18 18 SPORT
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COLLEGE TRIBUNE 27th September 2011
State of the nation’s league DONAL FALLON
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he Irish are a ‘Sports Mad People™’ by all accounts. This is something one hears in times of great triumph, be it a returning golf star at Dublin Airport or a public celebration like that just witnessed in Merrion Square over Dublin’s heroics on the Croke Park pitch. Soccer in particular is a game we often hear the Irish have a great love for. Indeed, growing up in West Dublin in the early 1990s I can remember the kerbs of the capitals suburbs being painted green, white and orange to encourage Jackie’s Army on to victory (or at least a few respectable draws). Thousands of us sold everything short of the kitchen sink to make it to Italy or America, and later Japan and South Korea in Celtic Tiger times. The ‘Green Army’ of Irish international football followers have built up the sort of commendable reputation money can’t buy, and it should also be remembered that every week thousands of us part with our hard-earned wages to avail of package trips to football stadiums up and down the United Kingdom. For a people who supposedly love sport however, the elephant in the room is undeniably the domestic soccer league. Indeed, until Shamrock Rovers made history in Belgrade by becoming the first Irish side to reach the group stages of a European competition, very little of the media focus on the domestic game related to anything but financial woes and uncertainties. How a league can falter to such an extent as the League of Ireland has, in a country with such a passion for sport, is one party mystery and another clear
error. Incredibly, there was a time when FAI Cup Finals at Dalymount Park could draw tens of thousands of supporters to that iconic and historic venue. Dalymount is rather symbolic of where Irish football is today. Where once Pele and others graced her pitch in front of thousands, today she sits looking like a relic of East
young Drogheda United fans selling their toys and belongings to assist their club? Drogheda won the domestic league title in 2007. It didn’t take long for debt to knock on their door afterwards. It is perhaps fair to say that University College Dublin AFC, based here on our very own campus, have become something of an in-joke to the League of Ireland faithful. Indeed, on one occasion I heard the idea suggested that match reports from Belfield should not only include the names of the squads starting eleven,
who are normally geographically distant from football clubs should find one on their doorstep during their time here. As Shamrock Rovers have demonstrated so well in Tallaght, the key is promotion. Promote, promote, promote. While a religious follower of another West Dublin side, preferring the red and white scarves of Dublin 8 to the green and white of Dublin 24, I still find myself often taken aback by the efforts of Shamrock Rovers to promote their club on a community level. It’s the sort of hard-
Ireland and indeed the clubs themselves to find new ways to promote the domestic game, but a certain amount of responsibility must rest with us ourselves. It’s a tragic reality that the largest fixture in any League of Ireland sides calendar is the gloryfriendly with English opposition, often referred to as a ‘pre-season’, despite nearly always occurring mid-way through the domestic season. If people want better quality football, there’s a need to help bring it about financially.
Saint Patrick’s Athletic supporters in the Belfield Bowl. Berlin, her Connaught Stand considered unsafe for visiting supporters and her seats fading and terracing crumbling. The one-time home of Irish football can today struggle to see a thousand paying punters pass her turnstiles weekly. The future of Bohemian F.C, a club founded in 1890, is precarious to say the least. Bohs are not the only team to win the league in recent years to find themselves wallowing in financial misery. Who could forget the newspaper story of two
but also take the time to name the home supporters individually. The great misfortune of our on-campus side is undoubtedly the fact that at the age one enters university, if one has a real passion for the beautiful game they will most likely have a League of Ireland side close to their heart already. Yet it remains undeniable the game in Ireland is centered around the major cities here, and Dublin in particular. By that logic, thousands of students
graft essential if we’re to move the game forward here at all. The achievements of Shamrock Rovers in Europe will not change the fact that week in, week out stadiums up and down the island are seeing appalling attendances. If a portion of the money which leaves Ireland weekly for Old Trafford, Parkhead and the like remained in the country, perhaps it would not have taken quite so long for us to reach this point. The onus is on the Football Association of
Who knows, perhaps one day away fans will stand on the Connaught Stand of Dalymount Park once more. Perhaps the best days for soccer in Ireland are still ahead. Time will tell if Shamrock Rovers heroics will translate into anything in a broader sense. Donal Fallon is editor of the Come Here To Me blog, which deals with Dublin life, culture and the heartache that is a life following your local League of Ireland side.
Will NFL Eagles soar to victory? CONOR MCKENNA
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he Philadelphia Eagles have been widely acclaimed as having one of the best teams in the National Football League this year. The end of the lockout brought a free-agency like no other and a series of decisions by Head Coach Andy Reid have left many of the team’s critics speechless. A series of acquisitions from around the NFL have led to many referring to the Eagles as a Dream Team. While Quarterback Michael Vick posted excellent stats last year, his season’s game time was staggered by injuries. Former Tennessee Titan Vince Young has been brought in to cover Vick, which as last week showed is necessary. Vick’s targets have included DeSean Jackson but have been widened to include former New York Giant Steve Smith who received a total of eleven touchdowns over three years with the Giants and was once a favourite target of Eli Manning. Their run game was impressive last year rating fifth in the league with a game average of 145.2 yards. The franchises defence has been improved with the inclusion of Nnamdi Asomugha, considered to be the best Cornerback in the game. Dominique RodgersCromartie aids him in the Corner position and completes the ultimate duo. The arrival of Casey Matthews (brother of Clay, Green Bay Packers LB) at line-backer will doubtless help the defence hold firm against the run and the pass game. There are issues within the Dream Team however and the question on the mind of all Eagles fans is: Can Vick stay healthy? The Eagles had their worst fears confirmed in week two when Vick was knocked out the third quarter ensuring a last minute victory for the Atlanta Falcons. While their defence seems strong on paper there has been little time to build a strong bond between the players and holes have been exploited in last week’s game. Commentators expect a Super Bowl appearance from the Eagles, but it is unrealistic at this early stage to assume that because a team has great players that they will reach the league final.