School visits, training sessions for kids etc won't immediatly improve gates, but it is all about being seen, building goodwill and about normalising the League of Ireland experience. Keeping a high profile in Donegal or Limerick or Dundalk might just convince the odd Liverpool fanatic that Harps or Limerick or Dundalk can be 'their' local team.
That's been going on forever.Originally Posted by Philosophizer
There are some junior clubs around the country paying more than some LOI clubs.
Some clubs win their junior league or cup year after year & have no interest in going up to the next level.
They see the local LOI club as the enemy.
the under 17 league has finally given loi teams a huge boost over a lot of these clubs , the talented younger players will choose to play for a LOI side 9 out of 10 times now imo.They see the local LOI club as the enemy.
A rumoured u-15 league is also on the way. Should hopefully help even more.
Under-15 league is due to start in 2017.
Having being involved in schoolboy/girl football this can only be a good thing. The amount of favouritism towards players of certain teams on the representative schoolboys league squads is disgusting. It's best if taken out of the hands of the local leagues.
I disagree completely. Clubs need to work with the local schoolboys leagues and build partnerships with them. Harps, for instance, work along with the Donegal Schoolboys League and the South Donegal Schoolboys League as well as the Emerging Talent Programme when it comes to squads for the under-19, under-17s and the Harps Academy teams.
@Nigel: Cheers for the clarification, you know your stuff. Any idea if they're letting the big 6 Dublin nursery clubs put teams in. I know they were up in arms about being excluded from the u17 league. Hopefully the FAI are staying strong though and keeping the foot down...
Last edited by Philosophizer; 26/11/2015 at 11:56 AM.
I've no idea, but the FAI have said previously they'll not be allowed in unless they have a first team in the senior league. Can't imagine them allowing many more Dublin teams in the League of Ireland either. But, this is the FAI and whose to know what they'll allow and not allow.
We'll know better come February I suppose if there's any of those teams considering a first team in the League of Ireland to guarantee entry to the underage leagues.
I suspect the senior league requirement is more geared towards pushing schoolboy clubs into seeking meaningful link-ups with LOI clubs. Kevin's might get in but realistically there aren't many clubs that could afford to take the hit of fielding senior clubs like Cabinteely.
A couple of budgets may well be adjusted slightly following todays news.
Four different SSE Airtricity League clubs will receive a significant boost from UEFA as a result of Financial Fair Play.
Derry City, Dundalk, Sligo Rovers, and St Patrick's Athletic will each receive €38,970 through UEFA's Financial Fair Play Payments Redistribution system for the 2014/15 season.
This is a redistribution of monies withheld from other clubs who competed in European competition in the 2014/15 season and breached the Financial Fair Play rules.
During the 2014/15 season, St Patrick's Athletic competed in the UEFA Champions League Second Qualifying Round, while Derry City, Dundalk, and Sligo Rovers each made it through to the UEFA Europa League Second Qualifying Round.
I think the Sligo fans may take umbrage at being called a lower team
Well Dundalk do do that. What I think GC is on about is the bias that occurs when selecting squads (Dundalk Schoolboys League) for the likes of the Foyle Cup. Such representative sides and the young lads that are selected is as predictable as lads in the first the first 15 of a gaelic team in a small parish in Leitrim. The U15 league allows players of promise be selected, without bias and get proper coaching (no disrespect to the many very good coaches in the schoolboys league) and guidance. This hasnt been possible in the past as Dundalk FC agreed not to have underage sides, for fear that the best players of DSBL would be lost to DFC, as one issue. It was frustrating to see players head off to Shels and the like anyway, bypassing Dundalk FC due to this agreement. A good dolup off thick arrogance by both parties in the past forgot the important people, the kids. So the U15 league will in general help the development of player in a more balanced way. But there is a owenness on Dundalk to play fair with any potential money from transfers and not overselecting players. A partnership rather than a sense of poaching.
Last edited by Nesta99; 06/12/2015 at 12:29 AM.
What makes you think that local players will be the cornerstone of future U-17 and U-15 squads?
Once the novelty passes and the politics with the local leagues settles down, Dundalk (and other clubs) are likely to cast their net wide in terms of trying to find and develop the best players, irrespective of their location. There will be a deep irony about the reversal of trends where 14 & 15 year olds will trek from North Dublin twice weekly for elite training in Oriel
Wouldn't be that ironic considering the senior team has been doing it for decades
I dont but some of the more established and successful local clubs do or did. The change in attitude in the the SBL admitted a Monaghan team which seemed to terrify some of the bigger egos that with their county wide pool of players and that they may become the dominant club.
Bray though. Whats the story there? I know they have backing etc but is it sustainable? Is there some other dark strategy at play behind the scenes? Ive followed their circus over the last 12 months and although this opening of the purse strings appears to be positive for them, I cant help but feel it doesn't fit. Im genuinely asking these questions as I do not know and haven't really followed the most recent ins and outs.
I like high energy football. A little bit rock and roll. Many finishes instead of waiting for the perfect one.
I know there was problems with McGettigans havin full control originally maybe this is all sorted now and the money is pumped lock stock and barrel.
Gary Cronin is he the right man to manage Longford Town?
Bray are majority owned by developed Gerry Mulvey, who is backing chairman Denis O'Connor. It's rumoured Mulvey is a front for aggressive high-end residential developer Greg Kavanagh. A really suspicious person might wonder why high-end property developers would become particularly interested in a club based in a highly-desirable area of the country.
cheers lads - Charlie that's where my mind goes too.
So whats the connection between McGettigans and O'Connor or Mulvey/Kavanagh?
I like high energy football. A little bit rock and roll. Many finishes instead of waiting for the perfect one.
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