Irish Sea FC

**ForzaForth** · 12/12/2021, 12:15 PM

Good all-weather pitch in IT Carlow with floodlights, I'm pretty sure, but no stand. The stand that is there is beside the GAA pitch.

**nigel-harps1954** · 12/12/2021, 12:34 PM

Yeah, a good all weather pitch there, and an impressive stand at the GAA pitch, which would be more than capable of being used as a football pitch as well if needed.

**Nesta99** · 12/12/2021, 4:11 PM

'Good all-weather pitch'? I didnt think they existed! If the stand was in any way funded by Croke Park, even if CIT have a say it is unlikely to happen - as ridiculous as it would be CIT would need 2 stands to host 2 sports!! That said I think regulations in general could be modernised to allow more 'temporary' type stands that would suffice like behind the goal in Richmond Park.

**Philosophizer** · 12/12/2021, 5:53 PM

Originally Posted by Nesta99

'Good If the stand was in any way funded by Croke Park, even if CIT have a say it is unlikely to happen - as ridiculous as it would be CIT would need 2 stands to host 2 sports!!

I was thinking the same. There would probably be uproar if anyone proposed to play "the garrison game" on the hallowed gaa turf.

**samhaydenjr** · 12/12/2021, 7:44 PM

First I heard of this company and plan, so did a very quick wikipedia search on them for a little more info and my inner conspiracy theorist came across a questionable pattern:

Alex and Sibrena Geraldino are currently co-owners of the New Jersey Teamsterz, who compete in the National Independent Soccer Association (NISA), the third tier of U.S soccer. They spoke on the BSMA podcast on how their Irish project intended to be used as a pathway to Europe for their U.S players, while also facilitating Irish-based players to head in the opposite direction.^[3] They recruited Dennis Lukens to oversee operations in Ireland as they began the application process with the FAI. It was also their intention to allow Lukens to manage the side, with previous experience managing teams in the United States and Ukraine. In 2021, Lukens began to recruit players primarily from Armenian First League side, Noravank SC.

So then I went to the Wikipedia page of Noravank SC and found some curious information about them - they were only founded in 2020 themselves and have seven African players in their squad - now it isn't actually unusual for Armenian teams to have African players, but five of their players are listed as "on loan" from a single Ghanaian club, Cheetah FC, which was only founded in 2009 and had this interesting tidbit on its Wikipedia page:

In 2021, the club was named on the top 10 clubs in Africa with the most outgoing transfers of players in FIFA’s 2020 Global Transfer Market Report

Now I work in banking and if I heard about a newly-established company in New Jersey exchanging a significant portion of money from a newly-established subsidiary in Ireland, who were receiving most of their money from a newly-established company in Armenia, who were receiving a significant amount of their revenue from a recently established company in Ghana, then my money laundering alarm bells would be ringing loud. What this means for movement of humans is not yet clear but I think this team should be monitored closely

**Longfordian** · 12/12/2021, 8:04 PM

It's unlikely they'll ever become a real team over here anyway. The New Jersey Teamsterz sound like something Tony Soprano would be involved in.

**sidewayspasser** · 12/12/2021, 8:19 PM

Originally Posted by samhaydenjr

Now I work in banking and if I heard about a newly-established company in New Jersey exchanging a significant portion of money from a newly-established subsidiary in Ireland, who were receiving most of their money from a newly-established company in Armenia, who were receiving a significant amount of their revenue from a recently established company in Ghana, then my money laundering alarm bells would be ringing loud. What this means for movement of humans is not yet clear but I think this team should be monitored closely

It certainly looks a bit suspicious. Some sort of human trafficking scheme?

**Nesta99** · 12/12/2021, 9:33 PM

I'm sure the FAI's doing due diligence with their fit and proper persons test....if Delaney was still about he'd love a club called Cheetah FC!

I'm not willing to jump so quickly to concerns on human trafficking schemes, 0 to 60 there in few seconds! Routes to loan players to ease the way for work permits in the EU is possible as is maybe building a more direct route for players to go to America from Africa via LoI. Its seems like a strange and complex plan for 3 clubs on 3 continents so yeah the money trail would need keeping an eye on but beyond the FAI's remit. They could report suspicions to Na Gardaí but Ive no idea if there needs to be a reason to investigate beyond that it sounds suss, if or when it happens.