against NYAC after a last minute winner from James Hudson secured the win after Joey Aronovsky had opened the scoring.”