Bungle
27/05/2007, 11:23 PM
I've been thinking about Ciaran Matyn's comments about the standard of the Norwegian league, as compared to the Eircom league and it got me thinking what league of Ireland regulars objectively think is the standard and will the league continue to improve as it has been, or is it destined to return to the dark old days?
From my own perspective, I can see positive progress being made by a number of clubs such as Cork City and St Pats. The league is now at a standard where it produces a number of players in our underage teams. The exports appear to be adapting well to life at a fairly high level. There have been always Kevin Doyles in football but the likes of Shane Long is doing well. Bennett is considered a good shout to be a Reading regular next season, while I know from speaking to Ipswich fans that they think highly of O'Callaghan. Ward has done well at Wolves also. In my lifetime, I cannot recall us exporting so many players from the league at any one time that could play at premiership/championship level....there has been the odd Paul Mcgrath here and there.
What is the future? Dublin is a large European city and could easily support two very big teams like Glasgow can. If some of our sport loving billionaires were even to pump in minimal amounts into clubs such as Bohs or Rovers then maybe we might have teams playing in the Champions League. Cork is a city also that could support a team that should be as big, if not bigger than Rosenborg. I think we'll always see an exodus of players to England, like Norway, Sweden and Scotland do.
Basically, living away from home I don't really know the domestic scene all that well, so I'd be grateful to hear the views of people to find out their opinion.
From my own perspective, I can see positive progress being made by a number of clubs such as Cork City and St Pats. The league is now at a standard where it produces a number of players in our underage teams. The exports appear to be adapting well to life at a fairly high level. There have been always Kevin Doyles in football but the likes of Shane Long is doing well. Bennett is considered a good shout to be a Reading regular next season, while I know from speaking to Ipswich fans that they think highly of O'Callaghan. Ward has done well at Wolves also. In my lifetime, I cannot recall us exporting so many players from the league at any one time that could play at premiership/championship level....there has been the odd Paul Mcgrath here and there.
What is the future? Dublin is a large European city and could easily support two very big teams like Glasgow can. If some of our sport loving billionaires were even to pump in minimal amounts into clubs such as Bohs or Rovers then maybe we might have teams playing in the Champions League. Cork is a city also that could support a team that should be as big, if not bigger than Rosenborg. I think we'll always see an exodus of players to England, like Norway, Sweden and Scotland do.
Basically, living away from home I don't really know the domestic scene all that well, so I'd be grateful to hear the views of people to find out their opinion.