Riddickule,i wont argue on the Platinum1 issue(its been done),im a DFC supporter and the issue(their PLANS) do NOT sit well with me and/or most LOI fans.Plans C,D or E would be welcome though
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Riddickule,i wont argue on the Platinum1 issue(its been done),im a DFC supporter and the issue(their PLANS) do NOT sit well with me and/or most LOI fans.Plans C,D or E would be welcome though
On the same date, July 31 the first ever match will be played in the Aviva Stadium, with a combined provinces rugby match between Connacht/ Munster and Ulster/Leinster.
Could that be the 3rd party commercial agreement?
Have the FAI got an agreement with the IRFU not to interfere in any way with their historic opening match in Lansdowne Road?
I'd imagine Barca would steal all the sporting/news headlines that day?
The FAI are spot on - you can't have meanlingness friendlies against glamour opposition mid season close to league fixtures...
Irish Times piece on this: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/...270378351.html
Pretty mad that any club would budget for (and be allowed to do so) 100k profit from an unconfirmed friendly at licensing time, as is claimed in the article.
I would imagine the FAI have the clubs over a barrel as presumably the participation agreement gives the FAI veto power over any game, but the reality is that this decision shows the FAI's vision of how football should look in Ireland.
Its effectively franchise football, with any real revenue going centrally and clubs forced to cede control to Abbottstown and in return the clubs get to bring their begging bowl to queue for some more gruel.
The FAI's statement is blatant that Limerick have stepped on their toes and encroached on revenue that they want for themselves. The reference to Platinum One above is apt. What we're seeing is no different.
CONGRATS TO THE FAI ! barely had they time to bask in the "glory" of the man ure fixture announcement (all genuflect) than they were upstaged by, God help us, a LOI club heavily armed with own initative. Quickly identifying the potential disaster that could ensue including
- good PR generated by a LOI club
- badly needed money injection to the game here
- great advertisement for football in the region (and beyond)
- a full Thomond for a game of football (something beyond the ability of the FAI)
Fortunately our esteemed administrators sprung into action (no need for investigation here, boyos, speedy action needed) to ban the proposed game. In their infinite mercy the FAI will not impose sanctions on Limerick for this grave offence (but remember your place in future) and the good people of Limerick (and beyond) are spared the sight of the marquee team of world club football. Truely a great days work, how officialdom of rugby and bogball must look in awe at the wonderous manageement of the FAI.
RE the possible clash with rugger game at Lansdowne (120 miles away !!!!) what remit do the FAI have to "protect" the interest of rugby ? The same one that will lead to the IRFU cancelling the Munster/Leinster match because it would detract from the SETANTA Cup final (roughly same distance apart) ?
BTW on the "independent" game, its a non runner as all games have to be sanctioned by national federations (ie barcelona won't play in a non UEFA sanctioned game (throuigh the FAI)), add in refs etc and its a complete non runner
hopefully limerick can get this match its huge for the club to succeed in the future ....
What happens if Limerick go ahead and play the game anyway?
I don't even see why this is an issue. We all like to have a go at the FAI now and again, and it's utterly depressing that third-party commercial agreements (assuming the FAI wouldn't straight out lie about having them in place) with very little to do with Limerick, never mind the prospect of Limerick ever benefiting an ounce from them, would put a spanner in the works, but if these agreements do exist, the game just can't proceed.
Indeed, it sounds like a really lame excuse to prevent a game of such magnitude from taking place, which is probably why they felt the need to provide another pretty lame-sounding excuse regarding Limerick being obliged to retain ownership of the date for league fixtures. As a poster earlier pointed out, it's likely that this is a UEFA rule of some sort and is probably in the participation agreement, up to which Limerick willingly signed. If it's in the participation agreement, then it was a bit daft of Limerick to go ahead and organise this without first consulting the FAI. I think some people are getting ahead of themselves. I have as many reservations about the FAI as the next man, but to believe that they "banned" this game out of spite, jealousy or some anti-Limerick/pro-Dublin bias is tinfoil hat talk. In this instance, I'm sorry to say that it's Limerick's fault for getting everyone's hopes up in the first place.
I do admit, all this assumes that the reasons the FAI gave for refusing to sanction this game are not sly concoctions. I doubt the FAI would have such imagination.
Unless, of course, someone "in the know" knows otherwise... If so, please share you knowledge, O fountain.
Ha, that's actually a good question. If the punishment was the imposition of a fine, maybe it would be insignificant enough compared to the potential moneys that the game itself would bring in if they went ahead and played it. I'd guess the punishment would be much more severe than this though. Maybe they'd be kicked out of the league or relegated. Still, didn't someone mention something about insurance and that any player who was involved in the game would have to be released from their contracts and re-registered again after? Sounds like a complete legal quagmire.
The only thing we "know" is the facts before us - that is the respective statements of Limerick and the FAI. Based on that people have surmised that it is yet another balls up by the Abbotstown muppet show.
None of the reasons put forward by the FAI todate are deserving of any credence and until that changes people can only judge them on their own words.
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I do admit, all this assumes that the reasons the FAI gave for refusing to sanction this game are not sly concoctions. I doubt the FAI would have such imagination.
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The FAI are broke because of non-sales of over-priced Premium tkts and need all their imagination to pay their debts.
It's clear from this that any attempt to take potential earnings away from their coffers is met with the screech of brakes. 'Third party' muck is a smoke-screen.
Football in this country is run on a Nazi basis - with John Delaney as Hitler.