Omar

Omar’s Moving Finger writes…
It was interesting to read an article in the ‘local’, papers the other day, concerning the thoughts of Glentoran and Linfield on the formation of a ten or twelve team league. Two other teams mentioned as wanting this smaller league, were Portadown and ourselves. Memories, as they say are short, it’s not really that long since we had a ten team Premier league and we know how exciting that was to watch (just for the benefit of any morons who may tune in to my dissertation, I am using irony here). No it was not a ‘rip roaring’ success story. But let’s take an objective look at what Belfast’s big two are suggesting here. Their ‘main’ point is that some visiting teams bring little or no supporters to away games. This I acknowledge is a valid point, but that doesn’t mean that these teams aren’t contributing to the success of the league. Institute from the North West are a good example, they bring practically no ‘paying’ supporters to away games. I have emphasised the word ‘paying’ purposely, ‘Stute’s great ploy, is to bring the majority of their supporters, usually about ten, in on the team bus and therefore they get in for ‘free’. Limavady United are yet another example, they bring only a handful of supporters to away league games. The ‘Roesiders’ had a good run last season under current Ballymena manager Tommy Wright, but it will be interesting to see if they can repeat their success under new manager, Paul Kee. Glenavon did have a ‘decent’ travelling support when they were last in the Premiership, while Coleraine do carry a few when the successes are coming and Dungannon Swifts bring a forty plus as well. But as for Larne, Lisburn Distillery, Loughgall, Newry (City), Cliftonville, Armagh City and Ards, they bring on average ten to twenty fans each. But do they make the league more or less interesting to watch? I personally believe they do and although it would be nice to ‘rake’ in another couple of big ‘gates’ from the Blues and the Glens, I think the league would very quickly become stale. No the league is not perfect, but at least it is a ‘league’, any smaller and it would just be a money making ‘bore’, variety as they say, ‘is the spice of life’!