Not sure where you're basing the sceptism around Aaron Callaghan's appointment.

Most Bohs fans [granted there aren't that many left now] are happy that at least we have a manager and a squad, albeit filed with young players. We don't have a large wage bill and the general feeling is that we've reached the low point. [yeah ok, i know, ever the optimist]

Anyway, we're not that good dealing with winning things. It's just not us. And it wasn't normal to be going to Derbies, expecting to win.

And now people can hate us a little less.

I actually thing with the pressure off, Callaghan could easily see us finishing in mid table respectability.

Oh and I really hope stuff gets corted out in Galway.

What happened to Nick Leeson?

On Bohs, it's more that any manager will struggle to emulate the herculean effort Fenlon managed in the circumstances, so they needed to make a bigger-name appointment, rather than any sleight on O'Callaghan. Also, I thought the money problems might result in a player exodus, which thankfully, hasn't happened yet, so have adjusted them to 7th now.

As for Leeson, when Galway went bust in April, he resigned and GUST took executive control until the end of the season. Their breakaway caused the final collapse, and the most likely current scenario is a hybrid Galway & Mervue FC.

Supporters Direct's experiences with Bohs, Cork and GUST.

Today is D-Day for soccer in Galway city - Salthill won't get any love for their supposed plans. Rumours of unknown provenance and quality claim that nine clubs will receive a First Division licence but that only eight will be accepted (with Tralee the unlucky losers), but as the LoI community is rife with rumours during the close season, I'll reserve judgement for now.

So, the Galway saga came to a sad end, as GUST members voted to reject both merger proposals and remain outside senior football for a season. They hope to re-apply for a licence in 2013, but generally new clubs are only admitted when either the league is re-organised, as is happening this season, or else another club is liquidated, with Salthill and Mervue the joint favourites in that regard.

It's the draw for the Setanta Cup - the only competition less loved than the Full Members Cup:

Bray Wanderers v Glentoran
Bohemians v Portadown
Distillery v Derry City
St. Patrick's Athletic v Cliftonville

Winners to join Shamrock Rovers, Sligo, Linfield and Crusaders in the quarter-finals.

Delighted to see Bray in there, but hadn't even noticed until today that we'd qualified... Don't suppose they bother televising most of the games any more, do they?

There was a piece in one of the papers saying that Setanta Ireland weren't going to show ANY of the matches live, which seems to defeat the purpose of the competition in the first place - it desperately needs a Northern winner this season to keep interest alive.

Even a Northern finalist would help matters.

The lack of interest from the Northern clubs over the last few years has been understandable. Early round fixtures in February are during pre-season in the South, so the competition is the clubs only focus, if they so wish to take it seriously. February is a busy period in the Northern season, so sides chasing leagues & cups will always have the Setanta Cup as their final priority. Also, games have been played on a Monday - 48hrs after Irish League games - so the Northern sides haven't been fielding their strongest teams.

Setanta themselves lost interest in their own competition as soon as they won rights to the English Premier League. Pity.

The current two-legged format is the best, I feel. Amazing to think of the great interest that was maintained in the first couple of seasons of this competition, when groups of four, and six fixtures each were relished.

Like Mo Johnston in Glasgow, the FAI this morning have managed the unique feat of uniting Kerry and Cork people in anger, following the release of this season's First Division fixtures. The eight-team division sees both Cobh Ramblers and Tralee Dynamos excluded, but neither club apparently failed the licensing criteria - rather their applications will be considered "if a vacancy arises". The more sensible solution of a ten-team lineup doesn't seem to have occurred to Abbotstown, but presumably both clubs have leave to appeal.

First Division:

Athlone Town
Finn Harps
Limerick FC
Longford Town
Mervue United
SD Galway FC (Salthill Devon FC)
Waterford United
Wexford Youths

Cork City have re-acquired the services of Colin Healy, best known as Roy Keane's would-be Saipan replacement. The club licences will be officially released on Sunday week (February 5th).

An incisive article on the First Division fiasco.

In probably the oddest story of the LoI pre-season, Sligo manager Paul Cook has expressed his interest in taking charge of Accrington Stanley - which would be near his hometown of Liverpool, but would be at least two levels below Sligo's ranking, and considerably less prestigious than the St. Johnstone post that he rejected.

Still no official Licensing Day news on whether all clubs have made the grade - there were rumours of boardroom difficulties at Bray, but these appear to have been groundless. On the pitch, the Seagulls were beaten 2-1 by Glentoran at the Carlisle Grounds in the Setanta Cup, while Derry had a surprisingly easy 4-0 victory away to Distillery.

The fact that licences have still not been issued suggests a club/s is/are in difficulty - typically, no word from the FAI yet. Bafflingly, Cook has completed his move to Accrington.

All 20 clubs received licences for the new season - along with the 12 Premier clubs, Athlone, Longford and Waterford qualified for Premier licences, while Finn Harps, Limerick, Mervue, Salthill and Wexford obtained First Division certs. Cobh Ramblers and Tralee Dynamos were unsuccessful and must try again in 2013.

Somewhat remarkably given earlier predictions, bohs have beaten portadown twice in the setanta and now play crusaders.

North Belfast v north Dublin, the battle of the red and black stripes. And there's something poetically lovely about a football game between bohemians and crusaders. They don't name teams like they used to.

In other matches the love in between the woefers and cliftonville can continue although hopefully not with both game on the same night in Belfast. I,m sure north Belfast could do with out a few hundred bohs and woefers fans decending upon it.

I'm somehow more excited about the season ahead, mainly because I'll get to see a few games,

You can also look forward to Europe now - Derry City were banned from Europe by UEFA as their new holding company hasn't been trading for the requisite three years (club refounded in 2010), and Bohs got in as the fifth-placed team.

David Unsworth has reportedly turned down the Sligo Rovers job, with Damien Richardson and Brian Little among the leading contenders.