Putting meat on bones of good news
Duff should add plenty of excitement
THEY are the greatest of rivals but t his week Shamrock Rovers and Bohemians were responsible for two separate good-news stories which could be of immeasurable benefit to the League of Ireland over the coming years.
It can only be a good thing that Bohs can add to more than a century of history at Dalymount Park. With Dublin City Council’s € 3. 8million purchase given the all-clear by the club’s board last weekend, plans to redevelop the much vaunted Phibsborough venue can begin in earnest and ensure it will remain central to the game in this country.
Having a modern, state- ofthe-art stadium with a capacity of up to 10,000 finally offers Bohs the chance to enter the 21st century and progress after a few years of stagnation. The other headline-grabbing news regarding Damien Duff ’s imminent arrival at Rovers should also inject external excitement into a league which needs to capitalise upon what is sure to be initial intrigue and turn it into something more sustainable.
The Dubliner may not yet have signed on the dotted line or held aloft a green and white scarf alongside Rovers manager Pat Fenlon at Tallaght Stadium, but all the indications are that it’s only a matter of time before the Republic of Ireland centurion commits to the Hoops.
That he is not expected to receive a regular salary, with the club, and possibly sponsors, instead making a significant charitable contribution, only adds to the feeling of goodwill surrounding the deal.
A fortnight ago, Duff was interviewed while he was working on securing his UEFA B coaching licence with the FAI in Dublin.
After being spotted at Richmond Park the previous Friday, where he was watching St Patrick’s Athletic take on Longford Town as part of his assessment, the two-time Premier League winner was asked for his take on what he saw.
‘Listen, there is a lot of quality in the league,’ he began.
‘You just have to go to the game the other night. The first goal from Chris Forrester, it was an amazing goal. So, yeah, it’s a good league.’
Anyone who has watched the Saints over the last three seasons will certainly attest to that. As usual, it’s getting people through the gate that remains the issue. Perception is the same old problem facing clubs.
There is enough talent in the SSE Airtricity Premier Division to satisfy the desires of the Irish soccer public but what’s missing is that star quality to draw the disinterested in. Damien Duff has that.
He won’t be responsible for turning the fortunes of the domestic game around — not when the FAI spent more paying interest on Aviva Stadium debt each week during 2014 than it provides to the winners of the Premier Division — but he should help to alter negative opinion which persists regarding the League of Ireland.
It i s seen as second rate because that is how most are conditioned to think. It’s hardly a surprise considering none of the best young players in this country grow up dreaming of spending their career here. It is made clear to them from before they are old enough to tie the laces on their first pair of football boots that the real prize is across the water in Britain.
And that’s because it is. Still, that shouldn’t mean the domestic game is neglected.
Fans may think the best player in their team has all the star quality that people should need to come through the turnstiles, but Duff actually does. His arrival i nto the League of Ireland could do more for its profile than any one of the numerous magic moments captured and put on YouTube.
The challenge for Rovers, as well as others, will be capitalising on the wave of momentum and interest that is to come.