TWO WEEKS FROM now, the First Division season is due to begin, yet exactly which teams will compete remains uncertain. The number of sides that will participate also is unclear.
Limerick FC’s involvement is still in doubt. There were signs of hope, when the FAI confirmed the club could apply for a licence earlier this month. However, there have been few signs of progress since then.
The chaotic nature of the situation was emphasised by Limerick’s lack of presence at Wednesday’s League of Ireland media day — no players or managers showed up on their behalf, essentially because they don’t have any currently as they await licence approval.
There’s also the issue of the Shamrock Rovers II team and whether or not they will participate as planned.
Such a scheme would allow the Hoops to play younger, second-string players in the second tier, though promotion to the top flight would not be permitted even if they finish first.
The proposal has proved unpopular with others in the First Division. At one point, there was said to be a “strong possibility” of legal action, after the club’s application was approved by the National League Executive Committee, and was ratified by the FAI board.
Cabinteely chairman Larry Bass previously told The42 the idea of a ‘B’ team “devalues the whole league”.
Speaking on Wednesday, Dundalk boss Vinny Perth suggested he could see both sides of the argument.
“Personally, I’d love [Dundalk] to have a second team in there, that’s the ideal, but I understand where that creates a huge amount of problems… For the obvious reasons. Unless it is just a case of 20 players signed for a club, this thing of dropping players up and down has the potential to affect the credibility and integrity of it.
“You use a goalkeeper for argument’s sake, he’s been out injured and he needs a game and he keeps a clean sheet against Longford, then a different goalkeeper comes in against Drogheda the following week. That’s an issue.
Other clubs, however, are not so diplomatic in relation to the Rovers II plan, with talk of rival sides potentially boycotting games in protest at the decision.
Nevertheless, speaking to The42 earlier this week, Rovers sporting director Stephen McPhail defended their plans and denied it was an opportunistic attempt to capitalise on Limerick’s well-documented woes.
“We met with Ruud Dokter, me and Stephen [Bradley], and spoke about our problems, because he asked. Over a long period of time, maybe the last two years, we’ve had a question mark between our 19s and the first team. We felt we were losing players to the game and people weren’t playing football anymore when we let them them go,” the former Leeds player explained.
Meanwhile, Rovers’ club captain Ronan Finn feels the initiative will benefit both his club and Irish football in general.