What have I started ?! :eek:
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What have I started ?! :eek:
Well I threw the oil on the fire - discussion and reasoned opinion Id have hoped!Quote:
Originally Posted by EatYerGreens
Genuinely not stirring above! But it seems a bit damned if ye do damned if ye dont for clubs who want to have grounds worthy of the league. Is it a 'want a new ground but totally on my terms' so unreasonable expectations? What, if there is one, an alternative to redeveloping Oriel Park? I cant think of a suits all patch of land in the town. Where the County Ground is going would have been ideal imo but well away from the core of the town and that matchday tradition/
Honestly just think some modest but well appointed improvements would do for pretty much every ground. You need reasonable toilets and a covered stand for everybody. It looks as though the money that was promised for ground improvements up north is going to be released to clubs and ground improvements will become more evident up there. Maybe that will put pressure down here for something similar. Once construction behind the Church End in Larne is completed, both Crusaders and Larne will have small cantilever roofed stands behind each of their goals seating around 600 people each. To my eyes, they'd improve every ground we have here, with the exception of Tallaght and Turners Cross (well Longford would just need a roof behind each end).
LOI grounds would be perfect with one good main stand containing the necessary facilities, two small covered stands behind the goals and a fairly underdeveloped area on the camera side (think Camac in Inchicore) with a good gantry so it's all very presentable. That side only likely to be used for those one off big days like cup semis or whatever. Absolute pipe dream to think we'll get to that level but it seems like a more realistic pipe dream than the various big plans we've seen over the years. I have a Pats programme from about 2000 I think, they had plans for a two tier stand behind the goal. Bohs have had loads of plans, think I have some mad ones from a match programme in the 90's somewhere. The weirdest thing of all is that the Tallaght pipe dream of a 10k stadium is actually happening, albeit via the scenic route.
Dundalk to Dunleer on google maps is a 14 minute trip. The Belfield Bowl to Greystones is 30, and that's not allowing for rush hour traffic which is rather worse on the latter route. Apples and oranges. Also, no, it would not bother me: I regularly go there.Quote:
Originally Posted by Yossarian
Yeah, that's all you were doing. :rofl: And no.Quote:
Originally Posted by boynemunich
MK Dons are 97 minutes travel from the Old Den. I have to laugh at the complete lack of perspective here. I've been asked to compare 30, 45, and 97 minute journeys to ... drum roll ... 14 minutes. You know, the length of time most people are willing to travel to walk to the bus stop.Quote:
Anyways for anyone suggesting Drogheda and/or Dundalk should up sticks to Dunleer or any other club should do the equivalent there's a certain club in Milton Keynes I think yous would take a liking to.
The Old Den was Millwall not Wimbledon
As Plough Lane has kinda been referred to, it has just 'opened', less than 20 years from a new supporter owned club to playing in the same division as MK Dons and managing to build a new ground a stones throw from the original is impressive stuff.
Would make sense if, as a cohort, the importance of location was amplified among League of Ireland fans. Given that we're very much in the minority of football fans in the country who have chosen one of the worst leagues in Europe to support based on it being our own local league. In saying that, match-going fans rarely seem to want their grounds to move. Think Bohs moving out to a greenfield site near the airport could have been a death knell. Even though I was in favour of it at the time.
It looks an absolutely wonderful ground. I'm definitely going to go over and have a look whenever it's allowed. Copa90 have a good 30 minute documentary about plough lane on youtube and Wimbledon have loads of great videos of the new ground.Quote:
Originally Posted by Nesta99
It's the same the world over alright. Yet when it comes down to it, provided the move isn't MK Dons daft, most fans to move across with the ground. What's the alternative?Quote:
Originally Posted by bohsmug
I think you're just supposed to keep going and bang on about the old ground until you die.
I'm looking forward to getting in a visit whenever possible myself. It's an interesting development in how it was funded and designed with 3 'temporary' stands with the main stand. It's also a good indication of what a circa 10k capacity costs, or what can be done with that budget.Quote:
Originally Posted by bohsmug
Thank you for posting that chart KB, since I was able to find the link from it - it might be subtitled "Nerd Heaven"!Quote:
Originally Posted by Kiki Balboa
https://www.footballbenchmark.com/do..._FY%202018.pdf
From a parochial pov, it was interesting to see how many IL stadia are club-owned/controlled, as compared with LOI. (Eng and Scot compare well on the European stage, too)
And how important gate receipts and UEFA money are to both.
Also LOI revenue (€15m) was only half as much again as IL (€10), despite having twice as big a population and x3(?) the GDP; also Derry City.
While LOI clubs are much better at raising sponsorship than IL clubs.
Page 128 was also interesting: IL basically top the Euro league when it came to the Assets to Liabilities ratio - a reflection of owning their own stadia?
Beyond that, Scottish football seems to punch above its weight on a number of factors. If only that punching power was as evenly distributed within Scotland as it is in many other countries.
Yep, sorry for the brain fart. Same distance, give or take 5 minutes.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bucket
Thats a great document. Irish League certainly seems to be well run and stable financially. League of Ireland is also a lot better than I expected. Or at least there are plenty of leagues just as bad as we are. Just couple of notes... Northern Ireland has the lowest spend percentage in Europe I think on wages at 42 percent of revenue. LOI is at 63 percent, which seems healthy. Also, we are 36th league in spend on wages and sit at 37th in the coefficants. This is based on 2017 and 2018, so wages probably rose since then... but still intresting. There is a massive jump in wages from the rank 33 upwards (so from Finland). I guess, realistically, that is the height LOI can climb in the rankings (unless something major happens).Quote:
Originally Posted by EalingGreen
I see FC Stumbras from Kuanas in Lithuania is credited as being owned by people from Ireland... Whats the craic with that?
I suspect the IL wages-to-revenue ratio is looking a bit higher since that survey (2018? 2019?), what with Larne and Glentoran both going f-t. And I'd guess some of the others are spending more in order to compete? (Though IL clubs did OK in Europe last season, which might keep it at/around 42%?)Quote:
Originally Posted by Kiki Balboa
Aye, I spotted that one, but couldn't make out which club it was.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kiki Balboa
Anyhow, I've taken a look at their wiki page, and as of 05 March 2019, the President (Richard Walsh) and Chief Operating Officer (Brian Forde) are both Irish.
The second shareholder listed after Walsh is a Portugese who's also their Head Coach, as are all their other coaches.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FC_Stumbras
However that wiki page, which appears to be a google-translate job, also states:
"In 2019 season Stumbras won against FK Sūduva Marijampolė and FK Žalgiris Vilnius, team was in first position, but after first round team had problems, and could not win any more. In summer club lost place in 2019–20 UEFA Europa League and later in A Lyga and at last defunct."
In other words, they've gone bust!
EDIT: Just found about this Walsh character:
Since 2013 Richard [Walsh] is a Head of Operations in a British sports agency E3 Sports.
In 2016 Richard led takeover of FC Stumbras football club, based in Kaunas, Lithuania. The other investment partners were Portuguese coach Mariano Barreto - a man with numerous sports contacts, E3 Property and E3 Sports agency co-shareholder Mark Lenher and football club management specialist Carlos Olavo Mesquita da Silva. The investors identified Lithuania as the perfect place to train players and sell them off with a profit. Their business model was to build a talent factory, and achieve profit by selling players abroad. After looking at opportunities in Portugal, the pair turned their attention on Lithuania, which has one of the lowest minimum wage requirements in Europe and where half the top league's eight teams typically qualify for continental competitions every year. Although low profile, the first international transfer took place in 2018-2019 season winter transfer window, 18 year old Vilius Armalas signed up for S.L. Benfica.
In June 2019 FC Stumbras was reported to be in difficult financial situation. The club was stripped of UEFA license, preventing the participation in the UEFA Europa League competition. Richard Walsh protested by withdrawing the team from the league game, and tweeting through official club Twitter account "FC Stumbras will not play our A lyga game today. This is due to lack of support and engagement from the LFF in these challenging times for our Club."
Talking about football industry in an interview Richard admitted “I can’t say I have found more difficult people than people in the football industry, I find them anything but truthful and straightforward."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Jeremiah_Walsh
See on our forum that the Galway FA are proposing that a 4G Astro been put into Eamonn Deacy Park which would bring it the forth stadium in League along with Derry Dundalk and Athlone
This is not a trend that should be encouraged.
I accept that it is a cost and potential revenue thing but it doesn't sit well with me
Uprooting one of the better pitches in the league to make way for an astro is horrible.
When you consider the fact that Deacy Park serves as a home to both the Galway FA and Galway United, it's very impressive the pitch is kept in such good nick. I wonder what it costs to keep it up.
If they bring back the bar in the old clubhouse, I wouldn't mind at all
Sepp Blatter said it himself that plastic is the future!Quote:
Originally Posted by nigel-harps1954
Caught in two minds about this. Astro pitches could make us feel like a bit of a toy league. Conversely for clubs with as few resources as ours do, it seems madness to have a pitch that only gets used 25 times a year give or take. Whether it's a council, the club or FA that owns it. Just wish astro pitches were better.
He was probably talking about his FIFA credit card.Quote:
Originally Posted by Nesta99
He meant plastic surgery.Quote:
Originally Posted by Nesta99
Now thats just making mountains out of molehills!!Quote:
Originally Posted by EatYerGreens
There was a picture of the New Finn Park on Social Media last night, good to see they’ve kept the pitch at a similar standard to the current one.
https://media1.tenor.com/images/2d49...be69/tenor.gifQuote:
Originally Posted by DCSIL
Any links, so we all can get a gander!
It's an old enough picture that was put up, but the ground is looking abysmal this past few years regardless, and showing all the signs of a new build left neglected and rotting for years.
All this talk of a 2030 WC bid would fit in to the timescale to have a stand and pitch ready for somone to train on by then.
We might even have crowds back by then too.Quote:
Originally Posted by Nesta99
This WC 2030 talk sums up everything that’s wrong with Irish football. Even though it’s unlikely to happen, the fact that it is being considered in ridiculous considering how much of a financial shambles the FAI is. If they focused on supporting football from grassroots through the LoI and to the national team then that would far more worthwhile than this vanity project.Quote:
Originally Posted by Nesta99
Its something that the government ministers love & FAI blazers. It’s a joke to talk about hosting a World Cup when the majority of LOI grounds are in the **** state they are.Quote:
Originally Posted by Yossarian
A vanity project that will appeal to the Jolly Green Army types. Not to be on board would have its own consequences imo, though I agree, mainly as a LoI fan on this, that priorities are ars*eways. That said the govt are footing the feasibility bill. It a post Brexit show, and maybe an Isalnd of Ireland dimension will creep in also. From grassroots to LoI I dont think there are enough people to counter the potential backlash if the FAI was sensible on this!
Could this potentially be used to get funding for training grounds? We could use this to get funding for some really world class academy facilities and just have a match or two at the aviva
Dropping stuff up to Oriel and low and behold the old place has had a coat of paint and actually looks very well. Had noticed a few cosmetic things from coverage of the Bohs friendly, mainly improved tidiness and a proper barrier seperating the rear of the Lilywhite Lounge/ Away Terrace from the terrace itself. Baby steps, but it was a very minimum want from fans. No more dead mice lying around...
Pitch looked well too, properly brushed and maintained with the infill not so obvious or kicking up.
Any pics?
Naw didnt hang about for obvious reasons but if ye have a look at the Bohs game stream, its give an idea. https://www.dundalkfc.com/live-strea...c-v-bohemians/Quote:
Originally Posted by Bucket
It does make a difference. Are they new seats in the home section to the right of main stand as you're looking from the shed?
I know some Dundalk fans are almost demanding a full stadium refurbishment, but in the few years Peak6 have been there, they are making improvements to the place. The upgrade of the YDC, new toilets at away end, the puddle(!!), and now this. It's more than a lot of clubs are doing tbf
Not sure they are new seats tbh, possibly repaired of that they are sectioned off if deemed damaged or unsafe. I'll take it though, for however limited a ground is there is no excuse for not maximising what you do have, keeping it tidy, clean, toilets fit for purpose etc. The overall impression was less dilapidated so amazing what a lick of paint can do. What would it cost annually? No more than 5-10k if including the high level facades of the stand and thats not needed yearly. Even just keeping sponsor's pitchside signs up to date and replaced if damaged. Just having proper seats in the dugout improved things even if Kenny Sheils bemoaned their positioning. There is obviously a hit to revenue streams but it would be good, upon fans return, to have say the bar area open on the YDC side. With teams using the changing rooms on opposite sides of the ground, if such restrictions remain then even with fans back the YDC could still be out of bounds while used by the team.
Actually maybe the seats are marked with social distancing in mind (and have been given a wipe with a rag), as it looks that every 2nd row is covered by netting so the different colour makes 'em look new.
Modest improvements to take it up from 8th best in the PD would be a start for me !Quote:
Originally Posted by Bucket