New clubs

[Schumi]

Pike Rovers... changing rooms were fine

There weren't any toilets when we played there. The players had to go into the bar to take a pi$$ before the game.

[joey B]

Is that a new pitch of their own St. Columba's have Harpskid??? or have they always had it.

Never saw Cappry's ground but it's great to hear another club have fine facilities.

I really do laugh when the Dublin media parrots on about poor facilities in football here. Just shows they don't bother their arses finding out what's out there.

Information about club facilities should be part of the FAI website (even good links from the FAI website to well run clubs would be a good idea) and clubs should have their own websites too. I know it can be hard to get people to do sites but with the web becoming more and more important - taking millions from the "traditional" media in adverts - it could be a real selling point for clubs in attracting sponsors. look at the amount of people who come here from every part of the island and planet. In fact, I have made purchases based on information I have gleaned from Foot.ie posts and Foot.ie adverts and I'm sure lots more have too.

There is so much that can be achieved, locally and at FAI level, it drives me mad with frustration sometimes

Even I knew that Fanad was a peninsula.....tut tut Steve. LOL

Yeah the pitch belongs to them always has, but to call it a pitch would be pretty loose,Its more of a boggy field used have great craic playing Rugby on it though

I think they are in the process of developing it at the minute to bring it up to a playable standard.

[Magicme]

There weren't any toilets when we played there. The players had to go into the bar to take a pi$$ before the game.

Pike Rovers bar is nice tho and when we were re-furbishing at CHP I suggested that we adopt a similar structure with the bar and hall divided with doors. Nice people too.

[hamish]

a boggy field used have great craic playing Rugby on it though

Perfect for eggball then.

[SunnySweeney]

[QUOTE=sirhamish] Yeah, you had great rivalry betweeb Cork Hibs and Celtic back in the 60s and 70s but Bluebeard you know yourself that you'd end up with one struggling Cork club and the other less successful with resources spread thinner. I'd be very wary about that. A few derbies are fine but generations have passed and I don't know how a second Cork club would fit in right now.


I would love to see HIBS resurrected. I agree with you Hamish that it makes absolutely no sense right now. CCFC is a well-run club, with excellent management and this would not be the right time to endanger all that good work.

Still, if we could stick a ground in the northside it is not beyond the realms of possibility of Cork being able to support another club. There is a huge population north of the river. Historically the football grounds have been on the southside and Cork clubs have never FULLY tapped into the Northside public.

I think there is a mentality of - I wouldn't mind heading down to the Box but it's too much of a hike. And, that is fair enough too- transportation links are ok but not great.

Think of how many great players through the years have come from the northside.

Saying that, if people can come from Blarney, Fermoy etc to watch CCFC then surely they can make the trek from the northside as well.

[Schumi]

Pike Rovers bar is nice tho and when we were re-furbishing at CHP I suggested that we adopt a similar structure with the bar and hall divided with doors. Nice people too.

Absolutely. The facilities aren't up to senior football though.

[drummerboy]

Has anybody mentioned Arklow Town, who too have great facilities, but a large stand on one side of the pitch and a superb playing surface.

[NY Hoop]

Has anybody mentioned Arklow Town, who too have great facilities, but a large stand on one side of the pitch and a superb playing surface.

Yeah better than some first division grounds anyway. BTW we played the opening match there in the summer of 92.

KOH

[joey B]

Donegal is the 2nd biggest county in Ireland (after Cork). It is also the most remote, and for its size has the worst road network. Furthermore, its edges are fringed by numerous peninsulas and bays, whilst its interior is full of Highlands. It's therefore a fecker of a county to get around full-stop ! It can take up to about 80mins to drive from Derry to Bundoran, and Carndonagh would add another 20mins or so onto that. Though the new roads round Letterkenny have chopped journey times loads.

.

Donegal is actually only the 4th biggest county in Ireland behind Cork,Galway,and Mayo.

[Magicme]

Absolutely. The facilities aren't up to senior football though.

Well I wouldnt really know much about the toilet and changing facilities....i am not in the habit of hanging around them...well not often...ok not always....

[citybone]

anyone know much about st. fancis f.c. they are ment to have a 3,500 all seater ground in dublin i know they are a lot of dublin clubs at the mo but they could replace dublin ****y

[Schumi]

Well I wouldnt really know much about the toilet and changing facilities....i am not in the habit of hanging around them...well not often...ok not always....

The fact that the players had to go into the bar to go to the toilet is what I'm refering to.

[dcfcsteve]

Donegal is actually only the 4th biggest county in Ireland behind Cork,Galway,and Mayo.

I've just checked and you're right Joey B.

D'oh - apologies to the good poeple of Connacht....

[dcfcsteve]

anyone know much about st. fancis f.c. they are ment to have a 3,500 all seater ground in dublin i know they are a lot of dublin clubs at the mo but they could replace dublin ****y

Sweet Lord Citybone - how long have you been following Irish football for... ?

St Francis joined the Eicom League in 1996, before crashing back out 5 years later in a bizarre 'merger' with St Pats. During their 5 years, they didn't exactly set the league alight - and never made it above an 8th place finish in the First Division. Soccerc would know the full details of the Pats merger - but I have a sneaky suspicion that St Pats own the Francis facilities now (though I could well be wrong). I would also be very surprised if they did have a decent 3,500 all-seater stadium, as that would be better than every ground in the country bar Tolka.

Regardless of all this - the League needs another Dublin club like George Galloway needs another reality TV show....

[Magicme]

Well I would encourage that...gives you a chance to check out their legs while u are sipping on your white wine spritzer....how chav is that!!

[hamish]

[QUOTE=SunnySweeney]

Yeah, you had great rivalry betweeb Cork Hibs and Celtic back in the 60s and 70s but Bluebeard you know yourself that you'd end up with one struggling Cork club and the other less successful with resources spread thinner. I'd be very wary about that. A few derbies are fine but generations have passed and I don't know how a second Cork club would fit in right now.
I would love to see HIBS resurrected. I agree with you Hamish that it makes absolutely no sense right now. CCFC is a well-run club, with excellent management and this would not be the right time to endanger all that good work.
Still, if we could stick a ground in the northside it is not beyond the realms of possibility of Cork being able to support another club. There is a huge population north of the river. Historically the football grounds have been on the southside and Cork clubs have never FULLY tapped into the Northside public.

I think there is a mentality of - I wouldn't mind heading down to the Box but it's too much of a hike. And, that is fair enough too- transportation links are ok but not great.

Think of how many great players through the years have come from the northside.

Saying that, if people can come from Blarney, Fermoy etc to watch CCFC then surely they can make the trek from the northside as well.

Yeah Hibs were a mighty side - average attendance of 10,000 per home game in Flower Lodge. Remember them well. Dave Bacuzzi as manager, Wiggy and so on. I still have a green Cork Hibernians biro Hibs secretary John Crowley sent me when I was a kid.

Why is that?? Is it a reverse of the Dublin situation or what?? I always thought Turners Cross was the home of LOI footie in Cork - didn't Cork Celtic play their home games there?? I did hear some Cork fans once saying that it was awkward to get to Turners Cross. I've heard the same kinda thing mentioned about Charlton's Valley ground as well - hard to get to.

I know it's probably me but I always got lost when I drove to a game in Cork -no matter how many times I've been there. Whether it was Bishopstown or the Cross - always got lost - everytime. Back in the 90s Athlone were to play an EL game against City on a p!ssing wet St. Stephen's Day. Hamish leaves Beeslow by car VERY early in the morning, phones Bishopstown at various intervals en route to see if pitch was playable - yep - good condition - referee not arrived but should be ok - Hamish arrives just as (Waterford) referee walks off pitch and calls game off. AND I had stayed off the drink on Christmas Day (my birthday) so that I'd be clear headed for the long journey south.
Ah, the joys of LOI football.

[DonegalJohn]

it is great reading all of this while supposedly at work here in the USA being from Inishowen never once did I or my friends ever think of going to see Derry City play. When not involved in Carn FC games we would go to see the Harps. However as the times that are in it just as Harps need to think of moving to Letterkenny some of the Dublin clubs must come together. It is beleived that 2 clubs from the present situation are to loose EL status. It would be good if these 2 came from Dublin. Also there needs to be something done with both Junior and Intermediate . there is no need for the 2 leagues that exist in Donegal there should only be 1 also the new league there should have a Premier devision where population requirements are needed. this then should be done in other counties so that eventually county premier leagues champions could play regionally .

[SunnySweeney]

[QUOTE=sirhamish]

Why is that?? Is it a reverse of the Dublin situation or what?? I always thought Turners Cross was the home of LOI footie in Cork - didn't Cork Celtic play their home games there?? I did hear some Cork fans once saying that it was awkward to get to Turners Cross. I've heard the same kinda thing mentioned about Charlton's Valley ground as well - hard to get to.

Turners Cross, Flower Lodge and The Mardyke were all on the south side. There is no football ground on the northside.If you are traveling by bus to Turners Cross for instance it is a hike down from the northside. It is also a peculiar mental leap for a lot of northsiders to come down. (I’ll get shot down for saying that)

You could have two viable clubs in Cork if one club ( HIBS Please !! ) had a ground somewhere in the northside - in Blackpool for instance. If CCFC ever moved to somewhere more central their crowds would be much bigger.

[citybone]

sorry i have only being following loi for 4years now
before that i was brainwashed to think that there was no football in ireland
this is the first time i heard of st francis f.c. bottom of the link
http://www.worldstadiums.com/europe/.../ireland.shtml

[hamish]

[QUOTE=SunnySweeney]

Turners Cross, Flower Lodge and The Mardyke were all on the south side. There is no football ground on the northside.If you are traveling by bus to Turners Cross for instance it is a hike down from the northside. It is also a peculiar mental leap for a lot of northsiders to come down. (I’ll get shot down for saying that)

You could have two viable clubs in Cork if one club ( HIBS Please !! ) had a ground somewhere in the northside - in Blackpool for instance. If CCFC ever moved to somewhere more central their crowds would be much bigger.

Jaysus, and to think that I used to CYCLE to Athlone (18 miles from my front door). People are so fcuking lazy nowadays.

I think though that it might be best for Cork City to establish themselves even more before a second club might be considered. The EL needs a strong Cork club and I'd hate to see two weak ones instead.

Shame about Hibs though. And, as far as I know, they folded up with not a great amount of money owed - correct me if I'm wrong there. Another disgrace was the losing of Flower Lodge. I thought the AOH were a disgrace the way they treated Cork football, given the amount of money that organisation made out of various Cork clubs, especially Hibs, over the years.

To get back on topic, it's essential that any new EL club have cast iron control over their home ground.

What about the idea of a franchise for new county clubs with the FAI, local leagues etc having control. I'm really only thinking through this at the moment - maybe you folks might like to add your knowledge about this as I'm not au fait with the legal technicalities in this area.

BTW is your handle related to the famous Cork player Sonny Sweeney?? Just curious.