Irish League legends weigh in on European debate and possible calendar change

Larne are the only Irish League club to have progressed to the group stages of a major European competition

The fallout from Linfield’s defeat to Shelbourne in the Conference League play-off has rekindled the debate over the Irish League’s long-term strategy.

The Shels’ two-legged victory over the Blues saw them join League of Ireland counterparts Shamrock Rovers in the group stage of the European competition.

While some look on with envious eyes with two teams from the south reaching the money spinning group phase, others have looked to answer why clubs in Northern Ireland have faltered and what can be done to help their progress moving forward.

A change in the calendar shifting the season to align more closely with UEFA competition schedules is one of the ideas that has long been mooted, but fitting in the traditional Boxing Day fixtures and ensuring part-time players have time off for family holidays are stumbling blocks for many.

Oran Kearney, who led Coleraine to a famous win over Maribor in the Europa League qualifiers five years ago, has suggested a calendar switch which may tick those boxes.

“I think Boxing Day is a big one for everybody,” said the former Bannsiders boss on BBC Sportsound on Saturday. “If the league started the first week of December so pre-season was November, that would allow you to take in your Boxing Day and everything else.

“Boxing Day is the big one here, it’s brilliant and is an unbelievable day for Irish League football, but I still think there’s a way of incorporating that safely into it and still getting what everybody would like.

“I appreciate what people say about family holidays, which I’m a big advocate for, there’s possibly an argument that when you’re coming into the last two or three months of the season, like they do in other countries, you incorporate a two or three week break.

“It’s time to have those conversations and at least bring people around the table to throw out a pile of ideas.

“Whether you do nothing, that’s fine, but at least to have some type of constructive conversation into I suppose what the future looks like.

“I think it’s about finding a way that that hopefully suits all but most importantly it pushes the league on.

“I watched both games between Linfield and Shelbourne, and I think David [Healy] alluded to the difference between the two leagues at the minute.

“Obviously down south the majority of teams, particularly the ones in Europe, have been full-time for the guts of probably 15 years now, and I think you know you can just see that that bit ahead of us at this point in time.”

Former Glentoran and Crusaders star Paul Leeman agreed with Kearney’s points adding: “I have to agree there’s there is a bit of a gap between the two leagues but hopefully over the years of we can claw a bit of that gap back.

“There’s a lot of quality here in this league and just unfortunately for Linfield they come up against Shelbourne twice. Unfortunately for them, they are a really good side and but the Blues did themselves proud over the run.

“As Oran said you know these teams have been full-time for a number of years now. There’s a lot of finances coming into our league now but down south that’s been happening for years so they have been able to attract a high calibre of player and develop players with a full-time setup.

“You know it all takes up at a time and I think for me that’s that’s why they’re ahead of us at this moment.”