QuoteMight do with a bit of investmentOriginally Posted by joey B
Harps aren’t trying to win the Premier division!
Irish by birth ,Harps by the grace of god.
Might do with a bit of investment
https://kesslereffect.bandcamp.com/album/kepler - New music. It's not that bad.
Maybe not outspend, but it could take them a good bit closer eg go from their current part-time status, if not completely full-time, at least to a hybrid model like Crusaders, for instance.
The key may be the aims of these mysterious investors. If they're looking to come in and make a quick buck somehow* (European money? Player transfers? Tax scheme or money-laundering even?), then obviously you don't want them. And even if their motives are sound, but they want to interfere in how the club is run, then that could be just as bad. But if otoh, they're prepared to put the money in and let the present Board/Management get on with it, that could be successful, since CFC look to be a very well run club, who frequently punch above their weight, even amongst the Big Boys.
And while Kenny Bruce put in £5m to get Larne to the top of the tree, the majority of that went into infrastructure (stadium, training ground, Academy etc), rather than purely into transfers and wages etc. While on the playing front, CFC are currently in a much better position than Larne were when KB stepped in.
* - They can't sell the ground for redevelopment, which is one good thing.
Last edited by EalingGreen; 30/07/2023 at 3:11 PM.
Following some meetings, a vote by the Friends of Coleraine Football Club (fan owners) to accept or reject this proposal is imminent.
Meanwhile, some American investor who previously expressed an interest in buying Coleraine, but was rejected, has now bought a majority shareholding in Carrick Rangers:
https://www.carrickrangers.co.uk/newsitem.aspx?id=2214
Strange times indeed for Irish football, North and South.
Any mention of Irish Sea FC?.......
And right on cue, Carrick lose 9-0 at Crusaders tonight! (Yes, you read it right, that's 9 - Nine)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buyer%27s_remorse
There's definitely a connection between the lads behind that, and the Valeo FC lads behind Athlone Town.
https://kesslereffect.bandcamp.com/album/kepler - New music. It's not that bad.
I'd love a long exposé on Athlone tbh. Not sure who would put the time in to write it though.
Dan McDonnell gave a strong hint on the podcast last week that he was hoping to get around to it soon
Id it would be some read. As a fringe topic the stroy itself would probably get traction in its own right well beyond LoI. A N.I. Irish Sea FC borders on the ludicrous anyway!
Not quite sure what you mean (bold)
Anyone trying to get into the IL needs either to buy an existing club, or if starting up a new one, find a league in the 5th tier which will accept them, then work their way up via promotion(s).
It'd just be DUPid idea....
sorry that was poor and not planned, so to rephrase A IL version of Irish Sea FC would be would border on the total crazy after the fsrcical efforts to joing LoI! I hadnt known that they Had weaseled in via Athlone Town FC.
Might have been covered already but I saw a tweet from John O'Connor saying that O'Doherty now control 75% of DCFC.
Off topic but John actually also tweeted a while back that he tried to register for the forum here but couldn't as he was using a gmail address. That kept me off for a few years and has kept at least two others I know from joining - including one whose actual work was for Google.
Member owned clubs in the league dropping like flies.
thats a great point about paid v unpaid email addresses - you should raise it in the Support forum. I'd say there are probably quite a few who havent registered because of that.
I think there might be an exception process?
Friends of Coleraine (fan owners) voted 85% to approve the takeover at last night's EGM:
"The club will now look to move towards a full-time set-up with the Chairman feeling that it will take '12 to 18 months' to complete the switch as they get the structures in place on and off the pitch."
https://www.belfastlive.co.uk/sport/...raine-27617244
With Carrick Rangers also taken over recently by some American businessman, along with Ali Pour at Glentoran and Kenny Bruce at Larne, these certainly are, er... interesting times for NI football.
Last edited by EalingGreen; 30/08/2023 at 4:02 PM.
Yeah saw piece on BBC NI sports news earlier! Very surprised with Carrick Rangers takeover thought they were a small club?
Gary Cronin is he the right man to manage Longford Town?
They are, with very low crowds, Larne and Ballymena edging onto their catchment area, and not so far from the Belfast clubs, either. Their ground is also pretty crap, though it's owned by the local Council who are generally pretty supportive*, while there is talk of accessing new funding from somewhere-or-other in order to upgrade it.
As for this new owner, I can't help wondering whether he didn't see the Netflix series on Wrexham, figured that he wanted to get into this "sawker" lark and Carrick was all he could afford! I mean, his CV seems fairly impressive (if it can be believed!), but he seems always to have been an employee of companies, albeit senior, rather than a founder/entrepreneur, which is where the big bucks usually lie.
Still, he talks a good game:
"We want to run a long-term sustainable growth model for sure. I'm making personal financial investment and will look to leverage my network in terms of sponsors and other connections," Smith emphasised.
"I'm not going to throw a tonne of money going after a brief moment of glory and then jeopardise the future of the club. We are looking to run a profitable club.
"I'm investing in the vision that Peter and the Board have already put in place, the strong foundation they are building and the progress they've made in the last five years."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66661795
Anyhow, despite years of people claiming that the football bubble is going to burst etc, all the evidence from recent times suggests that football is only becoming ever bigger, from Gulf/Far East/US investment at the very top, right down to the micro level like Dundalk/Athlone in the LOI, or Coleraine/Carrick in the IL.
Interesting times.
* - Within their limited means, that is.
Last edited by EalingGreen; 31/08/2023 at 12:44 PM.
Rumours of more takeovers at Dundalk from James Rodger’s on his podcast,no details but it seems to be very important it happens according to him,hadn’t realised the new owners there were as badly thought of,seem to be doing a really bad job there…..
Irish by birth ,Harps by the grace of god.
Seen a good few comments on SM about this. People even saying budget to be slashed and going back to part-time. Could be the usual rumour mill but will be interesting to see what develops.
Going back to part-time would be a serious step for Dundalk. Ok, Drogheda did ok this year, but it's still relegation candidate stuff
I know they weren't too healthy last year before the new guys came along, and obviously there's no Europe next season. Is it as simple as debts and an ageing team from the Peak6 era?
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