BACK to reality. After the heady summer days of 2013 where the Exiles footballers earned plaudits and progress to the last 12 of the All-Ireland series, they are returned to a competition where they finished 32nd out of 32 in the spring.
What is London’s true level? Just off the pace of the elite counties? The lowest ranked team bar Kilkenny and New York? Somewhere between those contrasting standards?
Well, at present, you’d have to say their Championship exploits of last season give them legitimate reason to view themselves as an upwardly mobile outfit.
Sure, the stars aligned for them as regards a favourable Connacht final draw. But draws are only favourable if you can follow up the promise with action. And London did their stuff against Sligo and Leitrim (twice) in Ireland.
The first half at Hyde Park in the Leitrim replay, in particular, was a hugely impressive 35 minutes of football — as good as a display from a London team as experienced observers have seen.
The Exiles have earned their billing as a team to be reckoned with.
With enhanced status, though, comes enhanced expectation. If London are a genuine top 12 team then they will not be far off gaining promoted to Division Three, home of the counties ranked 17-24, come April.
Can they do it? Of course, but it will be far from straightforward.
London’s league form has always lagged behind their championship equivalent due to a number of factors that are still largely in place.
The London players will be aiming for Division Three this seasonPlayer turnover is high (though this has diminished in recent seasons as a lack of job opportunities for young people becomes a feature of Irish life.
If anything London are now in the ideal position of recruiting well and losing comparatively few players), facilities here don’t match those available to county teams at home and London don’t have a pre-season run-out such as the FBD.
Their opponents this weekend, Wicklow, have stretched their legs in the O’Byrne Cup. Granted, they didn’t make the semi-finals but the January games will have eased their engine into gear.
Also, Aughrim is a ground that has been worth scores to Wicklow over the years. As a season-opener, this is a tough one for London.
A loss here wouldn’t be the end of the world but a poor performance would put the Exiles on the back foot from the start of the campaign. Delivering a performance is all important here.
The first home game of the season, against Carlow in Ruislip on Sunday week, on the other hand, is a must-win if promotion is a serious prospect.
London have four home games this campaign: Carlow on February 9, Clare February 23, Tipperary March 2, Leitrim April 6.
Last season, it took 10 points to gain promotion from this division so, with that in mind, the Carlow, Clare and Leitrim home games will have to be wins.
The away fixture against Waterford on March 9 is another that will be targeted for two points. Then London will have to pick something up in the tougher tests against Wicklow away, Tipp at home or Antrim away on March 30.
All this is incredibly easy to write before the season begins. Eking out results against motivated, organised sides is another matter entirely.
Yet if London are to kick on from 2013 then a lot of the narrow defeats in the league of 2013 (Leitrim and Carlow away, Limerick at home) will have to go the other way.
Of course, a lacklustre league campaign does not herald championship doom — 2013 illustrates that point. Long-term progress for London, however, will be underpinned by League advancement.
They have momentum on their side from last season; there still exists a feel-good factor about the team. No time like the present to transfer that positivity into results. As always, we wish them well and look forward to documenting their progress over the year ahead, whatever it brings.
