A rather bizarre period in Irish football history that is often overlooked is the 1970s, when World Cup winners like Gordon Banks and legends like George Best ended up plying their trade in our domestic soccer league, drawing huge crowds.
While the New York Cosmos may have had Pele, Johan Cruyff and Franz Beckenbauer - Waterford, St Pats, and Shamrock Rovers could boast their own superstars.
Many of these stints were short-lived - a 29-year-old Best played just three matches for Cork Celtic - but in the current context it's remarkable that they ever appeared on our shores.
Donal Fallon of the Come here to me! blog joined Newtsalk's Breakfast in studio this morning to relive an intriguing era, and outlined its background .
"Most of these lads, when they came to Ireland they were quiet old and their best days were gone," Donal told Ivan. "Best wasn't even 30, he was 29 when he arrived at Cork in the winter of 1975.
"Though he was younger than a lot of of the other players, his best days were behind him ... he was crippled by alcoholism at that stage. Cork played George five-hundred pounds a game and it wasn't a particularly good spell."
Donal recalled John Giles' move to Shamrock Rovers, rated Uwe Seller as the best import, scoring a brace in his one game - also for Cork Celtic!
He also issued a rallying call for people to get out and support their local team in the League of Ireland this season, which kicks off on Friday night.
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