John Caulfield is a man comfortable in his own skin. He mingled easily after a fan event last Wednesday but these nights weren’t always as easy. After the success of the last two seasons, it is easily forgotten that similar fan meetings after the 2022 season were far frostier affairs. But both then and now, the United manager commanded the room.
“I think [these meetings] are hugely important. I think the fans need to know what is going on. You are in the age of rumours, misinformation, wrong stories and blatant lies. I think when you go to an event like this, you see the supporters, and they’re asking difficult questions. I think they do appreciate it because they know they’re getting the truth. They probably understand that publicly, you can’t say things on national media.
“The club is about the community. I love telling the supporters the truth of what goes on because there is a lot of hard work in the off-season in getting players and negotiating and it’s important that they understand. Sometimes people think we have loads of money, we don’t. We work a very tight budget, and you have to explain if you miss out on a player, why. It leads to more of a connection with the supporters and the team.”
Caulfield, along with accomplished lieutenants like Horgan, Collopy, Fallon and now Murphy have built a settled and steady team. But the manager has also consistently had an eye towards club building. This is seen in his focus on facilities, fans, connectivity with the other teams and academy and even permeates recruitment.
“You need people who represent the club well, out in the community, meeting the kids. That’s crucial. The players are representing the community. While we all want to win, the most important thing is that when people leave the ground, and they’re disappointed with the result, that next week they’re back. It’s your local club, whether you have good days or bad days, you still have to support them every week.
“In the last two years, our supporters have made our home ground a really vibrant, atmospheric ground. That has a massive impact on the players and the team. I think what it does as well, is that in the heat of the matches, that passion and noise coming in from the terraces makes an awful difference in tight games.
“In terms of the away games, we have built our away following and it’s been phenomenal. There is nothing better than going to an away match and having 300 or 400 people paying their money going up to support on a Friday, after taking a half-day at work. Our players appreciate that.”
What is always evident with United’s manager is the eye for detail and the small margins. These events and these interviews with press might be approached as a necessary evil by many in his position.
Caulfield senses opportunity always though and chases the small percentages in these dealings. If bonds can be built with supporters, they might drag a team over the line once or twice in a season. An opponent might be temporarily distracted by a well-placed quote. An official might understand that Galway United is not the soft touch it once was. With the table as tight as it was last season, and he predicts it might be again, these things matter.
“Everyone is saying that the top three favourites are Pats, Rovers and Shelbourne. With Derry and Bohs, you don’t know, they had a disappointing season last year, they’re expecting big things this year. Cork will always be strong, they’ve got Maguire back, he is prolific in this league. If he stays fit, he gets goals.
“Then you look at Drogheda, who’ve won the cup, have strengthened since the takeover from Walsall and Waterford who are with Fleetwood.
“It’s one of those leagues this year where no team can assume they’ll beat anyone. Are you sure any team is going to win the league? No you’re not, that’s the brilliant thing about the league. Everyone is full-time and we don’t have scorelines of 5-0 and 6-0 in our league, every game is by the odd goal and that’s brilliant. If we look at last year, Shelbourne won the league and we beat them twice. It shows that the team who is consistent will win the league but anyone can beat anyone.”
There was so much positivity around the football club last season that it has carried into 2025. But on a broader note, Caulfield was also bullish about the league’s historic TV deal with Virgin Media which will mean a guaranteed game a week for the next four years.
“It’s probably the most significant thing to happen to our league in the history of our league. That, for the first time ever, we are on television every week. You can’t underestimate that. The bit part deals that have been done, the token gestures, the disregard to our league from our national station. Even though there were several people that worked in that station that were pro-League of Ireland, at the top if you don’t have people who are really interested, it doesn’t matter.
“That the casual supporter can see a live game every week, the highlights, the goals from every match, that’s a major breakthrough for us. That will lead to a better perception, better knowledge of our league, ultimately then that leads to better funding because people want to sponsor you.
“Already the perception has changed but it needs to change more. Because that will lead to more investment which will create better facilities, better academies. The next phase from that is government investment into our academies. Then we start becoming a proper football industry.”
Focusing on United, Caulfield correctly shirks the question of a narrow definition of success for 2025, but there is still plenty of honesty and perspective in his answer.
“I hope we establish ourselves in the Premier Division again this season. Certainly, we don’t want to be down in the relegation battle. If we keep our squad fit, we could surprise people. I never predict, but I know we can beat every team on our day. That requires consistency and players staying fit. I am always the optimist. I am not stupid. You have a number of bad results, the crowds fade away, we lose a bit of passion from the terraces, lose a bit from the criticism of the players. If our supporters stay with us right throughout, it has a massive impact, and you can achieve a lot.
“I always remember that Cork finished third or fourth bottom in 2013. I took them over in 2014. 9 months later, they were playing in the last game of the season to win a league. Just going every week, taking it game by game, even when you lost one or two games, just bouncing back as quick as you can. If you look at us last season, we lost two on the bounce and that was the most. I just hope we can be in a healthy position, that our crowds can be bigger than last season and that our home games become a ritual for our supporters. Rather than picking games, that they see every game as a massive game.”
If United are to realise their ambitions next season, every game will matter.
