New owners at dundalk

[Ezeikial]

Does the new type of ownership change the relationship between the club volunteers and Dundalk the club/business? My own view is that it probably will but gradually.

It will be interesting to see how that plays out. One the meetings that the new owners appear to be planning on their first visit is with club volunteers.

How the relationship with supporters and volunteers is managed is likely to be something that the new COO Malachy Brannigan is likely to drive.

[Longfordian]

A lot of the volunteer spirit in LOI is a knowledge that you’re saving the club money in one way or another. It’ll be difficult to keep that alive with a consortium of multi millionaires running the show.

[oriel]

This is a very good point made above by Longfordian. Dundalk has quite a large amount of volunteers from the guys who sell the match programme/goal times to probably the person who opens and closes the gate and who turns on and off the floodlights. These are all hugely important parts of the club and the hope is they will be met and asked to continue.

The other area I was thinking of and one that needs to change and I don’t know if they are paid or not is security staff. The majority (not all) should be immediately replaced this season, the club needs a professional outfit in on match night.

[El-Pietro]

When Arkaga came in one of their biggest errors was replacing many volunteers with paid roles. In some cases they paid volunteers for the same roles they had been doing for years and some of those never came back as volunteers when they left as they felt undervalued

[Philosophizer]

When Arkaga came in one of their biggest errors was replacing many volunteers with paid roles. In some cases they paid volunteers for the same roles they had been doing for years and some of those never came back as volunteers when they left as they felt undervalued

Great point. John o Sullivan spoke about that in an article a few years ago. Inevitably, the volunteers are going to be made to feel worse in the long run no matter what happens.

[White Horse]

From reading some of the above comments, one would think that Dundalk was not already privately owned company. Dundalk is a long established privately owned club. There have been countless private owners down the years.

Why should volunteers desert the club now? People have given their time to the club when it was owned by very unpopular owners. People realise that owners come and go, just like managers and players. Supporters are there for life.

[onlooker]

[QUOTE=Longfordian;1950362]A lot of the volunteer spirit in LOI is a knowledge that you’re saving the club money in one way or another.

excellent point.. its the same for most sports, GAA, Athletics, Amateur Boxing etc etc

[micls]

From reading some of the above comments, one would think that Dundalk was not already privately owned company. Dundalk is a long established privately owned club. There have been countless private owners down the years.

Why should volunteers desert the club now? People have given their time to the club when it was owned by very unpopular owners. People realise that owners come and go, just like managers and players. Supporters are there for life.

We were also privately owned pre Arkaga but Brian Lennox had a lot of goodwill built up in the community and was seen as a local guy doing his best. A lot of people rowed in behind that. Different story with rich outsiders, for us anyway

[CorribsideSteve]

I hope for Dundalk's sale that in the event that things don't work out for them, that they are prepared for the Tsunami of " I told you so's" that will follow. I hope this is the benchmark for further investments both for them and the League as a whole, if it hopefully does all work out.

[sulywaterfordfc]

Many people will argue the league needs investment to move forward, I completely understand people having a negative thought. But to not even give it a positive thought I don’t get it. Yes they won’t be around for ever yes they’ll walk away possibly could leave the club a mess. But in the grand scheme of things no LOI club can turn down such opportunity. Yes there’s the chance you could get an Athlone type investment, but in reality that was lazy work from the FAI along with th board of Athlone, whom imo saw it as a get quick rich scheme and their club dealings to date have shown they don’t care what condition the club is in. There is every chance the owners could walk away a leave Dundalk in a healthy position. I suppose I know it’s a different scenario and very early to say it, but you just look at Powers ownership at Waterford. Took over when the club were getting 200 through the gate with the community and local businesses had no interest. Less then a year later the town is buzzing about the club, averaged over 1,500 in the first division, sold by all accounts 500 plus season tickets for the forthcoming season, along with a big sponsorship deal. Not to mention local businesses are getting involved sponsoring match’s/ballboys/the match ball etc. there are positives to take from it. It is the clubs aim to become self stainable. It goes without saying the two recent big takeovers the investors want to leave the club with their investment back plus profit. If that happens and both clubs are left in a self stainable position with a healthy core of fans even if it’s a case both a mid table not challenging for honors. Also the chance could be left completely, but I think it’s the worth the risk because you just don’t know what way it could turn out. Especially if the club turned down investment then took a bad turn months later. Personally I just think it’d be foolish of clubs to turn down investment, Bray turned down investment for the McGrettigans now look at the club. Another group in charge of the club after a get rich quick scheme not even trying to make the club better with every decision made, it seems as though it’s two steps backward for every step forward.

[micls]

There is absolutely zero chance we would vote to accept an investment like this. Outside investment is certainly one way to go about things, but it's not the only way. Clubs can turn down this sort of investment.

Now, the clubs circumstances will decide whether that's a good call or not. But to claim no club could or should turn down a similar opportunity is nonsense.

[Charlie Darwin]

It is the clubs aim to become self stainable.

Few LOI clubs have ever had a problem staining themselves.

[oriel]

look at Powers ownership at Waterford. Took over when the club were getting 200 through the gate with the community and local businesses had no interest. Less then a year later the town is buzzing about the club, averaged over 1,500 in the first division, sold by all accounts 500 plus season tickets for the forthcoming season, along with a big sponsorship deal. Not to mention local businesses are getting involved sponsoring match’s/ballboys/the match ball etc. there are positives to take from it.

Important point here is this would be expected of the majority of clubs when you are winning most weeks and top of the FD, crowds generally come out for this as everyone likes to see a winning run. The hard part will be to maintain that in the huge step up that is the PD, a few poor results can see crowds reduce significantly. Waterford have got some good players in, but its still a new team and might take a while to gel in. A 10 team PD will make it even harder if any side is on a bad run.

On the Dundalk takeover it appears the new owners are due to come and visit the club and meet with the staff, players, and all paid and unpaid volunteers in the next week or so, hopefully their plans for the season ahead and further will be released then.

[Nesta99]

There is absolutely zero chance we would vote to accept an investment like this. Outside investment is certainly one way to go about things, but it's not the only way. Clubs can turn down this sort of investment.

Now, the clubs circumstances will decide whether that's a good call or not. But to claim no club could or should turn down a similar opportunity is nonsense.

This is the key point! I dont think Dundalk supporters would back(if we had a say) outside investment with so many unknowns either if we didnt have the fly in the ointment that is Oriel Park. Everything else about the club is pretty decent these days but we couldnt have done a whole lot with our ground without significant outside investment. The need for a lot of prizemoney sapping work on infrastructure at the club would sway us toward the 'take the calculated gamble' choice.

If we had a Turners Cross standard ground I think you'd find a lot more worry going on tbh even if that is a slightly odd thing to say. Would Cork fans, considering their difficulties with Arkaga even consider a new investor if they had a dilapidated ground that was unlikely to progress much for the forseeable future unless investment was considered and that this was significantly holding the club back overall?

Turners Cross as it is is why I believe that proportionately European prizemoney has left Cork in a stronger position than Dundalk or will. They money is already spent if attained by Dundalk on trying to do sh!t with Oriel; Cork have significant choice on where money can be invested that will strengthen the club overall - not playing catch up with creaky facilities, and with CL to come and the parachute in to EL this season too. It exciting timespotentially for LoI and I am glad that we are in the mix!

[Ezeikial]

This is the key point! I dont think Dundalk supporters would back(if we had a say) outside investment with so many unknowns either if we didnt have the fly in the ointment that is Oriel Park. Everything else about the club is pretty decent these days but we couldnt have done a whole lot with our ground without significant outside investment. The need for a lot of prizemoney sapping work on infrastructure at the club would sway us toward the 'take the calculated gamble' choice.

If we had a Turners Cross standard ground I think you'd find a lot more worry going on tbh even if that is a slightly odd thing to say. Would Cork fans, considering their difficulties with Arkaga even consider a new investor if they had a dilapidated ground that was unlikely to progress much for the forseeable future unless investment was considered and that this was significantly holding the club back overall?

Turners Cross as it is is why I believe that proportionately European prizemoney has left Cork in a stronger position than Dundalk or will. They money is already spent if attained by Dundalk on trying to do sh!t with Oriel; Cork have significant choice on where money can be invested that will strengthen the club overall - not playing catch up with creaky facilities, and with CL to come and the parachute in to EL this season too. It exciting timespotentially for LoI and I am glad that we are in the mix!

Are you making an assumption that the new owners are going to upgrade the stadium?

[osarusan]

Turners Cross as it is is why I believe that proportionately European prizemoney has left Cork in a stronger position than Dundalk or will. They money is already spent if attained by Dundalk on trying to do sh!t with Oriel; Cork have significant choice on where money can be invested that will strengthen the club overall - not playing catch up with creaky facilities, and with CL to come and the parachute in to EL this season too. It exciting timespotentially for LoI and I am glad that we are in the mix!

How confident are you that the new investors will spend money on Oriel, rather than just playing home European games elsewhere (above whatever level Oriel can host them)?

If the new investors are willing to spend a chunk of money to upgrade a ground they don't and won't own, that would be a very good sign for the club, and something they are hopefully pushing for as hard as they can.

But pre-investment Dundalk earned however many millions they did a couple of years ago, and I don't think that much of it at all went into ground development.

[sbgawa]

Dundalk supporters have no choice in the matter the club has been sold by the current owners.
Regardless of what promises the new owners may or may not have made to the guys selling they will make the calls from here on how they spend the money.

While I do enjoy slagging the Dundalk lads about Oriel , how bad is it really? a few grand spent on the away end and some toilets for the ladies to use and bobs your uncle .
If they decide to spend a fortune on the ground well and good but I would be surprised.
Some Corporate facilities to encourage sponsors and local businesses will probably give a return on investment but how many more people will show up to sit in a better class of plastic seat?

[Ezeikial]

There have been absolutely zero commitments made publicly by the new owners on any aspect of their plans

At this point we know nothing of their intentions.

[Nesta99]

Are you making an assumption that the new owners are going to upgrade the stadium?

Are you assuming they are not? You said it yourself that we knw nothing of their plans. It doesnt change a whole lot of the gist of my post above that there is likely to be greater support for a takeover even with the unknowns, in hope that the issues with Oriel will be addressed, if Oriel Park was up to scratch then there would be a lot more speaking out against the takeover imo, being content with the status quo.

[redobit]

There have been absolutely zero commitments made publicly by the new owners on any aspect of their plans

At this point we know nothing of their intentions.

So they could be closet Drogs fans and run ye into the ground.