The most read extratime.com articles of the year – part 1 (20 to 11)

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For those who have their traditions of the quick pint after the last bit of shopping on Christmas Eve, the Christmas Day swim or maybe a charity run as part of the GOAL mile, for us here at extratime.com we have the Christmas tradition of our end of year wrap articles.

For this particular article series we are looking back over the year to document the top 20 most read articles and on Christmas Eve we give you part one – from 20 down to 11.

20. Expected goals deliver great expectations – a statistical review of team performance in the LOI Premier Division

Macdara Ferris

This end of season list starts with an end of season article. Macdara Ferris dug through the statistics from Wyscout to give a run down on who won the league on expected points (Derry City), what was the most popular formation (4-2-3-1) and which team topped the charts for crossing and dribbling (Bohemians).

19. Cowan still teaching the youngsters a thing or two

Tom O'Connor

We took an in-depth look at the career of Keith Cowan who was the oldest outfield player in the Premier Division in 2022. Tom O’Connor’s profile also gave us to chance to use a superb photo of the Ramelton native that our photographer Clare McCahill captured during the #traininginisolation series we did during the 2020 season stoppage due to covid.

18. Stephen Henderson on his Longford Town appointment: 'All this passion for the game came flooding back through my veins'

Andrew Dempsey

Last month Longford Town announced their new manager with Stephen Henderson stepping into the role. Andrew Dempsey spoke with the former Cobh Ramblers manager about his return to management with Henderson admitting his surprise to get the call.

"It’s something I am really excited about. The process has started and it is like I have never been away..." (via @ExtratimeNews)

17. ‘Move the Ball’ – Another chapter in the development of coaching at grassroots level in Ireland



Patrick O’Connor

Back in April, Patrick O’Connor caught up with FAI Coach Instructor Larry Mahony and one of Mahony’s previous players Liam Scales to discuss Mahony’s coaching books.

16. Argentina ready to bounce back after ‘big blow’ from Saudi defeat

Macdara Ferris

extratime.com had reporter Macdara Ferris out in Qatar for the group stages of the World Cup. He witnessed Argentina lose their opening game of the tournament and he heard from Lionel Scaloni after that defeat.

“Emotionally it was a big blow,” said Scaloni about the lost to Saudi Arabia. “We might receive the blow like the opening match but we know we need to stick to our guns.” 

Well La Albiceleste stuck to their guns and went all the way to lift the trophy after possibly the greatest ever World Cup Final.

15. Abbie Larkin among five players to leave Tolka Park for Tallaght as the Hoops confirm seven squad signings

Macdara Ferris

A late entry into this year’s Top 20 was the article this week documenting Shamrock Rovers’ new signings. 

Criticism has floated around Rovers that, having been part of inaugural WNL campaign the Hoops departed after just three seasons in 2014, only to combe back for 2023. Rovers’ return certainly has had a disruptive influence on the league. As well as securing five signings from back-to-back champions Shelbourne (including Abbie Larkin who Shels thought they had secured the services of), Rovers have brought in six players from Peamount United and two from Athlone Town. 

It means that four of last season’s WNL team of the year will be playing their football in Tallaght Stadium – Shels trio Jess Gargan, Áine O’Gorman (Golden Boot winner) and Shauna Fox plus Athlone Town’s Jessica Hennessy – along with Golden Gloves winner from Tolka Park Amanda Budden. 

Rovers training facilities in their Academy at Roadstone and the draw of playing Saturday night football in Tallaght Stadium have been an incentive for players to move to work under manager Collie O’Neill, along with the pro and semi-pro contracts that are now available in the league.

The Hoops set up their WU17 team in 2020 and their WU19 side in 2022 all with a view to enter a team in the Women’s Premier Division of the League of Ireland in 2023. Their new senior squad is currently 17 players strong including four players promoted from their underage teams.

14. 16 million, 16 million, Nathan Patterson - The deals that Irish clubs should strive towards

Ryan Kilbane

At the start of the year, Ryan Kilbane used the £16m pound move for Nathan Patterson to Everton to critique the transfer fees that League of Ireland clubs command. Toffees fans sing  ‘60 grand, 60 grand, Seamus Coleman’ about the signing of their skipper Coleman from Sligo Rovers for £60,000 but what can LOI clubs do to secure transfer fees that Rangers secured for Patterson.

Patterson didn’t play in the Premier League for Everton in the season he signed but the 21-year-old has made ten appearances for the Toffees this league campaign while Coleman has played eight times in the league.

13. Dinny Corcoran: 'I'd a great relationship with the people at Bohs and I loved my time there'

Dan Lucey

Dan Lucey’s interviews from across Irish football are a main stay of our Top 20 list each year and his chat with Dinny Corcoran is the first one to make the top 20 – there are a few more to come in the Top 10.

extratime.com spoke with the striker back in May about his career to date including this year when he hit the 100 goal mark in the league.

Last month Corcoran confirmed that he was retiring. “Unfortunately I'm hanging up my LOI boots, will miss it.. Will continue to play at a lower level.. Thank you to anyone who helped and supported me along the way!”

12. Scandi signings an option for Bradley but not for ‘crazy money’

Macdara Ferris

At the pre-match Europa Conference League group game press conference ahead of Shamrock Rovers v Gent (that Rovers drew 1-1), Hoops boss Stephen Bradley spoke about the possibility of bringing players in from outside the league into his squad.

“Scandinavia is a really interested market for us,” said Bradley. “You need to be very careful of what you bring in. Their mentality has to be right. You are not bringing them in for one game against Gent on a Thursday night, you are bringing them in for Finn Harps, Drogheda and UCD. 

11. Keith Long: ‘I can't get drawn into condemning the referees. We are disappointed with the decision we didn't get tonight’

David Wilson

Bohemians went down to a 1-0 defeat in Tallaght Stadium back in March. David Wilson got all the post-match reaction with Keith Long bemoaning the decision of referee Rob Hennessy who didn’t award a penalty to the Gypsies after Lee Grace tangled with Kris Twardek.

“It was a penalty,” said Long. “You guys saw it as well as I did. We shouldn't be bemoaning the referees but we are again, unfortunately. I can't get drawn into condemning the referees. We are disappointed with the decision we didn't get tonight.”

Unsurprisingly maybe Hoops boss Stephen Bradley saw it differently. “I think he's the best in the country,” said Bradley.“He managed the game wel. and  he didn't get caught up in nonsense.

About Macdara Ferris

Macdara Ferris is a contributor since 2007 to Hoops Scene (Shamrock Rovers' match day programme) and is the co-author of two books on Shamrock Rovers - 'Tallaght Time: Shamrock Rovers 2009 to 2012' (with Karl … View Full Profile