Premier Division

I attended the Soccerex European Forum in Manchester in April and hope to bring you a series of pieces on some of the takeways for the Irish game from the week.

Gianni Infantino, UEFA General Secretary, revealed at the conference that UEFA had agreed a deal with the European Broadcasting Union (“EBU”) for the televised rights for the Euro 2016 and World Cup 2018 qualifiers. Interesting, but what is the relevance for Irish football fans?

RTÉ is one of over thirty ...

Originally Posted by Eminence Grise

Long time lurker, finally getting round to contributing…


The nub of the issue is that clubs in Ireland are not solely in competition with leagues or clubs across the water. Nor are they solely in competition with the GAA and IRFU. Like it or not, football has become another part of the entertainment industry, and football fans, whether we like it or not, are consumers. But too many consumers want the best comfort, price and entertainment for the least possible effort.

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To most people it is just a normal Friday. To a small band of football supporters across the island, it is the first day of the season.

I can’t make the game, something which pains me more than I can even write about. Working on a project in Laois, a 7.45pm kickoff in the Brandywell and an exam at 9.30 tomorrow in Dublin meant something had to drop out and unfortunately it had to be the game.

I met someone wearing a Shelbourne scarf on Grafton Street this morning, ...