Collins prefers LOI to IFA Premiership
Credit:
Dundalk midfielder Michael Collins reckons the League of Ireland is a much more professional league than the IFA Premiership.
The 31-year-old is enjoying his debut season south of the border having joined The Lilywhites at the start of the year, but had to wait until July to feature for the club due to a mix-up regarding international clearance.
Although in the months that he has been employed by the County Louth club, he has noticed many differences in how the FAI run the League of Ireland compared to how the IFA look after the Carling Premiership.
“In the Irish league years ago you had great players and it was players from the South coming up to play in the North. It was a great league, but it just went downhill,” said Collins.
“That is typical IFA. They don’t know what to do. I don’t think anyone in the IFA has ever played football, they just want their wee job and get all of their mates in.
“I’ve said it over the years and it’s why the IFA don’t like me. They are stuck in the stone ages.”
Collins was speaking at the launch of a new scheme hosted by the FAI that offers An Post BillPay customers the chance of winning family pass tickets to any League of Ireland game.
The fact that Collins, a player with a fiery reputation, even turned up at the media event in the GPO shows how much he is enjoying his new lease of life in a league that is run ‘properly’.
With a lot of speculation recently about the possible creation of an All-Ireland league, the former Newry City man thinks that it would be a bad move as some clubs would be left behind and costs would rise dramatically.
“It would be expensive. For some teams, like Galway, travelling up to the North, it would be very expensive,” stated Collins.
“You can’t just say ‘we’ll pick four from up there and four from down here’. Everybody has to have an equal chance.
“If they are struggling financially now, what is that added pressure going to put on?
The 31-year-old is enjoying his debut season south of the border having joined The Lilywhites at the start of the year, but had to wait until July to feature for the club due to a mix-up regarding international clearance.
Although in the months that he has been employed by the County Louth club, he has noticed many differences in how the FAI run the League of Ireland compared to how the IFA look after the Carling Premiership.
“In the Irish league years ago you had great players and it was players from the South coming up to play in the North. It was a great league, but it just went downhill,” said Collins.
“That is typical IFA. They don’t know what to do. I don’t think anyone in the IFA has ever played football, they just want their wee job and get all of their mates in.
“I’ve said it over the years and it’s why the IFA don’t like me. They are stuck in the stone ages.”
Collins was speaking at the launch of a new scheme hosted by the FAI that offers An Post BillPay customers the chance of winning family pass tickets to any League of Ireland game.
The fact that Collins, a player with a fiery reputation, even turned up at the media event in the GPO shows how much he is enjoying his new lease of life in a league that is run ‘properly’.
With a lot of speculation recently about the possible creation of an All-Ireland league, the former Newry City man thinks that it would be a bad move as some clubs would be left behind and costs would rise dramatically.
“It would be expensive. For some teams, like Galway, travelling up to the North, it would be very expensive,” stated Collins.
“You can’t just say ‘we’ll pick four from up there and four from down here’. Everybody has to have an equal chance.
“If they are struggling financially now, what is that added pressure going to put on?
About Gareth Maher
Gareth Maher is an award-winning journalist who has covered domestic, international and women's football for the best part of a decade. Previously a columnist for the Irish Daily Mail and Football Editor for Setanta Sports, … View Full Profile