Doyle prioritises League survival for Bray
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It may have taken a replay but, on a night of veritable shocks, Bray Wanderers confirmed their place in the last four of this year’s FAI Ford Senior Cup after overcoming Longford at the second attempt. For one player in particular it was an enjoyable victory.
Daire Doyle had previously donned the colours of Longford Town, where he was a fans’ favourite for two years, and, indeed, was part of the side who reached the 2007 final only to succumb to Cork City. This year’s competition is undoubtedly wide open but, with Bray embroiled in the battle to stay up, 28-year-old Doyle is adamant that the league takes precedence:
“With the likes of Bohs and Shamrock Rovers having exited from the Cup, it is now wide open. I think every team left will fancy their chances now. Any team left is capable of beating each other so it should make for two exciting semi-finals.
“But for now we can't be thinking too much about the Cup, staying in the Premier is the most important thing for us this season. Should we accomplish that I feel it will really stand to the group of players that we have here at Bray. A lot of them are young, hungry players and are eager to do well in the game and the experience they are gaining this season will only help them along in the rest of their careers.”
Doyle began his own career with the mighty Cherry Orchard, joining them at U10 in a side that included Dean Delaney, Dessie Byrne, Gary Dempsey, and Glen Fitzpatrick. Their success at a young age opened the door to England for Doyle. In truth, it was his involvement with the Leinster Schoolboys that sealed his chance and trials with Middlesbrough and Coventry City followed:
“At both I did fairly well and was offered terms. Both were Premiership clubs at this stage (1998). I decided to sign for Coventry and signed up in August 1998 along with Barry Ferguson.”
The squad Coventry boasted at the time meant that first team opportunities were few and far between for the Irishman. The roster of players included Gary McAllister (whom he rates as the best player he has ever played with), Dion Dublin, Roland Nillson, Mustapha Hadji, Noel Whelan, Youssef Chippo, Robbie Keane and a host of other top internationals; in total there were 40 players on the books alongside another 20 on the YTS programme.
Things started well initially at City, as Doyle was part of the U19 team side who reached the FA Youth Cup Final. Under the tutelage of the renowned George Mackie, who the player rates as the best coach he has worked under, the Tallaght man felt his game improve markedly. Despite stepping up to the reserves, the chance to impress in Gordon Strachan’s side never came, something that bemused Doyle at the time:
“I asked Gordon Strachan what I had to do to get a chance to be involved in the first team and that I felt that I was being overlooked, in some cases by players who I was playing in front of in the reserves but I felt that he just fobbed me off with excuses.”
When Jan Molby’s Kidderminster showed interest in signing him, redemption looked to be at hand, only for Coventry to interject and put the move on ice. Something that understandably rankled with the player who was keen to make his mark after three years without a proper run of games:
“When on a two day trial I scored a hat-trick in a reserve game and had impressed Jan Molby. I thought it was a good set up there and hoped it would be an opportunity to progress in my career. They tried to sign me after this but Coventry would not agree to it. I was not happy with this at all and let Gordon Strachan know this. All this accomplished was me being put in the 'bomb squad'. This was training with the youth team and also not being involved at reserve level.”
Eventually after two months in the cold he got his move and went on to enjoy two and a half successful years there. Spells with Nuneaton Borough, Redditch and Moor Green followed before the versatile midfielder-turned-defender decided to move back home:
“I was contacted by Alan Mathews in February 2007 and decided with two young kids that the time was right to come back."
When pressed on how much longer he sees himself playing at the top level, there was a coy response:
“The only obstacle with part-time football in the League of Ireland is that you can be training up to three and four times a week as well as a game and this obviously takes its’ toll if you have a family. In saying that if you look after yourself there is no reason why you can't play well into your 30's and I would like to think that I would be able to do this.”
With the continued perilous state of finances throughout Irish football, and the league itself facing an uncertain future, Dubliner Doyle is as well placed as any to voice his concern over where the current league is headed.
Having spent nine years plying his trade in England, Doyle has a wealth of footballing experience and a keen insight into how clubs at varying levels are run.
“Everyone knows about the financial difficulties currently plighting the game here and it is sad to see. Big clubs such as Cork are finding it hard to honour contracts given out just a few months ago. I don't blame the players. If a club puts a contract in front of you with a figure on it, of course you are going to sign it. You're not going to say, 'Oh I don't think you can afford that, you better knock a couple of hundred off a week.’
"For the club to then come back to you a couple of months later and say they can't pay you is not right. They have set a far too unrealistic budget which is beyond their means.”
When pressed on how he sees the current state of the Irish game, Doyle believes that there is room for full-time football clubs provided it is done within realistic means. The defender forwards Shamrock Rovers as a model of what all other clubs should strive toward:
“Some clubs have gained points with a squad of players who they can't afford to pay which is unfair to the clubs who have budgeted correctly and find themselves below them. For many players in this league it is their livelihood and problems with player’s wages can have a big affect on their lives.
“Clubs like us at Bray have a realistic budget which is the way forward. Just look at how Shamrock Rovers are progressing now. They are a club that seem to be doing everything the right way and need to be set out as an example for other clubs to follow. But not every club has the support like Rovers to go that far realistically.”
This is a moot point when one delves into clubs on an individual basis and sees the struggles to stay afloat that prevails the length and breadth of the country. Doyle cites Dundalk as an example of a club who maybe have side-stepped the salary cap brought in by the FAI at the start of the season, following the closing of the transfer window.
“There are others like Dundalk and Derry who have asked players to take pay cuts to ensure they fall within the 65% rule and also Bohs who look like they too may struggle to fall within the cap. Dundalk in particular signed a number of players within the transfer window and then once the window closed they went to all their players asking them to take pay cuts.
"Surely they knew what their financial position was before they went and signed them players. They should be making sure they can honour the existing contracts until the end of the season first and maybe they could have done that if they hadn't brought them players in during the window on contracts the club can't afford to pay. The FAI, who passed the playing budgets, needs to have a tighter rein on many clubs next year to avoid a repeat.”
How the situation can be improved across the board and at the same time keep the best players on these shores is a debate which looks destined to rumble on. However, the engaging Doyle sees a way to get the league back on track:
“I believe a salary cap could be introduced in the league here, at say €1,000 a week maximum. I know we want to keep the best players here, but realistically the best players are going to jump at the chance to test themselves in the Championship and Premiership in England. If a player thinks he can earn more elsewhere then good luck to them. In League One and Two in England, many players here would do well to earn that figure.
“Most of the players would stay, yes maybe a few may go but these players wouldn't cause any major drop in the level of football in the country. It's something I believe that should be looked into. It would be a shame to see all clubs going part-time after the strides the clubs have taken over the last few years with full-time football. I think you can keep full-time football, just on more realistic wages than seen previously.”
One thing that would undoubtedly help any club is a run in the Europa League and is a bonus that is only two games away for Wanderers.
“The prospect of the extra revenue and participation in both the Europa and Setanta Cup would be huge for Bray and would help attract in players for next season.”
But before all that, the dogfight will be the focal point. In the same year as his last Cup Final appearance with Longford, a controversial relegation ensued:
“That year we were relegated after suffering a six-point penalty deduction for off the field matters - you look at the situation of so many of the clubs now and none of these have been penalised in such a way and what has happened at these clubs is far worse than anything that happened at Longford. It makes you wonder, it seems there are rules for some clubs and then different rules for others which is not right.”
Whatever the wrongs and rights in the past it is obvious from talking to Doyle that this experienced campaigner cares deeply about the game and is sure to continue on long after the boots are hung up for the last time.
Daire Doyle had previously donned the colours of Longford Town, where he was a fans’ favourite for two years, and, indeed, was part of the side who reached the 2007 final only to succumb to Cork City. This year’s competition is undoubtedly wide open but, with Bray embroiled in the battle to stay up, 28-year-old Doyle is adamant that the league takes precedence:
“With the likes of Bohs and Shamrock Rovers having exited from the Cup, it is now wide open. I think every team left will fancy their chances now. Any team left is capable of beating each other so it should make for two exciting semi-finals.
“But for now we can't be thinking too much about the Cup, staying in the Premier is the most important thing for us this season. Should we accomplish that I feel it will really stand to the group of players that we have here at Bray. A lot of them are young, hungry players and are eager to do well in the game and the experience they are gaining this season will only help them along in the rest of their careers.”
Doyle began his own career with the mighty Cherry Orchard, joining them at U10 in a side that included Dean Delaney, Dessie Byrne, Gary Dempsey, and Glen Fitzpatrick. Their success at a young age opened the door to England for Doyle. In truth, it was his involvement with the Leinster Schoolboys that sealed his chance and trials with Middlesbrough and Coventry City followed:
“At both I did fairly well and was offered terms. Both were Premiership clubs at this stage (1998). I decided to sign for Coventry and signed up in August 1998 along with Barry Ferguson.”
The squad Coventry boasted at the time meant that first team opportunities were few and far between for the Irishman. The roster of players included Gary McAllister (whom he rates as the best player he has ever played with), Dion Dublin, Roland Nillson, Mustapha Hadji, Noel Whelan, Youssef Chippo, Robbie Keane and a host of other top internationals; in total there were 40 players on the books alongside another 20 on the YTS programme.
Things started well initially at City, as Doyle was part of the U19 team side who reached the FA Youth Cup Final. Under the tutelage of the renowned George Mackie, who the player rates as the best coach he has worked under, the Tallaght man felt his game improve markedly. Despite stepping up to the reserves, the chance to impress in Gordon Strachan’s side never came, something that bemused Doyle at the time:
“I asked Gordon Strachan what I had to do to get a chance to be involved in the first team and that I felt that I was being overlooked, in some cases by players who I was playing in front of in the reserves but I felt that he just fobbed me off with excuses.”
When Jan Molby’s Kidderminster showed interest in signing him, redemption looked to be at hand, only for Coventry to interject and put the move on ice. Something that understandably rankled with the player who was keen to make his mark after three years without a proper run of games:
“When on a two day trial I scored a hat-trick in a reserve game and had impressed Jan Molby. I thought it was a good set up there and hoped it would be an opportunity to progress in my career. They tried to sign me after this but Coventry would not agree to it. I was not happy with this at all and let Gordon Strachan know this. All this accomplished was me being put in the 'bomb squad'. This was training with the youth team and also not being involved at reserve level.”
Eventually after two months in the cold he got his move and went on to enjoy two and a half successful years there. Spells with Nuneaton Borough, Redditch and Moor Green followed before the versatile midfielder-turned-defender decided to move back home:
“I was contacted by Alan Mathews in February 2007 and decided with two young kids that the time was right to come back."
When pressed on how much longer he sees himself playing at the top level, there was a coy response:
“The only obstacle with part-time football in the League of Ireland is that you can be training up to three and four times a week as well as a game and this obviously takes its’ toll if you have a family. In saying that if you look after yourself there is no reason why you can't play well into your 30's and I would like to think that I would be able to do this.”
With the continued perilous state of finances throughout Irish football, and the league itself facing an uncertain future, Dubliner Doyle is as well placed as any to voice his concern over where the current league is headed.
Having spent nine years plying his trade in England, Doyle has a wealth of footballing experience and a keen insight into how clubs at varying levels are run.
“Everyone knows about the financial difficulties currently plighting the game here and it is sad to see. Big clubs such as Cork are finding it hard to honour contracts given out just a few months ago. I don't blame the players. If a club puts a contract in front of you with a figure on it, of course you are going to sign it. You're not going to say, 'Oh I don't think you can afford that, you better knock a couple of hundred off a week.’
"For the club to then come back to you a couple of months later and say they can't pay you is not right. They have set a far too unrealistic budget which is beyond their means.”
When pressed on how he sees the current state of the Irish game, Doyle believes that there is room for full-time football clubs provided it is done within realistic means. The defender forwards Shamrock Rovers as a model of what all other clubs should strive toward:
“Some clubs have gained points with a squad of players who they can't afford to pay which is unfair to the clubs who have budgeted correctly and find themselves below them. For many players in this league it is their livelihood and problems with player’s wages can have a big affect on their lives.
“Clubs like us at Bray have a realistic budget which is the way forward. Just look at how Shamrock Rovers are progressing now. They are a club that seem to be doing everything the right way and need to be set out as an example for other clubs to follow. But not every club has the support like Rovers to go that far realistically.”
This is a moot point when one delves into clubs on an individual basis and sees the struggles to stay afloat that prevails the length and breadth of the country. Doyle cites Dundalk as an example of a club who maybe have side-stepped the salary cap brought in by the FAI at the start of the season, following the closing of the transfer window.
“There are others like Dundalk and Derry who have asked players to take pay cuts to ensure they fall within the 65% rule and also Bohs who look like they too may struggle to fall within the cap. Dundalk in particular signed a number of players within the transfer window and then once the window closed they went to all their players asking them to take pay cuts.
"Surely they knew what their financial position was before they went and signed them players. They should be making sure they can honour the existing contracts until the end of the season first and maybe they could have done that if they hadn't brought them players in during the window on contracts the club can't afford to pay. The FAI, who passed the playing budgets, needs to have a tighter rein on many clubs next year to avoid a repeat.”
How the situation can be improved across the board and at the same time keep the best players on these shores is a debate which looks destined to rumble on. However, the engaging Doyle sees a way to get the league back on track:
“I believe a salary cap could be introduced in the league here, at say €1,000 a week maximum. I know we want to keep the best players here, but realistically the best players are going to jump at the chance to test themselves in the Championship and Premiership in England. If a player thinks he can earn more elsewhere then good luck to them. In League One and Two in England, many players here would do well to earn that figure.
“Most of the players would stay, yes maybe a few may go but these players wouldn't cause any major drop in the level of football in the country. It's something I believe that should be looked into. It would be a shame to see all clubs going part-time after the strides the clubs have taken over the last few years with full-time football. I think you can keep full-time football, just on more realistic wages than seen previously.”
One thing that would undoubtedly help any club is a run in the Europa League and is a bonus that is only two games away for Wanderers.
“The prospect of the extra revenue and participation in both the Europa and Setanta Cup would be huge for Bray and would help attract in players for next season.”
But before all that, the dogfight will be the focal point. In the same year as his last Cup Final appearance with Longford, a controversial relegation ensued:
“That year we were relegated after suffering a six-point penalty deduction for off the field matters - you look at the situation of so many of the clubs now and none of these have been penalised in such a way and what has happened at these clubs is far worse than anything that happened at Longford. It makes you wonder, it seems there are rules for some clubs and then different rules for others which is not right.”
Whatever the wrongs and rights in the past it is obvious from talking to Doyle that this experienced campaigner cares deeply about the game and is sure to continue on long after the boots are hung up for the last time.
