Covid 19 - LOI Ramifications

Dundalk chairman Bill Hulsizer:
“I’m not going to worry about the other teams in Ireland. “I definitely won’t do anything to hurt them but I’m not going to do things that I think would help everyone when nobody else cares about whether anyone else gets help, just about their own particular parish"

Maybe some of the real Dundalk fans and people should tell Bill how they had the buckets out in LOI grounds around the country in 2013, collecting money and showing off their big SOS banner. I would say 'short memory' but of course not much point.

Does anybody have a ballpark figure how much cash is needed to see out the league? What’s the clubs combined spend in a season? 25-30 million?

Minus cash already in -
income supports already paid to players and staff
season ticket sales
merchandise
sponsorship
fundraisers

Pared back to the bones, would 12 million see it through to the end? It’s a lot, granted, but it's also loose change in the grand scheme of things. (Put certain football administrators in the stocks and charge a tenner for a rotten tomato and you’d soon make a dent in it!)

Is today the deadline for the clubs? I think Moldova is the other Summer league that hasn't decided yet to return or not. Is money the issue over there too or are the virus numbers a lot higher than other countries, does anyone know?

You can break it down to that the vast majority of money being lost is ticket revenue.
The league average was 2,100 last year. Times that by the approx 16 home games missing is 33,600. Give an average ticket price of 11 euro is 369,600. Divide that by 2 to account for an estimate of half the crowd being season tickets (in reality it's probably more season tickets but to be safe we'll say half) that's 184,800. So thats the average shortfall clubs have from tickets. You could round that up to 200,000 to account for raffles, food, etc so Premier Division will need approx 2 million. First division you could do the same maths, adjusted for less home games and avg attendance of 582 to get 38412 rounded to 40000 so 360,000.

So overall a package of 2,360,000 would cover all shortfall more or less.

It's embarrassing that a national association in a country where football is as widely played as it is here can't come up with that. I don't blame Quinn and Co for that though

Seen in Irish Sun today that there are proposals to play first month of delayed restart BCD in August and then limit attendance from Sept onwards. Govt are talking about max crowds of 5k. Now that could work!

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Originally Posted by Kiki Balboa

This is genuinely one of the most depressing episodes in my time following the league. Yes the FAI is a mess, but Seeing senior football teams not trying to play football just kills me.


What is the point of this? Do Sligo and Pats not have to honour their contracts? When the 350euro payment ends, what will their players do? If football is sanctioned to be played in August with fans, will we have to wait another month for teams to get their fitness back?

So many questions, but I feel like certain teams just want the league cancelled, and try to start up again next year.... baiscally dragging everyone down to their level, destroying any progress made in the last couple of years.

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That's exactly what's happening but everyone's afraid to call those clubs out and it's beyond depressing.

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Originally Posted by Bucket

Is today the deadline for the clubs? I think Moldova is the other Summer league that hasn't decided yet to return or not. Is money the issue over there too or are the virus numbers a lot higher than other countries, does anyone know?

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From what I can gather using google translate, they are looking to going back to being Autumn/Spring but they haven't got a return date yet. They're waiting on the health authorities to give them a green light.

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Originally Posted by WeAreRovers

That's exactly what's happening but everyone's afraid to call those clubs out and it's beyond depressing.

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Well actually its not. And all clubs bar a couple are of a similar mind when it comes to getting this up and running. Dont believe everything you read on forums and social media.

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Originally Posted by redobit

Dundalk chairman Bill Hulsizer:
“I’m not going to worry about the other teams in Ireland. “I definitely won’t do anything to hurt them but I’m not going to do things that I think would help everyone when nobody else cares about whether anyone else gets help, just about their own particular parish"

Maybe some of the real Dundalk fans and people should tell Bill how they had the buckets out in LOI grounds around the country in 2013, collecting money and showing off their big SOS banner. I would say 'short memory' but of course not much point.

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Wild Bill does not appear to be a man who sits on the fence on things.

The above quote really needs to be read in context of the whole interview where he is expressing a lot of exasperation about being asked for a 7 figure loan by the FAI which was then not followed up.

The article also seems to indicate that Peak6 were subsequently still willing to offer the FAI substantial funds

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“We were asked for €1m and then €1.5million in April and we said ‘OK, let’s figure out the detail’.

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Negative or problematic attitudes from some clubs to getting the league re-started may also have irked him into suggesting that he will now refocus

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“Our mission when we came in was to improve the League of Ireland. I can’t see that happening now. I don’t think the League of Ireland is ready to be improved. It needs it but there’s not enough money.

“We’re going to focus on making Dundalk the best example of what football should be that we can.
“I’m not going to worry about the other teams in Ireland.

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If after you read the full article you still genuinely believe that he should change his approach because of a cash crises in 2012 come back and tell me why and I will be happy to discuss it

https://www.thesun.ie/sport/football...seven-figures/

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Originally Posted by Ezeikial

Wild Bill does not appear to be a man who sits on the fence on things.

The above quote really needs to be read in context of the whole interview where he is expressing a lot of exasperation about being asked for a 7 figure loan by the FAI which was then not followed up.

The article also seems to indicate that Peak6 were subsequently still willing to offer the FAI substantial funds



Negative or problematic attitudes from some clubs to getting the league re-started may also have irked him into suggesting that he will now refocus



If after you read the full article you still genuinely believe that he should change his approach because of a cash crises in 2012 come back and tell me why and I will be happy to discuss it

https://www.thesun.ie/sport/football...seven-figures/

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In the article Bill ( please spare us the silly Wild moniker) Mentions SDCC putting a further €7.5m into Tallaght and he’ll be looking to see what Louth CC can provide to update Oriel.

You might advise Bill that (1) SDCC own Tallaght so they’re happy to invest upgrade their own stadium , so it’s stupid/disingenuous to call on LCC to put a cent into Oriel..., glad to see Bill says Peak will be finally investing in the stadium .... is that the truth or just a cheap sound bite ?

(2) Also comparing SDCC resources with LCC resources is the equivalent to comparing the city budget of New York with that of Turkey Scratch in Arkansas ( Bill should be clever enough to work that out)

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Originally Posted by Calcio Jack

In the article Bill ( please spare us the silly Wild moniker) Mentions SDCC putting a further €7.5m into Tallaght and he’ll be looking to see what Louth CC can provide to update Oriel.

You might advise Bill that (1) SDCC own Tallaght so they’re happy to invest upgrade their own stadium , so it’s stupid/disingenuous to call on LCC to put a cent into Oriel..., glad to see Bill says Peak will be finally investing in the stadium .... is that the truth or just a cheap sound bite ?

(2) Also comparing SDCC resources with LCC resources is the equivalent to comparing the city budget of New York with that of Turkey Scratch in Arkansas ( Bill should be clever enough to work that out)

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Silly, Stupid, Disingenuous....

Pass on by Calcio, maybe someone else will take your bait

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Originally Posted by Ezeikial

Silly, Stupid, Disingenuous....

Pass on by Calcio, maybe someone else will take your bait

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No them’s just the facts .... hope Bill likes his time in Turkey Scratch

You know I agree with Bill. The hypocrits in the SDCC refuse to pay for my extension to my gaff while they're building a whole estates of full gaffs in other places, it's ridiculous carry on this and I'm delighted someones finally standing up to them

https://www.thesun.ie/sport/football...rn-august-fai/

Talks progressing by the sound of things. The potential of fans by September will help matters aswell.

If we start back when do clubs want the league to end?

Go longer to get more games in, or if players on 40 week contracts does it make it more of a headache

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Originally Posted by Bunny Kelly

If we start back when do clubs want the league to end?

Go longer to get more games in, or if players on 40 week contracts does it make it more of a headache

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A whole series would have to be dropped I’d say if we want to finish in October or November.

The article says 18 game Premier - so two series dropped.

Lots of other little considerations too of course - like I've never seen anyone pay by card at the turnstiles, but that'll have to change. Or programme sellers - how do you buy a programme and keep social distance? What about the club shop - how do you stop people from, say, touching a scarf just to get the feel of it, or rooting through jerseys to find their size?

Going to be a very different experience I think.

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Originally Posted by pineapple stu

The article says 18 game Premier - so two series dropped.

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That remains an open question

Based on a tweet from Gary Rogers, PFAI Chair, this afternoon it was far from resolved, as is the question of promotion & relegation. Inevitably both issues are interlinked

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gary rogers
@1garyrogers

Interesting last meeting as @PFAIOfficial
chairman this afternoon. Matters discussed included player contracts and the restart and the length of the season. Players want promotion and relegation to ensure sporting integrity of the league.

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https://twitter.com/1garyrogers/stat...25377257271296

So 13 more games to win the league. Cool. Let's go.

Hopefully any money that the clubs get will be given to the players who were laid off quick smart as soon as someone sneezed in March, and not just back into the owners pockets. sligo, pats & waterford players, keep your eyes open!

Seeks to me now that the clubs who only want to come back for a two series league are the same ones who now want relegation scrapped.
I personally think the league should come back for a 27 game season, it gives plenty of time for teams to avoid relegation/make Europe etc on the pitch. The season could be stretched out until early December.