Shouting match after Athlone and The Drogs

[KeepersBall]

About money owed.
Involved ATFC official (s) and a Drogs coach/Player ?
On here.

http://www.shannonside.ie/sport/athlone-town-manager-discusses-unsavoury-incident-at-drogheda-united-match/

[gufcfan]

So, long story short, they're mad it was made public and are trying to make it about that?

[disgruntled]

I think Mathews very honest interview shows the type of situation facing several League of Ireland clubs.
It also highlights the farce that the licencing system has become.

[outspoken]

That's the most honest interview ive ever heard from a loi manager. that club is fcked

[White Horse]

Pretty damming stuff alright.

[ATFC-1887]

Wouldn't say the club is f*cked as such, but under current regime it's not looking good. There has been an online petition setup by people involved to get the board out. They are running the club into the ground. They have no interest in having a first team and only have it to get the licence for the youth teams. The chairman and a certain "athlone town legend" are running the show. Both are hated by most. They have alienated the rest of the committee and community from the club.
There are sponsors and people ready to come in once they are gone. These people will not be involved under the current board. As far as I know steps are being taken to remove the current board and hopefully we see change soon.

[ATFC-1887]

Also, the chairman ordered for the players to not be paid this week because he wanted to get the esb back on for the Youths. Once again proving he has no interest in the first team. The list of things these people have done to fck up our club goes on and on.

[ATFC-1887]

https://www.change.org/p/every-person-thats-signs-change-the-board-at-athlone-town-fc?recruiter=538116236&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=share_facebook_responsive&utm_term=mob-xs-no_src-no_msg

Here is the petition if any of you would like to help out and sign it. It's not detailed at all but the majority of the town know what's going on anyways.

[outspoken]

What's their story with the youth team? I take it they have relations playing for the underage teams? Or are they hopeful of selling players to England for profit or something?

[NeverFeltBetter]

Athlone were only in the top tier a short time ago, seems strange to write off the first team as a necessary expense for youth teams. Our did the season up top have such a severe financial effect?

[ATFC-1887]

Nail on the head outspoken. Want to sell plays for profit. Even though most of our youth teams are dirt. We had mickey Collins and Alan Mccaul doing great work with the u19s a couple of years ago and out great board decided to sack them over players not selling enough lotto tickets. That's the sort of people you are dealing with

[ATFC-1887]

Athlone were only in the top tier a short time ago, seems strange to write off the first team as a necessary expense for youth teams. Our did the season up top have such a severe financial effect?

Not sure if it's just down the premier costing too much but the fact that nobody will sponsor us while he is in charge doesn't help. We have top oil as sponsor but that's only cause one of their managers is involved with us and we got 5000 for that. Worth sweet fk all.
They do little to no fundraising. When joe Cassidy done to 1 euro 1 House he raised 8 to 9 grand and barely got a thanks.
They haven't paid the esb since April 2015. They owe players in the region of 10000 euro and owe I think 7500 in stadium rent.

[Mr A]

Here's Indo coverage of this: http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/league-of-ireland/athlones-financial-woes-worsen-34696705.html

Grim.

[joey B]

Truly despise the media in this country,will jump on anything negative about the league and will invariably be seen in a negative light by those who don't follow it ,really depressing.

[outspoken]

Ah the Indo of course, the most anti LOI paper in the land

[Mr A]

Don't see anything wrong with that article unless they have something inaccurate?

[Olander]

Don't see anything wrong with that article unless they have something inaccurate?
I assume his issue is with the indo covering negative stories on the league, but they wouldn't be as keen to push positive ones. That's what I took from it anyway, I could be wrong though.

[outspoken]

I assume his issue is with the indo covering negative stories on the league, but they wouldn't be as keen to push positive ones. That's what I took from it anyway, I could be wrong though.

No your spot on, anytime I see a copy of the Indo it's GAH and rugby dominating with a small section on the premier league and absolutely zero LOI. Then when something like this happens they are all over it. Sad.

[Mr A]

Fair enough- but I see nothing wrong with this piece. This is news. Two historically successful and prominent LOI clubs are on their knees and could go under. In many ways it is bigger than trophy wins or anything like that. I can think of no reason why any paper should not cover it.

And in media in general it's always the negative stuff that gets prominence. Because that's what people tend to read / watch.

[Nesta99]

There is a question over licencing considering the above but the FAI are between a rock and a hard place with this. To lose clubs from the 1st Division considering the limited number of teams already could see a bit of a blind eye turned. Beyond a short term need to keep the league *cough* competitive there is a serious credibility issue that we all too well know of. Yes additional prize money and reduced membership fees would help, but again is it not a case of people pushing the limits of budgets to best case scenarios instead of worst case and anything after being a bonus being the issue. I'd love to see Youth's accounts to see how their model is panning out.

As for media coverage...it is hardly a surprise that the negative stories are reported as people tend to want to read the 'car crash' news rather than say the recovery of Dundalk FC ;p News is news regardless though. To air dirty laundry in public is not good and the powers that be of the league should have had a handle on it. I am saying this without reading or listening through everything though so may be well off the mark.

[disgruntled]

There is a question over licencing considering the above but the FAI are between a rock and a hard place with this. To lose clubs from the 1st Division considering the limited number of teams already could see a bit of a blind eye turned. Beyond a short term need to keep the league *cough* competitive there is a serious credibility issue that we all too well know of. Yes additional prize money and reduced membership fees would help, but again is it not a case of people pushing the limits of budgets to best case scenarios instead of worst case and anything after being a bonus being the issue. I'd love to see Youth's accounts to see how their model is panning out.

As for media coverage...it is hardly a surprise that the negative stories are reported as people tend to want to read the 'car crash' news rather than say the recovery of Dundalk FC ;p News is news regardless though. To air dirty laundry in public is not good and the powers that be of the league should have had a handle on it. I am saying this without reading or listening through everything though so may be well off the mark.

Exactly but people should also consider that the reason the Indo & other papers publish such negative stories is that the League of Ireland continues to supply them with ample ammunition for such stories.
If certain League of Ireland clubs carried out their business in a proper manner & in accordance with the terms of their licences then we wouldn't be reading about these stories.
Don't blame the press for your own failings.

[wonder88]

That is the 2nd interview by Alan Mathews that I have been impressed by; the other being a few years back when he was on the radio Eireann Sunday sport programme during pre-season when he questioned the purpose/value of the PFAI trip to Scandanavia. While others are able to give out about an issue, Mathews always tries to put forward a realistic solution. Here he makes the point that clubs must have an income stream that basically covers their total expense for the year, forget about gate receipts/look on them as a bonus. Operate like GAA clubs in other words. I recall Roddy Forsythe explaining on another radio discussion how clubs outside the top tier in Scotland manage to get by, by being a social club(bar facilities etc) with a soccer team attached.
It is possible to do this, as Mathews pointed out by being rooted in the community. Looking from outside it seems that Cabinteely as doing this; they had a big fundraiser recently where use was made of their Chairman's business connections.
ps I was at Tolka a few years back where Mathews got a fair bit of abuse from Shels's fans at a game v Drogheda and he resigned not long afterwards. Good to see him involved in the league.

[gufcfan]

I recall Roddy Forsythe explaining on another radio discussion how clubs outside the top tier in Scotland manage to get by, by being a social club(bar facilities etc) with a soccer team attached.
It is possible to do this, as Mathews pointed out by being rooted in the community.
When I went to a couple of pre-season matches United had under Sean Connor up in the north, it really struck me what we were missing. It was only an annoyance for Donegal Celtic who were in the middle of the league run-in, so they played a kids side, but there was so much going on in the clubhouse, completely unrelated to football, but all under the banner of Donegal Celtic FC.

[KeepersBall]

Agreed, my lad played for a season with Warrenpoint Town and every Saturday the social clubs were full and had plenty in them who never watched the match

[Comic Book Guy]

Mathews always tries to put forward a realistic solution. Here he makes the point that clubs must have an income stream that basically covers their total expense for the year, forget about gate receipts/look on them as a bonus. Operate like GAA clubs in other words. I recall Roddy Forsythe explaining on another radio discussion how clubs outside the top tier in Scotland manage to get by, by being a social club(bar facilities etc) with a soccer team attached.


We are one of the few clubs in LOI with a bar & social centre attached to the ground, without it we would have ceased as a LOI club years ago. That said the pub trade has changed dramatically over recent years and most clubs like ours now rely on parties and other social occasions to make such centres pay.