Limerick Issues

There has been a lot of nonsense posted on the eL message board and even though that is a good place to discuss some of these issues, we should also use the board that SLK has so kindly provided to us to discuss our club.

My inclination is to ignore Lims Fan but I really don’t want him to get away with the kind of stuff he is posting – I detect that SLK and Gael are refusing to respond to his ramblings on the eL board. They are keeping out of it at least. I sympathise.

Lims Fan seems to have an “issue” with the current board and management. The point I have been trying to make but that doesn’t seem to be getting through is that the criticism directed at the current committee and manager are unwarranted when they are actually trying to turn around 20 years of neglect and trickery by successive administrations.

People in Limerick are turned off senior soccer because they still remember the shenanigans of Pat Grace et al and Joe Young. People (especially Limerick people) have long memories. Lims Fan is right in saying that the club has steadily deteriorated over those years to its current predicament, though I think he has an inflated idea of how successful Limerick was in the past.

The current administration (and I don’t know them and have no connection with them) have done some good work to arrest the slide and keep Limerick FC afloat (not to mention the success of last seasons League Cup). Do you turn around 20 years of neglect in 20 months? No. Do you blame the current administration for the sins of the past? No. Does it break all our hearts to see the club in the current state? Yes. Do we then cut off our noses to spite our face in response? No.

In relation to Jackman Park. It is possibly the worst ground in the eL, but the RSC in Waterford….? Colman’s Park is fairly decrepit too, but grante dthey do have more covering along one side. The Jacks is better than Rathbane, well it is certainly no worse. But we have no alternative. There is no better football facility in the city. Thomond Park would cost far more than EUR 650 to rent. And a small crowd rattling around there? The Markets Field is not available – and again a small crowd in there would be awful (being so far from the pitch). I would be opposed to the FAI investing any money into Jackman Park without a long lease being granted to Limerick FC. If not then this just provides the LDMC with a lovely ground to charge Limerick more every season. There is a potential win-win here. Limerick agree a long lease with the LDMC to use their idle ground over the summer and in return the FAI supports development of the ground.

I'm still not happy with the Jacks but what annoys me more than the ground is that with the lease up at the end of the season nobody seems to know where we'll be playing next season. Hopefully we can use the fans forum to get everything out in the open. I would like to see this board used more frequently especially as things do sporadically go bezerk on the old EL messageboard. I'm curious to know what others want to see brought up at this fiorum. personally I'd been keen to see some of the following covered -

A) Long term plans for a permanent home.

B) The implications of club licenses for us.

C) The organisation of regular meetings between fans and committee (perhaps monthly or bi-monthly).

D) Plans to continue with and expand the current range of merchandising.

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Originally posted by LFC in Exile
People in Limerick are turned off senior soccer because they still remember the shenanigans of Pat Grace et al and Joe Young. People (especially Limerick people) have long memories.

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Yeah, my experiences of talking to people in Limerick are generally- "I won´t go near that lot, shower of crooks" etc was all I heard whenever I asked. I think a strong Limerick side would be a huge bonus to the eL and I hope for everyones sake things improve there. As for jackman, I´ve only been there once, and it is awful, but there is a lot of room for improvement and it´s in a very good central location. A long term lease and some serious community awareness work could prove very benefitial.

Have no problems with any of those issues SLK. BUt I think a one-off like this is really more useful to put pressure on for continuous feedback rather than getting definitive answers. For example if the discussion focuses in on long-term leases etc, if the committee have no answers on that night or kick to touch that night the chance is lost.

What I think we should really try to get out of this meeting is a list of names for a Limerick FC Supporters Club. Circulate a membership form at this meeting. Once people have signed up schedule a separate meeting of those people and elect a committee to represent it. Get an undertaking on the 16th that if a supporters club is constituted will the club work with it - keep it informed etc. Then the onus is on the fans committee to keep supporters up to speed etc. That would be a great outcome imo.

Of course we need as much info as possible in relation to what you talk about but the more practical the better.

I also think its good to chat on here away from the distractios of the eL board. Maybe get things more focused here....:)

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Originally posted by LFC in Exile
Get an undertaking on the 16th that if a supporters club is constituted will the club work with it - keep it informed etc. Then the onus is on the fans committee to keep supporters up to speed etc. That would be a great outcome imo.

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I think if ye can get that to work you´ll be doing very well- good luck

I'd like to have more regular contact with the board, not to castigate, bully or abuse but just so that we can know what they're doing and so that we can put our thoughts to them as well. As Éanna pointed out if we can get that much from the forum we'll have achieved something though i'd like to try and get a supporters group off the ground as well and get some idea of what's happening with the ground.

Absolutely SLK. The reason for a supporters club is not to bully the board but to be a resource for fans and to support the board where possible.

I'd also like to find out about cost for the seaosn. How much it costs to run the club and sources of finance. In general I think the info requirement is to find out how the club is run and what plans if any there are for advertising, promotions (not just promotion) and development.

.... whatever about "bullying the board", its time we stood up for ourselves as the true lifeforce of the club. "bullying" is not on the agenda We are keeping that club alive by going in the first place (no matter how few). What I want to see at this forum is an united fans front letting the board know that we exist and will not be fobbed off on the issues. L.F.C in exile you have your differences of opinion with Limsfan and thats fair enough, but don't let that get in the way of the fact we are all in this together and we have we have to show solidarity no matter who is involved. We are the club!!!

I think Blue Is Beautiful has raised an important point. We will never all agree on all the issues but as the fans of Limerick FC we are all firmly on the same side here. I look forward to getting us all around the table after the Galway game and again for the Forum itself the following night.

I absolutely agree - I don't disagree with every thing Lims Fan says. I do disagree with how he says it.

I don't think the board should be left off the hook on anything. However as an approach it is the difference between saying "You are all scum, cheats and cancer. Now what are the plans for next season" as opposed to "The club is progressing (albeit slowly) and the board deserves some credit, but what is planned for next season". It is the difference between constructive criticism and personal abuse.

If the supporters club is there as a stick to beat the board (and I don't believe it is or will be) then I wouldn't want any part of it. If it is there to support the club, as a check against the board and to represent fans then I am 100% behind it.

I agree with Blue is Beautiful that the fans are the life blood of the club. Without the fans there is no reason for the club to exist. However, we have to realise that without a board i.e. a group of individuals willing to give time and effort there also is no club. The fans and the board need each other. We need to be sure that the board is not afraid that the fan's groups are a threat to them . That the fans want the club to get better and better and that what we look for is not driven by a vendetta against individuals or the board itself but for the betterment of the club.

A long winded way of saying yes, you're right. And I am for a united supporters approach.