Neal Horgan: We must seize opportunity to build on the buzz around League of Ireland 

It's time to ‘Get Up, Stand Up’ for the League of Ireland, says Neal Horgan

18 March 2022; Will Patching of Derry City in action against Billy King of St Patrick's Athletic during the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division match between Derry City and St Patrick's Athletic at The Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium in Derry. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

The League of Ireland is in an interesting place right now. Thankfully it appears, for the moment at least, that most clubs in the league are in a healthy place financially, with the support of the government during the pandemic proving in many cases to be vital and effective. However, apart from the benefits of that somewhat unique financial support, there is a transformation taking place.

The LOI is growing. Both on the international realm and locally. In the former category, there is the example of St Patrick’s Athletic who recently signed a three-year deal to provide a platform for players from Pakistan to ply their trade on this side of the world.