Mons?

[Longfordian]

Is this decision an absolute final resort or can Monaghan continue if the FAI can come up with some sort of solution?

I don't think the FAI are too enamoured with them right now judging by their statement. I doubt they'll be helping too much.

[nigel-harps1954]

20 team division may mean nothing for a lot of teams, but the attendances would rise for a lot of those clubs which could mean the difference between survival and folding. If the likes of Mervue and Salthill were able to get an extra 200 or 300 through the gate from away fans at Shamrock Rovers, Cork, etc. they would end up being a lot stronger financially don't you think?
It also makes a home derby game much more appealing. Playing your derby game 4 times in one season just takes away from the occasion.

[Lim till i die]

Uh Oh, rumours of difficulties at Bray. Anyone know the story ?

Would be handier if another club dropped out alright, uneven numbers are a balls in fairness.

[BonnieShels]

When I heard the news I liek I'm sure a few people plonked it up on the oul FB:

RIP Monaghan United. People, get out and support your local Irish clubs. They're dying. Really, what does Manchester United or City, Liverpool, Chelsea or Arsenal actually mean to you?

Got this response...

It means watching good entertaining football at the highest level. League of Ireland is just full of players who aren't good enough for the bigger leagues. Man Utd and Liverpool have a long and proud tradition of recruiting and getting the best out of Irish players. Who in turn bring this to the international squad which means we have a chance of making it to major finals. What does Monaghan mean to me?? Nothing.

I retorted...

Massive cop out Gobs**te mate. But Liverpool and United and Arsenal are no longer churning out any players for Ireland. If anything Derry City and Reading do more for the Irish team now! When Home Farm and Cherry Orchard were in their pomp they were supplying players left, right and centre. As regards good football and entertainment being the reason to support English teams; The Bundesliga is more entertaining and has a higher quotient of skillful football. Where's your Leverkusen shirt?

EDIT: He responded!!!

Whats next. Will you be campaigning for us all to go out and buy Celtic shirts. Home Farm and Cherry Orchards days of getting players good enough for the national squad are all but gone. How many of Jack Charltons team played in the League of Ireland during their great period? How much Bundesliga do you actually watch to say its better than the Premiership. English soccer has done more to get Irish players on the map and respected as top players than any Irish soccer, thats a fact.

What have Celtic, the team from Scotland got to do with anything? And you're bringing Jack Charlton into it?
How much English football do you actually watch that isn't top-4?
Every weekend during the European season ESPN show at least one live game from Germany and provided I am in I will watch it. Failing that, It will be recorded and perused over later on. I may also watch a game from Italy England and/or Spain. As well as that I could have attended a Shels match as well.
But levelling criticism at me for my love of LOI and criticism of the English obsession seems to miss my point entirely.
Your argument is flawed and confused Joe. You started off saying that you support English soccer on the basis that it is more entertaining than the LOI and that they develop more players for the national team. It's a circular argument and I feel that you may be stuck in a bit of a feedback loop with it.
It is the lack of support for Irish soccer that has caused this scenario to be so prevalent.
In the current Irish squad alone there are:
Keith Andrews, junior career with Stella Maris, moved to Wolves at 19, about to sign for Bolton Wanderers for 2012-2013. Our best player at the Euros by a mile.
Simon Cox, born in Reading and a youth player there, so not likely to be troubling the Irish junior club set up. Eligible for Ireland through his maternal granny.
David Forde, started his senior career with Galway United, moved to Wales with Barry Town and then onto West Ham. Didn't really work out for him there. Moved back to the LOI and Galway United. Prospered. Had a great few seasons then with Derry which reinvigorated his career and won an FAI Cup and 2 League Cups there. Cardiff City hunted him. Didn't work out and then wound up at Millwall in 2008. Played in every single league game (incl. play-off semis and finals) for 2 seasons. Currently and immovably their no 1.
Darron Gibson, his junior career began with the Derry and District before moving onto Institute where he was scouted by Manchester United. Stagnated at United and has since been reinvigorated by his recent move to Everton.
Keith Fahey, started his junior career at Cherry Orchard. Moved to Arsenal at 15. At 19 moved to Villa. got disillusioned with the game and moved home to Dublin. Played in the LSL with Bluebell United. Spent 5 years between St Pats and Drogheda United. A spectacular European run in which he ran the show against Hertha Berlin at the RDS earned him a move to Birmingham City.
Kevin Doyle, started his youth career with Wexford Youths before moving to St Pat's. After a season in Inchicore he moved to Cork City where he scored 25 goals in 76 games. At Cork he won the League in 2005 before being snapped up by Reading where he won the Championship in 2006 and scored 55 goals in 155 appearances. Became Wolves record signing in 2009 for £6.5m. Will earn his 50th cap tonight v Italy at Euro 2012.
Damien Duff, started his junior career at Leicester Celtic, Lourdes Celtic and St Kevin's Boys before being signed up by Blackburn Rovers at 17, winning a League Cup in 2002. Moved to Chelsea in 2004 and won to League titles and a League Cup. now at Fulham guided them to the final of the Europa League v Atletico in 2010. Tonight will captain Ireland win his 100th cap.
Shall I go on...?
Senior players don't suddenly become professional players and then move to England. In a real sensible world they wouldn't have to move to England until they are older (see Shane Long and Kevin Doyle) and will be grounded when they do and become better players for it.
As you can see form the small sample Irish players aren't the product of English youth systems alone. I haven't even mentioned the likes of James McClean, Shane Duffy, Enda Stevens...
Your idea of entertainment is subjective. Of course it will ever be thusly. In 4 years you have never taken me up on my offer of heading to Carlisle or Tolka or even Dalymount but feel free to call Irish soccer crap because they don't contribute to our national team.

--------------------------------------------------------

I'm disgusted that Mons have bitten the bullet.
If there was a prospect of this happening earlier in the season would the club not have considered it prudent to remain in the First Division?
That the club spent it's existence looking out for the long term interests of the club and the local regions interest in football why the sudden short-termism?
It indicates to me that the club weren't truly honest with the licensing committee. This does not absolve the mess that yet again they have caused.

[Dodge]

20 team division may mean nothing for a lot of teams, but the attendances would rise for a lot of those clubs which could mean the difference between survival and folding. If the likes of Mervue and Salthill were able to get an extra 200 or 300 through the gate from away fans at Shamrock Rovers, Cork, etc. they would end up being a lot stronger financially don't you think?

if clubs are relying on 200 Rovers fans (and we'll be generous and say Cork, Pats, Bohs, Sligo and Derry) once a season then they're ****ed anyway.

[nigel-harps1954]

if clubs are relying on 200 Rovers fans (and we'll be generous and say Cork, Pats, Bohs, Sligo and Derry) once a season then they're ****ed anyway.

You obviously don't pay much attention to the First Division.

[Dodge]

You obviously don't pay much attention to the First Division.

So what happens the clubs who now have less games against these 'big' teams. less revenue for them so they in trouble?

In absolutely no way should away fans be the deciding factor in any structure

[nigel-harps1954]

So what happens the clubs who now have less games against these 'big' teams. less revenue for them so they in trouble?

In absolutely no way should away fans be the deciding factor in any structure

I didn't say away fans should be a deciding factor, I'm simply saying it would help a lot. It would also boost home attendances. And I do believe attendances are a huge factor in every clubs survival, it's nonsense to think otherwise. If a club has 2 or 3 big attendances in one season (aka Harps v Derry or Limerick v Cork or even Wexford v Shamrock Rovers attracting upwards of 3,000) that could make or break a clubs season.

Most clubs are on their knees because of poor attendances. Just look at Monaghan now.

[The Lilywhites]

Uh Oh, rumours of difficulties at Bray. Anyone know the story ?

That's the meeting tomorrow.

[Shannonsider]

Meanwhile in Poland..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=affbvK4UZgc

[MagicMon]

I haven't posted on here in a while and I'll probably not need the site much for the rest of the season

Leaving the league mid-season is probably better than struggling on until the end leaving wages unpaid and screwing over local businesses when we fold. How much did lesson and co owe to those caterers in Galway? Roddy can't be blamed, we probably would have gone sooner without promotion and he gave us great memories from last season. Financially, I doubt if many clubs could surivive with no sponsor, or could cope short-term with having two of their biggest gates being rescheduled to midweek. Our budget was the smallest of the premier teams, this was never fingal/shels/bohs type spending, it would have been very easy to break the bank to keep the Brennans etc.

But mainly I'm just feeling gutted. I can t be arsed to waste my afternoon listening to the fields of athenry as whelan misplaces another pass, while knowing that John Delaney is sitting there on his wages watching on. I doubt if I'll watch a live loi game again for a long time.

My sympathy to all those fans who have lost clubs because I finally know what it's like now, and I hope that no more clubs go because this feels really, really ****.

[nigel-harps1954]

http://www.fai.ie/domestic-a-grassro...ws/102594.html

Update from the FAI.

Sligo not back in the cup. One team will recieve a bye.

Monaghan results, as expected, will be expunged.

[Acornvilla]

I know a lad who was a Kildare fan who then started following Monaghan, imagine how he feels!

[nigel-harps1954]

Quick question. When's the last time a team was relegated by finishing bottom of the Premier Division?

[Charlie Darwin]

Feel sorry for Monaghan, a nice little club they had there. Their support may have been small, but incredibly loyal and proud. Thought they'd go from strength to strength following promotion.

Of the teams elected in 1985, only Derry and Bray remain. Disappointing to see clubs falling off the radar like this. Unless the FAI pull up their socks and start taking an active interest in this league, more and more clubs will fall by the wayside.

As a fan of a club who has gone to the wall, I can only empathise with the Mons fans.

Also, for all those who knocked GUFC last season, fair enough we were rubbish but we did see out the season. Dropping out mid-season really makes a mess of things

Yeah, but if you had have dropped out mid-season, you already had the added decency of losing to everyone so it wouldn't mess up the table.

[Acornvilla]

UCD have been rightly fecked over by this

[El-Pietro]

20 team division may mean nothing for a lot of teams, but the attendances would rise for a lot of those clubs which could mean the difference between survival and folding. If the likes of Mervue and Salthill were able to get an extra 200 or 300 through the gate from away fans at Shamrock Rovers, Cork, etc. they would end up being a lot stronger financially don't you think?
It also makes a home derby game much more appealing. Playing your derby game 4 times in one season just takes away from the occasion.

they had that from us and Derry in recent seasons.

[Dunny]

RTE couldnt even use the correct crest ffs.

Used this

[Longfordian]

I know a lad who was a Kildare fan who then started following Monaghan, imagine how he feels!

Keep him well away from Flancare ffs

[Guinney]

John Delaney is a joke, partying it up in Poland with the "Best fans in the world" until the early hours whilst the domestic league is falling apart. How can we expect to produce decent players when the League of Ireland is in such a state, Mon Dogs gone, Dundalk struggling (got my letter in the post today asking for a donation) & many many more having financial problems in recent times. How he justifies his salary of €400k amazes me, especially when you think of the pittance giving out in prize money.

Then you have the "best fans in the world" giving out about the state of the national team. For me they have no right to this when the majority of them don't give a dam about their domestic league. What an embarrassment to be the only nation in the Euros to not have one player from our own domestic league. To be honest at this stage I don't think the Irish people deserve a decent national team and it might sound harsh but I wouldn't care if Italy destroyed Ireland tonight as it would help highlight the state of football in this country. Anyone can sing along to the "Fields of Athenry", have the craic, jump on the bandwagon but try going to support your local team in a wet and windy evening week in week out no matter what the result is. COYBIG