TThe Inter-Floppo Cup

Shelbourne finished the 98/99 season, in a game that typified much of what has happened over the eight month long campaign. It started full of promise, but ended with a whimper, with yet another lustreless, lifeless, and leaden display. Obviously, the questionable motivation of a place in the Inter-Floppo Cup failed to raise the Reds, as once again, players just seemed to be going through the motions. It's been a long bruising season, they need a holiday {or in some cases a transfer}, not a prolonged energy and wit sapping distraction, in an obscure sixth-rate sub-European tournament.

Curiously, even manager Dermot Keely appeared to be distancing himself from the desperate last gasp bid for Inter-Floppo qualification , as he spent the entire ultimate league match sitting in the stand. Derry City - whose players obviously value their summertime - were absolutely no help. They'd naturally prefer the prospect of continued north-west jousts with their near-neighbours Sligo Rovers, rather than June & July trips to the exotic footballing backwoods of Switzerland, Hungary & Luxembourg.

UEFA recently changed the format of the Inter-Floppo, in an effort to attract entrants from the mainstream European footballing countries. The format is designed to be less demanding in terms of dates { Red Bull would hate to see the more onerous schedule}, and also incorporates seeding. Forty clubs will play in the First Round, which takes place on 19/20 and 26/27 June. The 20 winners from those ties will be joined by 12 of the 20 seeded teams for the Second Round, which will take place on 3/4 and 10/11 July. The 16 winners will then be joined by the top eight seeds for the Third Round where the first legs will be played on 17/18 July and the return legs on 24 July. The subsequent twelve winners will participate in 3 groups of 'semi-final' matches on 28 July and 4 August. The six winners will then play in the final phase on 10 and 24 August, with the three winners guaranteed a place in the UEFA Cup First Round.

The seedings were decided on the basis of the table of coefficients which was used to determine the number of participants per association in the 1998/99 UEFA Cup. The top eight seeds, who will enter the competition in the Third Round, are the top clubs entered from Italy, Spain, France, Germany, the Netherlands, England, Turkey and Austria.

Greece and Portugal would have had clubs among the top eight seeds, but wisely - demonstrating a share of common good sense with Derry City FC - decided to forego that privilege and choose to snub the Inter-Floppo.

Shelbourne are drawn to play the No. 2 Swiss Inter-Floppo qualifiers for the first round. Given that Switzerland have maybe one Champions League place and two UEFA Cup places, the Reds' opponents will probably be at best, the 5th placed team in their league. So depending on how seriously Shelbourne's board and management treat the matches, there's a fair chance of getting past those Alpine giants of soccer, and then it's on to the 2nd round, versus the winners of a Luxembourg / Hungary tie. Again a reasonable prospect for advancement. After that, it's another a mouth-watering tie against the winners of a fascinating contest between the Norwegian No 2 Inter-Floppo representatives and the Latvian qualifiers. Again, on paper, another winnable tie. That would see Shels into the last 12 of the competition and entry into 1 of the 3 groups of 'semis'

Shelbourne in the semi-finals of a European cup competition !

Simple as that - Eureka - previously unscaled heights of glory for the Reds - Ollie's nose won't stop bleeding all summer long.

What matter if the players get no holidays or time to regenerate after the past 2 gruelling and heartbreaking seasons ?
What matter if the players are all bollixed come the new season ?
What matter if young emerging talents such Ritchie Baker & Davey Byrne are burnt out before their 19th birthdays ?
What matter that few supporters could afford to travel to Switzerland., Hungary or Luxembourg, and Norway or Latvia, on consecutive fortnights ?
What matter that the home legs, against such mediocre minnows from the middle echelons of Europe's footballing minions, are hardly likely set the turnstiles spinning in Tolka Park ?
What matter if it's a financial disaster ?
What matter if Shels have to pass up on any lucrative home friendlies against visiting English Premiership sides, now that the counter attraction of the Carlsberg Tournament has been abandoned ?

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