COMMENTS MADE EARLIER in the year by Roddy Collins about the standard of football in our domestic league caused a lot of unrest in certain circles, and rightly so.
Collins’ comments that people are deluded about the standard of football in Ireland were unfair and incorrect. Not many people are deluded about how good Irish football is, people know it is not a great standard, but it is better than Collins was suggesting.
The former Derry City manager was wrong in what he said about footballing standards here. What he was correct about, however, is that the facilities and overall management of the League of Ireland is very much below par.
As someone who regularly attends Tolka Park I can say it is no exaggeration that, on entering the away end toilets, you are greeted by a centimetre of water and urine on the ground and no electricity. And that’s at the home of the second most successful football club in the country.
The problems, and specifically at Shelbourne, stem from the mismanagement of finances but also from a lack of funding provided by the FAI.
It has to be said that financial problems have improved somewhat in recent years. We are moving away from the days of seven clubs going bust in six years, thankfully, but matters are still not where they should be.
The news that Dublin was selected as a host city for Euro 2020 should spell good news for the League of Ireland.
However, it’s doubtful as to whether or not it will do so. The proposed re-development of Dalymount Park is a step forward but, what would be better again, is if the money was distributed between each club, specifically to be put into improving facilities.
This would mean clubs could put more finances into facilities for developing young players, therefore improving the standard of football in the country, and attracting new fans to domestic games.
This knock on effect can only be created by an investment of more finances, something that is up to the governing body, but it is also up to each club to manage those finances correctly.
