Airtricity League of Ireland 2022

[dublinbluenose]

The off season is far too long.

 

[NeroCeasar]

Any news on whether David Harrington has had his operation and whether a move to Goodison might still be on the cards?

Have it on good authority that he is going to Fleetwood in January. Andy Pilley, who owns Waterford, also owns Fleetwood as well. Tbh its a more realistic move for him, the Everton thing was always seemingly someone at Everton doing their mate Stephen Hunt (agent) a favour for a 150k

 

[BlueCelt1878]

Interesting, thanks for the update. But disappointed though TBH as was hoping for another Irish connection coming through (a la Seamus Coleman)

 

[Rogue Trader]

I was there and voted to sell tbh. The costs of running a loi club are getting out of all hand, we have to give ourselves the best chance of being successful. When foras took over there were two teams, men's and men's u19, there are now 9 and sending 4 teams a week up the country, every weekend for say 35 weekends a year is a massive massive cost and only getting bigger. Add in the minimum wage for both men and women's teams and its only going one way. I won't give numbers but our 2023 foras budget would be the same as the budget we had when we won the dbl in 2017, except this time we would be hoping it will be enough to just avoid relegation

When i heard Cork had an offer on the table from a potential buyer i was thinking you would and should reject, I must say I was a bit taken back when i saw the result but the more I thought oi started to change my mind and I agree with what the Cork member voted for now, If you don't have someone putting money in it is near impossible. I'm originally from Sligo and there is no chance we get near the likes of Shamrock Rovers or Derry City when they have billionaire owners and 3rd and 4th place will increasingly only be available to clubs with owners putting money into them, Bohs may get away with it as they're near such a big population base but supporter owned regional clubs like ourselves from a town of less than 20k and a county of 65k I think we will get left behind. I think you need a backer of some kind to be a top half team in the LOI going forward, clubs with backers are Cork, Shels, Waterford, Galway, Pats and Dundalk add in Shams, Derry and Bohs that is 9 of the 10 spots and may not have to wait too long to see those 9 in the prem. I went back for our European games and I heard we would have been going back part time this coming season if it had not been for the European money generated, I think we are well ran club and are well grounded in the community which i know not every club can say that but all that will only get you so far and i believe the writing is already on the wall for the likes of ourselves. Anyway good post Nero.

 

[NeroCeasar]

When i heard Cork had an offer on the table from a potential buyer i was thinking you would and should reject, I must say I was a bit taken back when i saw the result but the more I thought oi started to change my mind and I agree with what the Cork member voted for now, If you don't have someone putting money in it is near impossible. I'm originally from Sligo and there is no chance we get near the likes of Shamrock Rovers or Derry City when they have billionaire owners and 3rd and 4th place will increasingly only be available to clubs with owners putting money into them, Bohs may get away with it as they're near such a big population base but supporter owned regional clubs like ourselves from a town of less than 20k and a county of 65k I think we will get left behind. I think you need a backer of some kind to be a top half team in the LOI going forward, clubs with backers are Cork, Shels, Waterford, Galway, Pats and Dundalk add in Shams, Derry and Bohs that is 9 of the 10 spots and may not have to wait too long to see those 9 in the prem. I went back for our European games and I heard we would have been going back part time this coming season if it had not been for the European money generated, I think we are well ran club and are well grounded in the community which i know not every club can say that but all that will only get you so far and i believe the writing is already on the wall for the likes of ourselves. Anyway good post Nero.

Sligo do an amazing job on the fundraising front which obviously goes a long way to keeping you competitive but your post hits the nail on the head about how the vast majority of Foras members ended up looking at things.
Dermot Usher said straight out, forget about Rovers and Derry, I'm not coming in to compete with their budgets and members accepted that hope that we can build something over the next few years.
Interesting what you say about Sligo going back part time without European football, its not really something that gets mentioned but is probably an inevitable conclusion.

I know the city bom have put proposals to the FAI that would help Sligo and the other regional clubs in terms of the grants for underage sides but I have no idea if the FAI will go for it. Currently every club receives the same grant for travel and subsistence for their underage sides, so Sligo, City, Rovers and Pats for example, all recieve the same funding for each underage side they have, yet obviously City and Sligo travel costs far exceed the travel costs of Rovers and Pats so City have proposed moving to a more milage based grant but as I said no guarantee FAI go for it as common sense isn't a big player in there