Saints Be Praised

ST. PATRICK'S Athletic manager Pat Dolan is still reeling from a remark made last month by FAI President Pat Quigley.

"Writing in the 'welcome section' of the programme for the Carlsberg Trophy at Lansdowne Road, he said, 'I'm a bit biased because I'm a Liverpool fan.' What's that all about?", Dolan wonders. "He's the head of our Football Association and he's supporting the opposition. That's a terrible indictment. Can you imagine Graham Kelly saying,'This is a crucial World Cup qualifier for England but, actually, I hope the Italians stuff us'? Pat Quigley puts it in print that he wants the Irish champions to be beaten and no one has a problem with it."

He's not paranoid but the Supersaints gaffer definitely thinks that there are people within the domestic game who are out to get him and the club he's guided to two National League titles in three years. Having gone to Parkhead and drawn 0-0 with Celtic in the first leg of their European Champions' League qualifier, the return fixture should have been one of the biggest nights in St. Pat's' illustrious history. Instead, he says, it turned into an organisational nightmare which did nobody any credit.

"I look at Celtic playing Croatia Zagreb tonight and feel depressed because it should be us," the 29-year-old rues. "There was so much shit in the run-up to the second leg that the most important thing - the preparation of the team -almost became an after-thought. I don't want to get into the politics of it but on the Monday morning, with less than 48 hours to go, we were effectively told by Shelbourne (whose Tolka Park ground they were using) that the game was off.

"I thought - naively, as it turned out - that everybody would want us to beat Celtic, but no. Not once did anyone from the FAI 'phone us and say,'How can we help?' Because I speak my mind and sometimes embarrass them, there were certain people within the Football Association of Ireland who thought, 'Right, it's time to get St. Pat's back.' We're the mavericks who are trying to move the game forward by doing things ourselves, rather than waiting for the men in blazers to come up with a plan."

While Dolan admits that "we never got going properly at Tolka and deserved to lose", the taming of Celtic in front of their own fans demonstrates just how far St. Patrick's Athletic have progressed in recent seasons. Eschewing the 'make do' attitude of old, the club has put all of its key players on full-time wages, and introduced the sort of training programme that wouldn't be out of place in the English Premiership.

THE BEST CENTRE-HALF IRELAND'S GOT

"How good are we? Well, bearing in mind that when Dunfermline went to Celtic Park last week they got hammered 5-0, I seriously think we could hold our own in the Scottish Premiership. Colin Hawkins, for instance, is the best centre-half Ireland's got, and will definitely play for the Republic within the next 12 months. Then there's Trevor Molloy who received rave reviews from the Lazio coach, Sven-Goran Ericksson, after we played them at Lansdowne.

"There have been a lot of false dawns but I really think now is the time to rid ourselves of our inferiority complex and say, 'Right, how do we improve our league?' A lot is dependent on how serious the Government and the FAI are about developing the game here, but while they're dragging their heels, I'm going to fight tooth and nail to get this club the profile, the training facilities and the new all-seater stadium in Inchicore it deserves."

Tired of doing things by committee, Dolan is close to finalising a deal which will put him in sole charge of the club's day to day running and accelerate the move away from Richmond Park. Not everyone shares his vision of the future, though.

"There are always going to be people like Eamonn Dunphy who knock the National League because it suits their personal agenda," Dolan says dismissively."Let's not forget that he was part of a Shamrock Rovers regime that promised to bring the championship to Milltown, but could only deliver a housing estate. He might as well put his own red nose on. He's a very good entertainer but nobody in football takes his views seriously."

Except, perhaps, Joe Kinnear and Sam Hamman who may blast the Supersaints boat out of the water if Wimbledon succeed in moving to Dublin.

"They've approached us on several occasions but we won’t talk to people who want to abandon their own fans. Regardless of what they think, it is wrong to turn your back on the thousands of supporters who've made your club what it is in the first place. I really am sickened by their attitude."

Far from being xenophobic, Dolan reveals that they've "seriously considered formalising links" with two European clubs, but at the end of the day, decided they weren't the right marriages. He'd also consider St. Patrick's Athletic becoming a nursery side for one of the cross-channel big boys, although not if it involves sacrificing their identity a la Home Farm Everton.

BRANDED A TROUBLE-MAKER

"Can you imagine Ajax running around with Bayern Munich on their chests?", he splutters."Worse still was the promotion run last season by the National League sponsors, which, when you bought 20 of their products, entitled you to an English Premiership shirt at a discount price. I remember going to a meeting and being branded a trouble-maker by the FAI people for bringing it up. It was a disgrace."

Deciding that perhaps the best way to change the system is from within, Dolan considered a summertime move to the FAI but opted to stay at Pat's when it emerged he wouldn't have the necessary clout to take the National League where he wants.

"If they'd offered me the role of Chief Executive, I'd probably have taken it, but that wasn't what they had in mind," he reflects. "They talk about 'the need for change' without being prepared to alter the structures which are holding the National League back. Having said that, I'm genuinely optimistic about the future - not only for St. Patrick's Athletic but the other progressive-minded clubs round the country who are determined to make the league work. Eighteen months ago you had RTE's Head of Sport, Tim O'Connor, saying 'there's no demand for live games' and now they're stepping up their coverage because, surprise surprise, there are a hell of a lot of people who do want to watch them. There's a long way to go but we're getting there."