Dublin City aims for Europe

While checking the EL club sites (a routine I try to do at least once a month to stay updated) I noticed a rather interesting letter posted at dublincityfc.net

The letter is about 2 or 3 pages long but basically it's an expressing of the board how glad they are to be back, how proud they are of the players, etc.
A few statements though are remarkable:

- they want to build a squad that secures Premiership status and quickly grows to a dominant force in Irish football
- they want to keep on expanding until the biggest European teams came to Dublin to play them
- they have ideas to even sell more jerseys and make DCFC a truely present image in Dublin's streets, and hope to offer the Dublin football audience an alternative to the longer established clubs (= they want to take fans away from Shels, Rovers, Bohs and Pats? :confused: )
- they don't feel sorry for relegating Rovers and hope they will sort out themselves (+ the odd and expected wish to see a purified Rovers back in the Premier soon)



Risky to speak in such big terms (challenging for the EL champions title, playing European football, ...), risky for sure given the fact that many people don't take them too serious as it is... I can imagine some people will find it very weird to hear a team with 250 fans declare they want to be EL champions and play Europe in a few seasons time...

On the other hand, it's nice to see some ambition in Irish football, and Dublin City are a well-managed club, so who knows? Maybe if they can bring some attractive football they actually find their audience within Dublin and grow further...
I am afraid though some people will not be too polite in commenting on such a statements...

Full letter from the DCFC board is published on www.dublincityfc.net

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Originally Posted by Gerrit

- they want to build a squad that secures Premiership status

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i think that should be about all they should aim for in the next three to five years, mid-table mediocrity.

I am sure every dublin club is in fear. :) If only letters won leagues.

i think rocky has finally realised that CHF are about as popular as cancer and has begun a charm offensive.

fair play for some form of peace effort towords rovers (no-one really cared our end) but you would swear reading it that everyone involved in the roddy poaching business hadnt been removed at Rovers. the world has moved on, mcliar is out. why keep going on about it?

if only a man with that ambition was involved in a real club.....

Why shouldn't they aim for league trophies and European football!!

Every club in the eL should be aiming for this sort of level! What's the point in trying just to finish mid-table. Clubs should be reaching for the top. If clubs don't want to be reaching the top in football then what's the point??

I'm liking the attitude of DCFC. Fair Play!!


P.S for those who think DCFC should not be the eL please don't bring up comments like "DCFC don't deserve a place....". They are in the premier now, so just face it!!

Gerritt - the sentiments in that letter will probably only come as a surprise to yourself...

Most people who've been following Irish football for any decent length of time know that the whole rebranding of Home Farm into Dublin City wasn't just stumbled-upon or done for the sake of it. Seery has been very clear in his intentions of taking Dublin City places - even so far as wanting them to be the Irish entrants into any European Super League that may happen.

Seery is not interested in Irish football. He's only interested in his little pet-project of CHF. He's looking to build a football empire from scratch for himself, so he can make money and sit back and say "look what I did - aren't I the great fella" ! If he did have a genuine interest in Irish football he would've put his time and effort into an existing/established senior club with clear potential, or built-up a strong junior club - not just steal a league place off of a reinvented minor club franchise-stylee and then try to force his pipe-dream onto an already over-crowded domestic football scene in Dublin. He's in it to make money for himself - which is why he didn't look to invest in any other team. He wants it to be his dream, his baby, and at the end of it all 100% his financial return. His motives aren't pure, which is one of the many reasons why his club is so unpopular. If you weren't relatively fresh off the plane/boat/train/helicopter/rickshaw from Belgium you might apreciate that...

Well if it is the same Belgian that I'm thinking of, he has been here before the Ireland and Faroe Islands game (13 Oct 04). You might not remember Gerrit but I know you! :eek: Great man for the football!!

P.S I'm not an internet stalker! :D :p

Lol! :D

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Originally Posted by northside hoop

registration letters?

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:D Excellent :)

Don't want to get drawn into a slagging match, but I'd surmise my opinion on this topic in two short points; Firtsly, (as alluded to above) I can't see any fault in setting lofty goals for any eL club, I mean if you don't then what's the point? and secondly I can only speak for myself, but I imagine that all City fans would want virtually everything that is contained in that letter. The chances of us achiveing all of these things is undoubtedly small, but personally I think you need to have a certain percentage of the enternal optimist/dreamer to support this league at all, otherwise we'd all go mad.

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Maynard

Don't want to get drawn into a slagging match, but I'd surmise my opinion on this topic in two short points; Firtsly, (as alluded to above) I can't see any fault in setting lofty goals for any eL club, I mean if you don't then what's the point? and secondly I can only speak for myself, but I imagine that all City fans would want virtually everything that is contained in that letter. The chances of us achiveing all of these things is undoubtedly small, but personally I think you need to have a certain percentage of the enternal optimist/dreamer to support this league at all, otherwise we'd all go mad.

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Exactly Maynard, that is what I was saying basically. There is no point in football if you are not going to try to reach for the top!!

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Originally Posted by Gerrit

- they want to build a squad that secures Premiership status and quickly grows to a dominant force in Irish football

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Ye,they are moving to England....that is what the league is called in Engalnd isn't it.

I want Bohemians to redevelop Dalymount into a 15000 seater stadium with undersoil heating, executive boxes, shops, bars, restaurants and offices. I want the team to have several current internationals, to win the League and Cup double, qualify for the Champions League, win the World Club Championships within 5 years, have more fans in Singapore than Man United, read about the shenanigans of John Paul Kelly's bird shopping in Heat magazine, drink Bohemian FC branded bear in my bed with a Bohs duvet, watching a teleivision add for a new Bohemians video game being advertised during a tv break from an RTE review of Bohemians beating Celtic 5-0 in a Champions League qualifier, while Bohemians are leading the new All-Ireland league.

Ain't going to happen, but that's what I want. What Dublin City want aint going to happen either.

There is no doubt that Dublin City have grand plans for the future and that Ronan Seery has an astute business plan but these aspirations are slightly far fetched.

Dublin City, despite the name lacks any popular appeal no matter how well you market it. Their base was the old Home Farm club in Drumcondra (who in turn took over from Drumcondra FC) and they had absolutley no support. Right now in Dublin there are too many clubs fishing out of the one small pond.Only Rovers have any potential with the move to Tallaght and even there it will be tough. All the other big Dublin clubs' (Bohs, Shels, Pats) support over the last few years has fallen away and is even lower than many of the so called 'lesser percieved' provinical Clubs. If Dublin City think of concocting any grand plans, they must face the cold hard facts of reality in that the major Dublin clubs are struggling so why should they be any different.

Right now the balance of power has shifted away from Dublin in favour of the provincial sides.

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Originally Posted by dcfcsteve

Gerritt - the sentiments in that letter will probably only come as a surprise to yourself...

Most people who've been following Irish football for any decent length of time know that the whole rebranding of Home Farm into Dublin City wasn't just stumbled-upon or done for the sake of it. Seery has been very clear in his intentions of taking Dublin City places - even so far as wanting them to be the Irish entrants into any European Super League that may happen.

Seery is not interested in Irish football. He's only interested in his little pet-project of CHF. He's looking to build a football empire from scratch for himself, so he can make money and sit back and say "look what I did - aren't I the great fella" ! If he did have a genuine interest in Irish football he would've put his time and effort into an existing/established senior club with clear potential, or built-up a strong junior club - not just steal a league place off of a reinvented minor club franchise-stylee and then try to force his pipe-dream onto an already over-crowded domestic football scene in Dublin. He's in it to make money for himself - which is why he didn't look to invest in any other team. He wants it to be his dream, his baby, and at the end of it all 100% his financial return. His motives aren't pure, which is one of the many reasons why his club is so unpopular. If you weren't relatively fresh off the plane/boat/train/helicopter/rickshaw from Belgium you might apreciate that...

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Spot on.

Seery is seriously deluded as are all of their 80 fans. They think the top division here is called the premiership. That says it all really:rolleyes:

If the people running the league had any balls and wanted the league to push on CHF along with jokers like seery and oily would be fcuked out immediately.


KOH

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NY Hoop

If the people running the league had any balls and wanted the league to push on CHF along with jokers like seery and oily would be fcuked out immediately.

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If the people running the league had balls how would they go about getting rid of these two people?? :confused: :confused:

Please explain NY Hoop!

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Originally Posted by Raheny Red

If the people running the league had balls how would they go about getting rid of these two people?? :confused: :confused:

Please explain NY Hoop!

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ban olly byrne from league grounds like any other hooligan (oh wait, shels blocked the 'banned from one ground banned from them all' idea, wonder why) and make CHF enter the league like every other side, from a lower division, with a ground and an underage setup.

Have a rule that no convicted criminals can have any dealings in any senior football club. Taxi drivers have to abide by similar rules.

Do not make CHF enter the league at all. The 5 Dublin sides cater enough and they dont bring anything to the league. Until the AIL the league should have 2 divisions of 10.

KOH

Ollie was given an eL ground ban but weeks after he was given this ban I saw him in Finn Park. What's the point in giving these bans if the clubs are not going to abide by them. Most people outside of Shels think we all look up to Ollie, we don't, minority do but the majority don't!!

Anyway, fair play to DCFC for trying to reach the highest standards - good to see that they are not just hoping for mid-table medocrity!

Every thread ends up about Ollie in the end

Does Seery actually have a step by step plan or does he just think that talking about being the biggest club in the world enough will make it happen? It's all well and good having ambitions, but you have to learn to walk before you run, and indeed crawl before you walk, and I don't know if Seery has shown that DC have taken any real small steps towards his goal. the fanbase is still very small, they don't help themselves to build it by continually changing ground, I can't see them not struggling next year as 2003 (fateful words, I know) as they had a fairly poor season in Division One pointswise, which would mean minimal progress on the pitch, and he seems intent on believing that just having the name Dublin and wearing blue will soon have people flocking to you (which we can tell you won't happen). Fair dues to him for ambition maybe, but without any sort of realistic path to that, he does come across as a bit of a flute to be honest...

Raheny Red. I was at that Faroes game indeed. Great memories that are. Got in for free, had a pint with a Faroese fan who donated me his scarf :ball:

I am on the island now for 17 months. 11 months Dublin, and now 6th month in Belfast.

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Originally Posted by dcfcsteve

Gerritt - the sentiments in that letter will probably only come as a surprise to yourself...

Most people who've been following Irish football for any decent length of time know that the whole rebranding of Home Farm into Dublin City wasn't just stumbled-upon or done for the sake of it. Seery has been very clear in his intentions of taking Dublin City places - even so far as wanting them to be the Irish entrants into any European Super League that may happen.

Seery is not interested in Irish football. He's only interested in his little pet-project of CHF. He's looking to build a football empire from scratch for himself, so he can make money and sit back and say "look what I did - aren't I the great fella" ! If he did have a genuine interest in Irish football he would've put his time and effort into an existing/established senior club with clear potential, or built-up a strong junior club - not just steal a league place off of a reinvented minor club franchise-stylee and then try to force his pipe-dream onto an already over-crowded domestic football scene in Dublin. He's in it to make money for himself - which is why he didn't look to invest in any other team. He wants it to be his dream, his baby, and at the end of it all 100% his financial return. His motives aren't pure, which is one of the many reasons why his club is so unpopular. If you weren't relatively fresh off the plane/boat/train/helicopter/rickshaw from Belgium you might apreciate that...

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I understand the sentiments you express. However, as I stated before, didn't every club started off as a young club without history? Liverpool as a split-off of Everton, I'm sure they also weren't forseen by sceptics to one day have 5 Champions League trophies... Without saying that within 100 years Dublin City will have won the CL 5 times , which I don't see happening that soon :o

I think their main concern should be developping a fanbase, because I can imagine Seery looks a bit like a dreamer-without-a-plan now. A club with 100 to 200 true fans talking about qualifying for Europe, sounds a bit overcourageous.
Maybe their new 5-year deal at Whitehall is a first step towards becoming a more established club. They have a more or less permanent home now and can start recruiting in that area, maybe reaching out to schools and companies in the Finglas area, dividing some tickets and hoping that those visitors will come back...

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Originally Posted by Gerrit

Maybe their new 5-year deal at Whitehall is a first step towards becoming a more established club. They have a more or less permanent home now and can start recruiting in that area, maybe reaching out to schools and companies in the Finglas area, dividing some tickets and hoping that those visitors will come back...

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but what exactly are they going to offer the viewing public that bohs, shels and rovers cant? back? they were never there in the first place.

the reality is CHF will cease to be in 5 years or so. its utterly unsustainable and a pity seery isnt involved in a real club. his money will run out eventually.

youe liverpool analagy is way off, they began life as a junior club after the split and earned their passage through the leagues, unlike franchise city who just appeared overnight.

people would have a million times more respect for CHF if they came up through the LSL structure like the gate or st francis did before.

What may be a point of concern for Dublin City: imagine Seery gets bored of his toy sooner or later, is there someone to take over DCFC? Or does City depend entirely on the goodwill and money of one person?

I've seen several clubs around Europe collapse once their main source of money decided to leave. And I'm quite curious if Seery will hold on to his dreams if City would not progress impressingly the coming seasons...

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Originally Posted by Roverstillidie

the reality is CHF will cease to be in 5 years or so. its utterly unsustainable and a pity seery isnt involved in a real club. his money will run out eventually.

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I hope so and I hope Seery is left bankrupt after it

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Originally Posted by 1 9 2 8

and I hope Seery is left bankrupt after it

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What a sad f**k you are :rolleyes:

Far from dublins biggest fan, would rather they werent in the Premier League but they're there on merit and no matter what people think of them seery has put in alot of time and money into an Eircom League club - more than people involved in other EL clubs id say - cant see what hes trying to do actually happening but fair play to him for trying!

The way I see it, DCFC did take an odd route into the league but that's history, they're here now and they're more than able to compete with the other clubs on the pitch . On last seasons results they're the 12th best team in the country so, whatever about the past, they are in the league and in the premier on merit.

It's perfectly correct for Rocky to play be positive and play up his clubs ambitions. There's enough negative comment in the league as it is.

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Originally Posted by 1 9 2 8

Originally Posted by 1 9 2 8
and I hope Seery is left bankrupt after it

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Originally Posted by Cosmo

What a sad f**k you are :rolleyes:

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Super response:D

As far as I know Dublin City are not looking to do anything but be a successful football club, Rocky loves football and Dublin City FC. He is correct to have plans and ambition, what would be the point in having a club and not wanting to do well. He is passionate about football and wears his heart on his sleeve, whats wrong with that. I think that we will attract fans off the barstools and into the EL. Everybody wins.

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Originally Posted by dcfcsteve

and at the end of it all 100% his financial return. ...

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LOL:D your have a laugh!

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Originally Posted by Derek

I think that we will attract fans off the barstools and into the EL. Everybody wins.

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Fair play at least you have a sense of humour about it.


KOH

What i dont like about them is that they call themselves 'Dublin City', as they have no core fanbase they hope to cast their net far and wide and hopefully attract a greater number of fans across the whole city of Dublin. Id have alot more respect for them if they had a local community they represented just like the rest of the dublin teams but instead they try and play it cute and say their representing the whole of dublin, it just wont work. They are a rootless club and in my opinion a pointless club, simply a tarnish on the League.

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Originally Posted by Derek

Rocky loves football and Dublin City FC.

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As he's such a big lover of the game, he surely must have had a favourite Irish team prior to creating a Frankenstein club out of cobbled-together bits of Home Farm.

Who did he support before Dublin City then ?

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Originally Posted by Ringo

LOL:D your have a laugh!

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Ignoring the fact that you've impressively managed to riddle 50% of your response with typos (:p ) what exactly was so funny about my quote ? :confused:

It says "at the end of the day..." . It's not talking about NOW - we all know Dublin City make feck all NOW. But if Seery's arch-plan succeeds, the club will be swimming in money as the premier club in the country and the Irish/Dublin representative in some sort of Euro Super-league. THAT'S where he would intend all the money to be his (or are you proposing he'll just give it all away by then...??). The day has barely started for CHF...

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Originally Posted by Da Real Rover

What i dont like about them is that they call themselves 'Dublin City', as they have no core fanbase they hope to cast their net far and wide and hopefully attract a greater number of fans across the whole city of Dublin. Id have alot more respect for them if they had a local community they represented just like the rest of the dublin teams but instead they try and play it cute and say their representing the whole of dublin, it just wont work. They are a rootless club and in my opinion a pointless club, simply a tarnish on the League.

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kettle, pot & black;) Take out Dublin & replace with Rovers

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Originally Posted by dcfcsteve

Ignoring the fact that you've impressively managed to riddle 50% of your response with typos (:p ) what exactly was so funny about my quote ? :confused:

It says "at the end of the day..." . It's not talking about NOW - we all know Dublin City make feck all NOW. But if Seery's arch-plan succeeds, the club will be swimming in money as the premier club in the country and the Irish/Dublin representative in some sort of Euro Super-league. THAT'S where he would intend all the money to be his (or are you proposing he'll just give it all away by then...??). The day has barely started for CHF...

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he'll be doing well to make money, even the biggest clubs in the UK find it hard

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Originally Posted by Ringo

kettle, pot & black;) Take out Dublin & replace with Rovers

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Yeah compare us with you lot:eek:

KOH

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Originally Posted by Ringo

he'll be doing well to make money, even the biggest clubs in the UK find it hard

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Are you gonna break the news to him, or shall I....?

There's plenty of scope for a couple of teams in Ireland to be profitable commercial ventures, and Seery knows this full-well. You trying to tell me an Irish club appearing regularly in the Champions League group stages couildn't turn-in a tidy annual profit if it was run well....?

If he'd put money into an existing club, he wouldn't have been able to dominate proceedings, call-the-shots and keep all the revenue that he hopes to generate further down the line. That's why he invented a team of his own instead, and stole another club's league slot to save himself the time, cost and gamble involved in building-up his dream from the junior ranks like anyone else would have to do.

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Originally Posted by dcfcsteve

Who did he support before Dublin City then ?

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Obviously a big fan of irish soccer history. Ronan's father Don Seery was a co-founder of Home Farm with Brendan Menton's dad, Brendan Snr.

When Home Farm's committee decided to pull out of the eircom league, Ronan, who was an employee of the club, decided to run the eircom league side on his own behalf.

He just wants to have a senior football club in the area in which he was brought up, nothing wrong with that.

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Originally Posted by Breifne

Obviously a big fan of irish soccer history.

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My avatar and 'handle' might give a clue. I'm a Derry City fan. We only joined the league in 1985 - years after Home Farm entered the league, let alone were founded.... :rolleyes: And yes - I am a big fan of both Irish football, and it's history. Had still never heard of the fecker until he created Continuity Frankenstein City. Do you know who founded Derry City by the way ? Or even a newer club like Kildare County - you being the oracle of all-things Irish and footbally..... :)

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Originally Posted by Breifne

He just wants to have a senior football club in the area in which he was brought up, nothing wrong with that.

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What area - Greater Dublin ?? :eek: If his sole motivation is to have a club in the area in which he was brought up (wherever that was) then why does the team move stadium/area on a regular basis ? And why did he not name the club after his beloved area ?

I think it would be naive to believe that teary-eyed Seery's sole motivation, sniffle, is to have a team in the area he loves so well (wipes tear from eye)....

To lighten the mood Keith Doyle's gone to Dublin City. Imagine a back four with him and Keely's son in it :D :D