Sporting Fingal Gone Belly Up

**Dillonman** · 09/02/2011, 4:54 PM

There is special dispensation given to players who are with clubs who go out of business.

**bullit** · 09/02/2011, 4:55 PM

From todays DrogheDA INDEPENDENT

BOBBY Browne is continuing to prepare for life in the Airtricity League First Division, despite growing rumours that Sporting Fingal may not be a in a position to compete in the Premier.
The North Dublin outfit failed to pay players wages on time last week as a proposed sponsorship deal fell through at the eleventh hour and, while the wages were eventually paid over the weekend, the news casts a major doubt over their ability to secure a Premier Division license from the FAI.
Drogheda Utd were told a number of months ago that they would be �first in line� to replace any potential �fallers� from the current batch of top tier teams, but Browne is not convinced the club would even be in a position to take up such an offer.
�All I can do is prepare for the First Division because that is where we are at the minute,� he said, without ruling out the possibilty. �The same scenario happened last year when Bray took Derry�s place and stayed up - albeit after a play-off.
�They would have started off budgeting for the First Division and that was all turned on its head at the last minute, but it worked out for them.
�There�s two sides to it really. You get extra revenue from sponsorship and you will get bigger gates, but I honestly don�t know if the club is set up for it [the Premier Division].
� We�ve been told by the Airtiricty League to gear for the First Division and that�s what we are doing - that is all we can do.�
Regardless of where the Drogs end up, putting a competitive squad together is still proving a major challenge for Browne.
�We have had players up training and when they hear there is no money they maybe get an offer from somewhere else and they are gone.

**legendz** · 09/02/2011, 5:06 PM

http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2011/...ingfingal.html

Is it the end of the road for Fingal?

**poster** · 09/02/2011, 5:06 PM

This puts Pat's in Europe, no?

**PartySaint** · 09/02/2011, 5:09 PM

Originally Posted by poster

This puts Pat's in Europe, no?

Yes, yes it does

**iceman** · 09/02/2011, 5:11 PM

League really is in a complete shambles.

**Doomofman** · 09/02/2011, 5:13 PM

Originally Posted by iceman

League really is in a complete shambles.

To be fair I'm pretty sure the word 'shambles' only exists to describe the LOI

**Spudulika** · 09/02/2011, 5:13 PM

Nice for Billy Brennan to face his old team. He's playing a stormer for them so far. Hope he gets a club back in the LOI in the summer. It's a shame for the players and staff at Sporting Fingal, I'd like to think the club will play on at some lower level, though it looks like politics had a large role to play behind the scenes (cost cutting and backside covering in the council).

**Charlie Darwin** · 09/02/2011, 5:17 PM

Originally Posted by Doomofman

To be fair I'm pretty sure the word 'shambles' only exists to describe the LOI

This shambles really is a League of Ireland.

**The Lep** · 09/02/2011, 5:19 PM

Originally Posted by Hibs4Ever

So The Lep, you still sure your club didn't cheat by signing players and hiring new staff they couldn't afford?

Yes.........

**total hoofball** · 09/02/2011, 5:24 PM

I'm gutted for the players and I hope they can nail down something, I've heard some managers have been holding fire on signing players in anticipation of Fingal players coming onto the market on cheaper wages

Any club that signs contracts with players while hopelessly bust deserves to die. Good riddance, they were nothing but a bureaucratic and corporate play thing that offered nothing to the league. They could have been a success if they adopted the Wexford Youths model but instead of doing anything positive for local football that 2 million was ****ed into players bank accounts. Typical Fingal County Council.

**The Lep** · 09/02/2011, 5:25 PM

Originally Posted by superjohnny

The LEP is up in morton clearing out his locker. as andy gray would say ''GAME OVER''

Why Morton? Im clearing my plate if thats any use to you. nice bit of grub though.

**Dillonman** · 09/02/2011, 5:32 PM

So what happens with Greg Bolger? Do another team have to fork out the 10k compo or did Fingal already "pay"this?

**Dillonman** · 09/02/2011, 5:33 PM

Originally Posted by poster

This puts Pat's in Europe, no?

It does and if Bohs dont get the go ahead for Europe, Dundalka re back in by default yet again!

**Lamper.sffc** · 09/02/2011, 5:35 PM

Really gutted this has happened. Hopefully ours will be the only club this will happen to this season and for a long time to come.
Maybe we can come back in at some lower level and build slowly from there. I hope we try this and maybe I will still have a club to support no matter what the level.

**pineapple stu** · 09/02/2011, 5:36 PM

Originally Posted by Dillonman

So what happens with Greg Bolger? Do another team have to fork out the 10k compo or did Fingal already "pay"this?

3k compo. I imagine he's a free agent now; if we got stung, that's our tough. Despite my earlier post, I don't see how we can actually sell him twice.

(Though I fear for the safety of the Fingal person who gave us the cheques if it bounced.

)

**L.T.F.C.** · 09/02/2011, 5:38 PM

Originally Posted by Lamper.sffc

Really gutted this has happened. Hopefully ours will be the only club this will happen to this season and for a long time to come.
Maybe we can come back in at some lower level and build slowly from there. I hope we try this and maybe I will still have a club to support no matter what the level.

This was foretold in the previous 59 pages before today. You can't just be in the top from day 1. The Lep and Lamper sffc should be eating an arseload of humble pie.

**Dillonman** · 09/02/2011, 5:47 PM

Originally Posted by Lamper.sffc

Really gutted this has happened. Hopefully ours will be the only club this will happen to this season and for a long time to come.
Maybe we can come back in at some lower level and build slowly from there. I hope we try this and maybe I will still have a club to support no matter what the level.

Its always bad to see a club go and I hope ye can keep a club going, be it in the a championship for a year or two and buidl slowly this time.

**The Lep** · 09/02/2011, 5:49 PM

LTFC ,Nope. Maybe we should have followed Longford and save a few quid by selling the same match programme for every game of the season with just some post it stickers covering the team lists.

**redobit** · 09/02/2011, 5:52 PM

Originally Posted by total hoofball

... they were nothing but a bureaucratic and corporate play thing that offered nothing to the league. They could have been a success if they adopted the Wexford Youths model but instead of doing anything positive for local football that 2 million was ****ed into players bank accounts. Typical Fingal County Council.

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