What the FAI thinks of progressive clubs:

**Riddickcule** · 27/05/2010, 8:29 PM

Why not? why are private companies so frowned upon on here loool

**Dodge** · 27/05/2010, 9:45 PM

Originally Posted by Riddickcule

Why not? why are private companies so frowned upon on here loool

They're not. I'd love a private company that could show me properly costed, well thought plans on how to increase income streams into clubs and ensure that said income isn't wasted.

I haven't seen one yet though

**John83** · 27/05/2010, 10:00 PM

I think that most people�s problem can be stated with a small paraphrasing of a Douglas Adams quote: Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President of the FAI should on no account be allowed to do the job.

Similarly, no company with an actual desire to run Irish football should be let near the place.

**Buile Shuibhne** · 28/05/2010, 10:57 AM

As an indication of how much the FAI care about the League Of Ireland � the Official League website hasn�t been updated since Tuesday this week.

Is there a moratorium on all League news because two international friendlies are on this week and tickets are still available?

There�s a full schedule of games on tomorrow including the Bohs Vs Rovers derby.
It might only be the First Division � but you�d even expect the resignation of league legend Dermot Keely to register with them?

The League is obviously well down on the FAI�s list of priorities.

**Dodge** · 28/05/2010, 11:11 AM

The first division dosn't count.

The league as a media officer who's sole job is this type of thing. he doesn't have any other functions within the FAI. He's on leave obviously

**Buile Shuibhne** · 28/05/2010, 10:24 PM

Still ne'er a mention of the league's news stories this week or tomorrow's big games.

**Riddickcule** · 29/05/2010, 3:06 PM

Originally Posted by Dodge

They're not. I'd love a private company that could show me properly costed, well thought plans on how to increase income streams into clubs and ensure that said income isn't wasted.

I haven't seen one yet though

Honestly what was wrong with the p1 proposals? Or is it a personal thing going on with Drury?

**Dodge** · 29/05/2010, 4:24 PM

Originally Posted by Riddickcule

Honestly what was wrong with the p1 proposals? Or is it a personal thing going on with Drury?

I've never even met Drury! He's mates with brian Kerr so he's he's in my goodbooks though...

Did you read the P1 proposal? Did you read how they were going to bring money into the league? The document mentions two ways (and only two ways) in which they would get the league's income to increase by enough to pay for the massive increases in prize money. 1) Massively increase the fees clubs would pay to the league 2) negotiate a contract witha tv company that would pay a substantial amount to the league and the clubs

Now 1) actually hurts clubs as thye haven't a pot to **** in as it is. And 2) simply wouldn't happen as currently the league pays RTE to show MNS and they have to neg TV companies to show games for butons.

Platinum One would not invest one single penny into Irish football, and infact they said they'd pay themselves a "management fee"

I'll say it again, for the umpteenth time, I honestly don't care who looks after the league as long as its the best deal possible for the clubs. If its the clubs themselves, the FAI, platinum one or any other company, I don't care.

Let them make rock solid proposals that aren't based on fantasy, and I've no doubt everyone involved will look at them seriously.

Until then, we can continue going to games and enjoying our teams' victories.

**Riddickcule** · 29/05/2010, 11:45 PM

Fair enough, i have read the proposal and i thought it was pretty good, but sure i'm naive so...

But sure why do you presume the project would fail? If the product was marketed right and they managed to get a good TV deal, why not? Yes the clubs fee's would increase dramatically but it would be worth it for the return they would see. And you think the proposals aren't solid? There was 62 pages in that report. Someone said it was the most in depth report into Irish Football ever. Besides, if the project was supported there could have been a few tweaks to the proposals to make people happy, they even said that if the proposal is supported by all the right stakeholders then they would continue preparing for it. Someone would mention that there wasn't a proper financial plan in order and then they'd have to go back and fix that. Surely no company would go through all that to try make money. It's not like they were in trouble financially anyway.

**osarusan** · 30/05/2010, 8:28 AM

Originally Posted by Riddickcule

But sure why do you presume the project would fail? If the product was marketed right and they managed to get a good TV deal, why not? Yes the clubs fee's would increase dramatically but it would be worth it for the return they would see.

First of all, prize money awarded to clubs which comes from the money they pay in fees is not new money at all. It's just the clubs' original money being given back to them.

Secondly, the FAI, when negotiating television rights with RTE, had to accept 4 million euro (I think thta was the figure) less in order to get MNS shown on RTE. RTE were willing to pay more for just the rights to show international games than they were willing to pay to show international games and domestic games. In other words, FAI are paying RTE to broadcast the program. The only cross-border competition has exactly set the pulses racing either, you'd have to admit.

Any new league, even an AIL, will see the majority of the games being the same as now - Bohs versus Rovers, Galway versus Dundalk, etc. Not enough people want to watch them now to make their broadcast viable - although P1 talked about massively increasing TV deals, a lot of people are pretty sceptical as to how they'd go about doing that. Setanta viewing figures and the RTE deal wouldn't exactly appeal to broadcasters to the extent that they'd fork out a few million for the rights.

Everybody knows we need money to improve the league - P1's ideas on how to generate it were no better than the ideas of anybody else.

**passerrby** · 30/05/2010, 10:14 AM

Originally Posted by Riddickcule

Fair enough, i have read the proposal and i thought it was pretty good, but sure i'm naive so...

But sure why do you presume the project would fail? If the product was marketed right and they managed to get a good TV deal, why not? Yes the clubs fee's would increase dramatically but it would be worth it for the return they would see. And you think the proposals aren't solid? There was 62 pages in that report. Someone said it was the most in depth report into Irish Football ever. Besides, if the project was supported there could have been a few tweaks to the proposals to make people happy, they even said that if the proposal is supported by all the right stakeholders then they would continue preparing for it. Someone would mention that there wasn't a proper financial plan in order and then they'd have to go back and fix that. Surely no company would go through all that to try make money. It's not like they were in trouble financially anyway.

there was a lot of pie in the sky proposels in the p1 document most of which were not possible some people bought into it but in the main most thought it was not sustantable.
p.s. remind me not to let you take my priize cow to market

**R�iteoir** · 12/06/2010, 2:38 PM

Well - this is now truly dead in the water:

Bar�a to play V�lerenga in pre-season

FC Barcelona will play a friendly in Oslo on July 29, 2010 against V�lerenga Fotball before heading off on the tour of Asia.

The Blaugrana director general Joan Oliver announced the added fixture will complete the club�s pre-season schedule. �The game against V�lerenga fulfils the pre-season programme which is complicated by the World Cup and the Spanish Super Cup,� he explained.

V�lerenga is an historic club that was founded in 1913. Arguably, their most successful era came in the 1980�s when they became the kings of Norwegian football. They have won the league title on five occasions - the cup four times, with the last coming in 2008.

After the game against V�lerenga the Blaugrana will travel to Asia on tour. Once there, Bar�a will play their first game against a Korean K-League select team in Seoul on August 4 and then meet Guon FC in the Olympic Stadium in Beijing four days later. �Bar�a will earn around �2 million from each game,� Oliver added.

Might head along to this

**gael353** · 12/06/2010, 6:23 PM

dunno can it be done but can someone put up the link to Delaneys article in todays mirror? 12/06/10. i believe its another gem

**bennocelt** · 12/06/2010, 9:02 PM

Originally Posted by gael353

dunno can it be done but can someone put up the link to Delaneys article in todays mirror? 12/06/10. i believe its another gem

What did the wan*** say?

**Dunny** · 12/06/2010, 9:33 PM

Originally Posted by bennocelt

What did the wan*** say?

Weres the tissues?

**Ash** · 14/06/2010, 10:42 AM

Originally Posted by passerrby

p.s. remind me not to let you take my priize cow to market

Is that one of the cows from behind the goals at Gortakeegan?

**gael353** · 29/06/2010, 9:57 PM

parting shot by mayor

in tonights Limerick Cronicle

"The Football Association of ireland chief executive John Delaney should 'consider his position' in the wake of the soccer orginizations failure to sanction the proposed friendly between limerick fc and barcelona. According to Cllr Keily, as a result of the decision, Cllr Keily estimated the local economy lost between 15 and 20 million euro in revenue...........

**marinobohs** · 30/06/2010, 9:45 AM

Originally Posted by gael353

parting shot by mayor

in tonights Limerick Cronicle

"The Football Association of ireland chief executive John Delaney should 'consider his position' in the wake of the soccer orginizations failure to sanction the proposed friendly between limerick fc and barcelona. According to Cllr Keily, as a result of the decision, Cllr Keily estimated the local economy lost between 15 and 20 million euro in revenue...........

While I have always disagreed with the FAI stance on the proposed Barca friendly I dont see why the FAI shouild be concerned about the "local economy" of Limerick. The football club yes but the local economy ? fraid not.

Would have more respect for local polititians had they shown the same "interest" when the club (and same applies across the country) was in such trouble.

**Charlie Darwin** · 30/06/2010, 1:29 PM

The figures in these cases are always a bit dubious. The assumption seems to be that if people don't spend money on a football game and the pomp surrounding it they'll simply burn the equivalent amount of money instead. I'm sure there's some significant loss with regard to fans from other parts of Ireland (and the few Catalans that come along) but 20 million sounds insane.