How Bad is Galways Bad?

**passerrby** · 30/11/2010, 4:51 PM

we simply need a rule that says if you renage on a contract( regardless if a deal is done )during the season or fail to meet you obligations then no prize money will be given out and a points deduction will begin your next season ,then we would see compliance.
but the will is not there because they know it would only impact on the so called bigger clubs

**geezer** · 30/11/2010, 8:48 PM

but just like health and safety rules or quality manuals they go way over the top and feel every eventuality has to be covered. Then it actually ends up completely killing everything including the very thing it was set up to help. Take the health boards needing electricians to change light bulbs. The 65% rule for example applies to players yet nothing stops a the opposite happening like when the ceo ends up getting the 65% and the players all 22 of them 35%??? its mad ted.

copies of the paye/prsi returns and vat returns with their back up would very quickly highlight if clubs were messing. A very simple income & expenditure like every GAA or any other club produces monthly would solve a lot. And my biggest bone of contention with the LOI/FAI over the years is why the bloody hell are they always trying things to restrict relegation for the top clubs and promotion for the minnows. Surely a relegation sometimes provides a chance for clubs & people in those clubs to renew themselves and can be healthy. A promotion for a minnow can carry them for 4 or 5 years. 2 or 3 years in a lower division every 20 or 30 years for a real top club is no harm and can be a catalyst for fresh people to come in and renew, excite and retain people for a decade.

Stop the interference, 2 up 2 down with play offs if they want should be allowed to happen for the next ten years and submit meaningful documentation monthly/quarterly that are open to audit of say 2 clubs a month at random would stop a lot of rubbish. The current submission of management accounts and whats actually done with them in abbotstown is a complete joke. A one day visit to my club by one qualified auditor (even a bookkeeper) would have halted very quickly the mess we now find ourselves in and would have been far more effective than reams and reams of form filling for the Licence that no one ever seems to check once or twice a season

**pineapple stu** · 01/12/2010, 9:09 AM

Originally Posted by shantykelly

i dont think licencing is the cause of the problems, im just thinking that maybe its helping bring it to light a bit better than pre-licencing. like i said, just a thought.

Again, Cork and Derry went into liquidation before they were denied a licence. I don't see how you could bring things to light any later than that.

**marinobohs** · 02/12/2010, 11:44 AM

Originally Posted by geezer

but just like health and safety rules or quality manuals they go way over the top and feel every eventuality has to be covered. Then it actually ends up completely killing everything including the very thing it was set up to help. Take the health boards needing electricians to change light bulbs. The 65% rule for example applies to players yet nothing stops a the opposite happening like when the ceo ends up getting the 65% and the players all 22 of them 35%??? its mad ted.

copies of the paye/prsi returns and vat returns with their back up would very quickly highlight if clubs were messing. A very simple income & expenditure like every GAA or any other club produces monthly would solve a lot. And my biggest bone of contention with the LOI/FAI over the years is why the bloody hell are they always trying things to restrict relegation for the top clubs and promotion for the minnows. Surely a relegation sometimes provides a chance for clubs & people in those clubs to renew themselves and can be healthy. A promotion for a minnow can carry them for 4 or 5 years. 2 or 3 years in a lower division every 20 or 30 years for a real top club is no harm and can be a catalyst for fresh people to come in and renew, excite and retain people for a decade.

Stop the interference, 2 up 2 down with play offs if they want should be allowed to happen for the next ten years and submit meaningful documentation monthly/quarterly that are open to audit of say 2 clubs a month at random would stop a lot of rubbish. The current submission of management accounts and whats actually done with them in abbotstown is a complete joke. A one day visit to my club by one qualified auditor (even a bookkeeper) would have halted very quickly the mess we now find ourselves in and would have been far more effective than reams and reams of form filling for the Licence that no one ever seems to check once or twice a season

The suggestion that the current licencing regulations are overzealous is quite simply laughable. given what has happened despite them it hardly bears thinking what would happen if the current (very limited) restraints were removed. That is aside from the fact that they are a uefa requirement.
The 65% rule was introduced to address the problem of wage inflation which (like elsewhere in europe) became a major problem in LOI. Lightening the regulation would simply encourage a return to the spendfest that has got so many clubs into trouble. PAYE/PRSI checks would simply encourage a return to the old "cash in hand" culture that was a mainstay in LOI in times past. Your quoting GAA clubs as an example is strange given the many dodgy accounting practices uncovered over the years

.

Clubs need to decide do they actually want licencing and/or control by the FAI or not ? Do they want a rubber stamp to keep europe happy or serious regulation of the League ? The problem is clubs seeking to bend/break the rules at every oppurtunity not the rules themselves.

I have no idea RE your point about collusion to prevent "big clubs" being relegated, ask Shels, Cork, Derry about that.

**pineapple stu** · 02/12/2010, 11:48 AM

Cork and Derry weren't relegated.

And it's quite possible for the information required to be excessive - therefore overzealous licencing requirements - and yet for it all to be ignored in the end of the day.

All people are asking for is licencing that works. That last part is what we're missing at the moment.

**geezer** · 02/12/2010, 11:58 AM

[QUOTE=marinobohs;1430823]The suggestion that the current licencing regulations are overzealous is quite simply laughable.

Clubs need to decide do they actually want licencing and/or control by the FAI or not ?

Most of us want Licencing, but not for the sake of Licencing, Its football we are running not sarbanes oxley type regulation for the top 100 companies in the world.

All the form filling with no real auditing is a waste of time. Simple things can be put in to help clubs manage the process. The clubs themselves do need to take responsibility. A licencing system that nips things in the bud, spots things early would be of huge help to everyone

**marinobohs** · 02/12/2010, 12:54 PM

[QUOTE=geezer;1430828
Most of us want Licencing, but not for the sake of Licencing, Its football we are running not sarbanes oxley type regulation for the top 100 companies in the world.

All the form filling with no real auditing is a waste of time. Simple things can be put in to help clubs manage the process. The clubs themselves do need to take responsibility. A licencing system that nips things in the bud, spots things early would be of huge help to everyone[/QUOTE]

No argument on that but your earlier suggestion appeared to be that Licencing should be relaxed (apols if I got that wrong) and my point is that in the absense of a mindset change at club level (something I dont see currently) any such relaxation would simply exacerbate the current difficulties.

**gufcfan** · 02/12/2010, 4:35 PM

Snippet of an interesting article in the Galway City Tribune.

http://galwayunitedfc.net/index.php?...id=2&record=20

**peadar1987** · 02/12/2010, 5:17 PM

If Galway were to go under, would the supporters reform the club, and start in the A Championship, or would they transfer their support to one of the two other Galway clubs in the League?

**higgins** · 02/12/2010, 7:04 PM

They need to be consistent that's all.
Too much room to change their mind on what punishment they give for what crime.

It needs to be more structured.
Black and White.

Too many clubs have got away with breaking rules over the past 3 years and it leads to more clubs thinking they can do likewise and in most cases they usually can.

If Galway have failed to pay 10,000 worth of wages at the end of the season they should be deducted points.
My own system would be that they are deducted a percentage of points the same as what they have failed to pay players.

So if the wage bill for 2010 was 200,000 and they failed to pay 10,000 they should get a 5% points deduction based on the assumption 5% of their points were won by paying 5% extra than they had!

**gufcfan** · 02/12/2010, 7:22 PM

Originally Posted by peadar1987

If Galway were to go under, would the supporters reform the club, and start in the A Championship, or would they transfer their support to one of the two other Galway clubs in the League?

That's like suggesting if Bohs fans would support Bray if they went under.

**geezer** · 02/12/2010, 8:30 PM

Originally Posted by higgins

They need to be consistent that's all.

So if the wage bill for 2010 was 200,000 and they failed to pay 10,000 they should get a 10% points deduction based on the assumption 10% of their points were won by paying 10% extra than they had!

That would be a great league to watch, its football also the current squad at GUFC are owed max 2000 as of today. Licence application is in on time with a number of outstanding issues but nothing hopefully GUFC cant overcome

**SkStu** · 02/12/2010, 9:15 PM

Originally Posted by higgins

If Galway have failed to pay 10,000 worth of wages at the end of the season they should be deducted points.
My own system would be that they are deducted a percentage of points the same as what they have failed to pay players.

just out of interest what if Galway failed to pay 10000 of the wages they had agreed to pay as per their submissions to licensing but subsequently negotiated to pay 5000 which the players were happy to accept. Its not part of the licensing process and its not part of what they agreed to pay originally...

**Lim till i die** · 02/12/2010, 9:22 PM

Originally Posted by geezer

That would be a great league to watch, its football also the current squad at GUFC are owed max 2000 as of today. Licence application is in on time with a number of outstanding issues but nothing hopefully GUFC cant overcome

Interesting choice of words

**geezer** · 02/12/2010, 10:58 PM

who were let go during the year who are due monies and are registered with the FAI.
Work is ongoing on these lads who have been more than patient but hopefully they can be sorted soon. Everything possible is being done to address the issue for them

Its true to say the players have put up with awful ****e this year and licencing was not of much use until now. But only for the huge efforts being made by supporters who respect these players hugely

**WoodquayBoy** · 02/12/2010, 11:17 PM

Originally Posted by peadar1987

If Galway were to go under, would the supporters reform the club, and start in the A Championship, or would they transfer their support to one of the two other Galway clubs in the League?

No offence but that has to be one of the dumbest questions ever! Give the history between the 3 clubs, there is no way United fanns will jump to Mervue or Devon. I'd hope and imagine there would be enough of us to pick up the pieces and start afresh

**peadar1987** · 03/12/2010, 12:25 AM

Originally Posted by WoodquayBoy

No offence but that has to be one of the dumbest questions ever! Give the history between the 3 clubs, there is no way United fanns will jump to Mervue or Devon. I'd hope and imagine there would be enough of us to pick up the pieces and start afresh

Given that I'm not a Galway native, I don't really know much about the history between the 3 clubs. I assumed from the fact that you and Mervue share a ground, and you and Salthill shared training facilities that the relationship was at least cordial

**geezer** · 03/12/2010, 7:47 AM

Originally Posted by peadar1987

Given that I'm not a Galway native, I don't really know much about the history between the 3 clubs. I assumed from the fact that you and Mervue share a ground, and you and Salthill shared training facilities that the relationship was at least cordial

just all part of the GUFC 5 year strategy, The 2 first division clubs have over 40 players between them gaining LOI Experience. Then when they are good and ready the "big" club with the "premier" status gets to choose the best of them.

Its working well already there are a few GUFC supporters that support the other 2 clubs as well. tHE 2 "FIRST" division clubs dont impact even the slightest on attendances. Commercial sponsorship was an initial worry but that has collapsed for everyone

**WoodquayBoy** · 03/12/2010, 9:59 AM

Originally Posted by peadar1987

Given that I'm not a Galway native, I don't really know much about the history between the 3 clubs. I assumed from the fact that you and Mervue share a ground, and you and Salthill shared training facilities that the relationship was at least cordial

Apologies. The Glway & District League own Terryland Park, both ourselves and Mervue pay rent to use it every week. We didn'lt share facilities with Devon, we rented theirs. We still owe them money for the use of their ground for training. Mervue and Devon would be United's 2 biggest critics within the Galway & District League set-up, from what I have been told if there is ever a debate about turfing United out of Terryland, it is led by those 2, there is zero love between us and them