Elite league will give youth a better chance
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It’s strange the way things turn out, eh? I had a strange moment while interviewing an up and coming player in the league a few weeks back.
Whether it was because I subconsciously block out parts of my childhood or just plain stupidity on my part (yeah, that is more likely), Cork City striker Jamie Murphy needed to remind me that for five or six years growing up, we played on the same team.
I was the stodgy right-back, he was the goal-getter and, clearly looking at our paths since, far more talented than I ever dreamt of being. To be honest, I still feel a bit silly that I didn’t remember him, especially since we live in close proximity still.
His introduction to league football was the perfect one: scoring a last-minute equaliser in the Shed end against Longford Town last month. Growing up watching the team he now plays for from the once-upon-a-time boisterous end of Turner’s Cross made it all the more sweeter.
Surely it’s all a little bit daunting though, playing with those he used to pay to watch?
“I couldn’t believe it at first when the goal went in, especially when I had spent so much time in the Shed when I was younger. I just ran off towards the corner and hearing the crowd celebrate was just crazy,” Murphy says. “I used go to all the home games and playing with some of the players now like [Danny] Murphy and [Greg] O’Halloran is great.”
Interestingly, the crux of our conversation hinges on the difference between the A Championship and the league itself. Jamie came into the view of City boss Tommy Dunne after impressing for Cobh Ramblers in the third tier of Irish football last season.
He was top scorer in the whole league and that was enough to see him earn a contract with City for 12 months at least.
“I played schoolboys with Mayfield United, and then went to Cobh when I was about 16 and got called up to their seniors then. I finished top goalscorer in the A Championship last year and after Tommy had shown an interest, I jumped at the chance.
“I think there’s a big difference in the mentality of the players mostly. In the A Championship there isn’t as much teamwork involved and you also need a better first touch and more movement off the ball.
“In the A Championship you’re often playing against LoI players, but they’re only coming back from injuries or wouldn’t be at their best.
“There’s also more emphasis placed on the tactical side of the game. Here you look at set-pieces a lot more compared to when I was with Cobh and I’m still learning a lot from Tommy.”
Essentially that was the point of the A Championship, to blood young players and now the beginning of the U19 Elite League will give the youth set-ups around the country even more impetus to focus on nurturing young talent.
It is a great idea and if the FAI are persistent when running it, clubs should potentially unearth even more talent. That will, in turn, strengthen the standard of football when the cream of that crop break into first-team squads.
At times, watching games at this level can provide more entertainment than a senior match and it would certainly be worth your while to get to a few games when it gets underway.
Whether it was because I subconsciously block out parts of my childhood or just plain stupidity on my part (yeah, that is more likely), Cork City striker Jamie Murphy needed to remind me that for five or six years growing up, we played on the same team.
I was the stodgy right-back, he was the goal-getter and, clearly looking at our paths since, far more talented than I ever dreamt of being. To be honest, I still feel a bit silly that I didn’t remember him, especially since we live in close proximity still.
His introduction to league football was the perfect one: scoring a last-minute equaliser in the Shed end against Longford Town last month. Growing up watching the team he now plays for from the once-upon-a-time boisterous end of Turner’s Cross made it all the more sweeter.
Surely it’s all a little bit daunting though, playing with those he used to pay to watch?
“I couldn’t believe it at first when the goal went in, especially when I had spent so much time in the Shed when I was younger. I just ran off towards the corner and hearing the crowd celebrate was just crazy,” Murphy says. “I used go to all the home games and playing with some of the players now like [Danny] Murphy and [Greg] O’Halloran is great.”
Interestingly, the crux of our conversation hinges on the difference between the A Championship and the league itself. Jamie came into the view of City boss Tommy Dunne after impressing for Cobh Ramblers in the third tier of Irish football last season.
He was top scorer in the whole league and that was enough to see him earn a contract with City for 12 months at least.
“I played schoolboys with Mayfield United, and then went to Cobh when I was about 16 and got called up to their seniors then. I finished top goalscorer in the A Championship last year and after Tommy had shown an interest, I jumped at the chance.
“I think there’s a big difference in the mentality of the players mostly. In the A Championship there isn’t as much teamwork involved and you also need a better first touch and more movement off the ball.
“In the A Championship you’re often playing against LoI players, but they’re only coming back from injuries or wouldn’t be at their best.
“There’s also more emphasis placed on the tactical side of the game. Here you look at set-pieces a lot more compared to when I was with Cobh and I’m still learning a lot from Tommy.”
Essentially that was the point of the A Championship, to blood young players and now the beginning of the U19 Elite League will give the youth set-ups around the country even more impetus to focus on nurturing young talent.
It is a great idea and if the FAI are persistent when running it, clubs should potentially unearth even more talent. That will, in turn, strengthen the standard of football when the cream of that crop break into first-team squads.
At times, watching games at this level can provide more entertainment than a senior match and it would certainly be worth your while to get to a few games when it gets underway.
About Alan Smith
Alan Smith works as a sub-editor for the Guardian newspaper in London. Originally from Cork, he freelances for several other newspapers and websites. Follow him on twitter @alansmith90. View Full Profile