EU regulations could affect future of pitch in Oriel Park

Dundalk's preparation for the new season continued at Abbottstown in Dublin last Friday with a 1-0 win over Cork City. It was a useful work out for both teams with Stephen O'Donnell's side edging out last season's First Division champions by the slenderest of margins.

Cameron Elliott's goal 30 seconds into the first half goal won the game for Dundalk. The Scottish striker, who arrived from East Kilbride just two weeks ago, took a great pass from Ryan O'Kane. His close-range effort struck the net as the new striker showed he had an eye for goal.

Greg Sloggett returned from injury and made his presence felt as did Pat Hoban, who again showed he has a great chance of causing real damage to the opposing teams' defences. John Martin also returned from injury and did well, as did youngster Anthony Mayo.

Greg Sloggett played for 59 minutes and came through unscathed. Archie Davies, who was signed by Dundalk just 24 hours earlier from Aldershot, did well in his attacking right wing back position. He looks a good prospect and should do well for Dundalk in the new season.

Manager Stephen O'Donnell used Andy Boyle, Louis Annesley and Hayden Muller as a back three. The tactic worked very well. However, I'm not a great believer in this formation as it can leave defences very exposed.

In Friday's game, this did not happen and even though Cork came close on the odd occasion, the Dundalk defence were excellent. Former manager Filippo Giovagnoli used this tactic all the time and it resulted in Dundalk conceding a lot of unnecessary goals.

Franco Umeh

A delegation from Crystal Palace attended the game. They were there to watch 18-year-old Cork City teenager Franco Umeh. Franco is an attacker, and he was on the fringes of the team that won the first Division last season.

His career has really moved in line with fellow Cork City youngster Mark O'Hanlon, who moved to Brighton in the January window. Indeed, both players were on the score sheet for the under 19 Republic of Ireland team side in the European qualifiers last September.

Franco Umeh will sign for Crystal Palace this week. He will join Drogheda United's Kieran Phillips along with Jake O'Brien from Cork who signed for Palace some time ago.

Franco could not have signed for Palace up to now because of Brexit rules which mean Irish players must be 18 before they can join an English club. But Benfica could sign his brother Jaden, even though he is only 14.

They are actively tracking the young Cork teenager. As Portugal are in the EU there is nothing stopping Benfica from signing Jaden.

Cameron Elliot

Goal scorer in the Cork City game Cameron Elliott told Dundalk FC website that it was another good workout following the Finn Harps game the previous week. Cameron says it was great to get on the score sheet. He felt it was a great move involving Greg Sloggett, who then set up Ryan O'Kane.

Cameron recalled how he just put Ryan's cross away. He thinks he can score a lot of goals this year for Dundalk if he gets the chance to play. So far, the Scotsman has found the standard in Ireland to be very good.

He says it is very physical and added that he felt that he really can do well in the league in the coming season. It's just a matter of getting fitter, as the time counts down to the new league which starts later this month.

It was Eliott's second goal in three games. He also scored in the behind closed doors game against Shelbourne three weeks ago at Oriel Park.

Dundalk have two more pre-season friendlies before the season starts. They travel to Drogheda tonight for the annual Jim Malone Cup. They also play first Division Wexford at Oriel next week.

Artificial Pitches

Once again, the Derry Journal had a follow up piece on artificial pitches. It reported that the FAI are closely monitoring EU regulations in relation to its proposed ban on the microplastics infill on sports pitches. A decision from the European Commission is expected imminently.

The decision will have major implication for Derry City, who play on an artificial pitch, and also of course Dundalk. The FAI has supported Derry City's request to the owners of the Brandywell, Derry City Council, to remove the existing 3G pitch and replace it with either a grass or Hybrid surface.

Nothing is known yet what plans Dundalk are making about these developments. It's also not known if the FAI have been in contact with Dundalk in what is a major infrastructural problem looming for the club.

The FAI has, as I reported last week, said that the Brandywell's synthetic pitch is unlikely to be fit for games beyond the 2023 season, given the EU's proposed ban. However, the EU are expected to facilitate a six-year transition period to allow clubs to switch to less harmful materials.

Health and safety concerns were raised by the Lone More Road club about the growing incidents of player injuries on the artificial surface at the Brandywell compared to when playing its home matches on grass.

UEFA has also established a working group concerning the future of all synthetic pitches, given the possible health and environmental impacts of micro plastics which are displaced during matches and training. This obviously effects the plastic pitch at Oriel.

The FAI say they will insist on annual testing on pitches to ensure they meet the required standard. I have no idea when the Oriel Park pitch was last tested. But I'm sure it has been done recently.

The Brandywell was last tested in July 2022 and has achieved the necessary FIFA clarification until July this year. One wonders how long Dundalk will get sanction from FIFA on their pitch, considering it is a year older than the pitch laid at the Brandywell.

The FAI told the Derry Journal that if a club is using an artificial turf pitch it must ensure it is FIFA Quality Pro Standard.

They say that pro-standard and testing must be done on artificial pitches on an annual basis. The pitches need to be upgraded regularly to ensure they meet the requirements.

The FAI say it's their aim to have the best possible playing surfaces at all stadiums in the country, so will regularly work with all clubs regarding upgrades and plans.

The FAI told the Derry journal that they are closely monitoring the EU regulations in relation to microplastics, and any impact caused.

They say that it will continue to monitor the imminent decision from the EU commission to implement a ban on microplastics, including crumb rubber /rubber granulate infill in artificial turf pitches with a suggested six-year phase in period.

Even if there is a six-year waiver by the EU to allow clubs change their artificial pitches, that is not much use to clubs like Dundalk or Derry City whose surfaces now have all but ended their life span.

Dundalk will get away with another year on its pitch. By the end of the coming season, it will have been used for eight seasons. Derry will have only played seven years on theirs.

It's long been a matter of debate that Dundalk's high injury list in a particular season has been caused by the artificial surface at Oriel. But the Lilywhites have had many seasons using this surface where their injury list has been low.

So there remains no definitive proof that it can be a bigger danger to injury compared to an ordinary grass pitch. But other serious health concerns have been raised about artificial pitches. It's thought that it is these concerns that will result in the EU ban.

Derry City have asked the local council to replace their artificial pitch with a grass pitch. The big difference between Dundalk and Derry is that the cup holders will not have to pay a cent to get a new pitch installed.

It will cost Dundalk over €1million next season to install a new artificial pitch. Derry City Council will pay the cost of whatever pitch is installed. It's a no brainer for Dundalk to reinstall a grass pitch next season.

With the EU set to ban artificial pitches completely, what is the point in the club putting down an artificial pitch again when within five years they will have to put in a grass pitch?

The concerns raised about the artificial pitches are not just related to physical injury. Other health issues that so far remain unproven have also been raised.

Whether the pitch at Oriel can still be used in 2024 remains to be seen. My guess is that the owners of the club will have to make a decision on what to do by the end of this season.

Both Derry and Dundalk will play on the existing pitches this year. There will be changes at one or both clubs for season 2024.I will park this issue at the moment.

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Red Card Appeals

The retrospective red card system is being brought into the game this season. It means that from now on, players will be able to appeal against wrongful dismissals in 2023. Previously the only grounds for appeal was mistaken identity.

But from the coming season clubs will be able to contest a red card if they believe a decision to be unjust. However, players will from now on will be subject to punishment for offences submitted which were not spotted by the match officials during a game itself.

The new system will allow a player sent off on a Friday to have the decision overturned the next day. This would allow them to play in a game two days later.

However, players who have committed off the ball offences which were not spotted by match officials will have an anxious wait to see if they will face a sanction by TV.

LOI News

The decision has been taken now that all games in the Premier and First Divisions have been streamed. 

Last season fans had to pay for an individual ticket to watch each game in the Premier Division for €7. If they watched all 36 games it cost €252.

Now common sense has prevailed and fans of a club in the top Division can go back to the old system and buy a season ticket for €120 to watch all 36 games.

The League of Ireland prize fund is unchanged for the coming season. This means that the champions of the Premier Division will receive €125,000 from a pot of €600,000.

League of Ireland Director Mark Scanlon says the FAI want to increase revenue around the League. In truth, the prize money is paltry. With the FAI having little to no money, I cannot see where it's going to come from.

League of Ireland football has been neglected funding wise for given for years. I cannot see this changing anytime soon.

The FAI have warned League of Ireland players ahead of the coming season that they will be sanctioned if they are found to be betting on any football games worldwide.

FIFA have made it clear that in any new contracts from 2023, it's stated that no players are allowed to either bet on their own domestic games or any soccer matches worldwide. FIFA are correct. But I believe it will be all but impossible to police.

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Brian McConville

Last Saturday marked the 45th anniversary of the death of Brian McConville, a Dundalk FC legend. Brian was a brother of Tommy McConville who has also since passed on. Brian would remarkably have been 80 last Saturday.

He won a league winners medal with Dundalk in 1975/76 and the FAI Cup in 1977. On 28th January 1978, he helped the Lilywhites to a 2-1 away win in the League at Inchicore against St Pat's.

On his return from Dublin, Brian was at home when he died tragically from a heart attack. He was survived by his wife Mary, who died in 2010, as well as his children Colm, Brenda, Sandra and Allison, who at the time of Brian's death were aged between five and 12.

Brian's wife Mary brought up her children on her own. The last game Brian played for Dundalk was his 220th game in total for his hometown club. I was at Brian's last game in Inchicore on that very sad day.

Jimmy Dainty and Brian Duff got the winning goals. In the season 1977/78 the team was in transition. At the end of the season, Dundalk sold three players, Brian Duff, Derek Caroll and Synan Braddish for a fee of £90,000 to Liverpool.

The money Dundalk got was used to build a new team which won the double the following season for the first time in the club's history. 

The McConville Cup was set up to be played by the local summer league teams to honour Brian. The family also sponsored the Dundalk Player of the Year Award which was presented annually in Brian's memory.

I was living in Dublin at the time of Brian's death. I will never forget my dad, Jim Malone, who was then a director at the club, calling me by phone to say Brian had died.

I was in a state of shock, as were all Dundalk supporters. My poor Da was numb at what had happened. He knew Brian very well. He was also at the Pat's game earlier that afternoon.

Who could ever have realised that Brian would be dead four hours after the game. It was just so sad. And Brian was such a really nice person.

Jim Malone Cup

The annual Jim Malone cup takes place tonight (Friday) between Dundalk and Drogheda United, with a kick off 7:45PM. It's a friendly. But really it's the first competitive game of the season between both clubs.

The trophy was first played for on 5th October 1997, just six days before the first anniversary of the death of then club president Jim Malone. He was a director of the club from 1955 to November 1994.

In January 1995, he became club president. Jim was Dundalk's rep on the FAI for years. When Drogheda applied for membership of the League in the early 1960's, Jim played a pivotal role in securing their place in professional game.

Drogheda never forgot that and he always had close links with the south Louth club. He loved Drogheda United. But his first love in sport was Dundalk FC, and it continued to be right up to the time of his death.

After my Da died, I thought hard about how his name could be remembered. I was on holidays in Chicago in July 1997 when I came up with the idea of an annual game for a trophy between Dundalk and Drogheda.

On arriving home, I spoke to my mum about the idea. I spoke to the two clubs. They were all for it. The Malone family donated the trophy, which has been played for ever since between the two clubs.

It is a testimony of how good both of these clubs have been down through the years since the competition began that they continue to honour my Da's memory. I am forever grateful.

Have a great week. Please look out for each other. And remember to be very careful out there.