2026 Predictions and early musings

[legendz]

UCD have been consistent enough the last two years amassing 56 and 59 points respectively. A strong 2025 saw 3 clubs finish above them.
All clubs who missed out on the playoffs will be looking at catching Treaty. Anyone finishing above UCD are likely to finish comfortably inside the playoffs places.

[Martinho II]

The riverside never closed. The main obvious reason to Shels budget next year being much bigger than 2025 is the circa €4.5 million they earned in Europe this year, plus the few million put in by investors on top of that

what stand are they reopenin then as didnt they announce they were expandin their capacity for 2026?

[Shinkicker]

what stand are they reopenin then as didnt they announce they were expandin their capacity for 2026?
The stand behind the goal at the Drumcondra end.

[total hoofball]

what stand are they reopenin then as didnt they announce they were expandin their capacity for 2026?
Tolka's capacity is currently 5,400 (3,600 for UEFA games) so the Drumcondra End re-opening which is scheduled for sometime in March will add around 850 seats taking to Tolka to around 6,250 capacity (4,450 for UEFA games)

I don't expect the re-opening of the stand to add significantly to the club's playing budget as it will be hard to sell out games at Tolka outside of the six Dublin derbys and UEFA games

[ger121]

Does the new increased capacity in Tolka now bring it back into play for a Bohs move or is that door still firmly shut.

[Shinkicker]

Tolka's capacity is currently 5,400 (3,600 for UEFA games) so the Drumcondra End re-opening which is scheduled for sometime in March will add around 850 seats taking to Tolka to around 6,250 capacity (4,450 for UEFA games)

I don't expect the re-opening of the stand to add significantly to the club's playing budget as it will be hard to sell out games at Tolka outside of the six Dublin derbys and UEFA games

If this stand was to fill for each home game it would generate 300k - 400k assuming a price of between 20-25 euro. Certainly not to be sniffed at. There are clubs in the league would love that additional income.

[ontheotherhand]

If this stand was to fill for each home game it would generate 300k - 400k assuming a price of between 20-25 euro. Certainly not to be sniffed at. There are clubs in the league would love that additional income.

Can't see shels hitting 6k very often though. They didn't sell out the current capacity for a lot of home games. As total hoofball says above, they probably will for derbies but if they can't have everything open for European games that will be about it.

Not having a go at Shels here at all. It's great to see that stand back open. I have fond memories of being absolutely terrified of the Djurgardens ultras from that stand.

[Martinho II]

Can't see shels hitting 6k very often though. They didn't sell out the current capacity for a lot of home games. As total hoofball says above, they probably will for derbies but if they can't have everything open for European games that will be about it.

Not having a go at Shels here at all. It's great to see that stand back open. I have fond memories of being absolutely terrified of the Djurgardens ultras from that stand.

Im curious to know why that stand was ever closed in the first place?

[redarmyfaction]

Im curious to know why that stand was ever closed in the first place?

Safety reasons IIRC.

[EatYerGreens]

Tolka's capacity is currently 5,400 (3,600 for UEFA games) so the Drumcondra End re-opening which is scheduled for sometime in March will add around 850 seats taking to Tolka to around 6,250 capacity (4,450 for UEFA games)

I don't expect the re-opening of the stand to add significantly to the club's playing budget as it will be hard to sell out games at Tolka outside of the six Dublin derbys and UEFA games

It would also be very unwise to allocate any ticket money that's not yet earned from a stand that hasn't been opened for years to the playing budget. As that's money that's then committed and you have to be able to stump up.

Sensible accounting practise would be for clubs to use a fairly conservative estimate of gate money when setting their playing budget - probably based on the average of recent seasons, minus a heathy 10-20% (?). Because if things go wrong on the pitch, gate receipts soon take a dive. Yet the club would still be committed to whatever contracts they signed expecting that cash to still be there. They can always alocate more to the playing budget for mid-season transfers if they've been shown to be unduly conservative re gate receipts.

[sbgawa]

Opening a stand doesnt guarantee increased attendances.
How many matches were sold out in Shels in the season just gone??
Was there 4 or 5?
That being the case the incremental value of having a new stand will be zero bar in the 4 or 5 mathes that were sold out?
Lets say for arguements sake they could have got an extra 1000 in at 4 matchs at an average ticket price of €10, thats 40k in additional income.
I appreciate that it is building for the future etc etc but in terms of extra income in 2026 id wager the costs of opening the stand will ootweigh the extra income.

Yes they can try to sell more season tickets at a discount maybe and invite academy kids along to matches which might build "paying" crowds in the medium term but if they are increasing the playing budget based on a new stand and the "hope" that people will appear they are being optimistic at best.

[Jolly Red Giant]

Does the new increased capacity in Tolka now bring it back into play for a Bohs move or is that door still firmly shut.
To be honest I think it would be a good option for both clubs - growing the LOI overall is in the interest of every LOI club and this would benefit both during the Dalymount reconstruction. Isn't there also rumours of Bohs possibly using the RDS for the Dublin games?

[MoydowMonty]

Since it's difficult to find any info on, does anyone know if all the fixtures are out for the greatest competition in the world, the Leinster Senior Cup?

I see the group Athlone are in seem to have dates set for their games. Surely if one group of fixtures is set then all of them have too? But of course the magic of the Leinster Senior Cup is that it works in mysterious way

[kksaints]

Since it's difficult to find any info on, does anyone know if all the fixtures are out for the greatest competition in the world, the Leinster Senior Cup?

I see the group Athlone are in seem to have dates set for their games. Surely if one group of fixtures is set then all of them have too? But of course the magic of the Leinster Senior Cup is that it works in mysterious way

There's some on FAI Connect for the group with Wexford, Bohemians, Bray and Fingal United but nothing else.

[pineapple stu]

Yep - and it's worth noting that both the first and last fixtures in that group are from the second round of matches. Only the LSC could manage that.

[ger121]

Since it's difficult to find any info on, does anyone know if all the fixtures are out for the greatest competition in the world, the Leinster Senior Cup?

I see the group Athlone are in seem to have dates set for their games. Surely if one group of fixtures is set then all of them have too? But of course the magic of the Leinster Senior Cup is that it works in mysterious way

They are indeed. Bohs are actually away to Bray on the opening night of the Premier Division. I assume that will still go ahead. 2 nice fixtures that weekend to help kick-off the season.

[pineapple stu]

I see UCD have friendlies confirmed now for 10/16/23/31 Jan, so hard to see how we're going to fit in three LSC games as well (unless we put out the 19s against the non-league suffers, which we did last year)

[MoydowMonty]

Since it's difficult to find any info on, does anyone know if all the fixtures are out for the greatest competition in the world, the Leinster Senior Cup?

I see the group Athlone are in seem to have dates set for their games. Surely if one group of fixtures is set then all of them have too? But of course the magic of the Leinster Senior Cup is that it works in mysterious way

The fixtures starting to trickle out with seeming randomness and lack of consistency, as if they read this thread and remembered they hadn't set the fixtures, so they scrambled to arrange it with the same energy of leaving all your homework till the night before. God bless the Leinster Senior Cup, under it's leadership we shall reach new heights