Athlone Again........Naturally

[eitoof]

Four local lads reported to have left the squad on social media yesterday.

[total hoofball]

Is this now the "they took our jobs!!!" stage at the Athlone Town foreign invasion

[Battery Rover]

As many as 16 european players in Athlone at minute. Has a LO1 team ever fielded a complete non Irish 11 before. If not how many was most.

Also is there a FIFA directive on home grown players.

[Mr A]

Sounds like our admin has taken over it

Because this is the #GreatestLeagueInTheWorld, I briefly wondered if this had actually happened.

[Jd2793]

I'd be leaving to if that right full who played against Cobh yesterday was getting a game instead of me

[sbgawa]

What I don't get is why the "investors" haven't come out and laid their stall out....objectives....reasons ...etc....it cold only make things better........or have they ?

[sadloserkid]

Sounds like our admin has taken over it


Because this is the #GreatestLeagueInTheWorld, I briefly wondered if this had actually happened.

Merger to follow.

[littlebray]

Merger to follow.

With Limerick? or Lisbon ...

[Battery Rover]

https://www.thesun.ie/sport/football/745634/athlone-town-plunged-into-crisis-after-dressing-room-split-hits-club/

[EatYerGreens]

What I don't get is why the "investors" haven't come out and laid their stall out....objectives....reasons ...etc....it cold only make things better........or have they ?

Why indeed !

Do you still think there's nothing for anyone to be concerned about at Athlone ?

[nigel-harps1954]

https://www.thesun.ie/sport/football/745634/athlone-town-plunged-into-crisis-after-dressing-room-split-hits-club/

Getting beyond ridiculous now. What point does it have to get to before the PFAI at the very least get involved? Surely some of the players are registered with them?

[Lim till i die]

Fran will go across the hall and loosen Stephens lead when he deems fit.

[ATFC-1887]

Getting beyond ridiculous now. What point does it have to get to before the PFAI at the very least get involved? Surely some of the players are registered with them? The club is going to die. Simple as that

[ATFC-1887]

And it begins
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1298945353521654&id=458882380861293

[Longfordian]

I hear Collie James is available as well

[gufcfan]

And it begins
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1298945353521654&id=458882380861293

Non-mobile link (https://www.facebook.com/AthloneTownFcFans/posts/1298945353521654)

[Briuk]

Was any of the goals conceded so far suspicious?

[ATFC-1887]

Was any of the goals conceded so far suspicious? Extremely. Especially the Cobh and Shels games

[pineapple stu]

Suspicious how?

[ATFC-1887]

Keeper dragged down their striker to give away penalty and for another goal he had the ball at his feet and pretty much waited until someone took it off him.
He has been kicking the ball out of play without any pressure on him all the time. Few other things too. All could just mean he is a terrible keeper but with his history its too much

[JC_GUFC]

To be fair I think if you are trying to convince yourself of something you will find it. I had a look at the betting movements on the 'Asian Markets' for the game at the weekend and there was nothing suspicious about it at all.

[Ezeikial]

Chris Turner to Athlone?

[Mr A]

Certainly wasn't just Athlone fans questioning things, spoke to several Shels fans yesterday who thought things looking very dodgy also.

[Comic Book Guy]

Keeper dragged down their striker to give away penalty and for another goal he had the ball at his feet and pretty much waited until someone took it off him.
He has been kicking the ball out of play without any pressure on him all the time. Few other things too. All could just mean he is a terrible keeper but with his history its too much

I certainly didn't think anything suspicious, the penalty was given away as he dived at the forwards feet, seen plenty of those before.
The fifth goal he let in when he was dispossessed, game was long over at that stage but I would have put it all down to his general play and not necessarily anything suspect.
While we're at it the Athlone right back who played in Cobh last Saturday week was really bad too.

[Lim till i die]

If anything athlone winning two games at the start is suspicious

[pineapple stu]

Certainly wasn't just Athlone fans questioning things, spoke to several Shels fans yesterday who thought things looking very dodgy also.
They'd know I guess.

Allegedly, of course.

[sbgawa]

Certainly wasn't just Athlone fans questioning things, spoke to several Shels fans yesterday who thought things looking very dodgy also.

I cant see this betting issue being the reason behind the takeover, There isn't a bookie in the world who will take a significant bet on Athlone against Shels or at least significant enough to make it worth someones time and trouble to go to all the trouble of taking over the club....
Even if they took the bet getting paid out on a tiny fixture with any suspicion would be difficult.

Is nuts thought the longer a reasonable explanation isn't provided the longer alternative ideas get thrown up

[ATFC-1887]

There is alot more evidence to suggest this is the reason. It'll all be released shortly.

[Jd2793]

I cant see this betting issue being the reason behind the takeover, There isn't a bookie in the world who will take a significant bet on Athlone against Shels or at least significant enough to make it worth someones time and trouble to go to all the trouble of taking over the club....
Even if they took the bet getting paid out on a tiny fixture with any suspicion would be difficult.

Is nuts thought the longer a reasonable explanation isn't provided the longer alternative ideas get thrown up

What amount would you deem significant? theres plenty of ways to manage to get a lot of money on irish football tbh. FWIW don't think they've took over to fix games either but some of those players have quite a chequered history so its only going to fuel the fire. If you asked me after they played cobh who would have been a non trier on their team it wouldn't have been the keeper it would have been the right full. Worst player I've ever seen in both tiers of the loi

[sbgawa]

To go to the trouble of taking over an Irish football team paying players wages etc and having your own people involved in the "scam" you'd have to be looking at getting a six figure sum down and I don't think that's plausible ...getting it on is one thing getting paid out is another.
I mean as a more probable alternative pay one or two players a few grand each in a lot of lower leagues and you could achieve the same results without having to go to all the trouble of taking over a team.
Whats going on is mad I just don't think its for this reason but anything is possible

[KeepersBall]

If anyone has hard evidence I'd be interested to hear it

[JC_GUFC]

I cant see this betting issue being the reason behind the takeover, There isn't a bookie in the world who will take a significant bet on Athlone against Shels or at least significant enough to make it worth someones time and trouble to go to all the trouble of taking over the club....
Even if they took the bet getting paid out on a tiny fixture with any suspicion would be difficult.

Is nuts thought the longer a reasonable explanation isn't provided the longer alternative ideas get thrown up

There are Sportsbooks in Asia who turn over millions on League of Ireland games - that may sound completely implausible but it is true. Getting a bet of €100,000 on a match like that is quite easy and would be paid out with no questions asked.

As I said previously, I looked at the betting moves on Saturday's game and there is nothing to indicate anything unusual happened.

[Jd2793]

Theres been one very odd game with strange betting patterns in the league this season and it didnt involve Athlone.

[nigel-harps1954]

Theres been one very odd game with strange betting patterns in the league this season and it didnt involve Athlone.

Ah now...don't be making allegations like that without a bit of information.

[Longfordian]

Must have been Cork to beat Shamrock Rovers

[Jd2793]

The bets/Markets in which all the money came for lost, the whole game was very strange result even more odd didn't make sense with the odds movement.

[total hoofball]

Limerick hammering Sligo?
Bohs coming back from 2 down to beat Bray?
UCD 4 up on Shels in 30 minutes?

No other really strange results this season apart from those and the three teams who lost those games have leaky defences so nothing really sticks out

[Charlie Darwin]

Must have been Cork to beat Shamrock Rovers
That was a battering irregularity, not a betting irregularity.

[sbgawa]

That was a battering irregularity, not a betting irregularity.

�� :)

[athloneman]

I heard last night that people were ringing around athlone telling them to back athlone to lose 4 or 5-1 and to place the bet online with an english company so as not to alert the irish bookies!! I know of someone who had £100s on it!

[Longfordian]

I'm no expert on bookies but I'm pretty sure they'd be well aware of what's being placed with their English counterparts if it was in any way unusual.

[Ezeikial]

I feel some writs and defamation actions in the air.

[ifk101]

I heard last night that people were ringing around athlone telling them to back athlone to lose 4 or 5-1 and to place the bet online with an english company so as not to alert the irish bookies!! I know of someone who had £100s on it!

So many holes in this. Where to start ....

[EatYerGreens]

I heard last night that people were ringing around athlone telling them to back athlone to lose 4 or 5-1 and to place the bet online with an english company so as not to alert the irish bookies!! I know of someone who had £100s on it!

Cuz everyone knows the best way to get a betting scam to succeed is to ensure that as many ordinary people as possible get to hear about it and pile in. That wouldn't make the betting patterns look at all strange.

[mcgonigle]

I heard last night that people were ringing around athlone telling them to back athlone to lose 4 or 5-1 and to place the bet online with an english company so as not to alert the irish bookies!! I know of someone who had £100s on it!

This is worrying because I heard that they were also going to hold a fundraising raffle but that they are going to rig it to make sure the winning ticket is number 11 and that the manager will have this ticket. He will then get to keep the signed jersey for himself......

[thebronze14]

Hope this mess is sorted soon. Sad to see a once proud club in sch dire straits

[KBurke]

Paddy Power are still offering odds on Athlone's game this weekend

[sbgawa]

This is worrying because I heard that they were also going to hold a fundraising raffle but that they are going to rig it to make sure the winning ticket is number 11 and that the manager will have this ticket. He will then get to keep the signed jersey for himself......

I've a feeling the shot was fired from behind the grassy knoll and I'm pretty sure that if I wear an aluminium hat the Government cant control my mind

[Jd2793]

Everywhere offering odds on Athlone, highlights from shels dont look suspect either (How was that a red for Scullion). Nothing to see here.

[ATFC-1887]

Its very easy to dismiss this from the outside looking in. When you know what is really going on and the history of certain players and the guy who is "investing" the money then maybe yer opinions would change on this. This has been well researched since late January/early February. This isn't just a spur of the moment thing after 1 or 2 bad games.