Damien Duff and The Growth of the League of Ireland | OneFootball

It’s November 1st, and Shelbourne have just taken the lead against Derry City. “Duffer, Duffer, Duff-er-er-er” screams from the lungs of the travelling Shels’ fans, to the tune of The Cranberries ‘Zombie’. 250 kilometres south, the same chant is ringing around Tallaght Stadium by the Block E Boys and travelling support of Waterford FC as they realise Shamrock Rovers have been pipped at the post by Shelbourne.

The chant is a testament to the man; Damien Duff has provided a platform for the League of Ireland to grow on. The Premier League winner, the Ireland international, is now seen as the Shelbourne Saviour, the one who emerged victorious, the one who overcame the herculean hill and returned Shelbourne to the pinnacle of Irish football.

The 45-year-old has had coaching roles with Shamrock Rovers, Celtic and Ireland, where he was Stephen Kenny’s assistant manager for nine months. The former Fulham and Chelsea winger has seen his stock grow while at the helm at Tolka Park, which has also coincided with a massive upheaval in supporter numbers in the League of Ireland.

The influence of such a high-profile star in Irish football cannot be underestimated. Damien Duff took charge of the Drumcondra-based side in 2021, having spent the year previous coaching the Shelbourne U17 side.

A League of Ireland season that involved a motivational Jose Mourinho video, a former Liverpool player signing for Derry and a thrilling title race, among many more highlights.

Growth

At the beginning of the 2024 campaign, Shelbourne were 25/1 outsiders to win the league. Their final game of the season attracted the biggest ever TV viewing for a League of Ireland game, with 402,000 peak viewers and an average of 206,000. Viewing figures were up 42% across the Men’s Premier Division and the league’s social channels had a combined 101 million impressions.

As a result of the growing interest in the league, Virgin Media have now won the live broadcast rights for the league, with 36 games set to be shown on live TV this season, another record broken. The announcement of the TV rights lying solely with Virgin Media has been largely backed by clubs, with one game a week set to be shown live for the coming season.

In 2024, the League of Ireland (LOI) recorded over half a million people in attendance at matches before the summer break for the first time ever. There was a combined total of 506,475 people in attendance across the three League of Ireland divisions and cup fixtures up until June 23.

According to UEFA’s Annual Landscape report, LOI attendances grew by 20% last year compared to 2022, to an aggregate of 587,900 (calendar year).

But away from all the TV viewers and match-going fans, the excitement around the league in general is palpable. At a fairly mundane time in the LOI calendar where new signings and pre-season friendlies are the main source of excitement, the positive sentiment and anticipation around the new season cannot be denied.

The Damien Duff Direction

His controversial tone and genuineness have made his quotes appear raw and rustic, in contrast to the majority of managers in today’s game who have a media-crafted response ready for any question that may come their way.

Damien Duff’s passion in describing the league is undisguised:

Love him or loathe him, this man is a great ambassador for football in this country. If other internationals took a similar interest in the league, Irish football would develop significantly. With Seamus Coleman recently taking interim charge of Everton and nearing the end of his playing days, could we see him back in the league in the near future?

Another former international, Stephen Elliot, has been announced as manager of First Division side Wexford FC, having formerly been Head of Academy Football at St. Pats’. Irish football would see exponential growth if managers began their career in Irish football rather than hoping for the highs of English football.

While the football standard and technical ability may not match those of Europe’s top leagues, the excitement, unmatched passion, and connection with fans reached an unprecedented height last season. The Shelbourne boss even pulled plucked a fan out of the stands to give his team some words of encouragement following their victory over St. Patrick’s Athletic.

As the new season approaches, the Dublin Derby pitting Shamrock Rovers against Bohemians at the Aviva Stadium has sold just over 17,000 tickets, making it an enthralling event on the league’s opening weekend and a fitting prelude to what promises to be another competitive year of football for fans to cheer for.

The Shelbourne Scene

With the upcoming season expected to be another highly contested affair, a number of transfers and organisational changes are taking place at Tolka Park, with the announcement of former Dublin GAA player, Tomás Quinn as new CEO

A grand total of 15 players from last year’s squad have signed new contracts ahead of the upcoming season, most notably, star striker, Sean Boyd. The Swords native has scored 36 goals in 70 appearances in red. The striker conveyed his ambition and hunger for more silverware:

“The manager, it’s in his DNA, he will not for one second accept that we’re just going to lie down and think this was great, we’ve won one league, that’s us done.”

The season ahead may prove fruitful yet again for Damien Duff’s side. Shamrock Rover’s will be looking to reclaim their spot at the summit of Irish football, whilst Stephen Kenny’s St.Pats will also prove stiff opposition. Former Ireland manager, Brian Kerr had his say on affairs

What’s Next?

It is clear that all the numbers are pointing in the right direction and the league is at a crucial junction. It is important to build on this momentum and continue this growth, encouraging fans to get out and support their local club and communicating the message that football is so much more than the glitz and glamour of the top leagues.

The growth is not just focused on the Men’s Premier Division either. The First Divison and the SSE Airtricity Women’s Premier Divison are also experiencing growth, with continuous growth seen in attendance figures and season ticket sales.

The FAI continue to be in the headlines for the wrong reasons with the mistreatment of Colin Healy, but the positivity surrounding the league can breathe a positive ambience back into Irish football as the new season approaches.