First Division Run-In

[Neish]

The real battle will be Treaty vs Harps for the final playoff spot as I think UCD are far enough ahead of both and probably the most ideal remain fixtures to confirm their playoff place

I ahh stand corrected. Harps hit a poor run just when it was most important, and the infuriating thing about it was they brought it on themselves for the most part with silly errors and lapses in concentration

Still hard to see anyone but Dundalk take the first division title but would love to see Cobh get promoted one way or the other.

[pineapple stu]

I know Cobh have had to live in Cork's shadow mostly, but it's still mental how few Premier seasons they have. It'd be hard to begrudge them a promotion alright (murky ownership/flirtation with insolvency this year aside I guess)

[Neish]

I know Cobh have had to live in Cork's shadow mostly, but it's still mental how few Premier seasons they have. It'd be hard to begrudge them a promotion alright (murky ownership/flirtation with insolvency this year aside I guess)

This season in my 30th regularly attending Finn Park and LOI games, Harps were (if I'm counting right) in the Premier for 12 of those but I struggled to recall more than 3 or 4 when Cobh weren't in First division

[pineapple stu]

Yeah, they've had just four Premier Division seasons, and were relegated in three of those.

(They also had three seasons in the A Championship and one season out of senior football entirely, which technically count as not being in the First Division!)

[Hitman]

If UCD had a ... Dermot Usher involved, we'd be quite good.

I wouldn't count on it.

[pineapple stu]

Touché!

Maybe just his money so

[Glen Of Aherlow]

I really feel the South-East of the City is crying out for a team that is already there, if it was just linked together.

The biggest gripe I would have is Belfield is not easy to get too, because its so deep in the city.

To be fair, last time I was in UCD, there did seem to a lot of kids about, and they even had a drum. Pretty sure there were lads with a drum last Friday too. They brought more away fans than some clubs to Oriel this year.

From a football nerd point of view... It is an interesting time for UCD. The LOI is changing, and their once niche of basically being the one-stop bridge of young players to senior football in LOI is no longer the case as football development in the country has radically changed.

At the same time, reading from here (and other online activity), they seem to have a deeper local connection now, especially helped with underage LOI teams and their link-up with Mt. Marrion.

They have a great history and added a lot to LOI, and their presence in the league give it a nice oddity. They win their spots in the leagues based on performance.

I hope they can continue to develop.

Was at the playoff match in Richmond a few years back when UCD beat Waterford . Was chatting to an elderly man beside me and he was talking about the LOI years ago.

He pointed to a group of young lads down the front of the stand , said they're from Mount Merrion and go to UCD games regularly and two of them were grandsons of his .

He was telling me how he thought it was great and a good social outlet for youngsters when the lads launched into a chorus of 'F**K off back to the first division' towards the Waterford fans .

His face was a picture .

[Nesta99]

While I full agree with the merit side of things, it seems reasonable to me that at some point in the future they should have to justify the fact that they have literally almost no fanbase at all. Re Athlone - worst team in the country by a mile, with the town drowning in apathy over its men's senior team, Longford have been in the doldrums for 2 decades now, reasonably justifiable low attendances for both these sides. UCD are perennially in the hunt for promotion with a legacy of being the League's feeder club and yet the Bowl only fills up adequately solely from away fans presence.

Longford have been promoted twice in the last 11 years and been involved in the playoffs in most other seasons, wouldn't call that being in the doldrums. What have Galway United won in the last 30 years?

Like UCD, we've Also never missed a payment of wages over the last 10 or 15 years, we've never dropped out of the league and had to change our name.

This season in my 30th regularly attending Finn Park and LOI games, Harps were (if I'm counting right) in the Premier for 12 of those but I struggled to recall more than 3 or 4 when Cobh weren't in First division

Move on lads, Galway fans dont do history except when it suits!

[ger121]

I’ve said it on here before but for years I was one of those guys who thought UCD have no place in the league. However, my views on that have changed as I have gotten older and wis…Well older at least. As others have said, clubs deserve to be where they are on based on merit and UCD could very well end up in the PO final vs. the PD side.

[Roones26]

I just dont know enough about the finances of UCD to know if it is a fair comparison to other clubs i.e are they completely separate from the University or does UCD underwrite the losses made by the club ?

[pineapple stu]

Don't think the college underwrite losses at all - they'd probably keep a closer eye on finances than any LoI club is subject to to be honest

There's obviously a rent-free ground and stuff like that, but a lot of Local Councils will do similar deals for their LoI teams.

[CorribsideSteve]

Longford have been promoted twice in the last 11 years and been involved in the playoffs in most other seasons, wouldn't call that being in the doldrums. What have Galway United won in the last 30 years?

Like UCD, we've Also never missed a payment of wages over the last 10 or 15 years, we've never dropped out of the league and had to change our name.

I never said Galway were overflowing with history, but while Longford have indeed enjoyed promotions, theyve been short stays, and that aside, they have spent the vast majority of the last 15 years in the 1st division. And then, in that case maybe its no surprise that there are low crowds. Galway struggled with crowds of 500 (or less) too once upon a time (especially around the time of Nick Leeson) so there's no immunity afforded to us as a result. Our own two season stint back up is in high jeapordy, so I get the 'whatabout' angle.

[Roones26]

Don't think the college underwrite losses at all - they'd probably keep a closer eye on finances than any LoI club is subject to to be honest

There's obviously a rent-free ground and stuff like that, but a lot of Local Councils will do similar deals for their LoI teams.

I suppose what I mean is the gap between what the club brings in and it costs to run the club, the college puts in ?

[John83]

I suppose what I mean is the gap between what the club brings in and it costs to run the club, the college puts in ?

****, no.

[pineapple stu]

I suppose what I mean is the gap between what the club brings in and it costs to run the club, the college puts in ?

Collie O'Neill had a podcast interview after his surprisingly acrimonious sacking in 2019. He said the college put up for a few scholarships and obviously facilities (not small in itself, but equally peanuts to the backing other clubs get), and the club was on its own after that.

[osarusan]

Who was it that said years ago something along the lines of "UCD isn't the problem, everything else is"?

And it's still the case TBH. A uni club with a very small fanbase shouldn't be near promotion from Div 1, but there they are, 10 points ahead of Treaty, the only LOI club in Ireland's 3rd biggest city, and with a huge potential fanbase. They're where they are on merit, even if that often comes from other clubs chronically underachieving and mismanaging.

Anyhow, the final playoff spot now looks like being between us and Wexford as it stands. Tasty final game of the season.

Still an absurdity that half of the division is in the playoffs though. Treaty are utter muck, and I can only assume the clubs lower down the table are that bit more utter muck.

[Nesta99]

There is no reason why a small well run club, that recruits young players very well and have good coaches cannot do well and punch above their weight. There are countless examples Eibar in Spain is one, a club and town that would be mid sized even by Irish standards playing in La Liga. There are a number of clubs in England playing or have played top flight football that didnt have a whole lot in actual and relative terms but grew incrementally. I doubt anyone would say that UCD cant grow their fan base - a run to a cup final, qualify for Europe in the current climate of cool LoI and they could well grow their following. I would agree that they have seemed pretty passive about promoting themselves as a collegiate team, a rarity in football to be playing at the higest national level - a real something Trinity student's will never have!! and make that a part of being a UCD student for example, nothing stopping tapping in to their catchement either - concessions for having smelly students on their doorstep.

Maybe we talk about potential too much, it means little enough unless its tapped in to, but UCD have a greater chance of tapping in to potential as a proven senior club that a whole lot of the mooted new senior clubs in a 3rd divsion. This is before we even consider UCDs role in facilitating many other clubs with their alumni, with a bottom up system of player development and recruitment. Their stability is proven with or without the univerity's involvement, thats irrelevant tbh. Even if it were the case, having a wealthy benefactor isnt an issue except for those who dont have one, like Longford (Im only using that example because a Longford fan raised the question over UCD). Shels were multiple champions in front of hundreds rather than thousands of fans for a long time.

I respect UCD AFC, that is born out by the fact that they are seen as a fecking nuisance and that is just from Dundalk fans' probably irrational sense that they are a bit of a bogey side for us. It is a meritocracy within the league structure and hence people deserve to be where they are. Doesnt mean you have to like the UCD Bowl or Oriel Park or wherever. Longford are lacking proper buy in from the locality for quite a while but I wouldnt question their place in LoI. I tend to think support should be through think and thin, ala Sligo Rovers fans. A lot of the rest of us deal with high levels of fickleness or indifference, support following success rather than helping to facilitate it. UCD have a low base they can build given the right opportunity. The rest of us have a task to turn fickle glory hunters in to a hardcore base to be as sustainable as UCD and that is a real tough task. Credit to Bohs on this for all the tongue in cheek swipes at their bee keepers.

[Nesta99]

And I suspect a majority of fans share that view

Especially since we stopped beating teams with fans

Offff - low blow