Limerick's Licence And The Level Playing Field That Is The League Of Ireland

**Lim till i die** · 15/02/2011, 4:39 PM

Originally Posted by thomas72

according the the star newspaper the FAI want pat o sullivan to pay E220,000 to cover this up coming seasons cost to run the club.

Took this from our own forum as I think it needs a bigger audience.

Would I be correct in thinking that this is a bit, erm, scandalous??

Wouldn't take a genius to figure out the FAI's motivation here either.

Some worried people in Abbotstown??

**Longfordian** · 15/02/2011, 5:00 PM

You can be sure they didn't ask anyone else to pay that kind of money up front. What's their supposed justification for this?

**Lim till i die** · 15/02/2011, 5:02 PM

They want Pat O'Sullivan and his pesky court case to go away??

Would any other club in the country be expected/able to come up with even a tenth of that at four days notice??

**Mr A** · 15/02/2011, 5:05 PM

I'm guessing that Limerick's projected outgoings aren't met by their projected income and that O'Sullivan has indicated he'll cover the difference. But the FAI (perhaps because of the Arkaga and maybe Sporting Fingal thing) want the money up front.

I'm sure you could pick holes or potential holes in most clubs' projections if you wanted to and of course the above is utter guesswork.

**Longfordian** · 15/02/2011, 5:06 PM

I know that's their real motivation, I was just wondering what was the "official" reason? Scandalous stuff but not unexpected.

**Lim till i die** · 15/02/2011, 5:14 PM

Originally Posted by Mr A

I'm guessing that Limerick's projected outgoings aren't met by their projected income and that O'Sullivan has indicated he'll cover the difference. But the FAI (perhaps because of the Arkaga and maybe Sporting Fingal thing) want the money up front.

Bohs and Drogheda (despite clear evidence that they are ran by clowns) are all systems go for the Premier but Limerick (easily one of the best run clubs in the country) have to stump up six figures in four days to play in the First Division.

I was just wondering what was the "official" reason?

Maybe it's something along the lines of what Mr. A says. It's drivel anyway.

**SkStu** · 15/02/2011, 5:29 PM

Originally Posted by Lim till i die

Bohs and Drogheda (despite clear evidence that they are ran by clowns).

exclusive picture of our loan interview with Zurich Bank.

**Spudulika** · 15/02/2011, 5:32 PM

You were warned, offend the mighty mandarins of Abbottstown at your peril! Next you'll have Stephen McGuinness coming down to tell you the exact space allotted to each players separate buttock on the changing room benches are inadequate and he'll call down the media to note his outrage. Shame!

**thomas72** · 15/02/2011, 5:44 PM

the FAI are a **** disgrace how in the name of jesus do they expect a first division club (limerick) with home gates of 5 to 600 people to pay 220,000 in four days its actually comicial there will be no clubs left in the LOI if they keep this fck acting up.

**Dodge** · 15/02/2011, 5:46 PM

Originally Posted by Lim till i die

Bohs and Drogheda (despite clear evidence that they are ran by clowns) are all systems go for the Premier but Limerick (easily one of the best run clubs in the country) have to stump up six figures in four days to play in the First Division

If you're projecting an operating deficit of €220k in the first division than you're not 'easily one of the best run clubs in the country'

Is it some sort of bond or actually hard cash?

**CSFShels** · 15/02/2011, 5:49 PM

Originally Posted by thomas72

the FAI are a **** disgrace how in the name of jesus do they expect a first division club (limerick) with home gates of 5 to 600 people to pay 220,000 in four days its actually comicial there will be no clubs left in the LOI if they keep this fck acting up.

Maybe thats the point of them asking, and what the FAI would prefer is for Limerick to come back with what would be considered a more reasonable and manageable budget. I wouldn't doubt for a second that the FAI's motivation for stringence is based on what has happened over the friendly, which is of course wrong. But at the same time, what they are saying may well be correct even if their heart is in the wrong place. Should a verbal guarantee from an individual to cover 220000 euro (a very large amount of money for those of you from Cork who aren't really able to count) really hold any weight in the licencing process? Granted, nothing official with any detail has been released as to the FAI's reasoning behind it.

**Lim till i die** · 15/02/2011, 5:49 PM

My understanding is tis the WHOLE expenditure side they want upfront Dodge, not the projected deficit.

EDIT: Also Dodge, if there is a budget deficit (you know as much about the actual details of the clubs budget as I do) that Pat has agreed to put up money for, I'd be almost certain it's for off the field stuff like the prison project, all the community work, the free Academy places, the college bursaries blah blah blah. He's not in the business of paying big money out on players.

Much to my disgust.

**CSFShels** · 15/02/2011, 5:50 PM

Originally Posted by Lim till i die

My understanding is tis the WHOLE expenditure side they want upfront Dodge, not the projected deficit.

I doubt that is the case. If it is the case it is lunacy beyond belief. But I doubt it to be the case.

**Lim till i die** · 15/02/2011, 5:53 PM

Doubt away, tis my understanding.

While the basic facts of the story are correct, The Stars figures are plucked out of the sky aswell.

**Ash** · 15/02/2011, 6:21 PM

Originally Posted by Spudulika

... Next you'll have Stephen McGuinness coming down to tell you the exact space allotted to each players separate buttock on the changing room benches are inadequate ...

Have you been in the dressing rooms in Jackman Park ... you couldnt fit 1 cheek each of a full squad on the benches at the same time.

**Spudulika** · 15/02/2011, 6:25 PM

Originally Posted by Ash

Have you been in the dressing rooms in Jackman Park ... you couldnt fit 1 cheek each of a full squad on the benches at the same time.

I have narrow swimmers hips :-)

**Jofspring** · 15/02/2011, 6:28 PM

I prefer to say it's a cosy little dressing room that keeps the team close to build moral before a big game ash.

From what I believe the money is not the deficit but the budget for the season. If we where operating at a projected 220k deficit I would think the fai would just deny us a license flat out.

**CSFShels** · 15/02/2011, 6:33 PM

Well its not necessarily the size of the deficit that I'd question, it could be anything in there thats incorrect. It could be the figure the Star have given for what the FAI are looking for that is incorrect. But I think we all have to be reasonable here, and accept that bearing in mind all the ridiculousness of the FAI, all their track history, that we can say with a fair decent level of confidence that they won't go quite as far as to demand the whole expenditure of a club for a season, before a cent of the income has come in.

I'd be confident enough that if there is any truth to the Star article (which there may even not be) that what has actually happened, is Limerick have quoted a deficit in their budget(whatever the figure, may not be 220K or anything like that), which this individual has said he will cover, and the FAI have told him that if he wants to guarantee that deficit, he has to do it in cold hard cash immediately, which may (even though we don't like to praise the FAI) be a little bit sensible, even if their motives are more than a little bit questionable.

**Town Legend** · 15/02/2011, 6:35 PM

Think its about time all LOI clubs pull out of the league and set up an Independent league run by people who actually know a thing or two about football!!