Shamrock Rovers will be bidding to make it four titles in a row when the League of Ireland Premier Division season kicks-off on February17.
The Hoops have achieved that feat once before, between1984 and 1987, when they established themselves as the most successful team in the country. Yet within a year of that title they had lost their home ground, Glenmalure Park, and their place at the top of the Irish game. For the following 22 years, the Hoops played their home games at various Dublin venues until finally securing a lease on the new Tallaght Stadium in 2009.
During their nomadic period, Rovers only won the league once, in 1993-94, but returned to winning ways once they had a permanent home. In their second season in Tallaght, the Hoops won their16th league title under current Northern Ireland boss, Michael O’Neill, and last season lifted their 20th.
Much of the credit for Rovers’ recent success goes to manager Stephen Bradley. Unlike their previous haul of four titles in a row, which were won under two different coaches – Jim McLaughlin and Dermot
