Laying down the roots for prosperity

FAI Carlsberg Cup semi-final preview:   Emmet Malone talks to Shamrock Rovers chairman Jonathan Roche about the great strides the club have made.

After a season of toil in the shadows of the First Division, this should have been a week for Shamrock Rovers manager Pat Scully and his players to do a little basking in the media spotlight that traditionally accompanies the latter stages of the Carlsberg-sponsored FAI Cup.

Instead, the Rovers squad have observed a self-imposed silence this week in protest at the fine handed out by the league to Scully for comments on the league's recent administrative difficulties.

To say, then, that there is "quiet confidence" ahead of tonight's semi-final clash with St Patrick's Athletic is more literally true than normal.

The pity is that an opportunity has been lost for the club and its players to shout a little about the considerable progress that has been made since last year's relegation from the top flight.

Though the saga of the club's proposed new home may drag on - the council's decision to press ahead with the development as a soccer only stadium is up for a judicial review on November 23rd - but on almost every other front there have been substantial leaps forward under a board comprised, for the most part, of life-long fans.

No fewer than 11 players will be unavailable for this evening's game with three suspended (Vinny Perth, Ian Ryan and Ray Kenny), six cup-tied (Andy Myler, Derek Pender, Paul Shiels, Mark O'Brien, Dave McGill and Anto Flood) and a couple (Ger Rowe and Shane Guthrie) laid up by injuries.

Yet the number of mainly players who could feature, like Eric McGill, Paul Gannon and Aidan Price, that have strong links with Tallaght is a measure of how firmly the Hoops have been laying down roots in their future home recently.

"There's no doubt that we realise just how important the whole community aspect of the club is," says Rovers chairman, Jonathan Roche.

"We run a scholarship scheme with the local Institute of Technology where we have seven players studying at the moment and at half-time in the Pat's game we'll be unveiling the latest stage in our second level programme which will involve 10 young players, who are with a number of different clubs, receiving support from us.

"The biggest thing in terms of numbers, though, is the programme run by Mick Leech and a whole team of coaches who go into primary schools all around our catchment area to work with young kids.

"We also have big plans to develop the pitches we use at Kiltipper into a really top-class facility and talks aimed at securing the long-term arrangement we need to secure funding from the council and Government are going well."

Roche is hugely enthusiastic about the vast potential of the Tallaght area, both from a talent and support point of view, but insists that Rovers must regain their status as a major force in the Irish game if they are to fully exploit the possibilities.

"That's why the league has been the priority for us and this cup run has been a bit of a bonus," he says.

"It's also why we put a huge amount of effort into the presentation we made to the Independent Assessment Group because we know that we can take absolutely nothing for granted. We're confident about our future but we know we have to persuade others that we're capable of getting to where we know we can and should be."

If the journey takes in a first cup success in almost two decades then so much the better although Roche is quick to acknowledge there is still a good way to go on that front.

Their opponents will be without Keith Fahey, Mark Rooney (both cup-tied) and John Frost (suspended) this evening but that's still some way short of the number of Rovers regulars who will be watching from the main stand.

"We'll be viewed as the underdogs again, just like we were when we were drawn against Bohemians, because they're the Premier Division side but with the character there is in our side I know we're in with a big shout . . . whatever the result ends up being, it's won't be easy for Pats."

So poor was the Inchicore side's form a few weeks back, in fact, they would have found it hard to justify the tag of favourites. Their recent improvement, though, suggests Rovers will have to do more than just their talking on the pitch tonight if they are to make it through to face either Sligo Rovers or Derry City in this season's cup decider.

Shamrock Rovers v St Patrick's Athletic
Tolka Park, tonight, 7.30.