St. Kevin's Boys

[culloty82]

Report in today's papers that having been blocked from entering the u-17 league because of the number of Dublin clubs already involved, they're now considering joining the First Division, as going senior gives you automatic entry to the underage set-up. Anyone able to confirm/deny?

[gufc2000]

That's the article http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/league-of-ireland/exclusive-frustrated-kevins-ponder-loi-entry-after-u17-rejection-31518488.html

[Nesta99]

Interesting development, a quick chat to Cabinteely will ste them straight on whether is a good idea especially when there where whispers of Cabinteely pulling the plug after the one season.

[nigel-harps1954]

I know there was notions that Cabinteely was a bad idea for the League of Ireland due to the numbers of Dublin sides, but adding another would make a joke of the whole thing.

Where would they even play? Is their ground anywhere near First Division standard?

[Nesta99]

Cabinteely may have caused a bit of a surge of interest from clubs to add senior football. Possibly a bit of rivalry and not wanting to miss out. A possibility to restructure the first division to a regional format with a promotion final or what ever variation. The regional league winners go up say and the 2nd and 3rd of the regional leagues go in with the 3rd and 4th last of the premier to go into a promotion relegation mini comp. Wishful thinking I know that something like that can be done. Anyway filled the ad break postimg.

[gufcfan]

A possibility to restructure the first division to a regional format

This isn't Russia. You'd swear it was a Zenit v Vladivostok type trek when people talk about travel. The costs are certainly not insignificant, far from it, but they're only a small part of the club's budget for the year. We're far too small a country to have a regional split in the 2nd tier, "just because".

Teams as far down as the 8th tier (and further) in England have similar journeys.

[SeanDMRooney]

This isn't Russia. You'd swear it was a Zenit v Vladivostok type trek when people talk about travel. The costs are certainly not insignificant, far from it, but they're only a small part of the club's budget for the year. We're far too small a county to have a regional split in the 2nd tier, "just because".

Unless your north of the Galway Dublin line lets be honest transport is pretty easy

[bennocelt]

Have you never waited for non existent bus eireann buses scheduled yet seem to have disappeared? or a national rail that closes at 7.00! :p

[SeanDMRooney]

Have you never waited for non existent bus eireann buses scheduled yet seem to have disappeared? or a national rail that closes at 7.00! :p


Wouldnt know anything about national rail now I'm from Donegal :P

[Charlie Darwin]

Interesting development, a quick chat to Cabinteely will ste them straight on whether is a good idea especially when there where whispers of Cabinteely pulling the plug after the one season.
Cabinteely rumours were just pulled out of someone's arse. There was something else going on there with respect to one of their financial backers but it wasn't anything to do with the value or lack thereof of having a league team, but as far as I know it's been cleared up. The Cabinteely project is all about making the club more viable, which is probably an unusual approach in this league compared to what happened in Galway.

[bennocelt]

Wouldnt know anything about national rail now I'm from Donegal :P

Ha, exactly. :)

[Martinho II]

where in Dublin is St Kevins Boys lads?

[Charlie Darwin]

Whitehall, out near the airport. Where Home Farm played in the LOI basically.

[mcgonigle]

Whitehall, out near the airport. Where Home Farm played in the LOI basically.

Santry not Whitehall. Not the same ground as Home Farm

[White Horse]

There are enough LOI clubs in Dublin.

The FAI should tell them to go away and form a partnership with an existing club.

[drummerboy]

They are sandwiched between Morton and Whitehall pitches, both of which they could rent. However they have never taken senior football too seriously before, I would be surprised if they would now.

[outspoken]

They are sandwiched between Morton and Whitehall pitches, both of which they could rent. However they have never taken senior football too seriously before, I would be surprised if they would now.

They only want to join to guarantee under 15 and under 17 league places, I wonder in that case could they join for a year, get their under age teams into the LOI system and then say feck this we're pulling the plug on the senior set up yet still keep their underage teams?

[gufcfan]

The FAI have done far worse things but I doubt very much they'd allow that. Ruud would blow a gasket.

[D24Saint]

This a good sign that the new U-17 league has non league clubs worried I don't think they should be allowed in just to stop their players going to LOI clubs. The new league was set up to strengthen existing clubs , for example a large chunk of our U-17's signed from Belvedere. I think the new league has been a huge success and one of the few positives of FAI administration as the clubs would never have done this themselves.

[gufcfan]

This a good sign that the new U-17 league has non league clubs worried

I think you've hit the nail on the head there.



the clubs would never have done this themselves.

The FAI often does things that are questionable in their merit in terms of the league, but this is one situation where the clubs have to be forced into it for their own good and for the good of football in Ireland.

[Charlie Darwin]

Santry not Whitehall. Not the same ground as Home Farm
Is that considered Santry? I always thought it was Whitehall. I know it's not the same ground.

[seand]

Their address is down as Shanowen Road, Santry. Not quite as far out as Morton Stadium, but north of DCU

[Kingdom]

Is that considered Santry? I always thought it was Whitehall. I know it's not the same ground.

Much of a muchness, as you know yourself, there's loads of areas around Dublin that overlap - think of how big Tallaght is, same with Clondalkin.

I think this is great for football at all levels. I've never understood why so many juvenile clubs just stopped at under 18's. How can you invest time and money into kids and then just forget about them as soon as they leave schoolboy ranks.

With a bit of luck this will force other clubs into the same action. There has to be long-term thinking to this though as well,

[Ezeikial]

I think this is great for football at all levels. I've never understood why so many juvenile clubs just stopped at under 18's. How can you invest time and money into kids and then just forget about them as soon as they leave schoolboy ranks.


Once players have gone past 16 /17 years the chances of UK clubs signing promising schoolboys has gone

[culloty82]

That leads onto a cultural debate as to why underage players should only be developing their careers with UK clubs, look at Ryan Gauld and Eric Dier who decided to try Sporting Lisbon, indeed rather than subjecting talents to the pressures of the UK rat race, perhaps they might make breakthroughs sooner in France, Belgium, Holland, Denmark or Switzerland if they wish to leave the LoI?

[KeepersBall]

Kevins facilities at Shanowen Road would certainly be on a par with most first division sides, although they do not have seating which I understand is compulsory.

[gufcfan]

they do not have seating which I understand is compulsory.

Depends whether the FAI feel like enforcing that or not.

[Charlie Darwin]

Once players have gone past 16 /17 years the chances of UK clubs signing promising schoolboys has gone
That's what I don't get. Why put all that money and effort into player development but then have nowhere for them to go once they've finished schoolboy level?


Kevins facilities at Shanowen Road would certainly be on a par with most first division sides, although they do not have seating which I understand is compulsory.
It's at the FAI's discretion. Cabinteely have only very rudimentary temp stand (benches really) and some steps. I'm sure Kevins could come up with something similar if needed.

[Mr A]

That's what I don't get. Why put all that money and effort into player development but then have nowhere for them to go once they've finished schoolboy level?



Because many of these clubs are all about getting players across channel. They have not cared about senior football because senior football hasn't mattered to that ambition. But now you need to be a senior club to be in the U17 leagues, so these clubs have to pay attention.

[outspoken]

That leads onto a cultural debate as to why underage players should only be developing their careers with UK clubs, look at Ryan Gauld and Eric Dier who decided to try Sporting Lisbon, indeed rather than subjecting talents to the pressures of the UK rat race, perhaps they might make breakthroughs sooner in France, Belgium, Holland, Denmark or Switzerland if they wish to leave the LoI?

This 👍👍

[Ezeikial]

Because many of these clubs are all about getting players across channel. They have not cared about senior football because senior football hasn't mattered to that ambition. But now you need to be a senior club to be in the U17 leagues, so these clubs have to pay attention.

Agreed.

The U17 national league is bad enough - although they could probably live with being excluded from it; but it is really the anticipated U15 national league that concerns them. This could pull players to these national league clubs from as young as 13 years old and therefore completely shift the balance of attraction for the elite schoolboy players from DDSL clubs to national league clubs

[Mr A]

Exactly. We are actually making small but important steps on the road to putting some sort of shape on Irish football.

Scary in a way.

[Kingdom]

Agreed.

The U17 national league is bad enough - although they could probably live with being excluded from it; but it is really the anticipated U15 national league that concerns them. This could pull players to these national league clubs from as young as 13 years old and therefore completely shift the balance of attraction for the elite schoolboy players from DDSL clubs to national league clubs

8 years old. I know of a core group of kids that left two different non-LOI Dublin based academies to go to a similar set-up at a LOI Dublin-based club.

The likes of Kevins etc are terrified at the possible ramifications. While Bohs, Rovers and Shels might not be pulling up trees at schoolboy level, the fact of the matter is that they are established schoolboy clubs now, and with these rules, they're only going to become more influential. As they should be.

[Quayman]

The idea if Cabinteely joining may have sparked an upsurge and hopefully it will make the FAI contemplate the entry fee each year to entice a few more clubs into the league. Its a joke that the Northern league has about a 4 or 5 tiered league system and we cant get enough for 2 divisions.

Should be looking at enticing regional clubs back such as Kilkenny and Monaghan with lower fees involved etc.

[Darklordsbane]

Kevins facilities at Shanowen Road would certainly be on a par with most first division sides, although they do not have seating which I understand is compulsory.

Mervue did have seating at least I never saw them and I was there a few times I know they are gone but they were in the first division

[Longfordian]

Neither Mervue nor Salthill had seating as far as I know. As gufcfan says above it depends on whether the FAI feel like enforcing the requirements or not. I'm guessing they'd let Wexford away with it.

[nigel-harps1954]

Mervue did have seating at least I never saw them and I was there a few times I know they are gone but they were in the first division

The most seating in Fahys Field was on the subs bench.

[gufcfan]

Great to see the child traffickers moaning. You know something is going right when that happens.