Originally Posted by Irish Times
On Soccer: The recent suggestion by Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger that extra points be awarded to sides who score additional away goals might, had he been aware of the league's history here, have been coupled with a hint that the new system be tried out in Ireland. After all, whatever the clubs here might have been accused of in the past, a fear of tinkering with the format could hardly be ascribed to them.
Just one of the many ways in which the administrators tried to liven things up came during Michael Hyland's reign as chairman of the National League when a system was adopted whereby two teams were relegated automatically from the top flight and another was obliged to take part in a play-off to stay up.
Hyland defended the approach on the basis the prospect of relegation helped draw crowds at those clubs under threat, although (the day when attendances would be officially recorded still being some way off) there was little hard evidence for this.
In any case, given that the clubs who were relegated almost invariably underwent a financial crisis, the approach seemed to amount to something like killing them with kindness. At that stage up to three clubs could go down, as happened, for instance, in 2002 when even a win on the last day of the campaign against Monaghan combined with a defeat for Longford to Finn Harps wasn't enough to save Kildare.
Those studying the league from a business point of view must have marvelled at a system that could cast a quarter of the top-flight's membership into the darkness of First Division football while sending almost a third of the clubs from the lower tier in the other direction.
The celebrations among those coming up were tinged with anxiety over whether they should risk dramatic investment in the hope of avoiding a swift return or simply - and rather tamely - accept the inevitable.
This season, with the 12-team Premier Division restored, only one side will go down automatically but a second club could join them if they lose a play-off. There have been, between the upheaval at international level and the race for the title, plenty of distractions but the battle to avoid ending up in either of the two bottom positions remains one of the most intriguing sagas of the entire season.
With most clubs having just five games to play, any two of six could still end up in trouble. What has made the situation so compelling has been the inability of those clubs who looked to be steering clear of trouble a couple of months back to secure their position. Meanwhile others who had looked to be goners have declined to give up the ghost.
UCD, for instance, should have been well clear by now but remain vulnerable after a run of 11 games that has included just one win. And Bray Wanderers have averaged fewer goals per game since Eamon Zayed left than the striker was managing by himself during the first two-thirds of the season. They have still squeezed seven points out of seven games since his departure but their position remains precarious given they must play Shamrock Rovers, Shelbourne (both away), Derry City and Bohemians (both at home) before travelling to Finn Harps on the last day for a game that might end in heartbreak for one team or the other.
From the early weeks it was clear if Harps were going to survive it would involve a big season from Kevin McHugh. The 25-year-old has underlined his capacity to make an impact with 12 league goals, including a couple in the 5-0 defeat of Longford over the weekend.
On the face of it Harps still look most likely to go but UCD must travel to Ballybofey over the coming weeks while Anthony Gorman will travel to Drogheda United hopeful of grabbing something against a side whose focus is now on the FAI Cup final. It is not quite over yet.
Immediately above Harps, though, are the real stories of this season: Rovers, whose points deduction and takeover made them more of a soap opera than ever this year; St Patrick's Athletic, whose attempt to steady the ship after some rough times is hampered by a run of 12 games without a win; and Waterford, whose freefall through the middle part of the campaign seemed unstoppable.
The positions of Rovers manager Roddy Collins and the St Patrick's Athletic's manager John McDonnell have, for somewhat different reasons, been the subject of persistent speculation. But it is Pat Dolan's arrival as "adviser" to Waterford manager Brendan Rea that has been the most remarkable development in the dugouts. Since becoming involved, Dolan has helped generate a dramatic revival at the club, where recent form has been bettered only by the league's top three.
With two of those three, Cork and Derry, to come the outlook could still be brighter but there's no doubt everyone involved would have settled for the current scenario a few weeks ago.
And Hyland must be happy. Four weeks to go, six clubs still staring into the abyss and everything to play for. Somebody should call Wenger and tell him there's one place at least where the football's anything but boring.
And no tinkering please, Arsene, we're Irish.
