Gareth Harkin and Paddy McCourt resign for Harps
Printable View
Gareth Harkin and Paddy McCourt resign for Harps
LOL would'nt be a Friday if EZ was'nt on about the club closest to his heart.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ezeikial
Any opinions on Dundalk?
I'll stick my neck out early and say that with minimal changes this season compared to last we should start the season better.
We should be challenging next year, with the 4th biggest budget :)
Cork City could easily challenge for the top four this season.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ezeikial
Stephen Dooley off to Coleraine
I know he's from Limavady, but that's a strange one.Quote:
Originally Posted by patrickccfc
Derry & Boez.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ezeikial
Depends on what/any January signings from "across da watteh" Rovers get. If we get someone proper in( striker, centre half)we could challenge corkies for 2nd
Jason Byrne has departed Cabinteely to sign for Bluebell United. Likely that's it for his prolific LOI career
Brendan Bradley does a little jig in his kitchen.Quote:
Originally Posted by total hoofball
They should let him count any goals he gets toward his LoI total just to annoy Pat Morley.Quote:
Originally Posted by nigel-harps1954
Quote:
Originally Posted by brendy_éire
Good luck to Dooley playing in some of those pitches up there, even the artificial ones look much worse than the ones we had previously. He obviously wants to move home as I can't see Coleraine paying more than the top 2 or 3 in LOI.
Cork looking fairly light on attacking options now, but still a bit of time to get a replacement in, plus they'll have the additional euro money incoming next year.
Ah lads that's a bloody joke.Quote:
Originally Posted by patrickccfc
How the hell are we still losing players to the Irish league. Aren't all their teams totally part time up there??
Whatever about Waterford losing McDaid, but the LOI champions who are totally full time losing one of their best players is a serious reality check. I thought we were going places with Dundalk, Cork and Rovers all offering 52 week contracts.
Obviously not.
It's been known for some time that a few of our lads wanted to move closer to home, not about money or full time contracts. Disappointed to lose a player of such quality, but better that it's to a different league as apposed to a direct rival.Quote:
Originally Posted by Philosophizer
Overly dramatic much? The lad wants to move home more than he wants full time football. It's hardly an indictment of the league.
It is an indictment of the league. That's exactly what it is.Quote:
Originally Posted by micls
Because a club won't offer a player more than he's worth to persuade him not to move home?Quote:
Originally Posted by Philosophizer
No. That's not what I'm saying at all. I wouldn't be in favour of them offering him more than he's worth.Quote:
Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin
My point is that it's a sad indictment of our league that one of our best players decided to pass up a professional 52 week contract with the double winners, (who are our most attractive club at the moment - what with the best ground and best support, European football, new training facilities and centre of excellence on the way etc etc) to go and play part time in a lower level league.
I would have expected that playing for Cork next season with all they have to offer would have been a much more attractive prospect than playing in the IL, even for a northern lad who'd like to be closer to his family.
But the wages any club can pay aren't so great that every player will want to live far away from home. And if clubs did have that sort of money they'd be offering it to better players than him.
Strange that he's only signed a short term contract up there.Quote:
Originally Posted by micls
I think decent points made. The IL is essentially part time with clubs training 2 or 3 nights a week, you can see it in the shape of players if you watch the goals round up on bbc1 ni at 5pm on Saturdays. He'll have to adjust to all that in Jan, and the 3pm sat kicks offs, still can't get my head around that why they never changed to evening, but it's their choice.Quote:
Originally Posted by Philosophizer
Dundalk are changing to morning training next season, it's also reported that the squad will all eat together them do gym sessions in the newly installed gym in the YDC I think, Cork maybe doing similar with morning training, not sure about Rovers.
However with all 3 offering 52 week contracts it will be an obvious attraction going forward for recruitment but there will be a few difficulties for clubs going for morning sessions initially, any player who had a career juggling with his football will see their options closed down. McMillan was one of the few Dundalk players to have continued working even in reduced weekly hours, but his employer agreed to flexibility, may have been a deciding factor in him looking at getting a move abroad as that option would have been gone for next season.
Yeah, that is weird. The NI league usually offers fairly long contracts.Quote:
Originally Posted by disgruntled
I presume Dooley has his eye on something else.
Just because a player has signed for a part-time team doesn't mean he's on the equivalent of part-time wages, as we all know in the LOI there has been players on stupid money only training in the evenings 2/3 times per week.
I'm sure the closer to home factor and Coleraine top of the league looking at Champions League football next season were pivotal in Dooley making his (currently) short term move.
I doubt it's the possibility of cl football..the simplest reasons are normally the truth. Near home ...get a job and start a life.
Rumour was he had interest in moving to the USA through football. He did complete his business studies through college in the USA. Now he is gone to Coleraine he will be off in the summer allowing him to arrange the move than as the season with Cork City clashed with his options over there. :DQuote:
Originally Posted by sbgawa
Ok this move is starting to make a lot more sense now.Quote:
Originally Posted by nr637
Rovers have trained in the mornings for years but this is the first year of 52-week contracts. Even when Croly was part time and a few of the players had day jobs I believe they still trained five days a week in the mornings, but I'm open to correction on that.Quote:
Originally Posted by oriel
I’ve been up to Solitude and Seaview in the last 3 weeks and both pitches were much better than the original Oriel Park surface. Seaview in particular was very impressive.Quote:
Originally Posted by oriel
It’s a strange signing but Irish League clubs sometimes do offer crazy wages. A lot are sponsored by local businesses as there is no rival sports in those communities. Coleraine are currently top of the league and flying this season with a real chance to win the league, so if he has sights set on America a short term deal near to home could be perfect.
As well as Dooley, Kurtis Byrne and Davy McDaid have gone up, I’d expect a few more to make the move too, Linfield look like they’ll be splashing the cash too.
Quote:
Originally Posted by White Horse
This looks like how it's going to pan out.Quote:
Originally Posted by nr637
It makes perfect sense.
Not sure what McDaid's long term plan is but like Dooley, Kurtis Byrne has only moved up north on a short term contract before move abroad in the summer. Apparently he has something arranged with a team in the segunda division (2nd tier) in Spain - Deportivo Reus.Quote:
Originally Posted by JC_GUFC
https://www.thesun.ie/sport/football...-on-the-cards/
Not a bad idea to be fair. I've always thought the most technical irish lads should try to move to the Portugueese or Spanish leagues if they're intent on moving abroad. The football style would suit them more.
McDaid has a young family, living in Waterford while his family were up north obviously isn’t ideal. The move was for personal and family reasons, completely understandable too. McDaid turned down Linfield and signed a two and a half year deal with Larne by all accounts. Byrne is contracted to play up North a year long then Dooley, Byrne signed a deal until summer 2019. So that Spainish thing obviously rubbish, which doesn’t surprise me considering where it came from.Quote:
Originally Posted by Philosophizer
Ryan Connolly and Eoin McCormack signed for GUFC
James Donna who had recently been on trial at Tranmere has left Rovers and signed for St Pats.Quote:
Originally Posted by Paulgufc
The Sun is suggesting that no compensation to be paid as he was not offered new terms. Surely that can't be true?Quote:
Originally Posted by Philosophizer
I know you would be worried about rovers missing out on compensation for a move to pats but maybe there might be a reason he wasn't offered terms.
If true, anyone know why he wasn't offered a new deal. I heard he was the best thing coming out of Rovers academy after Bolger.Quote:
Originally Posted by sbgawa
Finn Harps in:
Aiden Friel (Longford)
John Dunleavy #Signedfor2018
sure I remember a TFTES podcast where his performance in training was an issue as to why he didn't get to start more matches....that might be it,Quote:
Originally Posted by Philosophizer
I still would have thought he would stay though , suppose if its an example thing .
From his statement it sounded like it was his decision to leave but i doubt we'll ever really know. He probably wanted, and deserved imo, first team football but with burke, miele, clarke, King, O'connor to an extent all in his position(s) that was always going to be a big ask.Quote:
Originally Posted by Philosophizer
Wish him the best at pats though, just increasing the soft spot I've got for them.
He obviously can't stay if he was not offered a new deal.Quote:
Originally Posted by sbgawa
The whole point of the regulations is to provide compensation payments in a situation where a player wants to leave but the club wishes to retain him.Quote:
Originally Posted by RathfarnhamHoop
It seems really strange that a promising player like Doona would not be offered terms.