Irelands Neo-Liberal Soccer Team

Many years ago my late father brought me to an Ireland soccer match—it was against Austria in Dalymount Park—Ireland lost 4-1 but I was smitten! My dad passed away the following year but I kept going to the games as the team moved on to John Giles, and he introduced the brilliant Liam Brady. Giles was responsible for bringing a new professionalism to our game-and under his guidance interest in our national team blossomed-—but yet in its own way versus GAA and Rugby, the national team only had a dedicated hardcore cult following. So when Jack Charlton took control against Wales in March 1986—there were only 13,000 in Lansdowne road—the fans had seen the team make heroic efforts at qualification for the world cup under Eoin Hand only to be denied by dubious refereeing decisions. Charlton it seemed brought hope and the fact that he came from the English game and was a world cup winner himself served to rubber stamp his suitability for the tasks ahead. We lost that match 1-0 but it marked the international debuts of Ray Houghton and John Aldridge. Two years later with considerable good fortune so desperately denied to his predecessors Charlton brought his Ireland team to it’s first major championship in Germany! Even at this stage the interest in the Irish soccer team had still not fully manifested itself—and heading off to Germany to support the team I felt like a member of a cult whom had suddenly found popular recognition. In the years that followed there were many changes and much more success—the empty seats in Lansdowne road were now full and tickets became more expensive and had to be block booked in order to retain your place among the faithful, then we had Italia 90-and USA -94, and the momentum ran away madly with itself—and suddenly the Irish international team became big business. I attended all the home games right up till the end of the nineties and paid a considerable sum of money each year for both myself and my son—it was part of our life and it was heart warming and very emotional at times. However soon the ticket prices went beyond what I could afford as you had to book and pay for six tickets at a time and I settled for watching the games on television. Saipan lives on in the minds of the Irish people as one of the most important events in Irish history never mind soccer. Roy Keane basically refused to play and headed home—he more than anyone had fought for the cause that led to our qualification for the world cup in Japan in 2002! What happened in Saipan was to scar Ireland and Irish soccer for years afterwards. Keane complained of sub-standard preparation accusing both the FAI and manager Mick McCarthy of lacking in professionalism and ambition. Keane went home and John Delaney the FAI CEO let him go—without even addressing the issues that Keane had raised. I for one, and I am sure all true soccer supporters were dumfounded. Ireland went on to perform with credit all the more perplexing as in hindsight one wonders constantly at Keane’s reference to ambition. Irish football went into limbo after the resignation of the tired Mick McCarthy he was replaced by Brian Kerr in 2004—however Kerr needing time failed to qualify for that European championship but only narrowly failed to qualify for the 2006 world cup. Having coaxed Roy Keane back from retirement—a controversial and ultimately pointless effort as Keane had passed his best-Kerr was sacked. Stephen Staunton followed Kerr but his reign was a disaster particularly for John Delaney and the FAI who now needed to react aggressively in the light of the fans displeasure with Staunton and the FAI in general as the wounds of Saipan had not fully healed. Now this is where the neoliberals finally took control—gone were the concerns [he still voices them] by Roy Keane about Irelands stunted level of expectation and in rolled the might of the euro. Ireland appointed Giovanni Trapattoni as their manager in May 2008-nothing wrong with that he was a manager of great experience. Denis O’ Brien controversial businessman offered to pay part of Trapattoni’s salary and Ireland had finally made the transition from an international team with fanatical almost cult like support-to a business complete with merchandising –ticket sales, and a product that had world wide potential. So over the following few years Croke Park was sold out and the one time that I could afford the €70 ticket for Ireland v France world cup play off 1st leg—instead of action replays on the big screen I got Jim from Eircom [failed company] selling me crap. So this was it I thought leaving the stadium Ireland had finally arrived-gone were the days when only 13,000 showed up to watch Jack Charlton’s first game-we now could sell over 70,000 seats in Irelands largest stadium to watch a losing team against a weakfish French side- and us managed by an old hack of a manager. Also we were now sponsored by a controversial entrepreneur –complete with Jim from Eircom selling his wares constantly throughout the game. So 2012 and Ireland head to Poland with the Irish public forever hopeful and John Delaney and the FAI rubbing their hands—money-money—but they were about to slip on their own Banana skin-their manager or Denis O’ Brien’s manager was utterly out of his depth. Someday there will be documentary made regarding this mans ineptitude. His press conferences are designed to confuse and to give the uneducated the false impression that the manager is learned and deeply committed to his football philosophy! Truth is he has no philosophy save to say [Roy Keane again] he has no ambition-he has no faith in his players so he sets them up not to lose—or if they lose not to be hammered. He displays this time and time again by his squad selections-then his team selections and finally his confused substitutions. When we qualified for this tournament it was time to reward the likes of Robbie Keane-Damien Duff and Shay Given not indulge them. The manager’s duty was not to these individuals but to us the fans and the citizens of Ireland. On television Eamonn Dunphy who was visibly intimidated by Liam Brady patronised Liam re-his old friend so often that it rendered his analysis void-to the point where he wondered would Liam ask Trap if he could get it us to play like Swansea city-my goodness.Then he went on to praise the backroom team of the show for well doing what they are paid to do—like there was something heroic about that? Trapattoni could have rewarded his team but also he could have added new young blood to compliment them-the older players looked jaded-we needed an energy more than anything. This is why we were overrun so often! Yesterday Monaghan Utd—folded as a premier league of Ireland club—our soccer panel didn’t mention it—the Republic of Ireland were the only team at euro 2012-without a domestic league player in their squad-this sad fact reflects the crisis that is our game in this country. Whilst Dunphy espouses the greatness of the English league our league is underfunded and poorly supported save for the fanatical few that love the game of soccer. I could get Con Murphy to run a few tapes of the young players throughout our league that Mr –Trap might learn from-it would be as good as anything Swansea city have produced. There you go---no doubt Dunphy has little interest in the huge amounts of money he pockets from spinning the English Premier league.Of course he unashamedly praises the great Irish fans--knowing many of them are resident Man utd -Liverpool supporters who favour the high stool, when watching soccer. So will the Irish fans wrestle the game back from the neoliberals-I doubt it mind you save that if they keep the ambitionless and ridiculous Trapattoni in charge the product might just drop in sales till eventually it is withdrawn altogether—Roy Keane was actually right all along!