First Division Final Standings for 2006

**Terry** · 16/01/2006, 7:52 AM

1 Galway Utd
2 Cobh Ramblers
3 Rovers
4 Finn Harps
5 Dundalk
6 Athlone
7 Limerick
8 Monaghan
9 Kildare
10 Kilkenny

**finlma** · 16/01/2006, 8:29 AM

Rovers
Finn Harps
Galway
Cobh
Limerick
Dundalk
Kilkenny
Kildare
Athlone
Monaghan

Not going to be a good season for us.

**monutdfc** · 16/01/2006, 8:42 AM

Dundalk - the combination of Gill's management experience, some quality signings and the plastic pitch advantage will do it for Dundalk. Unless they mess up financially.
Shamrock Rovers - have the resources but I think they'll make a slow start
Finn Harps - will be thereabouts
Galway United - have strengthened their squad but I can't see them winning it.
Cobh Ramblers - always seem to be competitive. Always hammer us down there too!
Monaghan United - Manager Mick Cooke is trying to replicate what Pat Scully did last season at Kilkenny with a young squad bolstered by some loan signings. A good start is vital with a young squad.
Limerick - not sure what is going on down there, seems to be some turmoil in the camp. Should build on last season.
Athlone Town - have gone to a locally-based squad. Will be interesting to see how that works out, hope it does. Don't think they have enough quality to compete
Kildare County - off-field turmoil, lost a lot of players and their manager didn't impress me last season
Kilkenny City - have lost Scully and he's taken their best players with him.

Ok, mine. Obviously I'm being optimistic viz my own team - but aren't we all before the season starts. If previous seasons are anything to go by, there'll be a handful of points between 4th and 8th, so teams in that bracket could finish in any order.

**NY Hoop** · 16/01/2006, 11:31 AM

While appreciating that first division clubs fans think we'll go up its all irrelevant until we see what the structure is.

They are probably going to stick with the status quo which, with their insistence on getting a 10 team premier for 2007, would mean that 3 teams from the premier will go down to be replaced by the first division Champions. This would mean no play offs.

KOH

**Roo69** · 16/01/2006, 2:51 PM

Originally Posted by Breifne

1 Galway United (Alan Murphy should be the difference between last season and a league title.)
2 Shamrock Rovers (If the fans stay in numbers, and i think they will, rovers will be fine, should gain promotion via the playoffs.)
3 Finn Harps (will battle with Galway and Rovers, might just miss out though)
4 Dundalk (John Gill will have a solid outfit, lacking in quality, although so were Dublin City in 2003)
5 Limerick (Noel O'Connor won't survive the season)
6 Cobh Ramblers (won't recapture the form of last season)
7 Kilkenny City (without scully and half their squad will struggle)
8 Kildare County (lost any player worth taking, although Alan Mulcahy is a great talent)
9 Athlone Town (have turned their focus to developing their club off the pitch, with a new manager, and a new stadium in the pipeline, the future is bright for Athlone, although not this season)
10 Monaghan United (I actually like Monaghan, but think they should concentrate on local talent, rather than bringing in dublin rejects. bring out a local crowd, better to be losing with locals and a crowd, than with rejects and **** crowds.

Spot on i reckon, it'll be very tight at the top though, possibly swap Harps with Dundalk

**Passive** · 16/01/2006, 3:00 PM

Haven't got a clue about the first division, but I reckon it will be between us, Galway, Dundalk and Cobh. Alan Murphy was a super signing for Galway; Gill will do the job at Dundalk, and they'll also sort out their finances this season; while Cobh made a good stab at it last time around and will probably be there or there abouts. As for us, it's vital we get a good start and get confidence into the team. I have to admit to not knowing a whole lot about most of our new players but I have faith in Scully to do the job.

**mypost** · 18/01/2006, 1:53 AM

Discovering Ireland Division November 2006:

1. Shamrock Rovers
2. Finn Harps

After that, it's much of a muchness.

**The Stars** · 18/01/2006, 9:39 AM

1.Shamrock Rovers
2.Cobh Ramblers
3.Galway United
4.Finn Harps
5.Athlone Town
6.Dundalk
7.Limerick
8.Monaghan
9.Kildare
10.Kilkenny

**Mr A** · 22/01/2006, 2:05 PM

Cobh have made some decent signings and could be strong. It'll be interesting to see what happens with Dolan at Limerick- it seems he could well bring a lot of ex-Waterford players with him. Dundalk, as they always seem to do, have massively changed the squad and its hard to know what they'll do. Rovers signings haven't impressed me at all, but maybe Scully knows what he's doing. Harps need to bring in a few more players, and McHugh will obviously be a bit loss, but might be better than people think. Overall a very open division- if there is a first division of course.

**Red4Eva** · 23/01/2006, 12:07 AM

Originally Posted by Passive

I have to admit to not knowing a whole lot about most of our new players but I have faith in Scully to do the job.

aidan price was the best defender outside of us last year&defo premier quality. ray kenny is one player that was always a thorn in our side throughout our 6 yr vacation in hell, not exactly a gifted footballer but exactly the type of player to get you out of 1st div. robbie shields caused us a few problems last year too, very fast. keeper from kilkenny is good too. most of the rest ain't anything special, from what i've seen, but are solid 1st div players. scully knows what he's doing, a quick return for shams i'd say

**dcfc_dee** · 24/01/2006, 10:53 AM

1 Galway Utd
2 Shamrock Rovers
3 Dundalk
4 Limerick
5 Monaghan
6 Cobh Ramblers
7 Kilkenny City
8 Athlone
9 Kildare
10 Finn Harps

**Neish** · 24/01/2006, 6:03 PM

Originally Posted by dcfc_dee

1 Galway Utd
2 Shamrock Rovers
3 Dundalk
4 Limerick
5 Monaghan
6 Cobh Ramblers
7 Kilkenny City
8 Athlone
9 Kildare
10 Finn Harps

Oh the wit, how long did it take you to think of that

**Speranza** · 24/01/2006, 6:28 PM

Probably as long as it would take you to read the players who have actually signed up to the sinking ship that is Finn Harps for the next year. Mark Monkendi the only signing? I love loaning Harps our future talent for a year, shows our dominance.

1. Galway - Although Alan Murphy didn't reach his full potential with us he is undoubtedly a Premier Division player and a very good one at that, should be the missing piece of the jigsaw.
2. Rovers - Signed players who know the division well
3. Harps - Funston, Breen, Mokendi good first division players but not ready for the premier yet. Breen won't ever be IMO
4. Limerick - Purcell a good acquisition, Dolans influence
5. Dundalk - Another year of promise a lot and deliver little.
6. Cobh - Know little about the rest of the division.
7. Kildare
8. Athlone
9. Kilkenny
10. Monaghan

**Neish** · 24/01/2006, 7:14 PM

Originally Posted by Speranza

Probably as long as it would take you to read the players who have actually signed up to the sinking ship that is Finn Harps for the next year. Mark Monkendi the only signing?

I'll be the 1st to admit I'm not over-confident but we have a good chance of gaining promotion next year.

Mokendi is not our only signing, we have signed Darren Cassidy,David Bell, Stephen O'Donnell have also signed for Harps, whilst Conor Gethins and Micheal Funston have also signed new 2-year contracts. From what I hear and have seen of these players they should be good in Div 1.

Finn Harps sre not a sinking ship, we are one of the few clubs that have recorded profits for the past year and we are one of the few eircom league clubs who have produced concrete plans to meet with the UEFA licencing system.

And I didn't want to mention this, as I think its been mentioned far too often, but as you keep stating they Harps arer forever in Derry's shadows. let me remind you if it wasn't for Finn Harps FC , Derry City FC would probably have gone out of business many moons ago

**Speranza** · 24/01/2006, 7:45 PM

We would have gained entrance into the League of Ireland without Harps help eventually. However I am grateful of the work of the Harps board at that time but it has been the actions of the club since which makes me hate you lot.

**Neish** · 24/01/2006, 10:58 PM

Originally Posted by Speranza

We would have gained entrance into the League of Ireland without Harps help eventually. However I am grateful of the work of the Harps board at that time but it has been the actions of the club since which makes me hate you lot.

I'll be the 1st to admit, that the vast majority of Derry City fans I've met are top lads or lassies that would the uptmost to keep the club they love alive, a few plonkers in there but I'm not gonna judge on a few rotten eggs. I would also say the exact same about the club I love Finn Harps FC.

So I just want to know why you say you hate Finn Harps because of the actions of a few to*sers?

I'm fed up of this notion of I hate that club because their our rivals and we are ment to hate them. I have a lot more respect for any person who supports their local sports club than someone who sits in front of a telly and claims to love some club that play their home games many miles from where they were raised or born, or even in a different country and couldn't give one flying f*ck about their local club.

**Speranza** · 25/01/2006, 1:28 AM

Getting seriously off-topic here! Mods feel free to delete but I may aswell give a response.I too have a lot of respect for any person that supports their local team. My hate of Harps is with the infamous actions of your board after the play-off.

City fans get pelted with two bottles and few minor missiles chips e.t.c sure it came to the attnetion of our board but they ignored it as a non-event despite your stewards doing nothing.

Some minor crowd trouble in the Brandywell and the Harps board ask for the R.U.C to be in the ground from now on. Harps fans/board are close enough to Derry to know the acceptable reason why people in Derry don't respect/accept the R.U.C.

First derby of last season Harps put City fans on flat ground. Approx 1500 City fans portion of which were obviously children, very few got any sort of full view of the match. One portaloo between 1500!

Second derby, although slightly better on the whole City fans approx 2000 weren't given enough space

Many more incidents but it all adds up to jealousy of us as the bigger club in the North-West.

**Neish** · 25/01/2006, 11:19 AM

Yes its getting very off topic so I gonna PM Speranza with a few querys

**Magicme** · 25/01/2006, 12:12 PM

Dont write us off either....Mons have made some good signings and they are a young gang of lads who will hopefully bring some enthusiasm and determination to the squad anchored by our more experienced players.

C'mon the Mons!