The run in has begun. I have seen many a title run in with my club Shelbourne over the years but for me personally this has been the most intense and emotional. 4 Clubs all have a genuine chance of promotion all 4 can possibly win the league. Whilst a couple of bad results could knock a team out and condemn them to another year in this savage division.

Sporting Fingal have an expensively assembled squad. They easily have the highest wage bill in the league. A wage bill that would tower over many Premier Division clubs. But money does not always bring success. Fingal have been an enigma this year. They would hammer a team one week and lose to a team down the bottom the next. People have questioned the players attitute. Personally I just think the players they splashed out on were the wrong ones. I went to see them play Shels at Tolka Park and Shelbourne played them off the park in the 1st half but when Shels scored the winner just after half time we sat back and took the onslaught. They couldnt find a way past the defence and after the match seeing the Fingal players laying on the ground in despair has been my highlight of the season. I wanted to run on the pitch and lick the tears of their faces, just to taste our victory. All in all this franchise club should not be allowed in the premier division. Its a sick and questionable franchise that has no place in Irish football.

Waterford have been clinging on at the back. No matter what happens they just wont go away. John Delaney's Club has had a lot of financial problems this year and last and are doing a good job on keeping the club afloat. John Delaney in his neutral role has always been at hand to help the club fundraise. Ive nothing against John Delaney's club and if they went up this year it wouldnt really bother me but at the end of the day, its John Delaney's club.

Some people dont like UCD. They have very poor attendance's and bring very little away support but for me they dont really bother me. They shouldnt be in this division.. Cork and Drogheda should of taken their relegation place but in the wonderful League of Ireland nothing is fair. UCD have been solid enough this year. They destroyed Shelbourne at Tolka Park this year, Shelbourne's only loss. But like Fingal they have been dropping silly points at unexpected times.. Personally I hope that they do go up this year. OK its an easy away match to get to but they shouldnt have been relegated in the first place. And despite small attendances, clubs that are run properly should be in the premier division instead of clubs like Cork that on an annual basis find new ways of shaming our league.

I leave the best to last. Shelbourne are top of the league with just one loss all season and as i type Shelbourne have been unbeaten in 13 league games including only 2 draws. At the start of the season redemption was the word. What happened at the end of last season scarred me for life. It still hurts to think about it.. After the first game of the season at home to Wexford I was not optimistic. We were scrapping 1 goal wins and playing badly. This happened so often that we actually went top without being able to string together a couple of good performances in row. I was going to matches optimistic and going home dejected despite being on top of the table. Im a very bi-polar football fan. The first match i went to pessimistic was Mervue at home. We ended up winning 7-0. The match brought back my arrogance of being a Shelbourne supporter that was knocked on that dark November night. Despite Anto Flood having a goal drought and Striker Peter Hynes still yet to score this season we are still scoring goals. The defence and goalkeeper have been fantastic, the midfield have been making people their bitches and we have the best manager in the league. Things are looking up for The Real Reds. The days of rolling up into towns we have never heard of and pumping teams are back. Shelbourne will be back in the Premier Division next year to defend the title we won in 2006. Only Swine Flu can stop us now.

I must give a honorable mention to Kildare County. Week after week of losing and they are still plugging away. They now have 2 wins this year. Credit to the players, coaching staff and fans for still hanging in there. They are what football is about.

Derek "Gouldinho" Goulding