It says in the papers and the podcasts: Rising from the dead

The lord giveth and the lord taketh away. Dundalk’s midfielders that is. No sooner had ‘the town’ lost ex-Chelsea youth Conor Clifford to a six-month ban for betting on football than Clondalkin’s answer to Chopper Harris, Chris Shields, made a return to the Lilywhites’ squad. Clifford’s suspension was, obviously, a further gambling storm for Irish football to weather. As such it was extremely unwelcome news. However, on the facts presented in Paul O’Hehir’s comprehensive article in the Mirror it is difficult to see how Dundalk F.C. could have acted any differently (read full article here).

 

The charges related to the end of the Clifford’s time in Britain and FIFA extended the English FA’s sanction world-wide. Dundalk’s statement, which accepted the decision while making supportive noises concerning the player, reflected well on all concerned and made the best of a bad situation.

 

 

 

Chris Shields made an unheralded comeback in the Cup semi-final replay at Tallaght Stadium on Tuesday. Shields had supposedly sustained a season ending injury during the drawn game between Shamrock Rovers and Dundalk ten days earlier. Indeed, this fact dominated the reporting of the game. Paul O’Hehir in the Mirror and Neil O’Riordan in the Sun provided two cases in point.

 

 



 

Both pieces quoted Stephen Kenny’s comments on the seriousness of the injury and the Dave McAllister tackle that led to it. Darren Cleary, on 98 fm, and Johnny Ward, on the LOI Weekly podcast, both ladled on the condemnatory rhetoric later in the week. With Ward being particularly concerned about the consequences for Chris Shields. Thankfully, Ward need not have worried. Hopefully, either the papers or podcasts can cast some light on how this dramatic recovery occurred. After all Shields’ unmissable frame appeared on the touchline in Tallaght after Dundalk’s official team-news, and so all the newspapers, had listed him as out. Was it a great day for medical science in County Louth? Or simply a miracle?

 

 

 

Talk of miracles, and the wee county, serves as a reminder that not even United Park’s proximity to the Lourdes Hospital was enough to generate the type of super-natural intervention necessary for Drogheda to survive in the Premier Division. Confirmation of the Drogs’ relegation meant that Pete Mahon was interviewed by both the Star and 98 fm last week. To his credit, Mahon took relegation on the chin, telling Mark McCadden that “the buck stops with me”. 

 

 

 

Lastly, with the airline industry receiving some bad press in recent weeks it was good to see that the ‘magic plane’ is still working its wonders for Irish footballers. Either that or Seanie Maguire’s two goals for Preston North End count for more than his 54 for Cork City. One notable feature of Maguire’s debut for the senior international team was the loud cheer it was greeted with from the crowd at the Aviva. This positive vibe was reflected in RTÉ’s post-match coverage. The panel seemed genuinely pleased for both the League of Ireland in general and Maguire personally; while the Kilkenny man was interviewed by Tony O’Donoghue. It was strange then to open the Daily Star and Irish Times the following morning and see those newspapers focus on anything but Maguire’s appearance. Pat Dolan’s column excepted, obviously. I would agree with ‘Dolo’ that the performance of ex-LOI players for the national team, not just Maguire but Murphy and McClean also, offers a great chance for the FAI to sell the professional game in this country. However, a large part of me still resents the extent to which this has to be pointed out to many within Irish football.

 

 

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