By Julian Canny

Recently I picked up the latest edition of the Irish Soccer magazine and I saw a picture of my favorite person in the world, no not Gareth Gorman, but Michael Hyland. The Headline beside him said "A war that must be won". I was beside myself with joy - until I started reading the article that is. I mistakingly assumed that the article was going to be suggesting that it was time for a change at the top of the NL but no - it was about UEFA - another great organisation who claim "We care about football" while the FAI claim "We care about Irish football" - Now I thought football was the sport I go to see week in week out but I'd say given these two statements and taking into consideration the organisations involved that football is a code word for money!

Anyway as you've probably noticed I'm getting carried away with myself here so back to my favorite person in the world Gareth ... sorry Michael Hyland. OK for those of you who don't know he is the chairman of the National League. I have yet to meet a National League fan who thinks he is doing a good job but a majority of them just say "I don't really know much about him" but as I reply "Well as a National League fan do you not find it a bit strange that you've never seen him at a game or actually heard him talk about the league at all"

In fairness he did turn up to a NLU meeting a few years ago and in fairness he did have a tie of a LOI club on - unfortunately the tie was a Newcastle United tie who after one season changed their name to Newcastle West - were then replaced by St. James's Gate in 1990 who were subsequently replaced by St. Francis!!!!!

OK - I must admit I wasn't at this NLU meeting so I didn't hear him speak then but I have heard him on the soccer show but he only ever talks about UEFA coefficiants!

While Dave Barry, Liam Buckley and Aidan Fitzmaurice were talking about how clubs could prepare better for their European escapades he was saying "It's good that Cork City won because if they'd been beaten we'd have fallen 3 places in the UEFA rankings" what difference does that make - none at all we're still about 15 points away from getting an extra team in Europe and considering that we have 1.665 points at the moment - that's a hell of a lot. Basically what he was saying is that if we win games we'll do well. Wow he's a genius and this is my first reason that he must go - he should be an astrophysicist not the chairman of some football league! It just astounds me that he can carry on like that while other people are suggesting ways of doing better in Europe. For example Shels arranged to play the Irish League representatives in the Intertoto Cup - why did Michael Hyland not arrange this - it would probably have taken 2 phone calls so why couldn't he do it?!

Basically I could continue but he has done so little it's very difficult! The reason he has done so little though is completely obvious - he used to be President of the FAI - a post now held by Pat Quigley who claimed in the Carlsberg Trophy programme that he was biased to one team because he supported Liverpool - I wouldn't mind but St. Pat's were playing - does this mean if Ireland were drawn against England he'd have supported England?! I presume so because it's not as if Wembley is a foreign ground to him anyway - (back to Hyland) but when his term finished (or for whatever reason he had to give up that job) he decided he would earn some money by taking a highly paid post in which he would get a minimal amount of bother.

Sorry back to the league - I'll just give up on Michael Hyland for the minute and write about the state of 80 Merrion Square.

Last week I went into the offices to enquire about tickets for the Ireland v Turkey game (ooohh this reminds me - why a NL fan who went to 58 NL games last season and has already been to about 15 this season is not given preference for tickets is beyond me - just think of the amount of money I've put into the league while some fat b****** who sits in a pub and "supports" Man. U. gets a ticket because either a) he has a credit card or b) because this fat b****** knows one of the other fat b****** who works in the FAI - anyway that's all for later) but I was with one of my friends and suggested to him that we ask about the league and see what kind of response we get.

He led them to believe that he was doing a project on the league so he asked if he could get information on the clubs. What he was given was a photocopy of the contacts page in last season's National League Annual with Drogheda and GUFC in the First Division and Bray and Dundalk, the receptionist was also very helpful and told him "This is the first division (pointing to the premier division section) and this is the second division (pointing to the first division section)" The receptionist also failed to divulge the information that it mightn't be such a good idea to phone UCD and ask for Dr. Tony O'Neill RIP or to phone Bray Wanderers and ask for John O'Brien RIP as both had recently passed away (indeed the latter had passed away just the previous day)! Meanwhile I was having a look about the waiting area - a nice model of 'Insert sponsor's name here' Park - a trophy cabinet which was now looking a bit empty after I had seen it previously when Irish underage teams held a number of trophies - finally there was a glass cabinet on the wall which contained programmes from international games and 1 copy of last season's NL Annual.

This leaves me with no conclusion but that all the league means to the FAI is one NL annual!

It makes you wonder what I keep going to games for and when you try to talk to anyone in the FAI about it you're just ignored - I think these people need to stop and think for a second - who goes to more games and who can really see what needs to be done to improve the league - is it the fat cats who sit in 80 Merrion Square all day or is it the fans who pay their money to go through the turnstiles each week? I reckon I know. Finally I would just like someone to give me 1 good reason why Michael Hyland should be allowed stay - if this can't be done he must go for the benefit of the league and while he packs his bags to go we can all sing "You can hove your co-efficiants up your arse"

CU JC

Julian Canny is Webmaster of Into the West and feverent NL fan. Comparisons with Tom Symmons are a bit harsh, but he does share some positive characteristics.

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