Load of balls: Paul Farrell’s sports column

If a prominent League of Ireland club went to the wall tomorrow, who in Ireland would care?

Very few, probably. Sadly that’s where things are going. Bohemians now look to be the latest team facing an uncertain future following reports that their sale of Dalymount Park isn’t going well.

Aside from the brave souls that attend League of Ireland games on a regular basis, would the “football -loving Irish” notice if a club with as much history as Bohemians disappeared?

Don’t make me laugh; it’s much easier for the public to believe that players like Roy Keane, Paul Mc- Grath and Kevin Doyle appeared out of nowhere instead of being nurtured by League of Ireland clubs.

The public will just sit around and wait for another sporting fl avour of the month to arrive (see Sunderland) to distract them from the domestic game.

What would the media think? I’m sure it would be a huge relief to the Evening Herald if the League of Ireland dropped off the face of the earth. They have Johnny Giles’ column inches to fi ll and he doesn’t want to talk about domestic football, he wants to talk about the English Premiership, and what Johnny wants, Johnny gets.

Maybe I’m foolish to dream that someday the Evening Herald will actually have worthwhile coverage of the domestic league instead of wall to wall features on foreign leagues. Jamie Redknapp may believe that the Premiership is the best league in the world but that doesn’t make it so.

What about the great benefactors of Celtic Tiger Ireland? I sure hope JP McManus, John Magnier, Dermot Desmond and Niall Quinn can all sleep soundly. Safe in the knowledge that with the millions they pumped into foreign clubs, they could have saved any number of League of Ireland clubs. But lets be honest, business is business.

For them, being Irish is just a banquet conversation starter, it doesn’t actually mean anything. They claim to be making things better for Irish football but I’m confused, won’t the fi nancial meltdown of the domestic league be bad for Irish football?

Obviously I’m not as bright as they are; maybe one of them can have me over to one of their respective tax havens and explain to me what it means to support Irish football.

And finally what about our great football association? If the League of Ireland didn’t exist the FAI would be much happier, that’s a fact. The League of Ireland is a huge drain on the resources of John Delaney and company. They’d much rather every young player go to England with no education or experience and attempt to make it or die trying. Who cares if many of these people never return to these shores.

It should be obvious to everyone but if it isn’t let me spell it out; the people of Ireland don’t deserve the League of Ireland. They don’t deserve the clubs that make so many people happy. From Derry City to Cork, the joy they bring is unparalleled.

No, the Irish people deserve what they have, Sunday afternoons with Redknapp talking nonsense, Sky Sports season tickets, day trips to Anfield, tricolours with English crests, the belief that Celtic doesn’t pay their taxes to the queen.

There is only one way to understand what football is all about and that’s to go see. Why spend 90 minutes in front of the TV when you could actually be part of real experience? Get out and support your local club.

Maybe I’m coming across as a bleeding heart but if that’s what it takes, I’m willing to bleed to death.