Here we go again.

[Longfordian]

Maybe we can settle this the way Pats/Shels did..Make Derry Licensing Champions of Ireland and build a statue to Jim Roddy in Merrion Square

[tiktok]

as A licence holders we have as much right as the other "B" licence holders to apply for admission.

Maribor, i do sympathise to a degree, but that statement is rubbish. Derry have no right whatsoever to European football this year, because they didn't qualify, pure and simple.

The compensation issue is separate.
You've spent money on the improvements to get the licence, and the FAI allow teams who have not achieved it (and spent money strengthening their squads in the meantime) to compete in the prem. If they've gained an advantage on you there, and it can be proven to stem from a lack of cash, you might have a case for compensation.

But you're not doing yourselves any favours with the 'we should be in Europe' line.

[MariborKev]

To be honest lads

I have no idea why it is only UEFA Cup entrants.

Longfordian/Macy etc- not trying to be sly about this but was there not a problem with the pitch being too short as well?

[Slash/ED]

I just have to laugh at all the Derry fans who are constantly getting on their high horse about Ollie who are now trying to defend this

[liamon]

Derry don't stand a chance of getting into next years UEFA cup or any other Euro comp as they don't fulfill the necessary requirements, ie not having sufficent league position or cup win.
At present, Shels, Longford, etc. don't fulfil the requirements due to lack of a licence.

Only 2 possible outcomes -
no Irish representation in Europe this year
Temp exemption and the teams that qualified on the pitch take part.

No hope for Derry and any legal challenge will simply be a waste of money for the club and the FAI.

2005 may be far more interesting though. If Derry are the only ones with the necessary licence to take part in this years Premier league, then they may argue that they deserve to win this years league by default and thereby qualify for Europe next year.

[TheSaint2002]

A licence my bo**ox the brandywell is a kip a wait a minute cos im not claiming that Richer is Parc des Princes or anything but come on, away fans get put in the most **** part of a football ground I have ever had the misfortune of sitting in you cant see the fu**king game and the stewards jump on you like dogs if you attempt to stand and look at the game,one of the terraces is closed and the ground like all other EL one is **** so don’t come off all high and mighty with your A licence because yous can stick it worst experience at a eircom league ground in my life was our last trip to derry,I apologize for the abruptness of my language but Derry suddenly think they are masters of the universe because they have a empty A licence well woopedooooo

[tiktok]

Only 2 possible outcomes -
no Irish representation in Europe this year
Temp exemption and the teams that qualified on the pitch take part.

there's a third.

all home Euro games played at Landsdowne (or the brandywell ). clubs can nominate a stadium that is not their home as a possible venue so the clubs can nominate Landsdowne to play thier games if the licence (or required derogation) doesn't come through in time.

[Longfordian]

What we've been working on over the past number of weeks is complying with the criteria of the licence bar infrastructure as we (and by we I mean the four clubs) were told by Fran Rooney and by the licensing committee that if we were of A standard in the other four criteria and nominated a stadium which is UEFA approved, (Tolka is UEFA approved even though its not fully A standard), then we would be allowed take part in the competition. If we didn't meet the other criteria we wouldn't be allowed in.

As of last night things were looking good as regards us meeting the requirements. the licensing Committe meets today to make their recommendations. Hopefully we are recommended as passing those criteria. We then nominate Tolka, Lansdowne and Flancare and see if we cant get a possibly smaller capacity Flancare up to standard in time for the game. If we dont then we play in Tolka or Lansdowne.

Maribor-you're right the pitch was 1m too short, we've got room to move the goalposts back and we are doing that. If this grant comes through, which the FAI have said will come through if we can get up to standard in every other area then we should get an A Licence reasonably quickly. If that doesnt come through then we'll have get up to 1500 seats covered, put in a drug testing room and a control room and a couple of other small things then we get a full A Licence. A serious amount of rubbish has had to be dealt with for us to be even this close to the standard and hopefully we'll be able to go the rest of the way pretty quickly.

[Wiseguy]

I have to say but this is very bad form from Derry.Congratulations on your 'A' licence but how in the name of god it is percieved that this entitles you to European football is beyond me.All this 'A' licence represents is that the club should it qualify on the pitch for a European comp your club is up to the required standard.I always liked Derry as a club and admired there supporters but this is f ucking low.If you want to play in Europe then qualify on the pitch.For a club like ourselves who have worked so hard to achive what we have achived and then have a club like yourselves try and take some of that away is just sour grapes.Everyone in this league should be pulling together but i suppose it's like everything else,there is always someone to stab you in the back.You shoud be more worried about the state your club is in on the pitch and not worry about other clubs affairs off it.I wonder what will happen when you are relegated this season.

[MariborKev]

Lads,

The failure to address the central point is still there

Everyone moans about this league not having rules and clubs bending them when its suits them and then wehn someone stands up and says "This was wrong" there is a witch hunt.

There are 21 clubs with a B licence- why was there a Premier and First Divison this year. Galway amongst others were with Derry in lobbying for the introduction of a single division but surprise surprise the Dublin clubs didn't agree with it. As I says, apparently we could have taken out an injunction at that stage to prevent the league from starting.

The licence has been allowed to fade away and if anything this will bring it smack bang into the public domain once more

Honestly I don't think we will get a UEFA Cup place but if Ollie can get €100k for a ref not sending a player off then we might as well fight our corner

BTW- I was on the record as supporting Shels and Ollie over Marneygate at the time. We may not have liked it but Pats broke the rules and Ollie was right to go after them so don't attempt

[max power]

Macy the first to jump on the anti-Derry City wagon? Shock horror there

The board discussed this course of action with the fans at public forums on numerous occasions. They explained what reasons were behind it and how we had been silent for too long on the issue. If the League is prepared to disregard the conditions on the Licence then why the hell should we not seek compensation?

No- Derry didn't want a one team Premier Division. We aregued for a single division for all the clubs, as everyone bar us has a B licence. Therefore how could there be a differentiation between "Premier" and "First"?

Derry have sat quiet too long on this one. We let the League get away with at the AGM as we apparently could have taken legal action to stop the league from starting at that stage. We worked our balls off for two years to get the licence and the League went "Jaysus lads, is that the deadline already? Don't worry about it, we'll fudge it". The clubs voted for the proposals, the clubs were bound by them, they didn't adhere to them so they should suffer the consequences.

We are taking league action if we don't get one of the places, the only way clubs in the League can be admitted to UEFA Competitions at the minute is through extraordinary admission. Therefore as A licence holders we have as much right as the other "B" licence holders to apply for admission.

People moan and moan about this league not sticking to rules and twisting and turning their way to get out of it. The when some club stands up and says- "The League was wrong" everybody goes bananas. What way do you want it lads.

PS. Longfordian, the Licensing body might be interested in the photos of the unsecured seating that I took when I was down at the last game

proof of unsecured seating, and that would have proof of date on it and proof the picture was takin in flancare and that it wasn't just broken by soemone to take that certain pic .....was this fault reported to a steward ???

[dortie]

A licence my bo**ox the brandywell is a kip a wait a minute cos im not claiming that Richer is Parc des Princes or anything but come on, away fans get put in the most **** part of a football ground I have ever had the misfortune of sitting in you cant see the fu**king game and the stewards jump on you like dogs if you attempt to stand and look at the game,one of the terraces is closed and the ground like all other EL one is **** so don’t come off all high and mighty with your A licence because yous can stick it worst experience at a eircom league ground in my life was our last trip to derry,I apologize for the abruptness of my language but Derry suddenly think they are masters of the universe because they have a empty A licence well woopedooooo

Whats this got to do with the fact we have an 'A license' and basically wasted our time achieving it ? What do you suggest we do, throw the hands in the air and sigh..."Damn why did we bother, but forget it at least we have our license'.....What is the point in gaining an A license ? Why did the league BACK down on the criteria ??

To be honest Id be happy with compensation.

And as for Richmond Park....the place is 10 times the kip the Brandywell is. Standing on a dusty hill behind a net or a tarmacaden 'terrace' with no roof is brilliant. Wise up.

[TheSaint2002]

yous are the ones who should wise up at least we own our home (bar some minor leases) and having an so called a licence doesn’t give yous the right to have others thrown out of Europe after their hard work on the pitch the whole thing stinks, and Derry should be ashamed to go to such low antics to get a place in Europe. Just because yous have a glorious A licence yous think yous can run the show ala Oliver Byrne,anyway my club not in europe and I have no stake in the argument so the rest of yas can tear each other apart nobody helped us out bar Kilkenny when we were in trouble so I dont really care.

[brendy_éire]

If you want to play in Europe then qualify on the pitch.For a club like ourselves who have worked so hard to achive what we have achived and then have a club like yourselves try and take some of that away is just sour grapes.

But couldn't it be argued that we did qualify on the pitch? We are the highest placed Irish team eligible to enter a European competition. We mightn't have finished in the top 3, or won the Cup, but we qualify on the pitch by becoming the highest place club with an A License. The same would have been the case had Pats, Waterford, Shams and Drogs had an A License at the end of last season. They would have 'quailfied' by being the higest placed clubs with an A License, and should be admitted to Europe.

Personally, I don't think we should take a place off anyone. We should only be entered if either Longford, Shels, Bohs or Cork are denied entry to Europe and there's a spare European spot left.
I'd like to see us get compensation though. We put a **** load of effort into getting our A License, and the League backed down on it. We could have pumped that money into players. Instead, we did what we supposedly had to do,and got punished for it. We've nearly been relegated in the past 2 seasons because of it!
This totally examplifies the amateur nature of this League. We create rules then don't stick to them. How are we ever meant to progress?

[max power]

could it also be argued that your not in Ireland so you can't represent a country your not part of, that is a legal standpost and not a political one...

[Macy]

We've nearly been relegated in the past 2 seasons because of it!

Yeah, and your doing so much better this season having lashed out money on players. Over €20,000 on an unproven 1st division player

We create rules then don't stick to them. How are we ever meant to progress?

Going by the rules, all other clubs would be in the 1st division, and you would be playing in the premier on your own. That doesn't suit you, so you didn't go for it. You either accept the leagues decision or you don't - not pick and choose when it suits you.

[Drogman.]

could it also be argued that your not in Ireland so you can't represent a country your not part of, that is a legal standpost and not a political one...

Ohh the Sh1t is going to hit the prevariable fan now

[dortie]

could it also be argued that your not in Ireland so you can't represent a country your not part of, that is a legal standpost and not a political one...

Your going below the belt now alright, first its 'f eck off back to the Irish league' now its 'Your not in Ireland'.........listen to yourself. Unbelievable.

[dortie]

Ohh the Sh1t is going to hit the prevariable fan now

Im not surprised one bit to be honest.

[max power]

well from a legal point, you play your home games in a differnet state name northern ireland, we live in ireland ( not the republic as the offical name is ireland under the contistiutuion).....

so from above it is clear to see you are not even in our state, forget all the troubles and british/ira/unionist stuff, you are not in ireland as the law stand so you can be removed at any time if the league and its members wish to...simple fact....

now i'm off for the evening to enjoy some fun with the beer fairy, enjoy.