We all love our sport. You've gotta say though whether you are a player, manager or supporter, being involved in the League of Ireland landscape can surely be regarded as a labour of love. The words a while back by branding expert JJ Gabay's 'It's not that bleak' from his memorable pre-Christmas presentation are a pointer. Even if things aren't 'bleak', mentioning bleak, makes you think bleak. While there is a general sense of optimism about the new term, it's a world away from lads in the Premier League getting a payment sizable enough to buy a house every week. On this side of the Irish sea, the reality is it's more about club viability and making ends meet every week.
Accountants would find this business model hard to swallow. Church gate collections, raffles and donations have kept many grassroots and League of Ireland clubs afloat indicating that sometimes life is not just about what goes into the columns of a spreadsheet. Where would we be without sport? And those passionate enough to keep their club alive?
The main talking point about the coming season seems to be the reversion from a 12-team top flight to a 10-team league from 2018 meaning that three sides will go down automatically this term with just one coming up from the second tier.
The viability of the First Division remains concerning for all involved. Two of this year's participants - Wexford FC and Waterford FC - are new trading companies that have taken over the licence from their predecessors. This had the effect of freeing the new entities from the financial heritage of their predecessors.
However it's not all doom and gloom in the Deise. 'This is an exciting time for Waterford FC. We have had our best season ticket sales in several seasons while the calibre of players the club has attracted means we will have every opportunity to push on now and aim for promotion at the first attempt under our new owner Lee Power and the management team.' according to Brendan White in Waterford FC's Media Department. Hopefully the likes of the Suirside club will be able to flourish in the medium term, otherwise domestic soccer will have to have a searching look at itself.
Sean Cavanagh gives it one more year
Not easy to hang up the boots in any code, and going nowhere for the moment is Sean Cavanagh. He loves the game too much. Tyrone's former footballer of the year made his inter county senior football debut in 2002 and has committed to returning this season but the 34 year old Moy clubman says he has it in his head that this is his final year. Has there been a more consistent player in the last decade and a half? The former Irish International Rules captain has had one media critic in particular who ranted and raved about a much publicised Croke Park tackle he made, unfairly in my view, but anyone picking a team of warriors would want him in it. Tyrone surprisingly ran out of gas last season but I expect them to still be involved this September. Now that would be some way to finish out a career that was littered with gamechanging contributions like this.
Beware the Irish invasion
The Irish are coming. To Cheltenham and Aintree. And in numbers.
Meath based Gordon Elliott trains three of the top four in the weights for the 2017 Aintree Grand National and all three are owned by Michael O Leary's Gigginstown House Stud.
The £1 million pound race takes place on Saturday, April 8th but top weight Outlander won't run at Aintree,
The Lexus Chase winner is being primed for the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Elliott became the youngest trainer to win the famous grand national on Merseyside with Silver Birch in 2007, and has 14 entries in all, while Gigginstown House Stud tops that with 16, the most of any owner.
That shortens the odds of another Irish winner this year. I was lucky enough to be present when Papillion was steered to victory in 2000 by a 20 year old Ruby Walsh and saddled by his Dad Ted. It's one of the global sporting events that should be on everyone's bucket list. Reminding us of what a great little country we have, last year Mouse Morris managed to land the Irish and English Grand Nationals prompting huge celebrations here and on Merseyside when Rule the World was first past the post in Liverpool. I was also fortunate enough to spend an evening in the company of the biggest Mouse you'll ever see(apart from Disneyworld) and another Grand National veteran Tommy Stack at the Canon Hayes Sports Awards in Ballykisteen Hotel just outside Tipp Town before Christmas. As well as local volunteer Joan Bargary, and Olive Loughnane it was also great to break bread with Tommy's son Fozzy who also has the racing bug.
Tommy Stack is a man of few words. Even though he was inducted into the Hall of Fame he was too modest to address the throng. Forty years ago he was involved in one of the greatest feats of the sport and one as a young fella in short pants I can still remember. Tommy now based near Golden in Tipperary was aboard 9/1 winner Red Rum in 1977. The horse's 3rd triumph in the race in which he also had 2 second placed finishes. I remember the day as one that was among the first to illustrate to me the beauty of sport. That the late Peter O'Sullevan was calling the race elevated it to even more heavenly proportions. The fact that Tommy lived down the road forged the connection that we all feel when someone we know or someone we know from somewhere we know achieves greatness. That is the beauty of sport. Here is Red Rum's furlong long win in all it's glory. Thats why I love sport.
