Promotion/Relegation Playoff 2008

[Trainee]

Mervue 2 Kildare 0
Ollie Keogh and Dave Goldbey

[maroon ultra]

Game delayed due to floodlight failure. I see they are becoming accustomed LOI standards already!

[Mr A]

It's back on. Mon mervue.

[Tir Oilean]

Whats the story? any final score? Two former United players on the scoresheet.

[Poor Student]

Kildare have pulled it back to 2-2.

[Trainee]

2-2 Full time

[Trainee]

match report
http://www.rte.ie/aertel/221-01.html

[christo]

Was the strangest game I have ever been to, match was delayed in the first half for a half an hour by floodlight failure and the second half was delayed for about 5 minutes as a dog was chased around the pitch and Kildare were also wearing Mervue's away kit.

Two absolutely savage goals by Hughes though

[dublinred]

Mervue 2 Kildare 0
Ollie Keogh and Dave Goldbey

Is that the same Ollie Keogh who socred the best ever LOI goal?

[Demoshield]

Is that the same Ollie Keogh who socred the best ever LOI goal?

The very one. Absolute shocking game of football. If thats the standard the bottom of LOI has fallen to God help us. There are better teams playing in the Galway league. Apparently, the kettles were turned on to make the half time cuppa and blew the mainn fuse!! I kid you not.

[Gaillimh Al]

Report: http://www.extratime.ie/newsdesk/articles/1069/

Not that bad a game. Name a better footballing side in the Galway League? With a bit of evidence.


Jerseys: Kildare said they were going to wear white, turned up with red kit.
Floodlights: 6 Berkos(big kettles) that consume serious power overloaded the system. Situation not helped though by fact the astro turf facilities were also in use at the same time. Surely could have cancelled that for one night.

[pineapple stu]

I'd cancel the burco before the astro, to be honest! I know which would be bringing in more money.

[JC_GUFC]

Is that the same Ollie Keogh who socred the best ever LOI goal?

No that was Dave Goldbey who scored in the Showgrounds to relegate you! :D

[christo]

There was also a dog who get the better of a few of the stewards and Aussie O'Neil

[L37Ultra]

Many at this game?

[Terry]

an estimated 5-600

[holidaysong]

Do Galway fans want to see Mervue win the playoff?

[Mr Maroon]

In general, no. but there are some from Mervue that obviously do

[Patrick Dunne]

How do you know, Mr. Maroon ? Have you asked them all ? ;)

Most United fans I know wouldn't loose any sleep over it.

[christo]

here are the highlights from the match

JbecJ2wxHqU

[strangeirish]

Mervue 1 up after 15mins v Kildare County

[Mr Maroon]

Dave O'Brien scored

[Black and White]

Is there any point in this game??are mervue either gonna accept their place or even be allowed in the league..ie have they a fan base, pitch criteria etc etc??finances??

[Poor Student]

Is there any point in this game??are mervue either gonna accept their place or even be allowed in the league..ie have they a fan base, pitch criteria etc etc??finances??

I assume they wouldn't bother engaging in the playoff if they didn't intend to step up?

[strangeirish]

Mervue 2 up now, Goldbey 64mins.

[Black and White]

Well then i must say...bye bye Kildare County!!

[strangeirish]

3 nil now, Goldbey again on 81 mins.

[JC_GUFC]

Fair play to Mervue.

I was surprised when they and Salthill joined the A-League but well done on them achieving promotion.

With an eircom League game every weekend in Galway next season it could be a boost for football in the city.

[Maroon 7]

What are Mervue doing for a ground next season? Is their own place up to standard for first division?

Groundshare at Terryland?

And congrats to Mervue by the way. Who knows there might be a Galway city derby in a few years.

[eamo1]

Where will Mervue play their home games?Can the over used Terryland pitch take their games too or will they try upgrade Fahy's field??If we had benn relagated last week their would have been a massive local derby next season.Maybe we might get them in the cup.Fair play to them.

[frog-gufc]

What are Mervue doing for a ground next season? Is their own place up to standard for first division?

Groundshare at Terryland?

And congrats to Mervue by the way. Who knows there might be a Galway city derby in a few years.

should be terryland, they have as much right to play there as galway utd
considering its owned by the galway fa

congrats to mervue btw

[Latcheko]

Bloody hell. I didn't really think they'd a hope after seeing Tuesday's game. Fair play Mervue.

[RonnieB]

Will mervue want to make the step up this soon?

[Rovers1]

anyone get the feeling Kildare will still be in the first division next year if you know what i mean?? ;)

[L37Ultra]

anyone get the feeling Kildare will still be in the first division next year if you know what i mean?? ;)

That would just make a farce of the whole thing

[geezer]

didnt look like it last tuesday with burco boilers overloading sockets and blowing the floodlights or the inexperience of the stewards handling a stray dog but for those of you not from Galway Mervue are probably more financially secure than 80% of LOI clubs. They have a 100 year lease on their premises and pitches, have a large no of cages and astoturf running 7 days a week, are 40years in existence and about 800 members paying up annually. Their biggest rival will be from within their own committees who fear LOI may ruin their whole ethos of providing a football outlet for youngsters. Loi usually means huge expense with little return over awful long periods. These guys though could probably run longer than most of our established LOI clubs.

[Terry]

Mervue will be making a go of it alright next season in the first division, so, bye bye cousins !!!!!! hahahahahaha

Apparently Mervue have been given a grant of something like €300,000 to get there own grounds up to first division standards but if it doesnt work out they will have terryland to play in. There home games will be on saturdays with the hope that the FAI will sort out the fixtures so that they dont play at home the same weekend as GUFC so the pitch in terryland doesnt get destroyed by its over use.

[crc]

That would just make a farce of the whole thing
A faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrce?? Never! :p

[oldyouth]

here are the highlights from the match http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbecJ2wxHqU
Those apartments in the background look very close to the pitch. Do they have enough room all around the complex to develop properly?

[holidaysong]

anyone get the feeling Kildare will still be in the first division next year if you know what i mean?? ;)

If Drogheda go under than I'm sure they will.. Realisitcally though, it could be the end of KCFC if they aren't in the first division next year.

[geezer]

the Mervue Utd complex is pretty big, with about 5 full size soccer pitches, cages and astroturf.
over 15000 players have gone thru their books over 40 years but its still a massive massive task for them. They dont suffer fools gladly and will be managed carefully, unlike the "ESTABLISHED" LOI clubs theys still use the same printers, bus companies and suppliers over 40 years so that goodwill cant be underestimated. Some weekends they hire up to 10 buses to fulfil fixtures for all their different teams.

[sadloserkid]

I guess that makes Kildare's plans to enter a team in the A Championship next year a little premature... :o

Congrats to Mervue. Nice to see the bottom of the first division opening up finally. Some incentive for the lesser lights to do something other than just wallow at the foot of the table.

[christo]

Nice to see the bottom of the first division opening up finally. Some incentive for the lesser lights to do something other than just wallow at the foot of the table.

Didn't seem to provide too much incentive to some of the players

[SalvadorSanchez]

Mervue will be making a go of it alright next season in the first division, so, bye bye cousins !!!!!! hahahahahaha

Apparently Mervue have been given a grant of something like €300,000 to get there own grounds up to first division standards but if it doesnt work out they will have terryland to play in. There home games will be on saturdays with the hope that the FAI will sort out the fixtures so that they dont play at home the same weekend as GUFC so the pitch in terryland doesnt get destroyed by its over use.

If Mervue are smart they'll try to cut a deal and groundshare with GUFC and shift some of the Galway District League games out of Terryland to Fahys Field in exchange.
€300,000 even €1,000,000 won't buy a lot of ground developments if you're starting from where they are at. so they should try to build the place up over a couple of years rather than trying to go mad and running out of cash. I also think that they'll struggle to get much more government money in the current climate especially since there's already Terryland Park, Salthill Devon, and probably the new GUFC Athenry set-up all getting funding or having been funded already by the state. they should ground share, at least for a few seasons to see how it goes.... a team doing well in a shared ground is a lot more appealing to fans than a skint team doing badly in a nice ground (we should know!)
I wish them all the best and I'll get along to a few games next season

[Demoshield]

should be terryland, they have as much right to play there as galway utd
considering its owned by the galway fa

congrats to mervue btw

I'm sure the Galway & District League will be only too happy to take at least 2 grand a game from Mervue, as that was the rate they were charging GUFC when they were in the first division. The can't be seen to favour one club over another.

[frog-gufc]

Those apartments in the background look very close to the pitch. Do they have enough room all around the complex to develop properly?

there not as close as they look, still though great view for nx season for whoever lives there,plenty of room the other side for some sort of a stand terrace etc

[Tir Oilean]

there not as close as they look, still though great view for nx season for whoever lives there,plenty of room the other side for some sort of a stand terrace etc

Thats not an apartment block its Mervue's VIP boxes:D

[pineapple stu]

If Drogheda go under than I'm sure they will.. Realisitcally though, it could be the end of KCFC if they aren't in the first division next year.
My thinking too, on both counts.

Makes you wonder if the A League needs to be looked at again if a club relegated into it could go out of existence as a result (a possibility noted in the main forum by someone talking to a Kildare director). Kildare's season will now start in June or so, which is just nonsense.

Still, well done to Mervue. Hopefully this will provide an incentive to other clubs to try take the step up and, ultimately, improve the standard of the league.

Will Mervue get a licence?

[Tir Oilean]

Will Mervue get a licence?

Yes once they agree a deal to rent Terryland Park from the Galway FA alongside Galway United.

The league timetable will have to take this into account.

[pineapple stu]

Like they did with Shels and Rovers this year?