Stepping up to League of Ireland a real sacrifice
Unfortunately I was not on the radar of manager Dave Barry. So I would have to make an impression through City’s reserve team in the Munster Senior League. That year, we had a talented reserve team and finished second to a strong Rockmount side in the league.
At some stage along the way, Barry offered me a chance to play in the first team in the Munster Senior Cup. In the dressing room surrounded by experienced players he threw a jersey at me and said, “Try that on as you’re starting tonight.” It felt like a big step, and it was.
I played well that night but not well enough. Barry didn’t think I was ready and, looking back, he was right. I needed to toughen up and fill out. Playing another season against MSL teams like Rockmount, Avondale and St Mary’s would do the trick. A year later, I was offered a contract. The MSL had allowed me time to grow, to get used to playing against adults. I had become physically ready for League of Ireland.
However the step up from the MSL was not simply a physical move up the ladder. The MSL matches were often helter-skelter battles. Players were often highly skilled but patterns of play were irregular or difficult to pin down.
The League of Ireland is often quite different. While the battle element needs to be won early on, patterns of play are more readily apparent. Losing possession of the ball to your opponents suddenly becomes a much greater crime at League of Ireland level. A player’s first touch and passing needs to be spot on. He will not get away with lazy touches as he might at times in the MSL or Leinster Senior League. The top players move that bit faster and with more stealth.
And yet, nowadays, the vast majority of MSL players are capable of playing in the League of Ireland in terms of physicality, skill and ability. Often the decisions made away from the pitch separate players in these two leagues.
Playing with Cork City FC, in my experience, is not a casual affair. During the six to eight weeks pre-season and for the nine months of the campaign itself, all other plans must be put on hold.
The player’s social life suffers or even ceases to exist. Weddings might have to be put on hold, funerals may have to be missed. Many talented players in the MSL or LSL decide quite clearly these are sacrifices they are not willing to make. This is understandable. And in truth there are a myriad of other challenges that face an incoming MSL player to League of Ireland.
Team training sessions will become more regular and more important. The less exciting parts of the game will become more prevalent. Sessions may involve the repetition of set pieces over and over.
There may be hours spent studying video tapes of recent team performances as well as that of your opponents. The player will have to acclimatise to the travelling that is necessary in the league.
Playing with Cork City the travelling, mostly by coach, can be excessive. An away match in Derry may take days to recover from both physically and, depending on the result, psychologically. And then there is the increased media coverage and pressure. A player will often have to play on live TV for the first time. There are bigger crowds too.
Abuse from supporters, from both your opponents’ fans and your own, will become more visceral, more up front. The supporter who pays €10-€15 at the gate may feel they have a greater right to verbally assault a player for a misplaced pass.
There is also the culture of the League of Ireland player to consider. The players will sometimes talk generally about contracts and bonuses. Many players will be from Britain or overseas. When a player becomes successful, relatives and friends who were never interested in his football start to take an interest. It can become overbearing.
If a player can overcome these challenges, learn to embrace and enjoy them, the rewards can be amazing. League and FAI Cup wins are life-changing events. European football is an extraordinary experience. A top player in a successful Cork City side can become an idol. Scoring a last-minute winner at the Cross is an astonishing feeling.
This season two very talented former MSL players, Mark O’Sullivan and Kevin Mulcahy, have signed with Cork City. Both certainly have enough ability and commitment to become part of a highly-successful City team. Given I have a full-time job these days away from football, I am currently back training in the evening with MSL leaders UCC, who have kallowed me train with them. I confirm the good news for Cork football is that there are quite a few others from this UCC bunch ready and willing to make that exciting step up. They, like others, must make the choice of whether to make the sacrifice or not.
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