FAI to use Bord na gCon model

Delaney points to greyhound plueprint


July 4, 2005

Football Association of Ireland CEO John Delaney is hopeful that Irish soccer will benefit when the Capital Sports Grants are announced next week, with the progress made by Bord na gCon – the Irish greyhound racing authority – laid down as the blueprint for success.

Bord na gCon has brought about a massive rise in profile for the sport of greyhound racing in recent years, with facilities throughout the country – and, as a consequence, the attendance figures – having been improved beyond recognition.

And the FAI is keen to emulate the success of the Irish Greyhound Board (IGB) – with Delaney hopeful that the announcement of the Government grants next week will leave them in a position to bring it about.

“The key to any significant change in attendances at eircom League matches is linked to an infrastructural development programme,” said Delaney.

"I admire Bord na gCon and their facilities, be it in Cork, Kilcohan Park, Dundalk, or Shelbourne Park. They’re wonderful facilities and they attract families to go.

“We’ll try to convince government that that’s the way to go forward and we’ll see in the next two weeks.”


from Eleven-a-side.com

Well there are plenty of dogs in the eL, even a few horses up in $hel$.....:D

Our infrastructure is definitely part of the problem, but if Delaney thinks all we need is nice little stadia in the 'build it and they will come' model, then he's sorely mistaken.

Bord na gCon didn't have to content with wall-to-wall coverage of greyhound racing from other countries and a popular perception that Irish greyhound racing was rubbish and the English/Scottish version was all anyone wanted to see. Any improvement in facilities needs to be combined with PROPER marketing by both the clubs and the FAI, proper regular TV coverage, and continuing improvement in European results.

As a slight aside - I fear that our Euro results this year have the potential to take us right-back to Square 1 again after last year's progress....

Well the improvement in facilities is a massive issue. Its a step in the right direction.

Bord na gCon looked long term and built up the greyhound stadiums around Ireland. We are now the envy of English greyhound racing. Our facilities are miles ahead and the Paddy Power Derby is the most expensive race in the world.

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Originally Posted by harry crumb

Bord na gCon looked long term and built up the greyhound stadiums around Ireland. We are now the envy of English greyhound racing. Our facilities are miles ahead and the Paddy Power Derby is the most expensive race in the world.

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Bord na gCon benefitted from massive investment from FF sugar daddies, imo corrupt use of Government money. It was and is a profitable industry subsidised by you and me by McCreevy their cheerleader.

Do Bord na gCon own the stadiums? Does this mean the FAI talking over stadiums? (Not necessarily against that btw).

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Originally Posted by Macy

Bord na gCon benefitted from massive investment from FF sugar daddies, imo corrupt use of Government money. It was and is a profitable industry subsidised by you and me by McCreevy their cheerleader.

Do Bord na gCon own the stadiums? Does this mean the FAI talking over stadiums? (Not necessarily against that btw).

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Agree Macy. Although it needn't have been corrupt. Voters in this country are dim enough for that not to be necessary!
Anwyay, this plan is great news. Getting the stadiums in order is a good starting point for putting pressure on Bertie and co.

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Originally Posted by BohDiddley

Agree Macy. Although it needn't have been corrupt. Voters in this country are dim enough for that not to be necessary!

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I mean corrupt in the sense of giving it to organisations that don't warrant it, rather than corruption in the strictest sense...

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Originally Posted by dcfcsteve

Our infrastructure is definitely part of the problem, but if Delaney thinks all we need is nice little stadia in the 'build it and they will come' model, then he's sorely mistaken.

Bord na gCon didn't have to content with wall-to-wall coverage of greyhound racing from other countries and a popular perception that Irish greyhound racing was rubbish and the English/Scottish version was all anyone wanted to see. Any improvement in facilities needs to be combined with PROPER marketing by both the clubs and the FAI, proper regular TV coverage, and continuing improvement in European results.

As a slight aside - I fear that our Euro results this year have the potential to take us right-back to Square 1 again after last year's progress....

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AFAIK the bord na gcon sites DONT pay their way - its pure state subsidy of something that would otherwise be incapable of providing and maintaining its own infrastructure - ie same as top level football in ireland - obviously most people here certainly would argue that top level football is more important socially than looking after a few punters at the dogs!

Well, wouldn't it be refreshing if for once something was promoted and encouraged for its inherent value, rather than so it can make a profit?
Bertie's a socialist now, so it shouldn't be hard to swing!

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Originally Posted by BohDiddley

Well, wouldn't it be refreshing if for once something was promoted and encouraged for its inherent value, rather than so it can make a profit?
Bertie's a socialist now, so it shouldn't be hard to swing!

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Bertie a socialist ??? Since when were FF even vaguely left of centre ?

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Originally Posted by wws

AFAIK the bord na gcon sites DONT pay their way - its pure state subsidy of something that would otherwise be incapable of providing and maintaining its own infrastructure - ie same as top level football in ireland - obviously most people here certainly would argue that top level football is more important socially than looking after a few punters at the dogs!

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I agree. The facilities are built by the state & probably do well to break even. Prize money is also subsidised by the state. When you think of the nanny nature of the state these days its amazing that no media focus on the State basically subsidising drinking & gambling.

:rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by dcfcsteve

Bertie a socialist ??? Since when were FF even vaguely left of centre ?

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Your irony detector must be on the blink Steve. Bertie is a socialist in the same way that Ian Paisley goes to Mass every Sunday.

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Originally Posted by dcfcsteve

Bertie a socialist ??? Since when were FF even vaguely left of centre ?

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Steve you probably missed it, it was last year during the EU presidency, but he mentioned those very words in passing in an interview. I believe he was wearing a pair of yellow cords and deck shoes at the time.....

And not so long ago when asked about why we are one of the few European nations not to have ticket touting laws, he replied that he would not introduce them as they acted as an impediment to the operation of a free market. Definately the words of a true socialist.......

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Originally Posted by OneRedArmy

Steve you probably missed it, it was last year during the EU presidency, but he mentioned those very words in passing in an interview. I believe he was wearing a pair of yellow cords and deck shoes at the time.....

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Joe Higgins (Socialist Party): Many of today's newspapers were kind enough to point out that I was not in the House yesterday when the Labour Party leader asked the Taoiseach about his new found commitment to socialism. Ironically, I was abroad for several days on political work to advance the cause of socialism.

Pat Rabbitte (Labour Party): Did the Deputy have the Government jet?

J. Higgins: You can imagine, a Cheann Comhairle, how perplexed I was when I returned to find my wardrobe almost empty. The Taoiseach had been busy robbing my clothes. Up to recently the Progressive Democrats did not have a stitch left due to the same Taoiseach but we never expected him to take a walk on the left side of the street.

The Taoiseach: Extreme left.

J. Higgins: He said: "I am one of the few socialists left in Irish politics". Immediately, Tomás Ó Criomhthaín came to mind, as he lamented the last of the Blasket Islanders: "Ní bheidh ár leithéidí arís ann". I then thought: "Good, Taoiseach. There are two of us in it and we will go down together."

The greyhound board is a semi-state commercial enterprose, i.e it recieves grants. it also has the added benefit of collecting subsidies from all the oncourse bookmakers and the tote,

With this added together with sizeable gate reciepts and catering revenue plus alcohol sales, its no wonder that the irish greyhound board is the envy of the UK,

However i dont think it is a model that El teams to follow, unless the goverment changes the law and allows bookies to operate inside football grounds as they can in the UK

The gov also pump money into horse racing, think of the money pumped into the Equestrian centre at Punchestown, of course, aside from that fact that horse racing is one of the biggest sports in the county , the gov collect massive tax revenues everytime you have a flutter on the nags, i.e there is a revenue generation from promoting these sports.

There is nothing to be gained ( tax collection wise ) from the E L, in fact imo what the government should be doing is allowing clubs to operate without the constraints of paying tax.

Would we get nifty TV adverts like the dogs? :)

It's a short sighted idea, and shows the little effort the FAI are willing to put into the Eircom League. Copying the greyhound model ? oh hear our neighbouring countries laugh. The two sports are incomparable.

Do the FAI have a real plan to really improve Eircom League ? :: NO

Improving stadia is always a good idea, but where is that investment going to come from ? These ppl dont even go to Eircom league games, so why take in anything they say about the domestic game.

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Originally Posted by centre mid

There is nothing to be gained ( tax collection wise ) from the E L, in fact imo what the government should be doing is allowing clubs to operate without the constraints of paying tax.

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Not directly, in terms of gate receipts, but there's plenty of money to be made for any government from football in Ireland.

At the moment football in Ireland is an import industry - shirts, trips, memorabilia etc is all for overseas clubs and made by overseas producers. If the same amount of money that got spent on English and Scottish football here instead got spent on the domestic game the exchequor would be doing very well from it.....

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Originally Posted by centre mid

However i dont think it is a model that El teams to follow, unless the goverment changes the law and allows bookies to operate inside football grounds as they can in the UK

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eh? Bookies can and HAVE operated inside LOI grounds - RDS as far as I can remember - feck all margin in it for them so they stopped

I think the principle of changing the image of the eL is what they are trying to do. Greyhound racing used to be an activity confined to people who can charitably be described as 'chancers'. It certainly wasn't somewhere you'd go for an office party or a stag night, or even somewhere you'd go just for the craic (even if you hadn't a clue about dogs, like me). If the eL could change their image the way the dogs have, it would be no bad thing.

On a side note, given that Derry share the Brandywell with the greyhounds, couldn't they get Bord na gCon to build a new stand on the Lone Moor Rd side? Don't Connaught use the Greyhound stadium in Galway for rugby games?