Club Budgets 2016

[Lukejennings99]

Presume Dundalk have the highest

[nigel-harps1954]

Definitely won't be Shamrock Rovers. They'll only be fourth highest again.

[Philosophizer]

With two consecutive years of Champions league money i'd guess they would. However, with them trying to sort out their lease situation over the winter (and hopefully planning some redevelopment in Oriel) as well as laying a new pitch i doubt they'll have a whole lot more cash than Cork or Rovers.
Rumours here seem to be suggesting that Bray will bring in quite a few new players (many on 2 yr deals) so they must have had an influx of cash recently.

[White Horse]

Presume Dundalk have the highest

If we manage to keep Towell and Horgan, it will probably be the highest.

[Sam_Heggy]

Harps going professional again after our brilliant experience of it in 2008 where we not only stayed up but we won the league and the following year we won the Champions league.....

Pretty sure that's how it went anyway, I mean, what could have possibly went wrong??

[El-Pietro]

My team has less money than your team

[Lim till i die]

Limericks budget has been set at twenty grand (five grand of that is for Freddie Hall as his contract states he must be paid more than Finn Harps). First Division teams are always cribbing about costs I think a good solution next season would be to give walkovers rather than travel to the Markets Field. Two weeks wages and travel expenses spared.

[ger121]

I've nothing to confirm our budget will be increasing but my feeling is that it may increase slightly.

[TonyD]

My team has less money than your team

Oh no you haven't. Pats players are actually going to be paying subs to the club next season :)

(Thinks of that old Monty Python sketch !)

[Philosophizer]

Oh no you haven't. Pats players are actually going to be paying subs to the club next season :)
Is it reasonable to think that Kelleher had been planning to scale back his contribution at Pats for a while now and was just waiting for the scholarship partnership with NUI Maynooth to start bearing fruit before he did so?
Now that players like Hoare, McGrath and O'Malley are capable of being reliable starters maybe he feels he can cut back a bit on the players with big wages and allow the scholarship lads to still keep the club challenging for Europe.
If so, it was a nice piece of contingency planning.

[Acornvilla]

We're getting richer by the year.

[Lukejennings99]

Talk of shamrock rovers getting in major investors, 4/5 people have said

[TonyD]

Is it reasonable to think that Kelleher had been planning to scale back his contribution at Pats for a while now and was just waiting for the scholarship partnership with NUI Maynooth to start bearing fruit before he did so?
Now that players like Hoare, McGrath and O'Malley are capable of being reliable starters maybe he feels he can cut back a bit on the players with big wages and allow the scholarship lads to still keep the club challenging for Europe.
If so, it was a nice piece of contingency planning.

Dunno about that. To be honest Kelleher seems to have spent some silly money on players when he came in first, but that's way in the past at this stage. Even the title winning budget I wouldn't say was too extravagant - though I'm sure it was decent. The squad was a bit thin last year, lots of young lads on the bench at times. Hoare, Desmond.McgGrath and O'Malley are quality, the other lads I'm not so sure. Young lad Daragh Markey is talented according to reports, but looks tiny. I think the plan certainly seems to be to try and bring through as many young lads as we can. Need an experienced backbone to keep competitive though. Desmond, Hoare and maybe McGrath probably won't be with us for too long sadly.

[Bawnville Hoop]

Presume Dundalk have the highest

Pm'd you

[Charlie Darwin]

Dunno about that. To be honest Kelleher seems to have spent some silly money on players when he came in first, but that's way in the past at this stage. Even the title winning budget I wouldn't say was too extravagant - though I'm sure it was decent. The squad was a bit thin last year, lots of young lads on the bench at times. Hoare, Desmond.McgGrath and O'Malley are quality, the other lads I'm not so sure. Young lad Daragh Markey is talented according to reports, but looks tiny. I think the plan certainly seems to be to try and bring through as many young lads as we can. Need an experienced backbone to keep competitive though. Desmond, Hoare and maybe McGrath probably won't be with us for too long sadly.
I think Pats' trouble was that when you win the league, your players justifiably want more money to sign back, so even standing still starts costing more money unless you're replacing people with similar players on lower wages. Title-winning season might not have been extravagant but maintaining that year-on-year is a different story.

[Dodge]

That's exactly what happened. Same players but higher wages. Budget stayed the same (roughly) so instead of quality squad players we had some iffy ones and the youngsters

FWIW O'Malley isn't on a football scholarship in Maynooth. McGrath, Markey, Bayly & Rooney are the 4 on the Pats scholarship now that Hoare has graduated

[Ezeikial]

Pm'd you

I'm gonna pm you too

[gufcfan]

4/5 people have said

What did the fifth lad say?

[Philosophizer]

On the subject of budgets, what teams will be full-time next yr?

I know Dundalk, Cork and Shams are full time for sure, but who else? Are Sligo (still) and Pats full-time?

My guess is that outside those 5 everyone else is totally part-time and training in the evenings??

[Ezeikial]

On the subject of budgets, what teams will be full-time next yr?



Your definition of full-time?

[Longfordian]

Training during the day four or five days a week with most players having no second job?

[Philosophizer]

Training during the day four or five days a week with most players having no second job?

What he said.

[White Horse]

What he said.

Are Dundalk full time? David McMillan works as an architect in Dublin.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/league-of-ireland/second-job-all-part-of-mcmillan-grand-plan-31131166.html

[GCdfc]

Are Dundalk are not full time? David McMillan works as an architect in Dublin.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/league-of-ireland/second-job-all-part-of-mcmillan-grand-plan-31131166.html

Towell works in a gym.
Massey is an electrician.
O'Donnell is a coach in DKIT.

I'm sure there are others too.

I think we must be more part time than even Rovers.

[Mr A]

Towell works in a gym.


#GreatestLeagueInTheWorld

[Philosophizer]

Are Dundalk full time? David McMillan works as an architect in Dublin.

OK maybe "full-time" wasn't the best term to use.

I'll ask it a different way: What teams train during the morning/afternoon, and who trains in the evenings/night?

My guess is that Dundalk, Cork, Shams, and possibly Sligo and Pats train in the day, while the other clubs would all train in the evenings. Can anyone confirm?

[outspoken]

Longford train twice a week in the evenings in Lexlip and then usually have a recovery session on Sunday's.

[bluewhitearmy]

OK maybe "full-time" wasn't the best term to use.

I'll ask it a different way: What teams train during the morning/afternoon, and who trains in the evenings/night?

My guess is that Dundalk, Cork, Shams, and possibly Sligo and Pats train in the day, while the other clubs would all train in the evenings. Can anyone confirm?

We train in the day.

[wonder88]

Galway also train in the morning/day. I know few of them work in a sport shop, another drives a taxi, some students in the squad also. Anyone would estimate the number of LoI players who get 100% of their income from their club? 100 maybe with another 200 getting more than 50%?

[Philosophizer]

Anyone would estimate the number of LoI players who get 100% of their income from their club? 100 maybe with another 200 getting more than 50%?

I saw it somewhere a few months ago that the average LOI prem division player earned 16k this yr. So if we take it that an average player in a mid table premier team earns 16k per yr (that's 380 (pre tax) p/w of a 42 wk contract), i'd estimate that guys starting for the top 3/4 clubs would prob be on about 600/700 p/w with the best (Towell/Horgan/Sheppard etc) on about 800-1K p/w. Remember all these numbers are pre tax.

Lads above have confirmed that a few of the top Dundalk players also work part time.

[SeanDMRooney]

I saw it somewhere a few months ago that the average LOI prem division player earned 16k this yr. So if we take it that an average player in a mid table premier team earns 16k per yr (that's 380 (pre tax) p/w of a 42 wk contract), i'd estimate that guys starting for the top 3/4 clubs would prob be on about 600/700 p/w with the best (Towell/Horgan/Sheppard etc) on about 800-1K p/w. Remember all these numbers are pre tax.

Lads above have confirmed that a few of the top Dundalk players also work part time.

Be paying very little tax on that kind of money anyway

[oriel]

Towell works in a gym.
Massey is an electrician.
O'Donnell is a coach in DKIT.

I'm sure there are others too.

I think we must be more part time than even Rovers.

Massey recently took at least a year out from his electrician role in Jervis, Towell used to work part time in a gym, think owned by a mate, Gartland is a basket ball coach, O'Donnell only recently got that DKIT role, think McMillan is the only one doing a full time job, well I read last season he works 3.5 days. I'm sure almost all of the squad trained in Dundalk daytime, 5 days a week, grass pitch for away games, oriel for home games.

All of above was in various DFC programme articles during the season.

[Guinney]

Massey recently took at least a year out from his electrician role in Jervis, Towell used to work part time in a gym, think owned by a mate, Gartland is a basket ball coach, O'Donnell only recently got that DKIT role, think McMillan is the only one doing a full time job, well I read last season he works 3.5 days. I'm sure almost all of the squad trained in Dundalk daytime, 5 days a week, grass pitch for away games, oriel for home games.
.

Yeap saw all them jobs mentioned in various articles in newspapers/programmes/websites/etc. but Dundalk train in the evenings. I live right beside Oriel and play five a side some evenings in the Oriel Active Centre behind Oriel and you see the players training either (as you mentioned) on the grass training pitch on the Carrick side of Oriel that the Grammar school own or on the main pitch for home matches. The players, especially the ones who live locally and don't have other jobs, would also do a lot of gym work in the town during the day as you would see them in the various gyms around Dundalk - mainly Felda these days.

[wonder88]

The movement of players in recent seasons would indicate that Shamrock R would have a bigger budget than St Pats. Also the Players rep organisation said last year that 1k a week contracts were back in the LoI, maybe a small number, but still significant when one considers the attendance these players/clubs attract. While Stephen Kenny has bucked the trend; level of wages paid decides where a team finished in the league.

[L.T.F.C.]

with the best (Towell/Horgan/Sheppard etc) on about 800-1K p/w.
They're on more than that!

[White Horse]

Yeap saw all them jobs mentioned in various articles in newspapers/programmes/websites/etc. but Dundalk train in the evenings. I live right beside Oriel and play five a side some evenings in the Oriel Active Centre behind Oriel and you see the players training either (as you mentioned) on the grass training pitch on the Carrick side of Oriel that the Grammar school own or on the main pitch for home matches. The players, especially the ones who live locally and don't have other jobs, would also do a lot of gym work in the town during the day as you would see them in the various gyms around Dundalk - mainly Felda these days.

Yeah, they train in the evenings and do their gym work during the day.

[Philosophizer]

They're on more than that!

No they're not. I have it from a reliable source in Dundalk that Towell is on 1,100 p/w, but he's the outstanding player in the league by a distance (and he'll likely be gone v soon), hence why i gave the 800-1k figure as a ballpark for the leagues best players. i doubt there are many others in the league earning upwards of 1k p/w. Maybe a couple at Cork/Rovers but that'd be it.

[Jofspring]

I'd say at a push there are 4 players on 1k or more. The next down would be the players with the top few teams maybe on between 500-750. Dropping all the time then the lower down the league you go and into the first division.

[Philosophizer]

Dropping all the time then the lower down the league you go and into the first division.

I heard that the Wexford Youths players only got paid expenses last year. I'd assume that's the case with all first division teams?

[Philosophizer]

think McMillan is the only one doing a full time job, well I read last season he works 3.5 days.

Thanks Oriel. The article linked above from the Indo says McMillan works 20 hrs a week (2.5 days).

[oriel]

Thanks Oriel. The article linked above from the Indo says McMillan works 20 hrs a week (2.5 days).

Yep that sounds right actually, 2.5 days, he def has Friday off.

I don't see anything wrong with 'full time' players supplementing their income during the season, so long as its not effecting any training, also it makes perfect sense for during the winter, when maybe they can get longer hours to make up for no football income.

Maybe Dundalk train evenings, but they are definitely in 5 days.

[Jofspring]

I heard that the Wexford Youths players only got paid expenses last year. I'd assume that's the case with all first division teams?

No I doubt that would be the case. It would be extremely hard to entice players to play LOI at every club in the first division for just expenses. Especially when players can get money to play junior soccer and not have the travelling.

[Philosophizer]

I don't see anything wrong with 'full time' players supplementing their income during the season, so long as its not effecting any training, also it makes perfect sense for during the winter, when maybe they can get longer hours to make up for no football income.

Absolutely agree. nothing wrong with doing part time work or study. I remember seeing an interview with the Rosenborg manager in the early noughties (when they were in the champions league proper every single year) and at the time most of his squad was actually studying as well as playing CL soccer. Some of them were even studying medicine!!! He was actively encouraging them all to take up courses in local universities because he knew how short term a career it is in football.

Great to see so many LOI clubs now have links and scholarship programmes with colleges.

[oriel]

Not linked to Club Budgets, but nothing new on here to go off topic! On the subject of links with Colleges and Schools, both Dundalk and Drogheda have good links with DKIT, and both have the DKIT sport advertising on the back of their kits.

Dundalk have an excellent community / schools relationship and every other week there are photos on the website with Liam Burns (ex player, now community officer) and a player taking the trophies around to schools in the region and also to other groups. There can't be many local schools that have not seen the League trophy at this stage, but they are starting all over again with the double ones now. This is an area you can't underestimate, if even 10% start going to matches from each school as new supporters, it is paying dividends.

[Sam_Heggy]

I heard that the Wexford Youths players only got paid expenses last year. I'd assume that's the case with all first division teams?

The majority of Harps players were on €50 p.w. with a very small few getting over that. Entire budget inc management was something around €2,000 p.w.

USL and Donegal League clubs were offering a lot of our players double and up to triple the money they were on at Harps.

We're now facing a situation where Derry are offering a few of our lads full time wages as opposed the the very small figures Harps can afford.

[vinnie]

Not linked to Club Budgets, but nothing new on here to go off topic! On the subject of links with Colleges and Schools, both Dundalk and Drogheda have good links with DKIT, and both have the DKIT sport advertising on the back of their kits.

Dundalk have an excellent community / schools relationship and every other week there are photos on the website with Liam Burns (ex player, now community officer) and a player taking the trophies around to schools in the region and also to other groups. There can't be many local schools that have not seen the League trophy at this stage, but they are starting all over again with the double ones now. This is an area you can't underestimate, if even 10% start going to matches from each school as new supporters, it is paying dividends.

I can't understand why clubs won't/don't do this, no brainer, best recruiting of new fans you can do, IMO

[Philosophizer]

USL and Donegal League clubs were offering a lot of our players double and up to triple the money they were on at Harps.

We're now facing a situation where Derry are offering a few of our lads full time wages as opposed the the very small figures Harps can afford.

Whatever about Derry, they're a solid prem div LOI team, but how the hell can USL and Donegal SL clubs offer more money than Harps?? It is the fact that they don't have to pay a LOI license fee that they've a bit of spare cash lying around.

On a similar note, it really annoys me that Donegal SL clubs would even want to poach players off Harps. Would they really rather poach a player off Harps to give themselves a better chance to win their own league at the possible expense of Harps promotion to the Prem? From my point of view (someone from leinster), i always thought that Harps represented the whole of Donegal in the LOI, not just Ballybofey. God forbid they'd try to see the bigger picture.

[nigel-harps1954]

Whatever about Derry, they're a solid prem div LOI team, but how the hell can USL and Donegal SL clubs offer more money than Harps?? It is the fact that they don't have to pay a LOI license fee that they've a bit of spare cash lying around.

On a similar note, it really annoys me that Donegal SL clubs would even want to poach players off Harps. Would they really rather poach a player off Harps to give themselves a better chance to win their own league at the possible expense of Harps promotion to the Prem? From my point of view (someone from leinster), i always thought that Harps represented the whole of Donegal in the LOI, not just Ballybofey. God forbid they'd try to see the bigger picture.

Are you new to the League of Ireland? This happens right across the country, including in around Leinster Senior League.

[Philosophizer]

I don't think I've ever heard of any decent LOI player around Dublin signing for a LSL team because he's being offered better money than the LOI team. Fringe squad players tend to jump between the LOI and LSL all the time, but it's usually if they're not getting game time, or can't to commit to LOI soccer, or if they fall out with the manager or whatever.

Maybe i'm in a unique position though as the Dublin clubs tend to pay relatively decent wages (apart from Cabo - not sure if they pay anything).

[Jofspring]

I can't understand why clubs won't/don't do this, no brainer, best recruiting of new fans you can do, IMO

We've done it loads of times, without the benefit of the trophies obviously and I don't think it has actually made any difference to our crowds. The only time they improve is when we go on a run winning games.