St Kevin's, Stella Maris and Cherry Orchard
They're going to struggle to find club to partner with cause all the Dublin clubs seem pretty set with:
UCD-Mount Merrion
Cabo, Bohs, Shels, Rovers- Their own schoolboy sections
Pats- Belvo & Crumlin
Even Drogheda- Home Farm
Unless you convince one of the clubs with their own setup or that already have a link to partner with you you're looking at wexford, Dundalk, Longford,etc being the next closest clubs which is very far from ideal.
I don't necessarily agree that because a club already has schoolboy teams they can't link with other clubs. Pats and Drogheda already have schoolboy teams playing in the DDSL for eg, but it's still v beneficial for them to partner with Belvo and Home Farm respectively.
What do these link-up deals usually consist of?
oh boy I'm not good at football forums
It doesnt but looking at those clubs Cabo are built off their schoolboy setup so wont link with anyone, Rovers are developing a full-time academy so they wont, Bohs seem to be really beginning to push their schoolboy section and Shels are quite proud of theirs so I cant see them linking but those two might.
Do Pats still have their schoolboy teams or are they fully merged with crumlin now?
https://kesslereffect.bandcamp.com/album/kepler - New music. It's not that bad.
I don't believe so.
Those big Dublin schoolboy clubs aren't going to sit back and fall into obscurity while the LOI National Leagues teams take the best talent. They're going to fight the LOI clubs for the signature of every talented kid in Dublin (and well beyond). Given the renown of these schoolboy clubs, I'd fancy them to attract the best kids over the LOI academies. And before anyone jumps down my throat, I know the best option for 99% of those kids would be to join the LOI club.
Even growing up in Meath in the 90s, every kid who was half decent knew who the big 6 were by the age of about 12 or 13, and knew they were the golden ticket to getting the best coaching and possibly "making it".
LOI teams are better off partnering with these schoolboy clubs rather than fighting against them. It's a fight they're not going to win, and would only end up creating bad blood. Being realistic, those Dublin schoolboy clubs are far more respected than the underage teams of Dublin-based LOI clubs.
It also comes down to a matter of resources. Many of those well known Dublin schoolboy clubs have good grounds and training pitches in established locations in the city. Some LOI clubs don't own any training facilities or underage pitches, and even if they found such a property for sale, they couldn't afford to buy it. What looks more impressive... Bohs underage teams playing on mediocre pitches in the Phoenix park, with no dressing rooms, or St Kevin's with a fancy clubhouse, full size all weathers and a lovely pitch etc.
I'd tend to agree with this. Most clubs only have the national stage to offer and maybe deals with the odd 3rd level scholarship. The only clubs that can compete with the big schoolboy clubs in the Dublin area in terms of coaching, facilities, name, etc, are rovers with the new development in Roadstone and coaches like Duff and the fact that just now rovers and dundalk and maybe Cork are the 3 clubs in Ireland that everyone knows, that's going to be a big draw for any kid so they can compete with the big schoolboy clubs. Also rovers have teams competing in the top deal divisions all the way through already which will help too.
If you take Bray as the prototype they've got a full schoolboy section now and a new training ground to attract players. If all clubs can do that from their links then they'll be a success.
I think just now clubs have to decide do they want to go on their own and know 100% of profits are theirs but so is all the risk of link up and cut the risk but also the benefits. Either way is fine, both rovers and bray are doing well with the way they've chosen but whichever they're going to go they have to go all in and my only fear is clubs will go short term and it'll all go belly up in a few years.
speaking of Home Farm do they still have a senior team at all? manys the good night I had in Whitehall!
Gary Cronin is he the right man to manage Longford Town?
UCD keeper on socceram this morning https://twitter.com/socceram/status/853194972107079684
Irish u 18's squad announced today and 8/18 players are with LOI clubs which is great. Seems the leagues are having an impact already.
Rovers announce partnership with Corduff FC https://www.facebook.com/cordufffc/p...066767/?type=3
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