Markets Field Renovations??

[Jofspring]

The rent being the same or more as for Thomond thing makes no sense. Sure your chairman has been quoted as saying it'd be cheaper to play all games away and Thomond being unsustainable- so why would he be keen to see a move to somewhere even less so?

Originally we had been told the rent was going to be very expensive, especially for what we would be getting. It's one of the reasons so many fans have been upset with the last plans we saw. I heard no exact figures just from multiple sources that it was high. The LEDP also said the rent recieved from Limerick FC would be what pays back the loans.

We have had no solid update since the end of last year. Nothing about the costs, the plans, are there new grants, are there changes to the plans etc.

[Mr A]

So it sounds that it's a toss up whether you stand on the brink of a bright new dawn or staring into the abyss. Just like most LOI clubs. All the time.

[LFC Blue]

So we wait with baited breath for a formal announcement confirming our move to the markets field at the final home game v Sligo.i hope to god it all goes to plan and we bid thomond park farewell.

[LFC Blue]

The overriding theme in Pat O Sullivans program notes for tomorrow night seem to suggest it will be Limericks last game in Thomond Park according to Twitter as he thanks Thomond Park for their hospitality over the last two seasons.Surely he has concrete assurances that the markets field will be ready for March.

[faceoff]

It was a kinda Delia Smith effort lol.Well at least now everyone knows exactly.Ive no doubts the attendances will improve and it will be down to promoting of the MF and more importantly the teams performances on the pitch.Hope the majority of that squad will stay.Oh and ya C'mon the Rebels.

[LFC Blue]

Great to have it finally confirmed that senior soccer will return to its spiritual home exactly 31 years to the day that Limerick FC last graced the Garryowen venue. It's just the shot in the arm the club needed. With a proven manager and an ever improving team there should be a massive buzz and sense of optimism next March when Limerick return to the MF. It will also put a lot of pressure on the countless bar stool fans who preached for the last 31 years that they would only start following Limerick again when they went back to their spiritual home!

[bluewhitearmy]

I'll wait til something happens to get excited tbh.

[NeverFeltBetter]

It will also put a lot of pressure on the countless bar stool fans who preached for the last 31 years that they would only start following Limerick again when they went back to their spiritual home!

Is there really that many of them?

I read POS claimed Limerick needed an average attendance of 2500 to be viable. I really hope not. MF return would give a boost to numbers, but I think it would only be in the short-term, much like Thomond Park last year. Novelty factor and all. Good crowds would only be stable with good results and I really hope club admin realises that. If the team could get the kind of results they have in the last third of this season consistently, you could certainly count on getting a few more in the gate.

[Jofspring]

2,500 is a bit optimistic. Only a few teams in the league that regularly get that and they are the teams doing very well. I would say we need to be looking at more 1,200 as a minimum crowd to keep us competitive in the league. Anything above that is a bonus and would help us push on.

I have heard loads say they haven't watched limerick since they left the markets field. It's usually bull talk. They won't bother going back when they are back there either.

A move back should give the club a good opportunity to get sponsorship in as the move should get good press and be a chance for businesses to be a part of it.

I'll believe that the markets field is actually happening when I'm standing in the ground watching our first home game.

[D24Saint]

Great to see Limerick going back home, Thomand was a nice novelty but wore of after a few visits.

[blueblood]

Things don't sound as definite as they did just 4 days ago. This is from limerickfc.ie-
At half-time in that match, Chairman Pat O’Sullivan revealed the club’s HOPE to be back in their spiritual home of the Markets Field when next March rolls around.

Lee J Lynch on limerickfc.ie-
“It’s great that we’re going to the Markets Field and HOPEFULLY it’s done right and the fans can enjoy it as well as us playing there.”

There's a lot of HOPE there. I hope I'm wrong but I'll believe it when I see it with my own two eyes.

[bluewhitearmy]

Saying that expecting crowds of 2500 is optimistic is being nice to be perfectly honest its stupidity on the part of the club if they really think that and if that is what is needed to stay afloat we may as well wrap it up now. What was even more stupid is the very next sentence after saying we needed 2500 of a crowd he says we won't be signing any big name players. If and to me its still a big if we will be in the Markets Field next season then we need to have a way stronger team then we have now we need to be challenging for europe at least do what we did at the start of this season and start with a weaker squad then we had at the end of the last one and the move back will have been wasted.

If they go back there its the clubs last chance to get things done right so far in the premier I don't think they have.

[da bishop]

i trust the chairman..if he says we will be back in the MF for march then so be it,and guess what..yes we will get 2,500 to our games,well the first two or three games anyway when all and sundry[yee all know them,,barstoolers,ex players who probably attend 1 game a year,the mayor and his,her fellow protectors of shannonside,the last of the ouldfellows who populated the ...popular side..500 kids etc etc]will make their presence felt,then it will revert to type depending on results ie.poor results 300 to 600 ,good results 600 to 1000,excellent results 1000 to 1500.in terms of survival in money terms POS has spoilt the club and that cant continue,some club suits need to buck up and work hard.

[bluewhitearmy]

i trust the chairman..if he says we will be back in the MF for march then so be it,and guess what..yes we will get 2,500 to our games,well the first two or three games anyway when all and sundry[yee all know them,,barstoolers,ex players who probably attend 1 game a year,the mayor and his,her fellow protectors of shannonside,the last of the ouldfellows who populated the ...popular side..500 kids etc etc]will make their presence felt,then it will revert to type depending on results ie.poor results 300 to 600 ,good results 600 to 1000,excellent results 1000 to 1500.in terms of survival in money terms POS has spoilt the club and that cant continue,some club suits need to buck up and work hard.

Like the first 2 or 3 times he said it.

[legendz]

Limerick deserve support from the city and county. They are putting in the hard work. Limerick should be getting 2000 regardless of being 6th or 10th. A return to the Markets Field should be enough of a statement of intent. I've had only positives to say about being at the Sligo game last Friday.

[LFC Blue]

Limerick deserve support from the city and county. They are putting in the hard work. Limerick should be getting 2000 regardless of being 6th or 10th. A return to the Markets Field should be enough of a statement of intent. I've had only positives to say about being at the Sligo game last Friday.

Careful with the positivity there Legendz it's not a welcome trait on this board especially when it comes to the Markets Field move!

[bluewhitearmy]

Limerick deserve support from the city and county. They are putting in the hard work. Limerick should be getting 2000 regardless of being 6th or 10th. A return to the Markets Field should be enough of a statement of intent. I've had only positives to say about being at the Sligo game last Friday.

They don't just deserve support you have to go and get it in this league and there is no way what was happening at the club this season deserved 2000 a week not a hope. Not trying to be negative but have to be realistic we ended last season with a stronger squad than we started this one before first game of the season a load of people didn't even know the team were back due to complete lack of advertising. You play well you get the support but our club has done things backwards the 2 seasons they have been in the premier both times they have brought in the good quality of player mid season when we have absolutely nothing to play for anyway and from listening to the word going around at the minute it looks like we could start next season without Lee J Lynch, Rory Gaffney, Barry Ryan and Sam Oji not a great start if that turns out to be true.

Pat O Sullivan said in one sentence last week that we needed 2500 at games in the very next sentence he said there would be no big signings I mean ya Pat has done great things but what a completely stupid thing to say. We need big signings and we need a quality team to start in the Markets Field if that doesn't happen the last chance the club will have to capture the imagination of Limerick soccer people will have been wasted.

[NeverFeltBetter]

There does seem to be a certain disconnect in the clubs thinking, some kind of "Build it and they will come". Results, results, results. That's the one thing guaranteed to get more people in the door. If the club could retain the current squad they could give a euro challenge a right go next season, but, as others have said, that seems unlikely.

I have a feeling that POS might be tiring of being the clubs benefactor and getting nowhere with the attendance issue. If the Market's Field is open for business and the training ground plan comes into fruition, I wouldn't be at all surprised to see him walk away.

Anyway, we all know how fickle the crowds can be. You can have a great squad, a perfect Market's Field and good football, and Limerick would still struggle to get that 2500 number regularly.

[bluewhitearmy]

There does seem to be a certain disconnect in the clubs thinking, some kind of "Build it and they will come". Results, results, results. That's the one thing guaranteed to get more people in the door. If the club could retain the current squad they could give a euro challenge a right go next season, but, as others have said, that seems unlikely.

I have a feeling that POS might be tiring of being the clubs benefactor and getting nowhere with the attendance issue. If the Market's Field is open for business and the training ground plan comes into fruition, I wouldn't be at all surprised to see him walk away.

Anyway, we all know how fickle the crowds can be. You can have a great squad, a perfect Market's Field and good football, and Limerick would still struggle to get that 2500 number regularly.

The only time we would get numbers like that a few weeks in a row is a tittle run in.

[Lim till i die]

2500 is complete pie in the sky stuff. It's the equivalent of Cork getting a six or seven thousand average. Won't be happening.

The banality of a statement like we need 2500 to break even should be plain for everyone to see aswell. Quite literally plucked out of the arse.

We will actually sell out our first game back, there'll be 2000 odd at the second game then depending on the squad it'll be 600 - 1500 for the rest of the season.

[donnrua]

It's a hard one to call lads. I remember the Eoin Hand era and the Markets Field was rocking more often than not - but I also saw it fairly empty. We got fairly decent crowds for a period in Rathbane too. The Billy Hamilton side often drew large crowds because the football on offer was of a good standard and we had a really decent home record. It all depends on the football on offer. People want to watch a winning team end of story. How many would Cork and Dundalk have if they were mid-table? Look at Derry City - they have huge support when they're challenging but they're crowds are similar to ours when mid-table and they don't have the distraction of rugby. The LoI doesn't attract a large loyal fan-base that will support their team through thick and thin - tis a small few who do unfortunately. 2500+ would be reasonable enough if we are challenging. 1500+ if on a good cup run. 600-1000 if mid-table would be my predictions!

[legendz]

@ bluewhitearmy - I think they deserve more support is what I'm saying. You're right though regards having to get it. There clearly needs to be better advertising ahead of the start of a season. It's hard to say regards the squad strength compared with the end of the season before. How long are the contracts? Are the finances available? Hopefully lessons will have been learned.
I think a point POS is trying to make is that Limerick need to bring through their own talent. I have no problem with that. He could however communicate that point better. He made a point regards Clare and North Tipperary. Do Limerick have a visible connection with these areas. What about my own county of Kerry?? We aren't exactly too far away like! I live in Limerick so it's grand. Listowel and as far as Tralee even should be reached out to. There's a challenge there for Limerick. It's a challenge which should be taken on as well. Cork hads aspirations at one time to dominate the Munster area. Should Limerick have similar ambitions? Limerick is more likely to get support from outside than Cork!!
Big signings will be great but depends on funds. Stability at the club is more important.


@ NeverFeltBetter - There does appear to be a "build it and they will come mentality" alright. In fairness Limerick are doing work within the community from what I'm aware of. The challenge is getting that word out there and getting it heard. Results, results, results are great but there needs to be a more solid foundation than that alone. Limerick are where they should be in the top half of the Premier.
POS in fairness can only do so much to be fair. He has done a lot. As outlined by some, there are areas that can be improved on. Are people in a position to help the club out with that?!


@ Lim till i die - 2500 is a fair enough target. I thought it was fair comment. That is the support Limerick require on a regular basis. Getting that support is the challenge. I take your point that it's a figure plucked out of the air in some respects but it's still a valid point to make. It's great POS has that ambition. How can he achieve it though? The "build it and they will come mentality" will not do. It requires a lot of hard work and consistent and maintained hard work.


The move in to Thomond Park when Galway was the only alternative and the efforts to return to the Markets Field should not be under estimated. It comes across to me as a massive effort and deserving of support from the association football public.


Returning to an earlier point regards neighbouring counties. Limerick does not have a B team but possibly they should look at taking on league selections from Clare, Tipperary and Kerry on a regular-ish basis and look into raising their profile there as well.

[bluewhitearmy]

@ bluewhitearmy - I think they deserve more support is what I'm saying. You're right though regards having to get it. There clearly needs to be better advertising ahead of the start of a season. It's hard to say regards the squad strength compared with the end of the season before. How long are the contracts? Are the finances available? Hopefully lessons will have been learned.
I think a point POS is trying to make is that Limerick need to bring through their own talent. I have no problem with that. He could however communicate that point better. He made a point regards Clare and North Tipperary. Do Limerick have a visible connection with these areas. What about my own county of Kerry?? We aren't exactly too far away like! I live in Limerick so it's grand. Listowel and as far as Tralee even should be reached out to. There's a challenge there for Limerick. It's a challenge which should be taken on as well. Cork hads aspirations at one time to dominate the Munster area. Should Limerick have similar ambitions? Limerick is more likely to get support from outside than Cork!!
Big signings will be great but depends on funds. Stability at the club is more important.




@ Lim till i die - 2500 is a fair enough target. I thought it was fair comment. That is the support Limerick require on a regular basis. Getting that support is the challenge. I take your point that it's a figure plucked out of the air in some respects but it's still a valid point to make. It's great POS has that ambition. How can he achieve it though? The "build it and they will come mentality" will not do. It requires a lot of hard work and consistent and maintained hard work.



Its not hard to say regard the strength of the squad at all we had the same budget as last season according to anyone you talk to at the club and we started the season a lot weaker than we ended the previous one, we have now done this season what we did last season and end the season with a far stronger squad than we started with so now we need to build on that and not go backwards before next season again. The less said about this whole bringing through our own talent the better I have been told how much has been spent on the 19s team over I think it was 3 years and it was absolutely ridiculous Pat O Sullivan has people in the club absolutely throwing his money out the window he may aswell burn it sometimes. I wont say the exact figures I was told but if you had taken a fraction of it and put it to the first team then we would have been challenging for Europe guaranteed instead we got 3 years of failure from the 19s with not one single player good enough to come through to the first team. The 19s of the last few years have had the Manager, Assistant manager, Fitness Coach ( I think), Sports Scientist and a few others all working with them and we have gotten nothing from them the last time our 19s were worthwhile is when it was being run by basically the lads that are over the 11s or 12s now they had one manager one coach and money for pizza after games and they went and got us Dave O'Leary.

Im sorry but you are just plain wrong there in your answer to LTID it isn't a fair enough target its utter nonsense may as well have said 4-5000 while he was at it it wont be happening on a regular basis unless we are challenging to win the league . I can't see how it can be plucked from the air and also be a valid point really.

[Jofspring]

It's amazing when you actually look at when this thread was started we were told work was starting on the Markets Field soon. That was in 2011.

One thing that still worries me was when Pat said he is confident the markets field will be ready "around" the start of the season. What does that mean? Where will we play if it isn't?

A lad tried to tell me last night that a Limerick player told him Thomond Park was 200k to rent this season and the team in total cost €1million to run. I don't know where he plucked those figures from but surely that can't be right.

The club are doing great work behind the scenes and around the club but the first team has been mismanaged in the sense of money being wasted. We have supposedly spent similar to some of the top teams but not had anywhere near the same return.

Anyone I know that is a regular is still pessimistic about the markets field and you can't blame them.

We need another update soon on a few things like:

Is it still going to be only available for a certain amount of games?
Is the capacity still going to be around 2,500 and if we have a bigger crowd expected we have to move to thomond park?
Are the plans still the same as the original ones with the small away stand behind one end and a few steps the rest of the way around?
Are there still going to be no toilets for people on the opposite side to the stand?
Is the bar (which is fully kitted out) still not going to be opened?

[legendz]

Im sorry but you are just plain wrong there in your answer to LTID it isn't a fair enough target its utter nonsense may as well have said 4-5000 while he was at it it wont be happening on a regular basis unless we are challenging to win the league . I can't see how it can be plucked from the air and also be a valid point really.

POS said he cannot be a "sugar daddy" anymore. He then expressed an opinion that the club needs 2500 on a regular basis to be self sufficient. I can only imagine that figure is based on current finances. Some disagree with that figure. Possibly he inflated it by 25%. 2500 doesn't seem too far off the mark from a financial perspective. It's hard to see where the club would be without the investment from POS. Is a membership based model possible in Limerick?
I agree there are lessons to be learned. Do supporters have a platform from which to ask these questions and get answers?

[Lim till i die]

2500 is absolutely a figure plucked out of the air, it means nothing, it probably just sounded like a nice round figure in someone's head.

Would 2500 fanciful as it is even make you self sufficient?? It would in its nelly.

You'd have maybe 20 grand of gate receipts every two weeks.

Now say youve a **** hot commercial department bringing in another 5 grand every two weeks.

That's 25 grand every two weeks.

That's 50 grand a month.

500 grand over the season.

Say your shut hot commercial department got you a brilliant jersey sponsor best one in league call it another 150 grand.

So you've 650 grand.

You wouldn't run Athlone Town with it.

Every club in the league either has special circumstances or some eejit writing a big cheque or both.

Tak of self sufficiency and minimum crowds is rubbish. Take of completely unrealistic minimum crowds from a chairman is counter productive.

[Lim till i die]

One thing that still worries me was when Pat said he is confident the markets field will be ready "around" the start of the season. What does that mean? Where will we play if it isn't?

A lad tried to tell me last night that a Limerick player told him Thomond Park was 200k to rent this season and the team in total cost €1million to run. I don't know where he plucked those figures from but surely that can't be right.

Whatever about the rent but I'd be amazed if it was only costing a million quid a year to run the club.

Take a (conservative) 12k a week all in for the senior team. There's half a million there.

And that's before you get into admin staff 19s staff thomond training medical insurance stockless shops apartments ghanaians travel referees league fees utilities etc etc

Tis a bit of a whack more than a million I'd say...

[ped_ped]

Tak of self sufficiency and minimum crowds is rubbish. Take of completely unrealistic minimum crowds from a chairman is counter productive.

While I understand your point, what's the point of any of this if self-sufficiency isn't achievable?

[Lim till i die]

While I understand your point, what's the point of any of this if self-sufficiency isn't achievable?

It's football.

Anyone who has gotten into football since the maximum wage was abolished thinking it's anything other than a giant hole for putting your money into needs their head examining.

The burden could be lightened an awful lot if our 19's started producing talent to flog to England but that wont be happening any time soon, certainly not in the short term.

I suppose having been in Hogan Park, Jackman, Pike, Hogan Park again, Jackman again and finally Thomond and having seen six chairmen come and go I'm kinda lulled into this (false?!) sense of security that there'll always be a Limerick in some shape or form.

The doom mongering from the chairman is hardly going to help with attracting a new wodge of money though. If you were in Thomond Park last week and had a few bob to spend and heard that speech would you get involved??

If Pat went in the morning I'd be fairly confident we'd cobble something together between the lot of us. Instead of being a poor Premier Division side we'd go back to being a terrible First Division side. I'd still be there, the lads I go with would still be there, Limerick FC in a heap, same as it ever was. :ball:

[Daydreamer]

The less said about this whole bringing through our own talent the better I have been told how much has been spent on the 19s team over I think it was 3 years and it was absolutely ridiculous Pat O Sullivan has people in the club absolutely throwing his money out the window he may aswell burn it sometimes. I wont say the exact figures I was told but if you had taken a fraction of it and put it to the first team then we would have been challenging for Europe guaranteed instead we got 3 years of failure from the 19s with not one single player good enough to come through to the first team. The 19s of the last few years have had the Manager, Assistant manager, Fitness Coach ( I think), Sports Scientist and a few others all working with them and we have gotten nothing from them the last time our 19s were worthwhile is when it was being run by basically the lads that are over the 11s or 12s now they had one manager one coach and money for pizza after games and they went and got us Dave O'Leary.

Im sorry but you are just plain wrong there in your answer to LTID it isn't a fair enough target its utter nonsense may as well have said 4-5000 while he was at it it wont be happening on a regular basis unless we are challenging to win the league . I can't see how it can be plucked from the air and also be a valid point really.[/QUOTE]

Don't know how big the budget is for u 19s but speaking to a couple of players and there is no special treatment , they have a manager and a coach and he is a FAI DO so I doubt if he costs and get sandwiches after a game so the boys must of had a few quid to get pizzas :) Agree on oleary wry to an extent but he was brought through into a first division team and had one ok prem season with us and hasn't got a look in at cork , your always only going to bring one or two even from the best teams , cork have won the u 19s league since it started and probably have brought 3 or 4 through . Looking at the table this year they seem to be doing ok with what looks to be an average squad on paper , btw do they play all games in Fairview or are some still on in Annacotty .. Some websites say annacotty others say fairview ?

[Daydreamer]

Would be great to get back to markets field but like most people are stating I don't think that you will get the massive crowds of old , average attendance if doing ok will be around 1000 I would think

[Lim till i die]

Final plans are up on e tender if you have a few quid.

Basically 1100 seats getting bolted down in the stand, the little farce thing remains at the away end and the rest of the ground is a blank canvas for us to slap temporary structures up in.

The LEDP should hang their heads in shame... but it could have been worse!

[blueblood]

Have to agree that LEDP crowd are a joke, I honestly don't know if they're taking the p*ss with their sh*tty little stadium or if there so useless they all actually think they're all doing a great job or do they know they f*cked up (probably a combination of 2 or 3 of the above). This is from 2nd March 2011 almost 4 years ago now-

A licence to occupy the Markets Field will be granted to Limerick FC and supporters can expect to return to the former greyhound racing stadium “during 2012”, LEDP director Gerry Boland said. Mr Boland said that the ground had the “potential to become another excellent sports stadium for the citizens of Limerick and LEDP looks forward to working closely with Limerick FC in order to achieve this"

Have they seriously tried to work closely with the club to try achieve this "excellent sports stadium" or is this bit of a patchwork ground the LEDP's definition of an "excellent sports stadium" ?

[blueblood]

Did anyone hear the radio ad for Galtee Fuels, it's voiced by Pat himself and at the end " and by the way we look forward to seeing you at the Markets Field next March". He's gas hope he's right

[Jofspring]

Does anyone actually know the breakdown or total funding for the Markets Field?

I posted this in the stadium updates thread


I was going to say the Markets Field could have done with that grant but then I read the below article.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland...eld-254079.htm

Looking at this article it says:

LEDP raised €400,00
Government grant - €1.1m
And then an additional fund from the JP McManus Foundation - €1.5m

Total - €3m in funding for he Markets Field.

I have been under the impression that €1.5m is the total of funding for the Markets Field. That article says different and there have also been articles saying the FAI have given grants. No one seems to know what the story actually is. There may be a bit of confusion with that piece i'd imagine.

[blueblood]

1.5m from JP to purchase MF, 1.1m grant, 400k LEDP.

[gael353]

The markets field "purchase"could have been anything ypto 20 million as it was disguised in a bail out Of the grayhound board

[LFC Blue]

With the tender deadline date having come and gone at this stage i wonder will we see some life up at the Markets Field in the coming weeks?

[fc hammer]

With the tender deadline date having come and gone at this stage i wonder will we see some life up at the Markets Field in the coming weeks?

I certainly hope so , it would want to start soon if we're to have any chance of being in there for March.

[donnrua]

I certainly hope so , it would want to start soon if we're to have any chance of being in there for March.
Well it's not as if much work has to be done given the state of the plans. I mean how long does it take to bolt down a few seats?:p

[LFC Blue]

Limerick v Bohemians confirmed for our return to the Markets Field on Saturday March 7th @ 7pm.Lets hope the floodlights are up by then!

[blueblood]

Why are we going for 7 o'clock ko for first few games then to 7.45.

[Town Legend]

Are there any pics of the redevelopment work in Markets Field? When was the last time Lims played there?

[donnrua]

Are there any pics of the redevelopment work in Markets Field? When was the last time Lims played there?
If my memory serves me well 1984 was our last league game at The Markets Field. A benefit match for Eoin Hand was played there in the late 90's.

[bluewhitearmy]

Are there any pics of the redevelopment work in Markets Field? When was the last time Lims played there?


There is no redevelopment yet.

[Town Legend]

So is Markets Field just the pitch and one stand at the minute? What's the plans for March? Get the lights up and go from there?

[delboyderis]

And have a full team signed up?:ball:

[blueblood]

Isn't John Delaney going to inspect MF today, I hope we already have a premier division licence arranged, he'll have a heart attack when he sees the state of the place!!!

[Martinho II]

was it in Rathbane in 84/85 we first played ye in the league?

[donnrua]

was it in Rathbane in 84/85 we first played ye in the league?

I reckon so. I had totally forgotten about ye lot joining the league that season. Cork City joined that season too I think?