Rovers B team to possibly pad out First Division once again

While the Premier Division fixtures are being released this coming Friday, the FAI confirmed this week that the First Division fixtures will only “be announced at a later date”. This reflects the uncertainty about the make-up of the second tier due to the demise of Limerick FC and the possible inclusion of a Shamrock Rovers second string team in the second tier. 

The First Division is facing into a season with just nine clubs which would mean one team being without a game each week. That is unless an tenth team is brought into the league.

That is what happened in 2014, when Shamrock Rovers put a B team into the First Division taking up the space created by the replacement of Galway sides Mervue United and Salthill Devon with Galway United and the Tallaght based club have expressed an interest to the FAI in doing something similar for 2020.

Overage players

Rovers, along with a number of other clubs, are unhappy with the lack of a reserve league and have the view that there is too large a step up from the under-19 league to the top flight for young players.

With that in mind, the FAI confirmed today that two over-age players will be allowed to play in under-19 eague when it begins in March.

The Hoops meanwhile have applied to put a reserve team into the First Division – although there doesn’t appear to be much support for this proposal from other clubs in the second tier. 

B-team players 

37 players in total played for the Hoops in the SSE Airtricity League’s second tier in 2014. The majority of them were part of the club’s team that was runners up in the 2013/14 Under 19 Elite Division. Ten more experienced players were also signed to strengthen the squad. 

Rovers were allowed to bring three outfield players from their Premier Division squad plus a goalkeeper into their B team squad on a weekly basis. Colin Hawkins, who managed Rovers’ B team, brought just eight first team players into his First Division team during the season and they made just 14 appearances between them at that level.



Sean O’Connor was the only goalscorer from Rovers’ first team in the First Division that season. 

Results

The Hoops B team debuted in the First Division away to Cobh Ramblers but didn’t get their first victory until their sixth game, a 2-1 home win against Longford Town.

Rovers’ young side struggled at times against the more experienced teams - they suffered nine defeats in a row mid-season, failing to score in any of those games but rallied late in the season finishing sixth above Waterford and Cobh.

They won seven and drew five of their 28 league games, scoring 25 goals and conceding 50.

In 2015 the FAI expanded the underage leagues to include an under-17 league to go with the under-19 league and Rovers took the decision to discontinue the team as they were unwilling to continue with the financial commitment (close to a six figure sum for running a second team). Cabinteely took their place in the First Division.



Future prospects

It is hard to judge the merits of Rovers’ reserve team from just that one 2014 season but if the club was to run a second team again next season their ‘football department’ structures are much stronger in 2020 than six years ago with Stephen McPhail as Sporting Director and their Academy, led by Shane Robinson, more solidly bedded in.

The most successful player to line for Rovers B team in 2014 is arguably goalkeeper Conor O’Malley, who won the Rovers First Division player of the year award that season. He subsequently played first team football in the Premier Division with Rovers and then with St. Patrick’s Athletic before moving to Peterborough United and earning a call to the Republic of Ireland senior squad in 2018.

Other players have gone on to have careers in the League of Ireland albeit playing mostly in the First Division. Players like Sean Heaney and Evan Osam made debuts in the Premier Division for the Hoops before moving on to Bray Wanderers and UCD respectively. Alan Kehoe made two substitute appearances in the Setanta Sports Cup for Rovers (away to Glentoran and Dundalk) and has since played with Shelbourne, Bray and Drogheda United. 

Chris Lyons, who scored six goals for Rovers that season in the First Division, continues to be a goalscorer in the First Division and is now with Drogheda United. Shane Fagan (Cabinteely and Longford Town), Cian Kavanagh (Shels, UCD and Drogheda) and Kevin Knight (Athlone Town, Cabinteely, Longford) are others who continue to ply their trade in the league while Jack Watson just this week signed for Bray from Cabinteely.

    About Macdara Ferris

    Macdara Ferris is a contributor since 2007 to Hoops Scene (Shamrock Rovers' match day programme) and is the co-author of two books on Shamrock Rovers - 'Tallaght Time: Shamrock Rovers 2009 to 2012' (with Karl … View Full Profile