Six reasons 2015 can be great

The above montage always bring a smile to my face, we don’t smile enough.

League of Ireland supporters love a good moan, especially on those factors outside of our own control. My twitter timeline was busy following the announcement that the English Premier League would offer live Friday night matches when it kicks off its next bidding war. LoI supporters were aghast, though knowing we have far bigger fish to fry.

Still, I’m an optimist by nature and I thought it might be worth pointing out that while there are concerns, we do have much to be positive about. Here’s six reasons I’m looking forward to the 2015 Premier Division season;

1. The Market’s Field

In one paragraph its hard to detail the importance of Chairman Pat O’Sullivan returning the club to its spiritual home. Thomond Park offered something new to the league and the experience will benefit the club but it was simply too big. Limerick FC will be tenants in the LEDP operated stadium, which is central and accessible to the entire city. With only 20 games sanctioned on it for 2015, it should also be one of the best surfaces in the league. I can’t wait to visit.

2. Away trips to Galway!

I was in Galway recently for the launch of the Galway United Co-op, which gives the public a chance to be directly involved in the Board, and thereby the running, of Galway United. It’s another important step, with the return of the name, as the club continues it’s remarkable rise. Galway is one of the best weekend’s away in the country without football, when you add in a League of Ireland match it can’t be beaten. If United continue the style of play that saw them promoted, there’ll be no shortage of entertainment either.

3. Cork City in Europe

When Cork City play in the Europa league next season, it will be seven years since the crushing defeat away to Finland’s FC Haka in 2008. Club employee Eanna Buckley had to withdraw his own cash to settle the team hotel bill that day as then owners Arkaga began to pull away all financial support. Seven years and a lot of heartache later, John Caulfield will lead a supporters-owned Cork City into another European Odyssey. It’s a remarkable story of which every City supporter can be proud. I can’t wait for the draw.

4. Keith ‘hoop’ Fahey 

Every year there’s a player move that whets the appetite; Keith Fahey’s move from St. Pat’s to Shamrock Rovers is the big one ahead of 2015. Fahey’s passion for Pat’s, displayed in the above photo, coupled with his interview comments about moving for ‘less money and to be ‘closer to home’ only adds fuel to the fire. It’ll be one to watch when he takes to the field in Inchicore in hoops.

5. Some new blood on the management benches

Of the twelve managers in the 2015 Premier Division season only Stephen Kenny, Liam Buckley and John Caulfield are in the same position as last season. Tommy Dunne and Tony Cousins, while familiar names, are bringing newly promoted sides to the Premier Division. Heary, Long and McDonnell are starting from scratch at Sligo, Bohs and Drogheda respectively. Fenlon, Russell and Hutton were all mid-season appointments last season, looking to put their own mark on Shamrock Rovers, Limerick and Derry respectively. All the change, while terrible for stability, will give us all a huge amount to talk about through the season.

6. Balls

Friday Night EPL coverage should kick-start a discussion on where we’re going, it must. In the last year Brian Kerr and Stuey Byrne, among others called for a task force to examine the league and its future. In a way, clubs had already started this process, meeting through 2014 under the guise of the Premier Clubs Alliance [PCA] as revealed by Daniel McDonnell this morning*. Having sat on some of the early sessions I believe it’s the right way forward. The PCA are setting themselves up to take more responsibility for those aspects of the game which clubs can control and seeking ways in which they can work more effectively with the FAI for the betterment of the league. What’s vital is that league-wide issues, rather than those which are out of self interest and club-specific, are targeted. I’m looking forward to seeing where this leads us.

*http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/league-of-ireland/tv-issue-an-excuse-for-league-of-ireland-to-have-real-chat-30835557.html