Saudi Takeover of Galway

[El-Pietro]

Waterford, Dundalk, Shels and now Galway all receiving outside investment (Rovers too to an extent but that was from someone they had an previous relationship with). What is going on?

[stann]

Waterford, Dundalk, Shels and now Galway all receiving outside investment (Rovers too to an extent but that was from someone they had an previous relationship with). What is going on?
Maybe "is cool" had far more of a marketing reach than anyone realised. :bulgy:

[Sean South]

Waterford, Dundalk, Shels and now Galway all receiving outside investment (Rovers too to an extent but that was from someone they had an previous relationship with). What is going on?
Im not sure but i find it hard to believe that after what all the Galway fans have been through over the years and finally getting a supporters owned club. The first opportunity that comes they give up their club to to a possible snake oil salesman.

[White Horse]

Have these Saudi investors have a track record in investing in football? I take the view that each case should be assessed on its own circumstances.

There are fan ownership fundamentalists who decry any foreign ownership. However, there are many successful examples of clubs in smaller leagues that are foreign owned.

[El-Pietro]

Im not sure but i find it hard to believe that after what all the Galway fans have been through over the years and finally getting a supporters owned club. The first opportunity that comes they give up their club to to a possible snake oil salesman.

Or literal oil salesmen as the case may be.

[Terry]

That sort of money would be a game changer for Galway, but I'm not convinced it'll guarantee them any sort of success. The European money is such that if the Saudis are serious about challenging for the Premier Division title at some stage then they're going to have to up that sum by quite a bit.

That is the initial investment to get GUFC back into the Premier League. A "substantial seven figure sum" has been rumoured locally to be in place to go for european places there after.

[Terry]

Im not sure but i find it hard to believe that after what all the Galway fans have been through over the years and finally getting a supporters owned club. The first opportunity that comes they give up their club to to a possible snake oil salesman.

The Co-op will still be in place in the club with a 25% share, with that open to an increase.

[Longfordian]

That is the initial investment to get GUFC back into the Premier League. A "substantial seven figure sum" has been rumoured locally to be in place to go for european places there after.

Sounds like the type of thing I’d want to see in writing before the vote to be honest.

[disgruntled]

The Co-op will still be in place in the club with a 25% share, with that open to an increase.

I found it disapointing that Galway Co-op had only 107 members eligible to vote ?
https://www.rte.ie/news/connacht/2018/0618/971437-galway-united/

[Terry]

I found it disapointing that Galway Co-op had only 107 members eligible to vote ?
https://www.rte.ie/news/connacht/2018/0618/971437-galway-united/

So does the Co-op, but thats all they can get to sign up.

Galway is in the mist of a GAA revival of sorts, with the hurlers getting gates of over 30,000 for a match recently against Kilkenny. Also the Gaelic Footballers coming good with the batch of young players and are tripling there gates from 2 years ago.

Connacht is also virtually a Galway supported team and their marketing team are extremely good, with huge financial backing from the IRFU and local businesses also. Most of their matches are sell outs nowadays as they can attract teams with big names into the city through the current competitive set-ups.

Galway is not a "soccer" supporting county, except for the normal Irish bandwagoning, and the only way to attract these bandwagon brigades is for a huge financial contribution from our new overlords......I mean investors !

[redarmyfaction]

Im not sure but i find it hard to believe that after what all the Galway fans have been through over the years and finally getting a supporters owned club. The first opportunity that comes they give up their club to to a possible snake oil salesman.

Do the members of GUSSET get a payday?

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

The Co-op will still be in place in the club with a 25% share, with that open to an increase.

And the Saudis have the other 75% then I take it? And will make all the calls if that’s the case.

[Redzer]

That is the initial investment to get GUFC back into the Premier League. A "substantial seven figure sum" has been rumoured locally to be in place to go for european places there after.
The Saudi's and their pot's O'Gold. So it's Galway Utd V Man Utd in the Champions league??
I seem to remember a certain club from Dublin City with the same daft ambitions. Good luck lads.

[Charlie Darwin]

I seem to remember a certain club from Dublin City with the same daft ambitions. Good luck lads.
Yeah, Shels.

[sbgawa]

Galway Utd is a bag of jerseys in a car boot. I don't blame them for rolling the dice.

[LOI101]

Galway is in the mist of a GAA revival of sorts, with the hurlers getting gates of over 30,000 for a match recently against Kilkenny. Also the Gaelic Footballers coming good with the batch of young players and are tripling there gates from 2 years ago.

18,775 at that match.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/sport/galway-finish-with-a-flourish-to-see-off-kilkenny-in-a-packed-pearse-stadium-845383.html

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

It’s the attitude that appears to be floating around of “sure we’ll give it a go with this lot and if it all goes belly up we’ll just reform again” that I have the issue with

[redarmyfaction]

Galway Utd is a bag of jerseys in a car boot. I don't blame them for rolling the dice.

No LOI club matched that description more than Shams in the post Miltown era.

[JC_GUFC]

It’s the attitude that appears to be floating around of “sure we’ll give it a go with this lot and if it all goes belly up we’ll just reform again” that I have the issue with

We're in the bottom half of the First Division and have nothing but the player contracts to the name of the club, it's not like there is a lot to lose.

I'd have much preferred to continue going as a fan owned club but unfortunately unlike Sligo, Cork or Bohs there just doesn't seem to have been they buy-in from fans to that idea and our current situation is pretty much unsustainable anyway, being bank-rolled by the Comer Group for much of it.

[Buller]

It’s the attitude that appears to be floating around of “sure we’ll give it a go with this lot and if it all goes belly up we’ll just reform again” that I have the issue with

You seem awfully concerned about Galway United's well being. It's heart warming to see!

[sbgawa]

No LOI club matched that description more than Shams in the post Miltown era.

I'd agree with that, in fact that line "bag of jerseys in a car boot" to describe the club is a direct quote from how Rovers were described.

[Olander]

You seem awfully concerned about Galway United's well being. It's heart warming to see!
You’ll find a lot of sligs commenting on us for some reason. They’re all experts on Galway football and love to lord over us.

[sbgawa]

Pretty wojus draw for Rovers if we manage to beat AIK we then play Nordsjaelland in the next round (assuming they beat Cliftonville).
So many other better possibilities than that but I suppose we at least dodged the bullet of having to go to Belarus...
Do Derry need to consider getting the curse removed from the club when it comes to euro draws?

[Ezeikial]

No LOI club matched that description more than Shams in the post Miltown era.

But just look how far they have come since that......

[Mr A]

Galway Utd is a bag of jerseys in a car boot. I don't blame them for rolling the dice.

Clubs are more than the assets they own. They are history, goodwill, community and above all they are people who share a common passion. All of these could be damaged if the Saudi's screw things up. What if they decide some area of Dublin is a better market and move the whole thing? Unlikely perhaps, but an investment is designed to maximise return, not to make locals happy.

If GUFC was to end up going under again, the return would be even harder next time. Possible, but difficult.

[El-Pietro]

If GUFC was to end up going under again, the return would be even harder next time. Possible, but difficult.
Especially as the trust voluntarily handed over control. It will be difficult to get donations from the locals, or from other LOI fans if they get into trouble this time. I totally understand why they have done this, but I wonder if they have thought about the long term problems starting over again could have for them.

[Patrick Dunne]

Very disappointing decision by the co-op members, especially given the recent history of the club. Galway United is relatively well supported by Irish standards, has very little debt, is only three points off the play offs in Division One and is based in a wealthy city with a large local population and plenty of visitors.

It seems that people were persuaded by the option of short-term success and also the view (not mine) that the club could always re-start from scratch. A sad day for football in Galway.

[WoodquayBoy]

That’s one side of the argument, the other is that the club is doing nothing but treading water, and has been for decades. If this was a local investor launching a takeover, would there be as much negativity? The co-op has a membership of 107 people. That’s not enough to sustain a successful club. Just because it is well supported by Irish standards - I would have said average at best myself compared to the other 10 clubs - doesn’t mean the club should reject an offer that could make it a better supported club.
We may be just three points off the playoff positions, but anyone who knows anything about football would recognise that is a falsely positive claim, we are playing rubbish football and won’t get through the playoffs the way we are playing.
To me, people were persuaded about the possibilities, the chance of improving the club, the chance to finally develop facilities, not by short term success.

[nigel-harps1954]

107 active members is pretty good really. Finn Harps could only dream of having that many active shareholders.

Yearly membership of €180 for an adult?

Wouldn't mind being able to start every season off with €15,000+ in the bank..

[RathfarnhamHoop]

But just look how far they have come since that......

Not like you to comment on something about Rovers.

Its true the clubs gone nowhere good since then only got the best ground in the league, a dedicated training ground thats only bettered by UCD, probably the best youth setup in the country, been the first Irish team to qualify for European group stages, become fan owned, had a player capped and score for Ireland while at the club, shocking really, place has gone to the dogs.

[Ezeikial]

Not like you to comment on something about Rovers.

Its true the clubs gone nowhere good since then only got the best ground in the league, a dedicated training ground thats only bettered by UCD, probably the best youth setup in the country, been the first Irish team to qualify for European group stages, become fan owned, had a player capped and score for Ireland while at the club, shocking really, place has gone to the dogs.

No mention of winning anything?

You do your club a dis-service not to record the 3 league title wins also achieved over that 30 year period. There's also a first division title and a League Cup win to celebrate - maybe even some Leinster Senior Cup wins?

[WoodquayBoy]

Dundalk won 2 First division titles from 1996 to 2013. Massively successful since, granted, but for the big clubs like Dundalk, Rovers, and City, things are often cyclical.

[RathfarnhamHoop]

No mention of winning anything?

You do your club a dis-service not to record the 3 league title wins also achieved over that 30 year period. There's also a first division title and a League Cup win to celebrate - maybe even some Leinster Senior Cup wins?

Conversation was about clubs structures and physical assets which trophies have nothing to do with but don't worry we've plenty of them too, thanks for your continued concern for all things Shamrock Rovers though Ezeikial

[Guitd]

107 active members is pretty good really. Finn Harps could only dream of having that many active shareholders.

Yearly membership of €180 for an adult?

Wouldn't mind being able to start every season off with €15,000+ in the bank..

Are you serious for a semi pro club in Airtricity league £15 k wont bring you very far ,maybe be good enough for a local junior club

[Sean South]

And the Saudis have the other 75% then I take it? And will make all the calls if that’s the case.
Is it possible the Saudis will build up a massive debt, walk away when they get bored, and leave the Galway FC Co op footing the bill?

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

You’ll find a lot of sligs commenting on us for some reason. They’re all experts on Galway football and love to lord over us.

We’ve no rivalry with Galway. There’s too far of a distance between the clubs even though there’s always this “Connacht Derby” line thrown out whenever we play. Apologies for commenting on a League of Ireland issue.

[redarmyfaction]

We’ve no rivalry with Galway. There’s too far of a distance between the clubs even though there’s always this “Connacht Derby” line thrown out whenever we play. Apologies for commenting on a League of Ireland issue.

There is a bit of rivalry with Galway (140k away) since Harps (90k away) jilted us to have the NW Derby with Derry instead and to compound it deny there was anything between us ever.

[Ezeikial]

Conversation was about clubs structures and physical assets which trophies have nothing to do with but don't worry we've plenty of them too, thanks for your continued concern for all things Shamrock Rovers though Ezeikial

Assuming the Saudi takeover happens the way it is being suggested, I just can't see them being content with renting a decent ground or a good training facility without wanting to win trophies and achieve European success. The barometer of success for most investors is on getting a return on investment and being successful on the pitch is critical to this

[Olander]

We’ve no rivalry with Galway. There’s too far of a distance between the clubs even though there’s always this “Connacht Derby” line thrown out whenever we play. Apologies for commenting on a League of Ireland issue.
You're right on one thing, there is no rivalry. Which is why I find Sligo fans so bewildering.

It's not the commenting, which would be fair enough, it's the holier-than-thou messages. The level of arrogance (towards a club they don't care about supposedly) is quite staggering.

I'm not sure what it is with sligo fans, some of them live in Galway for a few years because they want to attend a proper college facility and suddenly that makes them experts on the area and Galway United as a club.

"Rovers would never do that, it would never even be considered" is the main message and sligo fans seem to love that feeling of superiority and to lord over us about it. It's quite bizarre. If you have a look around twitter and even on here you'll see that and a lot worse. It must make them feel better about themselves or something?!

I don't know where the bitterness comes from. It possibly stems from how shíte Sligo have been in recent years, especially when their large outlay is taken into account (Twice ours last year for example in terms of playing budget and the club lost almost €100,000 in just 2017 alone, which was well publicised).

Your club will do another begging campaign again next year, call it something something with rovers/around the Rovers. (Fair play to sligo fans, that would never happen in Galway or in many other clubs - yes we have been reminded of this many, many times before. You're a football town.)

Galway is not a football town because we actually have other things to compete against, like successful GAA teams, Connacht Rugby, we have large scale events like the Arts Festival, the Galway Races and we are a student county also. Our biggest competitors aren't weekend darts tournaments. Despite all this, even considering the population of the county, our attendances are not so bad and we have a loyal hardcore support, despite experiencing very little on-the-field success over the last 20 years.

[WoodquayBoy]

Why don't you tell us what you really think Olander!?!!!!!!

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

That is one hell of a chip on your shoulder to be carrying around

[galwayforsam]

Your club will do another begging campaign again next year, call it something something with rovers/around the Rovers. (Fair play to sligo fans, that would never happen in Galway or in many other clubs - yes we have been reminded of this many, many times before. You're a football town.)



The irony given GUFC beg year on year for a ground, facilities etc. And one of Galway United supporters favourite chants which goes along the lines of, 'We hate Sligo...'

The Co-op was supposed to be the solution to everything was it not? A fan owned club, they'd get the whole of Galway behind them, big gates, lots of sponsorship etc.

[Charlie Darwin]

A fan owned club, they'd get the whole of Galway behind them, big gates, lots of sponsorship etc.
I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that nobody thought that.

[nigel-harps1954]

Are you serious for a semi pro club in Airtricity league £15 k wont bring you very far ,maybe be good enough for a local junior club

I'm not talking about €15k getting you through a season. I'm not that naive. I'm talking about having a €15k boost to the start of the season. Quite a number of clubs don't have that luxury. If it's not even a lump sum, rather a monthly membership, having a constant flow of money there is a big help.

I'm only comparing this to Finn Harps, which has a one-off share, no yearly membership fee, no monthly membership fee, smaller crowds for the best part, and still manage to struggle on with the fan owned model.

Without a doubt, I'd say if someone wanted to pump in an initial half a million with a promise of more to come to Harps tomorrow for 75% of the club, it'd be taken gratefully with both arms, but, having 107 active members of a fan owned Galway club is a great start after only a couple of years. Harps co-op has been going since 1996 and is showing serious signs of struggle this past number of years.

I'd fear Galway jumped in a bit quick. The fan owned club should have been given a chance to grow.

[Olander]

That is one hell of a chip on your shoulder to be carrying around
To be honest, I couldn't care less about Sligo despite what you might think and actually as a club, don't mind them. I find their know all supporters irritating though.


The irony given GUFC beg year on year for a ground, facilities etc. And one of Galway United supporters favourite chants which goes along the lines of, 'We hate Sligo...'

The Co-op was supposed to be the solution to everything was it not? A fan owned club, they'd get the whole of Galway behind them, big gates, lots of sponsorship etc.
You're a lurking not so subtle troll/WUM, mervueforsam.

[sbgawa]

The boys on 2FM did a good skit on the takeover with their "giftgrub" crew.
Worth a listen, They sign Messi and Super macs introduce the Messi Burger etc

You can listen on theis listen back facility , its about 65 minutes in

[Terry]

The irony given GUFC beg year on year for a ground, facilities etc. And one of Galway United supporters favourite chants which goes along the lines of, 'We hate Sligo...'

The Co-op was supposed to be the solution to everything was it not? A fan owned club, they'd get the whole of Galway behind them, big gates, lots of sponsorship etc.

Hows Mervue United getting on ?

[outspoken]

They’ve basically admitted they’ve no idea who these lads are or what they are (are they involved with the Saudi regime etc) after what happened at athlone you’d like to think Galway wouldn’t rush into anything, then again when do LOI clubs ever learn?

[Martinho II]

They’ve basically admitted they’ve no idea who these lads are or what they are (are they involved with the Saudi regime etc) after what happened at athlone you’d like to think Galway wouldn’t rush into anything, then again when do LOI clubs ever learn?

on loi weekly two galway utd committee members went out to them and had good vibes about it. whether thats enough is another days battle.

[brendy_éire]

on loi weekly two galway utd committee members went out to them and had good vibes about it. whether thats enough is another days battle.

It was asked on the podcast what it's in for the Saudis. What are they after? There hasn't been a proper answer to that.
I'll assume it's money. Not that that necessarily a bad thing, mind.