IN Dalymount Park on Friday, set-piece errors gave a youthful Galway United side an education about the realities of Premier Division football.

Off the field, the Tribesmen hierarchy were given a different lesson, a troubling insight into what a couple of years scrapping at the bottom can do to the enthusiasm levels at a proud club.

The official attendance given out for Bohemians' first home game of the season was 1,488, a grim figure following a lengthy hiatus that new manager Keith Long hopes will increase if they build on their 100pc start.

Bohs have never been relegated from the Premier Division, a distinction they share with St Patrick's Athletic.

They've had one or two near misses but after trimming the bills, they are now aspiring towards a form of stability. A mid-table position means mid-table crowds, though, and they're never good for the bank balance in a league where gate receipts remain vital.

Example

There are idiosyncratic reasons for their drop-off and they are just one example. Gypsies fans will be quick to point out St Pat's drew a smaller crowd when they have title ambitions, while Shamrock Rovers' attendances slumped dramatically last term when they fell off the pace.

Bragging rights are irrelevant - arguments between fans over small figures are about as productive as two drunken pals arguing over a restaurant bill - the general principle is the same. It's hard to survive in purgatory.

Galway already look like a team that will have to improve to avoid flirtation with the trapdoor. If they succeed, they have to figure out what comes next.

Last week, Cork City CEO Timmy Murphy spoke about the €160,000 loss the Leesiders suffered in their first two years back in the Premier Division.

Tommy Dunne, now Galway boss, was manager for that stint, having succeeded in the task of bringing promotion to the reformed operation. He did fine work there. John Caulfield, a City legend, duly came in and brought things to another level by having a remarkable short term impact. But a glance at their current squad shows they have raised the budget to recruit a better calibre of player and stay competitive.

Galway United have risen from the ashes of a bizarre chapter for football in the city and reclaimed their identity. The goodwill from the public was evident in the big turnout for their playoff joy last year and an encouraging attendance of 2,200 for Derry's visit 10 days ago.

Their dressing room is dominated by local lads, partly because of their potential and partly by necessity.

Certainly, it helps the brand to have products from the area flying the flag - a popular reason offered for non-attendance in regional towns is the number of outsiders in squads - but mid-table outfits find it difficult to balance the books in the Airtricity League because the floating punters drift away as the season trickles towards nothingness.

This poses the familiar temptation to chase glory by splashing cash.

"We wouldn't have the budgets of the likes of Cork and Sligo where they can bring outside players in," said Dunne on Friday, explaining the Galway stance.

"We're competing for a lot of the players that clubs in the Dublin area are looking at because this is where the majority of the players are.

"We have to pay accommodation and then they'd be looking for more money off us to be going to Galway. So we've got to deal with guys that are local and I have no issues with that - it's just a case that it might take a bit of time to get right and get going."

He does believe, however, it is viable to retain a solid support base even if it takes a while for the rookies to find their feet.

"You speak to a lot of people in different clubs and they say 'well, if you're winning you get the support' but I think that's putting the cart before the horse, in a sense," he said.

"You need to get the support so you can have bigger crowds and bigger budgets so you can put a team together that can win the Premier Division."

Very few clubs have stuck with that philosophy for a concerted period so it will be interesting to see how things pan out for Galway if they get stuck in a rut.

They don't have look too far to see the dangers of overstretching with Limerick's investment in Stuart Taylor and a pricey squad unsustainable when they remained short of the best.

Athlone, meanwhile, sent out the first crisis appeal of 2015 as they adjust to the misery of First Division existence once more.

A statement from their board pointed out that the cost of assembling their best squad in many years was a strain. The stakes are high.

Galway were poor at Dalymount, but regular watchers believe they are capable of growing together and steering clear of trouble.

"We finished with a lot of confidence last year," says Dunne. "And I look at them (players) now and there's a little bit of doubt, and they have to get rid of that because they have no reason not to be confident about the way they can play."

After a few years without a team, their loyal fans will take nothing for granted - their support is guaranteed.

The challenge is keeping the attention of the wider public if terra firma is the annual ambition. That's a big ask in an environment where it seems only success sells.

Indo Sport