Kerry FC

[culloty82]

Looks like the Kerry HR person is going to have a busy fortnight ahead of them:

https://twitter.com/KerryFC/status/1580256997672468480

[culloty82]

Sadly, O'Donnell's, which was the pub/restaurant in the Mounthawk area, just closed down at the weekend, not that there's any shortage of dining options in the town centre itself, mind you.

[culloty82]

This time the floodlights are being upgraded:

https://twitter.com/KerryFC/status/1580967409657470976

[legendz]

Didn?t Cabo have about 1500 or more at their first game?
Pretty soon they couldn?t pay people to turn up and support the team. Limerick had over 3000 for their first game in Thomond Park. Numbers dropped soon after. Tends to be the trend for most clubs. The facilities couldn't be blamed.
Having support for season tickets and membership will be key. If they can get this right to start with, and avoid antagonising this support, they will do well.
Kerry will be doing well to challenge for 8th and 9th, should their application be successful. Kerry's first foray into the youth leagues of Ireland were challenging. Senior grade will bring more scrutiny.

[culloty82]

A future newsletter may be rather mundane, but takes things out of the realm of the abstract:

https://kerryfc.com/

[legendz]

A future newsletter may be rather mundane, but takes things out of the realm of the abstract:

https://kerryfc.com/ Membership and season tickets. Sign up now for more details.

[The Bowler]

Kerry a great addition to the league, wishing them huge success. If you are UCD right now, the look of the 1st Division from a travel perspective next season would frighten the life out of you. Away trips to Wexford, Cobh, Kerry, Limerick, Galway, Longford, Athlone, Galway, Harps, Waterford next season (excluding whichever one goes/stays up via playoffs) Not a single Dublin team (Bray aside). Talk about an incentive to stay up ! Those young students with exams to sit, talk about an incentive. Not to mention all the footballers in the league trying to do a day job and do that sort of round trip every second week for practically nothing. Fair play to the lot of them.

[nigel-harps1954]

Kerry a great addition to the league, wishing them huge success. If you are UCD right now, the look of the 1st Division from a travel perspective next season would frighten the life out of you. Away trips to Wexford, Cobh, Kerry, Limerick, Galway, Longford, Athlone, Galway, Harps, Waterford next season (excluding whichever one goes/stays up via playoffs) Not a single Dublin team (Bray aside). Talk about an incentive to stay up ! Those young students with exams to sit, talk about an incentive. Not to mention all the footballers in the league trying to do a day job and do that sort of round trip every second week for practically nothing. Fair play to the lot of them.

At least you have motorways to travel to most of those.

The task is all the more daunting from a Harps perspective.

[EatYerGreens]

Kerry a great addition to the league, wishing them huge success. If you are UCD right now, the look of the 1st Division from a travel perspective next season would frighten the life out of you. Away trips to Wexford, Cobh, Kerry, Limerick, Galway, Longford, Athlone, Galway, Harps, Waterford next season (excluding whichever one goes/stays up via playoffs) Not a single Dublin team (Bray aside). Talk about an incentive to stay up ! Those young students with exams to sit, talk about an incentive. Not to mention all the footballers in the league trying to do a day job and do that sort of round trip every second week for practically nothing. Fair play to the lot of them.

Isn't this just what the likes of Cork, Harps and Derry have to put up with every other weekend ?

[Straightstory]

Genuinely wishing then the best, but fear it may end up like Monaghan - too much of a GAA stronghold.

[The Bowler]

Absolutely folks, huge challenge for Derry Harps Cork etc every week, just honing more into my personal view with relegation looming. Hats off to each and every player in the league outside those getting paid a proper wage, which is the bulk of both leagues

[culloty82]

Genuinely wishing then the best, but fear it may end up like Monaghan - too much of a GAA stronghold.

That's always a realistic concern, but given proposals for a Kerry LoI side have been variously on and off for the table for the last 20 years now, the only way to gauge what market for senior national soccer exists within the county is for some entity to ultimately take the plunge. Of course Kildare had a more developed tradition of intermediate clubs than most areas and only survived for eight years, but then Wexford is just as GAA-dominated as Kerry, and have proven to be the only new club in the last 30 years to remain permanently.

[legendz]

Genuinely wishing then the best, but fear it may end up like Monaghan - too much of a GAA stronghold.A concern for sure. Kerry's rise to the LoI has been long overdue. Kerry League competed well in the League Cup for many years. Tralee Dynamos joined the A Championship. Kerry were part of the U21 league many years ago and the youth leagues in recent years.

[EatYerGreens]

Genuinely wishing then the best, but fear it may end up like Monaghan - too much of a GAA stronghold.

I don't think Monaghan and Kerry are similar in that regard. For a start Monaghan Town has less than 8,000 people whilst Tralee has more than 25,000. Kerry County has 155,000 people, whilst Monaghan County has less than 65,000. As a starting point therefore, a club in Tralee and Kerry has a much stronger population base to tap into (and football is an urban sport after all). If 10% of the population of Monaghan Town follows their local LOI club, they'll struggle even in the First Division. If 10% of Tralee follow their local LOI club, they'll be one of the best-supported in the Premier Division. So I wouldn't write Kerry off so quickly (especially as they seem to be well run). Let's see how they do first.

[nigel-harps1954]

There's also a much richer junior setup in Kerry and the south west than Monaghan. Cavan/Monaghan league only has a handful of teams and it's a very poor standard.

[legendz]

Tralee is accessible from all over the county. All KDL clubs would be familiar with travelling to Mounthawk Park. It's like a county ground, which is a typical Kerry thing. All this bodes well.
Treaty are to the East of Limerick. Waterford are to the East of Waterford. Bray are to the north of Wicklow. Tralee is central.
It'll be interesting to see how the local media come on board behind Kerry FC. The nightmare scenario would be to be cut a drift at the bottom of the First Division. If they can challenge for 9th or 8th, cut their cloth and have support on board for the conservative approach off the park, I'd be hopeful that the foundations would be set to become established in the LoI longterm.
The playoffs gives most in the First Division something to aim for long-term.

[culloty82]

TBF, Radio Kerry and the local papers give decent coverage, particularly where the under-19s are concerned, and you would expect that to increase all the more in the case of a senior side. Half the PR battle next season would be maximising home form, as if Mounthawk Park gains a reputation as a tricky place to visit, then they'll be cut more slack when it comes to away matches.

[CorribsideSteve]

Was just about to say the same thing. Tralee is a very well-connected town too, about 90 m NW of Cork and SE of Limerick. And with their location close to the North Kerry/West Limerick hinterland, in towns like Castleisland, Killarney, Listowel, Abbeyfeale etc there's access to thousands of potential fans if they can make a go of it.

[legendz]

There will have to be an acceptance of the level Kerry will be at. Initially trying to compete with 8th and 9th.
There was a bit of a gap between Treaty and Longford. Anyone outside the top 5 this year will be trying to catch Treaty.
The best case scenario for Kerry would be to be competing with Treaty. A rivalry there could be good for both.

[culloty82]

Particularly when, as CorribsideSteve alludes, even Newcastlewest is roughly halfway between Tralee and Limerick.

[culloty82]

Players wanting to play for the academy teams are asked to complete an expression of interest form - presumably the same will occur if/when applicable with adult players:

https://twitter.com/KerryFC/status/1584869125771653121

[culloty82]

Sadly, the death has been announced of Pádraig Hartnett - it would be no exaggeration to describe him as "Mr Soccer" in the county, having reported on all levels from schoolboy/girl leagues to Kerry U19 League of Ireland games, so condolences to all who knew him.

[culloty82]

If the planned new FAI schedule is still on track, then November sees final reports handed over to the Licensing Committee, with licences issued literally any day between now and the end of the month.

[nigel-harps1954]

They weren't announced until 3rd February for this season. I'd be surprised to see them this side of Christmas.

[culloty82]

The manual, TBF, has seen the timetable for expressions of interest, final submissions of applications, etc, all brought forward a number of months from last year already, so hopefully the last stage won't get dragged out.

[culloty82]

Reading last year's version, for instance, new clubs didn't have to apply until the start of September, and final documentation submitted until mid-November, so 2022 is already three months ahead of last year.

[culloty82]

Hopefully UEFA "A" courses will follow in good time:

1590075800048787456

[legendz]

https://m.independent.ie/sport/soccer/hennessy-shines-as-kerry-league-upset-waterford-26432710.html

Kerry League knocking Waterford United out of the League Cup is probably the best result in Kerry's football history.
With Waterford in the First Division again next year, Waterford would be a good first home game should Kerry secure First Division football.
Waterford, Finn Harps, Galway, Longford, Treaty, Wexford, Bray, Athlone, Cobh and Kerry. The list of teams I want to see on next year's fixture list.

[culloty82]

Tomorrow's the day!

https://www.independent.ie/regionals/kerryman/sport/soccer/fais-decision-on-kerry-fcs-league-of-ireland-application-imminent-42146614.html

[legendz]

Tomorrow's the day!

https://www.independent.ie/regionals/kerryman/sport/soccer/fais-decision-on-kerry-fcs-league-of-ireland-application-imminent-42146614.htmlA lot of work has been put in in recent months. Hopefully that is rewarded.

[joey B]

https://www.fai.ie/domestic/news/clubs-issued-league-of-ireland-licences-for-2023

Kerry FC officially awarded a first division license,welcome to them …..

[CorribsideSteve]

Kerry are in. What they have planned can actually go ahead now full steam hopefully. https://www.fai.ie/domestic/news/clubs-issued-league-of-ireland-licences-for-2023

[Shinkicker]

Kerry are in. What they have planned can actually go ahead now full steam hopefully. https://www.fai.ie/domestic/news/clubs-issued-league-of-ireland-licences-for-2023
Well done to everyone who got this over the line and welcome to the LOI Kerry FC. Its great to have a new face from a different location in the country. Hopefully you'll inspire other clubs to make the leap too. I really hope this works out.

[EatYerGreens]

Great news for the Kingdom and the league. I can't think of any other club since the mid-80s going about the job of stepping up to senior football in such a methodical and professional manner. Let's hope they get the crowds they deserve now.

Looking forward to taking in a game there myself next Summer.

[sbgawa]

Pre season friendly for Rovers ....lets go.
Great news !

[culloty82]

Great news for the Kingdom and the league. I can't think of any other club since the mid-80s going about the job of stepping up to senior football in such a methodical and professional manner. Let's hope they get the crowds they deserve now.

Looking forward to taking in a game there myself next Summer.

Certainly helps that there'll potentially be six home Munster derbies, assuming that it follows a 36-match season, and not that much farther for Galway fans to travel either these days, given the motorway as far as Limerick.

[El-Pietro]

I really hate their crest. The Crown on the Harp looks very wrong to me. Best of luck to them all the same.

[placid casual]

A host of clubs fans will be hoping they draw Kerry away in the cup just for the novelty of an away trip to Tralee

[culloty82]

Without the crown, it was basically the long-standing KDL crest, so they threw in the reference to the Kingdom to differentiate it both from that and from Harps' badge. That said, the coincidental similarities to the old RIC emblem have been noted!

[ger121]

Welcome to the Nuthouse Kerry, where you need to be mad to want to stay but you’ll have lots of company.

[EatYerGreens]

Has anyone asked the Healy-Raes for a comment ? Or have they turned their backs on football - sorry, sokker - now John Delaney can no longer rest his balls on their chin ?

[legendz]

Pre season friendly for Rovers ....lets go.
Great news ! Dennehy would definitely welcome a friendly like that!


Certainly helps that there'll potentially be six home Munster derbies, assuming that it follows a 36-match season, and not that much farther for Galway fans to travel either these days, given the motorway as far as Limerick.Yeah, the 6 Munster games and Galway will be attractive fixtures. Finn Harps and Bray have reasonable profiles that those will be good fixtures as well.
Harps, Waterford and Galway should be battling for the First Division title next season. Longford, Treaty, Wexford and Bray are likely to be battling for the final two playoff spots. Athlone, Cobh and Kerry will be looking to join that mid table battle. Looking at the First Division table, Kerry will be doing well to challenge Athlone and Cobh to start with.

[EAFC_rdfl]

Has anyone asked the Healy-Raes for a comment ? Or have they turned their backs on football - sorry, sokker - now John Delaney can no longer rest his balls on their chin ?

brilliant!

[Philosophizer]

Well done to everyone who got this over the line and welcome to the LOI Kerry FC. It’s great to have a new face from a different location in the country. Hopefully you'll inspire other clubs to make the leap too. I really hope this works out.
Ditto to all of this. Welcome Kerry!

[CraftyToePoke]

Welcome, Kerry FC.
Great to see a new club come in & hope it goes well.
It's harder than it looks, it's a disorganised shambles, but it has its moments.

[culloty82]

More of a hop ball, as we say down here, rather than a serious suggestion!

1592952143312740354

[Martinho II]

Massive congrats to Kerry FC must make a trip down there as I havent being there since 1994!

[culloty82]

Press conference this morning for the local media, basically going through the licensing process with the FAI and the expectations for 2023:

1593168659681521667

[culloty82]

Initial capacity will be 1,150 - as for merchandise, no replica jerseys planned yet, rather oddly, but everything else will be on sale shortly:

http://traleetoday.ie/kerry-fc-season-tickets-and-merchandise-to-go-on-sal-in-coming-weeks/

[CorribsideSteve]

That's a decent capacity for a stand, for a club starting out. I'm excited by this. Hopefully it works out. Of course initially they will only be concerned about their own survival and consolidation in the 1st Division but over time, I hope they're successful to the extent that they can be a template for a pathway to the LOI for the likes of Mullingar, Castlebar, Cavan/Monaghan, Carlow, Kilkenny etc.