Drogheda not able to pay their players

[Drogman.]

I'm not giving opinion here - the results speak for themselves.

There are towns and cities in Ireland where football has been pretty much the major sport for years : Athlone, Dundalk, Sligo, Waterford, Belfast, Derry (ironically, mostly garrison towns). Those are towns with a tradition of football - where the game has ben bigger than rugby or GAA since pretty much Day 1. Unsurprisingly, teams from those areas have had periods of success in Irish football over the years, and they've been able to attract big crowds when they are doing well.

Other clubs in the league have been from areas where football is not the main sport - which combines with a small population to make the appeal of those clubs relatively limited. Those clubs rarely get big crowds - even during periods when they are doing well. Think Monaghan, Kilkenny, Kildare, Thurles, Newcastle West etc. There are obviously exceptions to this : Longford had a degree of success, but with hindsight that blip was primarily due to good management. Drogs have just finished a relative period of success, but that blip was due to being financed beyond their income.

The only team I can think of from a small town without a footballing tradition who have had much success in the LOI is Finn Harps. And that success amounted to one FAI Cup and three runners up slots in the league.

The long-term results clubs have in football tend to reflect the potential size of support those clubs have. Two things are key in this : the size of their catchment population, and the appeal of football within that catchment. As with everything in life, there are always exceptions (e.g. Newcastle United in England, who have serial board-room incompetence to blame for their lack of success). But this is a general rule of thumb throughout world football.

To bring this all back to Drogheda - they were competing at a level that nothing bar their artifically inflated bank statements could justify. Hence they were always going to have to return to the relative lack of success they faced for the previous 42 years at some point.

If you don't agree with the above analysis - fine. But give sensible, results-based reasons as to why you believe it is incorrect re Irish football. Telling me to "get over myself.." doesn't alter the history of our league...

In all fairness Steve, your definition of success is pretty poor. Drogheda have had successfull patches throughout their League if Ireland history. The past 4 years of success was down to the money, but sure name one club on this planet who hasn't achieved success without money being spent on them nowadays. It was different back in the day so rubbishing Drogheda success purely on a money basis is a bit silly really.

The support for DUFC has been quite good even during the really bad times. Granted there were times when only a couple of hundred would turn up but lets be honest that's no exactly uncommon in the history of any club in this league.

Seriously I've never read more rubbish in my life. You don't work for Primetime by any chance?

[pineapple stu]

What the fcuk are you talking about, all i said was it's not unusual for companies to hold off paying bills.

Maybe you should step down of your high horse before coming back and commenting again.

And what content of any of my posts makes you say that 'my knowledge of Derry city seems limited at best'?

You said -

I know of very few companies that pay outstanding bills on their due date

...with the intention of dismissing what others had said about Derry being a bit stuck for cash.

It is very unusual for companies to hold off paying bills unless they're stuck for cash. I work in accounts; I should know.

That's what part of your post indicates to me that your knowledge of DCFC is limited at best. You didn't even know that you owe us money, and now you don't even know how long you owe us money for, yet you still feel qualified to dismiss concerns about Derry's finances.

[passerrby]

The plan is to get a new stadium to make the club self sufficient. The full time status I would imagine would come along after that however I think it is a necessity for fulltime football as you cannot and will not develop or attract a decent quality of player without that structure in place.

first off a stadium will not make a club self sufficent and it is the rock that most plans sink on and as for attracting decent players ,players will play anywhere as long as some fools are willling to vastly overpay them

[holidaysong]

Jacqui Hurley was just on 'Seoige' talking about Drogheda's financial woes..

EDIT: Gráinne just ignored that and talked about how great rugby is doing..

[Dodge]

The Drogs stadium came attached witha whole heap of things that would've made money though (in fairness to their board)

[Drogman.]

first off a stadium will not make a club self sufficent and it is the rock that most plans sink on and as for attracting decent players ,players will play anywhere as long as some fools are willling to vastly overpay them

As Dodge mentioned, this wasn't only going to be a stand alone stadium, it was going to be a sports campus to be used by a number of different sports as well as retail units surrounding it to generate more revenue.

Please go back and read the original plan before commenting any further on something you haven't a clue about.

It was tried and it failed due to whatever reasons. We'll live to fight again.

[Dodge]

Jacqui Hurley was just on 'Seoige' talking about Drogheda's financial woes..

EDIT: Gráinne just ignored that and talked about how great rugby is doing..

Thats a good thing. Less negative publicity the better.

Plus more Grainne, less Jacqui

[bad mongo]

As Dodge mentioned, this wasn't only going to be a stand alone stadium, it was going to be a sports campus to be used by a number of different sports as well as retail units surrounding it to generate more revenue.

Please go back and read the original plan before commenting any further on something you haven't a clue about.

It was tried and it failed due to whatever reasons. We'll live to fight again.

It failed coz it was planned too close to the M1 junction. Someone needs to answer for that, it's that simple . The minute I saw the aerial photomontage I knew it wasn't a runner and am sure a lot of other people knew the same. Drogs benefactors thought they could push the stadium plan through on a nod and a wink, it's a real pity for the whole scheme to fall down on something so basic

[Inside Man]

I feel i can speek for most other league of Irleland fans when i say I hane NO sympathy for drogheda.
It was set ups like this that was the head runner for the league's current downfall. Its simple. Take Sligo Rovers for example! We lose Faz and Hughes to drogs. They leave for the money.....[and i think i can speak for all Sligo rovers fans when i say sickened lovely to them, cheeky feckers money grabbing and now look at them, faz would probably would have earned more staying with us to the end of the season(at least he would be getting paid)]
....So that we don't lose more players we must up our currnet players wages. So we can compete at some level.
Just like to add; Drogheda had 42 players at one stage of the season in their full squad. That is just suicidal. And good ridance to them. I'm happy. Yes! Happy


But I'm happy. Yes! Happy.

[Sheridan]

It was set ups like this that was the head runner for the league's current downfall. Its simple. Take Sligo Rovers for example! We lose Faz and Hughes to drogs.

How ****ed would you be if you hadn't?

[sligoman]

cheeky feckers money grabbing

While I'm happy for them, I still can't blame them for leaving. You telling me if you were offered a huge increase in wages you wouldn't feck off too? They have family and other expenses, naturally they'll take as much as is being offered. Drogheda should have set a limit, it's their fault. As it is with any other club who are spending too much.

[passerrby]

As Dodge mentioned, this wasn't only going to be a stand alone stadium, it was going to be a sports campus to be used by a number of different sports as well as retail units surrounding it to generate more revenue.

Please go back and read the original plan before commenting any further on something you haven't a clue about.

It was tried and it failed due to whatever reasons. We'll live to fight again.

it was tried and failed because it was a silly plan made by silly people who are doomed to repeat thier mistakes .. welcome to the graveyard.
champoins league your having a laugh

[Krstic]

You said -


...with the intention of dismissing what others had said about Derry being a bit stuck for cash.

It is very unusual for companies to hold off paying bills unless they're stuck for cash. I work in accounts; I should know.That's what part of your post indicates to me that your knowledge of DCFC is limited at best. You didn't even know that you owe us money, and now you don't even know how long you owe us money for, yet you still feel qualified to dismiss concerns about Derry's finances.

Well then tell me ooh knowledgable accounts employee, how much and for what length of time have Derry owed UCD money.

And again, I never in any post claimed to know about Derry's affairs, you did.
I only stated that it was not unusual for a company to withhold payment for various reasons.

My wife and I own a company, we should know.

[Rovers1]

While I'm happy for them, I still can't blame them for leaving.

youve changed your tune totally!

i did have a big speil written, but my internet crashed

was pretty much gonna say the same as Sligoman, cant blame Faz and Hughes for leaving. They were great for us, even if it took them a while to settle in, they're just trying to further their careers.

[the-blue-harp]

Thats a good thing. Less negative publicity the better.

Plus more Grainne, less Jacqui

i say more sheila!!

[the-blue-harp]

its a disgrace! its a disgrace, shame on drogheda, at least thats hows harps have been treated... so same should be for cork, drogheda, cobh, galway, sligo rovers. DISGRACE!

[The Sheliban]

When Shels got their comeuppance, everyone was delighted.
Now, the same thing happens to Drogs and its a terrible thing for the League?

[holidaysong]

When Shels got their comeuppance, everyone was delighted.
Now, the same thing happens to Drogs and its a terrible thing for the League?

I don't think there is any more or less sympathy out there for Drogheda then there was for Shelbourne. Football fans are going to be jealous if a club reaches beyond their means for glory for which they weren't entitled to..

Both Shels and Drogheda have done this. Personally speaking, I've no sympathy for clubs who do this. You gambled on success by spending beyond your means and at the end of the day it didn't pay off.. I've no sympathy for fans who gloated during the glory days but then when their bubble bursts and they are brought back down to reality!

[pineapple stu]

Can I genuinely ask why pretty much all Drogs fans are so unanimous in praise of Hoey et al? He's chased what was clearly a dead duck in the new ground, poured millions into an unsustainable set up and has now, quite disgracefully IMO, turned around with five games to go and told his players (not to mention the managerial and admin staff) they won't be getting paid and has racked up debts which could quite easily see the end of the club (how are the club going to pay the half million owed to Revenue in the next 12 months, for example?). Yet despite this, Hoey is revered for living the dream or some such? I'm baffled how someone who has done so much to harm to club can be seen in such a positive light. Everyone else is blamed - the FAI, the MCC, the NRA - despite the fact that blame clearly lies 100% at the feet of Hoey and the NRA were 100% right not to allow a development of the magnitude being proposed (in particular, the 5000 houses, for which I'm quite sure the ground was a mere wedge, and which I don't think ever left the developers' minds, given the roundabouts present in the later planning applications). Meanwhile, Drogs fans shrug their shoulders and say "Ho hum, that was fun" without any sort of move to help save the club? How does any of this make any sense?!

And as for the Drogs fan who reckons going back to part-time isn't worth the bother, it seems he'll soon have the team he deserves.

I only stated that it was not unusual for a company to withhold payment for various reasons.

If, let's say, you owe money for a player, there's no possible reason to be withholding that money six months later other than the fact that you can't afford to pay it. Quite simple really.

It's very few companies who will withhold money for six months or more, especially in such a clear-cut case as this.

[forza rovers]

its a disgrace! its a disgrace, shame on drogheda, at least thats hows harps have been treated... so same should be for cork, drogheda, cobh, galway, sligo rovers. DISGRACE!

we dont ask our players to take pay cuts we can pay ours!!