There’s no need to delve on the mistakes of what happened and chances missed because then this will just be a piece on the depression that football gives us sometimes. At present, the torment of a penalty shoot out loss on Thursday night remains at the forefront of the Boys in Green’s minds, but let’s hope they can realise soon that a Euro 2028 campaign on home soil is a massive opportunity.

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At the start of November, Ireland were gone. We had no hope of qualification until two massive, dramatic wins against Portugal and Hungary. Giving Irish fans a few of the best nights as fans we’ve had in years. Those results brought the feel good factor back to the team and saved the job of Heimir Hallgrímsson. With the dentist in the chair until Euro 2028 at least, it’s time to look ahead at what we could do, rather than what could’ve been done.

Ireland aren’t qualified for the tournament just yet, but they have been given a far easier road to entry than they have in any competition before. Per Sky Sports, there are a few ways for Ireland to get through;

All four host countries will go through qualification, with two automatic places set aside for the best-ranked host nations who do not qualify on the pitch.

If at least two of England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland qualify, then all four nations will appear in the tournament.

Depending on the number of spots used by the host nations, the number of final tournament spots decided by play-offs may vary between two and four, in one of the three following scenarios:

Both reserved qualifying slots for the hosts used: Eight teams compete in two paths for two final tournament spots, with single-leg semi-finals and finals.

One reserved qualifying slot for the hosts used: Twelve teams compete in three paths for three final tournament spots, with single-leg semi-finals and finals.

No reserved qualifying slot for the hosts used: Eight teams contest four home-and-away play-off ties, with the winners advancing to the final tournament.

In essence, it would take a massive f*ck up for us not to be there. So how about we start getting excited. Firstly, our core players will still be around and in and around their ‘prime’ years, hopefully in the best years of their career’s. Caomhin Kelleher, Nathan Collins, Dara O’Shea, Liam Scales, Jason Molumby, Jason Knight, Finn Azaz, Troy Parrott, Adam Idah, Jake O’Brien, Harvey Vale, James Abankwah, and Bosun Lawal were all involved in this squad and goalkeeper Kelleher will be the oldest of them all at that stage, at only 29-years-old.

There is already a core group of excellent, young players who will only continue to develop and get better before the tournament is afoot. Unfortunately, it looks like Seamus Coleman will be retired by then and what a shame it is. Also, by that stage, Chiedozie Ogbene will be in his 30s, hopefully still being able to offer us his pace up top in a steely veteran role, along with the currently injured Josh Cullen.

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As well as that, we could even look at the players who weren’t involved in the last two outings. The aforementioned Cullen is one, but the big one is obviously Evan Ferguson. The striker seemed to start well at Roma before picking up a series of injuries that has eventually led to him sitting out the rest of the season. Expect a summer move for the Drogheda born striker and a way for him to regain his form and find his way back into the international set up.

Jack Taylor may be another steady eddy in midfield by the time the tournament rolls around. Festy Ebosele and Mikey Johnston will be disappointed that they couldn’t be involved this time around but if they can get consistent on their club form they could force their way back into the set up. Someone who we seemed to have forgotten about is Andrew Omobamidele. Now plying his trade in Strasbourg after a not so successful spell at Nottingham Forest, he still boasts an array of talent. Quick and strong, he has now cemented himself at the heart of an exciting Strasbourg side and is back to his best. Many were surprised that he wasn’t included in this squad and with John Egan likely hanging up his Irish jersey soon, it’s time to get him back into the fold.

More excitingly are the youngsters who we have heard so much about. A lot of this is hopeful thinking and praying that these players can fulfill the potential that us fans have heaped on them.

Firstly, exciting winger Rocco Vata. The exciting winger broke into Watford’s first team last season and finished the year with three goals and four assists. This term has been less than fruitful with only 12 appearances in the Championship but has contributed with two goals and two assists. He had a bad hamstring injury that kept him out until November and could only play until January before re-aggravating the same injury that required surgery and will now keep him out until the end of the season. A tough break for the 20- year old who was really starting to come into his own and show what he can do. He already has 1 cap under his belt and will be hoping that he can return to his best and push his way into Heimir’s plans.

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Next up are the tale of two young goal scorers, bled from the League of Ireland. Mason Melia and Michael Noonan are two players who have lit up our own Premier Division with their youthful energy, class and finishing from such a young age. Both players have been given the same treatment as Parrott and Ferguson, in so far as they are young strikers who Irish fans and media have hyped up to make it to super stardom.

Melia has made his move to Spurs for a record fee and it seems that Noonan’s last year playing for Shamrock Rovers is the current one. Melia will probably be looking to go out on loan to get some game time if he can’t push his way into Tottenham’s first team and same with Noonan if he doesn’t find first team football wherever he lands. However, if both players can get into first teams and start showing their class early, who knows if they could be involved? This one may be a stretch for the two lads and perhaps the World Cup in 2030 is more realistic but why not be optimistic about it.

A player who’s career has showed flashes of breaking out is Andrew Moran. The technically gifted midfielder has yet to put his stamp on senior football after a hugely successful term in Brighton’s youth ranks. He had two seasons in the Championship with Blackburn Rovers (2023/24) and Stoke City (2024/25) where he made 70 appearances over the two seasons and contributed 15 goals and assists. During those terms he showed his class in midfield and what he can offer when given a run of games.

Unfortunately, with all Brighton & Hove Albion’s quality around his area of the pitch he couldn’t break into their first team squad and found himself out on loan with Heung Min Son at LAFC. Quite a strange loan move to Major League Soccer saw him make only ten appearances before a permanent deal to Preston. This is where Moran needs to finally make a mark. This move could kick his career off in a way so many expected and finally get him consistent first team minutes. Moran is a creative player and could become an integral part of the Irish side as these types of players are the ones we tend to lack, if he can get consistent minutes with Preston. I think come the next qualifying campaign, he will be right in the mix of it and be pushing to be in the midfield just behind Parrott and Ferguson.

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What about a certain super Jacky Moylan? After impressing during his stint with Shelbourne, the former Bohs academy graduate has made the move to Lincoln City and has improved every season since landing in League One. This year, by far his most impressive, notching an impressive 9 goals and 5 assists in 26 league games, the most important goal coming against Reading at the weekend. In the 96th minute he broke away from the home side defence and kept his composure to fire his side back into the second tier of the English football pyramid for the first time in 65 years. A massive moment for the young Dub who will surely be setting his sights on continuing this form in the Championship and having a go at the international set up too.

There are also the likes of Cathal Heffernan and Jaden Umeh who starred in Ireland’s u19 World Cup campaign last year who will need to push on at their clubs if they are to start to make their marks, but both have hugely exciting careers ahead of them.

It’s a bright future for Irish football in my eyes. Perhaps I’m getting ahead of myself on this one but it’s better to look forward than reminisce on what could’ve and probably should’ve been. I like the thought of Ireland in the Aviva in their first game at a major competition since the Euro’s campaign of 2016. Kelleher still guarding the goals. A back five of Jake O’Brien, Nathan Collins, Dara O’Shea, Andrew Omobamidele and Liam Scales. Jason Molumby to anchor the midfield and protect the defense with the likes of Vale, Moran, Cullen or Azaz just in front of him and the two golden boys Parrott and Ferguson up top.

Maybe a few changes in midfield to a more defensive set up with Lawal or Knight but in my somewhat delusional dreamland here I see us playing on the front foot and really getting at teams. Nonetheless, delusional or not, us fans can afford to get excited for what’s to come and we could really see that side stamp it’s mark at Euro 2028.

That they occurred just 16 days apart only adds to their intrigue, and to some degree the moments are interconnected. These two articles will examine the links between the incidents in question, and also provide some context behind them, and explore some of the myths, both around the incidents themselves and, more pertinently, and this is another aspect that makes these two stories so fascinating, the myths that the incidents themselves perpetrated.

The first incident – the half time kit change

Saturday, 13 April 1996. Manchester United travelled to The Dell in confident mood, having won ten of their last eleven league games, including their last four. Their run in the FA Cup meant they had actually won 14 out of 15 in all competitions.

Southampton, by contrast, were fighting to stay out of the relegation zone. Two wins from their last four matches had elevated them from 18^th to 16^th, but they were still in a tight battle with Coventry City and Manchester City – ironically both these sides had been Manchester United’s opponents during the preceding Easter weekend. The expectation was that United would complete the hat-trick of victories against these struggling teams, a comfortable victory in their sights.

What followed in the first half turned the form book on its head, as Southampton astonishingly found themselves 3-0 up as they entered the tunnel. Manchester United’s players entered the tunnel wearing their grey shirts. They emerged in their third kit of blue and white, despite the white potentially causing a colour clash with their host’s strip. In the second half, United did pull a goal back through Ryan Giggs, but it was no-where near enough and the game finished 3-1.

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According to the commentator, the reason given was that the players were struggling to see each other in the grey, the drab colour seeming to fade into the background at The Dell.

This reason seemed to be confirmed a couple of days later when a press conference was hastily put together featuring Alex Ferguson, chairman Martin Edwards and an executive from their kit manufacturer, Umbro. It was announced that the grey shirt would not be worn again, and that a white away jersey would be introduced as the away shirt for the following season. And it would just be a shirt. As a goodwill gesture, the players would wear the white or black shorts and socks with it that would also be part of their home kit. In a further goodwill gesture, this shirt would be sold at a discounted price (around 75% of the usual RRP for replica shirts).

Pearl clutching

In this modern age in which all clubs seem to bring out three new kits every season, younger readers may wonder why the Manchester United hierarchy had to go to such lengths to appease the consumers. Back in the mid-1990s, though, there was much pearl-clutching about the frequency of change of replica kits, and of fans and parents being “ripped off”.

Manchester United seemed to suffer the negative press more than anyone. In reality, the grey kit was only the seventh kit in the almost four years of their deal with Umbro. Sounds a lot but that’s keeping in mind three kits would have been introduced during the first year of this deal. Until now, the only kit that only lasted for one season was the dark blue (with black “pattern”) number from 1992, that was replaced by the iconic black kit the following summer. They would only change their home and third kit every two years, with the away shirt alternately changing every two years. Keeping each kit for two years was pretty standard practice then.

Other clubs brought out new kits with far greater frequency. To name but a few examples, Everton (also supplied by Umbro) introduced a plain white third shirt in 1992/93, then had a white third shirt with navy blue pinstripes for 1993/94, before bringing out another white away shirt (with a grey tyre-print) ahead of 1994/95. Although the shirt kept the same design in 1995, they changed sponsors from NEC to Danka, meaning supporters would have to buy another shirt with this new sponsor’s name on if they didn’t want to be seen in “last year’s” shirt.

Also by Umbro, Manchester City used the identical pinstripe kit for just one season, Chelsea had a similar design but in yellow that they also used for just one season.

In their first season with Puma as their kit manufacturer, 1993/4, Sheffield Wednesday actually brought out four kits! Then introduced another one for 1994/5.

Middlesbrough, supplied by Errea, only had two kits but were by now changing both every season.

All of the above seemed to happen without anybody batting an eyelid. However, perhaps due to their mass appeal, and more children up and down the country – and worldwide – pestering their parents for the latest shirt, it garnered uproar whenever Manchester United announced the release of a new shirt.

However, at times they didn’t do themselves any favours. For the first few years of their deal with Umbro, they took the unusual step of introducing their third kits halfway through the season. This could cause many observers to assume that they had brought out a new shirt in summer only to change it in the new year. While this would be incorrect, it should have been recognised by those in charge that literally changing a kit half-way through a season is really not a good look.

However, such a practise was dwarfed by their actions that day at The Dell.

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What were they thinking?!

I find it astonishing that a club as well run and PR savvy as Manchester United were in the 1990s didn’t realise how bad it was going to look to be changing shirts at half time.

For one thing, given the negative press they were already receiving for supposedly releasing too many kits, their actions here could easily lead to the misconception that, not content with bringing out a new strip halfway through a season, they actually brought out a new kit halfway through a game!

Moreover, did nobody assess the risk versus reward here?! The probability that they would be able to overturn Southampton’s half-time lead and even gain a point was so infinitesimal it was not worth it against the inevitability of the hell they would catch for changing shirts at half time. Even if they’d managed to win the game, how pathetic it would sound for the finest team assembled in the land to be blaming the colour of their shirts for their poor display until then.

Incidentally on this day it was just their shirts, as they had opted to wear the white shorts and white change socks from their home kit. Perhaps it was because the dark grey of the away shorts and socks could be considered to potentially clash with Southampton’s black shorts, or maybe they were already conscious of the supposed problems of visibility with this kit and so opted for the white lower half. If that is the reason, then, according to a fan who was there that day, it had the opposite effect.

I actually think it was the shorts that made it worse. I know people joke about what a poor excuse Manchester United came up with, but the kit didn’t help and it really didn’t stand out, merging with the background at times. The white shorts especially seemed to blend in with the advertising hoardings (many of which were either mainly white or used white text), especially when seen from pitch level which is where my ticket was.

(Taken from Museum of Jerseys website)

Incidentally, United would suffer further at The Dell the following season, once again wearing their blue and white effort, this time for the entire match, they would lose 6-3. Coming just a few months later, with both teams wearing the exact same kit (for the second half at least!), the match played in full daylight and with many of the same players involved, has led many to the Mandela effect of recalling their 6-3 humbling as the ‘grey shirts game’. It wasn’t.

Manchester Untied would then lose at The Dell for the third season in a row when Southampton beat them 1-0 in front of the Monday night cameras in January 1998. To add to the intrigue, despite having an all blue third strip, United wore their white away kit that night, despite the clash with Southampton’s home colours. However, given that the blue kit’s two league outings had seen a shock defeat at Sunderland and a loss in the crucial top-of-the-table clash at Arsenal, perhaps the blue third strip was also considered “unlucky”!

Or perhaps it was nothing to do with the shirts they were wearing.

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Previous results in grey

The infamous grey kit’s predecessor was their iconic black kit, so popular even today that adidas have brought out their own interpretation of it as Manchester United’s third kit this season. However, during the last 18 months of that kit’s tenure, United would win just one of eight matches in it. This would suggest that away days against teams that played in red (or claret) were difficult games.

So it would prove in 1995/96 too. Of the top five that season, there was only Newcastle who didn’t warrant an away shirt from Manchester United. Nottingham Forest were also in the top five for much of that season before they fell away to 9^th.

On to Manchester United’s results in grey, and on the opening day of the season, an injury hit United side travelled to Villa Park. Their hosts had struggled the season before but would go on to finish fourth this season. They set out their stall on day one, the game ironically following United’s final appearance in the grey shirts in the hosts being 3-0 up at half time before United pulled one back in the second half.

All three of Villa’s goals were arguably caused by misjudgements by their usually outstanding goalkeeper, Peter Schmeicel, albeit left exposed by the somewhat makeshift defence in front of him. In the second half, United played well and it took a handful of top class saves from their  future (and former!) goalkeeper Mark Bosnich to prevent a more tangible comeback from the visitors, these shots that were saved coming at the end of good team moves. David Beckham’s first Premier League goal would also be the only goal that United would score from open play in their grey shirts, the commentator even saying “oh at last” when Bosnich is finally beaten. In short, they moved the ball around well and certainly didn’t play as though they were struggling to see each other.

However, given that Villa were not considered to be one of the better teams when the season began, the severity of this defeat, coupled with the lack of recognition that United had several first team regulars still out injured, and the doom-mongering following the departures of Mark Hughes and Paul Ince (with Andrei Kanchelskis also on his way by now) led to Alan Hansen’s ill-fated declaration that “you can’t win anything with kids”.

Final note on this game – while Bosnich was keeping United out at one end, another future Manchester United player, Dwight Yorke, was impressing in attack for Villa.

Arsenal in early November, and even rarer than a bad game from Schmeichel was a mistake by Denis Irwin. It happened in this day though, the Irish full-back taking a poor touch that was too short to be a backpass and too heavy to immediately wrest control of again. Arsenal’s recent signing, Denis Bergkamp, capitalised, muscling Irwin off the ball as he chased his own mistake, and slotting the ball past Schmeichel.

Observers of extended highlights of this game have noted that with another referee on the day, Bergkamp could have been judged to have used excessive contact to shrug Irwin off the ball and so their goal could have been disallowed, while at the other end, Andy Cole was taken down twice in Arsenal’s box, both could have been interpreted as penalties. In other words, for all the talk of not being able to see each other, United arguably did enough to win here on another day.

However, this was United’s first defeat since that opening day at Villa Park. Perhaps the first indicator that the grey kit was “unlucky”.

The City Ground, Nottingham, later that month. Although their long unbeaten run had recently come to an end, Forest were still riding high, third in the Premier League just 10 days prior to this game and the last English team standing in Europe. United went behind in the first half but put some nice moves together later in the game. Although their equaliser came from a somewhat soft penalty award, Alex Ferguson would later compliment their passing moves and quality of the football. Again, not exactly the sign of players struggling to see each other.

This draw at Forest, however, would be the beginning of a poor run that would see United win just two of their next nine matches.

During this run they lost 2-0 at title rivals Liverpool, a poor performance with little positives to take this time, but it certainly wasn’t an isolated game around this time,

They were playing pretty badly in red too. The grey shirts can’t be blamed for them dropping points at home to a then-mid-table Chelsea and struggling Sheffield Wednesday. The grey shirts can’t be blamed for them losing 3-1 to a Leeds side whose league season was already unravelling (more on that next time!). Finally, the grey shirts can’t be blamed for their 4-1 thrashing at White Hart Lane (another future Old Trafford hero, Teddy Sheringham, on target for Tottenham that day).

Curiously, the two matches that ended this unwanted run and turned Manchester United’s season around were also two indicators that they did not like their new away kit. At Sunderland in the FA Cup, they preferred the aforementioned blue and white kit despite the white clashing with their opponent’s colours. An Andy Cole header in extra time sent them through and arguably kick-started their season.

Then, in their next league game, at Upton Park, they wore their red home shirts despite the closeness in colour to West Ham’s claret. It worked though, the brightness of their shirts under the Monday night floodlights enough to distinguish them from their opponents, and United won 1-0.

The prospect of wearing the away kit wouldn’t arise again until their fateful trip to The Dell. All three of Southampton’s goals were down to either poor defending or individual errors. For those who argue that the move was justified because they “won” the second half, by that logic they also “won” the second halves at Villa Park and The City Ground while still wearing the grey.

Furthermore, although the design was different, the national side would wear an away kit in a similar faded grey design, but their results in this shirt would suggest it didn’t cause them any problems.

Based on the above, it can be argued that their aversion to the grey shirts would appear to be driven by superstition rather than practicality.

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Not the first

If it was down to superstition, Manchester United were not even the first team in the 1995/96 season to blame their kit for their results on the road. Most people who remember the incident at the centre of this article won’t remember, and perhaps aren’t even aware, that Blackburn Rovers also abandoned their new away kit that season. For a while, anyway.

Their title defence was disastrous, their Champions League campaign even worse, and at the end of November they were knocked out of the League Cup at Elland Road, at this point their only away win in any competition was at third tier Swindon Town in an earlier round.

The decision was taken to revert to the previous season’s away strip, and things did improve. In mid-January, after a couple of draws in their black shirt with thin red strips best associated with their title triumph, they finally won their first away match in the league that season, against QPR.

After this, they began wearing their “new” away shirts again (red with black sleeves) and managed a couple of victories wearing them. One can infer from this that the team wouldn’t wear their new away kit again until their away day jinx had been lifted. Quite what would have happened if they hadn’t won at Loftus Road and continued to wait for a first away win, or if they had anything to play for in the League, is one for the ages. Potentially they could have scrapped their new away shirts altogether much sooner than their north-west rivals.

However, this transition went largely unnoticed, perhaps because, despite being defending champions, they didn’t have Manchester United’s profile and so there wasn’t the same nationwide, maybe even worldwide, demand for their replica shirts.

More pertinently, though, they had more sense than to make the transition in the middle of a game!

Had United just quietly started wearing their third shirt for all necessary away games after their Anfield defeat, not many people would have noticed. That said, with the media pressure to keep each kit for two seasons, it would have presented a problem in 1996/97 if they had brought a new away kit out then without acknowledging why. They could maybe have brought the new third shirt out earlier and used that for away games though, kept the grey as a sort of “training kit”. By the end of the decade, a number of clubs were doing this – bringing out a third kit that the first team in all likelihood wouldn’t even wear for a game and spinning it as a “training kit”. However, in 1995 they were less likely to get away with doing that.

The irony is another away kit wasn’t even needed for 1995/96. Their blue and white third strip had been worn at The Dell the previous season, when Southampton played in much thicker stripes making a clash more likely, and they also wore it against Crystal Palace in the FA Cup, despite the blue stripes on Palace’s home shirt matching United’s third shirt in colour and size. If they could wear the blue and white against these opponents, they could wear it against everyone. Ironically, the aforementioned Blackburn perhaps set a precedent for this, as they would often retain their home colours (blue and white halves) against opponents who wore red-and-white or red/claret-and-blue shirts. Just think of the good will United could have garnered in the press from only requiring two shirts, both of which were released the season before, saving their fans money. How they must wish they hadn’t brought the grey shirts out at all.

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Teams in red

Earlier, I mentioned that away trips to teams playing in red that season may have been more difficult matches, pointing to the final table showing four of the top five playing in red (or claret/maroon in Villa’s case).

To further emphasise this point, look at the points that Newcastle picked up from the corresponding fixtures to Manchester United’s grey-shirt games. Or, moreover, the points they didn’t pick up. They would only manage one more point as they drew at Villa Park. They also drew at the City Ground, and, like their title rivals, lost at Anfield, The Dell and Highbury. Their defeat at The Dell, in September, was the only time Newcastle dropped points in their opening ten matches! In fact, in all competitions they won 12 out of their first 13, Southampton being the only team to blemish their record. Despite their lowly league position, Southampton were able to mix it against the best on their own turf.

That Southampton also beat Newcastle didn’t seem to be acknowledged by many associated with Manchester United. Instead, their frustration that a struggling side had managed to end their unbeaten run was heightened by the fact that, during the final 15 matches of the season, the only other team to take points from them were a QPR side entrenched in the bottom three and destined for relegation.

This frustration would show in the coming weeks, with iconic ramifications. On 13 April 1996, though, Southampton could celebrate being three points closer to safety, while the title race took an unexpected twist.

Elsewhere that afternoon Chelsea (a mid-table team then, remember) thrashed an abject looking Leeds side 4-1 at Stamford Bridge.

The Elland Road outfit hadn’t looked right since they were obliterated 3-0 in the League Cup Final by Aston Villa a few weeks earlier. In their last home game, a 3-1 reversal against Nottingham Forest on Easter Monday, their under fire manager Howard Wilkinson had to endure a gauntlet of abuse from the home supporters as he made his way to the tunnel.

Leeds’ next game was at Old Trafford a few days after this ill-fated afternoon that saw the grey shirts banished. It would set in motion events that would lead to perhaps the most replayed post-match interview ever.

But that’s another story for another time.

Going into the new season they were looking to go back-to-back once again. The likes of Shelbourne, Derry City, Bohemians and St. Patrick’s Athletic will be looking towards the top of the table and trying to take that next step to challenge for the league title, where Waterford, Galway and Dundalk be looking to avoid the drop. The most interesting cases are Drogheda United and Sligo Rovers.

Both sides probably sit just outside the best in the league but also don’t seem to be in much danger of going down. All of this is just speculation before the season of course, with this league always guaranteed to give us a surprise or two throughout the course of the season.

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Rovers were back to their best last season and have managed to strengthen their ranks once again. The signing of Jay Mulraney from Dublin rivals St. Pat’s was a massive coup and after seemingly mended bridges, one of the league’s best talents, Jack Byrne will return to Tallaght after a loan spell with Dubai Irish for the second half of last season.

Their attacking third is already the most frightening in the league and securing the return of Naj Razi after he left Como gives them another dangerous winger, who will be looking to prove people wrong who have begun to doubt if he can make it at the top level.

A player who proved long ago that he belonged at the top level is Enda Stevens. We have seen a lot of players return home after a stint in England or elsewhere but not many of them have represented their country 26 times. Stevens left Rovers after a fantastic 2010-11 season and has been plying his trade throughout the English football pyramid, most notably with Sheffield United, ever since. In returning to the hoops, he offers class, leadership and experience that he can use to guide the various young talents littered around the squad and guide the Dubliners through another European adventure.

Another massive boost for Stephen Bradley’s men was being able to retain their star boy Michael Noonan. With interest for the young hit man littered all around Europe, it seemed that Hoffenheim were about to secure the signature of the 17-year-old but the deal fell through. This might be the last time we see him playing in the League of Ireland for a long, long time so it will be interesting to see what Bradley can squeeze out of him before he inevitably jets off to a bigger and better standard.

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Derry have been one of the best sides in the league over the last couple of years but still haven’t managed to get back to the very top and win their third ever Premier Division title, having last won the competition in 1996/97 season. Their summer signings highlight their intent and determination for this season to be one they finally get their hands on that illusive league trophy.

Their marquee signing has come in the form of hometown hero and one of Ireland’s most beloved players, James McClean. The Candystripes also have Conference League qualification to look forward to, but their main focus will be on the league for the time being. After a promising win in the President’s Cup against the champions, they will look to keep this form going after an opening day 2-1 win against Sligo.

Tiernan Lynch will be looking to have a red-hot start to the season this year after his men only collected four points from the opening 15 and they would have to wonder whether a better start would have meant they could have gotten the better of Rovers come the end of the year. To me, I think this could be their year.

Although they lost last season’s top scorer Pat Hoban, the signings of McClean and Darragh Markey will ensure they have enough to provide for the likes of Dipo Akinyemi, Liam Boyce, and Josh Thomas who will be relishing in the chances that the quality of those in behind them can produce. Their defence remains resolute and with the best goalkeeper in the league between the sticks, anything but a league title will be a disappointment.

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Bohs fans enjoyed a rollercoaster season over the last term. Over the first ten games they looked to be in for a dire season, suffering six losses. They then discovered the knack of scoring late goals and had a brief flirtation with the title race. Overall, it ended up being a successful season as they secured fourth place and a long-awaited return of European football after a five-year absence.

In recent times it seems that the Gypsies expectations for the year ahead are up in the air as the new season commences. Alan Reynolds squad has lost some club stalwarts over the summer in Keith Buckley, James Talbot, Rob Cornwall and James Clarke. The main worries for the season centre around losing so many big characters for the dressing room but maybe Reynolds is ushering in the new group of leaders in the squad. Dawson Devoy and Ross Tierney are now in their mid-twenties and entering the prime of their careers.

Having already been integral members of the team for the last couple of years, it’s now time they step up and become the main leaders in the dressing room and on the pitch. Two fantastic players who ooze quality and have played across the UK, it’s their time to push Bohs on to the next level. They have the perfect combination of goals, tackles, carrying the ball forward, retaining possession, eye for a pass and having highlighted themselves as two of the best around the league, this could be the year they cement themselves at the top of the pile.

Their recruitment may not have been as flashy as others but the signings of Sadou Diallo and Patrick Hickey provides depth with LOI experience and bringing in Ireland underage internationals Harry Vaughan and Senan Mullen gives a boost of quality, energy and more youth to develop. The competition for them European spots has also strengthened around them and with no guarantees of a fourth placed finish enough to guarantee qualification for the Conference League again this year, it could be a tough year for the Phibsborough outfit to retain European competition.

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Following the dramatic League title win in 2024, Shels were always going to find it hard to challenge for another league title last time out. Although it wasn’t a complete fall from grace and they ended up in third place, giving their fans another chance at a European adventure. After finishing 34^th out of 36 teams in the European Conference League, their only points coming off the back of two draws, they will be looking to take a step forward and put a dent in the win column.

For the upcoming league campaign, another top four finish is the minimum requirement. They have an intriguing squad going into the season, with most players sitting around their mid-20’s with the experience of Paddy Barrett and Sean Gannon, who were immense last season, still leading the pack. Odhran Casey, Rodrigo Freitas and Will Jarvis are three signings that will excite the Auld Reds faithful and will add some more hunger and energy to their ranks. Casey is an u21 Northern Ireland international and has been a standout for Cliftonville over the last few seasons, adding more quality and depth to a defence that conceded the third least number of goals in the league last year.

Freitas is a somewhat unknown signing. He joins from Varzim S.C in the Portuguese third division, where he managed six goals and two assists last year. It will be interesting to see how he fairs under the Friday night lights of Tolka Park but is definitely someone who the fans will be looking forward to seeing.

The return of fan favourite Will Jarvis was a massive boost to the side. Having spent the 2023 and 2024 season in North Dublin, he spent last year plying his trade with Notts County before making his permanent return to Tolka. He notched 8 goals in 25 games the last time he wore red and will add some well welcomed attacking threat and prowess to the side. The Reds also boast a few fantastic players in the centre of midfield. Last years player of the year Kerr McInroy quickly became a mainstay for the North Dublin outfit and his control of the game, being the starting point of many of Shels attacking moves led to numerous assists and four goals last season.

Another player who could well make himself a mainstay in the middle of the park is Jack Henry Francis. The former Arsenal academy graduate likes to get forward at every given opportunity and impressed in Shels opening weekend draw against Waterford and many expect this year to be the one where he kicks on and shows his class after only managing eight appearances last year.  Expect him to have a big say this season and they will need him to be at his best if this squad are to try replicate the heroics of 2024.

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St. Pat’s are up next, and it ended up being a disappointing domestic campaign for the Dublin 8 outfit in the 2024/25 season. They finished outside the European qualification spots in the league and were put to the sword by Cork City in the FAI Cup semi-final in a shock 3-0 loss. Europe was where they impressed most. They beat FC Hegelmann from Lithuania and Kalju from Estonia in their opening matches but were ultimately dumped from the competition by Turkish giants Besiktas. So, heading into this new campaign, the Saints have something to prove.

Stephen Kenny’s squad will have reduced in size based on the fact they won’t be setting off on another European adventure this year, but as we saw at Dundalk, Kenny often thrived with a smaller squad, so the Saints supporters will be hoping he can replicate some of his magic from his trophy-laden stint in Louth. The biggest challenge facing the boys from Richmond Park is replacing the attacking output of Jay Mulraney and Mason Melia. Mulraney was snapped up by Dublin rivals Shamrock Rovers and Melia became LOI’s biggest ever sale when he penned his deal at Tottenham Hotspur.

Two of the Saints leading men has heaped on the pressure on former Sligo Rovers striker Max Mata. The New Zealand native impressed across two spells in Sligo which was interrupted by a stint over the Irish Sea which didn’t quite work out for him, but his experience and quality at this level will be hugely important if they are to challenge towards the top end of the table again.

Ryan Edmondson is another signing that comes to Richmond Park with big pedigree. Most recently plying his trade with Central Coast Mariners in the Australian A-League, he has also played for Leeds and Carlisle United. During his time south of the hemisphere, he won the treble in 2024 and will be looking to hit the ground running and add more medals to his back pocket.

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Sligo Rovers got into a good run of form in the second half of last season to finish ten points behind sixth place Drogheda and two clear of Galway and Waterford below them. They made sure they were safe from relegation but never put a string of results together to push them higher up the table and challenge for Europe.

The Bit O’Red will be looking at last season as a marker of somewhere they don’t want to be again. They will need to start this season in better form to ensure they’re not dragged into a relegation battle. Thankfully, John Russell has built a squad that oozes LOI experience. He likes his team to play football and with the talent of players like Jad Hakiki, Ryan O’Kane, Alex Nolan and Jeannot Esua, they certainly have the talent going forward to hurt teams. They also boast a strong base with Ciaron Harkin, Carl McHugh and the returning Shane Blaney. Blaney is a massive signing for Rovers, as they conceded 54 goals last term, which was good enough for third most in the league last year. That’s the kind of stats that can drag you down the table and Blaney will be massive in ensuring that doesn’t happen.

Just as bolstering their back line was a major point of focus during the break, arguably a bigger hole that needed filling was the one left by the sensation Owen Elding. The 19-year-old swapped Sligo for Hibernian in January after a remarkable 2025 campaign which saw him net 16 times across all competitions. Unfortunately for Russell, it was always going to be an almost impossible task to keep him as other clubs came circling and it’s crucial they replace his output. Most of that pressure rests on the shoulders of Ghanian striker Mai Traore, who joins on loan from Notts County. They will need him to hit the ground running and start racking up the goals early and often, so Sligo don’t get dragged down towards the bottom of the table again.

Although Rovers have the squad to chase Europe, if they manage to go on long, sustained winning runs, I think the others chasing those spots will be too strong. I suspect a mid-table finish for the lads from The Showgrounds, and maybe a deep cup run to keep their fans satisfied.

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It was a very challenging 2025 at Eamon Deacy Park in Galway, on and off the field. The unfortunate illness and passing of Assistant Manager Ollie Horgan had a profound impact across the club. In the league, they managed an eight placed finish, only staying ahead of Waterford on goal difference. Going into this season, they will have a massively updated squad with 12 new players coming into the team while 12 others have left headed for the exit door

Cork native David Hurley is a massive player for the Tribesmen and heading into what will be his sixth season at the club, he is only 24 appearances off 200 and is still a key piece of the puzzle for John Caulfield’s men. His ability to play in both deep and advanced positions in the midfield offers so much adaptability for his side and expect him to be a mainstay once again.

With so many stalwarts such as Brendan Clarke, Rob Slevin, Patrick Hickey and Vincent Borden leaving and the retirement of experienced Greg Cunningham, it was important that the signings included players who have experience in the league and can guide them through another tough season. Kris Twardek, Francely Lomboto, Evan Watts and Wasiri Williams are amongst those names and if they can hit the ground running, United could be eyeing up a mid-table finish.

However, the biggest question mark remains. Where are the goals coming from? Since the departure of Moses Dyer in 2025, they have struggled to replace his talents, and it could be something that drags them towards the lower end of the table once again.

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The Drogs’ sixth place finish was probably a far cry from how some of their fans saw the season going when an incredible start to the season left them at the pinnacle by May. Some inconsistencies started to creep into their results, due to a range of reasons and were pipped at the final hurdle for a European spot. A massive disappointment in their year was being kicked out of the Europa Conference League due to issues with UEFA’s multi-club ownership rules and deadlines missed.

The Boynesiders are looking to build a squad to compete and with the vast majority of regulars from last year signing new contracts and a host of new signings makes them a force to be reckoned with. A brilliant bit of business from Kevin Doherty was bringing in former Ireland u21 international Brandon Kavanagh to bolster his midfield options. Kavanagh has spent the last few seasons with Rovers, Derry and Pats, as well as a loan move to Bray. He has shown his technical quality throughout his time in the LOI and suits his new managers brave play style to get at teams and play on the front foot.

They have also looked across the pond to the US for some new recruits to bring to United Park, including Ethan O’Brien, Jason Bucknor and Leo Burney and club legend Mark Doyle, second in their all-time goalscoring list. The re-signing of Doyle is massive for the club, the squad and the fans and he will look to pick up his former form in front of goal and fire his side into contention

Although they will be looking to break into the top echelon, it will be difficult as Rovers, Shels, Bohs and Derry all strengthening their squads, as well as Dundalk and Sligo Rovers looking to take the next step – maybe a repeat of their 2024 cup heroics will be the best way to bring them another chance in European competitions.

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Waterford could count themselves lucky after last season. The remain in the premier division thanks to a Promotion/Relegation Play-Off victory against Bray Wanderers. In the upcoming season, it probably looks like another season where fighting for survival is the main goal.

A lot of the pressure rests on the shoulders of veteran bagsman Pádraig Amond. Even at 37 (38 in April) the Carlow native still knows how to put the ball in the net and lead the line. Waterford have made a few interesting signings with the likes of Conor Carty and Tommy Lonergan who will look to compliment Amond at the top end of the pitch, but they need to find the right way to keep all players happy and the best way to play them together.

Another new signing who you can expect to be an integral part of Blues squad is Luke Heeney. The Dubliner has a range of LOI experience, most notably his recent stint with Drogheda. His constant engine that never seems to falter and his willingness to protect the defence that sits behind him could be a huge part of Waterford’s push to stay up and this prowess should give the likes of Amond, Carty and Lonergan the platform to go and do what they do best.

It’s a tough season ahead at the RSC and don’t be surprised to see Waterford back in the same position they found themselves in last time out.

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Dundalk managed to get straight back up to the big show after being relegated two seasons ago. They were once 10 points ahead of Cork, got dragged back into a fight but managed to keep their composure and are back to compete at the top. The main cog in that fight back was formal Ireland international Daryl Horgan and once again it was extremely important that the Lilywhite’s kept hold of their main man. His experience and evident quality will stand to them throughout the season, and they will look for him to step up throughout the season once again.

Manager Ciaran Kilduff is optimistic about the season, highlighting that most people expect them to go down so the pressure is already off his players and they can just go out and play. Perhaps that’s the right way to look at it because they will undoubtedly be fighting for their lives along with Waterford. As every team who gets promoted knows, for all the quality and young talent you may have, the more LOI experience you have around your squad the better.

The double signing from Bohs of Keith Buckley and Rob Cornwall is a serious coup and having two more leaders in the dressing room will stand to them. By no means necessary does that mean they are fine to stay up but that trio of LOI stalwarts will guide the young players such as Gbemi Arubi and Vinnie Leonard and show them the ways of the top division.

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We have another fantastic season of football on our hands. Rovers and Derry, for me, are still the two teams to beat. With such a long season ahead, even a slow start won’t stop them from coming back into the fold. Bohs and Shels will be looking to pull of shocks and challenge the top two and with the squads assembled it wouldn’t be the most ridiculous to see one of them at the top of the table when it’s all said and done.

I think Pats and Drogheda are just below those top four. Two fantastic sides who will be looking for European football and will be quick to react to any slip ups from the ones ahead of them. Sligo could also be in that group with Pat’s and Drogheda, but I think they’ll just slide in above the relegation battle. Not a terrible season but definitely not what they will want. I think the fight between Galway, Dundalk and Waterford will be a fascinating one to watch.

I’m sure each team will have their own run of great form and it’s just all about who will hit that patch of form at the right time.

Pete Wild, Fleetwood Town head coach, once defiant, once rousing in a League Two kind of way, now appears not stoical, but glum – at the mercy of that biannual call from prison, a victim of former chairman Andy Pilley’s trickery and money laundering, and his current desire to keep the club afloat while jammed behind bars.

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Fleetwood Town was always a selling club, a feeder club, a club which harnessed talent and sold it on – proud of its record in developing players by the coast (David Harrington, Phoenix Patterson, Brendan Wiredu, Promise Omochere, Carl Johnston, Cian Hayes, Josh Earl, Paddy Lane, Shayden Morris, James Hill, Wes Burns, Jay Matete) – but now it feels like a ‘50% off’ clothes store, the place to go for bargains or slightly-out-of-fashion garb.

“We’ve gotta roll with what we’ve got,” Wild told the BBC on Saturday 17th January, post-Cambridge United, post their fourth consecutive defeat in all competitions, acutely aware of the Sisyphean reality and the now unlikely flirtation with promotion. Once optimistic, Fleetwood has become, in many ways, an oppressed housewife keen to go to the ball but denied the necessary sexy dress.

The wardrobes that sit inside Highbury and Poolfoot Farm still house doggedness and skill in the form of Harrison Neal, Elliot Bonds, Ethan Ennis, Kayden Hughes, Mark Helm and Ched Evans, but too many players are underperforming, or dispirited by the ‘sell and survive’ strategy dressed up as ‘evolutionary wonder’.

What hopes this club had of once again treading the turf as League One players, chests puffed out, seduced by the magic of the third tier with its sense of being someone, have well and truly disintegrated as if FTFC is now twinned with HM Prison Service. Key personnel are missing, yes (including James Bolton, Denver Hume, Will Johnson, Lewis McCann, James Norwood and Finley Potter), but the midfield is still the midfield, yet with the seeming responsibility of a six-year-old child.

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Elliot Bonds and Mark Helm, in particular, need to take a hard look at themselves and ask: What is it that I want from my career? To coast or dazzle. Both have been supplied with ample, God-given ability, yet neither have really excelled this season. Bonds needs to be braver, forward thinking and leadership-inclined, even when playing alongside the more mouthy, adopted son of Wild, Harrison Neal. Likewise, Helm, oozing skill and flair when ‘on it’ needs to consistently believe that he will always be one of the more capable players on the park and thus produce.

Without this thrust, this solidity, in front of the defence and behind the attack, Fleetwood is a shadow club, blocking out the light, feeble in its forays, apathetic and ailing in its adventures. A club has to believe in order to make strides. Who provides that belief? The gifted handful within it that demand 100%, that don’t accept trudging and shuffling around; the few greats that lead by example.

Fleetwood Town is, granted, down to the bare bones. It has used three or four defensive lines this season. It has had to contend with the inevitable departure of goalkeeper David Harrington who had the potential to really re-build this club with his extraordinary Spiderman-like presence. It brought in the experienced and canny midfielder Jordan Davies from Wrexham who has been plagued by injury. It also brought in Will Davies, a striker from Sutton United, who was deft and delightful early season, but then nonchalant and idle. As for Toby Mullarkey, he looks the part, physically strong, a glider, but never seemed to find a consistent place in this team or earn Wild’s respect.

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Why? Why do these ‘mistakes’ happen? Is it the pot luck of free transfers, clubs now bathing in the availability of players, most of whom are ‘suspect’ if their contracts run down? Or is it simply a club on its uppers claiming to still be a ‘going concern’ but frantically re-arranging the chairs on the Titanic?

I still believe that this club four miles from my house is capable of greatness. I still recognise potential when I see it in the form of defenders Conor Haughey and Will Johnson. I still love the thrill and prospect of a new striker coming through the ranks or an up-and-coming midfielder not held back by overthinking the game.

See what you’ve still got, Pete, but make them run. Make them earn every last pound of their salary. Make them fight for the badge as Jamie Vardy did, as David Ball did, as Wes Burns did, as Carl Johnston did.

The turnout for their National League fixture against Eastleigh was 431. Fewer than 400 of them were home fans. The last time Gateshead drew a crowd under 500 for a league fixture was April 2019, when 470 turned out on a Tuesday night versus Fylde. You have to go back to January 2018 to find the last time the Saturday attendance was under 500.

When you consider the Eastleigh fixture was on a Sunday, with no competition from neighbouring Newcastle United, it makes the figure all the more alarming.

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It is a worrying statistic at a time when non-league football in England is undergoing a renaissance. Attendances have rocketed across the steps. While some of this is down to large clubs such as Carlisle and Southend dropping down, the pattern of growth is visible everywhere. The National League North’s average attendance has grown from 902 to 1265 over the last decade, while the South’s has doubled from 653 to 1255.

For the National League itself, in the 2015/16 season 7 of the league’s 24 clubs averaged over 2000 fans. Ten years later that number has doubled to 14. Similarly, 10 years ago 5 clubs averaged fewer than 1000 fans – as of right now, there are no National League clubs with an average gate below 1000.

While Gateshead have averaged over 1000 fans this season, this figure is masked by the recent fixture versus Carlisle where the visitors brought 3500 fans, outnumbering the home support by almost 4 to 1. Subtract that game and Gateshead’s average league home attendance this season is 878, the sole club below four figures.

Gateshead have simply not shared in the growth of the league. At the end of the 2024/25 season Gateshead’s average crowd was 1404. 10 years prior it had been 1178. While this does not sound too bad, Gateshead had entered the year as FA Trophy winners and spent most of the season competing for the playoffs, yet this ranked them 19^th in the attendance table.

Compare this with another long-tenured National League club in similar circumstances: Altrincham. Their average crowd in 2024/25 was 2088, up from 1251 ten years prior. Whereas once Gateshead were drawing similar crowds, Altrincham pulled away and left them behind.

So what has gone wrong at Gateshead? Put simply: everything, and the speed at which it has happened is hard to believe. At the time of writing one year ago, Gateshead were solidly in a playoff position after an electric start to their campaign.

However, the cracks had already begun to show. A small club like Gateshead cannot hold onto its best assets when there are so many bigger fish circling. In October 2024 manager Rob Elliot departed for Crawley Town, the second time in a year they had lost a manager.

The real damage however was done in January, with the departure of key players such as Owen Oseni and Callum Whelan, as well as a very public attempt to force a move by Regan Booty.

The effect was instant – form dropped off a cliff. Gateshead would only win two more home games for the rest of the season. On matchday 45 of 46 they dropped out of the playoffs after spending the entire season in them, and a draw at home to fellow playoff hopefuls Southend on the final day meant they missed out.

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All of this was secondary to off-field drama, which ramped up massively in the off-season. Rumours began circling in January of an attempted takeover of the club by former Premier League footballer Victor Anichebe. This takeover ended up being blocked by then club chairman Neil Pinkerton. It is unknown at this time why the move was blocked, however Pinkerton subsequently departed the club, rendering the situation all the more confusing.

The Anichebe saga would define the club’s off-season, with a variety of rumours circulating since. The most alarming was a story surrounding potential legal action from Anichebe to recover lost monies – while he never owned the club at any point, he is alleged to have put money into the club to fund transfers in January and February; with the deal falling through he wanted his money back.

What was certain was Gateshead were under a FIFA-imposed transfer ban for much of May and June, relating to outstanding player development fees. While this issue was eventually resolved, it epitomised the state the club was in.

Nothing epitomised it more, however, than the departure of Greg Olley. Olley was the face of Gateshead FC, a talismanic captain who had turned down moves higher out of his love for the club. Following the final game of the season, he gave an interview that eviscerated the state of the club. Most damningly, he spoke on the stadium situation: in the 2023/24 season Gateshead had finished in a playoff spot but were denied entry due to issues relating to the club’s lease of Gateshead International Stadium from the local council. While fans blamed the council for this catastrophic error, Olley’s interview claimed the council ‘took the weight off a lot of the people at this club’s shoulders’ – implying the issue was at least in part down to the club’s owners.

He went on to say he had ‘never seen a club melt down this bad’ and savaged the board for not investing in retaining or rebuilding the playing squad, saying that the manager’s hands were ‘tied behind his back’ and has ‘no help from above’.

Olley also spoke on the takeover, most notably voicing frustration at the board not communicating the state of the takeover clearly, and criticising them for allowing ‘new owners to come into the changing room when they haven’t officially taken over the club’, which he said ‘unsettled the dressing room’.

The interview was damning, and entering the 2025-26 season Gateshead fans’ relationship with the board had sunken through the floor. Unfortunately there has been no on-pitch revival to heal wounds. They have won only one home game this season, and at the time of writing the club is in the midst of a 9-game losing streak, where they have conceded 27 goals and scored just 4. At the recent Carlisle fixture, the remaining Gateshead contingent sang songs calling for the board’s head.

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It is a sad situation after recent success, but fate has dealt them a dismal hand. They play in a stadium regarded by many as the worst in the country, which denied them a shot at the Football League in 2023-24, and is decaying with each passing year. The club represents a town of 60,000 in a borough of 200,000, one of the largest catchment areas in the league, yet have consistently been one of the worst supported sides.

This triple whammy of poor football being played in a terrible, unattractive stadium and local apathy in favour of the Premier League team across the river has always been fatal to the Heed. While these problems have hung over the club for years if not decades, at this moment in time, combined with fan distrust and anger at the board, it has disintegrated the foundations of the club’s fanbase.

Six years ago I wrote an article about the slow death of Gateshead FC. While no less catastrophic and existential than their current predicament, the constant throughout that particular saga was the fans being united. While a troubling time for the club, there was unity among the support base, and it was this unity that helped steer the club through the next few years. Attendances were consistent.

There is no such unity this time around. Fans have turned on the board and even each other. The cratering attendances are a reflection not just of the club’s on-field performance, but of the fanbase’s disillusionment as well.

Should Gateshead FC fold, there will no doubt be righteous indignation locally much as there was when they were denied a playoff spot, but the people of Gateshead have never bothered to back the club where it matters. Crowds are not the be-all and end-all of football, but at lower levels a strong fan backing can insulate clubs against the pressures of operating costs and whims of fickle owners.

Gateshead FC are currently trapped. Trapped in a stadium that has destroyed their ambitions, with no exit on the horizon. Trapped in a town that does not love them like it should, who will briefly pay attention to their successes and abandon them just as quickly. Trapped in a footballing landscape that has grown while they have stagnated. Fate has conspired to harm them as much as it could, and even when the light of millionaire ownership shone on them it was brutally snuffed out and descended into chaos.

Football is a strange beast and things can change quickly. Things have changed quickly at Gateshead, and they may one day soon change in their favour. Right now though, it is certainly going to get worse before it gets better.

Fenway Sports Group (FSG) had spent a world-record £450 million during the summer transfer window, giving new boss Arne Slot the ammunition to craft what many believed would be one of the most formidable sides in Europe.

For those looking to back the Reds’ resurgence, plenty of free bets online are already appearing across the market ahead of the knockout stages.

Yet, following a crushing 3-0 defeat to Crystal Palace in the EFL Cup fourth round, Slot made a bold and unexpected admission: he didn’t have the squad depth to cope with modern football’s relentless schedule.

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It was a striking statement, one he softened days later when Liverpool steadied the ship with a much-needed 2-0 win over in-form Aston Villa — a result that restored some confidence at Anfield.

But the true turning point of Liverpool’s campaign may have come in Europe. Their 1-0 victory over Real Madrid felt like a line in the sand. It was a performance full of discipline, intensity, and belief. While the Reds remain seven points adrift of league leaders Arsenal at the time of writing, many now feel their best chance of major silverware this season lies in the Champions League.

And that’s not an unreasonable argument. This Liverpool squad, despite its domestic struggles, looks tailor-made for success in Europe.

A team built for the Champions League

Slot’s brand of football — quick transitions, positional flexibility, and intelligent pressing — appears more effective on the continental stage than in the tactical grind of the Premier League this season. European football tends to reward teams that play on instinct and movement rather than rehearsed routines and set-piece dominance.

New signing Florian Wirtz is a prime example of this dynamic. The German playmaker has found the Premier League’s physical and tactical demands difficult to adapt to, often looking out of sync with the pace and structure of English football. Yet in the Champions League, he’s flourished — registering two assists in four games and showcasing the kind of composure and creativity that first attracted Liverpool’s scouts.

It’s not just Wirtz. The Liverpool squad, in general, have also looked far more comfortable in European competition. The slower tempo, greater space, and technical emphasis of continental football seem to suit the way Slot wants to play.

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The tactical divide

Slot has been vocal about the Premier League’s growing tactical obsession. Over the past few seasons, English football has seen a surge in set-piece innovation — from free kicks to corners and even throw-ins.

Brentford’s decision to promote set-piece coach Keith Andrews to manager after Thomas Frank’s move to Tottenham highlights just how integral these moments have become.

Manchester United, too, exploited this trend when they beat Liverpool 2-1 at Anfield earlier in the campaign, using long throw-ins and rehearsed restarts to disrupt Slot’s rhythm-based system.

In contrast, the Champions League offers a more fluid, open brand of football — one that rewards creativity and adaptability over set-piece precision. This aligns perfectly with Liverpool’s DNA and Slot’s philosophy.

So, could they do it?

Liverpool have already proven they can beat the best — and if they can handle Real Madrid, few sides will intimidate them in Europe this season. The club’s Champions League pedigree is unmatched in English football, and under Slot, they’re beginning to rediscover that old European swagger.

While the Premier League title race may be slipping from their grasp, the road to Budapest could provide the perfect stage for redemption.

On current evidence, and with the right momentum, Liverpool absolutely could win the 2025/26 Champions League — and few would bet against them doing just that.

Troy started plying his trade at one of Dublin’s premier amateur football clubs, Belvedere. At the age of 15 he made the massive switch to one of the biggest clubs in the Premier League, Tottenham Hotspur. He fit in immediately at the North London outfit and was scoring goals for fun throughout the underage set up. On 4 February 2019, on his 17th birthday, Parrott signed his first professional contract with Tottenham. Shortly after, he made his first-team debut for Tottenham in a 3-2 pre season friendly win over Juventus on 21 July 2019.

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His blistering form continued and led to hoards of Yids faithful calling for him to get his shot in the first team.  On 24 September 2019 their requests were heard and Parrott made his professional debut for Tottenham in their third round loss in the EFL Cup against Colchester United. He didn’t have to wait too long to catch the eye of a certain Jose Mourinho, who decided to give him his Premier League debut on 7 December 2019 in a 5-0 home win against Burnley. He was presented the match ball by his manager after the game as a momento on his big day. On 8 February 2020, Parrott signed a new three-and-a-half-year contract with Spurs until the summer of 2023, with an option to extend for an extra year.

Mourinho came out in an interview a short time after and explained that although there was pressure to give Parrott more game time, he was not ready for regular game time as of yet, and felt that a loan move was the best thing for his development. This was a tough stage of the young strikers career. From 2020 to 2024 he went on loan to Milwall, Ipswich, MK Dons, Preston North End and finally Excelsior in the Eredivise. In his stints in England, he endured injuries and inconsistent game time, only netting 13 times across 102 games in the lower levels of the English football pyramid. It seemed unlikely that he would be a right fit back at Spurs but finally found his form when he landed in the Dutch top flight. Over the course of the season, he scored seventeen goals, including two hat-tricks in the relegation play-offs, but was unable to save the club from relegation.

He signed a new three-year contract in 2022, but after proving his abilities in the Netherlands, other clubs in the division came calling and it was AZ Alkmaar who won the fight for his signature with a €8 million offer accepted by Tottenham. In his first season with the club, he managed 14 goals in 30 league matches in an impressive first season for the Dutch outfit. Parrott started off the 2025/26 season in red hot form, scoring 10 goals in his first 7 appearances, but had a knee ligament injury at the end of August that kept him out of action for several months. Since coming back from injury, he hasn’t dropped his standards and so far this season he has netted 14 goals, with 2 assists to boot in 15 appearances across all competitions.

Just a few weeks ago, came the highlight of his young career. Over the last couple of months and probably years, the Irish men’s football team has faced some terrible scrutiny and rightfully so. After we soon found out that Stephen Kenny wasn’t the answer to our problems, Ireland appointed former Iceland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson to lead the nation into the most recent World Cup qualifiers. In their first three games, Ireland managed a single point with a draw at home to Hungary. Then, after a shocking performance, they were beaten away to Armenia and, rather expectedly, lost to Portugal in Lisbon too. It seemed that all hope was lost and the Icelandic manager would be sacked after the conclusion of the qualifiers. Evan Ferguson managed to keep us in with a small chance with a 1-0 win at home to 10-man Armenia.

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In the final two group games, at home to Portugal and away to Hungary, the Irish needed a miracle to get them into a play off spot. With all hope lost and fans relegated to the thoughts of another World Cup without the boys in green, up stepped Troy Parrott. In a feisty encounter at the Aviva Stadium, which saw Cristiano Ronaldo sent off while 2-0 down after a petulant swing out at Dara O’Shea, the Irish showed there was still some fight in the old dog yet. The Irish team were incredible throughout, from back to front they were excellent and thoroughly deserved the win, but Troy the boy was undoubtably the star of the show.

His first goal was the perfect example of a poacher’s finish after he nodded home from only a few yards out from a Liam Scales header and sent the Aviva into raptures. His second goal on the night highlighted the confidence he’s been playing with and the quality he possess. After being played down the left side, he cut back, shifting the ball away from the attention of the Portuguese defenders and rifled a low driven shot towards the near post, beating Diogo Costa and inciting a full blown riot amongst the home fans. They managed to hold out in the second half and looked forward to Budapest and a showdown with Hungary in a battle for the play off spot.

This game was less straight forward for the Irish as they found themselves behind after only four minutes, when an early onslaught from the home side was finally capitalised on by Dániel Lukács. Not to fret though, as Chiedozie Ogbene was fouled in the box a quarter of an hour into the tie and it was Parrott who stepped up with the all important spot kick to bring his side level. It was a tit for tat battle that saw the Hungarians land the next blow with a spectacular volley from Barnabás Varga that gave Caoimhin Kelleher no chance in the Ireland goal. Going into the dying embers of the game, it seemed all hope was lost. Another what could’ve been story for the Irish. But guess who stood up again.

With ten minutes to go in normal time, Finn Azaz played a beautiful dinked ball over the defence for Parrott to latch on to and delicately dink over the onrushing Dénes Dibusz to set up a cracking finish. At two goals apiece, it set up a nervy, mouth watering final minutes as both sides fought to bring their nation one step closer to the World Cup. It seemed that Hungary had completed the task. As the clock struck 95, the additional time had been played and Kelleher’s long ball into the box would be the last chance for Ireland. Liam Scales leaped in the air and brilliantly nodded the ball towards the six yard box. As the ball bounced towards the goal keeper, Parrott was again on hand to notch another goal for his country. His bravery, killer instinct and sheer perseverance meant he was on hand to get his toe to the ball and send every home, pub, and any Irish institution into pandemonium. His interview after highlighted his humble nature, elite mentality and pride in his country. Watching that game live personally gave me the best feeling I’ve ever had watching football and I think many people would agree with that sentiment.

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After five goals in two games, of course, social media was buzzing with excitement. Straight away fans were quick to point out his exceptional form for his national side, along with his club, could lead to a big move in January or the summer. Of course, his return to the Premier League was hinted at with sides such as West Ham and Everton as potential suitors. In my eyes, West Ham would not be the answer. Considering how many strikers have gone to the Hammers and failed, I just don’t think it would be the best move for him. I suppose that’s just a curse or some superstitions on my part, but keep him away from there.

Everton is an intriguing move. Their front three behind the striker of Jack Grealish, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Iliman Ndiaye have brought a spark to the blue part of Merseyside and offer a lot of creative flair. An in form and out and out striker could be exactly what Moyes is looking for to propel the Toffees back towards the top of the table, considering they manage to hold on to those three. A move to Spain, Germany or Italy could be another option. I’m sure a host of clubs on the continent have been keeping tabs on him and may be looking at cashing in. The likes of Leverkusen or Atalanta have shown their ability to grab players from everywhere and build them up into star calibre players.

A smart move could be to stay exactly where he is for the time being. Still only 23-years-old, he has plenty of time to continue to develop and score goals. The best thing he can do right now, is to make sure he stays away from injury and can add to his already impressive tally with AZ. After that, the rest will take care of itself. Hopefully, we can see him develop into one of Europe’s best and continue his red hot form at one of Europe’s big boys. No matter what happens, he’s given Irish fans one of the great nights in our footballing history.

A father figure to many of his players, he has built one of the Caribbean’s most successful talent pipelines, developing stars who have excelled both locally and abroad, including Leon Bailey and Chelsea’s Dujuan Richards. Now a leading voice in Jamaica’s national football development, I spoke with Craig who has expanded his influence with the recent acquisition of Chapelton Maroons in the Jamaican Premier League.

What was your childhood like growing up in Jamaica?

It was beautiful but at the same time a little tough. My dad left us when I was young, so I assumed the role of head of the family early. My mum was basically a single parent of five children. Football was my release or a way to escape the challenges that we had.

Your journey in football development has been remarkable. What first inspired you to start Phoenix Academy?

There were three of us, all close friends and we didn’t have fathers around. We didn’t have any money, so we started to think about what we could do. We loved football and we had the idea (back when I was 12 or 13) to find a way to use football as a vehicle to success. We decided to start Phoenix All Stars Football academy then as children. I had a successful career in technology but decided to continue with football, as I saw so many people in Jamaica were faltering. I gave players the opportunity to develop their manners, skills and mentality – that would be needed not just on the football field, but in life and many became successful as a result.

Phoenix Academy is known for its discipline and high standards. What other core principles guide the academy’s culture?

Dedication, discipline, a never give up mentality and never leaving anyone behind. We always try to do the right thing, to not just develop people as footballers, but as human beings and contributors to society.

You’ve produced top talents like Leon Bailey and Dujuan Richards. What qualities do you look for in young players?

Believe or not, I don’t look for football ability! I firstly look at the parents to see if they are the type of people that are dedicated to their child’s success and are willing to work with us. Many times, you develop children and the parents sabotage their own kids. They get greedy or they don’t allow them to come to training as regularly as they should. I never look for ability, as this is something that can be trained. None of the things that you see Lionel Messi or Ronaldinho doing were just natural – they didn’t wake up with that. They had the aptitude to learn and apply it more than the others.

What has been the most rewarding part of seeing players from Phoenix succeed on the international stage?

We have Gleofilo Vlijter (the top scorer in the history of Suriname), who will be in the intercontinental playoffs to get to the 2026 World Cup. We have players from Trinidad, Colombia, Brazil and all over, that have come to us because we have become a hub for development.

The greatest feeling is seeing what football can do for them. A kid coming from the inner city with nothing can then help his family and community through football. I’m very proud of Phoenix and the bond it creates. We’re a family and we’re here for each other.

When you first started Phoenix, did you ever think it would grow outside of Jamaica’s borders?

I was just trying to help the poor kids. I had a lot of kids come to Phoenix and they had nothing, some of them didn’t even have parents. When they came, I thought – How can I help these boys get a better way of life? I don’t have the money to send them all through college. I thought that I’m good at football and business and so I decided to teach them football and the disciplines of business. Many would get scholarships, become better footballers and even if they didn’t, the discipline would guide them through their other careers.

We have people who came through Phoenix that are now lawyers, doctors, policemen and businessmen. Seeing players like Dujuan Richards, Gleofilo Vlijter, Kyle Butler and Leon Bailey doing so well in their own right makes me very happy.

What changes have you seen in Jamaican youth football over the years and where do you think it’s heading?

It’s not improving, it’s getting worse. There is no youth football apart from the Manning Cup (an annual tournament contested among Secondary School U19 teams). I am managing a team that normally struggles in the Manning Cup – Mona High School. In the last five years, we have only lost three games and continued to create talented players. The person in charge of Jamaican football now (Rudolph Speid) has been using the national team as his own personal showcase and any players that don’t play for his club (Cavalier) are not considered for the youth teams.

Dujuan Richards and Leon Bailey were never selected for Jamaica’s youth teams and they’re only being selected now because they’ve been successful overseas. Speid is the chairman of the Jamaican Football Federation technical committee, interim first team manager and he owns a Jamaican Premier League Club (Cavalier). There is a huge conflict of interest. It’s sad that he has recently appointed himself as Jamaica’s interim coach.

How do you approach building strong relationships with your players and earning their trust on and off the pitch?

At Phoenix our players are with us from six years old. We want parents that are committed for the long haul. We make sure that parents are a part of everything that we are doing. In Jamaica, you can’t sign a professional contract until you are 18. You can spend years developing a player, taking them on tours in Europe but someone can then turn their heads. We do not charge at our academy, so every football boot or bottle of water that is bought, is coming from a transfer fee.

When you think about the future, what legacy do you hope to leave in Jamaican football through Phoenix Academy and Chapelton Maroons?

I want to see Jamaica becoming a world power in football. Just like what you see with track and field – where people are afraid of us. That would inspire the youth, imagine if we could have 20 or 30 Leon Bailey’s – people would aspire for more and realise that they can do even more. This would also bring an income back to the island and would uplift so many communities. My daughter (Kaycie) has been groomed to take over from me. She grew up on the football pitch with Leon. She has travelled all over the world, knows Jorge Mendes, Pini Zahavi and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. She has also visited several Premier League clubs. My work will not stop when I’m gone.

Arsene Wenger’s time at the club ended maybe a little sourly as the fans begged for more success. He maybe saved his legacy a bit with a few FA Cup wins but I think we can see that he didn’t receive the investment that the like of Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United got to remain competitive. After Arsene Wenger, there were some dark days for the club. Even with fantastic players still attracted to the North London outfit, it seemed they were always a step behind and even found themselves struggling to get into the top four.

The Unai Emery era started brightly but was brutal in the end, just 18 months after being brought in. Then, the real change came about. Pep Guardiola understudy and trusted assistant manager Mikel Arteta returned to his former club, this time, as the main man in the dug out. After coming from the coaching tree of Pep Guardiola, there were a lot of high hopes and winning an FA Cup in his first year, did a lot to help with the teething problems as he looked to change not only the squad, but the entire culture around the club.

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In the five years since that triumph, they have built every year, breathing in new talent and a style of football similar, but not completely the same as City, and have wrestled for top spot with City and Liverpool. They haven’t won anything since that cup final against Chelsea and it seemed that the pressure was solely based on this season to finally bring in the glory that this squad has promised. In 2023, Arsenal held an eight point lead over Manchester City with nine games to go, and managed to let the title slip between their fingers. It seemed the ‘bottlers’ tag had been attached to this squad and there was a pressure on Arteta to get his team over the line, finally.

Arteta has also been criticised in the past for his somewhat irregular management tactics away from the pitch. Employing professional pick pockets to steal his players phones at a pre season dinner is a bit much. He did this to ensure they were always focused and clued in. Not my cup of tea, and he has been slated about it across social media various times. Now, for all the pressure he has been put under and all the abuse he may have sustained, it seems he has finally got it right.

After dazzling the league since his arrival with that Pep-esque style of football, over the last two seasons, he has started to focus his sides attention to other areas. His side used to play their open style brand of football, no matter the opponent and it often seemed that all their attacks had to be perfectly crafted through a series of intricate passes and touches, formations and movement but that has changed. Although his side can still tear any defence apart with their patterns of play and individual excellence, a huge emphasis has been put on their set pieces. They recruited set piece coach Nicolas Jover over four years ago now and he has turned them into a terrifying side to deal with from long throws, free kicks and corner kicks.

Out of their 27 Premier League goals scored this season, 10 of them have come from set pieces (two more from penalties). In the first game of the season, they beat Manchester United at Old Trafford 1-0. The goal came from another routine that exposed Altay Bayindir in the home goal and Riccardo Calafiori was on hand to head home. From there on, a lot were expecting for them to kick on and chase the second and third goal. However, they did exactly the opposite. They sat in, absorbed pressure and walked away with all three points.

Many pundits and fans alike have criticised this style of play, but Arsenal have been incredible at it. Not since the days of Martin Keown and Tony Adams manning their backline have they been so resolute. They can play through teams, like they did to my beloved Tottenham at the weekend, they can win ugly as they did against Fulham and Crystal Palace and they can sit in a grind out results as they did against Manchester United. The perfect formula as it seems thus far.

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Over the last couple of years, they have had heavy investment in the squad and Arteta has seemed to move away from the small, extremely technical full backs, no disrespect to the likes of Califiori and Jurien Timber who are both excellent footballers, and have focused on being bigger and stronger than their opponents. Their defensive options include Gabriel and Saliba, arguably two of the top three centre halves in the league, who are now being backed up by two of the most sought after defenders in Europe in Piero Hincapié and Cristhian Mosquera. In the full back positions their first choice for right and left back include Timber and Califiori and then backed up by the highly experienced Ben White and the up and coming youngster Myles Lewis-Skelly.

In the defence, they boast the perfect blend of height, aerial prowess and technical and defensive excellence. They can chop and change to rest players and to adapt to their opponent as they see fit. Their defensive prowess has been evident this season, only conceding 6 goals in 12 games, with only two coming at The Emirates. They are threatening the record set by Chelsea of only conceding 15 goals in a Premier League season.

In midfield, we see the same ability to mix things up and change to beat their opponent. In a midfield contingent of Declan Rice, Martin Zubimendi, Martin Odegaard, Eberechi Eze, Christian Norgaard and Mikel Merino they have all the ability to shield their backline, break the lines through midfield and feed their attacking players at the top end of the pitch. They can pick a trio to outrun your midfield or a completely separate trio to play intricate passes and have you chasing shadows. To add to this, they have highly exciting youngsters in Max Dowman and Ethan Nwaneri who are looking to grow and become regulars over the coming years.

In the attacking third, they have some frightening combinations. Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli, Viktor Gyokeres, Leandro Trossard, Noni Madueke and Kai Havertz. The Gooner faithful were crying out for a true number 9 throughout the summer and in summers gone past. Although, Merino has done a stellar job of playing in the main striker position in the past, the former Sporting hit man Gyokeres was someone who could finally put away chances that were constantly being created over the past season or two. Although he may not have scored as many have hoped so far, he has chipped in with four goals in the league and another two in the Champions League before picking up an injury. He is the perfect man to lead the line and if he can chip in with 15 to 20 league goals, there is nothing stopping Arsenal from finally winning the league. Saka and Martinelli will do what they do and consistently provide goals, assists and chances while Trossard, Madueke, Jesus, Havertz will come in and ensure that they have several different ways of setting up and hurting teams.

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Of course there are injuries throughout the squad this season, but with Gabriel, Odegaard, Jesus and Havertz all unavailable they were still able to dismantle Spurs with ease and probably should have scored more than four goals. The strength and depth throughout the squad is incredible and with everybody fit, it is hard to find a better squad. They are robust in defence, technical and powerful in midfield and skillful and ruthless up front. Whether they are playing through you or peppering your box with corners they always carry a threat and it’s hard to see them losing the lead they have at the top of the table already.

With would be challengers Liverpool suffering an awful hangover from last year’s triumph and perennial title challengers Manchester City still not rediscovering their form from their last table topping season in 2022/23, it seems set up for Arsenal to run away with things. Chelsea currently sit second in the table but I feel that they’re young squad is not yet ready to challenge for top spot and still sit a few more seasons and a few more signings away from looking really likely to run out winners. Apart from that, sides like United, Spurs, Villa, Newcastle and Bournemouth have the ability to challenge for top four but that’s probably as good as they can hope for in this title race.

Although the bottler tag has been hung over their head, I fear that may have to be dismissed after this season, and as much as I hate to admit it, I think Lego head may have found the perfect formula to bring the title back to the red side of North London.

I absolutely loved seeing actual footballers live and up close and couldn’t believe there was a team just down the road from where I live. A friend who lives on my road was a mascot for one of the games and it was the most surreal thing to see someone I know walking out with players we got to watch on a Friday night. There’s still a few memories from that time. I distinctly remember Jason Byrne being the main man, my friend and I playing football on the pitch after they won the league in 2006, and the fans signing “Nutsy, stay with us, Nutsy, Nutsy, stay with us”, referring to manager Pat Fenlon when rumours where swirling around about his departure.

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They were incredible times, but things took a sharp turn. After winning that title, the club was demoted to the First Division for financial irregularities and although many fans stuck by the team, they fell into dark times for a period and Tolka Park wasn’t the same place it once was. As one of Ireland’s most successful sides, with 13 League of Ireland titles and 7 FAI Cups, it was brutal to see them relegated and it meant the departure of Pat Fenlon, along with a vast majority of their players. There was a long road back to the top for the Reds.

In March 2007, the club announced that they would not be applying for a UEFA licence to compete in the 2007/08 Champions League qualifying rounds. It was a massive disappointment to the fans obviously, but based on the state of the club during that time, they felt it was best to remove themselves from the equation and allow Derry City, who missed out on a place due to Shels winning the league in the previous season, to compete in the competition. Essentially, Shels knew they wouldn’t be able to field a competitive team and it would reflect poorly on the rest of the league.

The 2007 season was saved at the last minute by former manager Dermot Keely who managed to get a team together just before the start of the league season and they managed a fifth place finish.

Over the next two seasons, Shels fought to get back to the top but were narrowly denied twice. At the end of the 2008 campaign, Limerick managed a last minute goal in Tolka Park to gift Dundalk the title and the solitary promotion spot. After another brilliant season in 2009, they were denied promotion after a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Sporting Fingal in the promotion/relegation play-off semi-final.

In 2010, former player and former assistant manager Alan Mathews took charge and brought along some silverware in winning the Leinster Senior Cup. A competition that is contested between League of Ireland clubs, the top teams in the Leinster Senior League and invited teams from various LFA affiliated junior leagues. Although it is not the FAI Cup, it was a nice change in fortune to see the oul Reds win something. The main focus of the year though was, again, to gain promotion back to the top division. However, a 2-1 defeat at home to Waterford United on the final day of the season denied them a place in the promotion play-offs.

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2011 saw the Reds finally clinch promotion back to the promised land. There was a change in promotion rules which allowed automatic promotion for winning the First Division and the runners-up. They clinched the runners-up spot in October with a ruthless 4-0 home victory against Finn Harps. They also reached the FAI Cup Final but were ultimately beaten 4-1 on penalties by Sligo Rovers. Although it was a disappointing end to the season to lose the cup final, things were finally starting to look up and it seemed as though they had retaken their place back where they belong.

However, they didn’t last long. Although they managed to avoid the drop in 2012, they weren’t so lucky in 2013 and were demoted back to the First Division. This relegation started another rebuild and long road back. This included a spate of finishes in between the fourth and sixth positions while also losing two promotion/relegation playoffs and a lot of frustration for the fans. Under the tutelage of Ian Morris, they ended a six-year hiatus from top flight football by winning the First Division. Their title win was confirmed with a 3-1 away win to Drogheda United in September 2019. Unfortunately, the found themselves back in the First Division after only one season but it again only took them one season to get back up. They would be competing in the Premier Division for 2022 and they were looking to make their mark.

Again, they had fought adversity and rose back to the top. This time it was different though. There was no sense of just trying to staying up bur rather it was time to fight to get back to the very top. The fans could sense that too, as Tolka Park saw a 45% increase in home attendance over the course of their league winning season. It was a shift in support and culture at the North Side club and that wasn’t the only massive change on the horizon.

Then in 2022, they made a massive appointment. Former Chelsea and Ireland winger Damien Duff was handed the keys. This was a massive hiring for the team itself and more importantly for the league. To get such a huge name through the doors was massive. He is one of Ireland’s most decorated and talented players and had been plying his coaching trade in the underage sections with Shamrock Rovers before making the move to Shels.

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This appointment sparked a change. A change in how Shels had been viewed over the last decade or so. A change in their standards, as higher quality players were attracted to Shels and not just the like of Rovers or Bohs. Duff set a standard for the players and challenged them every season to push higher. In 2024, they did just that. They secured their first Premier Division title in 18 years when they went up to Derry and beat the Candy stripes 1-0, thanks to a rebounded effort from Harry Wood. It was a shock title charge from Duff’s side who were given odds on 25/1 at the start of the season, behind the likes of the dominant Shamrock Rovers and emerging challengers Derry City. Duff attracted talent and brought the good times back to Tolka Park, now boasting one of the league’s most daunting fan bases.

Off the pitch, Shels also enjoyed commercial success. The club, in association with Hope Brewery, launched its own beer, they got new owners in Acun Medya, the Turkish media company who own Hull City, before long-term supporter and shareholder Mickey O’Rourke, founder of Setanta Sports, through TDL Media, acquired the shareholding of Acun Medya.

Shels qualified for the Europa Conference League this season, after beating Linfield 5-1 over two legs and will be playing massive teams such as Crystal Palace and Az Alkmaar. The development of the team and club through the league and Europe has shown the massive impact of the owners and manager has had and hopefully we will see it continue for many years to come. Unfortunately Damien Duff stepped away from his role earlier in the season, but his right hand man Joey O’Brien has stepped into the main role and picked up where Duff left off. Although it was a difficult start to the season, the oul Reds managed to nip ahead of rivals Bohs to secure a place in European qualifying again and look to make themselves, and the league a constant staple in European competitions.

From having to withdraw from European competition in 2006 due to financial and squad issues, to looking to secure a second year in a row in a European competition – Shels are back where they belong.