Mark O'Neill-Cummins' Eircom Review

**BohsFans** · 19/04/2006, 5:00 PM

1/3
It is now possible to bet on almost

any game. The internet has been a

real force in all of this. It adds a

bit of excitement to a match and there

is no harm in that I suppose.

Sometimes your team might lose but you

might win some money so the evening is

saved.

On the other hand, there have been a few

betting scandals in Europe. What about

our league? Not every player is

professional and we all have bills to pay.

Hopefully no Eircom League player will

succumb to an illegal betting ring. We

need more positive stories from the league

I say.

2/3
The B internationals are to make a comeback,

specifically designed for Eircom League

players. This is a great idea I think. It

will give home based players the chance to

play for their country. And who wouldn�t

want that?

Of course, the games will be played in Eircom

League stadiums in front of even smaller

crowds than normal so one has to wonder what

the benefit is. If Staunton wants an Eircom

League player he should simply come to see a

few league games. Nevertheless, it can�t be

easy being a manager with no managerial

experience and I for one wish him well.

3/3

The league still plays games on Good Friday.

Now, regardless of your religion, there is

no getting around the fact that the pubs

are closed so some teams are missing out on

a lot of revenue.

Then again, without alcohol to fuel some

blackguards, the games pass off peacefully.

Maybe this is something the league could

look at? If an alcohol ban means families

can go to stadiums and feel safe, who

wouldn�t be in favour of that?

Of course the FAI would have to compensate

clubs for the lack of bar income at the

start but the increased attendances would

soon pay for this move alone!

I�m surprised this kind of forward looking

thinking wasn�t in the Genesis Report.

The league would be in a much healthier

condition if so, and who wouldn�t want

that?

**Roverstillidie** · 19/04/2006, 5:40 PM

Originally Posted by BohsFans

1/3
Not every player is

professional and we all have bills to pay.

Hopefully no Eircom League player will

succumb to an illegal betting ring.
?

was there not a whisper that a certain 1st division clubs players were being investegated last year for preciscly that? nothing seemed to come of it in the end

**Red4Eva** · 19/04/2006, 6:34 PM

any1 know of any gamblers at their clubs. heard a few stories bout one of our ex-players

**John83** · 19/04/2006, 6:56 PM

Originally Posted by Roverstillidie

was there not a whisper that a certain 1st division clubs players were being investegated last year for preciscly that? nothing seemed to come of it in the end

I assumed he must be alluding to something that happened (or may have...). Otherwise, that entire first page is either pointless filler or ****stirring.

**Raheny Red** · 19/04/2006, 8:49 PM

Alcohol ban!?! go and ****e!

As for players betting, a few years back there was a certain ex Shels won a couple of grand in a Bookies in Longford - though he was playing against Longford at the time!

**JC_GUFC** · 19/04/2006, 11:18 PM

Originally Posted by Red4Eva

heard a few stories bout one of our ex-players

I think I may have heard the same story - did it have to do with a North West Cup game against Derry when Sligo had won the 1st leg 4-0 but duly lost the 2nd leg 5-0!

I think the column usually gets a hard time on this forum - it's better than having nothing on the eL as used be the case but to be fair there's only face appropriate for this week's piece and that's

J

**Schumi** · 20/04/2006, 10:17 AM

LOL I thought this was a pi$$-take until I saw it on the telly last night (the online version hasn't changed). It's even more full of clich�s than usual.

We need more positive stories from the league I say.
And who wouldn�t want that?
I for one wish him well.
who wouldn�t be in favour of that?
and who wouldn�t want that?

Then again, without alcohol to fuel some blackguards, the games pass off peacefully.

No alcohol in Drogheda at all!

**pineapple stu** · 20/04/2006, 12:43 PM

Where'd you get that from, by the way? Telly Aertel and internet Aertel still have the piece about Devlin being appointed B team manager - have had for the last couple of days at least...?

**Schumi** · 20/04/2006, 12:48 PM

I thought the telly one had changed? Could have sworn this one was there last night. If not, my previous pi$$-take opinion still holds.

**pineapple stu** · 20/04/2006, 12:49 PM

Ah, didn't read your post correctly. I checked yesterday evening or something and it was still the same. Maybe it's changed since. Or maybe it is a ****-take!

**CollegeTillIDie** · 20/04/2006, 6:55 PM

As regards his point about betting. I saw Eircom League games advertised in a Czech newspaper by a Betting Company based there. The system is a bit different to here in terms of odds etc. But you could have speculated a few Czech Crowns on Finn Harps V Bray wanderers if you were of a mind to that particular Saturday afternoon .

**anto eile** · 20/04/2006, 7:13 PM

cummins o neill writes rubbish.
i stopped reading his articles a while ago

**pineapple stu** · 26/04/2006, 11:31 PM

Originally Posted by Schumi

LOL I thought this was a pi$$-take until I saw it on the telly last night

I don't know what you were taking that you saw it on telly!

Came across the site by random really - pi$$-taking at its supreme best!

MARK O'SHAUGHNESSY-CUMMINGS-BONO

EIRCOM PREVIEW

1/3
So Drogheda won the Setanta Cup. A team from the smallest county on this island won the biggest honour - Champions of Ireland. Of course, Drogheda won’t be entering the Champions’ League on the back of this win. Which is a pity. Who wouldn’t like to see players like Ronaldinho or Henry strutting their stuff in United Park.

Of course, Drogheda would have to move the game to Lansdowne if it were open. But it’s not. So maybe Croker would be the preferred option. Imagine that, Drogheda V Barcelona before 80,000 Eircom League fans. The GAA couldn’t object as the Setanta Cup is an all-Ireland competition like the Sam. I can’t wait for this to happen.

2/3

So Bohemians played the mighty Everton to a draw during the week. Pity that the papers decided to concentrate on the Champions’ League semi-finals and not this great achievement. I know Everton didn’t send out their strongest team but neither did Bohs so surely that evens things out?

It was upsetting to see how many Irish fans of Everton there are. Some of them tried to tell me how Liverpool is an Irish city. Funny. Last time I looked it was located abroad. (This is me being controversial - please support me in this or they will have me looking after the local sports section on Network Two’s Aertel pages again. (Pages 501-592 in case you are interested). I can’t go back there. Five long years it took me to make my breakthrough).

3/3

The World Cup is not long away now. Eircom League fans will get a chance to feel like most football fans in Ireland as they watch the games on TV. It is hard to know who will win. One thing is for sure, a team from one of Europe’s strongest leagues will be there or thereabouts come the shake out.

If we all went to see Eircom League games more we could be one of Europe’s top leagues similar to Scotland or Belgium. Don’t laugh. We used to send out the Nolan Sisters as our representatives in the music world. Look at us now. Homegrown acts like U2 and the Corrs and Westlife now rule the world. Why can’t this happen with football?

St Pat’s are already like the Pete Doherty of the Eircom League. Not that this is a good thing. It would be better if teams modelled themselves on good role models. Like the way the Housemartins put Hull on the map, Drogheda could do the same for Drogheda.

More next week!