A cheapened league can be anticipated

“The league is the league.” Up until now, that age-old refrain of Mick O’Dwyer or at least the one attributed most to the great man, the subject of last night’s excellent Loosehorse documentary on RTÉ, was in danger of becoming a dead phrase.

The league, as it turned out, has transformed into much more than a secondary competition.

Since football returned to the four divisional system 10 years ago, it has bedded down into a fantastic feast.