‘If we had fans we’d be a model club in this country,’ insists UCD boss O’Neill

COLLIE O’NEILL delivers the statement with conviction.

“The only thing we are missing is fans,” declares the UCD boss (below). “If we had fans, we would be regarded as the absolute model club in this country.”

He backs up his argument with evidence, as he prepares for their return to the top flight – starting off with a trip to take on Derry City at the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium tomorrow night.

Pretty much every spectator in the ground will be rooting against them and that will be the norm both home and away throughout the forthcoming season.

It was similar last term, as they stormed to the First Division title, although the volume of opposition attendances was on a smaller scale.

The backdrops weren’t too pretty either, whereas there’s a bit more glamour about what’s coming down the tracks now.

“It’s what got us through the First Division,” admits O’Neill, a highly-rated young manager who juggles his UCD work with a job in Microsoft.

“There were plenty of games where I’ve been in the dressing-room at half-time and said, ‘Do you want to come down to this f ***** g kip again? Do you? Or do you want to be in the Premier Division on a much bigger stage.”

As a protégé of the great Dermot Keely, it’s no surprise that O’Neill (above) has a straight-talking streak. Yet he has also fostered a togetherness in his UCD group that helped to avoid a mass exodus.

All of his team were in college courses last year, but midfielder Greg Sloggett was finished his studies so it was expected he would depart and Derry snapped him up.

The surprise departure was Daire O’Connor, who was tempted away by Cork City. However, the arrival of the well-regarded Richie O’Farrell from St Patrick’s Athletic – who was lured by a scholarship offer – has helped to soften the blow.

That said, Dundalk have made a move to sign defender Liam Scales, while winger Neil Farrugia is also in demand after his appearance alongside Scales for Stephen Kenny’s home-based U-21 squad.

UCD have rebuffed approaches, although there is realism too – they know the duo will depart one day.

There is a feeling around Belfield that Scales and Farrugia could both go to England eventually.

Indeed, quite a number of the current squad might be picked off at the end of this year by offers of fulltime deals, but there was a collective determination to have a crack at the top flight together.

O’Neill is certain that – right now – they are in the perfect environment for learning.

“It’s not just the education aspect,” he stresses. “You look at our facilities. We have two grass pitches – one floodlit. We have all-weathers. Our own high-performance gym. We’ve had that for years and we are all in the one base.

“You ask any other club where do they train and they will tell you they are in one location one night, another location the other night. Where’s their gym? They don’t have one. We have all the full use of the sports science department. The reasons why our players excel is that they have the best of the best and they buy into all of it. Nutrition. Recovery. We have it all. The only thing we are missing is the support.”

The 42-year-old is sanguine about attention coming the way of Scales and Farrugia.

“They play with UCD so they are not really used to having fans or the attention they are being given now,” he says.

“So when the wolves are at the door and someone comes in and offers them 10 times more money than they could ever imagine and they are playing on a much bigger stage then of course their head is going to be turned.

“Thankfully, the two lads want to get their degree (they both finish up this summer). QPR came to try and sign Farrugia last year and offered him a very, very good deal but he said no because of that.

“They are clever players and they know the nature of the beast. The best role model for them is Robbie Benson. He stayed at UCD, did his degree, his master’s, got everything he needed and then went and took full-time football (with Dundalk). If it doesn’t work out, then at least he has his education.”

With the promise that his team will not approach games negatively, the students do have something to offer the Premier Division.

Even if the value only tends to be realised in hindsight.