League of Ireland Monthly: March 2015

volume 2 / issue 1 March 2015

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CABINTEELY: WELCOME TO THE GRAVEYARD Stephen Henderson analyses into the arrival of the League of Ireland’s newest club, Cabinteely FC!

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STUDENTS ON THEIR HOLIDAYS? University College Dublin may very well be Ireland’s latest European entry, despite their first division status.

Editor / Kevin Galvin Magazine Template Gary Keating gary.keating@hotmail.com Photography / Graphics Doug Minihane minihanedoug@gmail.com Barry Masterson barrymasterson.com Eye To The Grounds eyetothegrounds.blogspot.ie Michael Tierney

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The League of Ireland winner talks life up North, Dundalk FC, and that goal against Cork City.

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Cover Page / Limerick’s last league game in Jackman Park; a 3-1 defeat to Wexford Youths on October 13, 2012.

Credit: Barry Masterson

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LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL? After years spent languishing in the First Division Longford Town are finally back, can they survive?

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GORMLEY TAKES UP THE GAUNTLET

The ex-Bray boss has found his new challenge in Cabinteely FC following life at the Carlisle Grounds

George Kelly georgekellyphotography.com Contributors / David Kent Stephen Henderson Aaron Cawley Mícheál Ó hUanacháin Dave Galvin Kieran Burke Aaron Doherty Karl Reilly

INTERVIEW: BRIAN GARTLAND

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LOI INTERNATIONALS: GORDON SMITH Dave Galvin tells the story of Scotland’s ‘Stanley Matthews’ days at Drumcondra

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LOI OPENING DAY PREVIEWS Karl Reilly tries to predict how the opening weekend will pan out

the other clubs who have applied in the past (and no doubt applied again this season), surely it would be more beneficial for the league to have a strong club with a local catchment area, as opposed to a Leinster Junior team playing in Blackrock’s home ground?!

There’s plenty on the Cabinteely story in this issue for you to make up your own mind, between Stephen Henderson’s fantastically honest opinion piece, and Mícheál Ó hUanacháin’s fascinating interview with boss Eddie Gormley.

Scandals and licensing botch-jobs have again taken centre stage in the league, where Bray and Limerick’s licensing awards look like the FAI’s desperation not to tinker with the Premier Division at all costs.

So welcome one and welcome all to the new League of Ireland Monthly! Due to issues beyond our control we were forced to shelve the magazine last season, and prepare ourselves to launch ahead of 2015, so here is our very first issue!

Writers, photographers, marketers, players, coaches, fans, and even graphic artists have been approached to work on the project, which we hope should kickon and grow month-upon-month. I’ve invested an outrageous amount of time on the project, and I would like to thank everybody who has offered to give their assistance in whatever way possible.

Our social media figures continue to rise and rise; we now have over 650 twitter followers and we are constantly keeping you up to date with everything that’s happening around the league. We have recently added a Facebook page to further add to our online presence, and to hopefully offer content during the league that we can’t fit into Twitter’s character limit.

So to the season and it seems that the League of Ireland has become a bit like the EA Sports FIFA Series of late. Every year they promise change; something better, something entirely different, something which will revolutionise the game. However every year there’s nothing to show for it except that one gimmick that nobody really asked for in the first place.

The fact that the Shannonsiders can return to a ground that’s clearly not fit for Premier Division purpose, while others get punished for minor details shows once again the systematic double-standards which exist in our league, and prohibit it going forward.

Either the same rule applies for all, or scrap the licencing system altogether.

Apart from all of that the season is once again shaping up to be tremendously exiting and unpredictable.

The League of Ireland hasn’t been retained since the resurgent Shamrock Rovers’ two-in-a-row in 2011, and despite their spending the Hoops have found it impossible since then to have any sort of impact on the league.

Dundalk will be hoping to achieve the feat this season, and have managed to maintain the nucleas of a very talented squad; however they have lost their biggest goal threat, Patrick Hoban, who finished tied top of the goalscoring records last year on 20, and have failed to replace him with a standout candidate.

Stephen Kenny has gotten in Ronan Finn, a man he had previously at Shamrock Rovers; but Finn notched just six goals with the Hoops last year, and only eight before that; form to re-capture a league? I’ll let you make your own mind up.

Last year’s shiny new thing, or indeed rebranded old thing was Shamrock Rovers ‘B’ who decided, rather understandably, that one season spent satisfying the FAI for little gain was quite enough. This year again saw a flurry of applications from all around the country (I think you can figure out the likely candidates), all looking to build upon their strong Junior and Intermediate foundations, and to spread the League of Ireland to their regions.

St Patrick’s Athletic and Cork City have made a few astute signings in the winter and look like they can once again mount a challenge; Ciarán Kilduff swapping with Keith Fahey to Inchicore while Liam Miller makes his return to Leeside.

So who got in? Oh just a club 20 minutes up the road who applied for a licence with the mind to playing in a rugby club.

Enjoy the read!

I myself, and most others have no problem with Cabinteely; they seem to run a tight ship, they are under good guidance, and they seem to have realistic and achievable goals. But when you consider

We have full previews of the season, the opening day, and Aaron Cawley gives us more insight to Owen Heary’s new-look Sligo Rovers, but for the moment...

Kevin Galvin Editor.

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opinion | david kent 4

The League of Ireland Silly Season – A Laughing Stock Sitting here typing up my first article with less than two weeks to go until the season kicks off again, and it was only yesterday we found out who’d even be playing in the divisions. Just one of the numerous inevitable embarrassing incidents that have happened in the four months since Dundalk were crowned champions.

I’ll start with the situations involving Bray Wanderers; first you had the uncertainty about if they would even have a club to compete with, amid rumours of a takeover, which eventually was pulled off by the McGettigan hotel group (And thankfully they did, because you really cannot beat Bray away on a summer’s day by the seaside!). Then Darren Quigley decided to kick up a fuss. The ex-Bray goalkeeper has been whinging and whining on Twitter mostly about how he wasn’t paid by the club, and how they’ve had double contracts. The only thing is, no one was really taking any notice of him, including the FAI, who are perhaps wisely staying out of it. The whole thing has been going on for (according to Quigley) 15 months now, and, according to a piece in the Wicklow People, Quigley is claiming €6,000. The FAI have said that it is a matter between Bray and Quigley, and that it doesn’t involve them. For once, I am agreeing with them. Quigley is not helping his case by ranting and raving on social media about it, he should know better. If Bray aren’t responding, keep going to them! Don’t bring a private matter into the

public sphere, because you are opening yourself to deserved ridicule. What happened next put the LOI onto the news and not for the first time during the winter, but more of that later. A Mail on Sunday article claimed that the club were being investigated by the Gardaí Fraud Squad. The response from the club? No such thing had happened and that there were two ‘whistle-blowers’ trying to take down the club. This seems to be what delayed their Premier license from coming through. Bray are like the Wigan of the Premier Division. They always always end up in a relegation scrap, but somehow pull through.

This wasn’t the only story involving the Seagulls that made the league look silly. Three days before Christmas, they released their brand new kits for the season, from Nike. Fast forward two months, and to the unveiling of Cork City’s new home kits, also made by Nike, but distributed by Teamwear

Ireland. The media are gathered, but lo and behold, the two sides have the exact same design on their jerseys, the only differences being the sponsors and the crests. Shockingly, we had the same situation with Derry City and Sligo Rovers having almost identical red and white striped home shirts for the 2015 season. How can this happen in this day and age? There must be absolutely no communication between clubs, or between clubs and their manufacturers, because for two sets of teams to be wearing the same kit is laughable. The stature of Cork and Bray might detract from their problem, or to be more precise, the difference in stature, but Derry and Sligo quite close together, both geographically and in standing.

It wouldn’t be a League of Ireland off-season without a club being in financial peril, this time around it was the turn of Limerick FC.

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Pat O’Sullivan, the chairman of the club, would then release a statement detailing how the club was losing money over the last few years (partially due to the recession) and how he had been picking up the bill since he took over in 2009. He isn’t going to do it anymore. Limerick now have to work within their means, or the club will go belly up. This situation will be very familiar to fans of Galway United and Cork City, and should be noted by other teams like Dundalk, who had or have owners who pumped money into the club, but once they stop, there’s serious trouble.

Limerick’s core support will not be enough to keep them afloat, so the people of the city must now decide whether they want to have a club or not. And in a city like Limerick, where soccer is the fourth sport (behind Rugby, Hurling and Gaelic Football), there could be dark times ahead for the Munster club. Their squad now consists of mostly under 19s players, they haven’t got a home ground for their opening fixtures (Thomond’s rent is too high, Market’s Field isn’t near completion, so Terryland Park could be an option).

11 days to go until kick off, and we don’t know where one of the opening fixtures is being played. Fantastic organization isn’t it?

We all know about Oriel Park’s away end. Even Dundalk fans admit it. It is probably the worst in the country. So it was amazing to hear the news that Oriel had been granted a European license for the Champions League qualifiers in 2015. The mind boggles. Only explanation I have come to is that Dundalk will install a temporary stand, similar to what they did at times last season, for the away fans. If not, then UEFA are fools. Less than two years after a St.Pats fan was temporarily paralyzed after a fall in the away end, there’ll be European football there. Even look back to the title decider last season. When around 1,000 Cork City fans were squashed into the terrace, despite holding tickets for the temporary stand. I would argue that most of them didn’t have full visibility of the pitch, and if Cork had scored, there would’ve been another situation which ended in paralysis, from the inveitable crush.

And that is not an exaggeration.

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Moving onto the graveyard of Irish football, the First Division, and the shoddy process which saw Cabinteely become the newest League Of Ireland club. Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against Cabinteely, but it’s another Dublin club in the league.

The FAI don’t do anything to encourage new clubs to join the league, and you can see why the clubs choose not to.

The league’s entry fee alone is 19,000 euro. Now picture LSL, or MSL or lower league clubs having the money to sustain a season in the First Division, where they would have to finish in the top 5 to earn back the entry fee. No exposure of the league to other fans, no way of drawing in new fans, on top of player wages and travel costs to the likes of Donegal for Finn Harps, or the RSC for Waterford. So it is no surprise that it was another Dublin club elected.

In an ideal world, there would be clubs from Kerry, Mayo, even the likes of Monaghan or Kilkenny to have league football again. But that is a long way off, almost as far away as combining the two leagues. The FAI are stubborn, and nothing is looking to change in the near future. They are starting a ‘’Strategic Plan’’ for the years 2015-2020 which is to commence immediately. But this was announced in the last line of an email, you draw your own conclusions...

We have one of the longest off seasons in Europe.

4 months, 7 days will have passed from when Brian Gartland won the league for Dundalk, to when Keith Fahey will watch his new club kick-off against his old (another shambles) on March the 6th. The FAI against have the power to change that as they set the dates.

But will they? Not a hope.

Almost as if they don’t care about the league…

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Cabinteely FC

Welcome To The

Graveyard Photo: Stradbrook, the home of Blackrock Rugby Club; were Cabinteely FC will play their home games for the upcoming League of Ireland First Division Season

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Our Guest Columnist Stephen Henderson gives us his take on the League of Ireland’s newest club...

Like many League of Ireland fans I was intrigued as to what lay in wait for the much maligned and severely neglected First Division, when news filtered through Shamrock Rovers B would be withdrawing from the league.

Late into January Cabinteely FC were announced as the newest member of the LOI after being selected by the FAI from a ‘number of clubs’ who had expressed an interest in joining the league, and I for Cabinteely have put together what appears to be a very strong and vibrant schoolboy/ girl pathway, boasting almost one thousand members which is a fantastic foundation to build upon, provided they fully understand the risks involved and the hostile environment that is League of Ireland football.

Looking from the outside one can only assume Cabinteely carried out due diligence before embarking on their LOI journey. Phone calls and meetings would and should have been made to administrators of clubs who are no longer playing in our domestic professional league.

On this front the Cabinteely chairman can ring a number of clubs who have succumbed to the perils of LOI football.

I do hope Cabinteely are in the league for a long time and I hope they have a business plan that’s long-term, achievable, and in accordance with their situation. For them to be successful they must be in it as a whole entity and not separate their LOI team from the youth section, this can gradually incite division amongst club members and power struggles, often the core foundation for the downfall of most clubs. In a football context the Cabinteely board and manager must decide together what success is and how best it can be achieved over time,but even this won’t guarantee LOI survival, as Galway clubs Mervue United and Salthill Devon will attest to.

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For this observer both these clubs had an excellent LOI model for sustainability; as other clubs flirted with extinction Mervue and Salthill both had sound successful youth development plans which provided the league with exciting talent such as Daryl Horgan, Rory Gaffney and Pat Hoban to name but a few, and all done within a tight sustainable prudent financial framework. Many find it incredulous that both clubs reward for such diligence would see them unceremoniously removed from the league, even though Mervue’s impressive business and sporting strategy plan would see them reach the play off for promotion in their last LOI season losing narrowly to Longford Town.

This kind of ridiculous misguidance and ignorance from the powers that be only served notice to prospective new clubs, you are damned if you do and damned if you don’t which makes Cabinteely’s decision to join all the more intriguing. Why would they potentially put the existence of their club in the hands of an organisation that simply don’t appear to care, and moreover have shown they will remove you from the league on a whim if your face doesn’t fit?

Cabinteely are entering the First Division, affectionately known as ‘The Graveyard’ predominantly because of the small crowds that attend the games within that league.

One cannot but sigh at the irony that a derogatory nickname for a division actually encapsulates a vivid and accurate description of what football has become on our shores over the last decade for many clubs.

For many of the league’s commentators 2006 was a pivotal year for the development and sustainability of professional football in Ireland, as league members voted in favour of merging with the FAI. The dissolving of Dublin City and subsequent relegation of Shelbourne for poor financial management in 2006 afforded the new FAI board a wonderful potential opportunity to use their resources to hold a thorough investigation into how both these clubs got into so much trouble; thus providing them with valuable information to provide a strategy for stability and growth for clubs, but

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did they ever take that chance?

Club licensing, in theory, should have been the answer to better sustainability, especially the idea of a wage cap, based on clubs ‘projected’ income.

Was this the strategy for growth and stability based on the lessons learned from Dublin City’s demise and Shelbournes dance with oblivion?

Unfortunately not, as number of our ‘big’ clubs misinterpreted the term ‘projected’ income for ‘fantasy’ income, as players wages skyrocketed from hundreds to thousands a week. Clubs invested huge amounts of other people’s money on infrastructure like new stands, floodlights and dressing rooms, with little if any thought process on how they were going to recoup their outlays to pay back their substantial loans. This was all to meet the outrageously out of touch licensing criteria, all remarkably done under the watchful eye of the FAIs club licensing committee.

Who was policing this? It was clear clubs were financially spiralling out of control, and yet nothing was done to prevent the inevitable disaster happening.

Since 2006 Dublin City, Kilkenny City, Kildare County, Sporting Fingal and most recently Monaghan United lie side by side in the annals of the league of Ireland graveyard.

The dissolving of five clubs in eight seasons is

truly shocking but remarkably there could have been so much more.

Cobh Ramblers and Galway United knocked on the Grim Reapers door but were given a reprieve although their exclusion for a period of time meant seven teams were absent from the league between 2006 and 2011 five of which would never return.

While many cynics will argue the aforementioned teams had no ‘real’ history, with the possible

goals.

From my experience of living in a family involved with the league over eight decades I would advise Cabinteely this - Live within your means, spend what you have, not what you think you might have; trust the structures of your youth section and give theses players a chance. If players are not coming through it is because the development plan is not what it should be, so don’t moan about this and that, go about fixing

I would advise Cabinteely this - Live within your means, spend what you have, not what you think you might have; trust the structures of your youth section and give theses players a chance. exception of Galway. They, like Cabinteely, should be respected and applauded for their attempts to create a professional pathway for their communities, but they needed guidance and leadership, something that sadly never arrived, internally or externally.

it! The dream of playing Premier division football is a good dream but not worth risking the clubs existence for. There are no real financial rewards, crowds are slightly bigger and 120 seconds on national TV late on a Monday night is as good as it gets.

In fact it’s hard to think of any club in recent times who have not verged on extinction - with the majority of our clubs enduring face to face meetings with the man in the long black hooded cape and scythe, only to be saved at the last minute, mainly through the fantastic work of their supporters.

As I stated earlier for Cabinteely to be successful it will involve total involvement from grassroots to LOI level, and despite the First Division’s ‘graveyard’ reputation I for one welcome Cabinteely’s arrival, let’s hope they make it out alive!

Theoretically club licensing could, and should have been the strategy for club stability and growth. I say club growth because I firmly believe one of the FAIs biggest failings is their tunnel vision of running a league, whilst ignoring the essential ingredients without which the league would exist, the clubs. I say theoretically because if the licensing requirements were in line with our clubs financial and structural statuses allied with their realistic projected income opportunities, and not what the out of touch FAI LOI department demanded through the dictatorial type management style they adopted, we would have seen real progress today. Cabinteely must use the licence criteria as a protection mechanism for the club and not as means to manipulate fictional incomes to suit unrealistic targets and

Stephen Henderson is a former Cobh Ramblers and Waterford United Manager that had a long League of Ireland career playing in goal. He now works as an analyst for several League of Ireland clubs. You can contact him on his twitter @HOTSHOTZ2

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Only the most observant ears will have heard that Ireland lead the UEFA Fair Play rankings which grant an additional Europa League berth to the top 3 European associations. Within Ireland the best behaved team not to have already qualified for Europe have been the recently relegated UCD meaning that the students could

Within Ireland the best behaved team not to have alr relegated UCD meaning that the students could be Ir be Ireland’s fifth representative in Europe this year despite playing in the First Division.

Students On Their Holidays?

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This is not the first time that a club from outside a country’s top tier could be involved in Europe.

The last Irish team to do so were Dundalk who qualified for the UEFA Cup after winning the 2002 FAI Cup whilst also suffering relegation that year. Recently Irish clubs have also faced opposition from outside of their top flight, in 2012 Bohs endured perhaps their most humiliating night, as they slumped to a 5-1 loss against Icelandic second division side Thor Akureyi. Remarkably, this year’s competition produced an

utterly bizarre occurrence when Tromso, from Norway’s second division, beat Estonian 3rd division Santos Tartu side 13-1.

Many are sceptical of UCD’s chances in the qualifiers and feel that the Students will embarrass the league and themselves. However UCD

ready qualified for Europe have been the recently reland’s fifth representative in Europe this year

have in fact represented Ireland in European competition before and performed admirably, going down 1-0 on aggregate to a strong Everton side in the Cup Winners’ Cup who would go onto win that tournament and the English top flight. In fact the Students came agonisingly close to scoring late on when they hit the bar which would have been enough to see them progress past the Toffees team containing Neville Southall, Kevin Sheedy and Peter Reid.

UCD & Europe 19.9.1984 v Everton (0:0) at Tolka Park Team: Allan O’Neill; Paddy Dunning, Martin Moran; Paul Roche, Keith Dignam, Robbie Gaffney, Robert Lawlor, Ken O’Doherty; Donal Murphy, John Cullen, Joe Hanrahan.

UCD’s only other European experience came in 2000 when they drew home and away against Velbazhd Kyustendil of Bulgaria but bowed out on away goals despite two respectable performances.

People have also made the argument that UCD’s predicted first round exit will weaken the League’s coefficient (warning, this is where it gets technical). This is true, the total points earned by all the Irish clubs will now be divided by five instead of the usual four, however, this minimal effect on the League’s coefficient won’t result in any tangible difference in future years.

Each club’s individual coefficient is becoming increasingly important as it decides whether they’ll be seeded in a round and determines how easy a draw they’ll get.

The League’s coefficient dictates which qualifying round the Irish teams will enter at, and unless our league’s ranking increases to 24th or drops to 47th (we are currently 40th) we won’t see any difference in which rounds Irish clubs will enter at. Put simply, in the current format Irish clubs will always enter in the Europa League 1st qualifying round and Champions League 2nd qualifying round barring any major change in the League’s standard. Furthermore, participation in the Europa League will undoubtedly be an incredible experience for UCD’s youngsters, many of whom will no doubt be representing other Irish teams in Europe in the future.

So why not let the Students play on the big stage? Why not let them dream? We all stem from the same breed of plucky underdogs, let’s get behind UCD and hope for another famous European night.

03.10.1984 v Everton (1:0) at Goodison Park Team: Allan O’Neill; Paddy Dunning, Martin Moran; Ken O’Doherty, Paul Roche (Paul Caffrey 77’), Keith Dignam, Robbie Gaffney, Robert Lawlor; Donal Murphy, Joe Hanrahan, John Cullen (Dudley Solan 88’).

18.06.2000 v Velbazhd Kyustendil (3:3) at Belfield Park Team: Barry Ryan; Éamon McLoughlin, Clive Delaney, Rob McAuley, Alan Mahon; Rob Dunne, John Martin (James Timmins 88’), Ciarán Kavanagh, Mick O’Donnell; (Ciarán Martyn 67’) Mick O’Byrne, Eóin Bennis (Ken Kilmurray (77’).

25.06.2000 v Velbazhd Kyustendil (0:0) at Osogovo Stadium Team: Barry Ryan; Éamon McLoughlin, Alan Mahon, Rob McAuley, Clive Delaney; Ciarán Kavanagh, Ciarán Martyn, John Martin (Mick O’Donnell), Mick O’Byrne; Eóin Bennis (Ken Kilmurray), Rob Dunne.

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KEVIN GALVIN INTERVIEWS...

BRIAN GARTLAND It’s far to say that 2015 was Brian Gartland’s most special year as a footballer; European success, a League Cup victory, and finally something which has eluded him for years, a league title.

The Dublin native has had a pretty established career in the League of Ireland; he won U21 player of the year at Bray Wanderers before moving to shelbourne in 2007. He moved to Monaghan United the year after and featured heavily in the heart of their backline. Brian enjoyed his most sucesfull time on the border, where he was voted supporter’s player of the year in 2009.

From there he moved further North to Portadown, where ‘Garts’ and his teammates finished second behind a strong Linfield team, giving Brian his first medal in Irish Senior football, but not content with that he moved back down South, looking for honours with Stephen Kenny and Dundalk FC. Brian played a huge role in the second part of Dundalk’s success story of 2013, but again fell short of a league medal, the Lilywhites finishing a mere three points behind winners St. Patrick’s Athletic.

Undeterred the Louthmen marched on, and it was Dundalk’s centre-back that secured the title for his side, scoring the second in their epic showdown with Cork City on the final day LOIMonthly caught up with Brian ahead of the Champions’ new season.

KG: Having picked up a runners-up medal in 2013 how important was it for Dundalk to show that they had what it took to win the league last year?

BG: Having finished second place, tf it’s not vital to you to win it when your challenging then your in the wrong place. It was massively important for the town in general, it’s amazing the effect it has had & the support is incredible there.

KG: And for you personally, how gratifying was it to finally pick up a winners medal having finished second place both in the Setanta Cup, League of Ireland, and Irish Premiership before with Dundalk and Portadown?

BG: With league and cup runners-up medals north and south it was time I got over the line. To me it means nothing unless you win it. A long time coming but hopefully not the last.

It was great to do it as well for my family who have always supported me through the defeats too: my mum, brother , girlfriend & especially for my dad who was passed away at start of season.

KG: What impact do you think the experience of playing two cup finals that season, and European games had going into the final stretch of the season, and in particular that final showdown with Cork City?

BG: It was masssive, and also the game we played against St. Patrick’s Athletic in the league in 2013.

You learn from your mistakes and get hungrier to succeed, so from that Pats game & the Setanta Cup final we learned valuable lessons.

Also from the League Cup final and winning 3 out of 4 European games, especially away in Split, we

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took huge confidence, and even though we had two draws in the previous week, we were full of confidence and dying for the final game!

KG: You scored with five minutes to go in that match, effectively sealing the game for Dundalk, can you describe that experience in front of a packed Oriel Park?

BG: Surreal really! *laughs* I suppose most players have planned celebrations when they score... I got a rush of blood to the head and just ran (don’t think I’d ran that fast before!) towards the ‘Shed’ but thought I better not or everyone of those madmen will be on the pitch!

When it’s said to me or I see it back it still gives my hairs a stand on the back of my neck, something I will cherish when I retire, but hopefully I’ll have more of those moments.

KG: Would you say that was your best moment so far in football?

BG: Without a doubt! Winning in Hadjuk Split is a close 2nd.

KG: That was the second time you had hit the net against City that season, and in total you scored eight times in the league, do you think there’s a specific reason why you were so prolific in front of goal last season?

BG: I suppose with anything like that it’s about being in the right place at the right time. A lot of credit has to go to the delivery, Darren Meenan had over 30 assists last season, an incredible statistic! Aside from him; (Ruaidhrí) Higgins, (Kurtis) Byrne and (Richie) Towell all provided quality delivery on set pieces too!

A lot of hard work went into set pieces and the other lads attacking were vital for it to work, so they deserve massive credit and they got share of goals too.

I always liked to think I’d an eye for goal anyway!

KG: Was there ever fears that you were going to let the league slip, particularly ahead of that game against Cork City, given you had let first place slip only the week before?

BG: Not a bit, and I can say that honestly from my point of view at least. Always believed we were the

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better side and we would show it.

KG: The away against Hijudk Split is one which will go down in League of Ireland folklore, what was the key to getting that amazing result?

BG: Our belief and the quality of our squad; we made 5 or 6 changes going into that game and we played them off the park. We kept the ball and controlled a lot of the game. The gaffer is great tactically and it showed that night.

KG: And, heading into the Champions League next season, how much will that experience help the side?

BG: That experience will be massive. We aren’t there to make up the numbers, we believe we can compete at that level and plan to prove it again. We also added players with massive European experience like Gary Rodgers and Ronan Finn.

KG: You mentioned the importance of Stephen Kenny, and he has once again assembled a very strong squad for the coming season, what do you think has made Stephen’s time at Dundalk so successful in such a short space of time?

BG: His professionalism and football knowledge of the game is the best I’ve seen. He demands everything from us and gets the best out of all his players. There’s the quality signings he makes & the hard working attitude instilled in us & belief he gives us is what I think gave us the edge last season. He doesn’t settle for anything less that 100%.

more professional attitude I find. With that comes living disciplined in terms of your diet, activities outside football, like getting enough rest, and alcohol. I found up North every player was on the lash every weekend, it’s more a part time mentality putting another career first.

“ We made five or six

changes going into that game and we played them off the park. We kept the ball and controlled a lot of the game. The gaffer is great tactically and it showed that night.“

KG: Would you agree with the opinion that the League of Ireland is beginning to pull away from the Irish League in terms of standard?

BG: I think so. And I think it comes down to the difference in professionalism.

KG: The saying goes that it’s always harder to retain than to win a title, what do you think Dundalk have improved in the off-season that will give you that extra edge to retain the league?

KG: And finally, who do you think is going to prove the strongest challenge to your attempt to recapture the league title?

BG: Can’t say too much I suppose, but the lads we have added are top class and will make the squad even more competitive. Keeps you on your toes and ensures you can’t ever switch off!

BG: I’ll sit on the fence here because I really don’t know, Pats are always strong and added experienced players, likewise have Cork City who have added real quality, and Shamrock Rovers too. It’s going to be very competitive but hopefully we come out on top again!!

KG: You’ve played both in Northern Ireland and the Republic, what are the big differences between football in the two, both off and on the pitch?

BG: On the pitch the football Is a lot more technical and tactical. The physical condition and mentality of players is a major divide too.

Off the pitch we (The League of Ireland) have a much

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Brian and his Dundalk teammates already picked up their first silverware of the season last weekend, beating St. Patrick’s Athletic in the President’s Cup. They host newly promoted Longford Town in the first game of the season...

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Seven years on from the heartbreak of relegation on the final day, Longford Town supporters will be hoping it’s not a case of déjà vu come October 30th as Derry City come to town. It was of course the ‘’Candystripes’’ who Longford faced on that faithful night back in 2007 with a Dave Mooney hat-trick not enough to record, what would have been perhaps, the greatest of great escapes for the Midlanders, who were deducted six points that season by the FAI over financial issues.

Roll on to the present day and how the tables have turned for both of these clubs. Derry City have faced disciplines of their own from the governing body with relegation to the First Division a number of years back prior to promotion under Stephen Kenny, while chairman Jim Hanley deserves all the credit in the world for turning around the ship at Longford Town Football Club, both on and off the pitch. Post relegation it was the darkest of times for the ‘’Red and Black’’ with the star studded squad of 2007 being totally dismantled, while the clubs most successful ever manager, Alan Matthews, moved on to a soon to be doomed Cork City. Failed manager after failed manager came through the revolving door of the Strokestown Road venue, that was until the appointment of Shamrock Rovers legend, Tony Cousins.

While it’s fair to say the Dubliner may not be adored by all of ‘’De Town’’ faithful, the former Galway United boss is set to step into a sixth season with the 2003 and 2004 FAI Cup Champions, which makes Cousins the longest serving manager in the entire League of Ireland. Despite claiming the crown of being the first Longford Town FC manager in history to win a national league title, Tony Cousins is sure to be under great pressure from the City Calling Stadium faithful to keep the team in the top flight at the first time of asking this season, especially considering the experienced players he has at his disposal.

Longford’s 2014 success was built off the back of a rock solid defence, marshalled by ex-Rovers duo Pat Sullivan and Pat Flynn, but having conceded 13 goals in just 4 pre-season games (at time of writing Longford still have Waterford United to play away) It is yet to be seen if Longford can carry their defensive abilities into the Premier Division. The additions of league winner, Mark Rossiter and Cobh Ramblers star, Martin Deady were expected to add great strength to an already solid back four, but it seems to be between the sticks where Longford fans are most worried.

Twenty-three-year-old goalkeeper, Paul Hunt broke a club record last season by keeping the most consecutive clean sheets in a row but doubts

LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL? Words: Kieran Burke

Photos Barry Masterson 17

have always been raised over the Englishman’s strength under a high ball. Meanwhile, newly signed number two, Paul Skinner has, like Hunt, not enjoyed a successful pre-season with mistakes and even injury setting back the former Athlone man in his goal of wrestling the number one shirt into his possession. With under-19 shotstopper, Henderson the only other option to Tony Cousins in goals, you would have to worry about individual errors costing Longford at certain times in the top flight this season.

Other additions made in the off-season include former UCD duo, Ben Mohamed and Kaleem Simon, with the former earning an Irish under-21 home based players squad call up, as well as impressing greatly in the recent Leinster Senior Cup encounter with Drogheda United.

In midfield, Longford should be a match for any side this season with the experience of Stephen Rice and club captain Mark Salmon making for a concrete central pairing, while Kevin O’Connor will add a touch of class and of course, his vast Premier Division experience to the team. On either side

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Tony Cousins will have some thinking to do ahead of the opener away to Dundalk on March 6th, with Ben Mohammd, Lorcan Shannon, Don Cowan and Gary Shaw all viable options, due to the fact Cousins is likely to opt for a lone striker system away to the Champions. That role is almost certain to go to the clubs all-time leading goal scorer, David O’Sullivan despite impressive pre-seasons from both Shaw and Don Cowan in particular.

Seeing whether David O’Sullivan can reproduce the sort of form, that saw him score over 50 goals in the space of just two seasons, at this level is sure to be one of the most intriguing sub plots of the entire 2015 Airtricity League campaign.

One thing is for certain, Longford Town FC as a club could not have asked for a tougher start to life back in the top flight, with a trip to the defending Champions being briskly followed by hosting the mighty Shamrock Rovers at City Calling Stadium. Pessimistic Town fans will point to Athlone’s disastrous start at this level last season and the importance of getting points on the board early, however, your more optimistic

supporter will talk of getting the ‘’big boys’’ out of the way early doors and that if there’s ever a time to catch the likes of Stephen Kenny’s and Pat Fenlon’s sides cold, it’s in the opening few weeks.

Whatever side of that argument you sit on, I think everyone will agree that it is the trip to Jackman Park in week 3, followed by the reunion of battle with Bray Wanderers at home in round 4 of the league campaign that Tony Cousins charges will be targeting for early season points.

Overall, when you look at the experience within the Longford dressing room and compare the transfer business done over the off-season to that of fellow newly promoted side, Galway FC, you would have to expect this Longford side to not only survive at the first attempt, but to at least mix it with the likes of, what looks set to be poor Bohemians, Derry and Limerick sides, while pulling away from the likes of Bray Wanderers and Drogheda United at the foot of the table.

Longford Town Predictions: Greatest strength: Tones of experience and big game winners within the Longford dressing room.

Greatest weakness: The number of goals given away in pre-season through goalkeeping errors is a theme many critics expect to see repeated come the new season.

Final prediction: 9th

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GORMLEY TAKES UP THE GAUNTLET AGAIN

Words: Mícheál Ó hUanacháin Eddie Gormley was never one to shirk a challenge.

His first foray into team management came almost literally overnight, stepping into the boots of the unfortunate Tony McGuirk, who had decided after three months without a win that he could achieve little more with Bray Wanderers. The season had less than two months to run, and the Seagulls’ fate was all but decided.

Gormley’s first game in charge was a 6-0 drubbing at the hands, or rather the feet, of Cork City. As McGuirk had expected, the season didn’t get much better, though they repaid Cork with a 2-1 victory in the Carlisle Grounds a fortnight later, and ended with a respectable run of three draws, against Derry, Bohs and Sligo.

Relegation play-offs would have been their fate most other seasons, but Dublin City had gone belly-up midway through, and as a consequence only one team – Waterford – would go down that year.

Bray – and Gormley – survived to fight on. He was already a noted figure in Irish soccer, with a very respectable playing history. Snapped up by Tottenham Hotspur only weeks after his début for Bray, he was twice Doncaster Rovers’ Player of the Year, in 1991/92 and 1992/93.

Returning to Ireland, while at St Patricks Athletic he was voted onto the League of Ireland All Star team of 1994/5, and PFAI Player of the Year 1995/6, the first time he won the League with the Saints. He captained them to further League titles in 1997/98 and 1998/99.

And he was Bray’s Player of the Year in 2001/2 following his return.

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But management? Few players make it that far. Eddie joked later that he had no thoughts of going into management before Bray came looking for his help. But he had in fact gained his UEFA B coaching licence around the time he returned to Bray, well before his retirement as a player.

And he was going to be as ambitious as a manager as he was as a player.

“I went out to win every single game I played,” he said, “be it Man United or Celtic or Limerick City or Dalkey United, I went out with the same attitude every single game. It’s not like a light switch, you can’t turn it on for certain games and turn it off ...

“That’s the way I was as a player. I won League titles, a Player of the Year, and that to me is more than money. I just wanted to achieve things for myself as a player – and now as a manager it’s the exact same thing ... because I’m ambitious.”

Three years later, his ambitions seemed in tatters. Bray had finished bottom of the (reduced) 10-team Premier Division, and were automatically relegated. A brief glimmer of light beckoned when Derry were expelled for contract irregularities, and Bray were entered into the Playoffs, only to lose both games, against Galway and

Sporting Fingal.

First Division here they came. But barely a week before the opening of the new season, Cork were first denied a licence by the FAI and then liquidated by the High Court.

Bray were suddenly and unexpectedly restored to the top flight.

What was joy unrestrained for the fans was a nightmare for the Manager, who had spent the close season, planning, budgetting and signing players for a First Division campaign: predominantly young, but ambitious like their manager, who joked that the club’s main sponsor should be Pampers, given their age.

Perhaps the only positive note was that his young squad had been blooded against some of their new opponents, having played friendly preseason matches against clubs in the “other” Division, as is customary!

It wasn’t to be enough, though, and by August Bray had the dismal League record of two wins and four draws out of 23 League matches. Gormley fell on his sword.

Pat Devlin returned and Bray survived another relegation battle, winning on penalties against Monaghan at the end of the season.

So where does that leave Eddie Gormley?

Given the dismal record of additional Dublin teams in the League – some of them alreadt mentioned here – can there really be a future for Cabinteely FC in the long term?

will do things the right way. Their intention is not to spend a fortune, chase a cup or a league, and then go away.”

“We’ve no debts but we won’t be spending money we don’t have either,” Gormley said. “We have what we have in the bank and it’s something we intend to grow over a number of years. We have businessmen looking after the business, football people looking after the football.”

His connection with the club is not a surprise. Eddie grew up in Mackintosh Park, next door you might say to Cabinteely base Kilbogget Park. His was “... a typical football family,” he says, emphasising the point by going on to describe his own football pedigree, which consists of just one club from Under-8 to Under-18, St Josephs Boys – which is also based in Kilbogget.

Gormley’s Cabinteely squad will, for the moment at least, be completely amateur, and mainly drawn from elsewhere, although he anticipates “at least two” home-grown Cabinteely players to be involved, a number that, all going well, will increase over the coming years.

“We’re bringing through some good players,” he says, “and the hope would be to bring them into the senior set-up over time.”

That may be, but the consensus around Irish football circles seems to be that Gormley, and Cabinteely, will need luck, a lot of hard work and support from outside the area to establish themselves if they are to avoid the fate of Shamrock Rovers B, Mervue, Salthill Devon, Kilkenny City, St James’s Gate ...

The list goes on as far back as fans care to remember.

And nothing in the present climate suggests that it’s any easier now than then to escape their fate.

Eddie is bullish about their prospects – but perhaps a little less ambitious, for the immediate future at least.

“I can understand why people would harbour doubts,” he says. He himself is returning to league management four years after his departure from the Carlisle Grounds. In the interim, has has been coaching at Cabinteely.

“The club’s board are intelligent business people who

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Words: Aaron Cawley @themoanyone

HEARY’S HOPING After a season to forget by all at Sligo, involving three managers, several crises and no trophies; the Bit O Red are now turning to a former Gypsy to lead them back to glory Sligo Rovers’ fans will be hoping that 2015 season won’t be the roller coaster season they endured last year.

For the first time ever the Bit O Red saw three managers take charge in the space of 10 months, while the fourth has now been left with the task of turning things around.

For many of Sligo’s faithful, the board’s decision to get rid of the club’s most successful manager Ian Baraclough last July was surprising particularly given the European run he was set to embark on, even more surprising was their decision to bring in ex Accrington Stanley manager John Coleman.

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Coleman’s reign, although short, left a lasting impression on the club, leading the Bit O Red to their inaugural European victory against FK Banga of Lithuania, before a sensational defeat of Norwegian giants Rosenberg BK at the Lerkendal Stadium, undoubtedly the highlight of 2014 for Rovers fans. Coleman however wasn’t afraid to change the setup of the squad, responsible for the departure of fan favourites Joey Ndo, Aaron Greene and Ross Gaynor.

Coleman was replaced a couple months later by club legend Gavin Dykes after he returning back to Stanley but sadly for Dykes by the time he took charge Rivera’s title hopes had all but disappeared.

Dykes battled on for his club’s pride after hugely disappointing season, but was relieved of his duties after the final game of the season.

The Sligo Rovers board scoured the country for the right man to turn things around at the Showgrounds. Names such as Trevor Croly, Mick Cooke and even Brian Kerr were linked with the club but it was young Bohemians manager Owen Heary who was chosen to take over the Rovers hot seat. Heary brought with him Dinny Corcoran, Kevin Devaney and Steven Beattie from Bohemians who were joined by the additions of Eoin Wearon, Stephen Folan, Keith Ward and Ryan Coulter. While the arrivals of former Chelsea forward Morten Nielson and Estonian international Sander Puri have created a new sense of excitement around the club.

2014 league campaign. Those on the banks of the Owenahincha will hope Heary will bring the same level of success to Rovers that he himself achieved on the pitch.

The signings of Puri and Nielsen show the Dubliner’s intentions in any case, and should Rovers realise their potential there’s no doubt that they will be back in the upper echelons of Irish football this season.

Heary was also quick to re-sign fan favourites Jeff Henderson, Alan Keane, Richard Brush and Danny Ledwith. They are joined by David Cawley and Gavin Peers as the senior players from last season who will, for those in the North-West, hopefully bond what’s becoming a strong team together.

Once again excitement and anticipation surround the club for this season despite the disastrous

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After scandals, new clubs, transfers, and the occasional licencing issue, here’s our guide to the...

Cover Photo: Doug Minihane

Insets: Colm McSweeney & George Kelly

League of Ireland in 2015 Words: Aaron Doherty

F

riday the 6th of March is a key date for thousands of fans around the country, a date that marks the start a new season of the League of Ireland. A date that won’t bother the majority of fans, who sit back in their chairs, remote in hand, watching the Premier League. The supporters of the 20 League of Ireland clubs will travel up and down the country, rain, snow, sunshine or wind, it matters little for the fans will be there. Real fans!!

This season brings excitement with a new member in Cabinteely FC, a return of more ex-Irish Internationals, a battle for midfield supremacy and an intriguing title fight, that if it was a combat sport would sell out stadiums and sell television packages worldwide. It will be the toughest title race to predict in years and one that will definitely offer countless talking points over the coming few months.

First Division

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For the smaller sides in the Premier Division, objectives at the start of the season is always to avoid the drop to the dreaded First Division. A league that has struggled over the last number of years to keep continuity and to progress to the next phase, just keep hitting a bump.

UCD and Athlone Town failed in their progress to stay with the elite and will have to plan again to regain top flight status.

Its a dogfight in the second tier, which very rarely has a standout team. Every side is pushed to their limit, and to the very last day. There is going to be a lot of media attention around the Division this season with Cabinteely making the step up to Senior football. The big question still remaining as to how the dark-horse will do in 2015.

In LOI legend Eddie Gormley, they have a manager that knows the league, likes to play football and knows how to win, so its a good start for the Dublin side.Will they last the full season? It remains to be seen but definitely a situation to keep your eye on.

Shelbourne are favourites to win the title under the tutelage of Kevin Doherty but will face competition from

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Athlone Town and UCD who have signed well and also have new managers at the helm in Eddie Wallace and Colm O’Neill respectively. One of the coups of the First Division was the Students signing Evan McMillan, who also has a coaching role at the club. They have also retained the services of Robbie Benson, who is a really talented player and scores important goals.

Cobh Ramblers have signed superbly, with Darren Murphy the pick of the players. Martin Cambridge has a big job to integrate the squad as early as possible and might just be able to spring some surprises. Wexford Youths and Finn Harps had fantastic seasons last year and will be looking for more of the same in 2015, while Waterford United look to have no real plan or direction in the last few years, they will look for more consistency this term, they too have added heavily in recent weeks over the uncertainty of Bray Wanderers’ licence outcome.

Officiating The standard of football in the League of Ireland is constantly under scrutiny but very rarely do you hear about the standard of officiating. On a week to week basis there are decisions that go completely unnoticed on TV or on the highlights show and by not reviewing the mistakes the official will have got off with it and be giving another game the following week.

Since the departure of Alan Kelly who was regarded as the best referee in the league, and in my opinion nobody has stepped up to his standard, with Neil Doyle now regarded as the number one! In my honest opinion Kelly was good but he was officiating amongst a bad bunch, and is now living the highlife in the MLS. Its wrong to just scrutinise referees as the whole team of officials are at a low standard, with maybe a handful above the level in this country.

Since the officiating massacre of the FAI Cup final in 2013 between Sligo and Drogheda when the team of officials led by Paul Tuite had a day to forget, the standard has falling and will take a lot of work to get back to an acceptable level. There is no doubt that its a very tough job to do, human errors are expected, and we see big decisions badly made in every league every single week. However the fact remains that questions should still be asked. It’s inevitably a topic amongst fans around the country, but hopefully this season will be an improvement!!

Premier Division Title Race 2014 will go down as one of the most thrilling seasons in history, as the title race went to the last day of the season in a league ‘final’ if you wish between Dundalk and surprise package Cork City. Dundalk won 2-0 and

were crowned champions. They played an exciting brand of football and were the best team in the country last season. The hardest thing to do in football is too successfully defend you crown and this season is no different.

Having lost top scorer Pat Hoban to Oxford United, goals are going to be very hard to find. The Lillywhites will look to David McMillan and Kurtis Byrne to find the net. They have retained Richie Towell and added Ronan Finn and Jake Kelly, with the latter been one of the signings of the Winter. Like most clubs they have retained most of their squad but in the absence of Hoban their main weakness this season could very well be in front of goal.

After an incredible managerial debut season, the plan is to go one better this time around for John Caulfield and Cork City. They surprised everybody last season and playing with a physical style of football that, while not pretty to watch, proved very effective. The coach has pulled off two real coups in signing Liam Miller and Alan Bennett which will add a lot of experience and quality. Garry Buckley, one of the players of last season, has stayed. Karl Sheppard too has been added and will be hoping to hit the ground running at his new club, already impressing in preseason. I’m not sure of their chances of a league triumph but a cup run is a definite possibility.

In my opinion by far the best footballing side in the league, St. Patrick’s Athletic have enjoyed much success recenly, but for Liam Buckley and St Pat’s, this season might be the toughest since ‘Buckos’ arrival.

Liam has signed back pretty much of the squad of last season with some notable exclusions, one been Keith Fahey. So much was expected of him last season but he just failed to deliver on a consistent basis. Darius Kierans is the new assistant manager and will bring great knowhow and tactical knowledge to the Saints. Ciaran Kilduff, Jason McGuinness, Lee Desmond and Conor O’Malley have all signed for the FAI Cup champions and after his impressionable season last year, Chris Fagan has to watch over his shoulder this term with Kilduff an astute signing from Buckley. Its a small squad that hasn’t got much strength in depth but one to watch is Darragh Markey. A midfielder from the youth setup has signed his first contract and definitely worth keeping an eye on as the season progresses.

When given the job last season it was inevitable that Pat Fenlon would extend the budget of Shamrock Rovers and that started with the expulsion of the ‘B’ team. Keith Fahey, Mikey Drennan, Danny North, Brendan Miele, Dave Webster and Gavin Brennan have all signed for Rovers, some huge signings that will have the Tallaght side extremely difficult to beat. The problems that could face Fenlon are in defence, with Conor Kenna the best central defender at the club. Stephen McPhail is staying

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and will try to form a dominant midfield with Fahey and Cregg. This squad has the potential to go all the way but that will come down to injuries and suspensions as, like their Inchicore rivals, the squad lacks real depth.

Premier Division Best of the Rest After an up and down season last year for the Bit O Red, with managerial changes, players in and out and also lifting the Setanta Cup, Sligo fans will be hoping for a more steadier ship this term. The man at the helm is Owen Heary who has brought in some exciting signings. Danny Corcoran, Stephen Folan, Keith Ward, Eoin Wearen, Morten Neilsen and Estonian international Sander Puri have all signed and on paper look exciting.

Its definitely a rebuilding process and will take some time to gel but I’m not so sure Owen Heary will be the man to guide them.

They are the best team after the top four but any run at the title is a couple of years away, with this squad anyways.

The battle for sixth will be an interesting one between Derry, Bohemians and possibly Longford. For Bohemians, life after Owen Heary will be a fascinating watch and in Keith Long they have a smart coach that likes to play football. Marc Griffin is a good signing if he stays fit, Dean Kelly is hard working and comes up with big goals and the exciting Jake Hyland will be one to keep your eye on. There is a mixture of young and old at the club that could pull off a few shocks along the way.

Peter Hutton has a big job at Derry this season and have to do without Michael Duffy and Rory Patterson who have moved on. Patrick McEleney remains and Hutton will look to build his young team around him. They will compete very week but will struggle to make any impact.

Longford have a squad that can have a real go at breaking into the top half of the table but defensively they will struggle. Home form will be crucial to them having a successful season.

The relegation battle will be an interesting one this season with Bray, Galway, Limerick and Drogheda all capable of going down. Off the field, Bray have had an eventful Winter; new owners, new kit, and a now playing on a Saturday evening which will be interesting to see what type of crowds they get. Alan Matthews said his squad could break the top six but I’m afraid to say I think that’s a bit of a distant dream. The two standout signings are experienced Alan McNally and Ryan McEvoy who will bring control but other than that this Bray team will struggle from the start.

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Drogheda are in disarray compared to previous seasons and a big job for John McDonnell who has brought in Pete Mahon and Mark Kinsella to help him steady the ship. Ex Ireland international Sean Thornton has signed and Alan Byrne is back. A huge job for all involved. Galway United are back after crazy few years. Tommy Dunne has done well to get them back into the top flight but will be an uphill battle to keep them there. David O’Leary, Samuel Oji and Jake Keegan are good signings and will need to score goals to keep them afloat.

Midfield Supremacy This season will see a midfield assault that will take to the pitch in the League of Ireland. In the Champions corner you have Richie Towell, Stephen O’Donnell, Daryl Horgan and new recruit Ronan Finn.

Standing tall and physically in the Green corner you have Garry Buckley, Colin Healy, Billy Dennehy and ex Ireland international Liam Miller. Packing the one touch movement in the red corner is, Killian Brennan, Greg Bolger, James Chambers and Chris Forrester. In the hard to beat Hoop corner is Keith Fahey, Stephen McPhail, Patrick Cregg and Brandon Miele to round off a fascinating contest If that quartet doesn’t excite you, maybe it’s time to re-evaluate what sport you should be watching! The calibre of player that each club possess is immense and they all bring their own quality. Each side has a set piece specialist, a goalscorer, a midfield general and a midfielder with an eye for the clinical pass. Not only will the league battle be interesting but how these do in Europe will also be pleasing to watch.

Some of these players are already carrying-over suspensions from 2014, and it is absoluely pivotal for their clubs these players are available for selection as much as possible. Whoever comes out on top remains to be seen but its a battle that is certainly one to look forward to with immense excitement.

Finally As the curtain raiser draws close in what is going to be an exciting season, we all look forward to what we love and to what we believe in. Watch out for the gaffs, the embarrassments and the entertainment. This is the League of Ireland!

League of Ireland Internationals: Gordon Smith (Drumcondra)

BY DAVE GALVIN

Born on 25 May 1924 in Edinburgh, Gordon Smith is best remembered as the only player ever to have won the Scottish League Championship with three different clubs Hibernian, Heart of Midlothian and Dundee, a feat all the more remarkable given that he never lined out for either of the Glasgow Old Firm of Celtic or Rangers, traditionally dominant in the Scottish game.

Signed by Hibernian as a sixteen year old, Smith burst onto the league scene scoring a hat-trick in a 5–3 win against Edinburg rival’s Hearts on 28 April 1941. Over the next decade, as part of the most famous front five in Hibernian’s long and proud history, a goal scoring quintet which also included Bobby Johnstone, Lawrie Reilly, Eddie Turnbull and Willie Ormond, Smith’s phenomenal goal scoring record (125 league goals

in 310 appearances from the wing) helped the club to three league titles in 1948, 1951 and 1952. Hibernian also reached the 1947 Scottish Cup final losing out to Aberdeen; the closest Smith would come to what would ultimately prove an elusive Scottish FA Cup medal.

During this time Smith also played regularly at outside right on the Scottish national side winning nineteen caps and scoring four times for his country. An elegant and pacy player he was for a period early in his career touted as the new ‘Scottish’ Stanley Matthews however, his rivalry with Rangers’ Willie Waddle, who won one more cap that Smith, detracted somewhat from his international achievements. He made his Scotland debut in a scoreless draw away to Northern Ireland in the old Home Championship in November 1946, and fully 11 years on signed off by scoring the only goal in a

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chastening 1-4 defeat to Spain in Madrid in a World Cup Qualifier. His purple patch in Scotland colours came during an end of season tour to Austria, Yugoslavia and Hungary in May 1955 where he netted in all three outings. Smith also lined out eleven times for the Scottish League X1, a total which included four appearances against the League of Ireland, all of which the Scots won.

Having suffered with a recurring ankle injury, Smith was released by Hibs in 1959 only to join rivals Hearts where he unexpectedly made a further 70 league appearances and helped his new employers to the League and League Cup titles in his debut season. With his career seemingly all but over for a second time, he confounded his critics once again when signing for Dundee at the ripe old age of 38 and leading the Dark Blues to their first, and to date only, top-flight title success. On the strength of this win Dundee and Smith played a series of prestige European Cup ties against Cologne, Sporting Lisbon and Milan.

In total, Gordon Smith made no fewer than 422 appearances, scoring 147 goals, and that just in the league!

Treading water in midtable, rutted in another mediocre league season and without a major trophy win since capturing the league title three years earlier, Drumcondra made the bold step of boosting their upcoming FAI Cup campaign by signing the now retired Smith in March 1964. With Cork Hibernians having already been accounted for in the first round, the now near 40 year old made his League of Ireland bow on Saturday 6th March that year in an FAI Cup quarter final tie at the old Lourdes Stadium in Drogheda.

In what was a poor game, the visitors, courtesy of a lone Mick Lynch strike won through to a semi-final meeting with Shamrock Rovers. Despite the poor fare on offer however, The Irish Independent correspondent was suitably impressed with Smith’s contribution declaring: ‘Drums latest acquisition, the Scottish In-

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ternational player Gordon Smith, appeared on the right wing and showed some masterly touches however, the remaining Drumcondra forwards need to learn to play Smith better in order to get the best from his fine efforts’.

A fortnight later, and in a rehearsal for the upcoming semi final clash, Drums travelled across Dublin to Milltown for what would prove to be Smith’s sole league appearance in the famous Blue and Yellow of Drumcondra and a resounding 1-4 thumping at the hands of Rovers. In the event, Sunday 5th April 1964 at Dalymount Park, and that eagerly awaited cup semi, proved to be Smith’s third and last League of Ireland appearance as Drums faltered for second time in two weeks to the same opposition, this time suffering a narrow 0-1 reverse, and so ending the clubs’ quest for a sixth Blue Riband success.

This game as it turned out marked the very last professional appearance for Smith in a career spanning fully twenty-three years. Well marshaled by Hoops’ full back Pat Courtney, the Scot made little impression and despite Drums performing well on the day, Rovers went through to an ultimately successful decider against Cork Celtic, the first of six FAI Cup wins in a row. A decade on from Gordon Smith’s brief LOI footnote to his career, Drums would repeat their FAI Cup import experiment with another Scottish international, Alex Parker, but that’s a story for another day.

For a time following his retirement, Gordon Smith ran a pub in Edinburgh close to Hibs’ Easter Road appropriately titled ‘The Right Wing’, and in the wake of a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease, he passed away on 7th August 2004 aged 80.

FINALLY THE WAIT IS OVER! KARL BYRNE PREVIEWS THE

LEAGUE OF IRELAND OPENING DAY 2015

Photo Credit: Barry Masterson & Doug Minihane

So after an incredibly long off-season, we’re finally almost set to get the League of Ireland back underway for the 2015 edition. There will be thrills and spills no doubt, but a look of the stats can perhaps tell us how it’s going to shape up.

Dundalk v Longford Town This is the first time since the switch to summer football that Dundalk and Longford Town are both in the Premier Division. Longford won the last league meeting between the sides, a 2-1 First Division victory at Oriel Park in October 2008. They have never met in a league opener before.

Former Lilywhite Tony Cousins has been Town boss since the 2010 season - only Liam Buckley (2012) and Stephen Kenny (2013) were also in their position prior to 2014. In 1998, Kenny became the youngest manager in National League history when he took over Longford at the age of 27.

Dundalk’s last three title wins were in 1990-91, 1994-95 and 2014. On opening day they lost 5-1 to Shelbourne, 2-0 to Bohemians and 4-1 to Drogheda United respectively, becoming the first club to lose their first match and go on to win the championship since St Patrick’s

Athletic in 1995-96.

Louth rivals Drogheda are the most recent champions to open their defence with a loss (2008). Last year, Dundalk were the first top flight team since 2006 to go unbeaten at home all season; Longford kept an incredible nine away clean sheets in a row on their way to the First Division crown.

The only time First Division champions visited Premier Division champions on opening day saw Bray Wanderers upset Shelbourne in 2000. Dundalk defender and LOI Monthly interviewee Brian Gartland, who scored eight league goals last year, is priced at 40/1 to top the 2015 charts!

Galway United FC v Derry City Galway United, which folded in 2011, and Galway United FC are not one and the same, but they are included in the table below in the interest of all supporters. Enda Curran, Ger Hanley, Jason Molloy, Paul Sinnott, Stephen Walsh and Conor Winn have worn the Maroon jersey for both clubs.

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As a player, Galway manager Tommy Dunne won the 1997 League of Ireland title with Derry City alongside Peter Hutton, his opposite number at Eamonn Deacy Park tonight.

The last time Derry lost to a newly promoted team was a 1-0 defeat to Dunne’s Cork City in September 2012.

Galway became just the second club to win promotion from the First Division in their rookie season after Bray in 1985-86. Of the last nine sides that went up, Monaghan (withdrew) and Athlone (relegated) failed to survive. UCD were the only one of those new boys to start with a win (2010).

In 2011, the last time top flight football was played at this ground, the Tribesmen only managed to pick up two points from their 18 home games. Derry have won 14 successive matches against Galway outfits in all competitions - Galway United (5), Mervue United (5) and Salthill Devon (4).

ed the television cameras out for the occasion since TV3’s broadcast in 2003.

Pat’s qualified for Europe for a fifth straight season with Rovers also reaching the Europa League. Rovers’ internationals Stephen McPhail and Keith Fahey are suspended due to a ridiculous 4 yellow card rule.

All three Brennan brothers are banned, Killian for Pat’s, Ryan and Gavin for the Hoops.

Christy Fagan (Pat’s) is the only LOI top goalscorer since 2009 still in the country. Pat Fenlon is one of four players to bag a hat-trick in the opening round of the Premier Division; Mike Bennett, Paul Newe (4) and Eric Lavine (4) are the others. Mike’s son Sam will compete in the next Tour de France!

15 different players scored for the northerners last season, more than any other club, but the two men who reached double figures, Rory Patterson and Michael Duffy, have since moved on. Ger Doherty (33) and Anthony Elding (32) are now the only players over the age of 25 in the Derry squad.

Bray Wanderers v Drogheda United

Shamrock Rovers v St Patrick’s Athletic (Live on RTÉ2)

In the 1988-89 First Division campaign, Drogheda launched their promotion bid with a 2-1 victory over Bray at United Park. Only Bohemians, Bray, Drogheda, Derry and St Pat’s have played in each of the last 10 Premier Division seasons. Bray’s highest finish during this period is sixth (2011).

In November 1959, a calamitous own goal by Shamrock Rovers defender Albie Murphy sent St Pat’s, FAI Cup holders then too, on their way to a 4-1 victory at Milltown. Curiously, the Dublin rivals have not met on opening day again since, although a scheduled clash in July 2002 was postponed.

Rovers boasted the best home defensive record last season (8 conceded), winning all five league games with clean sheets under Pat Fenlon. St. Pat’s won their last seven games away from Richmond Park in all competitions in 2014 as they finally ended that 53 year Cup famine.

Rovers are unbeaten in curtain raisers since 2004 when current Saints boss Liam Buckley was at the helm. For the fourth time in five seasons, Rovers’ first league game will be live on RTÉ. Pat’s haven’t attract-

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This fixture has produced two or more goals in the previous 11 meetings and 22 goals have been scored in the last five games at the Carlisle Grounds. Bray Wanderers won 1-0 away to Drogheda United in the first weekend of the 1991-92 season when both sides narrowly avoided the drop.

Alan Mathews’ men accumulated 11 red cards last season. Every club in the division beat Drogheda at least once and they were the only club without any scoreless draws in 2014. The Boynesiders ended a Premier Division record run of six consecutive opening day defeats against Dundalk.

The new Drogheda manager is Johnny McDonnell, who had replaced Mathews at Shelbourne in May 2013. Shels went on to suffer relegation and they just fell short in the playoffs last year. McDonnell was brought in following Damien Richardson’s resignation only four months into the Drogs job.

Bray became the 12th and final team to receive a Premier Division license last week. Long serving Dave Webster has joined Shamrock Rovers while Dean Zambra, also with the Seagulls since 2008, is looking for a club in the States after girlfriend Stephanie Roche made the move to Houston Dash.

Sligo Rovers v Cork City

Limerick v Bohemians

Owen Heary takes charge of his first competitive game as Sligo Rovers manager tomorrow evening. Heary’s Bohemians had a good record against last season’s runners-up, winning two, drawing two and losing one in all competitions. Four Bohs players followed him to Sligo over the winter break.

These clubs last met on opening day in the 1976-77 season. Bohemians, fresh from their European Cup Winners’ Cup victory over Esbjerg in Denmark, won 2-1 in front of a small crowd at Markets Field. Limerick will play at Jackman Park while redevelopment of their spiritual home is completed.

There are two previous opening day meetings and both took place at the Showgrounds. Billy Dennehy scored on his Cork City debut in a 1-1 draw six years ago. The other was in the 1992-93 season when John Caulfield helped Cork to a 3-0 victory as they went on to win their first ever title.

Bohemians notched the most draws last season (13) whereas Limerick have not drawn any of their last 23 league games. Bohs are without a win away from home since beating Limerick in July, a month after winning an FAI Cup tie at Thomond Park. Paddy Kavanagh scored in both games.

The Rebels are without a win at this venue since July 2009, having failed to score in each of their last four visits overall. Cork aim to kick off a top flight campaign with all three points for the first time since 2006. They beat Dublin City 1-0 but the match was annulled after the Vikings left the league.

Aside from Galway, Limerick are the only club in the division without any squad members who have been playing for the first team for more than two seasons.

The Shannonsiders have lost 30 of their 37 league goals last year and that includes talisman Rory Gaffney to Cambridge United.

Sligo made a blistering start to the 2013 season, winning their first eight games to equal Cork City’s Premier Division record from 1998-99. Cork have the oldest squad in the league with nine players over the age of 30 - veteran Dan Murray has played in each of the last 12 Premier Division openers.

Only Shamrock Rovers, Cork City and Bohemians remained unbeaten against the bottom three last season.

Bohs striker Jason Byrne has scored just one of his 216 career league goals in County Limerick, at Hogan Park back in 2000. He has netted a record nine goals in Premier Division openers.

Sander Puri brings 53 Estonian caps with him to Sligo, while Colin Healy (13) has been joined by fellow Ireland internationals Liam Miller (21) and Alan Bennett (2) in Cork. Gavin Peers is in tenth season with the Bit O’Red; City goalkeeper Mark McNulty made his first appearance back in 2005.

No team comes close to Bohemians’ first game win rate (60%), in the modern era, not even Shelbourne (48%).

Limerick have begun each of their last four top flight campaigns with a scoreless draw. The opponents were Derry (1992-93), Shelbourne (1993-94), Cork (2013) and Bray (2014).

@HistoryLOI

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