Athlone bucked?

**ThePrisoner** · 20/03/2015, 2:49 PM

Originally Posted by tiktok

Athlone is a members club anyway, so assume ownership/membership is a given.

Can you advise of the legal entity that owns and operates the Athlone Town FC?

**wonder88** · 20/03/2015, 2:59 PM

From newspaper report total budget is around 5k per week of which 4k is wages; so 80% of expenditure. And it seems that expenditure is more than income at present so that pushes the wage bill over 90% of turnover approx. No expert, but is there not guidelines in relation to spending on wages when giving out licences?

Two problems highlighted in this story in relation to the LoI;
1 nearly all income seems to go on wages, resulting in poor infrastructure and lack of player development structure (see Pat Fenlon and B team at Shamrocks)
2 the general (correct?) feeling that being in the first division is a disaster for any club

If the league hopes to prosper both these problems need to be sorted. So lets have a one division league and central contracts for players.

**outspoken** · 20/03/2015, 4:22 PM

Originally Posted by wonder88

From newspaper report total budget is around 5k per week of which 4k is wages; so 80% of expenditure. And it seems that expenditure is more than income at present so that pushes the wage bill over 90% of turnover approx. No expert, but is there not guidelines in relation to spending on wages when giving out licences?

Two problems highlighted in this story in relation to the LoI;
1 nearly all income seems to go on wages, resulting in poor infrastructure and lack of player development structure (see Pat Fenlon and B team at Shamrocks)
2 the general (correct?) feeling that being in the first division is a disaster for any club

If the league hopes to prosper both these problems need to be sorted. So lets have a one division league and central contracts for players.

Afaik the 65% rule only applies to premier clubs.

**Battery Rover** · 20/03/2015, 4:30 PM

I am not sure of that. I have a feeling SCP applies to all but it is in final accounts that is declared.

**ger121** · 21/03/2015, 10:24 AM

Bucked they may be but that was a big 3 points last night.

**nigel-harps1954** · 21/03/2015, 10:35 AM

Jesus, 5k a week is massive for a first division team, especially someone like Athlone who, let's be honest, aren't the most well supported team out there.

**ATFC-1887** · 21/03/2015, 12:03 PM

Originally Posted by nigel-harps1954

Jesus, 5k a week is massive for a first division team, especially someone like Athlone who, let's be honest, aren't the most well supported team out there.

Yes, because all the other first division teams are very well supported......

**ATFC-1887** · 21/03/2015, 12:07 PM

And before you say it, yes we had a poor attendance against Cobh. But alot of that is down to the things going on with the club. No promotion of the game etc. Hopefully the crowds will build after our good start. We all love a good bandwagon.

**nigel-harps1954** · 21/03/2015, 5:12 PM

Originally Posted by ATFC-1887

Yes, because all the other first division teams are very well supported......

Because the gripe of course is with how well Athlone are supported and not how they're spending 5k a week on a budget, around double that of most teams in the division.

**ATFC-1887** · 21/03/2015, 5:20 PM

Its not all on wages clearly. I was told last night the wages is around 3k. The rest is running costs. Not saying its true. Just saying what i was told