National League: Is UCD football club in danger of becoming a casualty of the burgeoning professionalism within the National League?, asks Paul Buttner

The leap forward taken by the league's bigger clubs, like Shelbourne, Bohemians, Cork City and St Patrick's Athletic (with Shamrock Rovers all too aware of having to follow suit quickly once they are finally at home in Tallaght) in going full-time, and the continuing improvement in playing standards which that brings, has seen the disparity between the haves and the have-nots broaden further.

The gulf in standard between the Premier Division and First Division has expanded considerably in recent seasons, despite Waterford United's surprisingly bright start on their return to the top flight bucking that trend.

The smaller Premier Division clubs - Longford Town and Drogheda United for example - face a constant struggle to stay in touch and at great expense, as the latter found out almost to the cost of extinction last season.

While those provincial clubs can call on decent followings, what chance has UCD, with its negligible support base, of sustaining a team season after season that can remain competitive in an increasingly competitive Premier Division?

Bottom of the Premier Division table with one point and just one goal for their efforts after eight games, UCD are suffering greatly following the loss in the close season of key players, two of whom - goalkeeper Barry Ryan and central defender Clive Delaney - were regarded as one of the best, if not the best, in their positions last season.

To eventually lose their best players is not new to College, but the rising playing standard in the league in general means that plugging the gaps is becoming increasingly difficult.

While they have experienced their ups and downs on the field since their arrival in the senior game in 1979, UCD's solid base off the field has been the mainstay that has kept them competitive against the odds.

But those odds are lengthening, and Paul Doolin, their current manager, believes there must be a change of thought at the club, with the integration of more experienced players, if they are to hang on to the coat-tails of the full-time professional clubs.

"It's become too competitive," said Doolin, "the club has got to have a think about its policy."

Nurturing their own talent through their scholarship scheme continues to bring through some fine young players, but the problem in a more professional league is that for many of them it is too soon to be thrown in to compete against full-time opponents.

"To be honest," added Doolin, "we are struggling now because some of the young players that have come in to replace those that have gone are simply not ready yet. You can't get away with throwing younger lads into the team now unless they are exceptional.

"We can't go on building what's not a bad little side and then lose up to five players and hope to compete."

A refreshing constant in the league for over two decades, UCD's continuing competitive presence in its Premier Division requires the acceptance of the positive direction the senior game is going and finding a viable way of staying on board.

Meanwhile, St Patrick's Athletic have added real meaning to the term "injecting new life into the club" by signing a sponsorship deal with the Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS).

The IBTS have come in as a sponsorship partner until the end of the season, beginning with Friday's Dublin derby against champions Bohemians.

While the club will receive an undisclosed sum from the IBTS, the arrangement is reciprocated by donor card applications being distributed at Richmond Park.