We sold him to Hartlepool, he came back and played for Limerick for two seasons, or parts of two seasons perhaps. Joined us in 2013 for about half a season I think and then left the professional game. Think hes coaching/playing for Carrigaline these days. He has let himself go since leaving pro football. That or the yellow jersey is just unflattering.
Newcastle United/West attracted pitiful crowds, won nothing and lasted only 5 seasons in the First Division. In those 5 years, their highest placed finish was 6th in a 10 team league. They were the first of the expanded league's clubs to drop out.
What makes you think things would be so different if they joined up again ? Especially given that it costs significantly more to run an LOI team now than it did back then ?
Also - nowhere with a population even vaguely in the ball park of 6,600 people should be deemed suitable for a new LOI club IMO. Football is a primarily urban sport, and increasingly expensive one every season that goes by thanks to UEFA participation funding. You may as well ask Newcastle West to make a high pile of Euros, light it and dance around it as a distraction from running their current set up, as ask them to consider rejoining the LOI. It didn't work for them before, and I'm pretty damn sure it would have even less chance of working for them now.
I think you have missed my point, in that I broadly agree it almost certainly won't happen and would struggle in the present way of doing things financially, that was the final and underlying part of my original post.
Where have i said it would be different ? I simply haven't said that.
I merely added it to the conversation, referencing some of the possible criteria from earlier posts in the thread, particularly suggestions of clubs in new areas just because population numbers or geographically, they tick a box.
I know they attracted pitiful crowds, I was there most weeks. I also spoke recently with those involved at the time, and there is full awareness of how steep this hill would be and no intention of trying the climb at all.
What I did offer, to the conversation, was an area clearly producing the talent, with decent roots in the game, and if the FAI truly did want the league to develop talent for the national side they would act helpfully if the club expressed an interest. They won't & they wont.
As for what has changed, well the token local in the LOI eleven was an issue, the 'A' side and Rovers sides were all local in the DL and that told. So you would these days have players being produced of an LOI standard locally, (because they are coming through and moving on) that would help re attendances and finances through the gate ( nowhere near enough probably but that's hardly news anywhere across the league )
But to say I have come on here somehow advocating this is wide of the mark, maybe its more protein you need rather than greens as that promotes brain function and understanding of information taken in
Is there any reason why Kilkenny City were never re-established in the league.
Did they just not have the appetite for LOI down there?
"Now jump up there and stuff that son of a bitch in the basket, chief"
Kilkenny was always just Jim Rhatigan FC, wasn't it?
Whichever side of the bed you got out of on Saturday, Crafty, try the other side in future
As for that timeworn LOI excuse that a lack of local players "is an issue", there's hardly a provincial club for whom people haven't wheeled that out at some point to justify a lack of support. Even when the same clubs have had mostly or all-local teams it's made feck all difference to their crowds though tbh. It's just one of the many stock excuses that people reach for to justify turning their nose up at Irish football.
As for the protein - you'll hurt your wrist swinging your hand bag like that, girlfriend !
Believe they've a women's team at the moment but starting a team effectively from scratch probably wouldn't work too well, evergreen in a more central location, Buckley park and evergreen's current grounds are great but not exactly great locations to get locals to just pop down especially non drivers, might work but they'd be far from certain to survive nevermind thrive
Newbridge Town appointing Mick Cooke, any mileage in that down the line for an LOI entrance ?
Here- https://www.leinsterleader.ie/news/s...-town-afc.html
Last edited by CraftyToePoke; 18/06/2018 at 8:36 PM.
Newbridge Town effectively were Kildare County, so they hardly want to come back surely?
Haven't Newbridge Town been around for a long time ?
It says in the press release that this is their 50th anniversary year.
"Mick takes over the first team affairs with immediate affect and will lead our clubs first team into our 50th anniversary year in 2018/19 in the Leinster Senior League Senior Division."
They have, yeah, but I think Kildare County emerged from them - they certainly played in Newbridge's ground, and there may have been some Newbridge officials involved.
I don't know why Newbridge didn't take the step up themselves - it may have been that Kildare County was a more inclusive name - but I would imagine the fact it was Kildare County who joined the league back in 2002 (?) means Newbridge have no aspirations to jump up themselves.
Is Jim Rhatigan still alive?
what happened to Paul Perth newbridges previous mgr?
Gary Cronin is he the right man to manage Longford Town?
I think it was that they wanted to preserve their place in the Leinster Senior League if things didn't work out in League of Ireland.
Tralee Dynamos got screwed over by the Kerry League after they joined the A-Championship for a few years and had to rejoin about 4 divisions down. They made it back up to the Premier but have been relegated this season.
There definitely would be potential for a Kerry club but whether people would travel from Killarney to Tralee to support a Kerry team playing LoI out of Mounthawk Park is doubtful, though Tralee is a pretty big town easily accessible from all areas of North Kerry.
I phoned the speaking clock to hear a voice speak, it said - "At the tone you will be very much alone"
That could well have been it actually.
All the more reason to get a proper pyramid system in place, if a fear of multiple relegations like that is going to hold some clubs back.
The current system is utterly unfit for purpose.
Newcastle West AFC has always been a very poorly supported club. The won all around them in the DL in the 90's and 00's but there wouldn't be 10 people at their games - I could tell you to a man who each person was too. Same at underage level - often played against them in Ballygowan Park and they wouldn't have one supporter there. A soulless club really driven by 3/4 dedicated club men. Newcastlewest Rovers was always the 'drinking club', where they had the craic as opposed to AFC who were all about winning. Rovers got their act together at underage level though and became the main schoolboy club. That then eventually fed in to their junior teams. Rovers have comfortably overtaken AFC now at all levels, plus their facilities are a level above too. AFC as a club has been dying a death for years, underage became a farce and the junior side got relegated last season. The amalgamation was inevitable really. But would Newcastle West Town now be capable of sustaining LOI? Not a hope. The club has never been well supported, not in my lifetime anyway, and I watched them in the LOI in Ballygowan Park too.
Behan came through Abbeyfeale Utd. Paudie O'Connor came through Kilcornan & Breska Rovers. Anthony Forde came through Ballingarry AFC & John McGrath came through Glantine FC.
No chance could Limerick sustain two teams IMO. I live and work between Newcastle West and Limerick. Most of the DL grassroots football lads from West Limerick are already regularly going to Limerick FC games. Based on DL rivalries, NCW would not as a club garner enough support from other DL clubs on a regular basis. There's just no way that lads from Abbeyfeale, Broadford, Rathkeale etc would go supporting NCW in the LOI and the town alone is not big enough to sustain it.
West Limerick is hurling country btw, aside from about 4 clubs. It may have some of the counties bigger and better gaelic football clubs, but the standard is $hite and the proof is in the pudding at county level where they just don't get the crowds. Whereas you'll see the whole of West Limerick out in force to support the hurlers, and of course every Tom, Dick and Paddy is a Munster rugby supporter even though 95% of them wouldn't know a rugby ball if it hit them square on the face.
Ennis - would be considered Limerick's catchment area, can never see that happening. Any club that joins would have to have a town centre ground. If lads can't go to the pub or for a bite to eat before or after the game, you can forget about it.
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