How much could you buy a LOI club for?

[cityman]

If someone was interested in buying a LOI club,(lock, stock etc), how much could they fork out? If clubs were willing to sell up, how much does anyone think, realistically, could a club by bought for.

For example Bohemians: They are owned by their members, are they not?! How much would it cost to buy this club from them? Or Cork City, given the prediciment that they find themselves in. Or even more recent, Derry City?

[Ezeikial]

1c would buy the majority of the clubs if the debts were taken on, and further investment guaranteed

[John83]

Assets - debts + 10 x annual profit.

About -€2,000,000 on average, to make a stab at a figure.

[dcfcsteve]

A crazy question in fairness - how long is a piece of string ?

How much would it cost to buy an English club - are you talking Manchester United or Torquay United ?

Are you talking about Bohemians, who own their own ground (well, bits of it anyway), or Derry City - who don't ? Assets would probably make the single biggest difference to the value of any Irish club.

Are you talking about a club with a decent fanbase in a big city (and thereby decent potential revenue streams) like Cork, or one with few fans in a small town like Monaghan ?

And are you talking about one that is saddled with major debts, or one that isn't.

So how long is a piece of string anyway....?

[brianw82]

A crazy question in fairness - how long is a piece of string ?

How much would it cost to buy an English club - are you talking Manchester United or Torquay United ?

Are you talking about Bohemians, who own their own ground (well, bits of it anyway), or Derry City - who don't ? Assets would probably make the single biggest difference to the value of any Irish club.

Are you talking about a club with a decent fanbase in a big city (and thereby decent potential revenue streams) like Cork, or one with few fans in a small town like Monaghan ?

And are you talking about one that is saddled with major debts, or one that isn't.

So how long is a piece of string anyway....?

My club's piece of string is longer than your club's piece of string.

[Scrufil]

People might think they can buy a League of Ireland club but neither love nor money can really buy you a club. Owning some deeds does not mean the fans will support you. The structure of the league also makes it a dead duck. You'd need to be a good gambler, like fudge and not care that you'd never get a return on investment.

To speculate I think only a figure of 30 million would be enough to buy a club but only if there was a community or fan's investment involved in this. This would work out as 2 million a year (over 10 years) for wages with 1 million each season for running costs. Anything less than this amount would not be proper value.

[sonofstan]

My club's piece of string is longer than your club's piece of string.

The better to hang yourself with............*

















*To be fair that probably applies more to us than to Sligo.

[rambler14]

Once you take on the debt then €1 will get you one of the clubs.

[tiktok]

To speculate I think only a figure of 30 million would be enough to buy a club but only if there was a community or fan's investment involved in this.

Thanks, I needed a good laugh.
1c, once you take on debts seems bang on.

Also, my club don't have a string as such, but that dead worm we found yesterday kind of looks like one.

[brianw82]

Thanks, I needed a good laugh.
1c, once you take on debts seems bang on.

Also, my club don't have a string as such, but that dead worm we found yesterday kind of looks like one.

That's all the FAI ask for. Just so long as you have an agreement to get some real string by the November deadline, or failing that, the January deadline.

[sonofstan]

That's all the FAI ask for. Just so long as you have an agreement to get some real string by the November deadline, or failing that, the January deadline.

Well maybe not real string as such with a tight deadline - but if you can identify somewhere where there might be some string, sometime in the future, that'll do.

[pineapple stu]

We're worth E60k more after last night. :)

[tiktok]

We're worth E60k more after last night. :)

So you're worth €60,000.25 now?

[prince20]

So you're worth €60,000.25 now?

Bet you would like if Cork were worth that much:p

[tiktok]

Bet you would like if Cork were worth that much:p

I'd settle for €0.01 if Coughlan was gone!

[Poor Student]

We're worth E60k more after last night. :)

I think it's €66k actually.:cool:

[stann]

Are you talking about a club with a decent fanbase in a big city (and thereby decent potential revenue streams) like Cork, or one with few fans in a small town like Monaghan ?

And are you talking about one that is saddled with major debts (like Cork), or one that isn't (like Monaghan)?

Once you follow through on that second question there, I think the two together might, deep down, be saying something sort of profound about the state of our game. :D

[roinuj]

Bohemians 0.00






Shamrock Rovers 1,500,000






Cork City 0.00






Derry City 0.00






Dundalk 150,000






Galway United 0.00






Sligo Rovers 200,000






St Patrick's Athletic 0,00







Drogheda United 0.00







Bray Wanderers 0.00
UCD 0.00





Sporting Fingal 0.00





Shelbourne 0.00





Waterford United 500,000





Monaghan United 0.00





Wexford Youths 250,000





Limerick 0.00





Finn Harps 0.00





Longford Town 0.00





Athlone Town 0.00





Mervue United 0.00





Kildare County 0.00

[LeixlipRed]

Most pointless post ever?

[sligoman]

Most pointless post ever?Just cos ye cost zero:rolleyes:

:p

[Magicme]

Considering our property was worth over 4 million before we put in the astro pitch and bar paying for said pitch, we have no real debts, I think we would get a wee bit for our club.

[Acornvilla]

Bohemians 0.00






Shamrock Rovers 1,500,000






Cork City 0.00






Derry City 0.00






Dundalk 150,000






Galway United 0.00






Sligo Rovers 200,000






St Patrick's Athletic 0,00







Drogheda United 0.00







Bray Wanderers 0.00
UCD 0.00





Sporting Fingal 0.00





Shelbourne 0.00





Waterford United 500,000





Monaghan United 0.00





Wexford Youths 250,000





Limerick 0.00





Finn Harps 0.00





Longford Town 0.00





Athlone Town 0.00





Mervue United 0.00





Kildare County 0.00
dosent longford own its own ground and land around it so worth cretainly more than that ya plank :p

[dong]

cretianly :p

Savage.:D

[peadar1987]

Waterford the second most valuable club in Ireland?

[CSFShels]

Its really best to ignore anything Waterford related this roinuj lad says.

[roinuj]

dosent longford own its own ground and land around it so worth cretainly more than that ya plank :p

land in longford is worth next to nothing and the population is very small.
you could pick up around 10 acers of land up that part of the country for around 2000 euro.
where as waterford united have a ground rent free for life and is surronded by over 100,000 people and are debt free, unlike most other clubs in the league.
thats what im baseing the value of clubs on.

the reason i priced cork at zero value is because they are up to their balls in debt and are paying the munster senior league a fortune in rent for turners,

[Acornvilla]

land in longford is worth next to nothing and the population is very small.
you could pick up around 10 acers of land up that part of the country for around 2000 euro.
where as waterford united have a ground rent free for life and is surronded by over 100,000 people and are debt free, unlike most other clubs in the league.
thats what im baseing the value of clubs on.

the reason i priced cork at zero value is because they are up to their balls in debt and are paying the munster senior league a fortune in rent for turners,
where do you get that figure from? and would it not depend also on where in the county the land is situated would it not?

[weecountyman]

Unless you have, as one poster said, 30million in the bank it would be pointless "buying" a LOI club. You need to invest over 10 years and hope the fans support what you're doing and that you end up each year in Europe (winning a round every 2nd year). There is no profit to be made, at present, from owning an Irish club. Community clubs are a way forward, and this could end up being a good, if safe, investment.

[dcfcsteve]

land in longford is worth next to nothing and the population is very small.
you could pick up around 10 acers of land up that part of the country for around 2000 euro.
where as waterford united have a ground rent free for life and is surronded by over 100,000 people and are debt free, unlike most other clubs in the league.
thats what im baseing the value of clubs on.

the reason i priced cork at zero value is because they are up to their balls in debt and are paying the munster senior league a fortune in rent for turners,

So you're saying a club with no assets(Waterford) is worth more than a club with solid assets (Longford) ? :o

Have you been working on the Derry City accounts recently.....?

[roinuj]

So you're saying a club with no assets(Waterford) is worth more than a club with solid assets (Longford) ? :o

Have you been working on the Derry City accounts recently.....?

i mean id rather invest a club (waterford united) with very little overheads which is based in a city of over 100,000 population and who are living rent free for life in one of the most modern grounds in the country,
rather then investing in a club whos ground is out in the middle of the sticks 3 miles from a one hotel town with next to nobody living there.

[SligoBrewer]

i mean id rather invest a club (waterford united) with very little overheads which is based in a city of over 100,000 population and who are living rent free for life in one of the most modern grounds in the country,
rather then investing in a club whos ground is out in the middle of the sticks 3 miles from a one hotel town with next to nobody living there.

Today I lol'd.

The Flansiro is easily one of the best stadia in the country. Stop letting your heart rule over your head, it'll **** you up in the long term.

[dong]

i mean id rather invest a club (waterford united) with very little overheads which is based in a city of over 100,000 population and who are living rent free for life in one of the most modern grounds in the country,
rather then investing in a club whos ground is out in the middle of the sticks 3 miles from a one hotel town with next to nobody living there.

If Waterford is the vast metropolis you seem to think it is in comparison with Longford, then where are the extra thousands flocking in the gate at your home games?

[endabob1]

This really has descended into my piece of string is longer than yours hasn’t it, but unfortunately there are so many if’s and buts there isn’t a simple answer, each club would be assessed on its own merits.
There are 2 reasons for buying something like a football club, as an investment or as a hobby and the price paid will probably depend on which category you fall into.
While technically correct in the traditional method of valuations, someone like Longford who own their ground should be worth more on paper. This assumes that the ground isn’t mortgaged to any great extent & the club who don’t own their ground don’t have any other assets of significant value.
Basing the valuation on assets less liabilities plus a profit factor would render any LOI club without its own ground unviable for purchase simply because none of them make a profit (Open to correction here but I seriously doubt it’s the case!).
What this fails to take into account the potential for growth, the problem with this is that any potential for growth for an individual club is linked to the potential for growth of the league itself. Given the current financial plight affecting Derry, Cork etc. and the general state of finances in the country; it’s difficult to see the league pulling out of its current malaise.
If you’re an investor looking to make money out of the LOI I would suspect that you need to reassess your investment portfolio. If I supported a club with its own ground and had “investors” looking to take ownership I would be more than a tad concerned.
If you’re buying in as a hobby, check out the annual losses, do a discounted cashflow on where you’ll be in 10 years time and see if you can afford it, if not take up golf!

[MariborKev]

If you’re an investor looking to make money out of the LOI I would suspect that you need to reassess your investment portfolio.

Any "investor" looking to make money out of football is doomed from the start.

[gspain]

Any "investor" looking to make money out of football is doomed from the start.

That is the long and the short of it.

You do it for other reasons - the local respect and glory. You might just do it as a fan if you are rich enough.

[endabob1]

That's the nuts and bolts, I would be very suspcious of the motives of someone who said they were an investor looking to buy into a club, especially if the ground was in a town or city centre.....

[brianw82]

Any "investor" looking to make money out of football is doomed from the start.

Which, by extension, is why such a person is not really an "investor" in the first place, and I'd like to see the word dropped when referring to these people.

[marinobohs]

Most pointless post ever?

nope. Probobly the most moronic one though :rolleyes:

[osarusan]

The verb "invest" and "LOI club" should never be used in the same sentence, unless there is a negative in there somewhere before the verb.

[dcfcsteve]

i mean id rather invest a club (waterford united) with very little overheads which is based in a city of over 100,000 population and who are living rent free for life in one of the most modern grounds in the country,
rather then investing in a club whos ground is out in the middle of the sticks 3 miles from a one hotel town with next to nobody living there.

You think Waterford has a population of over 100,0000.....!?!? :eek:

Divide that by half and you're still way over....

[stann]

You think Waterford has a population of over 100,0000.....!?!? :eek:

Divide that by half and you're still way over....

200,000 would indeed still be way over.

[bennocelt]

Just wondering how much LOI teams get from selling football shirts, scarfs, etc?

Looking at this....................a fair few got the Pats jerseys.............
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctLKqBldX4M

so a thousand or so a year = 30,000 grand or more?

I bought a Pats jersey this year :)- for the euro matches - surely in euro campaigns clubs can make some serious money?

[John83]

Just wondering how much LOI teams get from selling football shirts, scarfs, etc?
The margins on shirts are poor. Obviously, a bit better for a club like Pats, but 1,000 a year is a very generous estimate of sales. In the grands scheme of things, merchandising isn't a huge revenue stream in this league.

[dcfcsteve]

200,000 would indeed still be way over.

:D

Good vigilance.