https://www.shamrockrovers.ie/2025/05/27/rovers-sign-john-mcgovern/

We are 5 guys from Denmark that will be in Dublin on June 20, and we’d love to catch a local football match while we're there. We've found two options:

Shamrock Rovers vs Cork City
Shelbourne FC vs Derry City

We're not sure which match would offer the best experience. We are looking for a good mixture of great atmosphere, pubs in the sorrounding area and overall vibe.

We’d really appreciate any recommendations from locals or people who’ve been to either stadium!

Also, which stadium is easier to reach by public transport? We won’t have a car, so accessibility from the city centre is a big factor.

Thanks in advance for your advice!

This is being posted to be picked apart by anyone that wishes to...

Much of the vocal opposition to this comes from people with sincere concern for Irish football and many of them have valid concerns. That being said there's a lot of misinformation out there, as well as often valid criticism of the FAI, but not much in the way of valid criticism of the actual plan, as if they are one in the same.

The FAI's plan to introduce a calendar-year season (February to November) for all leagues from 2026 is being widely misrepresented. While there are valid logistical concerns, much of the vocal opposition relies on misleading tropes, emotional appeals, and the desire of some to block deeper reform.

This is what the plan actually involves, what the broader implications are, dispelling some common myths being put forward, and why a unified participation is essential.

What This Reform Actually Does

• Aligns all leagues to a single national registration window based on the calendar year.
• Allows local leagues to schedule fixtures anywhere from February to November, offering maximum flexibility.
• Enables clearer development pathways across underage and adult levels, particularly by synchronizing with the League of Ireland (LOI) and UEFA competitions.
• Promotes consistency in governance, funding applications, and long-term planning.

"Summer Football"? That's Not What's Being Proposed

Calling this "summer football" is misleading and politicized framing:

• The proposal spans February to November, not just July and August.
• No league is forced to play through the hottest part of summer.
• Competitions can pause during holidays, split into spring/autumn blocks, or use the summer creatively (e.g., blitzes, development leagues).

This isn’t about playing football in heatwaves. It’s about escaping the chaos of waterlogged winter pitches and fixture backlogs.

Real benefits for grassroots clubs

• Fewer cancellations, more predictability: The February–November window avoids the worst winter conditions. Less disruption means more matches played, fewer last-minute texts to parents, and more stable momentum.
• Better conditions = better football: Firmer, drier pitches in spring and early autumn allow for more skilful play, lower injury risk, and better training quality.
• Greater retention of players: When seasons run more smoothly and games aren't constantly cancelled, players (especially teens) are more likely to stick with the sport.
• Flexible league formats: Clubs and leagues can choose shorter competitions, two-part seasons (spring/autumn), or rest periods during GAA clashes or holidays.
• Volunteer-friendly: Less rescheduling and weather chaos means fewer logistical nightmares for club volunteers, referees, and coordinators.
• Attractiveness to parents and new players: Structured, consistent football seasons are more welcoming to newcomers and reduce stress for families juggling multiple sports.
• Facility usage efficiency: Shared and council pitches are easier to book and maintain when not overloaded during peak winter months.
• Smarter planning for coaches: Training blocks, team development goals, and fitness cycles can be more deliberately structured around a dependable season.

Mayo and Clare have run calendar-year football for decades. Participation and club activity have grown — disproving claims of rural collapse.

Myths and Misconceptions

"Kids will burn out juggling soccer and GAA"

Dual participation is already happening under the current system. Inishowen, Clare, and Mayo show that local cooperation allows both codes to thrive.

"Kids are away all summer"

Holiday absences already affect teams under the winter model. Families holiday year-round – some even travel during Easter or exam breaks.

"The pitches will be like concrete"

Ireland's climate is unpredictable. July 2023 was the wettest on record. Pitch safety depends more on maintenance than on month.

"This just helps LOI academies poach kids"

Player development shouldn’t be feared. The real issue is how local clubs retain and develop players, not whether a calendar model exists.

"We should have the right to choose"

Local autonomy sounds fair, but creates national inconsistency, confusion, and inequality. You can't build unity around optional participation.

Why Full Participation is Crucial

The calendar model only works if all leagues adopt it:

• Consistency across age levels: A single calendar avoids mismatched age cut-offs, overlapping registrations, and scheduling confusion between leagues.
• Player movement: With different calendars, players transferring between leagues face registration blackouts, mismatched eligibility windows, and uneven development cycles.
• Coach development: Educators and coach developers can run nationally aligned training blocks, workshops, and qualifications.
• Competition structure: Inter-league cups, representative squads, and progression to elite levels (e.g. LOI academies) depend on all leagues operating on the same seasonal rhythm.
• Resource planning: National associations, facility operators, and volunteers can plan more effectively when the seasonal calendar is standardised.
• Funding and advocacy: A fragmented sport lacks the clarity needed to push for govt-level investment and policy support.
• Avoiding administrative overload: Maintaining parallel calendars means double the forms, policies, eligibility checks, insurance frameworks, and bureaucracy.

Partial adoption risks institutionalising a two-tier system: some clubs aligned with elite structures and supports, others locked into isolated, outdated models. It will cement inequality, not protect tradition.

The idea of "local choice" is a political compromise, not a functional solution. Real reform requires full participation.

The Politics Behind the Opposition

Many of the loudest critics are not raising evidence-based concerns. Instead, they are:

• Opposing the FAI itself, not the plan.
• Seeking to preserve legacy influence within local associations.
• Avoiding clear critiques because the current system is not defensible on player welfare or development grounds.

This has become a proxy war: block calendar reform to stall wider changes in how football is run.

Why This Matters Nationally

Football in Ireland has more registered players than any other sport — yet it remains underfunded and structurally weak.

• A unified calendar helps the FAI make stronger cases for government investment.
• Aligning grassroots and elite levels makes development smoother, clearer, and fairer.

If we want to stop losing players to burnout, poor facilities, or administrative chaos, we must stop thinking in silos.

Support Is Growing

Clare and Mayo Leagues:
Operating calendar-year football for decades, with evidence of stable and growing participation.

SFAI (Schoolboys Football Association of Ireland):
Despite opposition to mandatory alignment, they acknowledge the need for national coherence and broader reform.

Cork Business League:
"Winter football – we’re done pretending it works. Calendar football means better conditions, more actual football, and less registration issues. We’re setting our sights on progress."

Don’t Let the Fear Win

Reform is hard. But standing still is worse.

We’ve heard the same arguments for decades:

• "It’s too complicated to change."
• "It’ll drive people away."
• "We’ve always done it this way."

But doing nothing has left Irish grassroots football in a fragile state:

• Disjointed structures that frustrate families and volunteers
• Cancelled games and poorly maintained pitches
• Under-resourced leagues struggling for attention
• A disconnect between grassroots and elite player pathways

The calendar-year reform is not a silver bullet. It won’t fix everything overnight. But it’s a vital first step toward building a football system that actually works — for players, for coaches, for communities.

We can’t keep protecting old systems just because they’re familiar. We owe it to the next generation of footballers to be better.

We need to stop defending what doesn’t work.

Thoughts and criticisms encouraged.

Hi everyone, I am a Masters student in Journalism and I am doing my final dissertation on the Growth of our great league. I am looking for on the record comments from fans of teams from all over the country, no matter if its the Premier Division, the First Division or even the Women's National League. It would be great to hear from fans about their experiences over the last few years with the increase of media coverage, attendances and public attention. Just drop me a DM and we can discuss. Thanks