Gareth Maher
Due to tight finances and a step back towards part-time football, the League of Ireland could be set to lose its best players over the coming months.
Bohemians goalkeeper Brian Murphy has been superb over the past two seasons, so it is no surprise that he has attracted the attentions of several clubs in England and Scotland. If his proposed move across the Irish Sea goes ahead, it could be the first of many departures involving the best players in the league.
Murphy scooped the Player of the Year award last term and has continued that fine form this year as The Gypsies remain in contention for a possible quadruple. He is an athletic shot-stopper with a strong command of his area, an excellent range of kicking, and posesses a good record in penalty shoot-outs.
He is currently in talks with Ipswich Town about signing a pre-contract agreement as he looks to secure his future in the game. Although Murphy could be followed out of Dalymount Park by team-mates Gary Deegan, Paul Keegan, Brian Shelley, Glenn Cronin, Mark Rossiter, Conor Powell, and Ken Oman as a possible mass exodus is rumoured to be lying in wait.
The majority of the players in the League of Ireland are out of contract at the end of the current season (November). Normally this would result in negotations taking place over signing new deals, but circumstances might restrict that from happening this year.
Rumours have been circulating that the FAI are considering taking the league back to a part-time model to ensure that each club is not over-extending itself and is able to operate as a business.
Cork City were hours away from extinction earlier this summer when they struggled to pay off a hefty tax bill and this is the type of disaster that the FAI are keen to avoid as they look to attract new fans to the domestic game.
Although it will be a catch 22 if the best players opt to leave and the standard of play that has been at an all-time high recently drops off something needs to give, but what would be the least damaging decision to make?
The long-term future of the game has not been ignored by the FAI and they should be applauded for introducing the Newstalk A Championship, which acts as a third tier league for the top clubs to have their reserve sides play in along with newly established sides from different parts of the country.
By expanding the scope of the domestic game and not just having it based in Dublin and the other major cities, the FAI have made great strides in bringing the community factor back into football. If that move proves successful then each club should see their attendances increasing.
Of course, this is a slow process, but there are a lot of other factors that come into play. For example, the marketing of the league simply has to be better, the majority of the stadiums need to be upgraded, and clubs should be assisted by the league with regard to making the right business decisions.
Then it all comes back to the product on show on the pitch. Right now, it is one to be proud of. However, that will drasticially change if players like Murphy, who was watched by Ireland boss Giovanni Trapattoni recently, do not stay in the league.
A mass exodus could act as a hammer blow to League of Ireland football, but it could also be a saving grace as clubs try to balance their books and the FAI continue to work on strengthening the structure of the game.
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