View Full Version : Nic & Tony last night .
Claret Murph
05/12/2007, 6:57 AM
Well lets face it we all knew what the answers would be to all the questions . Nic held his ground well , again if we want to see premier football we have to pay for it .
The bullet points .
For the last two seasons our season tickets were way under priced .
We will have a smaller squad this year but with quality players .
The club are looking to host two premiership clubs in Terryland this season , one in Feb and the other in race week .
The club made a loss of 80,000 Euro last season which the directors made up the short fall , if we go into red to sum of 100,000 Euro the banks will close the club .
We have sold 105 season tickets to date .
And the club want to finish in the top six next season that one brought a smile to my face as one person said at the GUST meeting afterwards didn't Nic say we were looking to to finish in the top four .......
If I have missed anything out please add , but I must say it was a very good meeting and I do hope they would do this at least twice a year .
Last but not least I do think it was a very good turn out as quite a few people were standing and I would like to thank Nic & Tony for their time to come out and meet us .
corbyeire
05/12/2007, 9:13 AM
good to hear the summary and that it was well attended - think the fact that only 105 are sold says enough
the sob story about the shortfall should be enough to tell nick to forget about top 6 - its going to be as you were again this year - with 3 going down
the bank is going to close the club if an extra 20000 is lost - and there was i thinking the club was one of the best run off the pitch and in reality - the clubs survival is on a knife edge!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
we didnt have one season ticket sold at the same time last year Corby.
corbyeire
05/12/2007, 9:25 AM
but come on tommy what else is the sob story with the bank - only another plea to sell season tickets - i dont believe for a minuet things are as desperate as they are being painted
on the tickets, you would think with the bumper amount that were sold last year that renewals would have been a formality - personally i think the 105 represents a slow uptake in renewals
GuisaSaigon
05/12/2007, 9:37 AM
The signings of Leech, McCulloch and Banana were also confirmed by Tony. I think both Tony and Nick spoke well and explained the situation. We dont have any Sugar Daddy and if we want a decent team in the league of Ireland we are going to have to invest in it.
I bought my season ticket last night. I've seen some pathetic attempts at running the club down the years and for once we've got some people involved who are trying to do things the right way. The haven't let us down yet, so lets not have a situation where the fans are the ones stopping the club from going forward.
It's fairly simple, if you want the club to keep moving forward buy a season ticket. If you don't want a LOI club in Galway, Don't.
Its not a sob story we have no assets so no Bank in todays climate would let us go over €100k overdrawn with no security.
Just read yesterdays Times about Cork City who have the biggest crowds in the Premier ,won the Cup and yet lost over €1m. If we hadnt had the Sunderland & Celtic games last year we would have lost over €200K a fact not a myth we ended up losing €80k which the directors had to sort out.
The signings of Leech, McCulloch and Banana were also confirmed by Tony. I think both Tony and Nick spoke well and explained the situation. We dont have any Sugar Daddy and if we want a decent team in the league of Ireland we are going to have to invest in it.
I bought my season ticket last night. I've seen some pathetic attempts at running the club down the years and for once we've got some people involved who are trying to do things the right way. The haven't let us down yet, so lets not have a situation where the fans are the ones stopping the club from going forward.
It's fairly simple, if you want the club to keep moving forward buy a season ticket. If you don't want a LOI club in Galway, Don't.
Spot on POTY . Its time for people to get real either we want an el club or we dont simple as that.
WoodquayBoy
05/12/2007, 9:51 AM
We dont have any Sugar Daddy
Is the chairman not a property multi-millionaire?
Anyway, even if he is, shouldn't have to rely on him. The sale of 105 season tickets at this stage is good going I think, Christmas rush still to come, and the new season is still three months away.
Disappointed to hear Nick has rowed back on the top four finish he has mentioned on the season ticket application form. It may not have been attainable, but a bit early to already be back tracking.
I would take a top six finish and improved football on some of the muck produced this season, we should be able to avoid the bottom 3.
We need a big name team coming over to ensure there is no big shortfall in cash. Sunderland was a sell-out, but the Celtic game was a poor showing, people knew they were bringing a squad of reserves and that is just not going to attract people
GuisaSaigon
05/12/2007, 10:17 AM
Is the chairman not a property multi-millionaire?
He's a journalist. He might be a property Multi Millionaire too for all I know. But he's not pumping crazy money into the club ala Drogheda.
snookerloopy
05/12/2007, 10:21 AM
He's a journalist. He might be a property Multi Millionaire too for all I know. But he's not pumping crazy money into the club ala Drogheda.
think he means gilhooley not fallon
gufct
05/12/2007, 10:26 AM
JF is not short a bob or two either.
Claret Murph
05/12/2007, 11:44 AM
So with Saigon buying one last night and me today about an hour ago we are at very least up to 107 .
Saigon I just figured out who you are this morning , it's good to put a name on a face :)
eamo1
05/12/2007, 12:34 PM
it will be 108 when i get the application form off P.D which hasnt arrived yet,nudge,nudge P.D:).
gufct
05/12/2007, 12:53 PM
make it 110. keep it going people positivity is whats needed now lets get behind the club we are moving in the right direction..
GuisaSaigon
05/12/2007, 12:53 PM
it will be 108 when i get the application form off P.D which hasnt arrived yet,nudge,nudge P.D:).
The application form is available here http://www.galwayunitedfc.ie/images/season_ticket_sm.pdf
exiled_gufc_fan
05/12/2007, 1:05 PM
Disappointed to hear Nick has rowed back on the top four finish he has mentioned on the season ticket application form. It may not have been attainable, but a bit early to already be back tracking.
I would take a top six finish and improved football on some of the muck produced this season, we should be able to avoid the bottom 3.
I think what Nick said was "challenging the top four" ... which means more getting some victories against the top four, rather than actually being there.
I've mentionned on here before that a target of 50 points would be satisfactory and would probably see us finish somewhere between 4th and 6th.
so is that 111 alan and how did your cooking go after the sheffield wednesday game?
Tir Oilean
05/12/2007, 1:44 PM
The wealth of the directors of a club does not always guarantee the success of a club. I much prefer the way things are currently. For years we relied on one mans money and it didnt bring success. The business acumen of the directors is a more important asset in that they will generate a sustainable club. If a director decided to just through money at a club people then would take things for granted (Sure we'll be fine yer man will dig us out attitude). What happens when a sugar daddy gets bored of losing €100k plus per annum? He leaves and the club is in dire straits. Keep it going the way it is. I've put me name in for season tickets but i'm sure they are counted in the 105 already.
exiled_gufc_fan
05/12/2007, 4:39 PM
so is that 111 alan and how did your cooking go after the sheffield wednesday game?
I'm amazed I didn't burn anything, or fall asleap in front of the stove. Cooking after several pints is not always a good idea.
Patrick Dunne
05/12/2007, 4:43 PM
Postivity is one thing, spoofery is another.
There is no factual or statistical basis to a sales figure of 110 tickets.
It is an estimate, too high I would imagine.
I have been heavily involved in season ticket campaigns in the past, and
overstatement of sales is pointless.
there is a new word Pa maybe Brian Cowen should learn it:)
Claret Murph
06/12/2007, 8:43 AM
Postivity is one thing, spoofery is another.
There is no factual or statistical basis to a sales figure of 110 tickets.
It is an estimate, too high I would imagine.
I have been heavily involved in season ticket campaigns in the past, and
overstatement of sales is pointless.
I would agree pointless is right .
Never for one moment did it entry my head that when Nic said the the club had sold 105 tickets that it was only guess work :confused: I think we all know that season tickets sales will be down for the coming season and maybe as much as 50% .
FACTS
I have spoken to 7 people I know who will not be renewing thier tickets , now this does not include thier friends as this would be only hear say on my behalf . The only other person for a fact that I know has renewed is Saigon as I saw his ticket .
Without doubt I would say most of the people who were at the meeting on Tuesday will be buying Season Tickets but it's the floating fans who ( a word I like to call them ) will not invest this season mainly due to the cost which all have said to me .
The bottom line is I think Nic has dropped the ball on this , I just hope that I am wrong :(
galwayhoop
07/12/2007, 1:40 PM
you are not far wrong Murph.
i know at least 3 people who bought them last season without even a notion of going up to more than a handful of times. they just bought them as they wanted to give the club a dig out. maybe between them the 3 tickets were used 10 or 12 times.
of the 3 none are renewing this year. they said they may just go up to one off games but also added that at €25 each that wouldn't be too many, especially if the football/results are as bad as last year.
how many season tickets sold last year? iirc it was about 700-800. i reckon there won't be more than 300-400 sold this season. add that to the good will lost and it will be a blow.
there is no chance in the world that we will be one of the highest average attendances in the league unless we are pushing to win it!!!!
if performances had been good last season there is no reason why we wouldn't have got more people through the door. as it stands the loyal supporter is being asked to pay in advance for something that i, personally, don't think the current management can deliever.
PS - haven't bought my season ticket yet but will at some stage. many, many others who did last year will not.
Hate to buck the trend but ive just had a friend on who took one last year and has just taken three. At this stage last season we hadnt even season tickets on sale so all the prophets of doom should hold their fire.
Its the first major increase we have had in 4 years yet our budget will be almost 4 times what it was back then.The choice is plain and simple either you want a succesful el team in galway or you dont the choice is yours.
WoodquayBoy
07/12/2007, 2:37 PM
The choice is plain and simple either you want a succesful el team in galway or you dont the choice is yours.
It is still a fair auld jump in fairness, you can't deny that, especially given the muck that was on display last season. Getting the fans to fork out big bucks won't have as much say on on-field success as the manager and his, ahem, assistant who, on the evidence so far, are just not up to it.
You can't have it both ways, giving out to people mouthing off about the manager, and then criticising them for not funding his bloopers in the transfer market.
An increaseis needed, fair enough, but an improvement in performances is also needed, so while you tell the doom merchants to hold their whist, you would be advised to do the same until we see how things stand after the first dozen games or so
Bar Brianas and the 2 unfortunate injurys id say Tony has done better than most managers in their first season in the premier as regards signings.
gilberto_eire
07/12/2007, 4:04 PM
ya i wouldnt say most were bad, but considering we never saw any of there potential yet, it leads me to believe he doesnt know how to manage and get anywhere near the best out of what he has....would be a decent scout though!!
gordongekko
07/12/2007, 4:30 PM
Its the first major increase we have had in 4 years
Where are you getting that this is the first major increase in 4 years? The price of tickets at the gate were 10 euro 2 years ago 15 euro last year and now 20/25 euro this year. Both connacht rugby and Galway gaa charge 15 euro into league games why should we have to pay up to 10 euro extra per match?
Paddyfield
07/12/2007, 6:11 PM
Where are you getting that this is the first major increase in 4 years? The price of tickets at the gate were 10 euro 2 years ago 15 euro last year and now 20/25 euro this year. Both connacht rugby and Galway gaa charge 15 euro into league games why should we have to pay up to 10 euro extra per match?
I think GUFCT was talking about the price of season tickets
Trainee
07/12/2007, 10:09 PM
the price increase from 10 - 15 had to be made as the Fai have a rule that all premier clubs have to charge a min of 15 euro at the gate
as for prices this season we need the price increase in order to get a better squad in orfer push up the table
I know that people are giving out about prices but simple fact is if people dont get behind these prices, Gufc will go back part time at the end of next season as the club will not be able to afford full time football.
gufct
07/12/2007, 10:21 PM
I think GUFCT was talking about the price of season tickets
Exactly paddyfield and as for Connacht rugby you stand in the freezing cold with no cover for well over 2/3 rds of the supporters. The league for County teams is not a serious competition.
eamo1
07/12/2007, 10:35 PM
i know 2 fans who were casuals but got season tickets last year who will be renewing their tickets next year.there wont be as big a drop as some are saying i think but if performances are bad and we are fighting relagation again then obviously attendances will be low.
the standard on the pitch HAS GOT TO IMPROVE next season,simple as.its all on the players next year to see if there will be full time football the following year.
galwayhoop
07/12/2007, 11:47 PM
Exactly paddyfield and as for Connacht rugby you stand in the freezing cold with no cover for well over 2/3 rds of the supporters.
yes but it will cost you a fiver more to stand in the uncovered freezing cold in Terryland ;)
whatever ye think about TC's signings, and i am not convinced btw, my main gripe is the style of football* which obviously shows the manager has no faith in his players. asking us to stump up increases of about 75% to fund potential improvement is a bit rich imo.
take the following analogy; you bought a new 07 car for 20 grand, it ran poorly for the year and barely survives till the end of the year. next thing the dealer turns around and tells you to buy the spanking new 08 model for 35 grand. he promises it will be an excellent car, up with the best models even though this years car gave no hint of that - do you really think that everyone who bought the 07 model is just going to be over the moon with the 'offer' of the new one!!!!
as i have said regardless of TC's and Nicks spin, and yours too gufct, the club has lost massive goodwill over this and also will lose numbers at the gate
*and crazy team selections, not to mention buying loads of players for some positions while none for those needed
Patrick Dunne
08/12/2007, 10:36 AM
GUFC are asking supporters to contribute E5 per week towards the running of the team.
As United supporters, we need to put this in perspective.
It will cost E30,000 per week to run the team next season.
gufcfan
08/12/2007, 9:53 PM
Its not a sob story we have no assets so no Bank in todays climate would let us go over €100k overdrawn with no security
I don't often agree with you gufct but... come on people!!! We don't own our ground it's difficult to attract top players away from dublin, even if they do fall within the current wage structure. We dont have the benefit of being able to have 2 and 3 players to covers for every position on the park. My initial thought when they announced the new prices was that we would lose numbers. If we can achieve the same numbers we did last year for tickets, i see that as a success. I will happily buy the ticket. It may be a bit of a stretch for a good few and i acknowledge that, but i believe that it needed to be done or otherwise we would be less competetive than last year.
gufcfan
08/12/2007, 9:55 PM
yes but it will cost you a fiver more to stand in the uncovered freezing cold in Terryland ;)
whatever ye think about TC's signings, and i am not convinced btw, my main gripe is the style of football* which obviously shows the manager has no faith in his players. asking us to stump up increases of about 75% to fund potential improvement is a bit rich imo.
take the following analogy; you bought a new 07 car for 20 grand, it ran poorly for the year and barely survives till the end of the year. next thing the dealer turns around and tells you to buy the spanking new 08 model for 35 grand. he promises it will be an excellent car, up with the best models even though this years car gave no hint of that - do you really think that everyone who bought the 07 model is just going to be over the moon with the 'offer' of the new one!!!!
as i have said regardless of TC's and Nicks spin, and yours too gufct, the club has lost massive goodwill over this and also will lose numbers at the gate
*and crazy team selections, not to mention buying loads of players for some positions while none for those needed
that was a crap analagy in fairness...
WoodquayBoy
10/12/2007, 8:12 AM
Bar Brianas and the 2 unfortunate injurys id say Tony has done better than most managers in their first season in the premier as regards signings.
Are we forgetting Colm James? Shaun Fagan?
Never had any problem with Colm James and wouldnt rate him as a bad signing and Shaun Fagan played 4 games and got injured.
WoodquayBoy
10/12/2007, 9:05 AM
No problem with James???
Okay, we'll just have to agree to disagree on all things TC as I don't think there is any talking to you, and you probably think the same about me. Lets hope I am the one proven wrong
galwayhoop
10/12/2007, 12:18 PM
that was a crap analagy in fairness...
how so???
we struggled all last year, had a manager who consistently picked players out of position, bought cover for positions we had loads in already (how many middle of midfield players did we have when we had no proper left back or right winger???).
now we are being asked to pay 75% more for our tickets because we are going to be a top 4 (oh no sorry that was changed wasn't it it's a top 6) side!!!! on what evidence is this being based.
we will do well to avoid relegation this season never mind be in the top six! don't forget how close to the drop we came this year. going into the derry game we were clinging on for dear life. yes we finished 8th (an inflated position imo) and most have forgotten that we could so easily have gone down.
personally i wish we hadn't equalised in UCD in the middle of the season because i have it on very good autority that TC was gone if we had lost.
forgive me pessimism but i don't live in the dream land that most on here do........ i don't rate the manager and feel that the extra money spent on supporting the team will be squandered
corbyeire
10/12/2007, 12:54 PM
your not alone on the rating of the manager
plenty of people on here think the same
when i heard top 4 i was laughing - with 3 going down it will be a struggle again
Olander
10/12/2007, 1:20 PM
Ah lads give TC a break, in his tenure at the club the one real area he has excelled is in the transfer market, cast your mind back to our last year in the 1st, the signing of Wes Charles and Conor Gethins were integral, this year Brianias was the only real signing that didn't impress, Tony can't stop players from getting injured for 7months i.e Armstrong and Mensah - who both looked like good players I must say. I also felt Colli James was a very decent player, was sad to see him leave, maybe you have a point with Fagan. I felt Tony's real downfall was the local lads more than anything else, he had no other choice but to play them for half the season.. no suprise we improved after the transfer window, you could commend him on the signings of players like Fitzgerald etc.. this year Tony has a far better grounds to build on, the deadwood has all been released, we will have the advantage over the likes of Harps and Cobh this year who will be going through the same sort of process we went through. There is no real use in vilifying TC for lastyear, this is his make or break season, he has kept the players he wanted and his budget is increasing, lets give him our support for the first 10 games at least.
MyTown
10/12/2007, 1:25 PM
personally i wish we hadn't equalised in UCD in the middle of the season because i have it on very good autority that TC was gone if we had lost.
I guess that's one of the many places we differ. I could never wish for a result going against us in any circumstances. To me it is the exact opposite of what support means. But I know you're sick of my posts on the topic so fell free to take the <ignore> option 'cause what's coming next will have you and your supporters reaching for the bucket.
On another thread you said that because of family and work committments you couldn't get to away games which is perfectly reasonable. Believe it or not, I too have a family and work committments, but on the day of the UCD game that you hoped we'd lose because you had it on good authority that the manager was going to be sacked, I decided to go to Dublin to support the team, and had an absolutely brilliant feeling when Stephen O'Flynn rose to equalise with the last touch of the game. It made the journey home to my family a very enjoyable trip altogether.
WoodquayBoy
10/12/2007, 1:47 PM
you could commend him on the signings of players like Fitzgerald etc
Without wishing to contradict myself, I agree with you totally on this. He has signed some very good players — Fitzgerald, Regi, Gary Rogers — and fair play to him. He signed some turkeys tool, but sure who doesn't.
I don't want to be coming acorss as a moaner all the time, so credit where credit is due, but I still think another manager would get more out of the players and wouldn't play a striker in midfield, a midfielder at centre back and a centre back at left back.
Anyway, roll on the new season . . .
Olander
10/12/2007, 1:58 PM
I agree with you totally on this. He has signed some very good players — Fitzgerald, Regi, Gary Rogers — and fair play to him.
At least we can agree on this.
but I still think another manager would get more out of the players and wouldn't play a striker in midfield, a midfielder at centre back and a centre back at left back.
I personally feel Tony can get alot out of players, for example last year David O'Dowd improved immensely under Tony, and this year Derek O'Brien has certainly improved under Tony no end, obviously this isn't all Tonys doing and credit must be given to Derek.
I take it from your player descriptions you are talking about Murphy, Lester and Charles, it was as much Murphys call that he played in centre mid as it was Tonys, thats where he started playing when he first played with GUFC and he had a season of it in Derry, Johnny Lester is a centre back - players positions can change if they are versatile, I do take your point about Wes,however a cynic could argue all 3 goals he scored were from left back against Sligo, Longford and Derry, all winning goals.
GuisaSaigon
10/12/2007, 2:04 PM
He signed some turkeys tool
A bit harsh on Dimitri there Boy? :D
GuisaSaigon
10/12/2007, 2:12 PM
Ah lads give TC a break, in his tenure at the club the one real area he has excelled is in the transfer market, cast your mind back to our last year in the 1st, the signing of Wes Charles and Conor Gethins were integral, this year Brianias was the only real signing that didn't impress, Tony can't stop players from getting injured for 7months i.e Armstrong and Mensah - who both looked like good players I must say. I also felt Colli James was a very decent player, was sad to see him leave, maybe you have a point with Fagan. I felt Tony's real downfall was the local lads more than anything else, he had no other choice but to play them for half the season.. no suprise we improved after the transfer window, you could commend him on the signings of players like Fitzgerald etc.. this year Tony has a far better grounds to build on, the deadwood has all been released, we will have the advantage over the likes of Harps and Cobh this year who will be going through the same sort of process we went through. There is no real use in vilifying TC for lastyear, this is his make or break season, he has kept the players he wanted and his budget is increasing, lets give him our support for the first 10 games and least.
Good post Olander, some people on here harp on about TC, bitching and moaning but were too scared to say anything to his face at last week's forum.:o
He's no Alex Ferguson, but he's no Stan either! I have questioned some of his decisions in the past but overall I'm happy with him and have faith (not blind) in him as a manager.
Some of his harshest critics on the internet were in Becketts but not one of them was brave enough to say to his face what they keep on lambasting him on here for.
I shared the car with My Town coming back from Belfield and we didnt feel the journey as we were so happy to see Our Team getting a valuable and deserved point and if I ever felt like Galway Hoop did id give up supporting gufc. Even in the days of Dave O'Connell I never wanted United to lose any game :mad:
WoodquayBoy
10/12/2007, 3:03 PM
A bit harsh on Dimitri there Boy? :D
Whoops!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If Dave O'Dowd came on so much under Cousins, why didn't the manager retain him? Surely he was a better prospect than Barry?
Anyway, as I said, onwards and upwards, roll on '08
Claret Murph
10/12/2007, 3:32 PM
Some of his harshest critics on the internet were in Becketts but not one of them was brave enough to say to his face what they keep on lambasting him on here for.
I shared the car with My Town coming back from Belfield and we didnt feel the journey as we were so happy to see Our Team getting a valuable and deserved point and if I ever felt like Galway Hoop did id give up supporting gufc. Even in the days of Dave O'Connell I never wanted United to lose any game :mad:
Hells bells Dave O'Connell , I will never forget the cut of him when he walked out in Terryland for the first time at a home game or was it the cream turtle neck that got my attension ,one guy next to me said he looks like a drug dealer ......
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