The dreaded wait is finally over. The League of Ireland returns this Friday. Many fans will be spending their Valentine’s Day watching football, whether on the road to an away day or their second home.
When the fixtures were released for the opening day, there were a few noteworthy fixtures, but today I’ll be writing about Shelbourne VS Derry City.
Last season, the majority of the time these two teams were first and second place, Shelbourne managing to be first for practically all this time apart from a brief succumbing to Derry due to a game in hand. They stayed neck and neck up until the final rounds where Derry were no longer able to win the league and Shamrock Rovers caught up to the would be champions. The final day of last season saw Shelbourne face Derry City in a hostile Brandywell. For Shelbourne, a whole seasons work was at stake. Get the win, and the hiatus from silverware would end for the Auld Reds. For Derry, one last chance to be a thorn in Shelbourne’s side and cost them their first league title in 18 years. The tension in the stadium was immense. Shelbourne managed to win the game with an 84’ minute winner by Harry Wood. A game which will go down in the history books.
Shelbourne squad, one day after the 1-0 win over Derry City
As we open up the new season this Friday, we see the same fixture, just this time in Tolka Park. In today’s article we will be discussing the dynamics which will play into Friday nights game.
Transfer activity.
A strengthened squad.
Daniel Kelly
Shelbourne over the winter have made a handful of key signings, while letting a few people go. If you want a full summary of Shelbourne’s off-season you can check out the article below:
Shels have strengthened their squad with the likes of Kerr McInroy, Mipo Odubeko, Ellis Chapman, Ryan O’Kane and former Derry player Daniel Kelly. Odubeko is the most exciting of these signings, showing off his ability in the recent Presidents Cup fixture against Drogheda where he managed to get a goal and cause a red card for Drogheda. Another enticing signing is the pickup of Ellis Chapman, a skilled midfielder who Duff signed after a brilliant year in Sligo. The pickups of Kelly and O’Kane boost the winger department after a few key departures throughout and at the end of the 2024 season and McInroy looks like a solid midfielder based on his appearance in the Presidents Cup.
A handful of players left the team also ahead of the new season. Matty Smith left the club to join Waterford after a few eventful years at the club. Shane Griffin joined Cobh Ramblers alongside the other Shane Griffin. We also saw Dean Williams join Athlone after a mediocre season at Shelbourne. Aiden O’Brien left the club due to personal reasons and has now joined Woking. Last but not least, Liam Burt’s loan ended and he returned to Shamrock Rovers.
In summation, Shelbourne have had a strong window, bringing in some strong talent and losing some along the way. An overall net gain.
A fresh start, somewhat.
Liam Boyce
Tiernan Lynch has made some strong signings for the upcoming season. Arlo Doherty, an exciting young keeper who spent time in academies such as Manchester City and Norwich. Shane Ferguson joined the Candystripes after a 4 year spell at Rotherham. Liam Boyce, a versatile striker, also signed for Derry City, a “serious coup” for the club. Gavin Whyte, another forward, joined the club from Portsmouth. Robbie Benson joined the club after leaving the Lilywhites because of their relegation. Carl Winchester also joined the club after 2 years at Shrewsbury. finally, the most recent signing is Dom Thomas who signed from Queen’s Park.
As for outward activity, Colm Whelan left the club for Bohemians, Patrick McEleney joined Ballymena United, Ciaran Coll joined Glentoran, Daniel Kelly joined Shelbourne, Will Patching joined Carlisle United, Callum McCay joined Cliftonville and Tadhg Ryan joined Glenavon.
Overall, Lynch has strengthened the squad that was left for him, but he did let a decent number of players leave. Another fact that many people are discussing is that a lot of the signings inward are quite old. It will be interesting to see how this plays out over the season.
Club management.
“Now we’ve got Damien Duff, we’re going on tour!”
Tomás Quinn, new Shelbourne CEO
Damien Duff is often referred to as one of the key factors which has grown the league seismically since COVID-19. But aside from Duff, over the off season a new CEO was appointed for Shelbourne. Tomás Quinn was appointed the position, replacing Barry Mocke. This is exciting for the club, as Quinn has lots of experience in the sporting world, up until now being the commercial and marketing director for Dublin GAA. This wealth of knowledge and experience will surely help the reds in their future endeavours.
A new man in charge.
Tiernan Lynch
After a surprising loss to Kevin Doherty’s Drogheda side in the FAI Cup last year, Derry City announced that Ruaidhrí Higgins would no longer be manager by mutual consent. The manager role was eventually filled by Tiernan Lynch, who managed Larne since 2017. Many Derry fans were excited by the appointment. He has made some great signings in the off season, and there is a positive attitude amongst the fans about him. This Friday will show if he’s up to the standards of the league.
One true love.
These two clubs have had great battles throughout the years. Whether it be last year’s showdown, or the 2022 FAI Cup Final, The Auld Reds and the Candystripes put on a performance for all. If you can, get down to Tolka Park and experience the raw, passionate atmosphere erupt in the Riverside stand and the Ballybough end. If you can’t make it out to the game in person this Valentine’s Day, you can watch it on Virgin Media, the first game of the new exciting TV deal which will see one live broadcast of the league a week for the next few years.
Thanks for reading my preview for this Friday. Please make sure to check out LOI Talk on all socials and feel free to comment below your opinions.
Excellent article Matt.