Follow the floodlights.
The domestic season resumes this evening as Dundalk aim to retain the title with St Patrick’s Athletic, Cork City, Sligo Rovers and Shamrock Rovers looking the most likely to mount a title bid to take it away from the Lilywhites.
Like other Irish football fans, I spend every second Friday night at Dalymount Park watching Bohemians play.
There’s no hiding the fact that league has its problems but that’s no reason for certain people to adopt an apathetic, disinterested and condescending attitude.
In the interest of full disclosure, my football tastes aren’t restricted to just our own domestic league, I’d happily watch two flies kicking a ball (that sounds class) but the LOI is unique for some of these reasons.
1. It’s your own local team
Much like other Irish football fans, I happily support teams from England, Scotland, Spain, Germany and even outer Mongolia (Genghis Khan FC break my heart), but what logical reason is there for an Irish person not to support an Irish team?
Some people that are born in Ireland somehow feel a closer attachment with teams from other countries.
It’s baffling when you think about it.
I’m not suggesting that all football fans should become a League of Ireland ultra and buy a season ticket to see their local club but one trip to see a game won’t hurt.
This is Oriel Park after Dundalk won the league. Class.
2. The chants
Are Manchester United or Liverpool fans clever enough to tap into the grand pantheon of brilliant ’90s nostalgic tunes like Bohemians have?
Or take a classic Irish Eurovision winner and turn it into one of the best football anthems of all-time?
3. Players aren’t as arseholey
Clearly, I don’t know every footballer that’s earning a living in Ireland and England but LOI players, much like GAA and rugby ones, have a more grounded attitude to life because they’re not able to adopt a prima donna attitude.
Of course bad behaviour has happened in Irish clubs, fans of certain teams can pinpoint specific players, but rarely does it happen with such frequency and publicity.
A culture of nine month contracts for the majority of players means that they usually are reliant on another trade to fall back on.
Ireland is a small country and reputations can proceed you, regardless of the job, so LOI players need to be professional at all times with their clubs.
4. The atmosphere
There’s no better feeling than seeing your team score a last minute winner, hearing a crowd roaring behind you or feeling like you’re part of something.
Pubs can’t match that moment when you’re swept up in euphoria, screams and celebrations.
Here’s the Shed End at Cork City, try telling these people that their local club doesn’t matter.
5. The name on the jersey dilemma
It doesn’t exist in the League of Ireland because players move around clubs with more frequency that a €1 coin in circulation.
It’s a waste of money printing a name on the back of your jersey so be creative.
Bohs fans usually just get Hunt 4, Cork City fans surely all have a replica jersey with Barry 7 on it after his famous goal against Bayern, while Finn Harps fans probably have Bradley 9 on their shirts. Heroes.
6. Money isn’t the most important thing
I’m a passionate football fan but a small part of my romantic attitude towards the game dies a little when I see a ‘Wayne Rooney contract type situation’.
Football obviously revolves around money and players are free to do what they want but it’s the direct opposite in the LOI, sometimes to its detriment.
Clubs have folded, contracts haven’t been honoured and financial feck-ups are regular occurrences.
So what keeps players going? I’d like to think that it’s the relatively small amount that they earn combined with a passion for their jersey, fans and teammates. Some footballers are just on expenses and play the game purely because it’s what drives them and you can’t put a price on the euphoria of lacing up your boots and going out on a Friday night.
Commitment should be a trait in any footballer but at least in the LOI the players are grounded. You can see their value and effort with every tackle, goal and lung-bursting run.
Sky Sports’ cameras don’t always pick this up no matter how advanced they are.
7. League of Ireland have much better obscure chancers
Eric Djemba-Djemba, Samasi Abou and Marco Boogers have nothing on Jimmy Aggrey, Rohan Ricketts and For Yob Son (Galway United’s all too recent experiment with South Korean players).
The list is endless and feel free to tweet/comment on your clubs’ best chancer.
8. There’s a friendlier feel
Premier League clubs will usually spiel of the usual, ‘it’s sad to see X leave because he felt part of the family’ or that ‘we don’t condone that behaviour in our family.’
Premier League football clubs are like a dysfunctional family that tear themselves apart and have new guest characters every week.
One thing in the League of Ireland is that you’ll see the same faces, friends and friendly enemies from rival clubs.
9. You can win any argument about the league’s quality
There’s no such thing as knowing ‘too much’ football which is why League of Ireland fans can add an extra string to their bow with their knowledge of the domestic league.
Most decent LOI fans won’t exclude a casual ‘barstooler’ (this term should be banned) from accompanying them to a match and LOI fans actually revel in deflating the following arguments.
1) The facilities are crap. Well when was the last time you went to Anfield and commented on the seating, toilets and decor? It’s a football match so watch what happens on the pitch.
2) It’s too expensive? And a flight to Manchester, Madrid, Rome, Barcelona is how much?
3) There’s no quality players? OK Messi doesn’t exactly play in The Brandywell, but we haven’t done to badly over the recent years.
Seamus Coleman, Kevin Doyle, Brad Jones, David Forde, David Meyler, Shane Long, Eoin Doyle, Paddy McCourt, James McClean, Paddy Madden to name just a few.
I’m also very confident that the likes of Greg Bolger, Andy Boyle, Richie Towell, Patrick McEleney, Darren Meenan, Dane Massey, Simon Madden, Ian Bermingham, Eoin Wearen, Daryl Horgan, Christy Fagan and Chris Forrester could all excel if given the chance.
Try telling me that this isn’t quality.
10. The spirit of goodwill
You better believe that I want Bohemians to win every match that they’re playing in against any other team in the league.
But when the European games roll around there genuinely is a feeling among fans that they want other Irish clubs to do well.
It still didn’t make watching Shamrock Rovers in the Europa League any easier though, but hey, that’s life!
Here’s hoping for a brilliant League of Ireland season.
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