Pipe Dream

An obscure relative has just left you 200 million euros in his will. In the will there's a note saying that he's left you the money because he knows you're an Irish football fan & that he has no faith in the government or sporting authorities to ever do what's required to make the domestic league & the national teams permanently competitive in international competition. From the few times he's met you he believes you have the commitment, understanding & intelligence to invest the legacy accordingly.

How do you spend the money?

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Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

An obscure relative has just left you 200 million euros in his will...

How do you spend the money?

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Put it all on black in Vegas! :D

With your winnings, build a National Sporting Campus.

lucky you stuts!!

Build a school of excellence for youths. If you've anything left, spend it on the eircom league.

I'd sign Ronaldinho and Adriano for Shels.

It's short sighted but it'd have to be good to watch.

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Originally Posted by Donal81

Build a school of excellence for youths. If you've anything left, spend it on the eircom league.

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Spend it how though?

School of excellence: just a soccer school or an all-round school that gives them a good education too, as well as languages (to enable talent to consider other leagues in Europe as an option)? How many schools? One in each province / region? Likewise Peadar's suggestion of a Sports Campus - just one?

First thing I'd do would be to set up properly run schools of excellence for youngsters all around the country. Proper coaching, proper wages, proper accomodation, proper schooling. Make it more appealing than going to england.

Second thing, invest heavily in the marketing of the league (would hit the schools first) - improved marketing rather than improved facilities will increase the awareness of the league and attendances. Hopefully educate some of the clowns in this country that following a football team is more than sitting on a barstool wearing a british teams jersey following a british team (and hopefully it might sink in that celtic are not an Irish team, that theyre a scottish/ british team - might invest heavily in geography in secondary schools to help this sink in)

Third thing, help improve the facilities of EL grounds

Fourth thing, no expense spared so that the Ireland squad have the best facilities possible for away matches.

Last but by no means least, organise strippers and a free bar for irish home matches in lansdowne :)

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Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

Likewise Peadar's suggestion of a Sports Campus - just one?

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Yes, just one.
This is Ireland we're talking about.
It would be a village where dedicated sports people would have all the best resources available.
Preferably it would be in Cork.
Seriously though, you wont build much with €200m in Ireland.

With 200 million I'd divide it into 4 and give 50 million each to 3 other fans on the proviso that they buy an eircom league club.
Imagine how good the Eircom league would be if 4 top clubs had 50 million to spend on facilities + players.
I think our youth setup is good. If you really want to improve Irish soccer then you need to boost the Eircom League.
The money in those 4 would filter down to the other clubs thru transfers etc.

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Originally Posted by colster

I'd divide it into 4 and give 50 million each to 3 other fans on the proviso that they buy an eircom league club.

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To make it interesting, the clubs would have to be Derry City FC, Sligo Rovers FC, Cork City FC and one of the Dublin crowd. Dublin City FC, perhaps. :D

Set up a school of excellence, similar to Clairefontaine, Lilleshall (sp?), etc and ensure that no player in Ireland under the age of 18 is allowed to leave the country without a proper education to Leaving Cert level, and is fully aware of the possibilties that exist outside of a career in football.
Whatever is left, set up regional centres with gyms, all weather pitches, etc, based close to local sporting centres and involve local schools in their developement and use.
If there's anything at all left after all that, affiliate each centre with courses in colleges teaching fitness/physiotherapy/coaching course.
And in 20 years build a 3-foot thick solid glass trophy cabinet for the World Cup trophy ;)

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Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

And in 20 years build a 3-foot thick solid glass trophy cabinet for the World Cup trophy ;)

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I like your thinking:)

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Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

Set up a school of excellence, similar to Clairefontaine, Lilleshall (sp?), etc and ensure that no player in Ireland under the age of 18 is allowed to leave the country without a proper education to Leaving Cert level, and is fully aware of the possibilties that exist outside of a career in football.
Whatever is left, set up regional centres with gyms, all weather pitches, etc, based close to local sporting centres and involve local schools in their developement and use.
If there's anything at all left after all that, affiliate each centre with courses in colleges teaching fitness/physiotherapy/coaching course.
And in 20 years build a 3-foot thick solid glass trophy cabinet for the World Cup trophy ;)

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I think developing the Eircom League should be the priority. Get one or 2 of those clubs to qualify for the Champiions League.
That brings success to clubs and generates more money for the league. This in turn allows players to stay at home and more Irish players to play European football.
Success at Euro level increases the transfer value and marketability of Eircom League players which in turns generates more income for the league.
It also increases the sponsorship and TV rights of clubs.
Overall it allows more clubs to turn professional, more players to stay at home, more Irish players European football. This increases the pool of players for the national team.

"Last but by no means least, organise strippers and a free bar for irish home matches in lansdowne "

cosmo good man i knew you would use the money wisely, and not clouded by other more minor details/issues. put 100 virgins in there as well, that are mad after me...

I say we invest the money in advancing cloning and clone the greats like Brady, Giles and McGrath. Or if that doesn't work out we could give free trips to Brazil with lots of lager money to thousands of young Irish women and wait...

Pay Jose Mourinho to manage Ireland.

I'd buy a digger and demolish 80 Merrion Square and proclaim myself head of the FAI. Sure, I could continue on in the same building, but I wouldn't feel comfortable in a building where crimes were comitted against Irish football. My second executive order (the first one would be to fire everyone) would be to remove the Eircom logo from the replica shirts and bring back the Italia 90 era FAI logo. Getting the important things done first and all that.

Then I'd put our new headquarters on the South Mall in Cork and buy Parc Ui Caoimh from the GAA. I'd level Parc Ui Caoimh and build a replica of the 52,000 all seater Dragao stadium in Porto (but with green seats). With Parc Ui Coaimh's ideal logistical location, we'd be able to bring the Portuguese builders and engineers up the Lee in container ships, seeing as they are able to build the stadiuim for only 90 million euros.

A new youth academy would be built in Portloaise, a good central location for the entire country.

So that's the first 100 million or so gone.

The other 100 million would be pumped into a 5 year rejuvination plan, with facility improvements for all Irish clubs, from Eircom League level right on down to grassroots. In areas where local village clubs are forced to play on farmland or city greens, land will be purchased for youth club use, to be organised and run by the bigger clubs in the area.

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Originally Posted by brine3

I'd level Parc Ui Caoimh

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don't stop there, level the entire gaa it's the only way to harness our full potential! ;) :p

Build a 20,000 seater stadium for Shels, with roof. Set up a Irish youth academy similar to what they have in France. Have a Ajax youth academy for Shels and auy 3-4 good players for Shels .

Give an even amount to the 22 league clubs and let them do what they want with it.