One thousand five hundred and fifty two

**joeSoap** · 04/08/2004, 1:53 PM

Thats the current number of players signed by LDMC junior clubs at the moment, two weeks before the season kicks off.This will rise to more than 1750....no doubt.
Of the 1750, theres surely half a dozen good ones out there...maybe even in the lower leagues. Remember, Dupuy,the Galway lad played with Prospect in 1B....
On the despots that are the LDMC....I see a compromise of a six month ban to apply to all junior leagues will be implemented...still dictator like, but much better than 18 draconian months

**annacotty** · 05/08/2004, 12:41 PM

anything to stifle real development of the game in Limerick .. the ldmc & ldsl..
.. AA are probably the reason for the 18 month ban - some U21 (FAI developmental category) team players turning out for Junior A and winning games they're not supposed to..wonder what the result of AA's FAI appeal was ? would the LDMC listen to the FAI ? would the LDSL listen to the SFAI? progress and change normally come hand in hand.. like it or not, the future of the game lies in the suburbs of Limerick City. add up the number of schoolboys on the books of AA, Corbally, Mungret & Regional, probably more than all city clubs combined...the administrators, the blazers, - vital for the day to day running & development of the game but perhaps still tied to or living in the past ?? club agendas come before development

**joeSoap** · 05/08/2004, 1:24 PM

sadly so....junior clubs hate the senior scene with a passion, and that doesn't look like changing.

**annacotty** · 05/08/2004, 1:46 PM

do you think this is the case with other junior league administrators and clubs as well or confined to Limerick ?

**joeSoap** · 05/08/2004, 2:20 PM

sadly, the levels of animosity shown by the LDMC are unequalled by other leagues, the majority of whom actually encourage their talent to give it a lash........

**annacotty** · 05/08/2004, 3:20 PM

i firmly believe that the FAI are to blame for the situation. blazers up in dublin know the situation but they won't stand up and be counted. i was involved in the initial setup of the ul/aa U21s and the FAI rep stated that it was official policy of the FAI that anyone involved in LoI developmental football (U21 and the promised and yet to be delivered U18) could play at that level AND turn out on a sunday for a junior team, ie that johny could play U21 for ul/aa on the saturday and junior for fairview on the sunday.
this mechanism (2 development teams in Limerick - ul/aa & limerick) would allow the cream of limerick's youth to progress to full LoI or professional ranks elsewhere.
the FAI haven't delivered the full product and haven't told the amatuer blazers in limerick where to get off.

**clownboy** · 06/08/2004, 10:00 AM

come on Joe...I think you are Blaming the junior clubs in the wrong here...Any Junior club will encourage there players to give it a go with Limerick or at any other higher level..I have never known any Junior Club to stand in the way Of Players going to Limerick or any other team at a higher level...It is the LDMC that are to blame and also the FAI for not standing up to them .Without a Junior Club Limerick would not even have a ground to play in at the moment.

**LFC in Exile** · 06/08/2004, 10:26 AM

Originally Posted by clownboy

come on Joe...I think you are Blaming the junior clubs in the wrong here...Any Junior club will encourage there players to give it a go with Limerick or at any other higher level..I have never known any Junior Club to stand in the way Of Players going to Limerick or any other team at a higher level...It is the LDMC that are to blame and also the FAI for not standing up to them .Without a Junior Club Limerick would not even have a ground to play in at the moment.

1. Who do the LDMC represent? The junior clubs. If the Junior clubs were interested in helping players to progress and give eL a go they have the power to change the LDMC rule.

2. Junior clubs do have a vested interested in not letting their best and brightest try out with Limerick FC. They pay their players so that they won't move clubs. Pressure can (and has) been put on players not to leave a junior club for senior ranks. This involves, among other things, slagging off Limerick FC (something which is depressingly easy to do)

3. Fair play to Pike. I think their early interest may have been stirred by the possibility of ground development - but I think they have been shown to be friends of the senior club.

4. There are many, many, many junior club officials and supporters who also support (though many not through the turnstiles) the senior team. And they want to see the senior club do really well. However, when push comes to shove these men are loyal to their junior team and will act in the best interest of the junior team - not necessarily of the players or football in Limerick in general. This has long been the problem with amateur sports development in Ireland and indeed to a large extent in the eL itself over many years.

5. The LDMC do not operate in a vacuum. They represent the clubs. They are affiliated to the FAI. They are not the politburo. But their rules will not change in the absence of internal pressure. And the clubs will not apply internal pressure. Why should they if they have the interests of their own club as number one priority? The pressure will have to come from outside i.e. the FAI.

**clownboy** · 06/08/2004, 11:29 AM

What Junior Club in Limerick are paying there players??..Fairview and Certainly not paying them and that is a fact and these clubs have the best players and never held back anybody...Dunphy,Garreth Fitz with Balla and a lot of ex view and current have represented Limerick Fc without ever been put under pressure from anybody Jason Purcell, Colm Heffernan, Rossi albeit via Waterford and im sure there is more that i have not mentioned.Who are the clubs that are stopping them...maybe the other clubs are paying there players but these guyds probably arent good enough anyway and i think that the LDMC are a law o to themselves...I think most Junior Clubs like to see there players doing better for themselves and would not stand in there way...BTW Please name the Junior Clubs that are paying because the above mentioned certainly are not... Fact and they are the 2 best in town and probably the only ones with the players to do well IN THE EL

**joeSoap** · 06/08/2004, 12:30 PM

Originally Posted by clownboy

What Junior Club in Limerick are paying there players??.

In the past decade Fairview, Janesboro, Pike, Hill Celtic, Prospect and Park Rangers have all paid players at one stage or another. I can name them, and know them, and none of them will deny it.Managers are now being paid stupid sums of money to attract players...Tommy Lynch, Dermot Finnan etc.
Open up your eyes clownboy....junior soccer isn't the pure and chaste clean living healthy game you seem to think it is.

**clownboy** · 06/08/2004, 12:51 PM

Fairview and Balla dont pay players that is a fact and they are the 2 most successful clubs in recent years ...I think why the other clubs are not so successful is that they pay some of there players not all...its either all or nothing..View and Balla are the top junior teams in town and they dont get paid Fact thats all i said sao Joe I think you should open your eyes and read the mail properly...Fairview have never payed a player..Finnan was getting 100 euro a week when he left hardly ridicolous money...So stop blaming Junior clubs..Limerick should start a youth and schoolboy academy like many of the Junior clubs do to develop players and thats what limerick need to do firstly run the club properly

**annacotty** · 06/08/2004, 1:31 PM

Originally Posted by LFC in Exile

Fair play to Pike. I think their early interest may have been stirred by the possibility of ground development - but I think they have been shown to be friends of the senior club.

Agree with you here.
Now if Pike continue with their plans to bring on kids soccer, then an amalgamation agreement with the seniors (new name - Limerick Pike?, Limerick Rovers? Limerick PR?), allow the Pike people to run the club (they have been much more successful), introduce U18s (surely the FAI will deliver this) & U21s and Limerick's senior team would be safe.
Seems too easy !!!

**annacotty** · 06/08/2004, 1:33 PM

Originally Posted by clownboy

Fairview and Balla dont pay players that is a fact

Don't know about Balla but Fairview people tell me that it is club policy NOT TO PAY players. I thought that Mr. Finnan was on expenses only with the View.

**LFC in Exile** · 06/08/2004, 2:03 PM

Originally Posted by annacotty

Agree with you here.
Now if Pike continue with their plans to bring on kids soccer, then an amalgamation agreement with the seniors (new name - Limerick Pike?, Limerick Rovers? Limerick PR?), allow the Pike people to run the club (they have been much more successful), introduce U18s (surely the FAI will deliver this) & U21s and Limerick's senior team would be safe.
Seems too easy !!!

Why not? It is one of the more realistic proposals so far.

As for the stuff above I want to clarify for clownboy. I do not blame the junior clubs for Limerick's plight. I don't even blame the now infamous LDMC rule (though it somethign we could do without). I have stated this many times on other threads but IMO the blame for Limerick's plight lies with successive incompetent but well-being administrations of the club itself. The blame for Limerick FC's position rests with Limerick FC. Full stop.

There are other factors that have not helped down the years e.g. Sky Sports, the Rathbane Stadium Draw, Hill Celtic occupation of Hogan Park, the LDMC's charge for Jackman, the loss of the Markets Field. All these have contributed, but all could be overcome (or could have been avoided) by good management of the club .

There is support for senior soccer in Limerick. It has not been tapped in to. I was responding to your post regarding the LDMC, trying to make the point that the LDMC should not be a "law unto itself" and if it is that is the fault of the junior clubs. The two cannnot be separated.

**joeSoap** · 06/08/2004, 2:13 PM

Originally Posted by annacotty

Don't know about Balla but Fairview people tell me that it is club policy NOT TO PAY players. I thought that Mr. Finnan was on expenses only with the View.

I was referring to his �300 a week 'salary' with his new club...Janesboro

**annacotty** · 06/08/2004, 2:38 PM

Originally Posted by joeSoap

I was referring to his €300 a week 'salary' with his new club...Janesboro

janesboro run (or used to at least) a very profitable bar & function room so i am sure that they can afford to pay mr. finnan a 'salary' if they so choose.. however we have digressed, the discussion was about players, not managers/coaches, being paid to remain with junior clubs.

**SouthCroydon** · 11/08/2004, 12:47 PM

Cannot understand why someone would not want to play senior soccer for limerick unless they were being paid more by a junior club. I know that this sounds very synical, but thats what happens over here.

**youe1** · 12/08/2004, 8:48 AM

Well
I have been reading your comments for a while and was tempted to reply. Some of the LDMC are gombeens no doubt, but if my memory does not fail me it was the clubs who brought in the rule regarding ban on players returning from LOI.

**joeSoap** · 12/08/2004, 9:48 AM

Clubs = LDMC. The ldmc Committee is formed by clubs voting in thier respective officers, so its much of a muchness.

**youe1** · 12/08/2004, 10:07 AM

Joe
Granted but the tone of e-mails suggests the LDMC can just change the rule. It needs a proposal from a club to initiate this.
ps are you the same joesoap who lined Cals Park for years?