Pat Hoban the man - Standing up against abuse, fundraising for charity and tributes to fans

Pat Hoban is both a leader on the pitch and off the pitch.

Derry City fans are hoping that their new striker will provide the goals which will fire Derry City to a first league title since 1997, but they can also be assured that they are signing a man of character off the pitch. 

Dundalk based journalist James Rogers paid the following tribute to Dundalk's greatest ever goal scorer, who will now wear red and white in 2024. 

"When Pat returned to town after his spell in England ahead of the 2018 season and moved into a local housing estate, a number of kids called to his door looking to have a kickabout with the Dundalk’s new number nine. He duly obliged, as he would many times over the years.

He would often frequently pop up at the likes of children’s birthday parties – making a young fan’s day without looking for plaudits or rewards.

While Dundalk has been home to many outstanding players down through the years, few have given back to the area as much as Hoban has in his time here.

While he is hoping to raise vital funds for three wonderful organisations on Friday night, this is nothing new for Patrick.

Over the years he has taken it upon himself to hold raffles for the likes of Melissa Woods’ family following her sudden passing and for Stephen Kirk, who needed treatment for cancer treatment in America. He also helped out various other initiatives such as those in aid of the late Daragh McNally, the fundraisers for Sonia Hoey and Zoe Murphy, the Run 24 event in aid of Muirhevnamor FC, as well as helping to raise funds for St Mary’s Knockbridge, Pieta House and the Maria Goretti Foundation, to name but a few.

He was also not afraid to speak up on topics that irked him, hitting out at personal abuse of club employees in May 2021 and standing up for then team-mate Nathan Oduwa when he suffered racial abuse in November 2020.

Hoban made Dundalk his home and has made many friends here. He got what Dundalk was about both as a town and a club. That’s why it was no surprise to see him dedicating many goals over the years to fans. Following his 50th league goal he paid tribute to Harry Martin, who sadly passed away after the game, while earlier this year there was a similar dedication made to the late Maurice Coffey.

There are perhaps countless other examples of goodness that I’m not immediately aware of but the above gives an insight into a man who everyone would want in the trenches with them on the field and who you’d be proud to call a friend off it.

That is true greatness.

One more story to sum Hoban up? Throughout the 2022 season there was a young supporter who begged him for his jersey after every home game. That youngster was Calvin Curley-Gray, the 11-year-old football fanatic who sadly passed away that September two weeks after a tragic accident that shook the town.

Having promised him his famous number nine shirt at the end of the season, Hoban kept up his side of the bargain by attending Calvin’s wake and presenting it to his distraught family. In their darkest of hours, Hoban had provided a small piece of happiness – something they would never forget.

That’s what makes the legend – an overused title, perfectly appropriate in Patrick’s case."