The draw for the fourth round of the FAI Ford Cup was one of the main items on MNS this week. It was good to see Pat Byrne for the first time in many years, and it was nice to be able to welcome Sean Connor back to the studio, albeit a fairly fleeting visit from the Dundalk boss.
It was almost predictable given the edge between the Lilywhites and Bohemians that the two sides should be drawn together. The buzz in Dundalk ahead of the tie in mid August will be fantastic, and I'm sure media interest in the game will be huge. As I said on the programme, it's a match I'd love to be at.
The all-Premier Division tie between Sligo Rovers and Derry City should be a good one too. The fact that there's such a gap between the two sides in the league table won't count for much when they face up to each other in the Cup, and I'm sure there'll be a big turnout at the Showgrounds for that one.
Crumlin United boss Martin Loughran told me before the show that the club were hoping for a meeting with Shamrock Rovers. It wasn't to be but I'm sure Waterford United will be wary of the non league Dublin side having already taken the scalp of Shelbourne in the previous round.
Monaghan United were represented in studio by manager Mick Cooke who was happy to have a home tie, but probably a bit disappointed that the visitors would be St Patrick’s Athletic, who although blowing hot and cold at the moment, are sure to be tough opponents.
This week is another of those during the campaign, when I put my green and white woolly hat away for a while, and put on my totally neutral cap. I desperately want St Pat's, Derry City and Bohemians to win their forthcoming European ties.
Most supporters of the league here are aware how important good showings by League of Ireland clubs in European competition are, for all sorts of reasons.
Obviously the UEFA Co-efficient can improve when our clubs win or draw matches, and that can have a knock on affect for the clubs who play in the following European campaigns, but also just simply in terms of PR value. Recent wins over clubs from countries like Holland, Sweden, Scotland, Croatia and so on, cannot be underestimated.
The battle to win the hearts and minds of football supporters in Ireland who never actually go to football matches here is a constant one, and if our clubs are seen to beat opposition from these countries, it might just make one or two of the cynics sit up and realise that the League of Ireland does have some value and deserves support.
I was talking to somebody who travelled to Tallaght on the Luas last weekend when Shamrock Rovers played Newcastle in a friendly game, and he was amazed at how many Irish fans were going to the match clad in tight fitting Newcastle jerseys. If a Martian arrived in Dublin on that day, you'd have a hard job trying to explain to him why somebody from Dublin would be supporting a team from the north east of England against a team from his own native city. Go figure.
The one thing that I did notice at Tallaght was how many youngsters were gathering around the likes of Gary Twigg and Barry Murphy who were seated in the stand having played the previous night against Bray, and in fairness to the players they signed autographs for several minutes as the bright eyed boys and girls queued up for the prized signatures.
How refreshing, on a day when many kids eyes would have been firmly focussed on Damien Duff and his ilk, to see so many young fans happy to be within touching distance of their heroes - Twiggy and his team-mates.
Of course it may be a different story when the Portuguese poster boy and his Galactico colleagues roll into town, but I somehow get the feeling that it won't just be the youngsters who are getting their heads turned when Real Madrid come to Tallaght. That game is an exceptional occasion given that it's likely to be the former Manchester United player's first outing for Real, but like my colleague Tony O'Donoghue, I fail to get too excited about what is, at the end of the day, a friendly game.
If only all those who've coughed up good money to see the friendly would come along for the far more important league match against Sligo Rovers on Saturday for a quarter of the price incidentally.
That being said, I talked earlier on about PR value of good European results. What Rovers have garnered more than anything else from the Real Madrid game, is positive PR. It's hard to quantify a monetary value on that PR but hopefully the sight of more and more youngsters turning up at Tallaght in green and white hooped jerseys will be the ultimate outcome.
Equally, if Bohemians manage to knock Salzburg out of the Champions League, it would have such a beneficial effect on the Dalymount club. Not only would they be guaranteed several more European nights, and extra money from UEFA for getting to later rounds, but it would also help arouse an extra buzz about the club that is badly in need of some positive news following the revelations that they are overspending on wages and face the real threat of sanction unless income can be increased by a fairly substantial amount.
I'd love to see Bohemians advance, likewise St Patrick's Athletic and Derry City. It would be good for everyone in the league. I'm sure there are some supporters of other clubs in the league who'd find it easier to walk over sharp glass than throw their lot behind Bohemians or Derry or the Saints, but that's a blinkered view, and doesn't take the wider picture into account.
Actually, we had a good laugh in the MNS office this week when an email arrived questioning if the entire production team were Bohemians fans given the bias we show towards the Gypsies. The questioner went on to add that we always show Bohemians games live.
In hindsight he may have been confusing us with one of our competitors who are currently showing live games, because on our programme, we show every team, every week.
The answer incidentally, is that we have one Bohemians fan who works on the show, one Derry City, one Longford Town, one Shamrock Rovers, one Cork City, one Shelbourne, and one who wavers between St Pat's and Bray depending on the weather (our editor Brummie Steve).
We honestly try to be as neutral as possible in our coverage, and one thing we cannot be accused of, is being soft on Bohemians. But everyone is entitled to their opinion and as long as they're watching, we're happy to receive their emails.
Fogra: Pat Morley is still banging on about the fact that Jason Byrne scored some of his goals in the First Divsion while playing for Bray Wanderers, and that those goals shouldn't count in the overall total in the league top goalscorers of all time rankings. I have some sympathy with his view, but I'm not sure where the statisticians out there stand on the issue. Any thoughts? email us at mns@rte.ie
