IT HAS been deserving of your attention for a while, but now it's really time to get behind the League of Ireland.
News emerged over the weekend that the biggest and richest clubs in the world were planning on breaking away and forming a Super League, with no relegation or promotion for the "founding" clubs.
It shook football fans around the world, and will be discussed for weeks by everyone from Roy Keane to Boris Johnson.
But regardless of the outcome from this point on, it has been made extremely clear by these clubs that they have no loyalty to where they came from, or to the fans who have followed them along the way.
So it's about time we stop being overly loyal to them, and start satisfying our football cravings elsewhere - the League of Ireland.
Forget the 'Super League' - support your local team in your city, with your friends and family - wherever that may be. #SupportLocal #FanOwnedFootball#TerracesNotTV pic.twitter.com/4toNOBNzG3
— Bohemian Football Club (@bfcdublin) April 18, 2021
We are aware that the quality is 'worse', and that you won't see the biggest players in the world week in week out, but why does that matter? Is it not more enjoyable to know that the lad who sent 2,500 fans wild on a Friday night is going to be doing the shopping at the local Centra the next morning?
These players are real. The teams are real. The same can't be said for what has become of football in the biggest leagues in the world.
Think of it like a relationship. You wouldn't give attention or time to someone who doesn't care about you. And it has become abundantly clear that these 'super clubs' do not care about you. Not one bit.
Instead, put your time and effort into following a League of Ireland club. They will appreciate your help. If you get to a few games, they'll start to remember your face. Before long, they'll know your name. You're actually part of it.
And even if you can't get to a game, get involved somehow. You can purchase individual games or every game here at fairly reasonable prices, especially compared to what the Premier League was charging during a global pandemic for a few weeks last year, until they copped on.
Shamrock Rovers isn't just a football club; it's a sports club, it's a social club, its a community hub, it's a place to go to eat, to drink, to socialise, to play, to work, to worship.
It's Our Club. It's Your Club. Be Part Of It.#TogetherAsOne | #NothingBeatsBeingThere pic.twitter.com/jlgerEQrXk— Shamrock Rovers FC ☘️ (@ShamrockRovers) April 19, 2021
This whole Super League nonsense may be scrapped at some point in the near future. Maybe it won't. But either way, don't put your faith in billionaires who don't value your opinion in the first place.
Covid saw society look to 'Support Local', as much as they could. Let's do it with our national football league, instead of giving more power to those who are already dangerously drunk with it.
What's a Super League to the Greatest League In The World anyway?
We wish to confirm that we will not be taking part in any European Super League.
— Bray Wanderers FC (@BrayWanderers) April 18, 2021
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