Athlone Town

[outspoken]

I think the review is a good idea. People criticising the FAI if they fine Athlone, now giving out because the FAI want a better understanding of what's going on. Can't win.

[total hoofball]

They don't need a better understanding when they acutely know they're jointly responsible for this latest licensing clusterfuk. They awarded a Premier Division licence to a club who failed to pay their players in 2015 based on a phoney budget figures and shockingly 'nobody saw it coming etc.' that same club still have failed to pay their players for 2015 and now 2016 based on yet another set of phoney budget figures.

Fran ain't no magician if he thinks people are stupid enough to fall for his latest misdirection.

[outspoken]

I'm sure Athlone put a plan forward to pay off those debts or they wouldn't have been allowed in. The licensing structure isn't black and white like everyone thinks it's a lot of hypotheticals

[wonder88]

So Athlone should not be fined for failing to fulfill a fixture, but Roddy Collins can be made pay 1,500 euro for suggesting in a newspaper article that the LoI is in trouble. Did the Athlone rep on the FAI board back up this decision I wonder?

[Nesta99]

it's a lot of hypotheticals

Like 10k all-seated stadia? so much fun could be had with the 'hypotheticals'...

"We are going to build a 60'000 all-seater ground!"

"Oh good! Have a licence".

"We were are going to invite Barcelona over for a match to make a few Euro"

"You are like f*ck, thats not in any participation agreement, that player you said you didnt owe anything to and we agreed to look the other way, well if you play any game that we could make money out of we will stop looking the other way and mad make you pay some bills with money you dont have!"

[disgruntled]

An independent investigation is the only way to go provided the FAI actually act on the report & don't bury it like every other report they have ever received.
I won't hold my breath on that one.
Mystic Meg sees a large plate of fudge coming up in Athlone's future :rolleyes:

As I said previously the Licencing Manual comes in a do it yourself kit which can be made up in any way you choose.

[ATFC-1887]

For people looking from the outside in, it looks like there is no coming back from this for us. But the group who want to take over are willing to take over with immediate effect and I know for a fact they will resolve most of, if not all of the problems we are having.
The problem is the chairman is refusing to stand down. Himself and Michael o connor are hated by most now and one has to worder with all the pressure and dislike, why they are not budging.
I suspect the FAI could find something g they didn't want to be found.

[pineapple stu]

I think the review is a good idea. People criticising the FAI [...] because the FAI want a better understanding of what's going on.
Can the FAI not work out for themselves what's going no rather than spending money on a review?

What are the licencing people supposed to be for?

Best of luck to Athlone obviously.

[outspoken]

So what should the FAI do? Say Heres 100,000 euro lads do what you please with it. We all know how that ends

[pineapple stu]

Why would you suggest that? (Though rather they gave Athlone money than another independent consultant)

Athlone went through the licencing process at the start of the season. They were required to submit budgets and cash flows, and to go to Abbotstown to discuss these. They were probbaly required to provide some manner of letter of guarantee of funding, and were maybe even asked to put some funds in an escrow account just in case. If, after all that, the kitty is empty just three months into the season, then there's a fundamental issue with licencing. There's a licencing department in the FAI - first step is to ask for their views on what went wrong, and then to look into those problems. Not get some external bloody consultant in again.

[Martinho II]

For people looking from the outside in, it looks like there is no coming back from this for us. But the group who want to take over are willing to take over with immediate effect and I know for a fact they will resolve most of, if not all of the problems we are having.
The problem is the chairman is refusing to stand down. Himself and Michael o connor are hated by most now and one has to worder with all the pressure and dislike, why they are not budging.
I suspect the FAI could find something g they didn't want to be found.

what is MOC doing with Athlone now? didnt realise he is hated from yer side from someone who was a legend with ye.. From someone from outside not familiar wot has he to be hated so much?
Mind you when he managed us in the late nineties we nearly went to the wall under his mgt so maybe there is some common demonition!

[ATFC-1887]

The problem here is the chairman is refusing to step down. Nobody wants him there. He has been asked by numerous people, including the group wanting to take over, for a state of affairs of the accounts etc but has dodged giving them over. One has to wonder why.
Where has the money taken in gone if no bills or players have been paid.

[ATFC-1887]

Can't really get into too much detail about moc but he is probably the most hated man in football around athlone. Has ****ed off so many people over so many different things. Strong reason to believe he is being paid for being over the acadamy. Bit of a joke when the first team manager isn't even being paid.
He was recently voted onto the committee by our chairman even after the public clearly said they want haydan and o connor out. Just goes to show how much the fans opinions matter to them.

[outspoken]

Why would you suggest that? (Though rather they gave Athlone money than another independent consultant)

Athlone went through the licencing process at the start of the season. They were required to submit budgets and cash flows, and to go to Abbotstown to discuss these. They were probbaly required to provide some manner of letter of guarantee of funding, and were maybe even asked to put some funds in an escrow account just in case. If, after all that, the kitty is empty just three months into the season, then there's a fundamental issue with licencing. There's a licencing department in the FAI - first step is to ask for their views on what went wrong, and then to look into those problems. Not get some external bloody consultant in again.

We get it, the licensing is a joke. If licensing was scrapped Athlone would still be in the same position if not worse. If licensing was made stronger a number of clubs wouldn't make it into the League.....Either way the FAI take flack. The clubs have shown time after time and year after year that they can't be trusted with money so why should the FAI bail them out? Never thought I'd see the day I was defending them but this whole debate is becoming ridiculous

[Nesta99]

The problem here is the chairman is refusing to step down. Nobody wants him there. He has been asked by numerous people, including the group wanting to take over, for a state of affairs of the accounts etc but has dodged giving them over. One has to wonder why.
Where has the money taken in gone if no bills or players have been paid.

Chairman/Owner hanging on, being awkward with accounts, fans and investors rallying to a club's assistance pending the stepping away of some people...not at all familiar!?! Cork, Bray, Dundalk, Galway. I think it is only Drogheda fans that still hold a chairman that lead them to the edge of extinction in high regard.

[pineapple stu]

Never thought I'd see the day I was defending them but this whole debate is becoming ridiculous
Ummm...the debate here is about the FAI looking to conduct an independent investigation into what happened, when there has to be someone in Abbotstown who can look into it themselves.

You're the one going off on tangents about bailing Athlone out financially or about damned if you do, damned if you don't. Maybe try debating the point at hand and see if that stops the debate being ridiculous?

An independent report/investigation into this is not needed. The FAI should be able to do something by themselves.

[ATFC-1887]

Latest word is they are going to release all players except the 4 professionals and Colin fortune will take over as manager.
Changing training to athlone to force out anyone who doesn't want to leave.
This club is absolutely ****ed if the board don't resign. :(

[El-Pietro]

If that gets the team to the end of the year its not necessarily a bad thing, though changes would need to be made to get the fans back on board for the new season.

[Macy]

The FAI should be able to do something by themselves.
The FAI are busy the next few weeks - what's more important, ingratiating yourself with the Ole Ole hoards, or actually doing the job they're supposed to be doing? More important to have photo ops with oh so hilarious flags and banners, and maybe get the beers in at some bar...

How many times have we been here under the Licencing regime that was supposed to stop this from happening? How people can't see the FAI and their licencing system as culpable is beyond me. I personally think a robust licencing system that meant less licences, (particularly premier licences which Athlone got FFS - they weren't just given the minimum they needed!) is less damaging than this carry on mid-season. Again.

[ATFC-1887]

If that gets the team to the end of the year its not necessarily a bad thing, though changes would need to be made to get the fans back on board for the new season.
I can see that it would look a good idea from the outside looking in but Fortune is part of the click with haydan and o connor.
This will never be resolved until they all leave. Simple as that.

[Lim till i die]

Changing training to athlone

The Monsters!!

[outspoken]

I can see that it would look a good idea from the outside looking in but Fortune is part of the click with haydan and o connor.
This will never be resolved until they all leave. Simple as that.

And what players will make up the rest of the squad? Under 19's and 17's? Sure wouldn't they have to get expenses too? This is some mess

[KeepersBall]

This has been going on a long time.
My lad went for under 19 trials there two years ago, and during the trial game I got a call from the first team manager who asked me where the chairman and mickey O'Connor were standing, I told him and he said 'i bet you they are nowhere near Mick Collins the under 19 manager', and told me then O'Connor wanted to run the show.
A few months later Collins was shafted for very spurious reasons.
The whole thing stinks and a good club is being dragged down

[nigel-harps1954]

This has been going on a long time.
My lad went for under 19 trials there two years ago, and during the trial game I got a call from the first team manager who asked me where the chairman and mickey O'Connor were standing, I told him and he said 'i bet you they are nowhere near Mick Collins the under 19 manager', and told me then O'Connor wanted to run the show.
A few months later Collins was shafted for very spurious reasons.
The whole thing stinks and a good club is being dragged down

It's all Keepersball fault. No need for independent FAI review.

[ATFC-1887]

This has been going on a long time.
My lad went for under 19 trials there two years ago, and during the trial game I got a call from the first team manager who asked me where the chairman and mickey O'Connor were standing, I told him and he said 'i bet you they are nowhere near Mick Collins the under 19 manager', and told me then O'Connor wanted to run the show.
A few months later Collins was shafted for very spurious reasons.
The whole thing stinks and a good club is being dragged down

Nail on the head.
It's well believed that moc is running the show and is "advising" haydan on what to do.

[Longfordian]

There were a fair few stories came out about what MOC was up to after his spell as our manager back. None of which I can repeat on here but I can certainly sympathise with our neighbours if he is running the show.

[ATFC-1887]

The league has tonight announced a €1,000 fine for last Friday's failure to field a team against Waterford, which will increase to €5,000 if a similar incident occurs this month. Furthermore, Waterford have been awarded a 3-0 win for last Friday's game, and the next time the sides meet the game will take place in Waterford and not Athlone as was scheduled, with Waterford retaining all gate receipts.

Talk about kick a club when it's down. Fining a club who cannot afford.

[Lim till i die]

If that's what the result is then it's the least athlone deserve.

Not fielding a team is absolutely as low as you can go. It's the countries national league not the westmeath junior b hurling championship. athlone can disgrace themselves with their internal pitchfork waving up in bogland as much as they like but dragging the rest of the league into it is disgusting. Clubs trying to do things properly having to share a division with muldoons like that. If there wasn't only eight teams I'd be all in favour of ****in ye out of the league to be honest.

I remember in the dark old days (irony of ironies against athlone in Mel's) going to a First Division Champions 2016 Limerick FC game where we only had eleven fit players and two of them were goalkeepers. We fielded a team.

No sympathy here. athlone are a disgrace. :good:

[Mr A]

Don't see too much with that sanction to be honest. Only fair for Waterford to get the gate they missed and you can't just not field and expect nothing to happen.

[ATFC-1887]

Was that a limerick city/37 or an fc game.
You are happy to see the demise of the leagues oldest team. Says alot more about you than anything else. Until this season, limerick were nothing. And ye still are nothing more than a bandwagon. Ye are dominating a **** poor division.
Wasn't too long ago ye were getting chap crowds in hogan and Jackman. Luckily for ye someone with plenty of money took over and bought ye the league.
Enjoy it while it lasts.

[Lim till i die]

It's not really about First Division Champions 2016 Limerick FC though is it??

It's about athlones inexcusable failure to field a team. :good:

[Lim till i die]

Was that a limerick city/37 or an fc game.

It was an FC game. :good:

John Healy was quite the sight upfront.

Think we either drew one all or lost two one can't really remember.

We fielded a team though, which was the main thing given our dire circumstances at the time. :good:

[NeverFeltBetter]

As much sympathy as I have for Waterford's financial problems and how they were unfairly damaged by all of this, I can't see how fining Athlone and then threatening to levee an even bigger one, when the very problem was that they couldn't pay players, is actually going to make sure this doesn't happen again. Maybe if they work out some kind of payment plan? The 3-0 decision and losing a home game was enough I think. The goal should be to keep Athlone in the league, not make it easier for them to be ushered out of it.

[Mr A]

I doubt they'd have to stump up the €1000 too soon to be honest. It could well be stopped from prizemoney at the end of the year.

[outspoken]

If that's what the result is then it's the least athlone deserve.

Not fielding a team is absolutely as low as you can go. It's the countries national league not the westmeath junior b hurling championship. athlone can disgrace themselves with their internal pitchfork waving up in bogland as much as they like but dragging the rest of the league into it is disgusting. Clubs trying to do things properly having to share a division with muldoons like that. If there wasn't only eight teams I'd be all in favour of ****in ye out of the league to be honest.

I remember in the dark old days (irony of ironies against athlone in Mel's) going to a First Division Champions 2016 Limerick FC game where we only had eleven fit players and two of them were goalkeepers. We fielded a team.

No sympathy here. athlone are a disgrace. :good:

Totally agree, nothing to do with local rivalry here id say the same if it was any other club. The incident was hugel embarrassing to the league and could have been a fatal blow to Waterford who at least have been compensated with the reversal of the home game. You can be sure Athlone won't let anything like this happen again or its game over. For once the FAI have used common sense.

[outspoken]

I doubt they'd have to stump up the €1000 too soon to be honest. It could well be stopped from prizemoney at the end of the year.

Clubs never see prize money, that's always the way it works. Just goes to show the prize money needs to be increased.

[fieldofmarkets]

Game being awarded 3-0 against for not turning up isn't really controversial. €1000 fine is not too harsh either, even when considering the lost fixture will now be made to have been a home fixture. Athlone may even have saved some of that in not fulfilling the fixture in the first place. Could have been a lot worse. Hopefully things get sorted there asap and Athlone can move onwards and upwards.

[Nesta99]

Clubs never see prize money, that's always the way it works. Just goes to show the prize money needs to be increased.

I would totally agree there!! But history would indicate that if there were more monies available to a club, especially by 1st Division clubs, they are likely just to increase costs (on the wage bill to chase that pot of cash in the Premier Division:eek: ) relative to an increase of income. Proper utilisation of licencing in the first place would be more beneficial than lots of prizemoney. If a club is fractured internally prizemoney is not a panacea to all problems.

It is scary for Athlone that the issue seems to be unaid 'expenses' to amateurs. Expenses could be substantial enough for these ama players - could this be a way around licencing?

At minimum while at home, the youths could be called in or would this be considered 'passing the picket line'?

I could be well off the mark here but imo the FAI in the past have played hardball with various sanctions to push certain people involved in a club to the side. Hence the one rule for one etc. If they see someone playing silly buggers at a club, the club gets a harsher sanction as a shrouded way to get someone to walk away. Tom Coghlan off the top of my head, as a man/club owner that the FAI seemed to want to make life difficult for and threatened all sorts until he walked. Wasn't there someone at Limerick in the past that the FAI contributed to getting rid of. Not necessarily agreeing with such a tactic, but may be why a financially bocht club gets a fine that would probably cover the expenses in question. Push things to such a point that even the biggest ego decides it is too much hassle and the way is paved for others to turn a shambles around?:confused:

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

They had to fine them. Otherwise what precedent do they have to prevent other teams not turning up at games.

[pineapple stu]

The incident [...] could have been a fatal blow to Waterford who at least have been compensated with the reversal of the home game.
While I agree that the incident is embarrassing, and agree that unfortunately the club had to be fined, but missing out on a gate of 400 - and presumably saving on some matchday fees in return - would not be a fatal blow to Waterford. Certainly, if they do go under, it'll be for reasons other than missing out on one gate.

[WoodquayBoy]

Absolutely the right decision by the FAI. Back in 2011 when we were disgracing ourselves, that's all we did - disgrace ourselves. We still fielded a team for every fixture despite massive cash problems, and the Galway United Supporters Trust deserve massive credit for taking over a sinking ship and bailing enough water to ensure that we did. People can say what they want - and lord knows, they did - but at least we honoured every fixture.
The fine will be deducted from end-of-season prize money so wil won't be a direct hit to the pocket.

[sadloserkid]

The decision was spot on. Giving Waterford Athlone's next home game between the sides is actually quite a clever touch. Not fulfilling fixtures because of an internal power struggle is fairly brutal from Athlone. Seriously, you can only expect a kick up the arse in that situation, not a hand around the shoulder.

[ATFC-1887]

The FAI has announced the appointment of independent consultants to oversee the ongoing situations at Waterford United and Athlone Town.

Former South Tipperary County Manager Ned O’Connor will work with Waterford United and the local football community to address the issues concerning the First Division club.

Mr O’Connor completed an independent report on the future development of senior football in Galway in 2012 that led to the return of a restructured Galway United to the SSE Airtricity League.

Peter McLoone, former general secretary of IMPACT trade union and ex-chairman of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions’ Public Services Committee, has been appointed to conduct an independent interim review into the situation at Athlone Town.

Mr McLoone is to meet with all of the relevant stakeholders of Athlone Town FC, including the Chairman, Board members, Management and Players, as well as supporters groups and potential investors, to discuss recent issues and the long-term future of the club.

“Ned O’Connor and Peter McLoone are two highly regarded individuals who will bring a wealth of experience to assist in both situations. These two clubs have great histories in our league and we wish to ensure that great traditional is maintained to the level required. We hope that the experience of these individuals will assist them to secure stability and re-establish the structures to fulfil their potential as SSE Airtricity League clubs,” said FAI Competitions Director Fran Gavin.

[sulywaterfordfc]

Disgraceful carry on for a league club to not be able to put a team out for a fixture. Despite Athlones financial trouble they deserve what they got from the FAI and they're lucky it wasn't worse. The game not going ahead was a big blow for the Blues whom had a match day sponsor and it makes it 7 weeks (open to correction) between our last and next home gate.

The FAI were dammed if they did and dammed it they didn't fine Athlone.

Roddy got a worse punishment for less.

I do hope things turn around in Athlone isn't nice to see.

[ATFC-1887]

An alternative to the punishment we got would of been compensate Waterford with the 1000 instead of the FAI taking it and keep the game in August in athlone. I agree what's happened is a disgrace but I just don't see how this will help either club survive.

[Martinho II]

did that sponsor for Waterford Athlone game withdraw his cash in the end?

[sadloserkid]

An alternative to the punishment we got would of been compensate Waterford with the 1000 instead of the FAI taking it and keep the game in August in athlone.

How is that fair to Waterford though? Even allowing for a crowd of 250 at a tenner a head Waterford would be light about €2500 and the €1000 you were fined wouldn't cover that. I sympathise with you as an Athlone fan but I think that the FAI are absolutely right (for once). Waterford lost a home gate because Athlone didn't turn up. It's only fair, in my opinion at least, that Waterford get to keep the same number of home fixtures. As for Athlone, not fulfilling your fixtures is a huge failure. As was mentioned before, when Galway were on their knees they turned up every week. Limerick had a spell where we were regularly turning up with 11 or 12 players but we still turned up (with reserve goalkeepers pressed into service as emergency strikers sometimes but we were there).

That Athlone didn't head down to the RSC is clearly a symptom of a club in absolute crisis but be that as it may, the punishment can't be a light slap on the wrist here either, what they did was outrageous.

[ATFC-1887]

They wouldn't of had 2500 profit though. After match day running costs and paying players I very much doubt they would of made over 1000.

[WoodquayBoy]

They wouldn't of had 2500 profit though. After match day running costs and paying players I very much doubt they would of made over 1000.
That's just guesswork, and guesswork can be wrong - Waterford thought they had a home game that night, look how that turned out.
Absolutely the right decision, why should Waterford be punished for the failure of another club? Even if they would only make €500 on the gate, their fans were denied a night out to watch their team at home.

[Longfordian]

They presumably had to pay players anyway regardless of ye turning up. You can't knock that off.