Stephen Bradley: 'We’re getting a lot of positive praise from politicians and people in government but we’re getting very little action’

Macdara Ferris reports from Tallaght Stadium

Proposals for funding of sporting facilities and for football in Ireland will be in political manifestos when the general election comes around within the next 12 months but that isn’t quick enough for Shamrock Rovers Head Coach Stephen Bradley.

The Irish government last month announced funding of €800m for cross-border projects including €600m for the upgrade of the A5 road (which will benefit League of Ireland fans travelling to and from games in Ballybofey and Derry from the east coast).

Also announced was €50 million for the redevelopment of Casement Park in west Belfast. The GAA owned stadium is planned to be turned into a 34,500 venue and will host matches in EURO 2028.

Speaking in Hoops Scene, the Shamrock Rovers match day programme, Bradley said in relation to the Casement Park funding: “I don’t know the politics behind it, but from the outside, it’s not a good look. I don’t agree with it at all and I think it’s a poor move.”

Rovers play their matches out of a South Dublin County Council owned venue with the club paying a six figure sum in annual rent for the use of Tallaght Stadium.

The local authority have shown great ambition in developing the venue when the stadium stalled under Rovers ownership back in the 2000s.

The council have built up the capacity over the ground’s 15 year history – from 3,000 when it opened to double that in late 2009, 8,000 with the addition of the east stand in 2019 and now 10,000+ with the recently opened north stand.

The Hoops have developed their Academy in Kingswood that they rent from Roadstone – with the club investing their own money along with sport infrastructure funding to develop their indoor area with gym, outdoor gym, full side astro pitch and one full size grass pitch.

Other clubs could certainly benefit from sports infrastructure grants to develop their own facilities for training and their match day venues.

“We’re talking about growth in our league and we’re doing our very best on and off the pitch as clubs,” siad Bradley. “But we’re getting very, very little back. We’re getting a lot of positive sound bites, a lot of positive praise from politicians and people in government but we’re getting very little action.”

When snow hit Dublin last Friday and the League of Ireland matches in Dublin were called off, Shamrock Rovers were able to move across to train in Abbotstown – a venue that St. Patrick’s Athletic use on a regular basis.

Indoor training

“As soon as we knew the game was off here (in Tallaght against Drogheda United), we rang straight away and went out there in the afternoon,” said Bradley when speaking to extratime.com on Monday night after their 2-2 home draw with Derry City.

“We had a good session as we didn't want the players coming too off their load. When you are looking around there is not many places in Dublin that have domes and are indoors. We know it is a good facility as some of the kids teams have been out there so we have seen it but we hadn’t trained there before. It was great as we were able to have a full session and not worry about the (weather) conditions.”

Having not had a game on Friday the Hoops Head Coach didn’t feel his players lacked anything against Derry City (who beat St. Patrick’s Athletic on Friday night).

“When you look at our performance tonight (against Derry), it was really really good, other than when we scored - we came off our game when our mindset changed for 15 minutes and that is very unlike us.

"We are usually ruthless in that scenario but we weren't and we stopped pressing and penetrating and allowed Derry back into the game. That is something we have to rectify.

“We were really good until we scored. We stopped pressing. We stopped playing. We stopped penetrating. And as a result we allowed them into the game.”

Wing-back delight

Bradley was particularly pleased with the performance of his wing-backs. Five players who lined out in those positions from last season are not available – with injuries to Trevor Clarke, Neil Farrugia and Sean Kavanagh plus departed players Ronan Finn and Sean Gannon.

Rovers started with Darragh Burns at right wing back and Markus Poom on the left and both scored with Burns providing the assist for Poom’s 93rd minute equaliser.

“We know Darragh can play there. He has done that for MK Dons. It is no surprise that he can play there. Markus has done that last year for us and you can see that he gets the position with his experience and he understands it and gets the game.

“Both of them were really good tonight. Darragh for me was the best player on the pitch by a country mile. I thought he was brilliant.”

The Hoops Head Coach praised his players for going right to the death to earn a point against the Canystripes with their late late equaliser.

“This team has that. They have tremendous character and spirit. We know that. They never stop. I think their performance tonight at least deserved a point. I thought we should have won the game.”

Season Preview 2024: Shamrock Rovers https://t.co/AYw2v4no4Qpic.twitter.com/SUJKj5tSX2

— extratime.com (@ExtratimeNews) March 6, 2024