Dublin City FAQ - First Draft

Sheridan · 21/06/2004, 6:25 PM

Q: Are you Home Farm in disguise?
A: NO! Although links between Home Farm and Dublin City FC existed when the latter made its eircom League debut in 2001 (Dublin City CEO Ronan Seery performed similar duties at Home Farm/Everton/Fingal between 1991 and 1997), all such ties have now been severed. Home Farm's senior side now competes in the Leinster Senior League.

Q: How come you took Home Farm's place in the league, then?
A: That's a good, if somewhat churlish, question. Those of us who weren't privy to the details surrounding Dublin City's admission to the eircom League can only surmise as follows.

When Dublin City entered the league in 2001, the club's connections with Home Farm remained intact. Home Farm had originally entered the league in 1972 by merging with Drumcondra FC. After Home Farm subsumed the Drums, they retained their place in the League of Ireland, thereby establishing a precedent for their own successors to follow almost thirty years later.

Besides, let's not kid ourselves that clubs are queuing up to join the eircom League. When St. Patrick's Athletic incorported Saint Francis in 2001 (note, incidentally, that the resultant hybrid didn't have to apply for separate admission to the league) it took a whole season before a new club (Kildare County) could be persuaded to make up the numbers.

Q: Does Dublin City FC have any plans to build its own stadium?
A: Finding or building a ground of its own remains a top priority for the club. As yet, however, no firm plans have been made public. New stadia don't just fall from the sky (ask Shamrock Rovers.) In its brief existence, Dublin City FC has rented Whitehall, the Morton Stadium and is staging this season's home games at Tolka Park, home of eircom League champions Shelbourne (although possibly not for much longer...)

Q: How do you hope to attract new fans, with the Dublin market already divided between five league clubs?
A: While it's true that our home support this season has been disappointing to say the least, the potential for that situation to change exists, despite the familiar counter-arguments hinging on an oversaturated Dublin market. Dublin City, as a new club with fresh ideas and no historical baggage, is well placed to attract some of the countless thousands who don't currently support any League of Ireland club. Anecdotally, we all know that while many Irish "football fans" love to denigrate the League of Ireland, a surprisingly large number express some level of interest once the topic of eircom League football is broached. If this latter group can be persuaded to adopt Dublin City FC, a whole new support base (for both club and league) could come into existence.

Q: Isn't your use of the name 'Dublin City' a rather pompous and disingeuous exercise?
A: Not really. After all, both Paris St. Germain (1970) and FC Kobnhaven (1992) were founded with the stated aim of representing their respective nations' capitals at domestic and continental level. Both projects bore fruit, and there's no reason why Dublin City can't follow that precedent.

**The Sheliban** · 22/06/2004, 9:39 PM

Another question for you, Sheridan!
In view of your league position, your inability to string results together, and thus the strong possibility that you may be relegated this season, do you not now regret getting promoted last year, [magnificent achievement though it was] and eye with envy the three promoted teams coming up at the end of this season, who will have a greater chance to establish themselves in the Premier League?

Sheridan · 22/06/2004, 9:43 PM

Originally Posted by The Sheliban

Another question for you, Sheridan!
In view of your league position, your inability to string results together, and thus the strong possibility that you may be relegated this season, do you not now regret getting promoted last year, [magnificent achievement though it was] and eye with envy the three promoted teams coming up at the end of this season, who will have a greater chance to establish themselves in the Premier League?

Yes and no. I don't think the club's financial situation would have been very healthy had we failed to earn promotion, but we certainly came up at exactly the wrong time. Even with last year's squad, we would have waltzed to a top three finish.

Still, First Division champions 2003 - no-one can take that away.

**Breifne** · 23/06/2004, 9:03 AM

Originally Posted by The Sheliban

Another question for you, Sheridan!
In view of your league position, your inability to string results together, and thus the strong possibility that you may be relegated this season, do you not now regret getting promoted last year, [magnificent achievement though it was] and eye with envy the three promoted teams coming up at the end of this season, who will have a greater chance to establish themselves in the Premier League?

Might we point out that we were off the bottom of the league for 24 hours over the weekend, and yes to do accept that we have had poor results, but the last time we beat bohs we went on a six game streak which included three wins, two draws and a defeat.

the same again would move us out of the mire, we currently find ourselves in. We had an offer from partick thistle for one of our best players turned down the other day because we felt that we would be lost with out him, which shows that the club is not looking at relegation just yet.

I also feel that it will be easier to stay up this season than next for the three promoted sides. We only have to stay ahead of one team, s�n �.
next season, it will probably revert to some form of two down plus one in the playoff, or one down, one in the playoff. That way odds are that at least two of the three will go down.

We have enough in the tank to get and stay ahead of Derry in my honest opinion, we are also capable of catching Pats and maybe Longford or rovers depending on whether these sides do something fantastic. I might get killed for saying that, but i think anyone who has seen us more than twice this season would agree.

We have been playing some of the best football in the league, just bad errors by players and grossly bad luck have contributed to our current league position, should our luck change, it will not be long until we see us climbing a couple of points clear of our nearest rivals. I think we will be in the relegation battle probably until the last day of the season, but we have enough to stay up.

GAry O'Neill has been my player of the season so far, without a shadow of a doubt, especially this month, a goal in each of his last three games, which saw us pick up four points. another goal and three points tomorrow puts us back into ninth. Here's hoping.

**tiktok** · 23/06/2004, 9:11 AM

Originally Posted by Breifne

We have enough in the tank to get and stay ahead of Derry in my honest opinion, we are also capable of catching Pats and maybe Longford or rovers depending on whether these sides do something fantastic. I might get killed for saying that, but i think anyone who has seen us more than twice this season would agree.

I think you're stretching it at Rovers and probably Longford, but I've seen you a few times and you're definitely capable of staying up. At the end of the season though, even if you end up beating Bohs four times, it's the results against Pat's and Derry that will decide your fate.

**Breifne** · 23/06/2004, 9:38 AM

Originally Posted by tiktok

I think you're stretching it at Rovers and probably Longford, but I've seen you a few times and you're definitely capable of staying up. At the end of the season though, even if you end up beating Bohs four times, it's the results against Pat's and Derry that will decide your fate.

Tell us about it, was saying at the game last week, that I'd gladly swap the two victories over Bohs for two 10-0 defeats at the hands of bohemians and two 1-0 victories over derry.

Wishful thinking.

**Dodge** · 23/06/2004, 10:17 AM

Originally Posted by Sheridan

Besides, let's not kid ourselves that clubs are queuing up to join the eircom League. When St. Patrick's Athletic incorported Saint Francis in 2001 (note, incidentally, that the resultant hybrid didn't have to apply for separate admission to the league) it took a whole season before a new club (Kildare County) could be persuaded to make up the numbers.

Not right. The merger never happened. The board at St. Francis decided to take them out of the league in view of the proposed merger but the merger never happened. The St. patrick's Athletic (inc St Francis) was never official but a name used by some club officials, in their minds, to facilitate the merger.

Also as St. Francis pulled out so close to the start of the season, they could not be replaced straight away.

Sheridan · 23/06/2004, 11:04 AM

Originally Posted by Dodge

Not right. The merger never happened. The board at St. Francis decided to take them out of the league in view of the proposed merger but the merger never happened. The St. patrick's Athletic (inc St Francis) was never official but a name used by some club officials, in their minds, to facilitate the merger.

Why would Pat Dolan lie to me??

**Dodge** · 23/06/2004, 11:08 AM

Originally Posted by Sheridan

Why would Pat Dolan lie to me??

LOL!

**drummerboy** · 23/06/2004, 12:35 PM

What happened at St Francis was the biggest disgrace in Irish football. Whats left of St Francis now. Did money change hands? A lot of unanswered questions there. Whats going to happen to the ppitch in Baldonnell.

**Dodge** · 23/06/2004, 12:44 PM

Originally Posted by drummerboy

What happened at St Francis was the biggest disgrace in Irish football. Whats left of St Francis now. Did money change hands? A lot of unanswered questions there. Whats going to happen to the ppitch in Baldonnell.

Not that many unanswered questions but the two main protagonists in it are at Cork and Shamrock Rovers now...

Just glad my club didn't die because of it...

**WeAreRovers** · 23/06/2004, 1:23 PM

Sheridan - One FAQ you forgot...Dublin City, what's the point?

Agree withe your PSG analogy, everyone in France hates them too.

Dodge - check your PMs on here for another great story about your bezzy mate.

KOH

**drummerboy** · 23/06/2004, 1:30 PM

Originally Posted by Dodge

Not that many unanswered questions but the two main protagonists in it are at Cork and Shamrock Rovers now...

Just glad my club didn't die because of it...

Exactly, and what did the two main protagonists get out of it?
Do Pats now hold the deeds of Baldonnell?
and how long before it will be sold?

**Dodge** · 23/06/2004, 1:38 PM

No the original St. Francis committee put it into a trustee type thing (meaning it can't be sold) At the moment Pats rent it for training and u21 games.

Well they got away with it as nobody cared about St. Francis and seeing as the people within Francis caused it, most see it as self inflicted. As for the clubs who took these fools in, I'll let them answer that one...