Salthill Devon

[TheLedge]

Just wondering about the 'new' ownership of GUFC. As far as I have known, SDFC have owned GUFC for the last few years anyway, but nothing had been made official. There have always been strong links between the two clubs, I dont see what the fuss is about now all of a sudden an announcement comes out.

Do members of this site have a problem with the SDFC connection? Most on this board seem to anyway!

SDFC have more resources and better club management than GUFC if you ask me. The development of Drom in the last couple of years is a testament to the vision of the club, and the training facility is on a par with that of Blackburn Rovers. GU use it week in week out to train these days, instead of ****e unmaintained college pitches around the city.

So what if the name says Salthill Devon? I dont think the name would change anyways, but isn't it good now that the club have ambition? and a high ambition at that?

I'm sick of hearing the GU board with the same ol same ol stuff year in year out about promotion etc, when they have the same manager(TM) for god knows how long and obviously is good to a point, but ultimately can't achieve the ambitions of the board.

So come on, lets hear ya!

[Terry]

So what if the name says Salthill Devon
!

What? I support Galway not salthill, I am guessing your a salthill head yourself ?

Would Sligo rovers fans follow tubbercurry with as much passion?
Or, any of the big Dublin clubs support Dublin City?
I don't think so? The name of the club is very important and since you make a comment like that, I take it you wouldn't care either if we scrapped terryland as well and start playing our matches on the green outside leisureland??

[Patrick Dunne]

"So what if the name says Salthill Devon"

Picture the same situation in Sligo, Ballybofey, Crewe, Sheffield or Manchester.

Man Utd supporter "So what if the name says Man City"
Sligo Rovers "So what if the name says Sligo Town"

"Strong links" have been at business level only. In the twenty seven years of LOI/EL football in Galway, only one footballer of note has emerged from an area with a population of 10-20,000. Jumbo Brennan. Salthills record at developing players is appalling.

"Better club management". You have to be joking. Salthill Devon have won the Premier Division in Galway, once, yes, once, in their 25 year history.
This clubs football record is non-existent. That is why they want to steal ours.

Training faciltiies in Drum, indeed, are excellent. These days in Galway, however, there are several decent training facilities in the area. Dangan, Mevue, Athenry, Corinthians spring to mind. The '91 team trained at Digital - didn't do them any harm.

If Salthill have ambition, then I'm an international porn star. Ledge, their ambition is to run the club into the ground in order to minimise resistance to a name change. You say that Tony can't achieve the ambitions of the board ?
Well he can now, because his buddies will practically give him the job for life.
He is employed by Salthill Devon, he costs them nothing extra, they have no ambition ergo his job is safe. Expect many more golden years midtable in the First Division.

What seals it for me was the covert nature of the deal. Surely a positive development like this would be highlighted in advance, discussed with stakeholders, supporters etc. We are told, after all, that it is a great opportunity for GUFC.

No, it was done covertly and in an underhand fashion. The Supporters Trust representative on the club executive was deliberately kept out of the loop - an organisation that invested E70,000 + in the club over the past three years.
The board knew that there would be uproar from the supporters. There is now, but with the deal done, we are facing an uphill battle to save our club.

Come on United !

[TheLedge]

I'll concede that I didnt think through the whole name change thing, but that wasn't my main concern, thus being the reason for such a flippant remark. Apologies..

true, it would be an unmitigated disaster if the name was changed to anything else...

My main belief/point here is that the new ownership can only be a positive thing for Galway United. I may not know the wranglings of underhanded deals like your good selves, but from what I can see Salthill are a relatively young club (1977-just looked it up!! ) and have come on leaps and bounds in a short period, not least in the last few years producing several exceptional young talents, representing Ireland at differing international stages...John Russell and Sean Murphy are two I know of.

We must move forward. A change is needed. What did the recent GU admin do really? Any time we got a good player, Ryan, Lavine, and now Dupuy, sell 'em on!?

Tony Mannion...not so sure on that one. I'd like to see him out personally, not too keen on the idea of him being around for life!!

I think to say that SD want to run the club into the ground just for the sake of a name change is just ridiculous. I mean, if SD are the owners, why would they risk losing everything just to change the name?? Doesnt make sense to me!

[Patrick Dunne]

The club wiil be run into the ground next year. Tony is in situ ad inifitum at present. The wage structure is being slashed - any player not under contract
will be paid E150 max per wage. Unemployment Assistance is now E148.00.
So no new players of note will be coming in. Any players of significant ability under contract will leave eg Conor Frawley, Damien Dupuy, Mixie Harty, Barry Moran.

The objective for next year is to wipe any debt and also to minimise resistance to a name change by obliterating the support base. I firmly believe that this was the agenda this season also. Promotion would have been disasterous for our Salthill friends as a name change would then have been untenable.

I want Galway United Football Club back where we belong, in the Premier Division.

I don't want to support a Salthill team languishing in the depths of Division One, where board members lean on the manager to play their son on the team.

[A face]

Promotion would have been disasterous for our Salthill friends as a name change would then have been untenable.

But is that it for Salthill, is it just the name change ? Do they have any desire to excel in the eircom League ?? What have they said when question about their intentions ??

[Patrick Dunne]

.. since communication to the stakeholders has been minimal.

The common perception would be an aloof bunch of nouveau-riche snobs who
have got their hands on the latest new toy, one they've always wanted. They will
tire of it by the New Year. Expect the usual GUFC suspects to arrive on horseback
to save the day. Or perhaps not.