Sir , – It was heartening to see John Delaney and Martin O’Neill in Tallaght to witness Dundalk’s marvellous victory over serial Champion’s League group qualifiers Bate Borisov.
I wonder if this will now mean more investment in the domestic game and the possibility of the League of Ireland players being called into the senior Irish international squad.
Unfortunately, I doubt it. The FAI’s investment in the game here is derisory. The most recent news is of €100,000 to be distributed between 20 clubs to assist in the completion of their “strategic five-year plans”. If it is better than nothing, it’s certainly not by much.
As for the chances of international recognition for the league’s top players, that would seem to be only possible if they take their talents across the water even to teams in the third and fourth tiers of English football, or to Scotland where, going by results, the league is surely no stronger than here.
Is there no will among our football authorities to build a well-supported league here, or do they want us forever enthralled to the goings-on at Manchester and Liverpool? Or, is just a failure of media and marketing? Maybe it’s still just the old Irish thing, whereby we have to succeed abroad before we can be recognised here.
– Yours, etc,
EDDIE SMYTH
Slane,
Co Meath.