Squad considering options.....
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DEEnnd4XcAICnf0.jpg
Printable View
Squad considering options.....
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DEEnnd4XcAICnf0.jpg
Its the FAI lads, lol:D
Another fine mess JD has landed himself into
PFAI not believing O'Connor's Plan and have looked for cast Iron Guarantees from New Investors and the FAI by Monday. Another blow for O'Connor is that their next home game against CCFC will not go ahead due to Corks European fixtures .
It's not the clubs being run by supporters that would directly threaten the FAI, it's the fact that they would immediately oust the league chairman once his re-election came up (or sooner if they could force it) and the LOI clubs would have a seat at the very top table of the FAI, one of the people that (in theory) appoints the CEO. They'd burn Abbotstown down before that would be allowed to happen.
I understand the concept and recognise the limitations, but how do you define reliance on a big investor?
I presume you do not think investment is negative per se - do you think clubs should only allow investment in certain limited circumstances where this "reliance" is reduced or eliminated?
Can an investor be a supporter?
Can a supporter be an investor?
What distinguishes one from the other?
Are there flaws to a democratic supporter-run model?
This is the correct answer.
As stu mentions above supporter models aren't perfect, we have seen that in Athlone and Cobh as well in the past, but with a suppoerter model you aren't relying on a small number of individuals to keep your team afloat.
In our case of course the memory of financial difficulty is still so raw so our group is very cautious by nature in our expenditure. That won't be the same at all clubs but it is likely in the case where a supporters trust or equivalent takes over after some kind of disaster.
Thanks for that.
Yes it did work well. We voted people in, they ( and us) made some spectacular mistakes, we faced the consequences, dug deep from our own pockets and began to discharge our liabilities arising from those mistakes. We learned from them, voted different people in, turned the club around on and off the field and now live within our means.
It didn't work well. It cost you your ground.
You're right that at least the model allowed you to vote people out, whereas I can't see that Bray, say, can do that.
But I think it needs to be acknowledged that Supporter-run clubs aren't a panacea for all ills. The problem with democracy is idiots get a vote, and people can play to that.
They may be the best of a bad lot in terms of governance, I'll certainly allow that. But I think there's arguably a place on every board for someone who has no interest in football, and can more easily step back from the decisions being made and give objective advice.
This is a root of questioning and irritation. Many (most) supporters who post on the subject appear blind to difficulties and make far-reaching and romantic claims about the supporter-run model.
I can almost hear the terrace chant - Four legs good, two legs bad
Supreme oligarchy probably works best of all if you can find the right people.
But usually you can't
That's exactly it. Yugoslavia was a huge success but only Tito had the personality to keep everyone happy and hold it together. Once he died the Serbs tried to exterminate the Bosniaks.
I think it was JFK who gave the "democracy is not perfect but it's the best there is" quote. It was a speech in Berlin after the fall of the wall if I'm not mistaken.
Anyway, I digress. I'm not against investors at all, but I think it's always better if the majority (say 51%) of a club is fan owned. Finanvial investors can come tribute to the rest of they wish.
It's on Sunday instead of Friday, hardly a blow. A strange part of this saga is the club's official Facebook page has been sharing articles critical of O'Connor, one with Dylan Connolly who calls him Denis the Menace and another with Keith Long which doesn't pull any punches. They also have the players statement up without comment from the club.
https://www.thesun.ie/archives/footb...ess-in-europe/
Did the league get a solidarity payment of around €381,000 after Dundalk's progress to the EL group stage last year?
Obviously supporter owned clubs can still make bad decisions and can still run into trouble. Athlone for example are at least in theory a members club but seem to be either a closed shop or there aren't sufficient people willing to become members and cause regime change. On the other hand those two lads in Dundalk could in theory take the Euro money once it hits the club accounts and simply walk away. That would not have been possible under the previous co-op model.
Fan ownership isn't perfect, or anywhere remotely near it. And it certainly would be easier to have a rich owner who would pay someone to do the work I do for free. But on the other hand owning your club is a beautiful thing, even if it comes with responsibilities.
Was the deadline close of business today for Bray/O'Connor to convince the players everything is OK?
Stuart Gilhooly PFAI Solicitor was on Six One News about Athlone and Bray. He said they had heard nothing back from Bray since Last Thursday when they demanded Cast Iron Guarantees to be forwarded by today and the Squad would be meeting with the PFAI to discuss their options tomorrow.
RTÉ radio saying this morning that the FAI are meeting Bray today about guarantees. Considering they were given until close of business yesterday is it a waste of time? Should the PFAI and the players make a stand today and say sorry, too little too late?
Exactly. Even if Bray stopped paying after next week the players may not be able to get out in this window. But they have every right to be concerned. The statements from O Connor have been vague, contradictory and frankly aren't really credible much of the time.
A tweet I saw (private account so can't link it, but have heard story confirmed elsewhere) 2 years ago today Chairman was refused entry by the Gardaí to Carlisle, later got in & changed the locks. This has been a pantomime for some time now and even if the current situation blows over for a bit things will inevitably rear up again.
I'm not certain but I don't think that's the way it went down. I think a shareholder (can't remember names) and a few others locked the ground, locking the O'Connors out. The O'Connors eventually gained access to the ground with the assistance of the Gardai and they then changed the locks. They (O'Connors) also lost access to the club website around the same time.
Either way it's all pretty mental. If I were a Bray fan I would be looking to get organised and get a trust in place ASAP. Could make a big difference at some stage.
Wasn't that the time a former director filed a form with the CRO appointing himself director and resigning the others? Completely illegal of course. And mental too.
Jeez I forgot about that one. Hard to keep track of it all.
Wasnt some guy that ran the shop with programmes and merchandising locked out just before that or that he gained access and it peeved people off. It seemed at the time like the McGettigan backed people versus the O'Connors. It was coming to a head to see who would be in control on the match night and one side backed down.
The players have all transfer listed themselves... https://theleagueofireland.com/2017/...transfer-list/
Can players transfer list themselves if the club are not in breech of contract? What's to stop any player transfer listing themselves in that case ? I'm totally with the players BTW just don't see how another club can sign them legally.
Thought this bit was interesting -
I don't know if the FAI needed to be at the meeting - probably wouldn't hurt, but the FAI could say the PFAI being there was enough for them - but they should have responded at least, surely?Quote:
The players requested representation from the FAI at this meeting. The FAI did not respond to this request.
Not blaming the FAI; I agree with your post there. It is a matter for them one way or the other, and if they don't want to attend the meeting, I think that's possibly an ok stance to take, but they should at least reply.