Let the games begin
Credit: Extratime Team (ETPhotos)
110 days have passed between an epic FAI Cup Final ending the 2010 season and the meeting of Shamrock Rovers and Dundalk launching the 2011 campaign. And after talk of club closure, winding up orders, PlayStation games not been sold and further licensing problems, isn’t it a joy to be back talking about football.
The old mantra of there being a lot to learn on the opening weekend of the season is bound to get an outing or two in pubs, on buses or trains, in car parks and wherever else fans find themselves congregated in the build up to tonight’s games. The great pity is that the amount of chopping and changing that has become customary in terms of squad make up on a season to season basis means, for many, the main lesson to be learned tonight will relate more to “where did we sign your man from?”, “who’s the lad upfront with the blonde hair?” or “is that the Murphy who used to play for Bohs?” Only to be told that Murphy who played for Bohs now plays for Pats, having been on trial at Shamrock Rovers, the Murphy at Bray came from Tallaght, the lad with the blonde hair probably played in the A Championship and that nobody knows where the other guy came from at all...confused? Yeah, so am I.
I’ve tried to be a firm believer that you don’t choose your club, instead that it chooses you whether by virtue of geography, the influence of the older brother or perhaps the girl down the road you were trying to impress who had a father on the social committee at the local club. But in a market as small as the League of Ireland, does the massive change of faces on the team sheet impact on the attractiveness of the product, particularly when it comes to blooding younger fans for the first time? I’m thinking of the son of my St Pat’s supporting colleague whose interest in going to Richmond Park has been hit by the news that his hero Ryan Guy isn’t going to be there this year. It does stretch beyond that too, how many grown men at Dalymount Park this year will still wax lyrically and lovingly about Kevin Hunt and lament the fact that he no longer marshals their midfield, I know hometown boy Conor O’Grady departing Sligo Rovers has been hard to take for some in the North West. In contrast, speaking to a Derry fan who proudly wore City’s shirt to Newbridge to support the county’s Gaelic footballers against Kildare, I was heartened to hear of the enthusiasm he and his friends had at the notion of going to support a team made predominantly of local players. Perhaps I’m being over romantic about the importance of identifying as much, if not more so, with those on the field rather than the logo on their jerseys.
The upshot is that while it’s great to be back underway and have football to enjoy again perhaps we shouldn’t get too carried away by the early results as squads gel, players return from injury and suspension and in some cases, too, come to terms with going from been a full time professional in 2010 to balancing football with work in 2011. For me the new season will start where the old ended, at the Carlisle Grounds in Bray. One of the great pleasures our job offers is the chance to be present at one off sport moments. If Shamrock Rovers go on and win the League this year the euphoria, joy and, let’s the honest, relief is unlikely to come anywhere close to that felt having got over the line at the end of October and thus ending the long wait to return to where they feel they belong. Michael O’Neill has done some good business in the close season and is undoubtedly in charge of the team to catch ahead of the new campaign despite the manager going to great lengths at the launch earlier this week to dismiss their favourites tag.
There’s some great action to look forward to tonight, on paper the game at Tallaght should be a belter, the North West derby is worth savouring too with Derry City back in the top flight. 36 rounds lie in waiting with plenty of drama waiting to unfold.
Let the games begin.
The old mantra of there being a lot to learn on the opening weekend of the season is bound to get an outing or two in pubs, on buses or trains, in car parks and wherever else fans find themselves congregated in the build up to tonight’s games. The great pity is that the amount of chopping and changing that has become customary in terms of squad make up on a season to season basis means, for many, the main lesson to be learned tonight will relate more to “where did we sign your man from?”, “who’s the lad upfront with the blonde hair?” or “is that the Murphy who used to play for Bohs?” Only to be told that Murphy who played for Bohs now plays for Pats, having been on trial at Shamrock Rovers, the Murphy at Bray came from Tallaght, the lad with the blonde hair probably played in the A Championship and that nobody knows where the other guy came from at all...confused? Yeah, so am I.
I’ve tried to be a firm believer that you don’t choose your club, instead that it chooses you whether by virtue of geography, the influence of the older brother or perhaps the girl down the road you were trying to impress who had a father on the social committee at the local club. But in a market as small as the League of Ireland, does the massive change of faces on the team sheet impact on the attractiveness of the product, particularly when it comes to blooding younger fans for the first time? I’m thinking of the son of my St Pat’s supporting colleague whose interest in going to Richmond Park has been hit by the news that his hero Ryan Guy isn’t going to be there this year. It does stretch beyond that too, how many grown men at Dalymount Park this year will still wax lyrically and lovingly about Kevin Hunt and lament the fact that he no longer marshals their midfield, I know hometown boy Conor O’Grady departing Sligo Rovers has been hard to take for some in the North West. In contrast, speaking to a Derry fan who proudly wore City’s shirt to Newbridge to support the county’s Gaelic footballers against Kildare, I was heartened to hear of the enthusiasm he and his friends had at the notion of going to support a team made predominantly of local players. Perhaps I’m being over romantic about the importance of identifying as much, if not more so, with those on the field rather than the logo on their jerseys.
The upshot is that while it’s great to be back underway and have football to enjoy again perhaps we shouldn’t get too carried away by the early results as squads gel, players return from injury and suspension and in some cases, too, come to terms with going from been a full time professional in 2010 to balancing football with work in 2011. For me the new season will start where the old ended, at the Carlisle Grounds in Bray. One of the great pleasures our job offers is the chance to be present at one off sport moments. If Shamrock Rovers go on and win the League this year the euphoria, joy and, let’s the honest, relief is unlikely to come anywhere close to that felt having got over the line at the end of October and thus ending the long wait to return to where they feel they belong. Michael O’Neill has done some good business in the close season and is undoubtedly in charge of the team to catch ahead of the new campaign despite the manager going to great lengths at the launch earlier this week to dismiss their favourites tag.
There’s some great action to look forward to tonight, on paper the game at Tallaght should be a belter, the North West derby is worth savouring too with Derry City back in the top flight. 36 rounds lie in waiting with plenty of drama waiting to unfold.
Let the games begin.
