Sean Connor: Reasons to be optimistic ahead of Irish clubs' Euro adventures

​This description of the word adventure describes aptly the next few weeks for all our clubs, players and supporters, as they embark on their European campaign for another season.

The Champions League representatives are Shamrock

Rovers and new boys Larne. While in the Europa Conference League, we have Crusaders, Derry City, Dundalk, Glentoran, Linfield and St. Pat’s Athletic.

Now that all the teams know their opposition, the adventure begins in earnest on July 11th.

There are some difficult and interesting trips and games waiting for all those involved. The Champions League participants, Shamrock Rovers face a stiff test to Icelandic side Breidablik, but it’s Kenny Bruce’s pioneering Larne side who face the most difficult of ties against HJK Helsinki. From day one Kenny talked about his ambitions of hearing the Champions League anthem boomin, (a pun for Kenny, not a spelling mistake) out of Inver Park. Unfortunately due to the pitch failing UEFA tests, he will have to settle for half of his dream.

I just wonder if playing at Solitude will have any impact on the team, not according to Tiernan Lynch, who would be happy to play on a park’s pitch!

In the Conference League it’s a mixed bag, with all the teams having tricky assignments, but winnable in my opinion. Linfield have the longest trip, when they face Albanian opposition in KF

Vllanzia. The last time they visited here was in the eighties. Crusaders have a difficult task in Finland against FC Haka Valkeakaski. The Glens face Gzira United from Malta, and with new manager Warren Feeney’s experience of working in Hungary, I would expect his side to be well prepared and get through.

Derry play Faroes opposition in HB Torshavn. I feel that with all the investment that has gone into the club over the past two seasons, a run in Europe this year will be required. Winning

over these two legs, will be a minimum requirement a t the Brandywell.

Dundalk, who have been synonymous with epic European runs over the past five seasons play FCB Magpies of Gibraltar, again another tie that they should win. However this term has seen upheaval off the pitch at Oriel Park, and the club has yet to find its direction under the new owners and coach Stephen O’Donnell.

Finally St Pat’s, who are on a magnificent run of form under new Head Coach Jon Daly face F91 Dudelange of Luxembourg, again a tricky one, but a tie over the two legs, they would be expected to win.

I believe that this season’s European campaigns are the most significant not just for all the clubs involved but for the overall growth and development of the game here, north and south. Over the past five years we have seen the number of full-time clubs in the Irish league expand. Whilst in the League of Ireland, professional full-time clubs have been around much longer.

The amount of investment taking place at Derry City, Larne, Glentoran, Shamrock Rovers is unrivalled. And with the most recent investment into Shelbourne, by businessman Acun Llicali, the owner of Hull City, it looks likely to continue.

All our clubs now need to take the next progression, with success in European competition for the benefit of everyone in the leagues and the game in the long-term.

The game is improving in both jurisdictions. The new investment has brought media attention and sponsorships. The current League of Ireland campaign is seeing attendances reaching record numbers on a weekly basis. The new Irish League season is the most highly anticipated for a long time, with new managers and another club in Cliftonville moving towards the full-time model.

So, from a purely football point of view, the clubs now need to be testing themselves against European opposition. Those clubs that are now full-time, no longer have the legitimate excuse, about a part-time team playing full-time opposition.

The League of Ireland teams, currently mid-way through their seasons, are at an advantage in the early rounds of competition, because they are all up to match tempo and have settled sides and form.

The Irish league clubs may not be in season, but the likes of Larne, Linfield and Glentoran have all been back a few weeks or more and are training and preparing every day.

The gap is closing rapidly on our European counterparts, so I am anticipating some fruitful returns from the first rounds of games.

Either way, the importance of a sustained and successful run of at least two rounds is vital for the future development of all the club’s involved. In fact I would go so far as to say, that Shamrock

Rovers, Larne and Linfield are all capable of getting that lucrative group stage spot in the Europa Conference.

In terms of prestige, financial rewards and the commercial benefits such an achievement can benefit the club involved for years. At the same time some of these benefits will filter back into the domestic game, helping raise the standard ever further.

I can remember with great detail and colour the historic group stage campaign of Shamrock Rovers in the Europa League, 2011/12, where they played Spurs, Rubin Kazan and PAOK in the group.

Three players from that Rovers squad had played for me previously, so I was at all the home fixtures. The sense of anticipation and spirit of adventure was described in graphic detail by all of the lads involved, but they soaked up every ounce of emotion and energy. These were games the boys would never forget. This feat was repeated by Dundalk in both 2016 and 2020, both sides benefitted from these European escapades, bringing attention to the clubs, towns and areas they are from. More importantly the profile of the League of Ireland and the players was raised to a new level.

Now, as we approach the 2023/24 European campaign, I hope that all those involved embrace the opportunity and enjoy the magical adventure they are about to undertake. If they approach these games with the spirit of adventure and belief, and as Bruce Lee stated, “to hell with circumstances, I create opportunities’’, I am confident then, that one of the clubs will indeed create and seize the opportunity they have been granted and embark on another epic European adventure.