GUST apply for first division licence

Limeerick fans have short memories

The FAI's decision effectively disenfranchised the incumbent Limerick F.C. and its chairman Danny Drew, although the organisation remained receptive to the continued participation of Limerick within senior football. To this end, FAI chief executive John Delaney openly solicited approaches from other interested parties within the city of Limerick even as he announced the rejection of Limerick F.C.'s appeal: "We want a healthy Limerick based club in the new Eircom League of Ireland and if interested entities seek a licence, we would assess them carefully for their suitability to meet the criteria required to play in the league."[8] On January 3, 2007, the FAI confirmed that its appeal for Limerick-based applicants to the league had garnered interest from a number of parties, one of which identified itself as Soccer Limerick, a consortium purporting to represent the entire spectrum of Limerick football, from schoolboy to Junior (amateur) level, and operating under the auspices of the Limerick Sports Partnership.[9]

Eight days later, Soccer Limerick confirmed that its constituent committees had approved the submission of a formal application for a UEFA club license, with a view to gaining entry to the First Division of the National League for the 2007 season. Soccer Limerick spokesman Ger Finnan confirmed that Limerick 37 planned to stage home fixtures at Jackman Park, headquarters of the LDMC, and would announce the appointment of a first-team manager on Monday January 15, 2007.[10] Paul McGee was subsequently appointed manager of Limerick 37, and signed 11 players before the start of the season.[11]

With McGee's results and style of play not going down well with the home fans, the club opted to replace him with former player and manager Mike Kerley, who brought abput mid-table respectability, as well as a remarkable end of season run which saw Limerick end Waterford's promotion hopes with a 5-1 win in Limerick, a 1-0 away defeat of eventual division winners Dundalk, and most memorably, a 1-1 draw away to shelbourne, with Colin Scanlan's late equaliser denying Shelbourne the title and promotion in the 2008 season.

Open meeting - this evening, Claddagh Hall, 9.00pm

Galway United Supporters Trust will hold an open meeting this evening, Wednesday January 18th, to update our members, supporters and the public on developments over the two weeks regarding our application for the 2012 Airtricity League First Division.

The meeting will be held at the Claddagh Hall at 9.00pm. GUST apologise for the short notice, we hope to see you at the Claddagh Hall later on.

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Originally Posted by gufc2000

The meeting will be held at the Claddagh Hall at 9.00pm. GUST apologise for the short notice, we hope to see you at the Claddagh Hall later on.

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Hope this went ok

2 proposals put to members:
1. An alliance with Salthill Devon to play as SD Galway in Terryland, wearing maroon and white at home, blue and white away. Team to remain part of Devon, not a separate entity, and a place for 2 members on a LOI sub-committee in Devon.
2. An alliance with Mervue (verbal proposal only) to play as Galway & Mervue United, in Terryland, in maroon and white, with both crests on the jersey, and the offer of up to 3 places on the Mervue board.
Further discussions taking place today, John Delaney travelling down for them

Both crests on the jersey is a bit of a silly offer; but the Mervue option does seem the more viable. Salthill seem to have basically offered two meaningless positions since those 2 representatives of GUST would ultimately be answerable to the board.

It is certainly a more 'generous' offer - someone said last night the Devon one seems to be nothing more than getting GUST to put a fundraising committee together. I can see why Mervue are offering the 2 crests thing, it is about asthetics and if the GUST crest is there, at least it gives the impression of a little bit of ownership, which as I am sure all will appreciate, is hugely important to us United fans

Seeing as Mervue's crest consists of quadrants with water, a tree, a football and 1960 any merger would mean the 1960 would no longer apply and the football is superfluous*. Therefore just add the ship to the left hand side and have a new halved crest (?) I know it's not top priority but it's just a suggestion.

Incidentally does GUFC own rights to the crest? I'd presume not due to the similarity of it with the Galway County crest, but if they do any new entity could not use it. It could be rejigged a little though, the reason City changed our crest was because the city council owned the copyright to the coat of arms on the original crest and Coughlan owned the rights to the "new" crest.


* The football in the crest before some smart-**se replies ;)

"FC Real Sporting County Of Galway Leopards" has a great ring to it imo.

I've been out of the LoI loop for about a year now, but I still follow it in the comedy pages of the nationals and so I have to ask.

What position are GUST in to offer any sort of merger with anyone? I realise you could add a few fans to their gate, but what if they say no? They hold all the aces and GUST basically have a carrot and a sorry look on it's face to counter.

Why not, for example, just start supporting Mervue? The Galway United you all supported is dead and buried at this stage, this Galway & Mervue United lark seems to be brought about by pig-headed pride on GUST's part to not accept that. Seems a bit odd to want to end another club's existence just to accommodate your egos.

Don't agree with that analysis. I would doubt that Mervue or Salthill can make a go of it in the LOI in the long term without a merger, at some point the other elements of the clubs will get sick of subsidising the LOI team. What GUST bring is a reasonable amount of support and fundraising ability- something that would be massively useful to either of those clubs.

Mervue and Salthill have now started paying their players, how in God's name is that sustainable on their attendances? Mervue averaged better than Devon, but even at that they were over inflated, and this is backed up by supporters of other LOI clubs in this.

GUST would be a major asset to both clubs, because they'd be left to do the fundraising and bring the fans with them. And what the token gesture of 2/3 representatives on a club board, and the others in the majority. I'm sorry but that is just ridiculous.

The merger should signal the beginning of a new entity, not a team by the name of Galway who are Mervue or Salthill in disguise.

In terms of a football club they offer nothing. They have little or no money. The only thing they own is a fax machine. The promise of hundreds of fans doesn't stand up as they were Galway United fans not trust members.

I'm surprised that two of the largest junior clubs in the region don't have fundraising committees already??

The 2 members of a sub committee is an embarrassing pat on the head on the one hand but on the otherhand it's a bone Salthill need never have thrown.

The GUST simply aren't bringing a hell of a lot to the table, whether they like it or not.

http://www.galwaynews.ie/23804-mervu...eland-alliance

As anyone knows running a League of Ireland club costs a hell of a lot. In the long term there is no future for Salthill Devon or Mervue United in their current guise even without the existence of Galway United.

GUST do have a core of support and fundraising ability to make a League of Ireland club sustainable. Salthill and Mervue have done an excellent job of setting up community clubs but to risk all that hard work to pay for a League of Ireland club with a very small catchment area makes no sense for either of them.

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Originally Posted by Lim till i die

I'm surprised that two of the largest junior clubs in the region don't have fundraising committees already??
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Of course they do but that's for the youth structures they have in existence - for them to achieving the local backing to pay for them to support a League of Ireland club is highly debatable.

So Mervue or Salthill can attach the Galway moniker to their senior side for the purposes of League Of Ireland football to garner more widespread support......

The GUST are not a pre requisite to this happening

Therefore any bone either club throws the GUST needs to be considered by the GUST and they need to decide whether it's worth their while going to work for that club.

They want to be the fundraising committee for Salthill or Mervue, fairplay to them, the very best of luck with it.

But lets not pretend for one minute that they're holding any particularly high cards here.

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Originally Posted by Lim till i die

So Mervue or Salthill can attach the Galway moniker to their senior side for the purposes of League Of Ireland football to garner more widespread support......

The GUST are not a pre requisite to this happening

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Naive in the extreme.

If your theory was correct, why haven't they attempted this already? Why have they requested meetings with GUST?

I can only speak for myself, but if Devon or Mervue were to change their name to Galway F.C., I would not support them, essentially they've only changed their name, they'll still be the same clubs. They wouldn't represent my interests, which would be GUST's inclusion, and I'm sure there are a lot more that share my opinion (and some that don't). At the end of the day, believe it or not, Galway United supporters would be more supportive of GUST than Mervue United or Salthill Devon, and I don't envisage them flocking to Terryland Park when (if the above was to occur) they know there is no GUST involvement and it's only a case of one of the aforementioned clubs changing their name.

I do not support either club not out of bitterness, but because they are both parish teams that don't represent me. Another Limerick fan suggested "why don't you just support Mervue", not entirely sure if he's on a wind up or not, but if Limerick went to the wall, would you support Athlone? I doubt it.

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Originally Posted by Olander

Naive in the extreme.

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Ya, ya, I'm the one who's naive. :bulgy:

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If your theory was correct, why haven't they done this already? Why have they requested meetings with GUST?

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They're throwing the GUST a bone get them onside, get them to fundraise, the more the merrier, happy days.

If you think for one second Mervue, Salthill (or indeed the FAI for that matter) are going to come out the other end of this having given the GUST a large postion of power in either club........

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At the end of the day, believe it or not, GUST has a loyal support, and I don't envisage them flocking to Terryland Park

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I'm sure they do.

But are you honestly telling people on here that the Galway sporting public in general wont go to watch Galway whatever if they're successful unless they are ran by the GUST??

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if Limerick went to the wall, would you support Athlone? I doubt it

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Possibly.

But only because they're essentially Limericks B team these days. :p

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Originally Posted by Lim till i die

So Mervue or Salthill can attach the Galway moniker to their senior side for the purposes of League Of Ireland football to garner more widespread support......

The GUST are not a pre requisite to this happening

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Originally Posted by Olander

Naive in the extreme.

If your theory was correct, why haven't they attempted this already?

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Because they value their heritage? Because they don't want to be Galway United? Dunno...but I'm sure that's where they would be coming from.