League of Ireland football is in its best place in years but clubs should come together and take it to new heights.
I don’t doubt the FAI’s intentions for the domestic game. Their strategic review was full of promise and promises.
How much of it sees the light of day is the question.
The association has so much to overhaul in the post-John Delaney era and the league is just one small part of it.
Were it the only issue to address, I’d be a lot more confident of it being done. But the size of the entire task is so overwhelming it doesn’t inspire confidence.
The FAI should have adopted a two-part process and set up a NAMA equivalent - basically a big skip to shovel all the crap into.
And alongside that, a separate division working with the sole aim of surging forward and investing in and improving the game.
I saw a list this week of the top-10 attendances at league matches this season and it’s seriously impressive. Very consistent figures across the board.
If they could be sustained, we wouldn’t be a million miles from having a viable league and self-sufficient industry.
I’m in the game over 25 years and I’ve seen attendances fluctuate for all sorts of reasons.
We had near empty stadiums in the 90s before a surge in the late 90s when a professional league came into play.
That carried into the 2000s, only to collapse again due to the financial crash. There were always reasons for the surge and decline.
But there’s something different at play here and I feel it marks a significant change in how people view the game.
There’s a huge air of optimism among supporters and clubs about what the league can offer.
You could argue that, as a population, we’ve been passive about a lot of things but we’ve woken up post Covid and the 18-months of restrictions.
People have a fresh purpose, a new injection of life. There’s a surge of energy around the league and people want to get more involved with their local teams.
Throughout the pandemic we were told to shop local, holiday in Ireland and we all became more self aware of our own doorstep - and that has carried into sport.
Every now and then a wave is created and it’s about grabbing the surfboard and trying to catch it.
The next objective is securing financial investment and infrastructural improvement, whether through Government lobbying or private avenues.
But let’s not sit around waiting for the FAI to approach the politicians, let’s get the clubs on the case.
Never before have we had such highly intelligent, savvy people running and investing in our clubs - people who can open doors.
These guys know the commercial world and I’d love to see them get together in the background and knock on Minister Catherine Martin and Jack Chambers’ door.
Just have the conversation and see what’s available.
There are a lot of serious, ethical issues surfacing in Horse Racing but look at the financial breaks it reaps from the Government.
Football is the greatest sport in the world and we’ve a League of Ireland bursting at the seams with potential.
Now is the time, but what are we doing about it?. I doubt the FAI will be Knights in shining armour, so the clubs need to drive it.
DUFFY'S HEARTBREAK
You have to feel for Michael Duffy who fractured his tibia on Monday and faces a lengthy spell on the sideline.
Derry City are not only losing one of their best players but his absence could have a psychological effect on the squad.
Monday’s incident against Drogheda was even cruller considering Duffy was making his first appearance for the Candystrips on his return to his hometown club.
Had he got off to a good start, I’d have expected him to push for Ireland duty in the summer, but that’s looking unlikely now.
BOHS NEED TO PUSH ON
Bohs have deservedly got a lot of praise and kudos in the last six or seven years.
Lads like Daniel Lambert steadied the ship and helped bring the club back from the financial abyss.
Not long after I retired, I’d go to games in Dalymount and the atmosphere was toxic.
But the culture of the club has changed and fans have enjoyed watching young players putting pride back in the jersey.
Good players too, doing a steady if unspectacular job week in, week out, and in Europe and, last season, in the FAI Cup final.
After seeing the club teeter on the brink of ruin, what’s not to like.
But we’ve had about seven years of this and I think the club is reaching a point where those supporters expect a bit more on the pitch.
That’s not easy when you’re chopping and changing the squad so much because your best players leave every year.
Keith Long owes Bohs nothing but everything in life is cyclical and, as football lovers, we all want to win things and when you go a long time without, you get itchy feet.
It doesn't help when your biggest rivals are the dominant force but even during those years of restructuring I never remembered Shamrock Rovers having issues of player retention.
On the pitch, last season, Bohs got a real taste of the big time with their European run and FAI cup final appearance. That may have raised a false expectation for this season.
The managerial merry-go-round in the off season led to a big shift in players moving clubs and that seems to have strengthened the chasing pack.
In any other year, that movement of players would have benefited Bohs but early season results would suggest otherwise.
The shock of Covid is now wearing off and there's a sense that a number of clubs are positioning themselves to have a go at Rovers.
Bohs spiritual captain Keith Buckley has taken a year off. That may well be the case for the team.
BRADLEY HAS A JOB TO KEEP HOOPS' EGOS IN CHECK
Jack Byrne was on Off The Ball recently and spoke about Stephen Bradley being well able to put players in their place.
As soon as he said that, I thought about Danny Mandroiu’s little strop when subbed off against St Pat’s.
I played with Bradley at Drogheda and know what sort of character he is. But I’m sure he has developed an even thicker skin as a manager.
He’ll certainly have to be more assertive with this group of Shamrock Rovers players than in the past. There’s a lot of egos in the dressing room and they can’t all play.
Richie Towell caught a break in Dundalk during the week, but can’t be happy with his limited game time.
Mandroiu is an important player but his show of petulance at getting the crooked finger in Inchicore was a little peep behind the scenes.
I don’t buy the argument that you can’t talk to modern day players like you could in the past.
There should always be a time and a place to be critical, and if a player can’t accept that they should sling their hook.
