Top 10 most read extratime.com articles for 2020

Daniel Cleary of Dundalk in action against Dani Ceballos and Miguel Azeez of Arsenal

Daniel Cleary Credit: Michael P Ryan (ETPhotos)

We have reached the top 10 of our list of most read articles for 2020. The articles from 20 to 11 are listed from the link below: 

10. League of Ireland Attendances 2020 -- Gameweek 1 (Gareth Penrose)

Our attendance wrap article for the season usually comes in our top 3 articles for the season but with only five weeks of matches played in front of crowds sadly Gareth Penrose had to stand down his spreadsheets and there is no full review of the year.

However, his attendance article for the first week of the season did make our top 10 articles of the year.

9. Alan Reynolds: You could say that I resigned, but basically I was sacked and rightly so (Dan Lucey)

Alan Reynolds began the season as Waterford manager, had a spell as Assistant Manager at Dundalk and will begin the new season as the assistant with Shelbourne at Tolka Park – as well working as the Republic of Ireland under-21 assistant manager.

Dan Lucey caught up with the Waterford man back at the end of March to talk through his career.

8. Numbers don't add up in critique of League of Ireland crowds (Thomas Tormey)

The Sunday Independent columnist Eamon Sweeney got the hackles up of League of Ireland fans with an article in July – ‘League of Ireland fans need to grow up and accept its place in the sporting pecking order’.



So our columnist Thomas Tormey filleted his argument, came back with some cold hard facts and this summation:

Overall, the article had the feel of a hostile rant from either the kind of GAA fan who is 'concerned with seeing soccer erased from the sporting map of this country' or a bothered barstooler suffering from a bout of colonial cringe. Neither is a good look, especially from a fella who should know better.

7. Cork City: What happened? (Dylan O’Connell)

Dylan O’Connell dissected what could only be described as a disastrous season for Cork City in this long read we published on the weekend that the Leesdiders were relegated to the First Division. He outlined the myriad of reasons that City will find themselves in the second tier next season.

To pinpoint exactly why City went from double winners to relegation is difficult. In the helter skelter landscape of Irish football, it can be any one factor with a dozen to chose from. Whatever it was, certain moments stand out, and City fans will not be forgetting them any time soon. 

6. Champions Peamount United make statement of intent as internationals Steph Roche and Tiegan Ruddy sign for 2020 (Dave Donnelly)

The addition of Stephanie Roche and Tiegan Ruddy only strengthened the Peas squad that in 2019 won the league and they went one better in 2020 by not only defending their title but winning the double thanks to an impressive FAI Cup Final win over Cork City – with Roche scoring twice and Ruddy grabbing the last goal in the final.

5. No fear for Ronan Finn with Stephen Kenny appointment (Macdara Ferris)

Ronan Finn had two spells playing under Stephen Kenny – first in Tallaght and later with great success at Oriel Park – and in the week when Kenny took over in the Ireland dugout the Shamrock Rovers skipper gave his assessment of the new Republic of Ireland boss.

Tactically, he loves the game. He really pushes an individual to become the best he can be. His man-management skill is for me his best attribute. He really makes you feel you are potentially the best player on the pitch. That is his skill.

4. John Caulfield - 'The only result was our result, and at the end of the day I had said that all along and I never looked any further' (Paul Corcoran)

Paul Corcoran caught up with Galway United boss John Caulfield on the final night of the First Division season when the Tribesmen looked like they had missed on qualifying for the promotion play-off.

When Wexford won their appeal on a player eligibility issue, Galway jumped above Cabinteely into the playoff.

When we took over we said that we’d have to do something incredible like win eight games out of ten to get to the playoffs. We won seven and drew one so it’s frustrating.The lads have done great, they’ve done their best.

3. Where are they now? - UCD's 2009 First Division title winners (Andrew Dempsey)

Having won the 2009 First Division with UCD, a number of their talented squad graduated to further their careers picking up between a total of 18 league titles away from UCD. Andrew Dempsey took a look back at the Students squad to detail their careers after leaving Belfield.

2. Lessons in Football with Tom O'Connor - Your club, your class (Tom O’Connor)

The extratime.com education correspondent Tom O’Connor spent the early part of Lockdown Part 1 when schools were closed publishing club specific lessons suitable for 3rd to 6th class students.

We aren’t suggesting that schools might close in the new year but if they do we have you covered for Irish, English, Maths and Geography lessons.

1. So who are Arsenal, Dundalk's Europa League opponents? (Dave Donnelly)

Dave Donnelly made friends with both Arsenal and Dundalk supporters with his Europa League explainer that went viral when the teams met in Europe back in October.

Arsenal made the controversial move across the Thames to Highbury in North London in 1913, setting up one of English football’s fiercest and most famous rivalries with Chelsea.

The club’s much-talked-about move from south to north will resonate in Dundalk, a town that is no stranger to contentious border crossings.

Arsenal famously innovated the installation of floodlights at Highbury in the 1930s, while Dundalk famously innovated the installation of toilets for away fans at Oriel Park in 2019.

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    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