Candystripes linked with several major names

**�anna** · 25/04/2002, 9:49 AM

from eircomleague.net

Thursday, April 25th, 2002

Derry City could be contenders for the title next season if even half of manager Kevin Mahon's transfer targets join the club.
Having already secured the services of UCD midfielder Ciar�n Martyn, it was revealed yesterday that Linfield midfielder Tony Gorman will also be moving to Brandywell.

Mahon would love to bring Kevin McHugh to Derry from Finn Harps, while he is also a keen admirer of Longford's Eric Lavine, though both of these would require the club to pay transfer fees.

Conversely, Peter Hutton is out of contract at Shelbourne and may decide to return to his hometown club, especially if current team mate, Jonathan Minnock, completes the same move.

James Keddy was linked with a transfer to Derry but he is now expected to be bound for Shamrock Rovers; Mahon may instead pursue Finn Harps winger Paddy McGrenaghan.

One worrying development for the Uladh club is goalkeeper Russell Payne's decision to return to Washington. The highly-rated American may not return to Ireland.

**�anna** · 25/04/2002, 9:50 AM

Great! All the Celtic supporters clubs will start coming to ericom League games now, so they can boo the former linfield player. Should do the league wonders!

**City Fan** · 25/04/2002, 11:29 AM

Derry will be in with a shout. Have you seen the $hel$ hitlist apart from Ollie. Amongst others who'll have a massive impact for them, they're bringing in a Northern Irish international. Forget about next season. Put your money on $hel$ to reach the group stages of the Champions League and retain their stranglehold on the eL title.

Murphy Out Now!!

Neil · 25/04/2002, 11:39 AM

Originally posted by City Fan
Put your money on $hel$ to reach the group stages of the Champions League

It would be brilliant if they did. Fair play to them for taking the bull by the horn and going for it. Much in all as they get mocked for their lack of supporters and the antics of Ollie Byrne, they are without doubt the most forward thinking club in Ireland.

**wiseman** · 25/04/2002, 12:09 PM

Originally posted by Neil

they are without doubt the most forward thinking club in Ireland.

about as forward thinking as the two in scotland! look at the state of the SPL now. Thats all we need one club buying the league and bugger the rest of us

**Shelsman** · 25/04/2002, 1:01 PM

Originally posted by City Fan
Derry will be in with a shout. Have you seen the $hel$ hitlist apart from Ollie. Amongst others who'll have a massive impact for them, they're bringing in a Northern Irish international. Forget about next season. Put your money on $hel$ to reach the group stages of the Champions League and retain their stranglehold on the eL title.

Murphy Out Now!!

I'll believe the new Shels setup when I see it. I'd love to see any of the eL clubs do well in Europe. Appointing 2 managers has never worked for any other club so I don't see why it will work for Shels.

**�anna** · 25/04/2002, 1:07 PM

Originally posted by wiseman
about as forward thinking as the two in scotland! look at the state of the SPL now. Thats all we need one club buying the league and bugger the rest of us

Spot on.

**Shelsman** · 25/04/2002, 4:29 PM

Originally posted by wiseman

about as forward thinking as the two in scotland! look at the state of the SPL now. Thats all we need one club buying the league and bugger the rest of us

I'd rather see on eL club do well in Europe than none, even if it did mean they dominated domestically ( regardless of who that club is ). Imagine how strong the League would become if we had a club in the Group Stages of the Champions League every season and the fans ( and money ) that go to Celtic or Liverpool or Man Utd start to pour into a club that is playing here !

**Xlex** · 25/04/2002, 7:41 PM

Shelsman... your full of sh!t.. You should change alligences... Become a member of the big club... Shels for the atlantic league and all that sh!t, i really don't think a club getting to the group stages would do any good... I don't want a scottishesque league but you do... We need to build the club structures so any of four or so clubs could do it.... but no way do I want two an auld firm for Longford to be cannon fodder for..... It would equate to locals supporting Shels or Bohs and nothing would sicken my @ss as much as that....

**Schumi** · 25/04/2002, 8:12 PM

A situation similar to those in Scotland or Norway wouldn't be good for the league. The problem is that as soon as one team does qualify for the group stages, they will get so much money from UEFA that they would instantly be so far ahead of everyone else financially that the chances are that they could buy whoever they wanted in the EL and pay huge (by EL standards) wages.

I think that we're not that far off such a situation at the moment. The chances are that our CL representatives will get through the first qualifying round nearly every year now that they're seeded. Bohs weren't far off Halmstads last year and it's only a matter of time until someone (more than likely Bohs or Shels) get into the third qualifying round. From there it only needs one good tie and they're minting it.

Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see an Irish team in the group stages of the CL but I don't think it would be such a good thing for the league as a whole.

**Shelsman** · 26/04/2002, 8:17 AM

Originally posted by Xlex
Shelsman... your full of sh!t.. You should change alligences... Become a member of the big club... Shels for the atlantic league and all that sh!t, i really don't think a club getting to the group stages would do any good... I don't want a scottishesque league but you do... We need to build the club structures so any of four or so clubs could do it.... but no way do I want two an auld firm for Longford to be cannon fodder for..... It would equate to locals supporting Shels or Bohs and nothing would sicken my @ss as much as that....

You seemed to have missed the point where I said that I'd like to see ANY Irish club do well in Europe ( including Longford ). And wouldn't it be better if all the traitor fans who support English Clubs supported an eL club? Surely it's a better scenario than the current one? I bet you wouldn't object if the super club was Longford !?!

I would much rather that there were maybe 4 full-time clubs ( say Shels, Bohs, Cork and any other ( max 2 Dublin Clubs ) ) and these filled 4 of the top 6 places every year. There is only space for so many full-time clubs in the country ( unless every eL game starts getting AVERAGE attendances of 10,000.

It's a pity most eL fans seem to begrudge Shels or $hel$ as you call them their success on and more particularly off the field. I can understand people being fed up of the antics of Ollie Byrne, but just because he is a pratt doesn't mean all of the fans are like him too !!!!

**pete** · 26/04/2002, 10:43 AM

Originally posted by Shelsman
It's a pity most eL fans seem to begrudge Shels or $hel$ as you call them their success on and more particularly off the field. I can understand people being fed up of the antics of Ollie Byrne, but just because he is a pratt doesn't mean all of the fans are like him too !!!!

I'm NOT meaning to get personal here Shelsman but there has been a lot of good will even for Shel$ but the antics of your chairman have turned a lot of people off. Unfortunately it would appear most shels fans seem to swallow the party line as such & never criticise their club. Basically the arrogant of shels turns people off.

IMO people should stop dreaming of the CL group stages & deal with reality. I saw bohs euro games last season & when you consisder their performances in europe have been the best by an eL club in many years you can see how far the league has to travel.

Bohs played Halmstad (one of the lowest seeded teams they could have drawn) in the 2nd round & still lost despite playtingb as well as i've ever seen an eL club. Halmstads went on to lose to Anderlecht who again would have been one of easiest draws.

If theres an hope of a CL group stage place the eL club involved would have to get very lucky witht the draw & still beat a top class team. Have a look at the seeded teams in the 3rd round last year & theres a lot of english, german, italian & spanish teams + league wiiners from the 2nd teir of europe.

El euro teams need to consistently get past the 1st & qualifying rounds anyway

**�anna** · 26/04/2002, 12:33 PM

Originally posted by pete
I'm NOT meaning to get personal here Shelsman but there has been a lot of good will even for Shel$ but the antics of your chairman have turned a lot of people off. Unfortunately it would appear most shels fans seem to swallow the party line as such & never criticise their club. Basically the arrogant of shels turns people off.

Spot on. Saying people begrudge shels is rubbish. The only reason shels ever get a crowd in europe is because of all the neutral fans who turn up to support them on the day, and what's their thanks? Arrogance and Ollie Byrne's antics. I will always support an Irish team in Europe, no matter who they are, or who they're playing, but whether I'd pay in to watch shels as well as the others- well I don't know. To be honest the thought of giving any money to Ollie Byrne almost makes me physically ill.

**Gary** · 28/04/2002, 2:22 PM

Id hate to see the eL become like the SPL, but who can blame shels for being pro-active and trying to better themselves? Just because the rest of the league is stupidly amatuer, it dont mean that they have to be the same.

Shels are moving forward while the rest of the league is standing still. So who is in the wrong there?

**City Fan** · 29/04/2002, 12:30 PM

Originally posted by GWA
Id hate to see the eL become like the SPL, but who can blame shels for being pro-active and trying to better themselves? Just because the rest of the league is stupidly amatuer, it dont mean that they have to be the same.

Nicely put.

Murphy Out Now!!

**�anna** · 30/04/2002, 12:51 PM

Originally posted by GWA
Id hate to see the eL become like the SPL, but who can blame shels for being pro-active and trying to better themselves? Just because the rest of the league is stupidly amatuer, it dont mean that they have to be the same.

Shels are moving forward while the rest of the league is standing still. So who is in the wrong there?

Can't argue with that, but I still hate them

**Jim Murtha** · 01/05/2002, 8:12 PM

It's the thought process, Ollie wants Shels to be a small fish in the big pond, and then have them move upwards and onwards. Other clubs in the league prefer the big fish in small pond mentality which is what has happened with the SPL. The OF only wanted to dominate one another it seems and cared little about moving to the next stage until it has become to late for them to catch up with the rest of Europe.