Dublin City Fold

[joema]

We survived relegation. Promotion crippled you.



Home Farm are a junior soccer side, and a highly respected and formidable one at that level. They will win leagues and cups there.



How many fans are we talking about here?? 5, 10, 15?? :confused:



The tragedy of it all, is that we would have kept our place in the Premier Division had this happened 6 months ago, so there would have been a 12-team league.

Home Farm, a long-established, and highly successful club at junior football, were once a club that spotted great players that went on to fame and fortune elsewhere, both at home and abroad, and at international level, Ronnie Whelan being one of the more recent examples. They were never a much-loved club, but when they renamed their LOI side in 2000, in a cynical fashion under a commercial title, they lost any respect and credibility they had gained before. Even with the name change, the club's operations remained the same at every level, from the fan base, to their record on the field, even up to the club colours, and therefore could not be recognised as a brand new club, as others wanted to do, making their demise as a LOI club inevitable.

As they were due to play Home Farm at Dalymount on November 17 this year, UCD will finish the season one week earlier than everyone else after Week 32 of the current campaign. Killester are expected to receive a bye into the FAI Cup quarter-finals, as a result of Home Farm's demise at LOI level.

Who cares how many fans? They were attached to DC and now it is gone from the el - put yourself in their position ffs.
I hate all this snobbery towards clubs like DC, UCD, Kilkenny City, Mons... - this attitude of lets laugh at them for even trying, sure they have no fans who cares about them.
What would you do if tomorrow even more people became disillusioned with your club and decided to stop going to games - would you deserve to be laughed at and put down just for being a loyal fan?????!!!

And what "tragedy" are you on about? Rovers were terrible and deserved to go down - simple as that - get over it!!

[Dodge]

The tragedy of it all, is that we would have kept our place in the Premier Division had this happened 6 months ago, so there would have been a 12-team league
Yeah but the irony is that Rovers were in a worse financial state and their board were allowed rack up even more debt to help "save" them for relegation (the last two years). Debts that could have seen Rovers kicked out. Rovers have NO right to say they deserve to be in the premier (and fair play to tommyt for spotting this.

[mypost]

Who cares how many fans? put yourself in their position ffs.

As it happens, we were facing their position last year, yet we had the support network of a fan base to get us out of it. A club is worth nothing without a fan base. Players go, bosses go, directors go, sponsors go, but fans stay. Home Farm had no fan base to speak of to rescue them,
and they folded.


Rovers have NO right to say they deserve to be in the premier.

Do you want to play in an 11-team league, with no game on 2 weekends because of it? That's the alternative.

[dav_sfc]

I think the games getting wiped is not only right but it is fair to ALL clubs.

Derry lost to a club that were operating above its means.

If Dublin City had cut their cloth at the start of the season so they could survive a FULL season then i don't think they could have fielded a squad fit to beat anyone in the league!

Waterford are currently paying the price for living within their means and have yet to register a win. Dublin City should have done the same.

I do feel sorry for the fans though and I don't think the short history means they should care less. It took me all of 45 minutes to get addicted to Shels and live football. And that was nil-all draw in the end ffs!! (I blame my addictive personality and obsession with football but that's another story.)

So i can see how a Dublin fan could feel the same way as any other fan if their club went under.

Personally I hated Dublin City with a passion when Roddy was at the helm. After that Roddy to Rovers debacle I wanted to see the sweet revenge that was eventually had when they played off against Rovers. (Though it would have been sweeter had Roddy not been relieved of his duties at the time.)
That's how my soft spot for them developed, (well at least my hatred went away!)

And before someone beats me too it, I hope Shels have done the maths well too or cut the proverbial cloth where necessary.
If the money from the sale of Tolka is managed properly there should be no, or at least less, problems in the future so the doomsday prophets can put a sock in it. Shels are not going the way of Rovers or Dublin City.

[CollegeTillIDie]

the best....;)


no such team as Strandhill Road FC.
Get your facts right before coming on here.......:D

Well you mentioned " The Streets of Sligo" that's a street in Sligo....:rolleyes:

[Ringo]

Fair dues. DC weren't ones for paying bills, as far as I know!

So Bohs were paid & the players are up to date:rolleyes:

[Macy]

Do they have good coaches on the streets of sligo aswell??
Depends on who the away team is...

All this talk of Seery honouring wages, it'd be interesting to see whether he honoured the full wage bill. It's the tax that clubs are struggling on, particularly part time clubs where it's 50% approx (between PAYE and PRSI) of the cost, not the net amount to the players.

[BohsPartisan]

I think this vindicates the critics of the league's decision to allow a "new" Dublin club into the league in 2001 to "replace" Home farm. Technically, HF went back to non league football, thechnically DCFC were a new club and would have had to apply for league membership. AFAIK this didn't happen. The last thing the league needed was another Dublin club at that stage and this shows what a hairbrained scheme DCFC really was. So will there be a sale in Carrolls Irish Gifts?

[CollegeTillIDie]

Who cares how many fans? They were attached to DC and now it is gone from the el - put yourself in their position ffs.
I hate all this snobbery towards clubs like DC, UCD, Kilkenny City, Mons... - this attitude of lets laugh at them for even trying, sure they have no fans who cares about them.
What would you do if tomorrow even more people became disillusioned with your club and decided to stop going to games - would you deserve to be laughed at and put down just for being a loyal fan?????!!!

And what "tragedy" are you on about? Rovers were terrible and deserved to go down - simple as that - get over it!!

Well said. Besides big clubs need small clubs to play against , otherwise they'd be playing each other 20 times a season.!

[Terry]

So what now for Seery?

I seem to remember that Ollie was looking for someone to invest in Shels !!!!!

[BohsPartisan]

Come support Shels. Bring your drum.
What so he'll have to go through the same thing again at the end of the season??? :D

[BohsPartisan]

If UCD could somehow build up a support amongst its student base, which has got to be possible (though I don't see it happening) then they would be a fantastic addition to the league. As it stands I don't think that they bring anything to Irish football.

UCD need to look outside of their student base. Maybe a change of name (Dublin City is up for Grabs I believe! ;) ) but remain attached to the college. The move to the Bowl is a very positive one I feel. A lot closer to residential areas where they might attract some support. Close to Beach Hill (UCD soccer casuals here we come :D ) Walking distance from Donnybrook, main bus routes etc.

[gspain]

Hope their fans stick around the league. Hope Seery never comes near football again. If he's allowed back in by a club the way Cork invited Kilcoyne back, the FAI should resign enmasse

Huge difference here. Seery had his dream, seemed crazy to the rest of us and went south in the end but he tried and failed. i think he'd do a great job running another club. I am amazed they survived so long.

Kilcoyne almost killed Rovers and he did it purely for the money. He made a massive profit out of Milltown - buying it for £50,000 and selling it for over a million. The Jesuits clearly thought they were selling to Rovers. Cork took his money when they were stuck but all the other clubs (bar Pats and Limerick) voted for him as president.

[Dodge]

Do you want to play in an 11-team league, with no game on 2 weekends because of it? That's the alternative.
Because there's no other clubs right? If you get promoted, good luck to you. But you got relegated last year when it could've been much worse and therefore can't harp on about any tragedies.

[Dodge]

Huge difference here. Seery had his dream, seemed crazy to the rest of us and went south in the end but he tried and failed. i think he'd do a great job running another club
I'm not sure he would. Not doubting his efforts but apart from the innovative Carrolls deal, what did he do? He got a team into the premier with tiny crowds something that Kilkenny, UCD, Monaghan and others have done in recent years. He decided to stop trading halfway through a season and now 30+ plus people are unemployed and according to posts here nobody knew it was coming (they signed a player from pats last week). Anybody who can make a decision about a club's survival that quickly sholdn't be allowed run a club.

Oh and didn't know we didn't vote for Kilcoyne. Fair play to us :)

[Clones Road Cas]

First of all, on the Killester issue, there is no valid reason not to reinstate Monaghan given the precedent that the EL decision has made in removing them from this years records.

Second of all there are clubs who have traded a damn sight more recklessly in the past and got away with it. A line has to be drawn in the sand from here out and clubs have to be forced to play and live within their means and if that means some of the 'great and the good' of el football get fecked out then so be it. Seerys dream was totally unrealistic, but it was at least more realistically managed than some other clubs in the league.

[Poor Student]

The fact they signed Lee Roche last week is odd. The revenue must have just kicked the door down this week.

Someone asked about what now for Seery? To the best of my knowledge he was just a man who remortgaged his house so he's probably broke.

[BrayUnknowns]

They were always going to go under,they have no fans,money or a proper stadium because they aren't a loi club,they're home farm.

Apart from the fans part they sound a lot like Your lot ! FFS sad to see any club go out of business, bad for the league in general and bad for all the lads who don't have a job any more - hope theyu all find clubs quick

[pete]

I think Seery should be banned from any involvement in irish football for say 10 years for allowing a club to fold mid season.

Will the FAI learn from their mistakes? Will they scrap or replace the uefa licencing joke?

[drummerboy]

Feel sorry for Rocky. He did put his life and soul into the the football club. It might have been an unwise deployment of energy and money but at least it was an honest effort. He’d certainly be welcome down my local club.

As regards the other clubs, its obvious that there are still clubs playing Russian Roulette when it comes to paying large wages to players. Some are intending cashing in on the property boom or selling long leases. Shelboure in particular is a worrying situation. They have a fine stadium which they are prepared to give up for a short term injection of cash. What they should really do is drastically cut wages, and start building the team from scratch. It may take 4-5 years but it certainly wouldn't put their long term future in jeopardy. If they carry on paying wages as now, and get into financial trouble in Santry, they have nothing to fall back on.

[LFC in Exile]

My tuppence worth.

Feel bad for the fans. Irrespective of what we think of other clubs, we still respect fans that turn out to watch eL football each week. There but for the Grace of God and all that. I also feel bad for the players and management who essentially are out of a job in football. I also feel bad for Seery who was obviously fully committed to DC and has staked a lot fo his own money. We can also stand around now and say he was foolish but he cared for the club and anyone that cares that much about a fottball club has got to be amdired for that much at least.

The comments about the FAI allowing DC to take their place at the start of the season remind me of comments made (and attacked by Rovers fans) when they had their crisis last year. That club submitted old accounts some may remember. I don't think any clubs should be taking joy out of the demise of DC. Every club (Shels and Cork recently got a call from the Revenue) is walking a tight financial tightrope. I suspect that what happened here is that the Revenue bill was just too high.

Commiserations to the DC fans - I hope nobody else here has to read a press release that there club is dead.

[gspain]

I'm not sure he would. Not doubting his efforts but apart from the innovative Carrolls deal, what did he do? He got a team into the premier with tiny crowds something that Kilkenny, UCD, Monaghan and others have done in recent years. He decided to stop trading halfway through a season and now 30+ plus people are unemployed and according to posts here nobody knew it was coming (they signed a player from pats last week). Anybody who can make a decision about a club's survival that quickly sholdn't be allowed run a club.

Oh and didn't know we didn't vote for Kilcoyne. Fair play to us :)

You voted for your own candidate - Tommy Cummins if I remember correctly.

I think comparisons with Kilcoyne are totally unfair. It is not good for the elague that they fold mid season but Seery tried and failed in an honest attempt to build a club. I don't think anyone can accuse him of trousering cash. I think it was quite an achievement keeping them going for 5 years. I think he'd have been better served trying in a provincial venue where there is a support base rather than trying to go up against existing clubs.

[Breifne]

The Revenue Commissioners have done more for this league in one year than the FAI and the Clubs put together in 50 years.

Notice the lack of a winding up order. There is never a good time for a club to die, and i'm sick after four or five years of following my club. We had some great nights:

1-0 against Finn Harps and 1-1 title win against Bray (2003 Season)
4-2 against Bohemians in Dalymount (2004 Season)
3-1 against Sligo Rovers (2005 season)

to mention only a few good memories, some of the away trips, athlone when we scored late to set up the final game against Bray in 2003. last season down in athlone when we had a double decker bus down in athlone. great memories.

I feel sorry for the players and staff, but lets be honest, only two people are out of their lively hood. Each of the players and staff have a main job, and as we are still in the transfer window they are now free agents. This means they have choices where to go, they will all find a club, and the players who don't can go back to junior football if they wish, which starts next month.

This wasn't someone from outside (ie revenue) pulling the plug, this was the cost of keeping the show on the road for the next eight months not knowing whether the club was going to be in the premier division or not.

Can't bring in investors, sponsors or supporters when thats the case. so Rocky decided to call it a day. All that on top of existing debt just crippled the club.

Pineapple Stu, i think its grossly unfair to suggest that Dublin City leave a trail of debt behind them. The vast majority of their debt is to financial institutions and directors loans (and probably the revenue), not to players, management or suppliers.

Bohs are owed rent for one game, which I would imagine would be pretty much normal considering the last game was three working days prior to this announcement. No players or staff are owed wages.

[Dodge]

I think comparisons with Kilcoyne are totally unfair. It is not good for the elague that they fold mid season but Seery tried and failed in an honest attempt to build a club.
Yaeh in fairness he's not in the same league as Kilcoyne but this could arguably cause more harm to the league's rep amongst the great unwashed


I don't think anyone can accuse him of trousering cash. I think it was quite an achievement keeping them going for 5 years
Absolutely not, and it seems he was more honest thatn most but if he kept them alive solely by putting his own money then its no achievement at all.

[Block G Raptor]

Sad Day for the Fans. Great day for the league. If we can just weed out those other dublin clubs who have no stadium and/or fans or are living beyond their means or well if their from inchicore;) then us bohs fans would be really really happy:D

[dcfcsteve]

Regardless of your view on it, it was an event that was always going to happen at some point.

The basic fundamental in football/sport is that you need a support-base to survive or prosper in the long term. Dublin City didn't have that, and no-one bar Rocky could see where it was going to come from.

As was mentioned previously, the real shame was that Rocky didn't put his money into a club with genuine potential. Then he really might have done something of benefit to the league.

Is that him fecked financially now then ?

[dcfcsteve]

It was me that instigated the deal with Carroll's. As a Director of Carroll's I have put money into the club, but we didn't bank roll it. I’ve had over 4 years of fantastic craic & fun, I’ve met fantastic people in particular those that post here.

Ringo - assuming Carrolls found the Dublin City link to be a success, why not look to strike-up a similar one with an established/popular club ?? In particular, I'd have thought teams with names like 'Shamrock Rovers' and 'St Patrick's Athletic' were gifts to a tourist-driven business like Carrolls ? Rovers especially, as they play in green and white.

You could do a nice range with UCD. There always seems to be demand for some reason amongst tourists for 'college' gear. 'University College Dublin' merchandise wouldn't sell any worse than Dublin City kit in my opinion, and it could be a cheap way for you to trade on the college name (without having to pay the college the level of fees they'd expect) ? Just a thought.



Unfortunately probably a lot more teams will go the same way.

Far too throw-away a comment Ringo. One or two clubs are in serious financial problems, but I wouldn't be surprised if they survive. A lot more are finding it tight, but have survived through worse. A few are on quite solid, if unspectacular, financial ground. But to say that a lot will probably self-combust over-night mid-season is just too casual and incorrect. Time will prove which of us is right.

[Passive]

are they gone as a football club full stop just an EL side?

Looks like they are gone totally.

If Seery couldn't afford to fund a Premier Division side that is one thing, but he couldn't even afford to fund a bottom of the table First Division side.

Instead of going out of business, why not just totally cut back on expenses and continue in the lower reaches of the First Division ala Monaghan? Because the entire 'experiment' was so doomed to failure that he couldn't even afford that.

The launch of "Dublin City" is probably the most misjudged move since Napoleon got a taste for vodka. Not only did the "club" have zero fanbase, they had no home ground and, more importantly, no prospect of ever getting one. Once Home Farm backed out of the Whitehall plans, the writing was on the wall for "Dublin City" - there is no way they could continue when their sole long term plan was to rent either Tolka or Dalymount indefinitely.

Five established Dublin clubs were struggling financially and Seery thought he could finance a Champions League campaign on the back of a few Americans buying cheap jersies in Carrolls. The 'experiment' was a total waste of time and makes the EL look like a total joke, which, sadly, it is.

Of course it was always personal between Rovers and "Dublin City" - even before the play-off game, it didn't take a genius to figure out that Seery's plan was to replace Rovers. He hoped we'd die and his 'experiment' would take our place. The play-off game, obviously, was a big moment for him. Looking back now, however, it is clear what that play-off game was - an established side who were finally living within their means beated by a made-up club living so far beyond their means that they would go bust within 9 months. Looking back, that is really nothing to be proud of from a "Dublin City" perspective.

Aside from inter-club rivalry, this entire debacle should raise serious questions in Merrion Square. Why were these jokers ever allowed into the league? Why were they given a licence to play in the top flight despite being in financial chaos? Why was their reckless trading allowed to continue unchecked?

Finally, this situation should be a massive eye-opener to other clubs, especially one certain club in Dublin who have allowed themselves be hijacked by one man's ego, have allowed reckless trading to go unchecked for up to a decade and now are about to lose their home stadium.

Billy Lord's post on the first page of this thread was the best post yet - how much longer do we allow this farce to continue?

[KildareFan]

I think it's a real pity about dublin city and rocky is a huge loss to the league.

What would be better, to have a bit of ambition and try to bring a bit of success to your club? or drift along just happy to surive the way that the likes of monagahan and kildare do?

If other clubs throughout the league had half the ambition that Rocky did, the league would be a far better place.

As far as i can see, the only person seriously out of pocket because of this is rocky himself. The players were never stuck for their wages and the likes of rovers and shels should take note of this.

[Raheny Red]

So, where's Keely off to next?:D.

Bohemian Football Club

[bohs til i die]

Why were they given a licence to play in the top flight despite being in financial chaos? Why was their reckless trading allowed to continue unchecked?



This from a Hoop.

Now before you start waffling about how Rovers are NOW run properly, Rovers had debts over €2,000,000. They obtained a licence with false accounts and stiffed creditors in the same way Dublin City are.

[Block G Raptor]

Bohemian Football Club
Over My Dead Body and a fair few others I'd imagine

[KildareFan]

Why were they given a licence to play in the top flight despite being in financial chaos? Why was their reckless trading allowed to continue unchecked?


Unbeliveable that a Rovers fan could even ask that question :confused:

[Raheny Red]

What will happen regarding their cup game, will Monaghan get reinstated or Killester get a bye :confused:

[Redzer]

I'm delighted Continuity HF has been de-commissioned.
Peace on this island at last. Rocky should now face a war crimes for all the torture he made us endure.

[BohsPartisan]

Why unbelievable. They were always a deluded bunch...
(come to think of it maybe all EL fans are :( )

[monutdfc]

I think it's a real pity about dublin city and rocky is a huge loss to the league.

What would be better, to have a bit of ambition and try to bring a bit of success to your club? or drift along just happy to surive the way that the likes of monagahan and kildare do?

If other clubs throughout the league had half the ambition that Rocky did, the league would be a far better place.

As far as i can see, the only person seriously out of pocket because of this is rocky himself. The players were never stuck for their wages and the likes of rovers and shels should take note of this.
It appears that by virtue of owning a house in Dublin before the dramatic rise in property prices of recent years, Rocky was able to re-mortgage and plough, I don't know, say, 200k per annum of money borrowed on the back of his house into the club. When that resource couldn't be leveraged any more the end was inevitable.
You might call that ambition, I call it stupidity. If Kildare or Monaghan overspent by 200k per annum we too would be in the fight for promotion, but the end would be the same.

[KildareFan]

If Kildare or Monaghan overspent by 200k per annum we too would be in the fight for promotion, but the end would be the same.


I can't really speak for monaghan so probably shouldn't have said them. But from what i know of Kildare, they are just happy to drift along. If they are still around in 20 years, they will probably be in the same ground playing in front of the same 100 people just glad to be still in the league. At least dublin gave it a go and tried to be the best they could. Fair enough they failed in the end but as the saying goes "better to have tried and failed than to have never tried at all"

[bigmac]

You're making the assumption that we think we were entitled to one the year before.

More along the lines of saying that Rovers fans have seen first hand how a team in a worse situation than DC were handed a licence without any problems at all so why be surprised that they got one? After all, they appear to have very few debts knocking around so what would be the grounds for denying them a licence?

[LFC in Exile]

Aside from inter-club rivalry, this entire debacle should raise serious questions in Merrion Square. Why were these jokers ever allowed into the league? Why were they given a licence to play in the top flight despite being in financial chaos? Why was their reckless trading allowed to continue unchecked?

They don't even get it. :) Rovers fans are so funny - they are completely in denial. Can you imagine if Rovers were prevented from playing in the top flight when their previous administration's financial recklessness was shown up. Rovers were the classic textbook case of living beyond means and dodgy dealings and were allowed to get away with it for years. They have no credibility in slagging off the FAI, eL or other clubs for living beyond their means. They were saved by their fans - but even that was only possible because Revenue wiped out their debt - so far play to Rovers fans for doing that. I admire them completely for it. DC couldn't do it obviously (they were bankrolled by one fan).

My own club have also come within a whisker of folding, but Limerick fans have not forgotten and so can empathise with DC and Rovers fans.

[WeAreRovers]

Unbeliveable that a Rovers fan could even ask that question :confused:

You seem to forget that the people now running Shamrock Rovers (ie the fans) were the ones to point out the licencing irregularities and financial mess to the FAI in the first place. The FAI's response? Nada, zilch, nothing.

Months later they spotted it and the arbitrary 8 point deduction was imposed. Then Dublin City are given a licence without any questions being asked about their forward planning and budgeting for 2006.

Balls to all this "poor fans" nonsense. They had no fans, no past and no future. They were a stain on our league and thank Christ they're gone.

KOH

[Dodge]

If other clubs throughout the league had half the ambition that Rocky did, the league would be a far better place.
I' guess most clubs have ambitions to be in the champions league every year. The other things most clubs have is some sense of reality

[dcfcsteve]

Fair enough they failed in the end but as the saying goes "better to have tried and failed than to have never tried at all"

The fundamental difference with Dublin City and that quote is that their 'try' was pure delusion.

I might fancy myself to be the fastest 100m sprinter on earth. I could spend every day of my life training profusely, destroying my personal finances, neglecting my friendships and personal relationships etc. And then, at some inevitable point, I'd realise that I never will be the fastest man on earth. Reality would set in, the dream would be over, and I'd be destroyed. Could I then just throw my hands in the air and say 'ah well - sure i tried' or should I not accept that I was deluded in the first place. That's not to say that some people shouldn't strive to be the fastest person on earth - but the key ingredient that i lack (and indeed Dublin city) is the potential to be that in the first place. As the phrase goes, you can't polish a turd.

I'm not saying that most clubs should'nt strive for success. The likes of Longford have shown what can be done in Ireland with unfashionable clubs in small urban areas. But Dublin City's circumstances were dramatically different than every other club in the league. They were a makey-uppy club with no fans, no ground, no history and therefore no chance of quickly making the huge strides that Seery sought.

Seery tried to do too much too soon, and that is why he was doomed to failure. If Longford had spent a fortune in the 1980's seeking success, they'd probably have folded as well. Rocky should've done what every other small football club has to do - build up slowly over time. But no - his dream couldn't wait. That is why cliches of 'ah sure, at least he tried' don't wash here. He was downright reckless and delusional. He was always going to fail with that 'get rich quick' mind-set, and as a result he was simply wrong to try it.

[GavinZac]

Well it's clear that you are too young to remember Dave Tilson and EOin Mullen who were developed into EL players at UCD and later played for Bohs. That's what we bring to the League not to mention educating young fellas who might not otherwise get third level education and setting them up for life after football , before their careers begin in earnest.
yeah, but honestly thats not what a senior premier division club should be about. couldnt your players get scholarships from UCD and play for real clubs?

[dcfcsteve]

I' guess most clubs have ambitions to be in the champions league every year. The other things most clubs have is some sense of reality

..... and a sense of time-scale......

[Ringo]

Ringo - assuming Carrolls found the Dublin City link to be a success, why not look to strike-up a similar one with an established/popular club ?? In particular, I'd have thought teams with names like 'Shamrock Rovers' and 'St Patrick's Athletic' were gifts to a tourist-driven business like Carrolls ? Rovers especially, as they play in green and white.

You could do a nice range with UCD. There always seems to be demand for some reason amongst tourists for 'college' gear. 'University College Dublin' merchandise wouldn't sell any worse than Dublin City kit in my opinion, and it could be a cheap way for you to trade on the college name (without having to pay the college the level of fees they'd expect) ? Just a thought.

I went to Shelbourne first & no one returned my calls. I met Rocky & the rest is history. There's already UCD merchandise out there, other than the football club

[pineapple stu]

I think Seery should be banned from any involvement in irish football for say 10 years for allowing a club to fold mid season.
I agree. If there were a "fit and proper person" test for involvement in Irish football - which, criminally, there isn't - Seery should fail it. It's all well and good saying he put his heart and soul and money into the club, but the bottom line is he had no concept of budgeting, he had no concept of reality and he had no concept of how to run a football club. I'd want him nowhere near my club.


Pineapple Stu, I think it's grossly unfair to suggest that Dublin City leave a trail of debt behind them. The vast majority of their debt is to financial institutions and directors' loans (and probably the revenue), not to players, management or suppliers.
You told me yourself that DC had been banned from half the training grounds on the northside for non-payment of bills. :confused: Maybe I took you up wrong, in which case feel free to correct me. I'm also confused as to how you not that Revenue were "probably" a creditor? If you're refuting my suggestion that there are unpaid bills, surely you'd know who's owed money? Revenue were owed E70k as of 18 months ago, with the club after posting a loss of E400k. That's probably a lot higher at this stage.


You could do a nice range with UCD. There always seems to be demand for some reason amongst tourists for 'college' gear. 'University College Dublin' merchandise wouldn't sell any worse than Dublin City kit in my opinion, and it could be a cheap way for you to trade on the college name (without having to pay the college the level of fees they'd expect) ? Just a thought.
Meh. The Budweiser deal is worth almost twice as much as DC's deal with Carroll's. Don't really see a need to change, to be honest.


yeah, but honestly thats not what a senior premier division club should be about.
Yep, no Premier Division club shuld be interested in bringing young players through. :rolleyes:

[dcfcsteve]

I met Rocky & the rest is history.

Literally...

So would you not look to try again with another club ? Why wouldn't you if it was successful ?

[Schumi]

All my sympathy to the fans. A 5 year-old club or not (I'm only supporting UCD for 6 years odd and I can't imagine how I'd feel if the club disappeared), there's obviously a strong bond.


Why were they given a licence to play in the top flight despite being in financial chaos? Why was their reckless trading allowed to continue unchecked?
Regardless of the irrelevent Rovers bashing above, this is a crucial point. How can an obviously unviable club (a quick check of their accounts would make that blatently obvious) be allowed start the season? Any cursory check by the licensing committee (or whoever decides on who gets licences) would have rung alarm bells so why weren't they asked for a business plan for the season to show how they'd pay their bills? The FAI have some big questions to answer in all this.

[Gooner Student]

As they were due to play Home Farm at Dalymount on November 17 this year, UCD will finish the season one week earlier than everyone else after Week 32 of the current campaign.
Dublin City's demise will give us a week more to prepare for the FAI Cup Final.