CHARLIE: FROM THE STANDS - It's the hope that kills you!

It’s hard to believe that we are already a week post-European exit for Derry City, a week that brought two bouts of penalty pain to the DCFC faithful.  

The joy at Will Patching’s leveller from the spot, the sheer pride in a professional performance from a team who played a game just 72 hours after returning from Kazakhstan a few days previous, the despair watching Cian Kavanagh’s agonising miss late on to win it, and the nails being bit clean off during the penalty heartbreak. It’s aged me about five years. Following that up with succumbing their FAI Cup title in another penalty shoot-out against St Pat’s on Sunday, it was certainly the worst possible end to a week that presented so much promise.  

In reality, Derry City’s European escapades this season have reignited the belief that the club should be performing on each occasion in Europe. The blow of last Thursday’s exit in Tallaght was only softened by the fact that over 3,000 City fans made the trip to Dublin to watch their ‘home’ tie. That interest, that support, that commitment – that is immense, especially considering the short notice of the tie. 

To progress in European football, you must be ready on every level. And Derry, on the pitch, were ready. Their performance in Kazakhstan was backed up by an even better one in Tallaght, and Derry was by far the better side over the two legs, matching and bettering their ‘superior’ opponents every step of the way. Though the result is disappointing, the impact can be significant. 

Derry City has flown the flag for Irish football in European competition this season, and why? Because on the pitch, they were prepared. But what have we learned from the League of Ireland sides in Europe this season? 

The club expected to emulate the Dundalk campaign of a few years ago when they qualified for the group stages of the Europa League, champions Shamrock Rovers would have had high hopes going into their campaign. Needing only to win the tie against Icelandic side, Breidablik, to guarantee six more matches in Europe, the Hoops went down without a whimper with a 3-1 aggregate defeat.  

The cost of this defeat would not only be on the pitch but also around €2m in revenue. This was followed by a 6-0 hammering over two legs by Hungarian powerhouse Ferencvaros in the Europa Conference League qualifiers – a side that had been knocked out of their own Champions League campaign by KÍ from Faroe Islands. Not exactly a dominant European force themselves. 

The impact of this exit will not only show this season but next season as well, especially if you look at it from a business perspective. No doubt in my mind, the North Stand in Tallaght was being built for the Europa Conference League group stage. And although, through gritted teeth, it will be incredible once finished, it’s clear that Rovers simply aren't ready on the pitch, even with being miles ahead of it off the pitch. Being able to budget €2m from European money, is a considerable difference to the €800,000 they have ended up with. With some high-profile players approaching the end of their contracts this season, it could be interesting in terms of the impact on Rovers’ playing budget for 2024.  

Much like their city rivals, St Pat’s European run ended emphatically with a first-round defeat to Dudelange from Luxembourg. Going down 5-3 over both legs, it was a result as shocking as when several of the Dudelange players featured for their national side in the 1-0 win over Republic of Ireland at the Aviva Stadium in 2021.  

A far cry from facing Arsenal at the Emirates a few years ago, Dundalk overcame Bruno Magpies in their first qualifying round, a team from Gibraltar primarily made up of part-time footballers, before bowing out to Akureyri from Iceland, 5-3 on aggregate. Though not the heights the club has hit before, a win in Europe will still have been satisfactory for Stephen O’Donnell’s side, given the current squad. 

Across all those ties, you have to wonder what went wrong? Is it a case that clubs in Iceland, Luxembourg, Faroe Islands etc are stronger than the League of Ireland’s finest? I spoke a few weeks ago about even the stadium infrastructure that Torshavn had in the Faroes. We know there have been and continue to be underlying issues in the domestic game here. Unfortunately, things like infrastructure and stadiums are issues that do stunt the best teams in the country each year, and stop them from being competitive past the first or second qualifying round of European competition. The domestic league here is competitive, and as we all know, most sides can beat each other on any given day. 

Another thing to add is the number of quality players now plying their trade here. Sure, we may not be in the glory days of Derry City or Dundalk under Stephen Kenny, or Shels under Pat Fenlon, or Shamrock Rovers under Michael O’Neill and those European adventures, but there is a breed of players that are making this league an attractive proposition for football fans again. Every club has had a huge surge in attendance, but very few clubs have the infrastructure and stadiums to maximise the increase in crowds – it’s essentially money being left on the table. I see these fans staying, I see these fans getting fed up with the Arsenals, Liverpools, Man Utds and Real Madrids, the money that is involved now, and fans feel too far removed from that world.  

The bottom line is that the FAI needs to start working with the clubs on getting every stadium – certainly in the Premier Division for starters – to at the very least, a 7,000 seater stadium. Not your typical ‘sticking seats in the corner to make it up’, but looking at the long-term impact that an all-encompassing stadium would have on attracting new fans, attracting new players from outside Ireland, commercial sponsors, merchandise, social impact to the local communities - all of which will generate more revenue for the clubs. You simply must speculate to accumulate in this case.

From my research, the reason the FAI has given the majority of its budget to junior clubs in the past and not to the League of Ireland clubs is that they did not trust the clubs to spend the money wisely. In fairness, history will tell you that that’s probably justified. Clubs often do end up spending the bulk of that money on signing players, paying agents, and covering wages, and like many clubs in Ireland who have experienced grave financial problems, administrations and liquidations, have spent more than they could afford to. 

I understand the concern, but if you truly work closely with the clubs and stipulate that money will only be spent on improving the club's infrastructure and facilities, it would benefit everyone. It would create a ringfenced approach towards finances – ‘this is for that ONLY’ – and ensure that clubs can continue to develop off the pitch in areas they need to, regardless of what is happening on the pitch. I often wonder what the real mission of the FAI is - in my eyes, for a long time there was pointing fingers and directing blame at League of Ireland clubs for only spending money on their first teams, and neglecting everything else.

Clubs’ social responsibilities, stadiums, and youth teams all fell by the wayside, and there were people in the upper echelons of Irish football with their arms folded, saying ‘I told you so’ when shit hit the fan. While the new governance appears to be making an effort towards changing that, to me it appears that the FAI seems to be hyper-focused on the men’s international team, and are subsequently failing the League of Ireland as a whole.

Until structures are eradicated and improved, and ample support is given by the association to its member clubs, League of Ireland teams will always run the risk of losing to sides from Malta, Gibraltar, Faroe Islands, Luxembourg, Wales, Andorra or Northern Ireland. That should be simply unacceptable.

Pivotal month
August always proves to be a pivotal month for clubs in pursuing a title, European football, or safety from relegation. With UCD looking compounded to the latter, all eyes are on the upper end of the League table. I have said it in this column before: I only see Derry and Rovers competing to be champions this season. Their squads are far superior to the other teams, so let's concentrate on their fixtures. 

Derry takes on Bohemians this week, and as both of my former employers go head-to-head, you get the feeling that the outcome of this game could prove significant in the title race. I have been fortunate enough to be at the last six games between the sides, with Derry winning three, Bohemians one, and on two occasions, the sides sharing the spoils. Each of the games has been incredibly open, with lots of chances created. I expect something similar on Friday night, especially since both teams are going into the game in great form. Bohemians are undefeated in eight games, picking up six wins; while Derry has lost just once in 11. (I’m not accepting penalties as a defeat – thanks very much!)  

People will ask questions about Derry’s resilience after being eliminated from Europe and the FAI Cup in quick succession. Naturally, it will be tough for the players to bounce back. However, from what I saw in both games - two incredible performances nonetheless - and knowing how a European run can galvanize a team, build internal relationships and wet the appetite for more success, I see greater things on the horizon for Derry City between now and the end of the season.  

With Shamrock Rovers facing Dundalk in Tallaght, this could prove to be a tricky tie to navigate for Stephen Bradley’s side. His opposition manager, Stephen O’Donnell is now starting to consistently pick the same team, and now having the option to add a player of Daryl Horgan’s calibre to the mix, it will give every other player a lift. Should Dundalk win, it will take them to within five points of Rovers.  

Meanwhile, Drogheda United entertains Cork City in a match that I can only see a home win from. Drogheda is a well-organised side that doesn’t concede many goals, and Cork, at the minute is a mess that will be worrying desperately about a playoff. The distraction of their own FAI Cup run will not allay any fears of the drop, as a win for Drogheda would see them go eight points clear of the Rebel Army. In the other games, St Pat’s should dispose of UCD relatively easily and maintain their pursuit of Shamrock Rovers. Sligo Rovers welcome Shelbourne to the Showgrounds, and in what will likely be a tight affair, I wouldn’t back on seeing too many goals.