Roddy Collins is the Marmite of the League of Ireland. Some fans love him, some fans hate him. If he's not managing, you can be sure he's giving an interview to someone and this morning, he appeared on Newstalk Breakfast for a brief but interesting chat.
It's been a topsy-turvy seven days for the League. Dundalk were raided by Preston of their two best players, the Jonathan Gabay 'brand review' caused all sorts of consternation and the new 10-team structure was announced.
Later today, the fixtures for the 2017 season will be released, but it was the review which Collins took aim at first and he was not pleased:
This was supernanny stuff for the 'problem child'. Absolutely ridiculous. Instead of giving this man a chunk of money, the heads of the FAI should've sat down with the honchos of the GAA and the IRFU and asked 'How can we market this better?'
There was just one positive idea that came out of it all and that was the idea that managers should be more open to cause a bit of enthusiasm.
Back when I was managing, we created havoc.
The FAI came in for some spiky criticism as well from the Double-winning former Bohemians manager:
The FAI don't care about the League of Ireland. The League is dead in the water.
Nothing's changed since I played. It never changes but we can't stop trying.
The €5,000 they gave during the year was embarrassing. John Delaney is a great man for Irish football on the international scale. But it's Michael D that's a League of Ireland man.
Dundalk FC have done more for the League than the FAI. They won't repeat their European adventure, because they've lost their two best players.
People don't want to go to games. If I'm bringing in family from America, and Bohs are playing Rovers the following day, I'll take them up to St. Mochta's or Bluebell. I've seen more people at their games than some League matches.
Asked how he would market the league better, Collins pointed to a Notorious example
Look at Conor McGregor. Ireland's most admired sport star, the RTE Sports Person of the Year and he's only in the octagon for minutes every couple of months! His fights are always events. That's what we need to make League of Ireland games.
I was in Shelbourne Park a few years ago - I know absolutely nothing about greyhounds and I had a great night. The matches need to be somewhere people want to go.
When I did try to promote the game I was fined €3,500 and suspended for 12 weeks by the FAI.
You can listen to the full Collins interview below
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