Harps in dire financial trouble!!

**HarpsinDublin** · 02/10/2008, 8:20 PM

Originally Posted by finnpark

No, but the stadium is a good first step. have a pro step before having a decent stadium makes no sense. The stadium is of a higher priority.

Harps are doing ok, out of the relegation zone, were 2nd last season

The on field performance seems good to me

What do you expect? Champions, Europe, Champions League? ....

Ive been to Finn Harps for winning games. The stadium is a kip and the atmosphere is crap. I don't know why I go back. The football part is ok even when we lose. With full time club officials its up tot hem to organise and facilitate atmosphere etc

Agreed with the stadium but I dont follow your arguement. The new stadium is being built for us by the Contractor who will get Finn Park. With grants and the contractor's contribution it is not going to cost us money, why is it a priority above going professional? It is going to happen in spite of us going professional unless the club folds.

I have been following Finn Harps for almost 35 years, through thick and thin...mostly thin, very thin, so no I dont expect anything. I havent mentioned anything about the team's performance in this thread.

If you dont know why you go to Finn Park that is a matter for yourself. Why should full time club officials create the atmosphere. Dont think any club in any country gets the atmosphere going by way of officials. That is up to supporters to do, create an atmosphere least it was the last time I went to a football match - last Friday night in Bray.

**Matchman** · 03/10/2008, 10:41 AM

Ballybofey is no bigger than a village

How in gods name could it support a full-time team? Get real, only Derry in the North-West will be able to support one in the long run

**carrickharp** · 03/10/2008, 10:45 AM

Originally Posted by Matchman

Ballybofey is no bigger than a village

How in gods name could it support a full-time team? Get real, only Derry in the North-West will be able to support one in the long run

Cheers for that, did you even read the posts above

**finnpark** · 03/10/2008, 11:59 AM

Originally Posted by Matchman

Ballybofey is no bigger than a village

How in gods name could it support a full-time team? Get real, only Derry in the North-West will be able to support one in the long run

Its true, but if the club is branded county wide with a lot of hard work (not much money required) I think it could easily support a full time set-up with a mixture of cheap foreign players and players developed through a good youth system. Although I can't see it happening as it has not happened for the past 40 years

**sadloserkid** · 03/10/2008, 12:13 PM

Originally Posted by finnpark

but if the club is branded county wide

I'm noy convinced that that's really worked with any other club in the country, why would Donegal be every different? Realistically what percentage of anybody's gate (excluding away support) comes from further away than say 20 or 30 miles from the ground?

One point that I agree wholeheartedly with finnpark is that one of the problems with full-time players here is the money they're on as opposed to simply having fulltime players. What's to stop clubs offering somewhere between say between 400-600 or so a week to players? Aside from, in most cases, gross stupidity and an insistence of chasing a dream that we're no closer to achieving?

I mean look at Cork (for example). Their wage budget had to have been a fairly contributary factor in their massive debts. And what do they have to show for it? One title and one cup in the last few years and arguably less achieved in Europe than some of the other 'big' clubs. Money is being lavished on players who just aren't good enough to justify the outlay. It's too easy to blame the players for being mercenary or greedy too. The fault is 100% the fault of the clubs. Any club that is spending money that they don't have should be absolutely hammered. As a league we will never, ever progress with this ludicrous devotion to boom/bust economics.

**finnpark** · 03/10/2008, 12:40 PM

Originally Posted by sadloserkid

I'm noy convinced that that's really worked with any other club in the country, why would Donegal be every different? Realistically what percentage of anybody's gate (excluding away support) comes from further away than say 20 or 30 miles from the ground?

One point that I agree wholeheartedly with finnpark is that one of the problems with full-time players here is the money they're on as opposed to simply having fulltime players. What's to stop clubs offering somewhere between say between 400-600 or so a week to players? Aside from, in most cases, gross stupidity and an insistence of chasing a dream that we're no closer to achieving?

I mean look at Cork (for example). Their wage budget had to have been a fairly contributary factor in their massive debts. And what do they have to show for it? One title and one cup in the last few years and arguably less achieved in Europe than some of the other 'big' clubs. Money is being lavished on players who just aren't good enough to justify the outlay. It's too easy to blame the players for being mercenary or greedy too. The fault is 100% the fault of the clubs. Any club that is spending money that they don't have should be absolutely hammered. As a league we will never, ever progress with this ludicrous devotion to boom/bust economics.

Ive said it before. The clubs should all go together and agree not to bid against each other for any player eg Galway, harps, Corka and a few other clubs were bidding against each other for Deegan's sig. You can see how all 3 clubs ended up in trouble. Whoever opens negotiations with a player first should be allowed to sign the player without interference from other clubs. If clubs could agree on this it would help stop the inflation of players wages.

There is not much talent left now amongest the lower half clubs so i think its time for clubs to invest in scouting and statistical analysis of players in labour cheap countries such as Lithuania as Bohs have done.

Have a read of this:
http://www.bohemians.ie/index.php/in...kalonasint.htm

Its time that Irish clubs signed more class acts like Kalounas from abroad rather than offering/bidding bigger wages for players that are already in the league.

**Dodge** · 03/10/2008, 12:45 PM

Originally Posted by finnpark

The clubs should all go together and agree not to bid against each other for any player eg Galway, harps, Corka and a few other clubs were bidding against each other for Deegan's sig. You can see how all 3 clubs ended up in trouble. Whoever opens negotiations with a player first should be allowed to sign the player without interference from other clubs. If clubs could agree on this it would help stop the inflation of players wages

Get real will you? The problem isn't clubs competing for players, its competing for players with money you don't have.

Do you honestly think Deegan signing for Bohs had a negative effect of Cork, Harps or Galway's finances?

**sadloserkid** · 03/10/2008, 12:50 PM

Originally Posted by Dodge

Get real will you? The problem isn't clubs competing for players, its competing for players with money you don't have.

Dead right. Clubs just need to take a dose of reality into their negotiations really. When player X demands two grand a week or whatever just say no. Given that hardly anybody can afford it anyway if the clubs weren't artifically inflating the wages throughout the league these players would have to play here for less or go abroad. And while it sounds like a disaster losing some of the league's better players if we can't actually afford to keep them anyway we're only deluding ourselves.

**Cormac** · 03/10/2008, 2:16 PM

I think Harps went full-time a little sooner than they should have! I hope they get themselves out of this mess tho as my Girlfriends a harps fan and she'd be sad if they went bust lol

**harps1954** · 03/10/2008, 2:34 PM

Originally Posted by higgins

All players out of contract at the end of the season?
Unusual to have full time players on less than a 52 week contract.

How big will the drop in wages be after your final league game ?

Only Paul Hegarty and Conor Gethins have contracts beyond the last game of the season. Everyone else was on a one-year deal which ends at the last game of thes season.

**dcfcsteve** · 04/10/2008, 12:04 AM

Originally Posted by HarpsinDublin

It is up to supporters to start up supporters clubs not the Finn Harps Football Club. Why is there only the B & S SC and Dublin SC still running? Apathy on the part of Finn Harps supporters perhaps. When we won the First Division in 2004 you also had the Donegal Town & District SC (where are they now?) and the Inishowen SC (where are they now?). If you really want me to go on I can go back to S.C.'s that were running in the 80's that are also defunct.

Probably on their way back home from the Brandywell.....

**higgins** · 04/10/2008, 11:38 AM

Originally Posted by harps1954

Only Paul Hegarty and Conor Gethins have contracts beyond the last game of the season. Everyone else was on a one-year deal which ends at the last game of thes season.

Well fair play to haps so.. good move.
Things must be very tight if all you need is 6 weeks wages and can't pay that in full?

Certainly would seem like you're over the 65% too ?

**don ramo** · 05/10/2008, 6:45 PM

Originally Posted by finnpark

Galway will probably beat Cork anyway tomorrow night and we will lose to Pats. Its all one big conspiracy

**cestlavie** · 20/11/2008, 10:02 PM

Is he still at the club, bless.

**Sam_Heggy** · 21/11/2008, 12:16 PM

Originally Posted by cestlavie

Is he still at the club, bless.

Say what now?

**cestlavie** · 02/12/2008, 5:47 PM

Hegarty, Is he still there?

**Sam_Heggy** · 02/12/2008, 6:17 PM

Originally Posted by cestlavie

Hegarty, Is he still there?

Ask me in a week or so.

Why are you so interested? Are you one of those sad Derry folk who have their tongue so far up his jacksie that you need permission just to speak?

Funny how you also keep bringing up about Paul Hegarty in a thread labelled "Harps in dire financial trouble!!", kind of apt when he's the one who got us in that situation, lucky we have some people at the club that give a sh!t and raised the money he wasted on the likes of sicknote Beckett, sicknote Byrne, sicknote Labonte and short arse Friel.

Ah I feel better now.

**cestlavie** · 02/12/2008, 9:39 PM

I think you taken it all up wrong mate, I do not think he is any good as a manager never mind an assistant manager, he has messed up considering the budget he had, really terrible signings, Beckett had no intention of playing for Harps.

**father ted** · 21/12/2008, 7:54 PM

sorry to hear one of the most hostipable clubs in trouble.
1 get the fans to dig deep in the pockets.
2 dontbe afraid to approach people who have been in this situation.Iam sure they would be glad to give advice.ie srfc.
put contact nos. on other club sites looking for donations
It would be a shame if one of the finest clubs in Ireland went bust.
Best away trip in loi. sincerly.srfc supporter