John Fallon: A look ahead to the busiest month of the Irish football calendar

On top of the routine run-ins and finals, there’s the increasingly regular annual league phase involvement in the Conference League.

Shamrock Rovers in training ahead of their Conference League opener. Pic: ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne.

Whereas the stretching of evenings indicates the peak of football action for most of Europe, Ireland’s blitz occurs when days shorten.

The summer LOI season in place for the last 23 years lends itself to the crescendo unfolding towards the end of the calendar year.