It's not really about First Division Champions 2016 Limerick FC though is it??
It's about athlones inexcusable failure to field a team.
It was an FC game.Originally Posted by ATFC-1887
John Healy was quite the sight upfront.
Think we either drew one all or lost two one can't really remember.
We fielded a team though, which was the main thing given our dire circumstances at the time.
As much sympathy as I have for Waterford's financial problems and how they were unfairly damaged by all of this, I can't see how fining Athlone and then threatening to levee an even bigger one, when the very problem was that they couldn't pay players, is actually going to make sure this doesn't happen again. Maybe if they work out some kind of payment plan? The 3-0 decision and losing a home game was enough I think. The goal should be to keep Athlone in the league, not make it easier for them to be ushered out of it.
Author of Never Felt Better (History, Film Reviews).
I doubt they'd have to stump up the €1000 too soon to be honest. It could well be stopped from prizemoney at the end of the year.
#NeverStopNotGivingUp
Totally agree, nothing to do with local rivalry here id say the same if it was any other club. The incident was hugel embarrassing to the league and could have been a fatal blow to Waterford who at least have been compensated with the reversal of the home game. You can be sure Athlone won't let anything like this happen again or its game over. For once the FAI have used common sense.If that's what the result is then it's the least athlone deserve.
Not fielding a team is absolutely as low as you can go. It's the countries national league not the westmeath junior b hurling championship. athlone can disgrace themselves with their internal pitchfork waving up in bogland as much as they like but dragging the rest of the league into it is disgusting. Clubs trying to do things properly having to share a division with muldoons like that. If there wasn't only eight teams I'd be all in favour of ****in ye out of the league to be honest.
I remember in the dark old days (irony of ironies against athlone in Mel's) going to a First Division Champions 2016 Limerick FC game where we only had eleven fit players and two of them were goalkeepers. We fielded a team.
No sympathy here. athlone are a disgrace.
Clubs never see prize money, that's always the way it works. Just goes to show the prize money needs to be increased.
Game being awarded 3-0 against for not turning up isn't really controversial. €1000 fine is not too harsh either, even when considering the lost fixture will now be made to have been a home fixture. Athlone may even have saved some of that in not fulfilling the fixture in the first place. Could have been a lot worse. Hopefully things get sorted there asap and Athlone can move onwards and upwards.
I would totally agree there!! But history would indicate that if there were more monies available to a club, especially by 1st Division clubs, they are likely just to increase costs (on the wage bill to chase that pot of cash in the Premier Division) relative to an increase of income. Proper utilisation of licencing in the first place would be more beneficial than lots of prizemoney. If a club is fractured internally prizemoney is not a panacea to all problems.
It is scary for Athlone that the issue seems to be unaid 'expenses' to amateurs. Expenses could be substantial enough for these ama players - could this be a way around licencing?
At minimum while at home, the youths could be called in or would this be considered 'passing the picket line'?
I could be well off the mark here but imo the FAI in the past have played hardball with various sanctions to push certain people involved in a club to the side. Hence the one rule for one etc. If they see someone playing silly buggers at a club, the club gets a harsher sanction as a shrouded way to get someone to walk away. Tom Coghlan off the top of my head, as a man/club owner that the FAI seemed to want to make life difficult for and threatened all sorts until he walked. Wasn't there someone at Limerick in the past that the FAI contributed to getting rid of. Not necessarily agreeing with such a tactic, but may be why a financially bocht club gets a fine that would probably cover the expenses in question. Push things to such a point that even the biggest ego decides it is too much hassle and the way is paved for others to turn a shambles around?
They had to fine them. Otherwise what precedent do they have to prevent other teams not turning up at games.
While I agree that the incident is embarrassing, and agree that unfortunately the club had to be fined, but missing out on a gate of 400 - and presumably saving on some matchday fees in return - would not be a fatal blow to Waterford. Certainly, if they do go under, it'll be for reasons other than missing out on one gate.
Absolutely the right decision by the FAI. Back in 2011 when we were disgracing ourselves, that's all we did - disgrace ourselves. We still fielded a team for every fixture despite massive cash problems, and the Galway United Supporters Trust deserve massive credit for taking over a sinking ship and bailing enough water to ensure that we did. People can say what they want - and lord knows, they did - but at least we honoured every fixture.
The fine will be deducted from end-of-season prize money so wil won't be a direct hit to the pocket.
The decision was spot on. Giving Waterford Athlone's next home game between the sides is actually quite a clever touch. Not fulfilling fixtures because of an internal power struggle is fairly brutal from Athlone. Seriously, you can only expect a kick up the arse in that situation, not a hand around the shoulder.
The ball is round and has many surprises.
The FAI has announced the appointment of independent consultants to oversee the ongoing situations at Waterford United and Athlone Town.
Former South Tipperary County Manager Ned O’Connor will work with Waterford United and the local football community to address the issues concerning the First Division club.
Mr O’Connor completed an independent report on the future development of senior football in Galway in 2012 that led to the return of a restructured Galway United to the SSE Airtricity League.
Peter McLoone, former general secretary of IMPACT trade union and ex-chairman of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions’ Public Services Committee, has been appointed to conduct an independent interim review into the situation at Athlone Town.
Mr McLoone is to meet with all of the relevant stakeholders of Athlone Town FC, including the Chairman, Board members, Management and Players, as well as supporters groups and potential investors, to discuss recent issues and the long-term future of the club.
“Ned O’Connor and Peter McLoone are two highly regarded individuals who will bring a wealth of experience to assist in both situations. These two clubs have great histories in our league and we wish to ensure that great traditional is maintained to the level required. We hope that the experience of these individuals will assist them to secure stability and re-establish the structures to fulfil their potential as SSE Airtricity League clubs,” said FAI Competitions Director Fran Gavin.
Disgraceful carry on for a league club to not be able to put a team out for a fixture. Despite Athlones financial trouble they deserve what they got from the FAI and they're lucky it wasn't worse. The game not going ahead was a big blow for the Blues whom had a match day sponsor and it makes it 7 weeks (open to correction) between our last and next home gate.
The FAI were dammed if they did and dammed it they didn't fine Athlone.
Roddy got a worse punishment for less.
I do hope things turn around in Athlone isn't nice to see.
An alternative to the punishment we got would of been compensate Waterford with the 1000 instead of the FAI taking it and keep the game in August in athlone. I agree what's happened is a disgrace but I just don't see how this will help either club survive.
did that sponsor for Waterford Athlone game withdraw his cash in the end?
Gary Cronin is he the right man to manage Longford Town?
How is that fair to Waterford though? Even allowing for a crowd of 250 at a tenner a head Waterford would be light about €2500 and the €1000 you were fined wouldn't cover that. I sympathise with you as an Athlone fan but I think that the FAI are absolutely right (for once). Waterford lost a home gate because Athlone didn't turn up. It's only fair, in my opinion at least, that Waterford get to keep the same number of home fixtures. As for Athlone, not fulfilling your fixtures is a huge failure. As was mentioned before, when Galway were on their knees they turned up every week. Limerick had a spell where we were regularly turning up with 11 or 12 players but we still turned up (with reserve goalkeepers pressed into service as emergency strikers sometimes but we were there).
That Athlone didn't head down to the RSC is clearly a symptom of a club in absolute crisis but be that as it may, the punishment can't be a light slap on the wrist here either, what they did was outrageous.
The ball is round and has many surprises.
They wouldn't of had 2500 profit though. After match day running costs and paying players I very much doubt they would of made over 1000.
That's just guesswork, and guesswork can be wrong - Waterford thought they had a home game that night, look how that turned out.
Absolutely the right decision, why should Waterford be punished for the failure of another club? Even if they would only make €500 on the gate, their fans were denied a night out to watch their team at home.
They presumably had to pay players anyway regardless of ye turning up. You can't knock that off.
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