Richard Sadlier reason for quitting Irish Football.

**tallaghthoop** · 16/05/2010, 9:45 PM

Small-mindedness that drove me out of Irish football

By Richard Sadlier
Sunday May 16 2010

It was a level of exposure that money can't buy. Cristiano Ronaldo's Real Madrid debut was to happen on Irish soil in a League of Ireland ground.

Although most people would tune in to see Real Madrid rather than Shamrock Rovers, the fixture presented an opportunity for the domestic game to figure in at least the conversations of Irish football fans all over the country for the first time in a long time.

However, a request from local rivals Bohemians the month before left me stunned. It was the phone call which brought about my decision to quit the League of Ireland.

In a staggering display of small-mindedness and self-interest, I was asked to lend my support, and that of St Patrick's Athletic, to a formal objection by Bohs against the game going ahead. Their concern was that the game would affect the attendance at their Champions League game two nights later if they were drawn to play at home in the first leg. St Pat's were due to play in the Europa League the night after that (though we could also have been drawn away first) and they figured I would be of a like mind.

Have to say if the above is true its pretty sad on Bohs behalf, but a pretty lame reason for Sadlier to walk away for the game. I think the whole Jeff Kenna affair made his mind up. But for Bohs to try pull a stunt like that and try get St Pats on board, well i'll leave the rest to your imagination. Also for the love of me i can't understand why it would effect Bohs attendence, their fans are hardly going to come to Tallaght to watch the biggest club in the world over their own Champions league fixture.?????

**CSFShels** · 16/05/2010, 10:15 PM

Think I can say with absolutely no doubt in my mind, this was NOT the reason he left Pats. But it suits his agenda, to blame someone else. The man did a bad job, Pats were almost relegated during his reign, and since he has left they've started to find themselves again.

**OneRedArmy** · 16/05/2010, 10:32 PM

Whether it was the reason he left or not I've no idea, but its not hard to believe the story as told.

Whilst the FAI have made a bags of running the League, it was at least as bad when the clubs themselves were in charge under the previous regime.

I've come across more out and out small-minded morons in Irish football administration than I have anywhere else. Which is saying a lot, given I work in a bank...

**Lamper.sffc** · 16/05/2010, 11:01 PM

Id say it was probably the straw that broke the camels back.

**Jicked** · 16/05/2010, 11:01 PM

I find it hard to believe that's why Sadlier quit LoI football (maybe the straw that broke the camels back) but don't doubt the truth of his statement for a second.

**CSFShels** · 16/05/2010, 11:04 PM

Oh don't me wrong, I don't doubt the story for a second, only thing I'm questioning is his motives for writing about it a year later (even if high-profile friendlies are the trendy topic in LOI football), just think he doesn't want to be forgotten by the Irish public. Wouldn't be good for his profile.

**Jicked** · 16/05/2010, 11:07 PM

In fairness it's pretty apt when the LoI talk has been dominated by petty opposition to glamour friendly games. If he wasn't going to write about it this week when would he

**de bowez** · 16/05/2010, 11:15 PM

Also good timing with Pats - Bohs on twice in a week.

**MariborKev** · 16/05/2010, 11:24 PM

CSF Shels, he is probably better known now given that he appears as a staple on the Premiership.

**Dodge** · 16/05/2010, 11:40 PM

Originally Posted by CSFShels

Oh don't me wrong, I don't doubt the story for a second, only thing I'm questioning is his motives for writing about it a year later (even if high-profile friendlies are the trendy topic in LOI football), just think he doesn't want to be forgotten by the Irish public. Wouldn't be good for his profile.

He writes that column every week. I honestly can't see how you'd think that particular column would make him more well known

**Mr A** · 17/05/2010, 9:02 AM

Let's be honest here- how many of us would remain involved with the league if it was not for devotion to our own clubs? Hardly a season goes by (at least in recent years) where I don't wonder why I'm wasting my time on it. I totally understand how someone would find themselves at a point where they throw their hat at it.

But also, of course, it's f****ng fantastic.

But terrible too.

**A face** · 17/05/2010, 10:03 AM

Originally Posted by Mr A

Let's be honest here- how many of us would remain involved with the league if it was not for devotion to our own clubs? Hardly a season goes by (at least in recent years) where I don't wonder why I'm wasting my time on it. I totally understand how someone would find themselves at a point where they throw their hat at it..

I hear ya, and i can completely believe that that is the motive for his leaving. Just as a fan of a LOI club the pettiness would get you down at times and at that level he was probably exposed to it alot more. He does seem like a character who wouldn't be too fond of having to put up and work through some of the politics that goes with the league. If someone just wanted to crack on and get with running a football club, having to constantly contend with all the bull then it will grate off you and wear you down.

Cant blame the guy. And to resolve it he isn't the one that needs to change either.

**marinobohs** · 17/05/2010, 10:38 AM

Originally Posted by Ezeikial

I share your scepticism about whether this phone call from Bohs "brought about my decision to quit League of Ireland", but not your cynicism that his raising of it has anything to do with Bohs playing Pats twice in a week. I know its a outrageous thought, but maybe it is related to Limerick/Barcelona & FAI/Man U developments?

Nice one! So you are inferring that Bohs were right to object to the Shamrock Rovers V Real Madrid game?

The best way, but certainly not the only way. The Rovers V Real Madrid game was certainly good profile for Rovers and by extension for LoI.

Difficult to take seriously the comments of Sadlier - 12 months on (shows how "outraged" he was about it). Sadlier left St Pats because they were a hugely expensive failure under his "leadership" - huge wage bill for no success.
honestly dont know context of this phone call he refers to but it is a fact that shams game took away from euro ties that week and hardly surprising that clubs involved in europe would discuss that. Never materialised into an official complaint (unlike shams childish budget whine) so nothing to the "story" apart from a failed football administrator rewriting history to lessen his own shortcomings.

Had St Pats won the League would he have stepped down ?

**osarusan** · 17/05/2010, 10:41 AM

Maybe the posts about Sadlier / Bohs / Rovers could be moved to that thread?

http://foot.ie/threads/135641-Richar...Irish-Football.

**marinobohs** · 17/05/2010, 10:44 AM

Originally Posted by osarusan

Maybe the posts about Sadlier / Bohs / Rovers could be moved to that thread?

http://foot.ie/threads/135641-Richar...Irish-Football.

Apols Osarusan for posting in wrong thread

Its a Monday thing.

**Dodge** · 17/05/2010, 10:46 AM

Originally Posted by marinobohs

Had St Pats won the League would he have stepped down ?

Yes, 100%

Sadlier was chief executive and last year we made a profit.

Would you be commenting on this so strongly if he didn't slate Bohs? (proving his point btw)

osarusan is right though. The Limerick story is too big to have this mess it up

**marinobohs** · 17/05/2010, 10:56 AM

Originally Posted by Dodge

Yes, 100%

Sadlier was chief executive and last year we made a profit.

Would you be commenting on this so strongly if he didn't slate Bohs? (proving his point btw)

osarusan is right though. The Limerick story is too big to have this mess it up

Have never spoken to any Pats fan who considered Sadliers time at pats anything but failure - unlike your good self I dont post other clubs accounts but try reading how much failure cost Pats in the last 2/3 years.
Were it not for your sugar daddy you would be Shels/Drogs/Cork without the throphies.
Wrong thread (again) so feel free to take it across to the appropriate place. Sadlier drumming up this non story 12 months on reeks of revisionism - rewriting history to explain his own failure,

**Dodge** · 17/05/2010, 11:17 AM

Originally Posted by marinobohs

Have never spoken to any Pats fan who considered Sadliers time at pats anything but failure

Suggest you talk to more Pats fans, maybe ones who were around before he came on board and remember the mess. His only major error was appointing Kenna. he rightly, took no part in who we signed or who played from week to week. The implication that our relative failure on the pitch is solely his fault surely means that Bohs success is soley down to the Gerrys?

reading how much failure cost Pats in the last 2/3 years.
Were it not for your sugar daddy you would be Shels/Drogs/Cork without the throphies.

We never once went over budget, and we're now making a profit. Would fans of those clubs (the ones that still exist) swap places with us now?

Sadlier drumming up this non story 12 months on reeks of revisionism - rewriting history to explain his own failure,

Its pretty topical in fairness. Substitute Bohs for the FAI and the same small mindedness exists throughout the league. Everyone's out for No 1. If you were a regular reader of his columns, you'd know he has listed plenty of mistakes he's made.

**marinobohs** · 17/05/2010, 11:36 AM

Originally Posted by Dodge

Suggest you talk to more Pats fans, maybe ones who were around before he came on board and remember the mess. His only major error was appointing Kenna. he rightly, took no part in who we signed or who played from week to week. The implication that our relative failure on the pitch is solely his fault surely means that Bohs success is soley down to the Gerrys?

We never once went over budget, and we're now making a profit. Would fans of those clubs (the ones that still exist) swap places with us now?

Its pretty topical in fairness. Substitute Bohs for the FAI and the same small mindedness exists throughout the league. Everyone's out for No 1. If you were a regular reader of his columns, you'd know he has listed plenty of mistakes he's made.

A couple of points (hopefully) to finish this silly distraction. according to a Bohs board member no request/phone call on behalf of the club to Saddlier RE lodging a complaint to the shams/ madrid match (impossible to determine if an unofficial call was made by an individual - but Bohs not reponsible for this IF it happened).
On e mailing him Saddlier confirmed to a bohs fan that this was "one example" of the type of thing that made him give up the game (cant link to e mail for obvious reasons) one of a number of things - a complete non story.

**Rasputin** · 17/05/2010, 12:35 PM

But to be fair to Sadlier he said it was one of the reasons why he left.
I dont know how successfull or not his administration at Pats was, I think it would be Pats fans themselves who would be in the best position to answer that.
But from what I have seen of Sadlier and his writings I think hes a decent skin and he is a loss to our league.
He was progressive and I definetly got the impression he had the best interests of the league at heart.
Saying that I dont agree with everything he says but overall hes got his head screwed on and comes across as a decent bloke.