The men who fell to earth

Readers may be familiar with a Sky One television series called Dream Team, which follows the fortunes of fictional football club Harchester United.
At the end of every season, the entire Harchester squad is usually killed off in some sort of freak disaster, a phenomena that has led to the club being known as the unluckiest in the world. No Shamrock Rovers players were killed this season, but pretty much everything else imaginable happened.
A season that began with manager Roddy Collins talking about challenging for the title ended with Rovers relegated to the First Division for the first time in their history, and with Collins out of a job. In between these two events, there has been a High Court examinership, a supporter takeover, an eight-point deduction, a punch-up between Collins and Shelbourne supremo Ollie Byrne, a Revenue Commissioners investigation, a failed multi-million euro takeover by English businessmen, and the attempted deportation of a player by the Department for Justice. One thing is for sure – there’s never been a dull day at Rovers.
The 400 Club, the supporters’ group now running the club, have been widely praised for their handling of Rovers since the takeover, having rightly prioritised off-field stability. Not only has every player been paid his weekly wage, but these wages have all been officially recorded and the proper tax has been paid to the Revenue Commissioners. In a league still dominated by under-the-counter payments and tax avoidance, Rovers should be applauded for their determination to run the club by the book, even if it ended in their relegation.
And now Rovers – winners of 15 league titles and 24 FAI Cups – are facing into the First Division for the first time in their history. Similarities have been made between Rovers’ relegation and Manchester United’s one-season stint in a lower league in the early 1970s. Rovers will be hoping to follow the lead of clubs like United and Shelbourne, who bounced back stronger than ever.
In the meantime, the club will be attempting to win the one trophy they have never got their hands on – the First Division title. Supporters are looking upon relegation not as a disaster but merely as a chance to go on tour for a season, visiting the likes of Cobh, Monaghan, Athlone and long-forgotten former rivals Dundalk and Limerick.
The Premier Division, meanwhile, will notice the absence of Rovers – their colour, their arrogance, their tradition and, mostly, their crowds. By the time the 2007 Premier League begins, the banners will be out: “Rovers – back by popular demand”.
Eoghan Rice is author of We Are Rovers: An Oral History of Shamrock Rovers.