by Jeremiah Allen
If the new eircom league season is anything like the last 12 months then we are in for an eventful year. We've lost two clubs in Dublin City and Limerick, gained two in Limerick 37 and Wexford and...Oh...our league champions have been demoted.
When it comes to the fortunes of the eircom League you never quite think of it in straight lines. For every sod turned on a new stadium development there is a ground failing to meet the criteria set down by the licensing committee.
For every new entrant into the league there is a shadow hanging over a clubs' future. Points deductions...players not getting paid...the list is endless of the problems and bad publicity that have plagued the league in recent memory.
But the latest twist for some is the final straw. The premier division champions have collapsed and although it looks like their future is secure, albeit in the first division, it leaves an awful taste in the mouths of the people who for years, against indifference and abject ignorance, have sang the virtues of the league.
That a country's league champions can go through such public humiliation is as bad as it gets. For fans of the league it hurts. But will this latest catastrophe be the kick in the backside that it needed? Lets look at the negatives first so we can end this rant on a good note.
Just a few short years ago the advent of full time football in the league had many fans feeling confident about its future. It all started so well. We welcomed back players with Premiership and International experience in Alan Moore, Dominic Foley, Gareth Farrelly and Jim Crawford. Talented young players who would normally return homesick and disillusioned from contracts with English clubs were finding success with the domestic game.
As a direct result Shelbourne, Cork City, Bohemians and Derry City all combined to increase the profile of the eircom league through their performances in Europe brining the league's ranking to a high of 38. Fans were even going so far as to suggest that the money making group stages of the UEFA or Champions League were beckoning. The future looked bright.
However the season of 2006 will be remembered as a very difficult one for the league. The restructure of the league and strict licensing requirements promised a bright future...it's hard to see that now.
This particular column takes many positives from the departure of Limerick and Dublin and the subsequent demotion of Shelbourne...it shows that the licensing committee are serious. This can only bode well for the league. It should lead to an improvement of facilities and encourage more families to come out and support their local teams.
The introduction of Wexford into the league should give people from that particular corner of the country something to shout about as well as helping out neighbours Kildare, Waterford and Kilkenny by adding a bit of spice to the fixtures.
Further there is no reason for Limerick not to become a force in the domestic league in the future. It is a tragedy that Limerick have been in the doldrums for so long. Look at the success of their junior clubs. Clubs from the Shannon district, Fairview Rangers in particular, have dominated the FAI Junior Cup since 2000. Limerick is sports mad and the crowds for Munster games, even in the Magners League, shows the appetite they have for a successful sports club. Indeed soccer is booming in the county so there is no excuse for it to be without a decent senior side.
The worrying development for me though is the talent drain that is in full swing at the moment. Colin Hawkins, Wes Houlihan, Kevin Doyle, George O'Callaghan, Stephen Ward, Paul Keegan, Trevor Molloy, Bennett all gone...and the exodus shows little sign of abating.
The most worrying aspect is that players are going to Scotland. That players are preferring to go to clubs like Livingstone and Motherwell instead of remaining at home frightens me. Maybe players know more than us and don't believe there is security in playing for a domestic club. Indeed the Shelbourne and Shamrock Rovers situations over the last number of years gives weight to their concern. The success of Kevin Doyle, Shane Long and Stephen Ward is a testament to the fact that playing in the Eircom League is as good as any league in Europe when it comes to being in the shop window.
While English and Scottish clubs pluck away our most prized and exciting talents we should be looking at the young Irish players who are on the fringe and battling for contracts. Clubs should have scouts scouring the leagues in Britain selling them the league and convincing them that it is of sufficient standard to guarantee them a second shot at stardom.
The conveyor belt is certainly flowing east across the Irish Sea; we just have to ensure that it is also working the opposite way. Clubs should not rest on their laurels. They need to make sure that players like Clive Delaney, Barry Ferguson, Alan Moore and Jason Gavin keep returning and offering the knowledge they gained from playing with the Premierships stars to the young guns of the domestic game.
The above said...there are some good developments in the league. With the FAI now running the league and a fresh emphasis on the marketing of the domestic game there is at least some forward thinking emanating from the new arrangement.
So with hefty marketing budget, TV deals with Setanta, RTE and TV3 and an increase in prize money, among other changes, what can we expect? Drogheda, Bohemians, Athlone Town, Finn Harps and Sligo Rovers all have impressive ground developments either under construction or in the pipeline, while, fingers crossed, Shamrock Rovers' move to Tallaght will be the greatest bonus for the league since the 80's.
Many of the clubs are in good health and there is every chance that Drogheda, Derry City or St Patrick's Athletic can continue the good run of eircom league clubs in European competitions this year.
The future is starting to look bright for Shamrock Rovers. Dublin needs at least two strong clubs if the health of the league is to improve. Should Rovers finally move into their Tallaght stadium it will be the biggest boost to the league in recent memory. A healthy Shamrock Rovers equals a healthy league. They have the largest sleeping support in the country. When that support is woken every club will benefit from it. The Southside club have many knockers but you have to hand it to their colourful band of supporters who have kept Ireland's most marketable club afloat. I couldn't see a sufficient amount of Shelbourne's supporters digging into their own pockets to pay the wages of the players had Mr Kilkenny not stepped in to save them.
Speaking of Shelbourne, it is great to see Dermot Keely back at the helm. He has already proved his metal by assembling a decent looking squad in such a short period of time. With players like Crawford and Alan Murphy in their ranks Shels should at least be competitive in the lower echelons of the eircom league.
For me though this year's title will come from one of Cork City, Derry City or Drogheda United. Cork's midfield paring of Colin Healy and Gareth Farrelly looks very interesting and if they can hang onto Rory O'Donovan for the season they will be very difficult to beat...especially in front of their healthy and passionate support in Turner's Cross.
Derry's best signing of the close season is without doubt Pat Fenlon. The former Shels supremo is the perfect replacement for Stephen Kenny and his enthusiasm will no doubt add to City's already formidable challenge. Expect the Ulster side to have a good run in Europe again, although fixture congestion could have a baring on Fenlon's side.
Drogheda boast one of the strongest squads in the league but still have their problems in the striker department. It is hard to see where the goals are going to come from again this season. Eamon Zayed is an undoubted talent, but he will need to find form if the Louth club are to have an edge on Cork or Derry.
St Patrick's Athletic have made some shrewd signings during the winter and could be a surprise package this season. Josephs Endo and Gary O'Neill are two brilliant additions to John McDonnell's side. Similarly the future for Bohemians looks very good indeed. The buzz in Dalymount Park at the moment is addictive and with Glen Crowe and Owen Heary arriving to Drmcondra the expectations, as well as the budget, are well up on last season. As a fan I predict that we are going to win everything this season but in reality we will do well to challenge in the cup and aim for a Setanta Cup qualifying finish.
At the other end of the table, Waterford will struggle once more, while Bray Wanderers, Longford Town and Sligo Rovers will all find the going difficult this season. Expect one from those four to be holding up the rest of the league later in the year.
So to put my neck on the line I am going to punt for Derry City. Fenlon is a great motivator and can boast some of the finest squads in Ireland. That said Cork will push the Foyle side all the way and should their key players hit form they have the quality to pip Derry to the title. Expect Drogheda, Pats and Bohs to fight it out for the third spot.