Awaiting summer season's greetings

At the rate he's going there may be no telling where Roddy Collins will take us all next. Wherever it is, though, you can be sure that there will be a few behind the scenes at Dalymount Park who make the trip with gritted teeth.

Sunday's cup win and the double it completes is a remarkable achievement for the Dubliner, all the more so since it is rumoured that at 4-1 down to Shamrock Rovers back in January a decision had been taken to show him the door.

By contrast, his position could scarcely be stronger now, with one long-time official at the club yesterday expressing ongoing reservations about having him about the place but admitting with a hint of anguish that "he's like the mailman, he just keeps on delivering".

Collins, though, has raised the stakes considerably at the Phibsboro club, where a dramatically-enlarged wage bill has meant there is far more pressure to succeed than ever before. Like their neighbours Shelbourne, Bohemians have now invested heavily in achieving success on the pitch and if the pair were to continue to be the only two full-time operations, then they would probably both get by simply by winning alternate doubles on an ongoing basis.

In reality, it seems safe to assume that there will be further development in that area at St Patrick's Athletic, while clubs all over the country are following suit by attempting to introduce core panels of fulltimers in a variety of ways.

The development of a league based around full-time playing staffs would, of course, bring a whole range of benefits but among the most welcome would be the fact that the people running the game might finally stop making allowances for amateurs and amateurism in their dealings with club managements.

In the recent disputes over the hurried rescheduling of important league games, some clubs argued that greater account needed to be taken of the difficulties they encounter when attempting to secure the release of players from their daytime jobs.

But if players were employed by their clubs on a full-time basis then a good many of the problems encountered could have been avoided. The problem up to now has been that those charged with making decisions in Merrion Square have never seemed sure whether they were entitled to treat clubs as professional organisations or whether they were obliged to make endless allowances for their shortcomings.

The league rule book, and particularly the appeals procedures it allows for, remains a major stumbling block, of course, as does the occasional weakness of those supposed to be in charge of administering it.

A strong league commissioner - the league's management committee is due to be given a name over the next week or so - would obviously help matters although it remains to be seen just how willingly the various clubs will take to surrendering power. If they do not take to it all then the job is likely to be little more than an expensive piece of wishful thinking.

Over the next few weeks we should also get an idea of the final proposals in relation to summer soccer. If things go to plan, then next season will be the last (for the moment at least) played between August and April.

There are clearly some problems to be ironed out before a final decision is taken on how to proceed and a couple of clubs, not least those from GAA strongholds, continue to express serious doubts about how they will fare if the switch goes ahead. Those behind the scheme remain confident that it will be adopted at the forthcoming a.g.m..

Such a decision would just about eclipse Bohemians' double as the season's most momentous achievement. And if it is successful then those who have championed it, like UCD's Brendan Dillon, may come to rival Collins and his players as the season's heroes.

emalone@irish-times.ie