Lennox blasts League over shutdown

**A face** · 30/05/2006, 2:29 PM

CORK CITY chairman Brian Lennox today blasted the eircom League for taking a three-week break. City travel to play Dublin City on Friday in the league and then it shuts down for three weeks, which means by the time City next play a home game it will be five weeks since the last time they played in Turner’s Cross. Cork’s next home game is against Drogheda United on Friday, June 23.

Meanwhile he has to find the revenue to pay the bills and players’ wages. “It baffles me why we have to have a three-week recess now for the World Cup when we are not even at the finals,” Lennox said. “We have a three-week
shut-down of the domestic league now and yet we have no-one playing in the finals in Germany. “It’s crazy to close down the league and it will hit all clubs.” Lennox will also meet up with Damien Richardson for the first time since the club’s cup exit. City have an informal meeting at Rochestown Park Hotel tonight to unveil Derek Kiely as the club’s new general manager/administrator. And one of the items up for discussion will be the fall-out from Richardson’s comments.

“Derek Kiely’s appointment as general manager is one of a few new appointments coming up at the club.” “He is coming on board to help me and our commercial manager, John Crowley to try and run the club.
“We are stepping up the professional side of the club and looking to the future.” Lennox also confirmed that the club were working hard to try and retain their Nissan sponsorship. The Nissan deal, said to be worth over €150,000 a year to the champions, has two years to run, but Lennox is anxious to tie them into a new deal. “No one else has made any approach,
but the invitation stands and my door is always open,” he concluded

Taken from www.eecho.ie

**wws** · 30/05/2006, 2:35 PM

“It’s crazy to close down the league and it will hit all clubs.”

spot on

this is an absolute shambles
how can you pay pro players for 5 weeks - if you get hit with a bad fixture list either side of the break that could be 7 weeks with no revenue

**WeAreRovers** · 30/05/2006, 2:44 PM

The guts of 2 months without a home game for us. Ridiculous, and all so the blazers can watch the poxy WC.

KOH

**Dodge** · 30/05/2006, 2:52 PM

Its all a Dublin conspiracy afaik

**Real ale Madrid** · 30/05/2006, 2:54 PM

Back in January was the time to be crying over this - not now. Its not as if no-one saw the World cup coming. Its a disgrace alright but i find it equally disgraceful that not one single club manager/chairmen spoke out against this back when the fixtures were announced.

Its the "old boys network" at work again!

**A face** · 30/05/2006, 2:59 PM

Originally Posted by Dodge

Its all a Dublin conspiracy afaik

That we aren't in the WC .... jebus, that is some statement for one statement, do tell us more !!

**Roo69** · 30/05/2006, 3:07 PM

Was this not voted on my the clubs ? Or were we just told it was happening.

Thought i also seen a poll from the players saying they wanted a mid-season break...

**A face** · 30/05/2006, 3:12 PM

Originally Posted by Roo69

Was this not voted on my the clubs ? Or were we just told it was happening.

Told afaik

Thought i also seen a poll from the players saying they wanted a mid-season break...

Was that the PFAI ??

**micls** · 30/05/2006, 3:14 PM

Originally Posted by Roo69

Thought i also seen a poll from the players saying they wanted a mid-season break...

Of course the players want a mid season break. They get paid to take a break and watch the WC

**A face** · 30/05/2006, 3:18 PM

Originally Posted by micls

Of course the players want a mid season break. They get paid to take a break and watch the WC

I wonder if we did the same in work, would the boss go for it ??

**Bald Student** · 30/05/2006, 3:33 PM

I don't see the big problem. Clubs still have the same number of home games, so total income is still the same over the year. We knew this was coming so budgets should have been made accordingly.

**WeAreRovers** · 30/05/2006, 3:38 PM

Originally Posted by Bald Student

I don't see the big problem. Clubs still have the same number of home games, so total income is still the same over the year. We knew this was coming so budgets should have been made accordingly.

Add in arbitrary postponements and rained-off games and the budgeting becomes an exercise in guesswork.

Our last home game was on May 7 and our next is scheduled for just before my retirement from work in about 2036.

KOH

**Roo69** · 30/05/2006, 3:47 PM

Originally Posted by Bald Student

I don't see the big problem. Clubs still have the same number of home games, so total income is still the same over the year. We knew this was coming so budgets should have been made accordingly.

I would probably tend to agree with ya on this. It'll even itself out come the end of the season. Plus hopefully mean players are fresher coming towards the end of the season.

Originally Posted by A face

Was that the PFAI ??

Yep, 99% positive it was one of there polls.

**Sniffer** · 30/05/2006, 8:06 PM

The fixtures have been in the public domain for long enough, everyone knew there was a break, crying about it now is f all use. If anyone had a problem with it they should have aired it long ago.. these are opportunisic potshots designed to deflect some of the flak from el Rico, and hopefully put the FAI on the backfoot methinks.

**Superhoops** · 31/05/2006, 12:38 AM

Originally Posted by A face

CORK CITY chairman Brian Lennox today blasted the eircom League for taking a three-week break..........
......Meanwhile he has to find the revenue to pay the bills and players’ wages. ......... “It’s crazy to close down the league and it will hit all clubs.”

It is comments like this and the Rico outburst that are making Cork the laughing stock of the EL.

Has Lennox just realised this?

Has he not been aware that:
- the arrangements were made before the season started
- the clubs were consulted without any memorable outrage or objection
- it affects every club the same
- there will still be the same number of league matches to be played
- the league season is still the same length as last year (2nd week in March until 3rd week in November)

Does no one at CC know anything about cash flow? Other clubs will manage it OK.

The biggest bill that CC are likely to face is a hefty fine for Rico's outburst.

Another conspiracy hatched by those in Dublin sitting on their fat arses!

Pathetic, utterly pathetic

**wws** · 31/05/2006, 11:16 AM

cash flow?

do you know anything about it.

you simply dont have ANY cash flow during a 3 week lay off - add in away games either side of the break and or postponements - and your looking at anything up to 5-7 weeks without a home game - plus 5-7 weeks you have to pay full and part time players. Most of the clubs are surving the period the exact same way - by building up more debts in the form of bridging loans.

its just another of the ill thought out "summer soccer" panaceas that went wrong - and these are the goons that are planning the "premiership"

**A face** · 31/05/2006, 11:28 AM

Originally Posted by wws

cash flow?

do you know anything about it.

Thanks be to god there is someone who can see the problems BL is on about.

I still think that he WC is once every four years and it is a good way to observe and enjoy the competition, hopefully next one we'll be in it and there will be a few eL players in there too (looking very possible given recent events)