'Righteous fanaticism of a LOI fan' - Brian O'Connor in the Irish Times

[Jinxy]

While I agree with some of the points it's the negative slant on the article that I take issue with. Like a lot of the national newspapers the majority of news articles related to football in Ireland is portrayed in a negative way from the national team down. He makes out that for players who didn't make it in England coming back to the LOI is a failure. It could quite easily be turned around and say that players are now coming back to the LOI as a viable option and a way of playing in a competitive league with the prospect of being signed again when they have matured a bit more and are more likely to handle the pressure.

In the past players came back and were lost to the game. Anthony Tohill got released by Man Utd and Trevor Gilles got let go by Arsenal but yet they are seen as having been hugely successful (and rightly so) but yet they were lost to football. In a few years a player like Stephen Hunt might look to come back to an Irish team rather than go to the lower leagues.

It was Graham Geraghty.
I thought himself and Tohill just had trials though?

[Dodge]

YEp, definitely just trials. Like 100s of other lads

[SwanVsDalton]

Tohill had a season at the Brandywell. Wasn't cut out for anything other than filling in as goalie. He wasn't a loss to football, certainly didn't miss his true calling anyway.

Though I do agree with the general point about the LOI now being a viable place for players to come. As you say, players now returning have a legitimate chance of making it back over (McCourt, Fahey, Lafferty just a few examples). And that's not to mention players like Kerrea Gilbert coming over too.

[peadar1987]

I don't think it's too much of a step now for more players to decide to play some of the end of their career in Ireland. If, say, Richard Dunne or Damien Duff were to play maybe two seasons a la David Kelly, I think it would really boost the profile of the league. I know there'd be a problem with wage demands, but surely there are a few players out there clever enough to realise that they already have plenty of money, and being one of the people who helped popularise the League of Ireland is something money can't buy? [/starry-eyed naivety]

[John83]

I don't think it's too much of a step now for more players to decide to play some of the end of their career in Ireland. If, say, Richard Dunne or Damien Duff were to play maybe two seasons a la David Kelly, I think it would really boost the profile of the league. I know there'd be a problem with wage demands, but surely there are a few players out there clever enough to realise that they already have plenty of money, and being one of the people who helped popularise the League of Ireland is something money can't buy? [/starry-eyed naivety]

You can never have too much money at 35 - who knows what'll be left in 40 years? And I know I'd be as happy to play for 200k a week in Saudi Arabia for a season as to get kicked about by Robbie Benson or Stephen Hurley.