Drogheda

**Lim till i die** · 19/12/2010, 9:01 PM

Spot the Difference:

Tis a tricky one, don't beat yourself up if you can't get it.

**legendz** · 19/12/2010, 9:16 PM

Ha ha!!

**iceman** · 20/12/2010, 10:12 AM

Its actually a very funny set-up with Drogheda , people involed with the club are saying that the board have stepped down and the club is being run by the claret&blue club. New people are running day-to-day things up there and yet any c&b member (who are keeping the club afloat) will tell you that they had no say or vote on whats going on.

Old habits remain.

**marinobohs** · 20/12/2010, 10:25 AM

Originally Posted by Paddyfield

More about in the Sunday Indo today
http://www.independent.ie/sport/socc...s-2466492.html

Not a very interesting article - more a Sligo "gloat" over the wrong of not including them in the proposed All Ireland League (author writing with his Sligo hat on and not a LOI one). Nothing of any significance and, given previous difficulties at Sligo they are hardly text book model financially either.

Would like to see Mr Sweeney write more positive articles on the LOI he professes to care about (if that is allowed at the Indo

)

**Cuyahoga** · 20/12/2010, 10:40 AM

Originally Posted by marinobohs

Not a very interesting article - more a Sligo "gloat" over the wrong of not including them in the proposed All Ireland League (author writing with his Sligo hat on and not a LOI one). Nothing of any significance and, given previous difficulties at Sligo they are hardly text book model financially either.

Would like to see Mr Sweeney write more positive articles on the LOI he professes to care about (if that is allowed at the Indo

)

I agree with you on the point about the article been a gloat aboout Sligo but in fairness his articles over the years have been generally positive for the League.

**Schumi** · 20/12/2010, 11:06 AM

I have a lot of time for Eamon Sweeney after reading his excellent book on Sligo Rovers but his newspaper pieces are hit and miss. marinobohs has it spot on here.

**oriel** · 20/12/2010, 12:56 PM

He usually writes some great stuff, but thought his comment on the 'tradtional powers of Sligo and Dundalk' was a bit strange, more so for Sligo, last lge titles was in 1977 for them & 1995 for Dundalk (and trust me, will be a long time until the next one too !)

**marinobohs** · 21/12/2010, 11:48 AM

Originally Posted by Cuyahoga

I agree with you on the point about the article been a gloat aboout Sligo but in fairness his articles over the years have been generally positive for the League.

Agree Cuyahoga, excellent writer and his book about supporting Sligo was class but think its a great loss when any real LOI fan with media access writes "knocking" the League - apart from the fact its so easy

. Enjoyed his piece around the FAI Cup Final but not so this more recent effort.

**oriel** · 05/01/2011, 9:22 PM

LMFM radio sportsnews tonight reported that Drogs may have to go with an all amateur side for this year, with little hope of raising the money needed. I didnt hear the start of the report, so does this imply they wont even be in the FD next year ? I wouldn't like to see them drop out of the league, as any chance they have to re-build from the FD will be virtually gone if they depart senior football.

**cornflakes** · 05/01/2011, 10:15 PM

Will they drop to the A championship?

**Jofspring** · 05/01/2011, 11:01 PM

I take it Salthill and Mervue are all amateur sides so i don't see why Drogheda couldn't play First Division if these clubs can.

**gufcfan** · 06/01/2011, 1:30 AM

Originally Posted by iceman

New people are running day-to-day things up there and yet any c&b member (who are keeping the club afloat) will tell you that they had no say or vote on whats going on.

Sounds eerily familiar.

**Spudulika** · 06/01/2011, 10:17 AM

Wexford have pretty much kept themselves amateur and have been developing little by little. It may be a state of play where an expanded Premier is pro or semi-pro, while the new 1st is only amateur. The same happens in many of the German leagues where payments are strictly forbidden (outside of expenses) and rules are rigidly enforced. It was certainly this way before the re-structuring of the leagues a while back, 1 club in the Hessenliga was thrown out for paying more than the allowed amount, it was a small difference but there was no leeway given.

**Macy** · 06/01/2011, 10:38 AM

There's no need for the first to be totally amateur - we just need licencing enforced (same as the premier) so clubs don't overspend. It appears to be more an issue in the premier division anyway - most first division clubs appear to be, or have, restructured their budgets to sustainable amounts. Drogheda just need to join this club!

**Spudulika** · 06/01/2011, 1:14 PM

Originally Posted by Macy

There's no need for the first to be totally amateur - we just need licencing enforced (same as the premier) so clubs don't overspend. It appears to be more an issue in the premier division anyway - most first division clubs appear to be, or have, restructured their budgets to sustainable amounts. Drogheda just need to join this club!

You've a point, especially in terms of licence monitors, though a blind eye is turned too often to clubs behaving irresponsibly and this is more than just poor management. It's down to, "ah sure, the lads will sort if out." It's easy for the FAI to go after those out of favour (Big Tom being a prime example), though stopping under the table payments is one thing that would ensure clubs can at least compete on a level playing field. I await with no sense of hope the first player or official to be honest enough to step forward with the information that will put an end to a practice we all know and tolerate (especially when it's your own club and you want it to be successful). It'll take a scenario like The Untouchables to have it happen, though Kevin Costner hasn't the energy and Sean Connery doesn't much care for football.

**iceman** · 07/01/2011, 3:47 PM

Latest on the Drogheda forum is that the club are going cap-in-hand to the fans again.
This time they want 100 fans to come up with �2000 each (�200,000).
Cant see them getting it.

**D.24saint** · 07/01/2011, 4:21 PM

Latest on the Drogheda forum is that the club are going cap-in-hand to the fans again.
This time they want 100 fans to come up with €2000 each (€200,000).
Cant see them getting it.

that plan seems a bit

**Jofspring** · 07/01/2011, 4:38 PM

Can't see them finding 100 fans with that kind of cash to throw away. Will the fans get anything back in return barr a slightly better team fielded or is this money purely for the running of the club?

Drogheda need to just face up to facts it seems and have a squad of all amateurs. If this means struggling for the season then so be it but they have to start again from the looks of it and not try come back as competitive straight away.