Derry City manager Kenny Shiels has said not enough is being done to promote the League of Ireland.
Speaking to Newstalk Sport's SSE Airtricity League Podcast, Shiels admitted that he has found the lack of promotion of the league as baffling since he joined Derry City ahead of the start of the season.
Shiels has guided the team to third place in the League. They have also qualified for the FAI Cup semi-finals where they will meet Dundalk in Oriel Park.
"The league is underexposed", Shiels told Richie McCormack. "I like to buy papers. I hear a lot of managers saying; 'I don't buy the paper' which is a load of rubbish. If you dont buy the paper then you dont learn. I buy the paper to listen to other manager's comments, to see how their suspensions and injuries are going."
"I've been shocked by the lack of exposure [of the league]. There's about 16 or 18 pages to Gaelic. Three of four pages to rugby, and then you've got 12 lines in a column about the League of Ireland. Vastly underexposed, and I have to say under-promoted by the people who should be promoting it."
While unwilling to point the blame at any individuals, Shiels did say that there were many improvements that could be made. He even said as a "layman" he could do a better job.
"I think no matter what you do in any organisation, it's about getting team-work and getting people together, and delegating the work load. I dont see that. I think there's little empires within it. I know, if I was in that role I'd improve it, and it's not my field."
"It's easy to complain and moan, about a lack of this, and lack of that, but you got people who talk and people who do. There's not enough doers to be honest."
You can hear more from Derry City manager Kenny Shiels on this week's Newstalk Sport SSE Airtricity League Podcast.
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