Latest news with #StephenBradley
Irish Independent
an hour ago
- Sport
- Irish Independent
‘It's ridiculous' – Shamrock Rovers manager Stephen Bradley says it's time for FAI to extend length of League of Ireland season
Stephen Bradley believes the FAI must address the 'ridiculous' length of the League of Ireland season with the Shamrock Rovers boss stating that part-time First Division clubs are holding back professional Premier Division sides by preferring a shorter campaign.
Irish Daily Mirror
7 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Stephen Bradley pays tribute to fans that saved Shamrock Rovers 20 years ago
Stephen Bradley was just home from his spell in the UK with Arsenal and Dunfermline, and had signed for Drogheda United around the same time that Shamrock Rovers went into examinership. Back in his Jobstown home, not far from the club's Tallaght Stadium home, he was well aware of efforts to keep the Hoops afloat. On the eve of Rovers' Europa Conference League clash with St Joseph's, with the Hoops four goals clear after the first-leg, Bradley recalled that pivotal time 20 years ago this week, when the club emerged from examinership. And he hopes the same fans that helped raise the €450,000 needed to keep the club from being liquidated are enjoying the journey, as they plan for glory once again both at home and in Europe. 'There were groups coming, knocking at the door, buy-a-brick, and a lot of them would have been from my road,' said Bradley. 'We were well aware, coming from Jobstown. Everywhere you went, the wall (the initial work on the stadium) was there for I don't know how many years. It was a field and we were all wondering what they were doing. 'I was well aware. What people, them people, have done for the club should never be forgotten, and I'm sure it won't be. 'It was incredible what people gave up to make sure the club survived and thrived in the end. Click this link or scan the QR code to receive the latest League of Ireland news and top stories from the Irish Mirror. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice . 'I know stories of people putting their house down as guarantors, people paying (player) wages out of their mortgage, and that wasn't just one off, that was a regular occurrence for quite some time. 'I hope them people are enjoying where the club is at the moment and enjoying nights like (tonight), and enjoying the success that this team has brought them. 'They deserve it. They're the ones that kept the club going and fought until now to keep the club going for us and get them into Tallaght. 'It's not possible without them doing that. That's quite clear. What we're doing today isn't possible without what them people did years back. 'They fought every inch of the way to make the club survive and then thrive. '€450,000 (to take the club out of examinership) seems small now when you think of what we earned last year (over €7million in Europe) and what we've earned the last few years. 'Without what them people did, we don't get to do what we're doing at the moment. They deserve all the credit in the world. 'And like I said, I really hope that they're sitting back and enjoying it, whether that's in Tallaght Stadium, where that's at home, that they're looking at us playing and looking at what we're doing and enjoying it with pride.' Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email .
RTÉ News
17 hours ago
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Shamrock Rovers eye league phase ahead of St Joseph's procession
Shamrock Rovers boss Stephen Bradley is targeting another long run in the UEFA Conference League as they look set to book a place in the third qualifying round on Thursday night. The Hoops take on St Joseph's in the second leg of round two in what is expected to be a formality given their 4-0 advantage from the meeting in Gibraltar. Ballkani of Kosovo are likely to await in the third round as they hold a two-goal lead over Malta's Floriana, with a play-off for the league phase then on offer for the winning side. Bradley is hoping to follow up on last year's run to the knockout rounds which ended in a heart-breaking loss to Molde. He said: "We can't take for granted what this team has done throughout the years, but it should be the aim for every League of Ireland team [to qualify for the league phase every year]. We want to keep pushing the boundaries, you want to keep getting better and in order to do that, you've got to try to go deep in Europe. It is definitely our aim this year. Can we go and achieve that again? "It isn't just from our point of view, I think a lot of smaller nations around Europe are really thriving in this competition. "You also see Chelsea win it last year and they're in Champions League now so the effect it has on all teams around Europe is massive. For us it opens pathways and doors that are realistic. We've got to keep striving to be better and going deep in this competition is definitely one of our aims." The Tallaght side may rest some players for the game against St Joseph's but there is a chance their league match with Derry City on Sunday will not take place. If Ballkani progress, as well as FC Prishtina, the Hoops will be back in action next Tuesday in Kosovo rather than Thursday, meaning the Premier Division clash must be deferred. Bradley said: "We have just got to go and win the game on Thursday, that has to be our approach. That's how we are built, that's how we're made. That's what we try and do so nothing changes. "We've got to forget about last Thursday and just focus on winning the game and that will be the aim in the second leg. "It's important for the tie but also for our coefficient. We can't underestimate that going forward. The more games you win the better it gets, it really important for the league as a whole. That's our aim in this game. "You have to try and get the balance right of freshness, but you also want to keep people sharp as well, so it will play a part in the team selection. "We can't control other results and what's going to happen regarding Sunday. Either way, we'll be ready to play." With no injuries and John McGovern and Connor Malley arriving this window, it could be said the squad Bradley has at his disposal is as strong as its ever been. They are set to compete for a double at home as well as their crunch European matches. "We've had to work extremely hard throughout the years to get to this point," Bradley stated. "I like where the squad is. It's in a really good place, there is a real competition for places and everybody is ready to play which is nice."
Belfast Telegraph
5 days ago
- Sport
- Belfast Telegraph
Shamrock Rovers boss piles praise on former Dungannon Swifts favourite after marking European debut with a goal
Shamrock Rovers manager Stephen Bradley has heaped praise on his summer signing John McGovern, who marked his European debut for the club with a goal. The former Dungannon Swifts favourite scored just two minutes after entering the fray as Rovers secured a 4-0 victory over St Joseph's at the Europa Sports Park in Gibraltar.
Irish Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Rovers players hailed after record win for reaction to pre-match plan disruption
Stephen Bradley has hailed his Shamrock Rovers players for using their experience in Europe - after their pre-match plans were ripped up. The Hoops were due to train on Wednesday on the astroturf pitch that hosted Thursday's Europa Conference League second qualifying round against St Joseph's. It is customary for a visiting team to do this ahead of all European ties, in order to get familiar with their surroundings. However, the Hoops couldn't secure a suitable flight time that would have given them the opportunity to do a session on the unfamiliar surface, which Bradley described post-match as 'sticky'. It also robbed them of a chance to acclimatise themselves to the heat, which necessitated water-breaks midway through each half on Thursday. That didn't stop Rovers from claiming a record-breaking 4-0 win - their biggest ever margin of victory away from home in Europe. Click this link or scan the QR code to receive the latest League of Ireland news and top stories from the Irish Mirror. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice . It leaves them all but sure of progress to the third qualifying round - and Bradley believes the performance and result is down to the experience his players have gained in two league and group stage campaigns in the last three seasons. 'I think we are a different team,' he said. With the two league or group campaigns, whatever you want to call it, has definitely helped us grow and mature and understand it. 'For example, the flight times were tricky coming out, so we couldn't train on the pitch last night. We got here late, so we trained at home. That's something new for us that we haven't experienced. 'So the players saw the ground and the pitch for the first time before kick-off. If you are not an experienced team and a team that has been around, that can throw you. 'But we had a chat with the players before we left and we told them the plans, and they were fine, no problem. And we come here and we take care of business. 'I think that shows the level of maturity within the group and experience and understanding of what it takes to win in Europe. You have got to be ready for everything and the players were ready.' Bradley hailed his super subs, with Rovers' third and fourth goals coming from John McGovern less than two minutes after his introduction, and Jack Byrne. 'We know how important the bench is, we know how important the squad is, and the subs that came on today were excellent,' he said. 'They gave us real quality and energy, and obviously a couple of them scored, which is really important.' He was delighted to see McGovern, a recent arrival from Dungannon Swifts, score first Rovers goal. 'I think he showed real glimpses and he has done since he came in of why we wanted him here, and why we worked hard to get him here,' said Bradley. 'There are still bits that he needs to learn and tidy up on, how we play, how we press, little timings. 'But he will get that. But for someone to come in and hit the ground running like he has has been great to see. Long may that continue.' Rovers' comprehensive win means Bradley can rotate his squad next week for the second-leg, with a big League of Ireland game against Derry City coming just three days later. 'The scoreline will definitely play a part in the team selection,' he said. 'Also, there's players who deserve the opportunity and some just back from injury who need to get up to scratch. 'We'll definitely be moving things around on Thursday, with Sunday and the following Thursday in mind. We'll be shuffling it.' Meanwhile, Rovers' third round opponents will likely be Ballkani of Kosovo, after they claimed a 4-2 win over Maltese side Floriana in their first-leg. 'We did watch (that game) on the way over, so we got to see it. Ballkani were good. They won the game quite convincingly in the end so I'd imagine they will finish it off,' said the Hoops boss. 'It looks like we'll be heading to Kosovo in two weeks' time.' Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email .
