What is the future now for EL?

just wondering does anyone see a bright light in any form coming at the end of a bleak pre-season especially as so many of the league's stars have jumped ship to clubs across the water, stephen kenny leaving derry for dunfermline, limerick being rejected a licence, our league champions on the verge of extinction. is there anything positive to be taken from all this as we stand on the brink of the new FAI premiership. are clubs going to be able to build on the success in europe in previous years if they are after losing their top players who are plying their trade else where and is the league attractive to other players who might want to return home? it all makes me worried because it seems the league has become a victim of its own success now and progress may have been set back for another while..am i being a diva about all this?? any opinions???

Well, Derry and Drogheda haven't lost anyobody important, so Europe will be okay...as long as Shels don't enter.

Most of the players that went weren't that good, bar Byrne, Bennet and a few others.

Plenty of clubs are doing quite nicely thank-you.

Athlone is buzzing.

Limerick looks like it may have finally got things sorted.

Wexford are joining the fold.

Dundalk - for all their complaining - have made great strides.

Bohs are looking to the future with a ground move.

Galway have great things planned apparently.

Drogheda have the new stadium in the pipe-line.

Finn Harps likewise.

Bray have made major improvements.

Oh - and at Rovers - it's onwards and upwards.

This list could go on forever.

So apart from cheating Shels - everything is fine. Couldn't be better.

Does that answer your question?

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Originally Posted by khoop

Plenty of clubs are doing quite nicely thank-you.

Athlone is buzzing.

Limerick looks like it may have finally got things sorted.

Wexford are joining the fold.

Dundalk - for all their complaining - have made great strides.

Bohs are looking to the future with a ground move.

Galway have great things planned apparently.

Drogheda have the new stadium in the pipe-line.

Finn Harps likewise.

Bray have made major improvements.

Oh - and at Rovers - it's onwards and upwards.

This list could go on forever.

So apart from cheating Shels - everything is fine. Couldn't be better.

Does that answer your question?

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Exactly, its the newspapers job to look at thing negatively and make the league look bad, but the thing is there is great stuff happening in the league, it might not be 'newsworthy' the national media most of the time but it is still happening.

The main thing is the league has to keep pushing the standards and getting things right both on and OFF the pitch.

Only club to have a bad pre-season AFAICS is Shels, and maybe Longford. Evryone else is happy enough (bar Maxi's lot obviously)

Best preseason ever IMO. can't wait for the season to start

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Originally Posted by padjoe

just wondering does anyone see a bright light in any form coming

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Yep, it's hovering over Tolka Park like the star of Bethlehem, announcing to the world "Come ye and give thanks". Kinda fitting too, seeing as they've already had the great flood and Ollie's been a plague on the League for years.

Yes, I can see a bright light.

Drogs have probably the strongest squad we have ever had. We get to defend a cup for the second successive season (after 40 odd barren years)
Looks like we will finally get a new top of the range ground.
And we got great odds on winning the league so Christmas is already sorted.:D

Shels all but gone (unfortunately). Derry as strong as last year. Cork finally getting a decent transfer fee from Reading. Bohs coming back, Pats looking good, Galway back where they belong. Rovers back in the premier. Dundalk still in the graveyard

Europe again beckons as a huge success for Irish clubs.

All in all things look good would be my view.
So PadJoe you are allowed to write something positive;)

Yeah, I can't wait for the new season. After a couple of years of pure horror for us there is a light at the end of the tunnel (hopefully not an oncoming train). Hopefully all the off the field rubbish will be settled soon and we can get down to the football (I think we sometimes forget what its really about.)

Mons have the new Regional Development Centre to look forward to bringing even more young players on. This year will see the greatest representation of our underage set up in the Senior squad with young lads aged from 17 up showing that the development model works.

Future is looking bright up here!

Survival of the fittest ... Shels have been on life support for years and its about time things caught up with them ...

Re players going away, most of them were not great anyway, only 2 or 3 genuine losses to the league, loads of opps now for young players to come through at several clubs which can only be a good thing.

The reality is that the league is in the best shape its been in decades, but the press spin is that its on its last legs.

Rovers announced a 25000 profit last season over the weekend, did it get much publicity? NO, cause negative news sells ...

bhs

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Originally Posted by Magicme

This year will see the greatest representation of our underage set up in the Senior squad with young lads aged from 17 up showing that the development model works.

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*Cough*We have *Cough* no money *Cough* :p

Seriously lads this pre-season doesn't exactly bode well for getting the "Barstool Monkeys" (TM Foot.ie) off their stools and into LOI grounds. Why if I didn't know better I'd swear the league was a shambles :ball:

For us the young local lads are the key to getting the monkeys off those stools and onto the ones in our fine Bagster Lounge at half time!!!

Yeah we have not got a lot of money for our senior team, but thats because we look to the future and have a long term sustainable plan to ensure that football will always be alive in Monaghan.

Have you still got Edward Keyes?

No....he's gone!

More of our squad will be announced today

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Originally Posted by khoop

Plenty of clubs are doing quite nicely thank-you.

Athlone is buzzing.

Limerick looks like it may have finally got things sorted.

Wexford are joining the fold.

Dundalk - for all their complaining - have made great strides.

Bohs are looking to the future with a ground move.

Galway have great things planned apparently.

Drogheda have the new stadium in the pipe-line.

Finn Harps likewise.

Bray have made major improvements.

Oh - and at Rovers - it's onwards and upwards.

This list could go on forever.

So apart from cheating Shels - everything is fine. Couldn't be better.

Does that answer your question?

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Press please copy.
That post should be made a sticky.
In addition...

• more television coverage promised
• more, and better informed, press coverage (especially in redtops)
• more money for promotion
• better regulation (we hope)
• league as a career option for players, with education deals, no longer bypassed en route to England
• better integration with schoolboy system
• growing disenchantment with corporate football/EPL/G14

Things are on the up on Corribside not alone back in the Premier but we have a full time Professional set up on and off the field, 500 season tickets sold including 25 Gold at €1,500 5 weeks befor kickoff and planning permission before the end of the week for a new 1,500 seater stand with work to begin immediately and a finish date for the end of June this year.

Shels problems have been flagged for years here its just everyone including the press were afraid to tackle ollie. As for the cream of the league leaving id hardly call Trevor Molloy,Paul Keegan ,Sean Dillon,Robbie Doyle and Danny Murphy that.

As for the others at least clubs are getting semi-decent fees for them and I think any players heading over from now on will not go on the cheap/

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Originally Posted by gufct

As for the cream of the league leaving id hardly call Trevor Molloy,Paul Keegan ,Sean Dillon,Robbie Doyle and Danny Murphy that.

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Dillon was, without doubt, one of the players of last season. Superb central defender. I agree with your point in genereal but wouldn't have used those examples.

Some good things happening alright but the most disappointing thing for me is the attendances, the matches I seen in Dublin throughout last season for the most part were absolutely pathetic.

I`m not sure there was even more then 5,000 at an FAI Semi between Pats and Rovers. And thats not to single out them clubs as I seen attendences at Shels, UCD and Bohs that all appeared to me to only have a few hundred at them.

The future for the EL isn't actually all that bad. The standard of play is decent and continually improving, faciltiies are slowly but surely getting better, there is more money in the league, and European performances are unlikely to go back to the level they were at only a few seasons ago any time soon.

However - do we have the ability to take a step-up to the next level ? To attract bigger crowds - even 5,000 at an average game would be a greatv start ! The answer to this is, I fear, no. Without some sort of step change in the image and publicity fro our league, I can't see how we can capitalise on all the good work and get substantially more people into our grounds any time soon.

Consistently good European results will help - but can anyone see thousands of new flans flocking to see Longford v UCD (no offense guys !) or any otehr league game, even if we were clocking-up results against decent European competition ?

The key to breaking this cycle is, I believe, the FAI. Something substantially different needs to be done in promoting our league. An all-island league might be the answer here. But we have never seen our national association (you know - the one's who say 'we care about Irish football...' :o ) make even a half-arsed attempt at promoting our league. I can't help but belive that if they introduced a well-thought out promotional campaign - including making best use of the 60,000-odd captive audience they will have at Croke Park 8 times a year - that within 2 season we would start to see the results at the turnstiles.

Sadly - there is more chance of Ian Paisley being made Pope than the FAI making an effort to promote domestic football..... :mad:

The future.....

We realise that selling your best players is just a fact of life for clubs in smaller leagues. A proper transfer market dvelops between Ireland and Britain, wherby we realise substantial transfer fees for our best players.

In order for this to happen clubs have show a bit more savvy in their contractual dealings with players, ie increasingly try to tie them down to long-term deals (not as easy as it sounds). Cork City have already sold Bennett for €380k and all clubs should use this as a benchmark in future deals.

Money is no good if it is not invested properly, though. Clubs need to rethink their wages policies (hopefully the salary cap will take care of this) and stop being so short-sighted by throwing money at players in the hope of instant success.

Any money from future transfers needs to be invested in PROPER youth structures and the development of academies in conjunction with the FAI. Young players will see the Eircom League as a viable alternative to the traditional path of leaving for Britain at 15.

We develop our own top quality players, and sell them if the need arises. Its a tried and tested formula and perhaps this is where the future of the league lies.

Then again.....

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Originally Posted by dcfcsteve

The key to breaking this cycle is, I believe, the FAI. Something substantially different needs to be done in promoting our league. An all-island league might be the answer here. But we have never seen our national association (you know - the one's who say 'we care about Irish football...' :o ) make even a half-arsed attempt at promoting our league. I can't help but belive that if they introduced a well-thought out promotional campaign - including making best use of the 60,000-odd captive audience they will have at Croke Park 8 times a year - that within 2 season we would start to see the results at the turnstiles.

Sadly - there is more chance of Ian Paisley being made Pope than the FAI making an effort to promote domestic football..... :mad:

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Paisley for Pope then! I think the FAI are closer to coming up with the goods than you think. Next Friday there is a communications seminar on in Dublin where (hopefully) all clubs will be in attendance and learn more productive ways of marketing themselves. Also appointing Noel Mooney to help all clubs in their promotion of the game is a big step forward, have never seen such an enthusiastic person! He was nearly peeing his pants with excitement at the thoughts of putting bums on seats in the eL when he met with us b4 Christmas. There are ideas and a budget in place so while it may not make drastic inroads it is gonna make a difference.

I am optimistic that the FAI can do something to improve & promote the league however it must be difficult with the ongoing off the field problems. Would be pointless having a promotional campaign with having to fight for media coverage amoung Shels collapse...

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Originally Posted by Dodge

and maybe Longford.

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Playing wise it probably wasn't the best, but for the future of the club I think it's been hugely positive as after a couple of years of starting, we're really getting financial realism and sustainability at the club.

There are a lot of positives to the close season, but the continued inaction of the FAI in terms of promotion of the league and licencing, particularly with regard to shels, really frustrates me. They have failed to kill the shels story, and so it continues to rumble on doing harm.

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Originally Posted by dcfcsteve

I can't help but belive that if they introduced a well-thought out promotional campaign - including making best use of the 60,000-odd captive audience they will have at Croke Park 8 times a year

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Well yes - but unfortunately the GAA have the giant screens bagged for those gigs.....

:mad:

They'll be in use for the Ireland internationals though surely.

Transfer prices have already started to increase & Cork City rejected bid worth up to 550k euro + large sell on clause from Hull City last night.

When we rejected much smaller bid from Southend earlier in the close season Roy O'Donovan was not disappointed ash eknew he was better than that & willing to wait for club to sell to bigger club. It wasn't so long ago irish clubs & players jumped at the chance of selling players for the Championship in England...

Not a wind up or anything Pete genuine question. When are Cork going to spend some of the money replacing the players that left?

The future is proper facilities at all grounds and some clubs are making an effort in fairness.

Also a proper one hour highlights programme at a reasonable hour. You can have all the live games you want but the fact that there is still no cameras at some premier games in this day and age is a thundering disgrace.

Some clubs (2 in the premier) do not even have a tv gantry:eek:

KOH

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Originally Posted by BohsPartisan

Not a wind up or anything Pete genuine question. When are Cork going to spend some of the money replacing the players that left?

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No idea. Scouting in progress apparently... I think squad of about 15 players currently...

NY Hoop - I agree wholeheartedly with your point about gantrys.Just to use an example, even the local rugby team here in Caerphilly has a quality gantry, albeit from back before rugby was 'regionalised'.Clubs need to tidy up the small things, like putting roofs on stands, having the toilets clean etc.

I see the GAA have got 80,000 people turning up to see nice bright big lights. is there a lesson for the FAI here & how can we market...?

create a good stadium with lots of lights? pete i thought you worked in computers? :D

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Originally Posted by pete

I see the GAA have got 80,000 people turning up to see nice bright big lights. is there a lesson for the FAI here & how can we market...?

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its a ball of ****e

an average game ie bogball
in an average match ie national bogball league
that wouldnt attract 2 fans normally..

seriously..
i think they're all goin for the saw doctors gig!:eek: :D

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Originally Posted by gufct

id hardly call Trevor Molloy,Paul Keegan ,Sean Dillon, Robbie Doyle and Danny Murphy that.

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Sorry now but both player would be welcome in any eL side. Danny Murphy part of the meanest defence over the last few seasons and Dillion was an excellent player.

bas examples to use....agree with other posters about Dillon and Murphy. Surprised nobody else has mentioned Keego - perhaps the most naturally talented target man to play in the league this century. He's done it for NE Revolution in the States, he's done it Pats, Bohs, Longford and Bray here and no doubt he'll produce the business in Scotland too. The eircom League's loss is most definitely Scotland's gain.

There has to be at least some players in the League that could step up to the 'plate' and be the next batch of stars?

yes there are Soper, and we are feeding them angel dust up here! ;)

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Originally Posted by Soper

NY Hoop - I agree wholeheartedly with your point about gantrys.Just to use an example, even the local rugby team here in Caerphilly has a quality gantry, albeit from back before rugby was 'regionalised'.Clubs need to tidy up the small things, like putting roofs on stands, having the toilets clean etc.

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How about your own club getting one then? A guy with a handycam surrounded by fans in the main stand just doesnt cut it.

KOH

Alas, we would if I owned the club.

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Originally Posted by Soper

Alas, we would if I owned the club.

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You dont need to own the club to make a suggestion. When our previous incompetents were ruining the club the fans paid for the games to be covered. Find out how much it would be to put up a gantry and say to the club the fans will pay half if they do. Just an idea.

KOH