The crowd trouble at the recent Bohemians versus Shamrock Rovers game allowed some sections of the media to portray the League of Ireland in a poor light. I found it annoying, not least because those same sources rarely give the league the coverage it deserves on the good days; an opportunity to sensationalize the situation at that match was too good to pass up. For me, while in no way apologizing or excusing the trouble, the match was a derby and needs to be viewed in those terms to fully understand the rivalries and emotions that exist at these games.
Derby matches in football are special occasions all over the world, boasting higher attendances than other matches. The atmosphere is charged with a special mix of expectation and excitement. Occasionally things can boil over – it is up to the authorities to plan accordingly for these occasions and ensure sufficient crowd management has been put in place.
The most common type of derby is local rivalry. Games like Everton versus Liverpool, Celtic versus Rangers, the Manchester derby and the Milan derby are some high-profile ones from abroad that are familiar to us. You can find equally valid examples all over the globe – how about the Freetown derby in Sierra Leone between East End Lions and Mighty Blackpool, or the Nairobi derby in Kenya between AFC Leopards and Gor Mahia. One on my bucket list is the annual Muratti Vase challenge game between Jersey and Geurnsey.
If you delve deeper into the world of derbies in soccer you find that they are not restricted to local rivalries. They could be games between two big teams from some distance apart, like Real Madrid versus Barcelona. Or games between teams that happen to have as their coaches two people who are rivals. Think Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola; it doesn’t matter who they are managing, any game that pits these two in opposing dugouts is a derby of sorts. The same applies to games between players with a rivalry between them. Ronaldo versus Messi would be as much a spectacle if they were lining up for Manchester United and Manchester City respectively as it is at present when Real Madrid play Barcelona.
When I was growing up the two best goalkeepers in England were Peter Shilton and Ray Clemence. Once Gordon Backs retired, successive England managers couldn’t make up their minds which of this pair was the better, so much so that they basically played in alternate England matches from about 1972 to 1984. When they met with their club sides the games were often billed as Clemence versus Shilton derbies. Great to watch for me, given that my favourite position is goalkeeper and these were the two highest proponents of the art.
There was a time [1950’s & 60’s] when the biggest derby in Dublin and indeed League of Ireland football was Drumcondra versus Shamrock Rovers. Rovers represented the southside and Drumcondra the northside. Tolka Park and Milltown would be packed out. Nowadays Bohemians versus Shamrock Rovers is probably the biggest derby in Dublin, although St Patricks Athletic against either is a noteworthy occasion too. This year’s First division has plenty of Dublin derbies too, with Shelbourne, UCD and Cabinteely all trying to outdo each other.
There are quite a few derbies elsewhere in the League of Ireland, although their frequency is often interrupted by the sides being in different divisions. There’s the Louth derby between Dundalk and Drogheda United; the Southeast derby between Wexford Youths and Waterford United; the Ulster derby between Finn Harps and Derry City; the Connaught derby between Galway and Sligo Rovers; the Munster derby between Limerick and Cork City [and on occasions the Cork derby between Cobh Ramblers and Cork City] and of course the Midlands derby between Longford Town and Athlone Town.
Different supporters in Bray see different occasions as derby games. I’d regard Wexford Youths as a Wicklow-Wexford derby, but this is a relatively new encounter. Games against UCD always had a derby feel to them, as they were the nearest side to us geographically until the arrival of Cabinteely. Many Bray fans regard Shamrock Rovers as a derby game – I suppose a lot of Bray players have gone on to play there over the years adding some extra spice to any occasion they return in a Rovers team.
In summary, derby games are days to be enjoyed and celebrated, not dwelt on as occasions with potential for trouble.
Brian Quigley