Jim Roddy

[Tis-smeee]

I see Jim Roddy is Stepping down up in Derry, an absolute gentleman and i hope all his future endeavours find him well, the league needs a few more like him.

[Magicme]

Yeah a total gentleman, carried heavy bags for me in the rain one day. Good luck Jim.

[dcfcsteve]

Don't let the UCD boys hear yees saying that now......! :D

[dcfc_1928]

He'll not be too far away from the action.

He's still going to be involved with Brandywell Properties, who are working to secure funding for a new stadium. I think that will be his priority over the coming months/years.

[MyTown]

Heard a RUMOUR, (nothing stronger than that) that he was going to head up that group of so called Big 6 clubs, that got a bit of media recently, with a possibility of financial backing from Setanta, and involvement of a couple of Irish League clubs......All Ireland League anyone?

[passerrby]

Heard a RUMOUR, (nothing stronger than that) that he was going to head up that group of so called Big 6 clubs, that got a bit of media recently, with a possibility of financial backing from Setanta, and involvement of a couple of Irish League clubs......All Ireland League anyone?

this has been a quest of jims for a long time

[dcfcsteve]

Heard a RUMOUR, (nothing stronger than that) that he was going to head up that group of so called Big 6 clubs, that got a bit of media recently, with a possibility of financial backing from Setanta, and involvement of a couple of Irish League clubs......All Ireland League anyone?

Nothing about it on City Chat - which is where you'd expect any such rumour to appear (Derry is the inter-galactics home of rumours). Not sure why any such group would be in need of someone full-time to head them up at this stage anyway ?

I'd personally love to see a greater all-island angle to football here, so would be delighted if it turned-out to be true. But it's nothing more than rumour at the moment - and one that isn't even circling in Derry it seems.

[pineapple stu]

In my opinion he appeared to want a structure that suited DUFC and not a structure that was in the best interests of the game in this country.
Freudian slip? Don't think he's on the Christmas card list at Drogheda!

Agree with your comments on him though. Just to sate dcfcsteve. ;)

[BleusAvantTout]

Heard a RUMOUR, (nothing stronger than that) that he was going to head up that group of so called Big 6 clubs, that got a bit of media recently, with a possibility of financial backing from Setanta, and involvement of a couple of Irish League clubs......All Ireland League anyone?

DCFC are hardly good enough at present to be eligible for this!!!! ;) :p

[dcfcsteve]

DCFC are hardly good enough at present to be eligible for this!!!! ;) :p

Say the mighty trailblazers that are Linfield. LMFAO. :o

[John83]

Don't let the UCD boys hear yees saying that now......! :D
I've never met Jim Roddy, and I've never expressed an opinion of him online.

My only experience of him was him moaning that UCD would dare play a cup final in Belfield Park, preferring a better chance of a win over the bigger gate we could have gotten in the Brandywell. And people accuse us of minnowism. I couldn't believe that mindset.

As such, I'm inclined to believe sduffy's reading of him.

dcfcsteve might like to consider just why he thinks this would make me react negatively to Magicme's experience of him. Pineapple Stu, Schumi and other UCD fans who've met the man have all said nice things about him to me, even if they didn't like some of his ideas. The world isn't black and white, and it certainly isn't candy-striped.

[OneRedArmy]

My only experience of him was him moaning that UCD would dare play a cup final in Belfield Park, preferring a better chance of a win over the bigger gate we could have gotten in the Brandywell. And people accuse us of minnowism. I couldn't believe that mindset. I can't believe I'm allowing myself to get dragged into this, but whilst the jist of the statement may have been presumptious and wrong, its the view of most of those I know that Belfield, as a ground, wasn't fit to hold the final.

Swings and roundabouts.

[Schumi]

Schumi and other UCD fans who've met the man have all said nice things about him to me, even if they didn't like some of his ideas.
I never met him.

[pineapple stu]

I can't believe I'm allowing myself to get dragged into this, but whilst the jist of the statement may have been presumptious and wrong, its the view of most of those I know that Belfield, as a ground, wasn't fit to hold the final.
I echo your first sentence fragment, but there was nothing wrong with Belfield holding that final. It met UEFA Licencing, was not oversold, was not dangerous in any way - was in fact perfectly suited to the crowd it attracted, which wasn't even the biggest crowd it's hosted before. There's no reason why Belfield shouldn't have hosted that final.

[John83]

I never met him.
There were a few people who met him in Derry. I thought you were one. It must have been either Poor Student, Student Mullet or Bald Student.

[pineapple stu]

It was me, Poor Student and Harpo.

[OneRedArmy]

I echo your first sentence fragment, but there was nothing wrong with Belfield holding that final. It met UEFA Licencing, was not oversold, was not dangerous in any way - was in fact perfectly suited to the crowd it attracted, which wasn't even the biggest crowd it's hosted before. There's no reason why Belfield shouldn't have hosted that final.PS as the grass hill and the seats behind the goal were closed the viewing angle for those who didn't get into the stand (approx 1,200 to 1,500 people?) who were under 6 foot was non-existant as people were 6 deep around the pitch.

I agree that overcrowding and H&S wasn't an issue but ability to see the game certainly was.

Fact.

[pineapple stu]

People were not six deep. The hill was open for the game. The old Cascarino stand had been closed for some time and this was taken into account in the licenced capacity. The extended stand held 1181, and was mostly (though not entirely) full, so 1100 tops (of the crowd of 2174) were standing, not up to 1500 as you suggest.

[John83]

PS as the grass hill and the seats behind the goal were closed the viewing angle for those who didn't get into the stand (approx 1,200 to 1,500 people?) who were under 6 foot was non-existant as people were 6 deep around the pitch.

I agree that overcrowding and H&S wasn't an issue but ability to see the game certainly was.

Fact.
That's not the point. The club had a choice, and chose potential success over a small sum of guaranteed revenue. Would you criticise anyone for making the same choice?

Roddy told UCD fans that he thought we were holding back the league by a lack of ambition. That's hypocrisy for you.

[pineapple stu]

Roddy told UCD fans that he thought we were holding back the league by a lack of ambition. That's hypocrisy for you.
That's more to the point alright.

Though ORA's points which aren't the point are, in fact, also completely untrue.

[OneRedArmy]

That's more to the point alright.

Though ORA's points which aren't the point are, in fact, also completely untrue.The stewards spent the first half throwing people off the hill. They relented in the second as so many people climbed up there they couldn't shift them.

AFAIK the hill is required to be closed for H&S reasons as it is a loose surface. So you are damned either way.

Most people not in the seated stand (I guessed 1,200 to 1,500, you've guessed 1,100 so we are in the same ballpark) couldn't see the pitch clearly.

By all means prattle on about Derry belittling your club but to argue that the ground was fit to hold 2,000 people is absolutely beyond credibility.

"Completely untrue" my hole....

[pineapple stu]

By all means prattle on about Derry belittling your club but to argue that the ground was fit to hold 2,000 people is absolutely beyond credibility.
Nonsense. The hill was given special dispensation to be opened for the final. And quite right too; there's nothing wrong with it. Also, 1100 people six deep around a 350-yard long fence gives everyone nearly 6 feet of space each, so your claim that people were six deep and still couldn't see is obviously nonsense.

Also, John83's point is far more central to the issue, but you've ignored it.

[OneRedArmy]

Also, John83's point is far more central to the issue, but you've ignored it.Actually I referred to it on the last page.

The words I used were "presumptious and wrong".

As for the "special dispensation" to open the hill, so its safe to open loose surfaces when there are large crowds but not otherwise?

Laughable.

[John83]

OneRedArmy & PineappleStu, you've made your points. Please don't drag this off topic.

[Dodge]

As for the "special dispensation" to open the hill, so its safe to open loose surfaces when there are large crowds but not otherwise?

just on this I don't think H&S stops people from going on the hill (grassy hills are used in Mondello for example). Its just an FAI rule that going forward hills won't be allowed (rightly IMO)

So while they mey be safe, they won't be acceptable in the new league.

back to the topic and Jim Roddy once told me to **** off. It was a couple of seasons ago andIasked him where his begging buckets had gone

[pineapple stu]

OneRedArmy & PineappleStu, you've made your points. Please don't drag this off topic.
True. Can I - as a final final point - note that we don't decide capacity for our games, the FAI do? To blame the club for the FAI's decision is just silly, if crowding is the only issue.

Back to Jim.

(Edit - Dodge - loose surfaces have been banned in eL grounds since the start of licencing, which is why the hill was closed. It's not a loose surface per se, but its banning isn't to do with the new league)

[Dodge]

(Edit - Dodge - loose surfaces have been banned in eL grounds since the start of licencing, which is why the hill was closed. It's not a loose surface per se, but its banning isn't to do with the new league)

By new league I meant since licensing. They're banned but they're used in other sports so they're obviously deemed safe elsewhere. I was making the point that they weren't banned on Health & safety alone

[Student Mullet]

[Still off Topic]
The capacity of the Bowl is 4,400 for rugby and 3,000 for soccer, the difference being that standing on grass is allowed at rugby games.

Also, at that final there were about 100 empty seats at the wall end of the stand and plenty of standing room at the wall end fence. The crowding at the cascarino end seemed to be as a result of the stewards not telling people to move around.

[BleusAvantTout]

Say the mighty trailblazers that are Linfield. LMFAO. :o

Irony!! :confused: :eek:

[dcfcsteve]

back to the topic and Jim Roddy once told me to **** off. It was a couple of seasons ago andIasked him where his begging buckets had gone

And fair play to him too. :D

What response were you expecting - an offer to sleep with his wife....?:)

[Dodge]

And fair play to him too. :D

What response were you expecting - an offer to sleep with his wife....?:)

No, I got exactly the reaction I wanted.

I'm not one of the ***** who dish abuse and complain if somebody says boo to them

[dcfcsteve]

No, I got exactly the reaction I wanted.

I'm not one of the ***** who dish abuse and complain if somebody says boo to them

Jeez Dodge - are you struggling for people to tell you to feck off or something....? :D

I still reckon you were angling for an invite into his wife's boudoir....

[Dodge]

pardon my ignorance, but what does that mean?

Grass Hills, and other "loose surfaces" aren't allowed under licensing in the League of Ireland.

ORA was making the point that they are banned by Health and Safety Authorities. I was making the point that, as they're used by other sports (using the example of Mondello), grassy hills aren't banned by H&S but just not allwed by the FAI.

The main reason for this (IMO) was to ensure that any new grounds entering the LOI must not have these types of surfaces and to force clubs with existing hills to do their upmost to upgrade

[OneRedArmy]

Grass Hills, and other "loose surfaces" aren't allowed under licensing in the League of Ireland.

ORA was making the point that they are banned by Health and Safety Authorities. I was making the point that, as they're used by other sports (using the example of Mondello), grassy hills aren't banned by H&S but just not allwed by the FAI.

The main reason for this (IMO) was to ensure that any new grounds entering the LOI must not have these types of surfaces and to force clubs with existing hills to do their upmost to upgradeI was actually querying why if they are banned by Licensing for H&S reasoning why UCD got a "one off exemption" to open their mound of earth. By comparison, Finn Harps had to tarmac the hill behind their ground to get a similar exemption to open it for our FAI Cup tie earlier this season.

But its very by the by in the context of Jim Roddy being not only Beelzelbub reincarnated but also the single life force of our club.

FYI we had long since lent the begging buckets to Shels when you asked him that question.

[Dodge]

FYI we had long since lent the begging buckets to Shels when you asked him that question.

I knew the answer ORA. I just felt better asking the question

[Student Mullet]

I was actually querying why if they are banned by Licensing for H&S reasoning why UCD got a "one off exemption" to open their mound of earth.[Still off Topic]
The answer is that the FAI was in charge of stewarding, the rules don't seem to apply to themselves.

[OneRedArmy]

[Still off Topic]
The answer is that the FAI was in charge of stewarding, the rules don;t seem to apply to themselves.It all becomes clear....! Now back to Jim and him being Satan's representative in domestic footballing circles....