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Dave Connell is an ex-League of Ireland player and current coach of the Ireland under-19 women's team. Lorraine O'Sullivan/INPHO
Potential

‘I wouldn’t rule out Sky buying the rights for League of Ireland games’

Ex-Shamrock Rovers player Dave Connell believes the prospect of the channel showing Airtricity League games is not totally inconceivable.

FORMER LEAGUE OF Ireland player and current coach of the national under-19 women’s team, Dave Connell, says he “wouldn’t rule out” the prospect of Sky buying the rights to League of Ireland games in the future.

The league’s financial struggles in recent years have been well documented and Connell believes an offer from Sky — as has already happened with GAA — could significantly ease these pressures.

“I would never rule anything out,” the ex-Shamrock Rovers player told TheScore.ie. “People would have been quite adamant that the GAA deal was never going to happen five years ago. If they identify a market and they’re happy with it, hopefully that would come in.

“If Sky came in with a barrel full of money, it would certainly be a huge bonus,” he added.  “If you have truckloads of money to throw at it, you’d obviously have a higher standard of player coming in, though I think it’s a decent standard at the moment.”

Connell, who recently oversaw the Ireland under-19 women’s qualification for the European Championships, also defended himself and 42,000 others who went to see the Liverpool-Shamrock Rovers friendly at the Aviva Stadium in the wake of high-profile criticism of the supporters who turned up for the occasion.

“I went to that game, and I went with all my family, who are Liverpool supporters, and I left as a Shamrock Rovers supporter. I was shouting for Rovers, they were shouting for Liverpool.

“I grew up supporting Bohs. I was very lucky to play for Rovers where I played my best football. I’ve great feelings for both clubs and I’d be passionate about the game. I live in Longford and I go to the Longford games when I can, which is not often, because I’m restricted for time. My son goes up to see them play and he’s a Liverpool supporter as well. Resources are a big problem. But the FAI have put in measures as part of the license that certainly improves the standard of grounds compared to when I played.”

He also conceded that the league currently has its fair share of problems attracting substantial support.

“We played on a Sunday afternoon and didn’t have any competition from Sky [in the 80s and early 90s], so it’s a completely different landscape that we’re dealing with than when I played. But I feel for the League of Ireland clubs — they’re up against it.

“I played in games in the League of Ireland and semi-finals of FAI Cups, where Tolka Park was jammed to the brim. And Tolka Park was a far better stadium then than it is now.

“It’s about whether you can get people to buy into it. There are some very patriotic supporters within the League of Ireland. If I’m lucky enough to get up to Tallaght or Dalymount, I still see some people who supported me when I played. They’re obviously very committed and loyal to the teams. But you’re looking at a huge market within the Premier League — probably the biggest league in the world financially. And unfortunately, it’s a hundred miles away from us. We’re up against it. Our best players go to England, so we don’t have them on show.

“But I’m loyal to the League of Ireland — it was good to me and I’d like to think I gave it something.”

Our full interview with Connell will be published on the site later today.

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