Duff is right, this is his greatest triumph

The domestic soccer season has a couple of games left – the FAI Cup final this weekend and the promotion/relegation play off final the weekend after – but for drama and tension, neither will come even close to the conclusion of the Premier Division title race last Friday.

Shelbourne’s triumph, after Harry Wood’s late goal in Derry, sparked wild scenes of celebration for Reds players and fans at the Ryan McBride Brandywell. But most eyes were firmly fixed on Damien Duff, Shelbourne’s manager, who had just completed one of the great managerial achievements of recent times.

Duff’s arrival on the domestic scene coincided with the post-Covid bounce in popularity for the domestic game. It happened at the perfect time, and has helped accelerate a surge in eyeballs watching on from all corners of the country and even beyond.

Shelbourne’s rise from the ashes is some story. In October 2020, I was at Lissywollen when Shels shipped a 4-1 hammering at the hands of Athlone Town in the quarter-finals of the FAI Cup. Downbeat after that, their mood was only worsened weeks later when they were relegated back to the First Division after losing to Longford Town.

To think that Shels will now compete in the Champions League next year and defend a Premier Division title at the same time is somewhat surreal – and points to an outstanding managerial job done by Damien Duff.

The former Chelsea winger has been there and done it all as a player. He won two Premier League titles under Jose Mourinho at Stamford Bridge. He played in a Europa League final with Fulham. He made over 100 appearances for Ireland. He scored at a World Cup. He played at a European Championships. Yet, this success as a manager he says is his best achievement yet.

Why?

For the reasons mentioned above.

Shels were not in a good place when he took over in late 2021, even though the club was destined for the Premier Division again. They retained their position in the top tier, qualifying for Europe in 2023, and this year they’ve excelled even more.

Many will point to the standard in the league this year and question it.

Shamrock Rovers were below par for virtually all of the campaign, Derry City again disappointed despite possessing such a talented squad and St Pat’s took a long while to get going, before finishing the league with nine wins on the bounce. Even Shels failed to prosper for long stages, with just one win in nine before their victory over Waterford a fortnight ago.

But then again, despite the obvious pressure and a poor run of form, Shels summoned enough to go and win their final three matches. In a season of such unpredictability, that in itself is impressive.

Duff is someone who intrigues everyone. Animated on the sideline, unpredictable in interviews where he is always forthright and honest, he is what they call box office. People will tune in to watch him alone – there were reports last week that the Celtic first team were watching the match against Derry City the evening before their League Cup semi-final against Aberdeen.

There was the possibility that Shamrock Rovers would win the title again, for the fifth time, had Shels failed to win. Indeed, for 83 minutes, that was how it looked as though it was going to go. Ultimately, Shamrock Rovers came up short and there were few complaints from the Hoops after the game. But, think back – how costly was that controversial penalty call against Shamrock Rovers in their game with Derry City in September? Had that not gone against them, Stephen Bradley’s team would have won the game and collected an extra two points that would, in the end, have seen them win the league. Tight margins.

Yet, given Shamrock Rovers had the chance to win an unprecedented five titles in-a-row, that all felt like a bit of a sideshow with the real romance being attached to the Shels title bid.

With a mid-table budget, the loss of arguably their two best performers mid-season in Gavin Molloy and Will Jarvis and a loss of form at the worst time, Shels had many things go against them this year. But Duff and co. managed the situation superbly and, even if it was enormously tense in Tolka Park and elsewhere over the last few weeks, they found a way to get it done. It was important they did, because it’s hard to see a club coming from the middle of the pack to win a title any time soon.

Shamrock Rovers will be better next year – though they will barely have an off-season given their European commitments – and St Pat’s, to my mind, are poised to start next year as favourites to claim the league title. Bohemians will surely improve, too, while Cork City coming up from the First Division means another major club is back at the top table. No one will want to go to Turners Cross.

A consistent improvement in the quality and standard of the league is important for Irish football, and the Conference League has provided a huge opportunity for clubs here. Shamrock Rovers made €400,000 alone for their win over Larne earlier in the campaign and also have a glamour fixture against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge to look forward to the week before Christmas.

That level of economic return on qualifying gives Rovers real scope to invest in their playing squad but qualifying would do even more for the likes of St Pat’s, Derry City and Shelbourne in the coming years. The next step is to get multiple clubs competing in European group stages in the coming seasons.

On the facilities front, news of significant funding for both Dalymount Park and Sligo’s own Showgrounds on Monday is a gamechanger. Dalymount, the traditional home of Irish football, is in desperate need of investment while the money for the Showgrounds will transform an already good stadium into a great one.

For now, though, it’s important to acknowledge the entertainment provided by the season just gone. Maybe, just maybe, it is the Greatest League in the World.