Terrace Pest article Rovers Programme V Shels

[mypost]

That is silly talk, Dublin City is Dublin City.
Maybe Homefarm are what you say but Dublin City are not.

You ask anybody with anything to do with Homefarm and they will tell you that Dublin City are nothing to do with them.

See the light and accept that Dublin City are here to stay.

Whether they admit it or not, Home Farm under their commercial title, are still the same club, with the same fan base, have the same ground, same colours, same ethos, and same ambition as before, so they are in my eyes, the same club.

There are 6 NL clubs in Dublin, of which Home Farm are one of them. The disturbing thing I find, is that foreign tourists who buy one of their shirts, knowing no better, would be under the impression that much like other cities in Europe, that Dublin is represented by only one football club. That is not the case, and "Dublin City", (unlike Cork City, Derry City, or Galway United do in other parts of the country), do not represent me, or my identity as a Dubliner. They can label themselves "Dublin City", "Carrolls Gift Stores", or "Ragball Rovers" if they like, they can take Home Farm out of Dublin City if they want, but they can't take Dublin City out of Home Farm, and that's how I will recognise them under the original name only, Home Farm.

[anto eile]

What do you call players from Drogs and Harps?

Locals?



We do grow in support but as all EL clubs will tell you it is a slow process.
I reeckon that we will have our own home before most people could imagine..

harps is mostly a squad of locals, so yeah

dublin farm have never once even mentioned anything resembling developing a ground.

[anto eile]

As I have said before everthing starts somewhere. You can't just create club history it has to be gained through years of effort. In time thats what Dublin City will do.

i agree with you,and you should have started at the bottom rung of the leinster football league.not going straight into the EL.

the only argument against that is an admission that you are a continuation of home farm.
you are not a football club. you are a franchise

[bigmac]

- they just use continuous pool of surplus players from the Dublin region that are in-between clubs. I don't see any progression in them as a club. I don't knock anyone for supporting them but don't see them growing in club or support.

Let's imagine for a minute that DC fold tomorrow, ostensibly to allow another non-Dublin team into the EL. The fact still remains that there are enough players in the Dublin area to support this many EL teams. Unless non-Dublin area teams go professional it is extremely difficult to attract these players out from the capital as amateur players, hence it seems that it is the large number of players in the region that keeps the numbers of clubs up. I have sympathy for DC, it's going to be very difficult to attract fans to a team in Dublin given the competition from bigger clubs.
Incidentally, are all those anti DC people saying that there should be no first division team in Dublin? I know that many people's ideal situation is that UCD should be a first division team, but at the end of the day, if a team can get promoted and then stay in the premier then they deserve to be there. As for taking a place away from other clubs that have worked their way up through the ranks, the same argument can be much more readily levelled at the teams that finish bottom of the first division. Surely a team like DC that can challenge for promotion deserve their place just as much as a "regional" team that struggles?

[Roverstillidie]

the issue for me is not about dublin clubs or non-dublin clubs in the 1st division.
its about shortcuts into the EL. ie a franchise set-up whereby a club can bypass all the sweat and blood of founding a club, bringing it through the ranks, such as kildare. as a football fan i believe this should be stopped.

why did the fai not have a 'tender' process for the hf place?

i would have no problem with a cherry orchard or workmens dub laoighire coming through. i would prefer tullamore or castlebar, but the issue is the shortcut into the EL and complete lack of a 'club' at dublin city.

fair play to seery for vision, but he could have done this in cork and been a success. or bought a real club. it was doomed as a business plan and flawed as a football one.

[bigmac]

I see your point but give them another 5 or 10 years to have a real go at establishing themselves. The fact that Seery went for a club in Dublin is an extension of the fact that most Dublin players would rather stay in Dublin, even if it meant a step downwards in size or quality of club. Why would Seery invest his time and effort away from Dublin? Look at the problems that clubs with monopolies in their own areas are having attracting crowds and sponsors. Seery's one of those guys that I think could really benefit the league in terms of actually promoting EL football.
I don't really subscribe to the antipathy towards a so-called franchise either. If a club is operated as a business and has shareholders, then it is possible to buy it out. I think that Seery saw DC as the only way he could get a chance to implement whatever vision he has for football in Dublin.
Obviously people would prefer an established club (regional if possible) to take a league slot but where are all these clubs when election time comes up each year? As far as I'm aware there aren't any clubs around clamouring to play EL football (open to correction if the clubs you've listed have applied to join the league), in which case DC didn't unfairly take a place from anyone, rather they took a place that nobody else wanted.

[monkey magic]

As far as I'm aware there aren't any clubs around clamouring to play EL football (open to correction if the clubs you've listed have applied to join the league), in which case DC didn't unfairly take a place from anyone, rather they took a place that nobody else wanted.

as far as i know there have been two clubs from the mullingar area (mullingar athletic and mullingar town) attempting to join the league for a few years now? realistically its gonna take a good reason for the board to replace an existing club with a new one... but the dublin city fiasco was a rare chance for the league of ireland to allow a truly new club in.

[Derek]

Just out of interest are you a converted HF fan or did you start following DC?

TO be honest with you I don't like Homefarm. In fact to be realy honest I didn't know that Dublin City came from the remains of Homefarm. I followed Man Utd for years and didn't give a hoot about EL. I tried going to a few games EL games, all the Dublin clubs but never found anything that I wanted to be part of, until about 20 months ago(ish) I went to see Dublin City V Bohs in Tolka park(Dublin won). I enjoyed the whole underdog thing and the fact that they had only a couple of handfuls of supporters. I felt like I was getting in on something exciting and my kids enjoyed the experience so that was it, I was hooked and have only missed I would say about three/four Dublin City games since then(home and away).

I am now fully aware of the Homefarm thing and to be honest apart from using their ground Dublin City have nothing to do with Homefarm anymore. Infact I coach under 9A football for St Pauls Artane F.C. (who by the way are now the schoolboy affiliate to Dublin City) and it gives me nothing but extreme pleasure when the kids go out and beat Homefarm like they did last Saturday, 4:1 to St Pauls.

So to round this off I never knew about the Homefarm thing until it was too late, to be honest I would say that it doesn't matter which team in the EL you pick, the important thing is that we as fans encourage more barstoolers to pick a team and go and experience the live stuff even if it happens to be Dublin City FC.

One more thing from the fans of Dublin City that I know most of them have or had nothing to do with Homefarm. Most are converts like myself.

[BohDiddley]

I enjoyed the whole underdog thing and the fact that they had only a couple of handfuls of supporters.

You didn't have to invent a new EL club to enjoy those qualities. Is following Bohs, Rovers or Pats not masochistic enough for you?

[bigmac]

I tried going to a few games EL games, all the Dublin clubs but never found anything that I wanted to be part of, until about 20 months ago(ish) I went to see Dublin City V Bohs in Tolka park(Dublin won).

Fair play for being a prodigal son of Irish football Derek, but for me the question is why weren't the other clubs able to pull him into the fold as a supporter? Out of interest, what do you think could have been done by other clubs to have enticed you into supporting them? I assume you'd been to Dalymount and Tolka before throwing your hat into the DC ring, but why did you end up leaving those places without supporting Shels, Bohs or Rovers? (I'm assuming that you're based on the North side so ruling out UCD or St. Pats)

[NY Hoop]

It's a good article by a well known Rovers fan. I disagree with UCD getting chucked as they have history, have won the Cup and represented us twice in Europe. Last night was further evidence that they are indeed a welcome addition.

However CHF simply should be not in the league. The reasons are obvious. I dont know how many times I've said this but they need to be replaced by a Kerry club. The result is better, less Dublin clubs, another Munster derby and definite possibilities of support down there. YOU CANNOT HAVE A CLUB WITH NO FANS.


KOH

[Ringo]

It's a good article by a well known Rovers fan. I disagree with UCD getting chucked as they have history, have won the Cup and represented us twice in Europe. Last night was further evidence that they are indeed a welcome addition.

However CHF simply should be not in the league. The reasons are obvious. I dont know how many times I've said this but they need to be replaced by a Kerry club. The result is better, less Dublin clubs, another Munster derby and definite possibilities of support down there. YOU CANNOT HAVE A CLUB WITH NO FANS.


KOH

Rover’s fans have a hatred of Dublin City, which has no logic involved. There is no great clamour to get into the league. We might be a small club & have a small base of fans but that’s not a reason for us to be kicked out of the league. Rover’s fans are being a bit high & mighty about this. We won the first division title & that's not a bad achievement in 5 years. Maybe Rovers fans would like to have the publicity we have. We’ve been punching above our weight for a long time. Like Derek, I never followed Home Farm. Comments made about them seeing us as being part of them are a joke to anyone in Dublin City or Home Farm.

[Roverstillidie]

Rover’s fans have a hatred of Dublin City, which has no logic involved. There is no great clamour to get into the league. We might be a small club & have a small base of fans but that’s not a reason for us to be kicked out of the league. Rover’s fans are being a bit high & mighty about this. We won the first division title & that's not a bad achievement in 5 years. Maybe Rovers fans would like to have the publicity we have. We’ve been punching above our weight for a long time. Like Derek, I never followed Home Farm. Comments made about them seeing us as being part of them are a joke to anyone in Dublin City or Home Farm.

dont flatter yourselves that we hate you. you are irrelevant. so irrelevant you shouldnt even be playing senior football.
we are jealous of your publicity? get real. which one of us has had 4 live tv outings this season. whose manager is on the back page of todays star (!)? seery city gets more exposure than rovers?!? now i know you are a joker.
those comments linking your team past and the club you replaced may be a joke to you and their 3 other fans, but they arent to the rest of the EL viewing public.

[Ringo]

dont flatter yourselves that we hate you. you are irrelevant. so irrelevant you shouldnt even be playing senior football.
we are jealous of your publicity? get real. which one of us has had 4 live tv outings this season. whose manager is on the back page of todays star (!)? seery city gets more exposure than rovers?!? now i know you are a joker.
those comments linking your team past and the club you replaced may be a joke to you and their 3 other fans, but they arent to the rest of the EL viewing public.

`
awful bang of lemons around here

[Roverstillidie]

no bitterness involved ringo. just exasperation that the FAI had such a lack of ambition that they didnt try and get tullamore town or a host of other clubs in.
you dont justify your el existance as a club.
trying to manufacture animosity with rovers fans in order to create a fan culture wont work.
seery will run out of cash at some point and this horrible little football experiment will go by the wayside.
but seriously, dont think you are relevant enough to hate. sure im only posting this because its a quiet day in work!

[HarpoJoyce]

There is an awful lot of Rovers criticisism towards Dub City, could it be that Hoops fans recognise a teeny bit of themselves in the Vikings.

[pineapple stu]

I actually think this...

but seriously, don't think you are relevant enough to hate.

...would sum up Rovers' fans' views. And probably the views of all the Dublin teams. Same as the views towards us, really. DC fans don't like Rovers - understandable after the Collins incident - but that doesn't mean it's reciprocated.

I think DC got off on the wrong foot when Seery started talking about being in Europe in so many years and then joining the Atlantic League and all this sort of rubbish. The dogs on the street could have told him he was talking nonsense, yet he still prevails with the notion (which I read in the Mirror a month or so ago most recently) that once they get a decent ground, the crowds will flock. Having Dublin in the name and wearing blue is usually thrown in there as well, but again, that's also nonsense. I think a lot of animosity towards DC is due to the whole "too big for their boots" thing (and also due to being in Dublin, even if the club/population split between Dublin and outside is actually about right). Monaghan and Kilkenny get similar crowds to DC and no-one has as much animosity towards them.

Don't really mind them myself. Don't particularly care about them - but then, I don't particularly care about lots of teams in the league. It might help that they're the only current league team we've never met in the league. But that's my take on it.

[Ringo]

[QUOTE=Roverstillidie]we are jealous of your publicity? get real. which one of us has had 4 live tv outings this season. whose manager is on the back page of todays star (!)? seery city gets more exposure than rovers?!? [QUOTE]

I meant positive publicity as apposed to, kicking people’s heads in publicity . Then there’s the we ripped off loads of businesses but fcuk them, because were still going” publicity. If you haven’t copped onto that joker Collins at this stage you need to get out more

[Roverstillidie]

I meant positive publicity as apposed to, kicking people’s heads in publicity . Then there’s the we ripped off loads of businesses but fcuk them, because were still going” publicity. If you haven’t copped onto that joker Collins at this stage you need to get out more

blah blah blah.

have all the investors in seery city gotten good value for money?

quick question: if roddy is such a waster, whats your problem with us robbing him? surely you would have been delighted to have rid?

[Ringo]

blah blah blah.

have all the investors in seery city gotten good value for money?

quick question: if roddy is such a waster, whats your problem with us robbing him? surely you would have been delighted to have rid?

It wasn't Roddy going was the problem, it was making sure Dublin City players that he signed wouldn't fly in to play. Others were promised jobs with Rovers if they stayed in the premier division.