So a choice between playing at Finn Park and Finn Park?
Be a bit of a coup for Harps if signed him over Derry.
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So a choice between playing at Finn Park and Finn Park?
Be a bit of a coup for Harps if signed him over Derry.
Molloy and McGlynn to sign for us next week, Vemmelund to sign 11th January
Stephen Hunt to Shamrock Rovers? I'd guess it was just someone joking, but was told this was a possibility.
Rob Lehane signs for Cobh. Very positive signing, badly needed a striker.
Well Cork City but they let him go a few weeks back to find a club
When Cork City got rolled over 4-0 in Oriel Park in 2014, Rob Lehane and Brian Lenihan were the only Cork players to show some bottle and skill.
While I can understand the geographical attraction to joining Cobh, Lehane is surely a premier division player. At 21 years old he could still develop into a serious player
Was sad to hear he wasn't staying with us. Unfortunately he never got a sustained period of game time but whenever he did get on, he did well.
I agree, definitely capable of a higher level but if he has a great season with cobh, I'm sure a few premier teams could take notice.
Darragh McAnthony on Twitter describer signing of Chris Forrester as "daylight robbery".
He had previously said he was the best player in Ireland.
Just had a look there he reckons he's the best midfielder he's ever signed and if a Championship club wanted him he'd cost "way, way over" £3m. Do Pats have any sell on clause?
How much did Pats sell him for?
Whatever the price, English clubs will always be in the driving seat, most players will want to go over and clubs over there generally don't like to pay a transfer fee to LOI clubs, they much prefer offering a nominal amount, or in the case of Towell, simply hang around until he is out of contract and get him for nothing. Then again likes of Towell would have been nuts not to go, even to a league 1 club, its just the way it goes, clubs getting nothing in these cases, no rules were broken.
In the case of Forrester, his value would have increased so much more playing there and in such a short space of time, so its a win win for Peterborough.
Equally LOI clubs aren't exactly keen to compensate intermediate and junior clubs when acquiring their players- again because the money isn't there.
Forrester had 3 months left at Pats and then would have walked for free. Not sur they were in much of a position to argue re the fee/add ons
Great to see him doing well
That is nonsense and you know it - none of our players showed any bottle that night! I'm still scarred by that game...
Agree on the part about Lehane being a Permier Division player though, don't think he's good enough for us at the moment but surely he could have gotten a mid to lower table team.
Is he in college or is there some other specific reason he wouldn't be prepared to leave Cork?
Ryan Manning to Sligo seems to be a rumor that is gathering some pace, I heard few different versions from differnt people but the lastest seems to be it could be a season long loan.
What chance of Forrester getting a national team call up? Maybe not this side of the euro's though. Brian lenihan got called up about 2 weeks after leaving us without even getting a game for hull, compared to how Forrester is doing.
Aside from that, it's great to see him doing well for Peterborough
Forde is one, but how many English 3rd tier players have got into Irish squad in last 2 decades? Like all I always hope LoI players go right to the top once transferred over cross channel, but in Forrester's case I would look to other opinions apart from the Posh owner.
Gavin Dykes leaves Sligo.
Harps need a new Assistant manager.
Sure what could go wrong?????
Rice linked to Sligo in today's Sun. Also says Tommy Dunne is going to Oslo (fully paid for by the PFAI) to scout players. The article in the sun claims the PFAI offer to pay for all managers to go so I don't understand why Dunne is the only one heading over.
I guess most of them would know the players involved already. Seems utterly mad to bring people all the way to Norway to look at Irish players. But then they usually bring a solicitor for some reason.
Should the Swedish (or wherever) PFA not pay the expenses? In theory they could be getting a contract ahead of one of the PFAI members. Maybe it's a central fund run by FIFPRO or something.
Assume any successful trailist would join the PFAI and pay them money.
Hmm so prioritising potential new members over existing ones who don't have to stick with the PFAI to get a club? Doesn't seem sensible but maybe there's something I'm missing.
Barry Molloy turns down Derry's offer and will either sign for Institute or retire
I recall Alan Mathews on radio 1 Sunday sport programme a few years ago casting doubts on this whole exercise by the PFAI. The only reason for it I suppose is that it is paid for by UEFA (am I correct in this?) and people don't usually turn down a free trip. Tony Cousins when at Galway signed Tracey (Limerick now) after watching him at trial/showcase of players released by English clubs over at the FA centre. Maybe something like this would be more beneficial for LoI clubs?
You'd have to imagine one in Engalnd would be far more beneficial alright. Does anything like that happen over or do they just rely on the clubs themselves bringing players in on trial?
I wouldn't say it's the PFAI that are paying for managers to go over. It's more likely that FIFPro are paying for it and the PFAI organise it. I remember working on the glossy PFAI guides that the Irish Mirror gave away free about a decade ago. The publisher said it was only going ahead because the PFAI (headed by Fran Gavin at the time) had funding from FIFPro. It is hard to get info from PFAI on things like this but I would guess personally that FIFPro fund a lot of what they do.
Saw online that Hartlepool have formed a partnership with a Finnish Club, where the two can exchange players. Of course the winter/summer season divide makes this easier. Was there a partnership/alliance between Shels and Man Utd back in the Ollie Byrne days? I remember Pat Doolan making a smart comment about it on tv once (think he gave flowers to the Bohs fans the same night). Was Home Farm/Everton a sort of agreement/alliance as well?
With summer soccer, would it be of benefit to Irish clubs to have such arrangement now, but with less grand clubs than Man Utd or Everton, a club like Crewe Alex maybe.
Partnership implies equal status rather than what was actually a we will pay you a few grand a year and any of your half decent players we own. But aye it was a formal arrangement rather than a first option type thing. I think Shels just had an Ireland based Man Utd scout involved or as a fan!?