Fairly harmless now that neither of us are doing spectacularly well! When we were winning things there was a fair bit of resentment over there, and probably vice versa when they were winning things though I'm too young to remember that...
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Fairly harmless now that neither of us are doing spectacularly well! When we were winning things there was a fair bit of resentment over there, and probably vice versa when they were winning things though I'm too young to remember that...
They don't have ANY fans! Twice I went to Drom Park (aka Mount Wilderness!) for Cork City matches. It's no lie to say that there were less than a dozen home supporters each time. For one of those, the attendance was given as 210.That included 190 City fans!Quote:
Originally Posted by gufcfan
not finding fault, im just putting your crowds in contextQuote:
Originally Posted by gufc2000
my point is that yes they had reasonable crowds, but that had a lot to do with selling the 600 season tickets before everyone knew how rubbish they were.Quote:
Originally Posted by sullanefc
once someone has paid for the ticket they are far more likely to go then they would otherwise - even if the event is free
Back on topic, badly need clarification on this. Its up to the FAI to land the first blow and deliver a statement. Clinging to the hope that no statement so far means the GUST lads working tirelessly to rescue the cause.
whatever about mervue/salthill been delighted to see galway united not supposable getting a licence as has been said on this forum ;;the FAI are forgetting about the boost it will give connacht rugby and Gaa in Galway as alot of the pepole who attended Terryland will now make there way to the sportsground on a friday night instead ,fans lost to the Beauthful game forever .
True, but it wouldn't be believed coming from us.Quote:
Originally Posted by compo
This is another myth created by GUST. Even when Galway were decent you never brought more then 50 away fans to Sligo in the past ten years expect on a handful of occasions. This year was exceptionally low for obvious reasons but 2010 it was only around the 30 mark. The year Leeson came in I remember counting 7 Galway fans on the Railway End. The constant snide remarks towards Mervue and Salthill isn't helping GUST claims of uniting Galway football either. I don't mean to be kicking you when you're down and I hope GUFC gets back in the league but there is some awful rubbish coming from the Galway camp the past few months.Quote:
Originally Posted by gufcfan
Sean South I have to say I do remember well in excess of 50 fans at a Rovers match in Tolka Park (when Pat Scully roared at the "home" crowd for acting the maggot with the ball and Jeff Kenna kept his players in the changing room for almost 30minutes after the match). There were a fair few Galway fans scattered around the place as well as the travelling group.
Was that the season Galway were promoted? In fairness they brought good crowds that year but rapidly dropped off.Quote:
Originally Posted by Spudulika
I was up in the Showgrounds in 07, 08 and 09, each time a respectable crowd was brought. The 08 one in particular saw circa 250 United fans travel. 07 and 09 were in and around the 100 markQuote:
Originally Posted by Sean South
Wow. Just WOW. :D
This thread jumped the shark about five pages ago and is now easily my favourite non adult themed thing on the internet.
A few random thoughts without going into too much detail. (it's kinda late)
Dual registration is not going to happen in the short to medium term at least. The junior clubs don't want it and they have far more clout than the senior clubs. The thirty quid a game suggestion is beyond silly. If the senior league wasn't such a shambles it wouldn't be an issue anyway.
The crowds Galway would have brought argument is nonsense.
The LoI has a LOT to learn from the GAA about youth development (among other things), it's childish to suggest otherwise. A lot of the GAA talk in this thread smacks, as usual, of sour grapes.
The sniping at Salthill, and Mervue in particular, is really childish.
Licencing will never be enforced seriously. It's not in anyones interest. Especially the FAI's.
Carry On. :)
Everything that was said is true. Mervue and Devon are excellent clubs with top notch youth setups. I've said it 20 times in the last week, that no matter what they have done, it does not excuse their behaviour. The people who put in the real work building up those clubs are not the ones out to destroy Galway football.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lim till i die
Bit of coverage in Connacht Sentinel: http://www.galwaynews.ie/23623-unite...ters-lose-hope
They don't hate ye enough to shun your old methods then...Quote:
Originally Posted by gufcfan
I honestly presume (from my admited position of ignorance down the road) that while the old GUFC hardcore will never cross the divide both clubs would pick up a marginal increase even in the first division should GUST fail in their endeavour. EVERY area has casual football fans who just sort of drift along to maybe 6-10 games a season. It's reasonable to believe that some few of them might make a couple of trips to Mervue and/or Salthill if they become to the peak of the city's football pyramid.Quote:
Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin
Quote:
Originally Posted by Spudulika
As gufcfan says it's a handy, handy journey now and should GUST take a place in the first division I'd presume the needle of yesteryear between the clubs would return once more.Quote:
Originally Posted by gufcfan
Lost forever? On Connacht's current form (and I was a regular attendee myself for a coupla years there when involved with them in some capacity so I'm quite sympathetic) I wouldn't worry about that!Quote:
Originally Posted by Guitd
I think that Mervue and Salthill have an obligation and responsibility to Mervue and Salthill respectively long before they have one to 'Galway football' in just the same way that junior club's are perfectly entitled to grouse about losing players to senior clubs. It won't hurt Mervue or Salthill to be the top clubs in the region. Nobody in this thread has made any observation these so called tiny, junior clubs have managed to stay solvent and secure in senior football while GUFC failed manifestly to do so (excluding Terry's rumblings of Mervue's impending financial explosion obviously). Mervue and Salthill (miniscule fanbases and all) showed ambition to join senior football and should be left alone (as they clearly wish to be) to develop in their own way at their own pace. Any notion that they should merge with or otherwise embrace GUST is way off the mark. gufcfan's previous post is a much more measured one tbf to him and a better representation of the overall feeling in the GUST camp I would hope.
That being said why have GUST been overlooked by the FAI? What's the alleged failing in their application? All I've read here (bar the GAA tangent) is lots of idle speculation and mudslinging. Entertaining stuff as someone else observed but not particularly substantive either.
Are GUST appealing the decision? And if so, on what grounds?
I think the big issue is that the GUST application missed the deadline, therefore it's entirely up to the FAI whether they consider it or not. In Derry's case it didn't matter, in this case they seem to be minded not to consider it.
That does seem to be quite outrageous then.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr A
I have been talking to representatives of GUST and they are reluctant to say anything at all until an official statement has been released by both parties.Quote:
Originally Posted by sadloserkid
The problem started because they were never promoted. It was bad enough that the FAI believed them, but they appear to have made the fatal mistake of believing their own propaganda... No sympathy for them whatsoever.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sean South
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.
Hope this went okQuote:
Originally Posted by gufc2000
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.
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.
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.Quote:
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
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.
Naive in the extreme.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lim till i die
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.
Ya, ya, I'm the one who's naive. :bulgy:Quote:
Originally Posted by Olander
They're throwing the GUST a bone get them onside, get them to fundraise, the more the merrier, happy days.Quote:
If your theory was correct, why haven't they done this already? Why have they requested meetings with GUST?
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........
I'm sure they do.Quote:
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
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??
Possibly.Quote:
if Limerick went to the wall, would you support Athlone? I doubt it
But only because they're essentially Limericks B team these days. :p
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.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lim till i dieSo 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
Quote:
Originally Posted by Olander