Following on from my last blog about the Tyneside Amateur League, I contemplated getting even more obscure with an account of a pleasant Wednesday afternoon at the Red Hall Drive pitches in High Heaton, watching Division 3 of the Newcastle University Intra Mural League, with Jesmondinho 2 Dynamo Newcastle 3 on pitch 2 and the game I watched, Combined Honours 0 Politic Thistle 11 on the top pitch nearest the gate. However the standard was so rank, despite seeing my second successive game where one of the sides scored 11 goals, that I don’t think I can bear writing about it. Instead, we’ll turn our gaze westward to the Airtricity League of Ireland that is about to kick off its 2012 season, amidst the usual rancour, misinformation, rumour, counter rumour and general disinterest of the almost entire populace.
We last discussed the League of Ireland on here back in November, with Sligo Rovers having just beaten Shelbourne in the Cup Final and Champions Shamrock Rovers still having 3 Europa League games to go. They lost them all, and then lost their manager as Michael O’Neill bucked a historical trend by becoming the first manager of the Six Counties from the Nationalist community. I wonder how Billy Bingham reacted to that appointment; another tirade about mercenaries perhaps? Sligo Rovers have just lost their manager too, with former Wolves midfielder Paul Cook heading to Accrington Stanley, after turning down St. Johnstone just before Christmas, which says a lot about the perceived standard of the Scottish Premier League. That said, both teams are relatively stable and look likely to be the top two again this season; however, the main question with the League of Ireland, as ever, is just who the hell is going to be playing in it.
This time last year, Sporting Fingal threw in the towel, reprieving Drogheda and leaving the league with a 10 team top flight and an 11 team Division 1. Also, there were murmurings about licences with both Galway United and Limerick being initially denied one. It was all sorted out in the end and the 21 sides completed the programme, with the result that Galway United went down, while Cork, Shelbourne and Roddy Collins’ Monaghan all came up as the Premier Division expanded to 12 teams. The amazing truth is that those same 12 teams all gained licences and so the Premier Division, from North to South, will be comprised of: Derry City, Sligo Rovers, Monaghan United, Dundalk, Drogheda United, Bohemians (still looking to vacate Dalymount Park and coming to terms with Pat Fenlon getting the Hibs job), Shelbourne, St. Patrick’s Athletic, UCD, Shamrock Rovers, Bray and Cork, who are really out on a geographical limb. So, 3 sides from the North West, 8 within an hour of O’Connell Street and 1 set of lads from de lovely banks of de Lee.
So, to Division 1; there were hopeful applications from Cobh Ramblers, who had just failed in the bid to replace Fingal the year before and the improbably named Tralee Dynamos, as well as a rumoured but eventually erroneously rumour that FC Carlow may take on Kilkenny City’s old pitch. Sadly both bids were unsuccessful and we must wait a while longer for the beautiful game at a senior standard to arrive at Cahermoneen. In all seriousness, as the division now consists of Waterford United, Limerick, Wexford Youths, Athlone Town, Longford Town, Mervue United, SD Galway and the isolated Finn Harps, there was a compelling case for increasing yet further the representation of teams from the South West, which has gone unheeded.
The one new name in that division is SD Galway; Newcastle fans need not worry that Ashley’s Sports Direct empire has extended to the city of the Tribes, as SD stands for Salthill Devon, who have abandoned the romantic environs of Drom Soccer pitch for the lovely Terryland Park and changed their name accordingly. This is not a merger; Galway United, under the aegis of Galway United Supporters Trust (GUST) have been excluded from the league for 2012, with the hope of returning in 2013, as per this statement which was issued on January 25th -:
At a well-attended open meeting in the Claddagh Hall, Galway last night the members of Galway United Supporters Trust (GUST) unanimously voted to continue to remain independent & to pursue their vision of a community based football club representing Galway City & County. As a result of this decision the proposals from both Salthill Devon & Mervue United in relation to any amalgamations were rejected.
Whilst obviously extremely disappointed with the FAI decision not to proceed with GUST’s Airtricity League licence application for 2012 all members remain fully committed to ensuring that their vision will become a reality in 2013. In the months ahead GUST will continue on-going dialogue with all interested parties throughout the community about the future of League of Ireland football in Galway.
We shall see if the west can awaken itself in 2013, but it would be a crying shame to see the end of senior football at Terryland Park. Sadly, Salthill, unlike the almost vibrant Mervue United, seem to be a glorified junior team without support or a community in which to base themselves. The thought of the bare terraces when Wexford Youths arrive is a depressing one. Ominously perhaps, my sources indicate that plans are being formulated for a 16 team Premier Division in 2013. While that would undoubtedly be good news for Limerick and Waterford, it could spell the end of Mervue, Wexford, Salthill and a start a desperate struggle between De 2 Towwwwwns and Harps for the other remaining promotion spots , unless of course somebody else folds in the meantime.
Anyway, the main positive point about the result of the Airtricity League Licencing committee deliberations, as published on February 13th, is that all 20 teams can go ahead with the forthcoming season and the fixtures are as published, meaning Friday March2nd is D-Day, with the first set of fixtures providing the following ties -:
Premier Division:
Derry City v Bohemians
Drogheda United v Shamrock Rovers
St. Patrick’s Athletic v Bray Wanderers
U.C.D. v Cork City
Monaghan United v Dundalk
Shelbourne v Sligo Rovers
First Division:
Athlone Town v SD Galway
Limerick v Finn Harps
Mervue United v Longford Town
Wexford Youths v Waterford United
Obviously, I’ll be sat hunched over the laptop, updating my Twitter account (https://twitter.com/#!/PayasoDeMierda ) as soon as the goals go in, while preparing myself for my trip away to see Arbroath v East Fife the next day. Obviously I’ll be blogging about that. I’ll also be blogging about my next trip to Ireland, for the first weekend in June (booked so as to avoid the Royal Jubilee bollocks), with Shamrock Rovers v Cork City or the Louth Derby at Oriel Park on the Friday and the Leinster football quarter finals at Croker on Sunday, high on my agenda. However, that is all for the future; in the present, the excitement that is the 2012 Setanta Cup has already started.
Despite an almost total lack of interest by anyone other than the fans of last year’s beaten finalists Dundalk, who lost to Shamrock Rovers and didn’t qualify for this year’s tournament, the new season’s competition has already started. There are 12 participants, 6 from each league. Eight teams play in the first round, which is two legged as ever. On Saturday 11th February Bray lost 4-2 at home to Glentoran and Derry won 4-0 away to Distillery in Lisburn. On Monday 13th February, Cliftonville beat St. Pat’s 1-0 and Bohemian enjoyed a 2-1 success over Portadown at a virtually deserted Dalymount Park. The second legs for all these ties will be on Monday 20th February, with the winners up against one of Shamrock Rovers, Sligo Rovers, Crusaders or Linfield, in more meaningless 2 legged ties on 5th and 20th March. Don’t worry; I’ll keep you all abreast with developments.
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