League of Ireland preview: Derry rising as Hoops eye historic fourth

Shamrock Rovers will aim to maintain their decade of dominance as they look to make history by securing their fourth league title in a row.

Stephen Bradley's side roared into this century’s Twenties with league success in 2020 and they have maintained that perfect vision throughout 2021 and 2022 to make it three in a row, matching the great Dundalk side of the recent Stephen Kenny era, who completed the feat from 2014 to 2016.

Likewise, Cork United achieved similar success from 1940-41 to 1942-43, while Waterford did in from 1967-68 to 1969-70 – remarkably all three teams won five titles over a six-year period throughout their respective reigns.

But only one team have ever achieved that coveted four in a row, and it was the green and white hoops of another era, the mullet and moustachioed hey days of the mid-1980s.

A great team, and perhaps the best ever, led by Pat Byrne and full of league legends who went on to win many more titles…at other clubs, of course, as a result of the dark days that followed the league-winning season of 1987 for the great Dublin club.

An era that existed before the overwhelming majority of the current Shamrock Rovers squad were born, and yet Bradley’s charges are reminded about the feat on a near daily basis from the decorated corridors of Tallaght Stadium, the fervent fans, and of course, the many former players who still come down to watch the latest batch attempt to join that unique club of one.

So while that pressure will come from within, the external competition looks set to arrive in the guise of the Candystriped collective from the Brandywell.

Ruaidhri Higgins’ men came closest to stopping Rovers from making it three in a row last season, by finishing in second place in the title race, and