David Sneyd

THERE IS NO danger of Derry and Dundee becoming twin cities any time soon.

All’s fair in love and war, and transfer dealings, so the ambitious League of Ireland club shouldn’t have to extend the hand of friendship across to their Scottish counterparts.

Moves involving two players – Kevin Holt and James Clarke – highlight the lengths Derry’s “executive chairman” Philip O’Doherty is willing to go to bring glory to the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium.

The billionaire businessman has retired from the engineering industry in which he made his fortune and is now taking a more hands on approach at his boyhood club.

From liaising with manager Tiernan Lynch to overseeing recruitment (with a little help from high profile signing James McClean’s contacts’ book), O’Doherty’s influence is growing.

Ahead of today’s President’s Cup final with reigning Premier Division champions Shamrock Rovers, a marker can be set on the pitch after throwing a few down off it in recent times.

Take the signing of Holt from Dundee United ahead of the 2025 season. The 32-year-old defender was approaching the end of his contract at the Scottish Premiership club.

Lynch was rebuilding a squad after replacing Ruaidhrí Higgins following the disappointing defeat to Drogheda United in the FAI Cup final and failure to qualify for Europe.

A reported fee of £40,000 was eventually agreed with Dundee United for their captain, but a statement explaining their reasons for sanctioning the move explained that “the player and his representatives made it clear that he may be unavailable for selection between now and the end of the 2024/25 campaign should the transfer not be agreed.”

Moving to Derry was worth his while in more ways than one, but just five months into a two-year contract a move back to Scotland was secured when Ayr United brought him to the second tier for an undisclosed fee.

Holt’s short stint and abrupt departure are par for the course, but it does also highlight some of the short-term thinking and need for some kind of instant hit to help deliver success.

Every club at home and abroad could tell a similar story of a deal that simply didn’t work out.

Derry’s capture of Clarke from the clutches of United’s next door neighbours in Dundee is a different story, a signing that could help deliver the short-term success which everyone connected to the club craves while also providing an opportunity for growth beyond that.

The Meath native had become a talisman for Bohemians last year, operating across the front and being capable of leading the line centrally.

Dundee tracked him and hoped for a deal to be done in the summer. Bohs were able to resist and the expectation when Clarke headed over to visit the Scottish club once the Premier Division finished was that a deal would be finalised.

Formalities were all that needed to be signed off but that is when Derry called. They gazumped Dundee with a their three-year contract.

In the space of five years he went from working part-time in a meat processing plant while forging his League of Ireland career with Drogheda United to being seen as a vital addition to a side that wants to be crowned Premier Division champions.

Today’s curtain raiser won’t determine who will come out on top in October but it will be the first proper glimpse behind the veil of pre-season to see how last year’s top two are shaping up.

Derry have attracted the most interest over the winter with their business and the arrival of Portuguese winger Kevin dos Santos from Atletico Ottawa on a two-year contract adds a further element of intrigue having also signed the likes of midfielders Darragh Markey (Drogheda United) and James Olayinka (Waterford), as well as centre back Rob Slevin from Galway United and McClean’s brother Patrick from Sligo Rovers.

Rovers, as always, bring a familiar curiosity.

Will they win the league again?

Just how does Stephen Bradley keep everyone happy?

What else can he achieve here?

The club’s two most high profile arrivals in January were Jake Mulraney from St Patrick’s Athletic and the return of former captain Ronan Finn who has succeeded Stephen McPhail as director of football.

The latter appointment is an indication of the overall structure that has helped to maintain Rovers’ place at the summit for the last six years, although whether Hoffenheim do enough to prise striker Michael Noonan away with a package closer to the €2 million valuation remains to be seen.

Ireland U19 winger Adam Brennan has followed Finn from UCD – despite interest from the English Championship – and could be next on the conveyor that saw Liam Scales, Andy Lyons and Josh Honohan thrive in Bradley’s system.

Playmaker Jack Byrne has returned after it looked like his exit on loan to Dubai last term signalled the end of his time at Rovers. A long-term injury to Danny Mandroiu as well Aaron McEneff’s departure to Glentoran means the midfield and forward areas will be a bit lighter, valuable squad player Darragh Nugent has also joined St Patrick’s Athletic.

Bradley’s influence is clear, and there is also a financial security that comes with reaching the league phase of the Uefa Conference League in three of the last four seasons. The ownership model at Tallaght Stadium is different to Derry’s and, despite success, the challenges of that have been evident as wealthy minority shareholders Dermot Desmond and Ray Wilson (25% each) operate alongside supporters who hold the other 50%.

Just last year Desmond wrote a stinging letter to club members accusing unnamed representatives on the club’s members’ board of “acting in their own interest rather than the best interests of the membership or the club.”

That dynamic remains a subplot but today, finally, the football can take centre stage.

Today – Shamrock Rovers v Derry City, Tallaght Stadium, 5pm.