once in the European Cup Winners Cup, playing Turkish Cup winners Bursaspor. The club was again runner-up in the League of Ireland Cup finals of 1974 and 1975 to Waterford and Bohemians respectively. Through the 1970s, the club never once finished in the bottom half of the table and were widely respected for their attractive and attacking football style. The 1974 final was the first to be broadcast in colour. Slow decline The 1980s saw a gradual decline of the club when it came to competing against the best in Ireland. An FAI Cup semi-final in 1981 and a League of Ireland First Division Shield final defeat by EMFA were the highlights of the decade for them and by 1985 the club had been relegated to the newly formed First Division. A series of managerial changes occurred over the following few years in an attempt to raise the club's status, but signs of improvement did not appear until the early 1990s. Patsy McGowan took over as manager for the third time at the start of the 1992–93 season. The next three seasons saw the club finish in the play-off position twice, though they were beaten both times (once by Cobh Ramblers and once by Athlone Town). The club let McGowan go before his aim of promotion could be completed. Following this the club's fortunes improved. Nevertheless, Finn Harps won promotion at the end of the 1995–96 season, thus bringing an end to end their 11-season spell in the First Division. During the summer of 1996, a consortium of businessmen offered to take control of the club, but - when their offer was rejected - the manager and certain members of the club committee resigned. The club appointed Charlie McGeever as manager and, despite time being against him, he managed to assemble a squad for the opening of the 1996–97 season. By the season's conclusion, he had ensured that the club's Premier Division status was retained. Off the field, the remaining committee members set the club up as a co-operative society, selling shares to the ordinary supporters, to ensure that the club would be owned and run by the people whom they felt would truly care about it. A long-term blueprint for the future was put in place. In 1998–99, Finn Harps finished fourth in the Premier Division; one point behind Shelbourne in third position and just missed out on Europe.