"It would be a great boost to the town. Derry thrives on winning trophies."
Derry City legend Eddie McCallion is hoping the time has finally arrived for the cub to end their long and overdue wait for a league championship.
The former defender, who played 537 times for the club, just missed out on the title in both 2005 and 2006, and knows the pain of coming so close, only to lose it on the final day of the season.
McCallion played in the infamous game at Turner’s Cross on the final day of the 2005 season, when the Candystripes went to Cork City needing a draw to clinch the title, but a 2-0 defeat broke City hearts. Then, just 12 months later, McCallion saw he and his team mates lose out, not just on the league title, but a treble, with Shelbourne taking the title on goal difference.
Now, 27 years after the club’s last title in 1997, Derry City have another opportunity and McCallion insists at this stage, it’s just one game at a time.
“You have to concentrate on yourself,” he said. “Everything else is taken out of your hands. It doesn't matter what the other teams do. If you take care of what you're doing, it puts everything to bed. If Derry go and win their games, it puts the pressure on them. You're hoping that if Derry can get it to the last game of the season, they'll be confident that they've beat them at home. That's probably the big thing. It's just making sure that you're still within that touching distance.”
McCallion is as amazed as anyone at the inconsistency of the teams at the top this season, with league leaders Shels winning just one of their last 10 games, and Derry City winning just one of their last seven.
“I think it's been a strange season,” he acknowledged. “Usually, you'd see teams pushing on and winning games and putting pressure on the other teams. I think this year teams are dropping points and the other team is not capitalising on the situation. It's a strange sort of season, how it's going. In years gone by you'd probably lose 4 or 5 games throughout the season but I think the top teams this year have lost a lot of games. It's just crazy to see.”
Last week, Shamrock Rovers manager Stephen Bradley claimed that the overall quality of the league had fallen this year, a statement which was dismissed by Shels manager Damien Duff, who claimed it was an insult to the 250 professional footballers in the Premier Division. Whatever the opinion, the fact remains that this year’s title winners will amass the lowest points total in recent history.
“It's hard to say,” McCallion said. “There's money involved within all the clubs. Everybody has their own opinion, whoever they played and who's all full time and how competitive it is. It's only the players out there that have an idea of how competitive it is. It's just tough to say. It's a great opportunity for Derry, they're in a great position and you're just hoping the results in the next few games will go their way.”
‘Put it to bed’
Derry City have two huge home games this weekend against Bohemians and Sligo Rovers, and two wins would take them top by two points with just three games to play. The title is very much in Derry’s hands once again.
“It would be a great boost to the town,” McCallion agreed. “It's great to see the amount of young people going to matches and getting behind the team. Derry thrives on winning trophies. I know we haven't won the league as much as we should have. Looking back, we're disappointed we didn't do that, but it's a great opportunity this year to put it to bed.
“For a club of Derry's size and investments its had, you'd be hoping they'd go and win the league. I think going forward it could be tougher because you have to look at the other teams now investing and the other managers within the league. I think it will be tough.”
“Ruaidhri being Ruaidhri, he'll blank everything out and have the players focused on the next game. I think the most important thing this year will be the league and not the cup.”