Season Preview 2008: Sporting Fingal

The Club:

Sporting Fingal's official launch event at the Corduff Sports Complex on Monday, February 11th emphasised the gargantuan strides made by the nascent club over such a short time-span. From a nebulous rumour at the back end of last summer, to a tentative proposal disseminated in the Fingal area, to an inaugural electee into the newly-formed League of Ireland "A" Championsip, Sporting Fingal finally became a fully fledged member of the eircom League upon the resignation of Kilkenny City.

The breathless pace of Fingal's progress has been such that misconceptions about the club's ownership and objectives continue to abound. Much of the derision directed upon the project was based on regional prejudice or parochial insecurity, depending on the side of the Pale whence it emanated. Nonetheless, in an era which has witnessed the demise of Dublin City and the implosion of Shelbourne, some measure of scepticism was perhaps warranted (particularly once Fingal announced ambitious plans for a €10 million academy complex at Turvey in Donabate.)

The precise nature of Fingal County Council's patronage also caused confusion; contrary to early assumptions, the council does not own and will not be involved in the day-to-day running of the club, but will provide support and facilities where appropriate. This approach is in keeping with Fingal County Council's generous backing of cricket (another fundamental aspect of the regional identity which local government is so keen to promote) which has seen Fingal become the undisputed epicentre of the sport in Leinster.

The development of the proposed football academy (which will doubtless acquire the inevitable adjective "state-of-the-art" at some point) will also be a Fingal County Council venture, although one to which Sporting Fingal will presumably enjoy unlimited access. Ownership of the club rests with multimillionaire Gerry Gannon, with Allied Irish Bank also believed to be investing. A massive sponsorship deal with fruit distributors Keelings, worth €1 million over four years, provided the earliest concrete indication that Sporting Fingal meant business.

Perhaps the gravest impediment to the new club's progress, however, rests with its inability to find a suitable venue for its home matches. Vague plans for a compact, modern arena notwithstanding, the club will commence the 2008 season at Morton Stadium in Santry, a location outside the Fingal catchment area which provides the club's raison d'etre. Attracting fans to a windswept athletics track a long way from home will constitute a challenge of immense proportions, but one which must be mastered if the club is to become viable.

The quality of player recruited by Director of Football Liam Buckley, whose involvement with the project dates to its earliest conception, indicates that Sporting Fingal (perhaps mindful of the safety-first syndrome which caused Kilkenny City to die of apathy and UCD to stagnate) are most definitely in it to win it.

The Manager:

Officially Director of Football, Liam Buckley was a peripatetic striker best remembered as a leading figure in Shamrock Rovers' golden era of the 1980s. He also earned three international caps in a career which encompassed stints at Waregem of Belgium, Racing Santander of Spain and Canada's Vancouver Whitecaps. His managerial CV is adorned with a League of Ireland championship conquered with St. Patrick's Athletic in 1998, although his subsequent spell at Shamrock Rovers was somewhat erratic (despite incorporating an FAI Cup Final appearance and third position in the 2003 Premier Division table.) An amiable and thoughtful character with a strong managerial pedigree, Buckley's deep involvement with the club should relieve some of the pressures and uncertainties which sometimes affect those in management. He will be assisted for the 2008 season by Head Coach John Devine.

The Squad:

Fingal's signing of much-decorated veteran goalkeeper Steve Williams raised eyebrows in League of Ireland circles, and the acquisition of the former Dundalk, Shelbourne and Bray Wanderers 'keeper was followed in due course by several equally arresting arrivals. The squad's defensive core appears sound, if a little under-staffed. Aidan Collins and Chris Deans are potentially among the league's finest defenders, albeit yet to catch a break. Brian Gannon and the vastly under-rated Brian Kelly are both eminently capable at First Division level, as are Derek Tyrrell and Philip Byrne.

Ageing legs in midfield could be a concern, particularly given the frantic pace at which First Division matches are contested. The hugely experienced Jim Crawford and Stephen Caffrey have seen and done it all, but the suspicion that they've seen and done a little too much continues to linger. Much responsibility will devolve upon the youthful but experienced Colm James and former Shamrock Rovers midfielder Paul Caffrey, who has trodden the freshly-laid but already familiar path to Fingal from Bray Wanderers. Of the main strikers, neither Robbie Doyle nor Peter Hynes are renowned for prolific goalscoring (or even-temperedness), so goals from midfield will be a priority. Fortunately, Fingal's larder is well-stocked with attacking midfielders, including Christy Doran, Fiachra McArdle and highly-rated UCD alumnus Conan Byrne. The squad is augmented by a number of talented local youngeters, reflecting Sporting Fingal's community ethos.

Prospects:

The miserly odds offered on Fingal's promotion prospects by some bookmakers overlook the sizeable challenge of forging a fighting-strength unit literally from scratch. Fingal's squad is among the strongest in the league but several vital lacunae remain unfilled. Nonetheless, with a solid defensive base and an experienced manager, the club should be setting its sights on a place in the top three of the First Division. 2008 will probably be the season when perpetual bridesmaids Dundalk end up on the right side of the bouquet, and Waterford's superior cohesion and familiarity should also place them beyond Fingal's reach. If all the planets align themselves favourably, a serious tilt at the title remains a faint possibility for Buckley's side, but no more than that.