Shelbourne against Bohemians will always be the best Dublin derby for me. There’s an edge to the fixture that’s hard to explain. You just feel it, and I loved playing in them.
Lads you know from your local area, or from down the pub, would pretend they had never met you and just scream in your face for 90 minutes. That’s not unique to this particular fixture, of course, but it’s the one I remember the most for player-fan interaction.
It’s an unwritten rule that footballers have to grin and bear it while rival supporters lose their mind and hurl abuse at you from first whistle to last. If you saw someone in the street being subjected to the same level of vitriol, you wouldn’t think twice about intervening or calling the Gardai,
But in football, the players are subjected to all sorts and usually have no choice but to bite their lip and suck it up. But I loved it. In my view it’s healthy and a good thing. I enjoyed smiling back at them, doing what I could to wind them up.
That competitive streak should be a part of your DNA. Players need to strive for something, they need that hunger and a will to win. There are terms and conditions attached to it, and one of those obstacles is rival supporters but you have to overcome it.
I loved the abuse. It woke me up and made me feel alive. God knows the world is such a sterile, predictable place now. You can’t say this or that without offending someone. But when that whistle goes in a big derby, yes! Roar at me. Do what you like. But please, just make me feel alive because it’s okay, I want you to.
Football fans need a release and if they want to unleash pent up frustration from the working week or whatever issues they have by shouting at me, then go for it. If that’s going to help you relax for the rest of the weekend, I’m fine with it. We’re all big boys and when the final whistle blows, we’ll all shake hands. There’s a line that shouldn’t be crossed of course, but generally I think there’s a healthy acceptance between fans and players of what’s allowed.
Damien Duff said this week that he felt there was more of an edge to derbies with Bohemians, than either of Shamrock Rovers or St Pat’s. And I can relate to that. Tonight’s game is also the biggest of the weekend, and marks the end of the first series of games for both clubs.
I’d have been extremely worried for Bohs had they not got their act together against Sligo Rovers last week, but they saw out the win in the end and it sets them up nicely. But I think we’re starting to see the emergence of the big three - and Bohs are not in that bracket.
Managers across the league are forming stronger opinions on their teams and the first choice XI they might have had in pre-season has probably changed considerably. You always find that two or three different players start coming to the fore but looking at the title contenders, the cream always rises to the top.
Shels, St Pat’s and Shamrock Rovers have started jockeying into position and while you could throw a blanket over the league at the moment, I expect that trio to kick on
COACH CONCERN
Will Clarke is always an interesting character so I read and listened to what he had to say with interest this week. He gave a presentation to the media as to where things stand right now with League of Ireland academies, and the ongoing push for Government funding.
He highlighted how the player pool was decreasing, with fewer and fewer young professionals in full-time environments and the knock on it will have in the future. The presentation focused a lot on players and I understand he did touch on coaching too, but for me that’s as big an issue. I’m worried about the standard of coaches coming through and I don’t think enough is being made of this.
When I did my coaching badges, I felt the whole process was a box ticking exercise and I’m not sure too much has changed. It’s very process driven - do this, do this, do this and do this. You do it that way because it’s what they teach you on the courses. But coaches are losing their ability to read a player, and his or her personality. We’re human beings and we’re all different.
Different players need different things, but it feels like everyone is being coached in the same way and that worries me. The player pool is reducing, according to Will Clarke. But we also risk losing a certain type of player, because we’re trying to factory-produce identical ones.
BRADLEY BRIEFING
It’s good to see that politicians want to talk about all things Irish football with figures like Stephen Bradley. He will speak to them from a position of authority - one he earned. His love for the game will shine through and there’s no greater power than that. I’ve no doubt my old team-mate will fight the good fight. But we need more and more people doing that and getting their head in with politicians. We can’t stop.
Especially not when I see rugby dominating the sports news. At least it feels that way when I turn on the TV and watch the sports bulletins. I know RTE lost the rights to live LOI games, but it feels like they’ve just given up. They’re like a kid crying in the corner because someone stole their Tonka truck.
CONSISTENCY IS CALMING
There’s a consistency about the Premier Division now that’s hard not to love. For a long time, the first series of games tended to be a basket case. Teams were all over the place and it was hard to see who would mount a challenge. But there’s a calmness about the league now with all teams having gone full-time.
There’s a consistency at play that’s been developing year after year and it’s just a solid product. Full-time structures, players on longer deals, settled finances and a sense that all teams have a chance. We saw it with Galway and Waterford riding high last year, and now Drogheda are top of the table. I don’t think they will stay there, but they’re putting their best foot forward and I just feel we’re in a really good place on the pitch.
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