League of Ireland Monthy: July 2014

editorial Cork soccer, John Caulfield.

H

ello and welcome to the first edition of ‘League of Ireland Monthly’! This magazine will provide analysis and opinion on all issues surrounding Irish domestic football, as well as interviews with the top names from around the league.

Ever since ‘Onside’s demise in 2008 we felt that the League of Ireland has needed an alternative forum for considered articles and analysis. With around 12,000 fans attending games every weekend around the country the league still lacks a dedicated magazine. While there have been brilliant efforts made by websites such as Extratime.ie and Goal.com, as well as the growth of social media, the emphasis is still on delivering updates as soon as possible.

‘League of Ireland Monthly’ is a magazine which sits back, digests, and analyses the league, long after the final whistle. We have the luxury 2

of time not afforded to the aforementioned websites, and we think the publication will be a bonus on top of the superb match coverage supplied by these sites. We hope to expand the magazine more as the league progresses, but we hope that what we have now sets a strong base upon which to work from.

We join the League of Ireland just after the halfway break, with the leading pack already clearly defined. Last years’ challengers Dundalk, St Patrick’s Athletic and Shamrock Rovers have been joined this time by surprise package Cork City, with the Leesiders a mere three points off the imperious Lilywhites.

John Caulfield’s men will be explored in more detail on page 6, but their story has been of local heroes. A young, mainly Cork-born squad has been supplemented by former City stalwarts like Billy Dennehy and Liam Kearney, and managed by a shining example of

July 2014

The losers this season so far have undoubtedly been Sligo Rovers; having missed out narrowly on the title last season the Bit O’Red were hoping to go one step further.

Instead they’ve taken three steps back, and at the time of writing find themselves almost ten points off the top-runners. Alan Finn gives us the full story on page 18 The First Division promotion race meanwhile, which seemed to have Shelbourne as its only starter a few weeks ago, has seen other challengers take their place on the start line halfway through the year. Despite Galway FC’s difficult start Tommy Dunne’s men now find themselves two points behind Shels, tied with Longford Town on 24.

More than half the league are within six points of Shelbourne, with Cobh Ramblers the whipping boys of

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the second-tier. Martin Cambridge’s teenage side have clearly found juggling studies and football difficult (With the manager unable to choose from a full squad for many of the opening games of the season), but even more than that the physical nature of the division has hit many U19 graduates hard (Literally, they don’t call it the graveyard league for nothing!).

This month’s issue features an interview with Daryl Horgan, John-Paul Clifford on fans-run clubs, and Alex Murray previews the upcoming European ties.

We hope you enjoy the magazine, make sure to follow us @LOIMonthly and visit our website wordpress. com/loimonthly. If you have any questions or comments, or would like to contribute, you can email loimonthly@gmail. com

Kevin Galvin Enjoy the read!

Kevin Galvin, Editor

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In This Issue

Boys Of The City

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Eurovisions

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Stephen Walsh investigates Cork City’s hot start to the season

Alex Murray gives us an insight into the teams facing St. Pats, Sligo, Dundalk and Derry City in Europe this season

The Nine-Minute 10 Championship Decider Gerry Desmond recalls one of the league’s most controversial endings

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League of Ireland Monthly Editor: Kevin Galvin Phtotography

Horgan’s Flying High 14 With his Dundalk side topping the league for the past few weeks, Daryl Horgan tells us about his switch to the Lilywhites

Funding Football By A 16 Different Means John-Paul Clifford states the case for supporters-owned clubs

Change Or No Change? 20 John-Paul Fahy looks at the worrying trend in managerial changes in recent times

Cover Photo: Cork City’s Garry Buckley celebrates after scoring on the opening day against St. Patrick’s Athletic Credit: Comeragh Photo July 2014

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Comeragh Photo comeraghphoto.weebly.com Pose Photo: posephoto.wordpress.com AC Sports Images: acsportsimages.com George Kelly Eye To The Grounds eyetothegrounds.blogspot.ie Ciarán Culligan Photography www.ciaranculliganphotography.com Contributors: David Kent Alex Murray Stephen Walsh Gerry Desmond Alan Finn John-Paul Clifford John-Paul Fahy

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July 2014

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Opinion David Kent

Let me take you on a trip down memory lane. A decade ago, the League of Ireland teams had one of their more successful runs in Europe. Shelbourne made history by becoming the first team to win two successive rounds in European competition which gave them a glamour tie against Deportivo La Caruna. While Bohs and Longford both fell at the first hurdle in the UEFA Cup, Cork City went on a run

last season, no Irish team won a game in any co m p e t i t i o n .

And as a result of the failures of the sides last season, it will drop again in 2015. We need to fix this and fix it fast.

to the Intertoto Cup Third Round, where they were eliminated. It is no coincidence that this run came one year after the League switched to summer football

City won the league in 2005 with 74, only one other team have managed to break the tally, Bohemians victory in 2008 with 85 points.

The league has seen some of its top players move across the water or to other countries.

Kevin Doyle, James McClean, Gary Twigg, and Wes Hoolahan to name a few. The majority of the players in the league at the moment are hoping for a cross-channel switch. This mentality has to change.

More so there are too many young players leaving this country and failing.

€700,000.

T h i s year’s, it’s €241,000.

It costs €19,000 for a club to enter the league.

The winners will get €100,000.

This is laughable when you compare it to the prize money

In my opinion, the drop in the league’s standard of football is important in this. Since Cork

“In order for the European results to improve

The co-efficient of the league had risen considerably, jumping 15 places between 1998 and 2010, more so than any other league, but since 2004, bar Shamrock Rovers’ Europa group stage qualification, there have been no real success stories.

Despite the Hoops achievement, the coefficient has dropped from 29th in 2010, to 43rd in 2014, below the Faroe Islands and the mighty Andorra.

The pendulum has swung so much that

The majority of the league clubs are semi-professional.

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If even a quarter of that was pumped into promoting the league, crowds will rise, football standard will improve, and you will see a lot better results on the European stage.

As for this years hopefuls, I can see St.Pats exiting in the first round to Legia Warsaw. Dundalk and Sligo Rovers should get past their first round opposition, but I think they

more clubs need to turn professional” Lack of money is the main cause, but the thing is that the ‘’boom period’’ of Irish football from 2003-2007 came when there was more than just one professional club as there is now. In order for the European results to improve, more clubs need to turn professional, there needs to be better promotion of the league in Ireland.

This falls directly at the feet of John Delaney and the FAI. In 2010, the prize pot for the Premier Division was

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for the European sides. If an Irish club gets past ONE round in Europe, they receive €120,000, more than they do for winning their own league! Meanwhile the man of the FAI sits on a nice annual

are finished in the second round. In my opinion our best hope lies with Derry City, who on paper have the easiest draws. Hopefully we will see a return to the glory days in the near future

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ŠComeragh Photos 2014

Boys of the City

Tipped for a mid-table finish at the start of the season Cork City FC are now touted as one of the main title contenders, can they maintain this form? Stephen Walsh investigates

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t’s been a rollercoaster six months for Cork City since John Caulfield first took charge of pre-season training back in January. Not even the most positive City fan would have believed that their club would be second in the table after the first round of games having gone unbeaten at home while only suffering two defeats on the road.

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The last two seasons back in the Premier Division have been indifferent on Leeside, finishing sixth in the past two years and not exactly setting the league on fire with their performances.

The club brought in club record goal scorer and appearance holder John Caulfield as manager in November. Caulfield already had a strong

July 2014

reputation at Munster Senior League level, having led both UCC and Avondale United to titles over the past decade.

Right from the start he set about changing the attitude of a club who had lost their momentum after their First Division triumph in 2011.

to prove that City deserved to be up at the top of the league with big crowds and this was shown straight away by a number of signings.

Caulfield brought the skills developed as a salesman with Diageo to his job as boss of City, negotiating hard for his The San Francisco home-town club and native was determined making the most of the

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budget on Leeside. Relative unknown Mark O’ Sullivan was signed from Avondale United while striker Anthony Elding was signed on a free transfer from Sligo Rovers on the back of his cup winning goal against Drogheda United, in the hope of leading City up the table. Goalkeepers Matt Gledhill and Kevin O’ Brien were signed as back up to Mark McNulty. Midfield was boosted with Billy Dennehy and Dave O’Leary signing from Shamrock Rovers and Limerick, introducing some much needed creativity to the Cork City midfield.

Strength and conditioning has always been a main stave with Caulfield, and the City legend brought in Eoin Fehily to reverse the trend of late goals in 2013. This has been one of the main differences so far this season, with City now profiting from late goals rather than being punished by them. In the backroom John Cotter was brought in as assistant manager having led Avondale to intermediate success in his last two seasons as boss.

lent early-season form netting a fantastic goal in the tie. However, things never worked out with Elding on Leeside, and the Englishman is now plying his trade with Ballinamallard United in the Irish League.

The league began on the 7th of March in front of a huge crowd of 5,000 as the 2013 c h a mp i o n s St. Pats came to town. A Christy Fagan goal was enough for Pats to get the draw after Gary Buckley had originally given City the lead. City captain John Dunleavy was sent off with ten minutes to go, but the Rebel Army’s determination in closing out the game showed positive signs.

Limerick were soundly beaten the following week in the League Cup before City’s winning run continued with them defeating Derry City, Bray Wanderers and Athlone Town.

They did suffer a surprise 3-1 defeat to non league side Douglas Hall in the Munster Senior Cup semi-final playing somewhat of a scratch side, ‘Hall eventually winning the tournament, beating Limerick 2-1 in the final.

City enjoyed an excellent pre season with victories over Avondale United, Waterford United, Mervue United and Longford Town. A 3-3 draw against Finn Harps in Galway was the only slight blot on the copybook. Waterford United were deApril continued feated 3-1 in the Munster on from March’s good Senior Cup, Anthony Elding continuing excel- opening form with a near July 2014

sell out crowd over of over 5,500 people watching Cork City destroy Shamrock Rovers 3-0 in Turner’s Cross. It was evident that the fortress mentality which had gone missing for a few years had returned to Turner’s Cross that night with the crowd in full voice.

Mark O’ Sullivan making his mark in the league by producing a top class performance topped off by a goal.

Former City player Kalen Spillane fouled O’ Sullivan in the final minutes of the Rebel Army’s game against Sligo Rovers to allow Billy Dennehy score a late equaliser. This draw was followed up with two wins on the bounce against Drogheda United and UCD. A draw at home in torrential weather against Bohemians was next on the cards as a late refereeing decision to cancel out City’s late winner prevented the Leesiders from claiming all three points.

May was an up and down month for the Rebel Army. A difficult fortnight in the league saw the Cork outfit lose 4-0 at Dundalk before a late Conan Byrne secured a 3-2 win for St Patrick’s Athletic in Inchicore.

In between those two

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games there was a rest bite with a 2-0 victory over Munster neighbours Waterford United in the Legue Cup. City then embarked on a series of five straight wins defeating Derry City, Limerick and Athlone Town to ensure the month ended on a positive note.

June began with City’s class telling in a 6-0 demolition of non-league side St. Mochta’s in the FAI Cup, a competition which the Rebel Army have high hopes of doing well in this season.

A fantastic performance the following week saw City end the first-half of the season on a high note. Goals from Mark O’Sullivan and Gearóid Morrissey secured a 2-0 win away to Shamrock Rovers, seeing City into the break in second place and maintaining City’s ambition of a top 3 finish and a European spot.

Looking into the second half of the season John Caulfield has strengthened his squad by signing former UCC and Irish University international Josh O’Shea up front, while UCD striker Cillian Morrisson is set to be the latest Caulfield recruit.

Things are looking positive for the Rebel Army heading into the second-half of 2014, and if Caulfield can deliver a strong Cup run and a European place it will be very much a success to toast for the former drinks salesman. @LOIMonthly

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E u r ov i s i o n s It’s time to get them passports out again….

Last Monday league of Ireland teams learned where they would be spending their summer holidays this season as the 2014 European draws kicked off once again. Draw day is a special day, it usually starts with an argument between fans on who you actually want or who your side actually stand a chance against, quickly followed by trying to figure out what is the cheapest way of getting there. Then comes the actual draw, where St. Patrick’s Athletic, Sligo Rovers, and Derry City had abysmal 2013 campaigns you find yourself glued to a screen while your FK Banga (LTU) v Sligo (IRL) team is pulled out Alas, let’s take a look Rovers FC (IRL) First one you foof the hat near half at what our teams cus your eyes on are 11 in the morning. will be facing in Derry City FC (IRL) v Champions, St Patrick’s Aberystwyth Town FC the coming weeks; The teams are out and Athletic who face a top (WAL) you’re googling pic- Champions League side in, Legia Warszatures of the club’s stawa. The club’s home dium/twitter name/ Second qualifying stadium, (Legia that is!)

Second Qualifying round (July 15/16 and fans pictures to see Round (July 17 and 24) is the ‘Polish Army Stawhat sort of trip you’re July 22/23) dium’, which holds just letting yourself in for. Legia Warszawa (POL) Rosenborg BK (NOR)/ under 32,000. They are Then, you gather your v St Patrick’s Athletic Polish most successful FK Jelgava (LVA) v FK mates who fully intend (IRL) Banga (LTU)/Sligo Rov- football club with honon going on the trip and ours such as 10 league ers FC (IRL) book it. Thus, starting titles, a record 16 PolDerry City FC (IRL)/ the countdown to Euish Cup trophies and a Aberystwyth Town FC rope. You also have that Europa League record 4 Polish Super part where you find First Qualifying Round (WAL) v FC Shakhtyor Cup trophies. There is Soligorsk (BLR) your opposition fans (July 3 and 10) no hiding from the fact tweeting stuff along of how Legia Warszawa HNK Hajduk Split the lines of; “Who’s AS Jeunesse Esch (LUX) is such a reputable club.

(CRO) v AS Jeunesse St.Patrick’s Athletic..” v Dundalk FC (IRL) Esch (LUX)/Dundalk FC You may recognise “Who’s Dundalk..”

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July 2014

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one of their strikers in Marek Saganowski in which he spent a short time at English club Southampton back in 2007 (stayed there until 2010 before leaving for Aab on loan.)

It’d be hard to go out and predict that Pats will come away with a positive result from this, hence why I’m saying this is only going one way.

Moving

on…..

Whilst, Dundalk are being flung over to Luxembourg to face AS Jeunesse Esch as they look to prove they can manage between both Europe and the league this season.

Jeunesse Esch play in the highest league in their country, whilst boasting an impressive a record holding 28 league title wins between 1921 & 2010.

However, they have not tasted success since 2010 after they won the league, they last won the cup in 2005-06 season.

Their home stadium is currently, Stade de la Frontière, to which it also played host to a number of International games involving the national side.

It holds 4,000 people July 2014

seated. Despite the sacking of Ian Baraclough I would They crashed out in Eu- expect Sligo Rovers to rope at the first stage give this a good go and last season, whilst progress, having won their participation in the Setanta Cup durthe UEFA Champions ing the season it can League hasn’t been only breed confidence the best. Last reaching into the side, you the qualifying round would think so anyway. in 2010-11. They have qualified for a Euro- Now, when the European competition an pean draws take place impressive 32 times. you look at the closest places, those normally Their striker, signed include Northern Ireback in 2012, is Sanel land, Wales or ScotIbrahimović who cur- land. Pats did have the rently boasts scoring chance of Celtic this 28 goals in 38 games for year, but avoided them. the club since signing. The team that found Dundalk, with all themselves ‘lucky’ sort their fire power and to speak in gaining strengths, should the closest draw was come away with a win no other than Derry in this European game. City, as they travel to If they will, well, that Wales to face Aberysis another question. twyth Town FC which poses an interesting For Sligo Rovers, their battle, none the less. opposition were founded when England were Aberystwyth currentwinning the World Cup ly play their football and the wars were for- in the Welsh Premier gotten about. League where they have done since 1951, They are being one of only three FK Banga clubs to have taken part G a r g ž d a i in every season in the and cur- Welsh Premier League, rently play the others being Bantheir football gor City and Newin Lithuania’s town. They are also highest football divi- the only Welsh team sion, which, they were to have both a side in only promoted to the the Premier League division in 2009 due to and the Welsh WomFBK Kaunas and Atlan- en’s Premier League, tas Klaipéda pulling out an interesting stat. of the league. That’s a League of Ireland Their biggest rivals are story if I ever saw one! Newtown and Carmwith

1,200

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in the Premier League and the Welsh Women’s Premier League, an interesting stat.

Their biggest rivals are Newtown and Carmarthen Town. An outstanding player stat is none other than one coming out of Bari Morgan, who has currently played an outstanding figure of 305 games for the club since signing for them from fellow Welsh club, Swansea City. He has notched 15 goals from midfield during his time there, too. Another player stat would be Geoff Kellaway who is currently playing in his third spell with the club (20032010 – 2011-2012 – 2013 – present!) and currently in the year 2013 he has notched up 26 games and scoring 8 goals for the club.

The club play their home games at Park Avenue in Aberystwyth Town, where the ground holds 5,000 spectators with just 1,002 of that being seated.

It would be hard to see anything else bar a Derry City win in this fixture and this year could provide a wonderful year for League of Clubs alone.

Who knows, maybe we might see another Shamrock Rovers story!

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Though Irish Football has many a curious chapter in its colourful past, this one may be the strangest of all. Gerry Desmond relates the tale of...

The Nine-Minute Championship Decider The harsh winter of 1940 spread its relentless grip across Europe.

On the continental mainland Nazism was in full flow and democracy in full retreat. In Ireland, meanwhile, the general populace eked out a meagre existence; an unending balancing act between

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drudgery and despair, simply to survive. While the German jackboots trod country after country underfoot life in Ireland continued with as much normalcy as possible in the circumstances.

Sport, perhaps the only true colour and release from the daily monotony,

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carried on despite the endemic poverty and austerity, which saw most League of Ireland clubs limping along and literally struggling to rub a pair of sixpences together.

In this severe climate the original club to bear the name of Cork City FC was heartlessly cast out of football

in very controversial circumstances.

The 1939-40 season had been peppered with clubs begging for money from the League, scrounging for handouts from the FAI and increasingly going public with their appeals when the authorities failed to bail them out.

Waterford,

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Limerick, Dundalk, Sligo had all hit rock bottom at different stages; Cork was barely above the waterline.

The provincial clubs especially found it hard to make ends meet but money was tight everywhere.

Following their league match against Cork City at the Mardyke

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Shelbourne complained to the League that they had not received their minimum entitlement of £10 from the home club.

The league upheld Shelbourne’s claim and further imposed a fine of ten guineas on the Leesiders,

“No

the same sum to a breadline club like Cork City, less than two years old, was a death sentence.

Cork requested that payment of the fine be deferred until after their upcoming FAI Cup joust with Drumcondra, when they would use their

sooner had the kick been taken than an ugly situation q u i c k l y

”

developed hitting the club with a total bill of £21.

This may seem a paltry sum to the modern eye, but at a time when a shoestring budget smacked of vulgar opulence it may as well have been a million pounds.

Quite simply, there was no way Cork City could afford to pay the fine. Just weeks earlier, for instance, Limerick had been granted a loan of £20 to keep the club afloat. If £20 was the difference between going to the wall and survival, as in Limerick’s case, then the lack of

share of gate receipts from that game to clear their debt. The League, however, said no. City then refused to pay what it didn’t have and the club was sensationally and ruthlessly expelled from the League in the middle of the campaign.

From the ashes of this crisis Cork United was hastily formed in February 1940. And, as fate would have it, the new club became the most successful ever to rise up from Leeside. But before all that transpired, Cork United was

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on course to have an early flirtation with the weird and wonderful ways of the Football League of Ireland, to be part of perhaps the strangest game ever played in this country…

Inheriting Cork City’s results and league position, Cork United soon brought an upswing to Sunday afternoons at the ‘Dyke. The new club chalked up straight wins against Brideville, Bray Unknowns, Dundalk and Sligo Rovers to lift flagging spirits as the turnstiles gradually began to click a little bit quicker once again.

On 24 March United brought their unbeaten run to the Iveagh Grounds where it would be put to the test against league leaders St James’s Gate. The ‘Gate was a famous old outfit, drawing its strength and support from the Guinness brewery after which it was proudly named.

The club had been the inaugural champions in 1922 but hadn’t tasted championship success since then.

It looked as if this could be their year of glory at last, after almost two decades of watching

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Drumcondra, Bohemians, Shelbourne and Shamrock Rovers taking turns at lifting the coveted silverware.

With destiny on their shoulders and facing form team Cork United the champions-elect attracted a massive 20,000 supporters to the Crumlin venue and excitement was high prior to kickoff. Yet not one among the throng that day could have anticipated how this game was preordained to take its place in sporting history.

Cork were well on top from the start, playing skilful football and dictating the pace of the game, but could not translate that advantage into goals.

Maybe the home side had big match nerves but United were determined to keep their run going.

They continued to push forward until, with half an hour gone and against the run of play, referee MJ Nolan awarded the ‘Gate a hotly disputed penalty for handball. Paddy Bradshaw – who would go on to net 29 league goals in 22 matches by the season’s end took the spot kick but saw his effort brilliantly stopped

by his international colleague Billy Harrington.

To Harrington’s dismay, however, another Ireland cap, Joe O’Reilly followed up to knock the loose ball over the line.

Despite this setback United kept the pressure on the home side yet could not force an equalizer until, with just nine minutes remaining, it seemed as if Fate had stepped in to lend a helping hand.

This time Nolan blew his whistle while play was in the St James’s Gate penalty area and Cork’s Mickey Kelly gleefully picked up the ball to place it on the penalty spot. But Kelly and most neutrals in attendance had misinterpreted the referee’s decision.

This is how the Cork Examiner saw the events unfold:

“The unpleasant finish left indefinite one of the most sparkling and keenly contested of matches, and one which Cork was shaping like winning instead of being a goal down when the issue had to be abandoned.

“The

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incident

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leading to an avalanche of spectators rushing on to the pitch occurred within nine minutes of the end, when one of the Gate defenders – it was thought – handled the ball.

The referee ignored the claims for a penalty, but so certain were some of the Cork players of a penalty being given to them that one of them lifted the ball to carry it to the penalty ‘spot’.

Instead the referee then whistled for a ‘free’ against Cork.

“It was a decision vociferously challenged and no sooner had the kick been taken than an ugly situation quickly developed.

The referee was set upon and assaulted, and some of the Gate players also came in for attack.

So menacing did it become that the police rushed in and ultimately drew their batons to disperse the ringleaders of a crowd which indulged in stonethrowing.

Other missiles were also thrown.

“It was obviously impossible to resume the match with the tempers of the crowd still at fever pitch, and the game was abandoned.

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“Both the Cork and Gate players did their utmost to protect the referee, but without avail.”

Of course, games have been abandoned before and since. What makes this one unique is what happened next.

At its meeting on 4 April the League of Ireland Management Committee decided that the game would have to be played to a finish: it ruled that the teams would have to face each other again for the outstanding nine minutes! The refixture was set for Saturday 20 April, the day before the FAI Cup final.

To complicate matters, both clubs would also have to play full league matches against other opposition on the same day.

For St James’s Gate this meant hosting Brideville immediately after their Cork United re-match which, although unusual in itself, was at least not too inconvenient. For United, however, it meant pulling up the tents in Crumlin and heading across Dublin to Shelbourne Park – the kick-offs were set just one

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tight

hour

apart.

Needless to say, United appealed against the extraordinary arrangements a week later at the next LOI Management Committee meeting.

Not surprisingly, the League would not budge.

In the interim, the two clubs kept piling up the points.

Cork United beat Waterford at Kilcohan Park. A week after that the ‘Gate repeated the dose to the Blues on the strength of a Bradshaw hat-trick.

Next, a George Jackson treble gave them full points against Dundalk while Cork saw off Limerick 3:0.

United then made a second appeal but the League was not for overruling its own decision and doggedly dug its heels in on a technicality of the rule book that the Cork club had not applied under.

On 14 April St James’s Gate won a vital encounter against Bohemians 3:2 at Dalymount Park. The result left

them a single point shy of clinching the title, with Shamrock Rovers ready to claim a third successive championship if the Gate fell short of their target. The following Saturday Cork United returned to the Iveagh Grounds, hoping to achieve the near-impossible and overturn the 0:1 deficit in the allotted nine minutes.

Unlike in the initial clash, however, the title was now at stake – United would have to score twice to deny St James’s Gate the point they required to wrest the crown from their Dublin rivals. The most prestigious prize available in Irish Football was to be decided in the most ridiculous fashion possible…a ‘match’ lasting less than the length of a half-time break.

Despite a brave effort that saw the Leesiders throwing everything forward for those nine helter-skelter minutes, no further scores ensued as the home side packed everyone behind the ball at every opportunity.

Just as in the original game, Cork United dominated but couldn’t hit the target. This cameo

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match that decided the destination of the 1939-40 Championship was eventually settled

by Joe O’Reilly’s bundled goal, which had been scored a month earlier!

It was United’s first league defeat since succeeding Cork City.

As the Gate celebrated briefly before running out once more against Brideville, United had to make a hasty exit and head across Dublin’s Southside to Shelbourne Park.

There, in a curious symmetry of their result in Crumlin, they lost by the only goal, scored by another O’Reilly – Cork-born Jackie O’Reilly - from the penalty spot after a handball!

O’Reilly later went on to star for the great Cork United team that emerged to dominate Irish football for the remainder of the decade. But on this bizarre day – when they became the first side in history to drop four points - United’s lack of luck was crystallized in the dying seconds against Shelbourne when Hughie Doherty had a goal disallowed because the whistle was blown as it crossed the line!

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Eye On The Prize

Having already established himself as one of the leading League of Ireland players and been featured on the likes of Marca at just 21, Daryl Horgan now has a league title and European campaign in his sights. League of Ireland Monthly caught up with the Galwegian just after the mid-season break with Horgan in preparation for a key second half of 2014. who all work extremely hard on and off the pitch which has been a big factor into the way we have been playing. Hopefully DH: So far it’s been now we can push on and great! We’ve been play- keep the form that we ing some really good have at present going. football which is always a good start, and on top LOIM: You now stand top of that we’ve been win- of the table, how do you ning games, so no real handle the pressure of complaints. We had a being at the top, and the bit of a rough start but expectations of fans? have really rallied from then on. There’s a great DH: It’s always going to bunch of lads up here be a bit more difficult at LOIM: So Daryl, how are you finding your time at Dundalk after the first half of the season?

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the top because every week people are waiting for you to drop points or fall away, but so far we have handled it quite well. Obviously nothing is handed out in June so we have a lot of work yet to do and I’d say there are still five or six teams who could push for Europe or even top if they have a good run in. We’ll just have to keep working hard and putting points on the board and hopefully towards the

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end of the season we’ll be in the shake up, but it’s very early to be talking about pressure yet.

LOIM: This month brings your first taste of European football with a tie against Luxembourg side FC Jeunesse Esch, how do you feel heading into the game?

DH: I’m very excited going to the game. Having never played in Europe before and it’s a

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massive thing for me. I think that it will probably have a slightly different feel to the game with opposition who will more than likely play football with a slightly different style but I think if we play to our ability we can definitely get a result and hopefully get a bit of a run going in Europe.

LOIM: Was the chance to play European football one of the reasons which influenced your decision to join Dundalk?

DH: Yeah it definitely was. As I said it was something I had never done before and I think for every player in the league it’s one of the main ambitions. It’s a whole new experience for me and I’m really looking forward to it.

LOIM: You said at the time that working with Stephen Kenny was one of the biggest factors in joining Dundalk, what is working with Stephen like?

DH: It’s been great. Stephen is a brilliant manager with an excellent pedigree. He gives the players the freedom and the confidence to go out and play without fear and to go and express themselves. The job that he done at Dundalk last year was incredible and I think the whole squad is working here this year to go one better.

LOIM: Dundalk are now July 2014

your fourth club at the age of just 21, do you find changing clubs difficult or is it just a natural part of life as a footballer?

DH: I’ve found it quite difficult at times definitely but you’ve such a short career in football that I don’t think you can worry about it too much. I suppose Salthill was a great starting point for me, being my boyhood club, but realistically I always hoped it would give me opportunities elsewhere. Then when I moved to Sligo it was probably a bit too soon as I was still a very young player moving to a team that was very competitive and my opportunities were quite limited. Cork gave me the possibility of playing every week and I ended up having two and a half great years there. Hopefully it can go as well for me in Dundalk.

LOIM: We see here in the League of Ireland that players move clubs fairly often, is there a specific reason for that do you think?

DH: I think one of the major reasons is the

one or two year contracts. There is no real opportunity to settle down as you’re never really sure what will happen. Obviously it seems to happen more so in Cork and Derry where players aren’t as able to travel between clubs because of the distance.

And I suppose there is the major issue of clubs going bust and falling away.

The inability of clubs being able to offer long term contracts would be the main issue but that won’t change until the crowds vastly improve which, unfortunately, doesn’t look like it’s going to happen anytime soon.

LOIM: Your Dundalk team seem to enjoy the big matches, sticking four past Cork City, four past St. Pat, three past Sligo and seven against Drogheda a few weeks back! Is that just coincidence or do you find that the team gels that bit better under pressure?

DH: Honestly I’m not really sure why it seems to be happening. We’re playing and I suppose

League of Ireland Monthly

everyone raises their games slightly for the big games but we try to go out and take every game as it comes and go out to play as well as we can. Every 3 points count the same.

LOIM: Would you rather in your career win the league or reach the group stages of the Champions League?

DH: Fortunately in this league I think if you’re going to do one its more than likely that you would do the other. It’s a very tough choice but I think I’d have to pick Champions League group stages but only by a slim margin. I don’t think I could turn down the opportunity to play in the massive arenas of European football.

However, ask me again in a few years and I may have changed my tune.

LOIM: And finally, who’s your pick to win the World Cup?

DH: I’d love to see Argentina do it and watch Messi get the full accolades he deserves but I think its going to be the Germans. They just look very formidable at the minute.

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Funding Football By A Different Means

With the financial side of football so precariously placed in modern times, John-Paul Clifford makes the case for supporters-owned clubs T

here are many facets to football that are known to supporters of the modern game, especially in this information age with social media, websites, radio and television, often dedicated to both on and off the field matters. The whole game has become an unending story charting the rise and sadly, demise of many clubs across Europe.

With the exponential growth in the game across the continent, quality, quantity, and information has grown to unprecedented levels.

However, so too has debt.

Currently we are seeing clubs scrambling to avoid crises after crises, whilst the fans must come to the rescue financially.

Unfortunately, in many cases, this has been the best case scenario, as many clubs have been dealt with winding up orders and ultimate extinction. This becomes a real problem with the fans losing the team they adore, along with jobs lost, unpaid debt to local businesses and a void being formed which once brought people together in a positive manner. The massive rise in transfer fees and wages across the continent at the top levels has not improved the 16

overall game. Those with the massive television deals may benefit but the rest are left to fight amongst themselves for any smaller deals that may come their way.

In fact, a recent European Commission report focusing on the professional sport transfer market proves that the above is indeed correct.

This has led to a massive gap between the highest tiers across Europe and anything outside the top divisions, making it increasingly harder for other clubs to compete.

Sean Kelly MEP spoke on behalf of European Parliament’s committee on Culture and Education which includes sport, saying that ‘’The figures are striking, €3 billion is spent every year on transfers in professional football in Europe, with only approximately 3% of that or €60 million filtering down towards the smaller and amateur clubs for the development of the sport and talent for the future.

The proposal being floated is to have a ‘fair play levy’ on these exorbitant transfer fees would help smaller clubs and grassroots threefold: compensating them for

July 2014

the costs of training and educating young players, funding development of sport at community and grassroot level, as well as helping clubs to compete on a more level playing field’’

as investors, owner’s profits, operating costs, debts, high wages, dividends, and focus on the stock market. A lot of this money within the top clubs may be repatriated to areas outside with which the clubs themselves actually operate in, which leads to less money within the local economies, less spin offs, lower growth (if any) and lower social benefits to the local communities.

Some clubs even have their company’s incorporated outside of the locality they represent as a club for tax reasons.

Some are incorporated in the Cayman Islands. This reduces taxes and forces money which could have been reinvested or kept within the locality of the club, further increasing the ‘value added’ aspect to the economic impact the club has in the local region.

The ‘trickle down’ economics of the massive increase of revenue in to the sport shows with the above figures, that finances are not filtering down through to the lower levels and grassroots clubs in the game, who often provide the initial starting point and footballing education for the future‘superstars’ of the game who later end up with the big clubs.

This ‘fair play levy’ would help bridge that gap considerably and allow for smaller clubs to improve their facilities, equipment, standards and clear debts, which in the long run would increase the overall quality of the game, rather than a micro-focused view on This is why fan ownership the performance of the can offer a fantastic elite clubs across Europe. alternative. Less financial risk is likely to be taken, This brings in a as fans on the clubs fundamental question board of management though, if 97% of the are unlikely to personally transfer fees don’t ‘trickle guarantee financial risk down’, where does it go? in a club they love. The Well, a lot of the top clubs fans and board often hold across Europe have to many skills from their serve many masters such personal and professional

League of Ireland Monthly

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lives which can be of issues. By bringing the respect to the running of servicing debt. Stadium training great benefit to their market in to an internal the club. In times before facilities, club. This can actually aspect of the club, this some clubs had become grounds, under age teams save clubs money in the creates goodwill, loyalty, supporter owned, massive and community projects long run as they don’t accountability and long unsustainable losses was can be considered and have to seek it externally. term financial backing (in surrounding the league invested in by the clubs supporters, the Fans generally pay a the form of membership as a whole. This sadly and subscription to become a fees) which the club can led to the demise of some possibilities are endless, shareholder or member of rely on. That creates a clubs including Sporting with less debt and ownership, the club. This generates financial safety net or Fingal, Monaghan supporter a nest egg for the club ‘rainy day’ fund for any United and Kildare fans have the power to providing security for future situations. This is County. Some other clubs make real, sustainable any unforeseen situations in contrast to financial had to rejoin the league and positive change for that may lay ahead. That backing from privately years later or reform their clubs. The feeling pot of money can also be owned groups who are under new ownership, that a supporter can used to improve the club, likely to pull the plug on such as Cork City and have even the smallest reduce debts or for social their investment as soon Derry City. In 2007, the say in the running and projects which can help as it becomes unlikely collective losses of the direction of a club is encouraging, both the club and local that a return will be league was €6.9 million. hugely community. Fans are made. In fact, director’s In 2012, the league rewarding and also keeps unlikely to be focused loans may be placed on recorded a collective them a supporter for life, on dividends, returns, the club, pushing it in profit of €241,000. Some leading to a sustainable and model. benefits, expenses, and to further debt until the of this can be distorted by market massive profits. This investor’s returns are prize money received by The days of relying means that the money met. This can financially Shamrock Rovers from on outside investment is generated within the strain future owners of their very successful based on unsustainable club, is more likely to the club, who may be the 2011 Europa League run, spending and lack of remain within the club. fans, as they are likely to but it remains to be seen sound structures within Any profits are very be uninterested in paying if it was included in the clubs appear to be gone. likely to be reinvested the previous owners 2011 or 2012 accounts. Clubs have focused in the club and/or for their work on top Either way, the problem on prudent financial local community. This of purchasing the club. has stabilised for the planning and developing creates both economic However, if they are not league as a whole. Clubs structures, links with the and social benefits met, this can force the run by fans are being run community and underage to local community. club in to insolvency and far more prudently. There teams, leading to more possible extinction. The have been no massive youths getting senior Clubs that have their fan ownership model financial losses recorded experience, has resulted fans at the heart of their creates a sustainable, either, the most being in a more financially ownership structure long term strategically €40,000. As more clubs sound league with more allows for instant planned club with a have become supporter supporter involvement fundraising owned, they have become in the decision making feedback on all issues constant mechanism in place, in far more prudent, only process at many of those which the club can take the form of membership spending what they take clubs. This appears to be on board and address s u b s c r i p t i o n s .

in, being conservative the way forward and for more readily, rather than with estimates. This now, for the first time clubs which are privately owned and may have In recent years in the shows why the problem in a very long while, to commission studies, League of Ireland has reduced and hopefully clubs and supporters reports and interviews (Airtricity League), many with more supporter are rowing in the right together, to get a feeling of how clubs have faced several involvement, we can direction leading to healthier clubs the people (fans) outside financial situations. see the league record of the clubs ownership Some have unfortunately yearly collective profits and a healthier league. feel about fundamental met their demise, whilst on a consistent basis. The supporter ownership model is leading the way. issues. It is only logical others have become for fans to have a large supporters owned clubs. As the huge losses input in to the running of Cork City, Sligo Rovers, that once gripped the This article originally the club. After all, these Shamrock Rovers and League of Ireland has appeared in the EC funded clubs are a business, any Dundalk are just a few been eroded, this allows ‘Heart of the Game’, was created good business must look who have supporters money generated by which at its market and how groups at the heart of the clubs to be spent in by the FORAS Trust. the market feels about decision making with other forms, rather than July 2014 League of Ireland Monthly @LOIMonthly 17

Change or No Change?

With nine of the twelve current SSE Airtricity Premier Division clubs changing their manager in the last two seasons, John-Paul Fahy looks at a worrying trend of managerial changes in the league, and asks a number of key questions Over

City and Drogheda would not be re- Derry City’s sack- and Bray WanderUnited were on the newing Mick ing of Declan ers waited until a outlook after the Cooke’s contract. Devine was no few weeks before Leesiders sacked We knew Roddy doubt the big- the beginning of Tommy Dunne last Collins wouldn’t be gest shock after a the season to make August before put- leading Athlone in fourth place finish a change, Martin ting Stuart Ashton to the Premier Divi- and another Eu- Russell surprisin interim charge, sion and therefore ropean campaign ingly departed to be whilst a few weeks the Premier Divi- and inadvertently number two at Pats before the Cup fi- sion newcomers installed Roddy whilst an apparent nal Drogheda an- swooped for Cooke. Collins as his suc- disagreement benounced that they cessor. Whilst UCD tween Pat Devlin July 2014 League of Ireland Monthly www.loimonthly.wordpress.com

the close season we had half of the Premier Division clubs change their managers, some we knew, some were speculated and some came as a shock. Before the end of the season we knew Cork

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, l

and the Bray board saw Mr Bray depart for former Longford Town, Drogheda United and Shelbourne boss Alan Mathews.

So were those clubs right to make a change?

We will focus for the time being on Derry City and their surprise dismissal of Declan Devine at the end of the 2013 season, Devine took over from Stephen Kenny after the Dubliner left for Shamrock Rovers in his first season in charge he led Derry to a fifth place finish and a 2012 FAI Cup success securing European football.

FAI Cup success seemed to spill into the start of the 2013 season and with Derry being UK City of Culture Devine’s troops were adding to the celebrations within the City by putting on a show for their fans as they sat top of the league in early May and were

just a few points off the top come the mid-season break.

A disastrous second half to the season saw them clinging on to fourth place, they secured that with a 6-0 win over Limerick in the final game of the season but they still needed Sligo to beat Drogheda in the cup final to secure European football once again.

they sacked Collins after 13 games and Chairman Philip O’Doherty stating that the decision was taken because the European campaign was coming up and the new manager needed time to get things right and get City back in Europe again next season.

weeks later Cooke’s predecessor at Athlone was gone from his new job at Derry after the board along with the fans lost patience; Collins despite being voted as the fans number one choice on the Derry City Chat quickly became Athlone’s decision public enemy numyou could underber one for the fans That statement stand, they were for many reasons, was baffling, to in danger of being team selection, Galway many fans as they another tactics, statements made the point, from a few seasons and of brandishing why not give De- back and therefore Rory Patterson to clan Devine those gave Keith Long the reserves when 13 games to see the opportunity to the first team had what he could do? turn things around, a home game the Why sack someone which he has havvery same night who achieved the ing picked up two and what finished it club’s main goal wins and a draw in for the fans was his in both seasons his six matches in decision to send Ashe was in charge? charge, one of these sistant Peter Hutton a 6-0 thrashing of to Inchicore when Do managers deDrogheda United.

Derry were playing serve more time?

Although speaking Shamrock Rovers We hadn’t even on Soccer Republic in the Brandywell. made the June after his dismissal mid-season break Cooke did say re- Hutton has had six when three of those sults wouldn’t be games in charge, six clubs made a far away for Ath- which he has had change once again, lone and he was three defeats to although the top three in the Mick Cooke left right, (Dundalk Athlone after 10 they do have a lot league straight defeats in to do yet to pre- in League Cup), the beginning of the serve their Premier two wins against status. Drogheda and season, Roddy Col- Division

City finished the season as the league’s top scorers with 57 goals and Rory Patterson collected the golden boot with 18 league goals to his name; everything pointed to another season at the helm, so it was quite a shock when the Derry City board announced the sacking of Declan Devine a decision that didn’t go down too well with the fans, replacing him with Roddy Collins wasn’t particularly popular. What was even more unpopular again was when lins left Derry City

July 2014

after just 13 games and Robbie Horgan left Drogheda after a promising start sitting pretty after six games soon turned sour where nine defeats in 10 games left the Boynesiders one point above the relegation play-off.

League of Ireland Monthly

Less

than

Cobh Ramblers three @LOIMonthly 19

K n e e - J e r k lack of finances.

R e a c t i o n s ? However in the case of Cork City Are the decisions and Bray Wanderof Derry City, ers we do know Drogheda United that their current and Athlone Town positions have a knee-jerk reactions lot to do with it as to their previous they have improved decisions; have immensely from they realised what this time last year. they had was good and should’ve been However I don’t continued, are they think I should finish now trying to fix without commentwhat they broke? ing on Ian BaraWe don’t know, but clough’s departure what we do know from Sligo Rovers is the other three who took the deteams have to date cision during the did begin like one stuck by their new mid-season break with a 4-1 demolimanager whether and replaced him tion of bitter rivals with Dundalk, in fact former they were unbeatA c en in their first six cringgames before losing t o n 2-0 at home to Bray StanWanderers on week It was Collins’ negl e y seven. Collecting ativity and seemmantwelve points and ingly lack of ambia g e r sitting in the top tion to win games John reaches of the table against the likes of Colebut with one win UCD and Limerman. and nine defeats in it’s a case of lack This time last year ick that cost him the last ten games of ambition, targets the Bit O’ Red were his job; replacing which has includare being met, fans challenging for the Devine with Coled a 7-0 defeat to are happy, perfor- title, still in both lins obviously a Dundalk and a 6-0 mances are good cups and lost out move for the wrong defeat to Athlone or have improved to Drogheda in the replacing Collins has saw them plumor what seems to Setanta Cup semiwith Hutton is apmet to 10th and one be the case with the final. In contrast pearing a change point above the relLeague of Ireland, to this year four for the good. egation play-off.

July 2014 League of Ireland Month(FAI Cup) and a draw away at Sligo when they should’ve won; that is very similar to Collins’ first six games in charge who had two wins, three draws and one defeat howe v e r t h a t was all league games.

Hutton has c o l lected four points, scored six and conceded nine in his first four league games whilst Collins picked up three points, scored three and conceded three.

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Drogheda replaced Mick Cooke with his assistant Robbie Horgan with excitement among fans at the appointment of a former hero it wasn’t to be a fairy tale but it certainly

defeats in their first games sees them a long way behind in the league, beaten

by Derry City in the league cup and Dundalk in the FAI Cup, practically ending their season before the break; a first Setanta Cup title was not enough to save Ian Baraclough.

Is this another knee-jerk reaction and will we find Sligo making another change come the end of the season as Coleman is only on a rolling contract? We shall wait and see the answer to both.

When It Rains It Pours

Alan Finn gives us an insight into Ian Baraclough’s sucessor at Sligo Rovers, John Coleman

During what is usu-

ally a quiet period in the League of Ireland season, Sligo Rovers remained in the sporting headlines with the announcement that they had parted ways with manager, Ian Baraclough, and his Assistant, Gary Stevens.

This decision took many by surprise, particularly fans of other clubs, who took to Twitter to question why the club would let their most successful manager leave midway through the season.

Looking in from the outside, it may appear strange, but the Rovers faithful who have watched them throughout the season will suggest otherwise, believing the timing of this de

cision makes sense and that change may be required in order to revive their hopes of finishing in the top four.

T h i s naturally

prompted m u c h debate, with names such as Pat Fenlon, Paul Doolin, Roddy Collins and Mick Cooke all being thrown around. The Bit O’Red would instead continue to do what they have done so many times throughout their history by extending their search for a successor outside of

July 2014

the League of Ireland merry-go-round with the appointment of John Coleman on June 21st.

The 51-yearold Liverpudlian brings with him a

go on to do a phenomenal job with his new side, taking them through the conference and earning promotion to League 2 in 2006 on a shoestring budget. Part of that promotion squad was a certain Paul Cook, now synonymous with Sligo, as well as

wealth of experience in the dugout.

While his first venture into management was with Ashton United as in 1997, it would be his next club where he would truly make his name.

Cup and title winning Captain, Danny Ventre. John would remain in charge for another six years before earning a move to Rochdale. Up until his departure, he was the third-longest serving manager in English football behind Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger.

WIn 1999, Coleman joined a then nonLeague Accrington Stanley. He would

His time at the helm would unfortunately prove to be much shorter lived, lasting

League of Ireland Monthly

just under a year when his contract was terminated following a poor run of form in January 2013.

Coleman returned to management last December, this time re-visiting his old stomping ground, Southport, where he remained an everpopular figure. He was able to steer the club well away from relegation, but chose to resign shortly after the season’s end.

Joining him at The Showgrounds will be his Assistant, Jimmy Bell, who has previously worked with John at Accrington, Rochdale and Southport.

He was also part of the set-up at Port Vale where he coached the club’s

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of players he wishes to bring to the club, one of which he was questioned about by a member of the crowd who quizzed the new boss about a possible return of Romuald Boco, to which he promptly replied if those in attendance would like to see the Benin International come back for a fourth spell.

He has previously worked with Boco, as well as Padraig Amond and Mauro Almeida among other exRovers players, but stressed that it is not always a wise decision to go back

to former players, although he did not totally rule out the idea of re-uniting with ‘Rommy’.

The new duo have left a positive first impression on supporters, however they may have to hit the ground running to gain full support from all sections, with the club going into the mid-season break on the back of three defeats and a draw, form that has become somewhat foreign to The Bit O’Red in recent years

Former Accrington Stanley boss John Coleman is the man entrusted with turning the Bit O’Red’s Fortunes around Development Squad.

With a history of coaching potential stars of the future, Bell revealed at their press conference

that both he and Coleman’s intentions of bringing local players in the Sligo Rovers first team again and he is expected to be

heavily involved with the club’s Under-19 set-up.

As for the immediate future, Coleman has identified a handful

Alan Finn is founder of Sligo Rovers fansite ‘Bit O’Red Blog’

Back Cover: The Aviva Stadium hosting the tie between Shamrock Rovers and Liverpool FC. The Merseysiders comfortably won 4-0 in front of 42,517 with goals from Iago Aspas, Fabio Borini, Martin Kelly and Jack Dunne.

Credit: George Kelly 22

July 2014

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Š George Kelly 2014