The V.E.C. football club was founded in April 1974 by members of the administrative staff working in the City of Dublin Vocational Education Committee. In May 1974, following five friendly matches, the club purchased its first set of jerseys for £25 and in June applied to the United Churches Football League of Ireland and was immediately accepted for the top division. In those days the League was quite small and confined with only two divisions. When it was decided to open up the League to any suitable club, the first two to enter were V.E.C. and D.S.B.

Then on the 7th September 1974, the club played its first official game. It was a Barton Shield match played in Terenure against St. Maelruan's from Tallaght, and unfortunately the game was lost 1-3. The first league match was played on the 5th October 1974 in Terenure against St. Canice's United and that game was lost 2-5 with Canice's going on to win the league. The following week, we had our first win. It was a Leinster Junior Cup match in the Phoenix Park against Cashel Rangers. We won 3-1 and John Loughman scored a hat-trick. A week later we secured our first league point against Harding in a 2-2 draw and then on the 26th October we achieved our first league win. It was in Terenure: it was 4-1: and it was against St. Mary's. Our final game of our first season was also against St. Mary's, played in Terenure; the goal-keeper was unable to travel because of the petrol situation, but we drew 3-3 and Dave Spring managed a hat-trick with three headed goals!

In our second season, we surpassed all expectations in reaching the final of the League's major challenge cup - the Elvery Cup. Having beaten the eventual league champions, St.Canice's United in the quarter final with goals from Dave Spring and Ken Ryan (2); and St. Mary's with the same score of 3-2 (after extra time) in the semi-final with goals from Dave Hughes and Pat Gleeson (2), we played Dublin University in their own back yard in Santry on the 22nd May 1976 and despite leading by a Ken Ryan goal at half-time, Dublin University's tactical changes brought them two goals late in the game to win a very memorable match.

It was three years later when we reached our next final: this time in the Barton Shield when we beat Dublin Savings Bank on penalties.

In the 1980's, the club reached seven finals, winning the Elvery Cup in 1980, 1981, 1984 and 1988 and losing in 1987. In addition, we won the Barton Shield again in 1988 having lost the 1982 final. In the same period, we were runners-up in the Premier Division of the League on four occasions - 1981, 1987, 1988 and 1989. Unfortunately we never got our hands on the title.

V.E.C. has always had a team in the U.C.L.'s top flight, except in the 1982/83 season, when the club entered its first team in the Major section of the Leinster Senior League. The club's second team with Dave Spring as player/manager operated in the U.C.L.'s old second division, and won the league title after a play-off game against Harcourt Rovers. Remarkably, this is the only team over the first 34 years to have won a league and it was this same (second) team which went on to beat St. Mary's in the Elvery Cup Final at Tolka Park in 1984 with goals from Joe O'Hanlon and Noel Ryan.

For four seasons, the first team had played in the Leinster Senior League, achieving promotion in 1983/84. Returning to U.C.F.L. in 1986, V.E.C. had one of its most successful seasons, and while only finishing runners-up in both the premier division and the Elvery Cup, a wonderful run in the F.A.I. Junior Cup saw the club reach the 6th round, only to be knocked out by top A.U.L. side Glenmore Celtic. Two seasons later, another great season and a brilliant run in the same competition, saw the club win its 6th round game against Beggsboro (who were runners-up in the previous year's final), before losing out 3-0 in the 7th round to the top junior side in the country at the time, Tolka Rovers, who went on to win the trophy.

It was 1993 before the club reached its next final. Having being consigned to the history books as the last winners of the Elvery Cup in 1988, we became the fifth winners of the new challenge cup, the Prudential Life Cup on the 22nd April 1993 when we beat Dublin University on penalties in Tolka Park. That same season, the second team - operating in division 2 - lost the Byrne Shield Final to Stedfast who had two current league players in their team!

The following season, we entered our third team in division 3 of the Leinster Senior League. This was the first and only time that we played in a Sunday league and while it proved to be very enjoyable, there were some logistical problems, like getting players up early on a Sunday morning!

It was quite extraordinary when the second team and the third team were drawn to play each other in the quarter final of the Leslie Reynolds Cup in 1995. On an eventful Saturday - ironically on the 1st April - in Whitehall with more than fifty interested spectators, in what was a very exciting game, it took just one sweet strike from player/manager Dermot Sharkey mid way through the second half to secure the win for the seconds over Robbie Ebbs's very valiant third-team squad.

In the 1996/97 season, the three V.E.C. teams were top of their respective divisions - Premier, Division 2A and Division 3A - in March. Unfortunately, the first and the third teams faltered somewhat, but the seconds had an epic battle for the league title with the result only being decided in the last game of the season at home to Clontarf. In a truly marvellous game that could have gone either way, Clontarf came from behind to win the game and the league in the final moments after an epic 4-3 encounter.

In June 1998, the second team met Balally Celtic in the Shield Final in the A.U.L. Complex. Despite a brave showing in the torrential rain, unfortunately we lost 2-0 to a stronger team who had just secured promotion to the top division.

Then it happened again! This time in the challenge cup - now called the Progressive Cup - match on the 19th December 1998, the first team beat the second team by 3 goals to 2 after another memorable match played in a truly sporting spirit. With John Griffith on form scoring two goals for the seconds, the first team took some time to settle before Garrett Brennan responded with two goals and Noel Ryan with one. Unfortunately in April 1999 - in our Jubilee year - the team lost out at the semi-final stage on penalties to Strand United, when a win seemed to be on the cards right up to the 90th minute.

In May 2002, nine years since our last appearance in the U.C.L's. 'blue-ribboned' final, we played Trinity Corinthians in the Irish Life Challenge Cup Final in Tolka Park on 11th May, hoping to win our sixth premier cup. Unfortunately, it was not to be. Despite a brave performance, we lost 2-0 to an excellent Trinity team who had two Junior Internationals in their side: Aaron Shearer and David Battigan. Interestingly, along the way - in the second round - the first team had to dispose of the second team once again, winning comfortably 6-2 with goals from Peter Bull, Eamon Kirk, Paul Little, Brian Ward, Derek O'Neill and Captain Glenn Morrissey. Conor MacArtain and Paul Hutchinson responded for the 2nds. It was a honour for our Club that our Hon. Secretary Seamus Doherty joined the Executive Committee of the United Churches Football League.

2003-2004: Unusually, the leading goal-scorer was Brian Feehan, who scored all 17 playing for the 3rd team. Goalkeeper Marty Mannion, Andy Byrne and Simon Roche joined the first team, while Anto O'Callaghan left to concentrate on his studies, Andy Soye headed off to Oz, Dave Collins played his last game after a nasty knee injury, and John Duffy and Mark Noonan left. We lifted the Willie Kissane Memorial Boot for the first time since the competition was re-vamped into an 8-team tournament, beating Templeogue Utd. in the semi-final and Knocklyon 2-0 in the final.

2004-2005: Well what a season! Our first trophies in 12 years with each of our 3 teams taking silverware under the guidance of Dave Spring, Fergal Nolan and Karl McCafferty respectively. A club record broken for the most goals scored in a season with Joey Byrne, scoring 36 goals in 36 games. His co-striker Brian Ward's 26 goals was also amazing. Reaching the 6th round of the FAI Junior Cup, winning the Premier Shield, 2nd division shield and runners up in the Richard Knight final. Another 1st for the club was the UCFL's Merit award received by the 3rd team, for their performance on and off the field, a very notable trophy for the club to be awarded. This award was run on a points system where the team that had a good disciplinary record (minimum yellow and red cards), pitches and kits in order, good referees reports etc. was awarded this trophy along with a football kit for the club. The firsts won the shield final 3-2 against Clontarf Athletic while the 2nd division shield was won by defeating runners up in the league Rail PSV 2-1 in the final.

2005-2006: The club record for scoring in consecutive games was broken by Joey Byrne during the season - he scored in 9 consecutive games. The previous best was scoring in 7 consecutive games by Ken Ryan in 1980/81 and John Griffith in 1996/97. We reached the 6th round of the Leinster Junior Cup before losing only 1-0 on a Sunday to arguably the best Junior soccer club in the country at the time Killester Utd. who went on to win the Trophy. We also should and could have taken runners-up spot in the Premier Division, had we beaten Clontarf Ath. in the last game! Our league form was consistent and we ended up third, losing twice to Trinity and once to Clontarf Ath. and to Ailesbury FC. Stumpy's second team finished third in Division 2 of the league. First team players Tom Kerwick and Derek Glennon left. One new player to make the first team was Cormac Jennings, while others returned such as Simon Roche, Johnny McClean, John Duffy, Cian Allen and Stephen Van Loon.

2006-2007: Three notable players from the previous season were not involved: Glenn Morrissey and Shane Spring through injury; and Simon Roche who decided to play Sunday football elsewhere. The Club is very proud that Paul Hutchinson was selected as the UCFL Manager for the year and he asked Dave Spring - who was still VEC's first team manager - to assist him. Considering that this was Hutch's first year, it was very successful, as the league team qualified for the knock-out stages of the Oscar Treanor Trophy, before losing out to the eventual winners AFL in the quarter-final. It was an honour too for Paul O'Sullivan who played in all the competitive games for the league team, and to Joey Byrne, Anthony Dunne and Peter Morrissey who were also selected, as were the Doherty brothers Dara and Marc in the final game of the season for the league team, against the Northern Amateur League.

2007-2008: The first team played an amazing 13 cup games - actually losing only 1 of them - to Fairview CYM in the FAI Junior Cup, but being knocked out on penalties in the other 3 cup competitions - firstly to Forth Celtic in Wexford in the last 16 of the Leinster Junior Cup; then in the semi-final of the UCL Challenge Cup to Sportslink FC and finally to Brayzil 2nds in the Richard Knight Cup. The second team reaching the final of their Shield was notable - but unfortunately they lost on the day to Terenure FC. Darragh McGinley, Mick Keating, Marc Doherty, Nicky Perry, Rory O'Dwyer joined the Club and played for the first team, while the 1st team lost Andy Soye and goalkeeper Dave Carroll due to injury; Joe O'Connell returned to Mayo; and Paddy Flanagan returned to Eindhoven. Paul Hutchinson was re-selected as the UCFL Manager for a second year. Dave Spring assisted Hutch once again. It was an honour too for VEC club members Paul O'Sullivan, Joey Byrne, Darragh McGinley and Mark Doherty who were selected to represent the league team during the season.

2008-2009: At last! In our 35th season, with Dave Spring and Noel Ryan at the helm, we won the Premier Division title. Having beaten UCFL 'kingpins' Trinity Corinthians in the league for the first time in Santry early in the season, it came down to the final premier game of the season, when VEC had to beat Trinity in Terenure to win the title. From being a goal down after 50 minutes, Brian Ward (x2) and Simon Roche got the important goals, ensuring that we pipped Trinity (who had won the title on 7 occasions in the previous 10 years) by 1 point to complete a remarkable season. [Team] Unfortunately, for the second year in succession, we exited the Challenge Cup at the semi-final stage, when we lost 0-3 to Terenure FC. Although Joey Byrne suffered a bad injury in September, keeping him out of action for 6 months, and Dara Doherty left in January to work in Norway, Simon Roche's and Rav's return from travels added greatly to the squad, as did appearances from Hygo Cesar in the latter stages of the season.

Our Chairman Dave Spring was invited by the F.A.I. to participate on the F.A.I. Appeals Panel and has been actively involved ever since.