Covid 19 - LOI Ramifications

**D24Saint** · 07/06/2020, 10:54 AM

I cant believe that a club the size of Dundalk FC dont have a supporters club. Is there any particular reason or is this a protest or what?

I don't think supporters clubs are a good thing for LOI clubs they tend to become clicks and self serving.Id be more of a fan of supporters trusts. The trusts from my experience can be more independent and can choose to support club or supporter activities as they see fit.

**Neish** · 07/06/2020, 11:27 AM

Originally Posted by D24Saint

I don't think supporters clubs are a good thing for LOI clubs they tend to become clicks and self serving.Id be more of a fan of supporters trusts. The trusts from my experience can be more independent and can choose to support club or supporter activities as they see fit.

I have read some ridiculous comments on her but this takes the biscuit, I doubt any LOI club would survive very long without supporters club. I have been actively involved is a number of different supporter clubs with Harps, help & talked with other supporter clubs relating to Harps, and talked to member of Supporters clubs from other clubs. Never have I got the clique feel from them.

I don't see how a supporters club can become a clique but a trust can't. Cliques are a result of the people in a club trust etc, not the thing the people are in.

**The Lilywhites** · 07/06/2020, 11:56 AM

Originally Posted by ToberonaTornado

Supporters of Dundalk of an older persuasion have mistrust in supporters clubs and trusts.
Maybe now we can change that because we have a more youth based support but a lot of the old support would be,and always have been, reluctant to give cash to the club because it went missing in the past.

This, yeah. I can't remember when the old supporters club disbanded, maybe when Matthews came in, although their name was still on the bar licence for a long time.

The Trust, started around 2006, was good for a time but had its issues.

Those in charge decided to take it upon themselves to disband it and get into bed with the club when Fastfix took over.

Some of that committee are still actively involved in the club, but a lot of good volunteers seemed to disappear in recent years for whatever reason.

As I said above, the club have abandoned fundraisers for years now, probably going back to around 2014.

Certainly in recent times, the club appear to see fundraisers as not worth the hassle. When you're spending 60k+ a week, the money fundraisers would bring in wouldn't make much of a difference (that's how they seem to view it anyway).

Given the financial losses shown for 2019, the current spending can't go on for much longer, but there doesn't seem to be any appetite for a supporters club / Trust - probably for the reasons you say.

**D24Saint** · 07/06/2020, 1:03 PM

Originally Posted by Neish

I have read some ridiculous comments on her but this takes the biscuit, I doubt any LOI club would survive very long without supporters club. I have been actively involved is a number of different supporter clubs with Harps, help & talked with other supporter clubs relating to Harps, and talked to member of Supporters clubs from other clubs. Never have I got the clique feel from them.

I don't see how a supporters club can become a clique but a trust can't. Cliques are a result of the people in a club trust etc, not the thing the people are in.

Don't overreact whatever you do ! We have obviously had very different experiences when it comes to supporters club/supporters groups. In my time following the league I seen a few come and go, they mainly make banners, do a lot of shouting a set of flares and contribute little else. There is a place for that but the Pats Patron scheme has done infinitely more since its inception. They don't directly organise displays at matches for example, but have funded repairs to our stand behind the goal, sponsored youth team kits, GPS fitness trackers etc

**Martinho II** · 07/06/2020, 4:41 PM

I know over a decade ago we had a supporters trust for my club which I was rep for a time which sorted out long term debt issues from peoples dds mthly. Think that has disbanded now as I dont hear anything about it now so assume its all under control.
As for a supporters club Longford Town FC had an active supporters club which ran buses,car boot sales ,table quizzes plus prediction competition and club shop but over the last eight years they only fundraise with car boot sales on bank holidays and club shop. Section O(vocal crowd) which I am part of took over running of buses from Supporters Club but theres not as much interest anymore. With direction Supporters Club are going they seem more interested in charity aspect of it and running of the club shop and not with the further development of the ground.
When our ground was redeveloped nearly 20 years ago there was talk that there would be shelter over the Section O side of the ground but that never came to fruitation.If theres the timings right Section O have a lot of great ideas for fundraising and would like to take over the Supporters Club running aspect of it.
Thats another days battle!
I know organisation of fans groups take time and sometimes go through lean periods but if there the timings I know a lot of the lads would like to give the running of our supporters club a go ourselves and see if we can do it better as the running of the supporters club is paper based and is not up with the times these days.

**D24Saint** · 07/06/2020, 5:40 PM

A big Swedish pharmaceutical AstraZeneca has signed a deal with Bill gates to produce two billion oxford vaccines in inhaler form. There could be light at the end of the tunnel in this mess.

**D24Saint** · 09/06/2020, 8:25 AM

https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2020...ant-to-return/

**The Lilywhites** · 09/06/2020, 10:09 AM

Seems silly that so much importance and publicity (not to mention the costs) is surrounding the testing of the 4 European clubs, yet all other clubs can return to training next Monday with no testing done whatsoever!

**placid casual** · 09/06/2020, 10:43 AM

Pardon me folks for asking the difficult questions, but what's people's views on the supposed 2 or 3 clubs holding up the return to playing. Is there any sense of "fek them, we'll play anyway", or is it required to offer incentives to get them to come back, or what? The league will die a certain death if the games can't begin again this season, surely everyone in LOI circles knows that. I'm sure someone would say that if Rovers or Dundalk were near the bottom of the league they'd want to cancel the season as well, but I'd be mortified if Rovers would do that move. Any thoughts?

**redobit** · 09/06/2020, 12:49 PM

Originally Posted by placid casual

Pardon me folks for asking the difficult questions, but what's people's views on the supposed 2 or 3 clubs holding up the return to playing. Is there any sense of "fek them, we'll play anyway", or is it required to offer incentives to get them to come back, or what? The league will die a certain death if the games can't begin again this season, surely everyone in LOI circles knows that. I'm sure someone would say that if Rovers or Dundalk were near the bottom of the league they'd want to cancel the season as well, but I'd be mortified if Rovers would do that move. Any thoughts?

I dont know if 'holding things up' is the right term there. It makes it sound like they are deliberately holding up a LOI return. You can only assume that any club not fully onboard yet is just looking for assurances that BHD will not mean that they incur debt or they get a fair crack at the season. Hardly unreasonable requests tbh.

**Yossarian** · 09/06/2020, 2:26 PM

Originally Posted by placid casual

Pardon me folks for asking the difficult questions, but what's people's views on the supposed 2 or 3 clubs holding up the return to playing. Is there any sense of "fek them, we'll play anyway", or is it required to offer incentives to get them to come back, or what? The league will die a certain death if the games can't begin again this season, surely everyone in LOI circles knows that. I'm sure someone would say that if Rovers or Dundalk were near the bottom of the league they'd want to cancel the season as well, but I'd be mortified if Rovers would do that move. Any thoughts?

My opinion is that if there are one or two clubs who don’t want to resume then the league should resume for this season without those participating. At least you would have champions and European slots awarded and there could be no relegation so those clubs who choose not to participate don’t get unduly punished.
I think the proposal that was aired last week for some kind of informal competition that doesn’t award a title or European spots is nonsense. How could you justify paying full time players to play in a friendly tournament.

**Mr A** · 09/06/2020, 2:59 PM

That would be a friendly tournament for literally everyone but the clubs competing for Europe though.

**Bucket** · 09/06/2020, 3:19 PM

If clubs can't fulfill fixtures, the opposition gets three points. If a club then finishes bottom, they should be relegated.
Clubs in the First Division have wage bills too. These player contracts were signed when promotion to the Premier was the ambition. To change the rules now would be outrageous.
The league was temporarily suspended, not cancelled outright.

**Martinho II** · 09/06/2020, 3:23 PM

Whos the three clubs that are objecting to it I wonder? I imagine Waterford would be one of them?

**D24Saint** · 09/06/2020, 4:35 PM

Originally Posted by Martinho II

Whos the three clubs that are objecting to it I wonder? I imagine Waterford would be one of them?

If the numbers don’t add up then I’d imagine our owner would be dead set against participating.

**El-Pietro** · 09/06/2020, 5:57 PM

I don't see how any club can be eager to play without crowds. It doesn't make financial sense in Ireland. This isn't the Premier League or Serie A with millions aavailable va television broadcasts that can cover the costs. LoI clubs will lose money if they play without crowds. Unless the FAI or some other organisation is willing to make up the losses then how can we afford to play? I have no idea if Cork City are one of the teams in question but it wouldn't surprise me.

**total hoofball** · 09/06/2020, 6:38 PM

Originally Posted by placid casual

Pardon me folks for asking the difficult questions, but what's people's views on the supposed 2 or 3 clubs holding up the return to playing.

Likely it's more than just 2 or 3. Sligo, Cork and Drogheda are publicly skeptical of the proposal and it's financial viability and Waterford/Pats/Harps/rest of the First Division seem to be keeping quiet awaiting Thursday meeting to see if the proposals are an actual runner

At the minute it's only 5 of 19 clubs who are definitely wanting to go back to closed doors football, Euro clubs and Shels

**redobit** · 09/06/2020, 6:53 PM

Originally Posted by Bucket

If clubs can't fulfill fixtures, the opposition gets three points. If a club then finishes bottom, they should be relegated.
Clubs in the First Division have wage bills too. These player contracts were signed when promotion to the Premier was the ambition. To change the rules now would be outrageous.
The league was temporarily suspended, not cancelled outright.

Such bull. If clubs can't be guaranteed financial stability then they wont return, why would they?

What if 3 or 4 PL clubs decide not to return cause its putting their future in jeopardy, what do they do then ... relegate all the clubs who dont play.

Its a tricky situation, hopefully some good leadership from FAI. This is the new FAIs first big hurdle and if they cant sort this out to the satisfactory of all clubs in the LOI, then they will be on the back foot before they have even started.

**joey B** · 09/06/2020, 10:41 PM

If 2,3,4 or more clubs decide its not viable to come back its hard to see what can realistically be done,anything other than a season with promotion and relegation as usual will be a farce and not worth anyone coming back for,we're still seeing the affects of JD'S FAI,no money for anything and the laughing stock of Europe if we can't get back.

**pineapple stu** · 10/06/2020, 7:55 AM

From the Guardian today -

Stoke were forced to cancel a friendly against Manchester United at the last minute after learning that manager, Michael O’Neill, had tested positive for coronavirus. The Championship side had already travelled to United’s Carrington training ground before the match was hastily called off.

Obviously England is in a worse place than we are with regards covid - though they have been improving - but this does just raise another issue about getting back to playing which hasn't come up yet. How many games will be postponed for reasons like this, and how much will that cost LoI clubs? I know we're down to tiny numbers of cases, almost all either health care workers or meat packers - but it just takes one case and this happens.