Competitive Edge Keeps Interest

The Last Word by Brendan White

(first published in the July 2010 Longford Town match programme)

With both the Premier Division and the First Division more competitive than ever this season, it should bring more interest in the league and attract more people through the gates as league titles are decided, with European spots up for grabs, and relegation survival and promotion battles all to come.

Supporters want to see their team go for the win, play to take all three points rather than sit back and take one point. We don’t want to see the players going through the motions. For the players it’s their job. Their job is to play for their team and do what they can to be successful. For a supporter it’s very different. Supporters pay to watch these players but expect to get something back in return. Effort, determination, entertainment, pride. As long as players put in 100%, supporters will come to watch them as they are their team. Competitiveness in teams is good for fans as players battle for places, but for the league as a whole it can be a huge plus.

When teams begin to run away with leagues, and promotion, relegations and European places are decided early, it takes the focus off the leagues, which in turn takes the attention of people away and eventually stops people from going to watch games. People don’t want to go watch a match against two teams who play out the 90 minutes with nothing to play for, both happy to take their point and stay in their position.

The First Division has seen one of its most competitive years this season with any of half a dozen teams battling for play-off places. With Derry City looking to be heading toward the automatic promotion place and the First Division crown, the two play-off places may go down to the wire having changed places on a weekly basis recently.

For The Blues, it seemed like us and Derry City would be fighting for the number one spot but unexpected dropped points has seen Derry grab a 12 point lead over us, and a ten points lead over second placed Monaghan United. But from Monaghan through Limerick, Shelbourne and Wexford Youths to Cork City lies just a 11 point gap, and just a nine point gap to the final play-off spot. Any team that can go on a run of wins will move up the table considerably in a short space of time.

Monaghan United are a side that have been building for a number of years and this year all the work seems to now be paying off. Limerick have been a surprise package this season but have added quality players. Shelbourne, Cork City and Wexford Youths’ inconsistency has been a major problem but could easily change with some good results.

The Premier Division is also shaping up to go down to the wire as Shamrock Rovers, St Patrick’s Athletic, Bohemians and Dundalk and Sporting Fingal all battle for the top five spots in the table. With Bohs, Dundalk, Rovers and Fingal all in European action, St Pat’s might gain an advantage from not having as many games to play as we face into the second half of the season.