Shels unveil star signings

**thejollyrodger** · 25/11/2004, 8:51 AM

Shels unveil star signings
http://www.unison.ie/irish_independe...issue_id=11726

THERE will be plenty of stars at Tolka Park next season but Shelbourne manager Pat Fenlon last night warned that there won't be room in his squad for prima donnas.

As Shels unveiled four of their five new signings - Glen Crowe, Colin Hawkins, Bobby Ryan and Gary O'Neill - Fenlon stoutly dismissed suggestions that he was in danger of assembling a squad of Galaticos.

"This is not a club like that any more," he said. "We used to be a club where fellows came in and sat on their laurels but that won't happen as long as I am here.

"The lads that are here now know they are going to have work hard to get into the team and work hard to stay in it."

Fenlon, who has also re-signed Richie Baker from New England Revolution, may add one more player to his squad before setting out to win a third successive league title and go as far as they can in Europe again.

"No disrespect to the people who have left the club, but we felt that we needed to bring in a higher quality of player and that's what we have done. We looked around the league and identified people that will make us better.

"It's up to them to keep me happy. We need a big squad because people get suspended and injured and we also need to have competition for places."

Hawkins, who is one of three players to have joined Shelbourne from Bohemians, said he had no problem making up his mind to move.

"I think Shelbourne is the team that is going to be winning the league over the next few seasons and I didn't want to be with a team that is going to be finishing second or third." he said. "I am 27 and I want to win things and play in the Champions League."

When Shelbourne report back for pre-season training on January 27, they will be assembling at a new venue after completing an agreement to base themselves at Blanchardstown Institute of Technology.

"We have been looking for a training ground with a better surface and more facilities like a gym and cafeteria where the players can eat after training," said Fenlon.

Meanwhile, Shelbourne officials are still involved in talks aimed at moving the club out of Tolka Park to a new facility that would include a 6,000-seater stadium, training pitches and all-weather surfaces.

Gerry McDermott

Looks like its going to be a 6k seater stadium after all ! I supposed they wont have anything more than that on a typical league match and can switch to Landsdowne road if needs be but it isnt really looking to the future.

Still the new signings are great news. Fenlon defintely has the tone right and the players know that there can be no prima-donnas.

**Macy** · 25/11/2004, 9:04 AM

Hawkins, who is one of three players to have joined Shelbourne from Bohemians, said he had no problem making up his mind to move.

"I think Shelbourne is the team that is going to be winning the league over the next few seasons and I didn't want to be with a team that is going to be finishing second or third." he said. "I am 27 and I want to win things and play in the Champions League."

You've got to laugh, considering the, eh, quality of some of his defending over the last few seasons contributed to Bohs winning nothing, then he uses that as an excuse...

shankilwanderer · 25/11/2004, 9:12 AM

6000 seater stadium, should be more cause if your in Europe against the Bbig teams you want a bigger stadium cause you will fill easily.

**tiktok** · 25/11/2004, 9:28 AM

Originally Posted by shankilwanderer

6000 seater stadium, should be more cause if your in Europe against the Bbig teams you want a bigger stadium cause you will fill easily.

Don't agree. Your better off building a smaller, less costly stadium ( with scope for development) that you'll fill regularly rather than building a large one e.g. 15k, that might be filled only once or twice a season. (remember that Lille at landsdowne attracted only 11,000 and the KR Reykjavik game didn't sell out even at Tolka. A draw like Deportivo may not happen an EL team for another five years).

No El team needs more than a 7,500-8,000 seater stadium.
CCFC have the highest average home attendance, and this year I'd be surprised if the average was much over 4,500.

shankilwanderer · 25/11/2004, 9:36 AM

All stadiums should have a capicity of about 10,000 especially the big teams Cork, Shels and Bohs.

**tiktok** · 25/11/2004, 9:43 AM

Originally Posted by shankilwanderer

All stadiums should have a capicity of about 10,000 especially the big teams Cork, Shels and Bohs.

Based on what?
10K is at least double the average gate of any of those clubs.

Cork City only sold out 3 games out of 22 Senior home fixtures this year, Last day against Bohs and In europe against Nijmegen and Nantes. We didn't even sell out against Malmo in Europe.

Shels sold out one home game this year in Tolka (where capacity is 10k) and that was against Hadjuk. While the Depor and Lille games would have filled Tolka no league game can come anywhere close to those figures.

**Poor Student** · 25/11/2004, 11:44 AM

Originally Posted by shankilwanderer

All stadiums should have a capicity of about 10,000 especially the big teams Cork, Shels and Bohs.

Nope, the bigger the stadium the higher the miantenence cost. Even a 6k stadium Shels will rarely ever fill. Perhaps it should be built in an area or way to increase to 10k should the eL ever take off a bit better. Apart from the redevelopment years Dublin clubs will have Landsdowne on exceptional occasions and hopefully Munster clubs can use Thomond in the future.

**Slash/ED** · 25/11/2004, 5:30 PM

Since it seems that we're going to have training pitches and all weather pitches and all that in the same area as the stadium you'd have to imagine that the potential to expand it would be huge, Shels would probably own all the land around it so they could easily make it bigger if needs be.

**CollegeTillIDie** · 25/11/2004, 8:27 PM

But surely moving out of a stadium with a 10,000 capacity to one that holds 6,000 is a backwards step. It is at the very least an admission of defeat that crowds will never improve

**Poor Student** · 25/11/2004, 8:47 PM

Originally Posted by CollegeTillIDie

But surely moving out of a stadium with a 10,000 capacity to one that holds 6,000 is a backwards step. It is at the very least an admission of defeat that crowds will never improve

Not at all. We need to be realistic. 2,000 fans on average in a 6k stadium looks better than 2k fans in a 10k stadium. A small super standard facility will feel much better than an empty sub standard one.

**higgins** · 28/11/2004, 11:01 PM

Where are you pulling the 6000 out of!!!
its by some joker on the shels message board!

It will be at least 10,000

**tiktok** · 29/11/2004, 7:49 AM

Originally Posted by higgins

Where are you pulling the 6000 out of!!!
its by some joker on the shels message board!

That's the figure Gerry McDermott quotes in his Indo article.
We'd have no reason to doubt that number.

**Slash/ED** · 29/11/2004, 3:23 PM

That number came from someone making their first post on Shelsweb who seemed to know more about the stadium than people who talk to the management regularly. In other words, it's about as relevent as me claiming it'll be a 60,000 super stadium with it's own international airport built out the back. I'd imagine that the reporter probably got that number from browsing the website like most of them do, all will (probably) be revealed on thursday though.

**pete** · 01/12/2004, 2:00 PM

Obviously shel$ are being realistic as they'd be doing well to get 6k for league decider. Can use Lansdowne for any big european game they have but downside is the extra cost of hiring lansdowne & not getting big crowd like in case of Lille game.

If shel$ are gonna have 6k capacity with no easy options to add to later then they are stupid.