Dublin City Fold

**BohsPartisan** · 20/07/2006, 7:55 AM

Originally Posted by Gareth

Come support Shels. Bring your drum.

What so he'll have to go through the same thing again at the end of the season???

**BohsPartisan** · 20/07/2006, 8:07 AM

Originally Posted by BohsBohsBohs

If UCD could somehow build up a support amongst its student base, which has got to be possible (though I don't see it happening) then they would be a fantastic addition to the league. As it stands I don't think that they bring anything to Irish football.

UCD need to look outside of their student base. Maybe a change of name (Dublin City is up for Grabs I believe!

) but remain attached to the college. The move to the Bowl is a very positive one I feel. A lot closer to residential areas where they might attract some support. Close to Beach Hill (UCD soccer casuals here we come

) Walking distance from Donnybrook, main bus routes etc.

**gspain** · 20/07/2006, 8:27 AM

Originally Posted by Dodge

Hope their fans stick around the league. Hope Seery never comes near football again. If he's allowed back in by a club the way Cork invited Kilcoyne back, the FAI should resign enmasse

Huge difference here. Seery had his dream, seemed crazy to the rest of us and went south in the end but he tried and failed. i think he'd do a great job running another club. I am amazed they survived so long.

Kilcoyne almost killed Rovers and he did it purely for the money. He made a massive profit out of Milltown - buying it for �50,000 and selling it for over a million. The Jesuits clearly thought they were selling to Rovers. Cork took his money when they were stuck but all the other clubs (bar Pats and Limerick) voted for him as president.

**Dodge** · 20/07/2006, 8:28 AM

Originally Posted by mypost

Do you want to play in an 11-team league, with no game on 2 weekends because of it? That's the alternative.

Because there's no other clubs right? If you get promoted, good luck to you. But you got relegated last year when it could've been much worse and therefore can't harp on about any tragedies.

**Dodge** · 20/07/2006, 8:46 AM

Originally Posted by gspain

Huge difference here. Seery had his dream, seemed crazy to the rest of us and went south in the end but he tried and failed. i think he'd do a great job running another club

I'm not sure he would. Not doubting his efforts but apart from the innovative Carrolls deal, what did he do? He got a team into the premier with tiny crowds something that Kilkenny, UCD, Monaghan and others have done in recent years. He decided to stop trading halfway through a season and now 30+ plus people are unemployed and according to posts here nobody knew it was coming (they signed a player from pats last week). Anybody who can make a decision about a club's survival that quickly sholdn't be allowed run a club.

Oh and didn't know we didn't vote for Kilcoyne. Fair play to us

**Clones Road Cas** · 20/07/2006, 9:04 AM

First of all, on the Killester issue, there is no valid reason not to reinstate Monaghan given the precedent that the EL decision has made in removing them from this years records.

Second of all there are clubs who have traded a damn sight more recklessly in the past and got away with it. A line has to be drawn in the sand from here out and clubs have to be forced to play and live within their means and if that means some of the 'great and the good' of el football get fecked out then so be it. Seerys dream was totally unrealistic, but it was at least more realistically managed than some other clubs in the league.

**Poor Student** · 20/07/2006, 9:07 AM

The fact they signed Lee Roche last week is odd. The revenue must have just kicked the door down this week.

Someone asked about what now for Seery? To the best of my knowledge he was just a man who remortgaged his house so he's probably broke.

**BrayUnknowns** · 20/07/2006, 9:26 AM

Originally Posted by nshoop

They were always going to go under,they have no fans,money or a proper stadium because they aren't a loi club,they're home farm.

Apart from the fans part they sound a lot like Your lot ! FFS sad to see any club go out of business, bad for the league in general and bad for all the lads who don't have a job any more - hope theyu all find clubs quick

**pete** · 20/07/2006, 9:43 AM

I think Seery should be banned from any involvement in irish football for say 10 years for allowing a club to fold mid season.

Will the FAI learn from their mistakes? Will they scrap or replace the uefa licencing joke?

**drummerboy** · 20/07/2006, 9:57 AM

Feel sorry for Rocky. He did put his life and soul into the the football club. It might have been an unwise deployment of energy and money but at least it was an honest effort. He�d certainly be welcome down my local club.

As regards the other clubs, its obvious that there are still clubs playing Russian Roulette when it comes to paying large wages to players. Some are intending cashing in on the property boom or selling long leases. Shelboure in particular is a worrying situation. They have a fine stadium which they are prepared to give up for a short term injection of cash. What they should really do is drastically cut wages, and start building the team from scratch. It may take 4-5 years but it certainly wouldn't put their long term future in jeopardy. If they carry on paying wages as now, and get into financial trouble in Santry, they have nothing to fall back on.

**LFC in Exile** · 20/07/2006, 10:12 AM

My tuppence worth.

Feel bad for the fans. Irrespective of what we think of other clubs, we still respect fans that turn out to watch eL football each week. There but for the Grace of God and all that. I also feel bad for the players and management who essentially are out of a job in football. I also feel bad for Seery who was obviously fully committed to DC and has staked a lot fo his own money. We can also stand around now and say he was foolish but he cared for the club and anyone that cares that much about a fottball club has got to be amdired for that much at least.

The comments about the FAI allowing DC to take their place at the start of the season remind me of comments made (and attacked by Rovers fans) when they had their crisis last year. That club submitted old accounts some may remember. I don't think any clubs should be taking joy out of the demise of DC. Every club (Shels and Cork recently got a call from the Revenue) is walking a tight financial tightrope. I suspect that what happened here is that the Revenue bill was just too high.

Commiserations to the DC fans - I hope nobody else here has to read a press release that there club is dead.

**gspain** · 20/07/2006, 10:13 AM

Originally Posted by Dodge

I'm not sure he would. Not doubting his efforts but apart from the innovative Carrolls deal, what did he do? He got a team into the premier with tiny crowds something that Kilkenny, UCD, Monaghan and others have done in recent years. He decided to stop trading halfway through a season and now 30+ plus people are unemployed and according to posts here nobody knew it was coming (they signed a player from pats last week). Anybody who can make a decision about a club's survival that quickly sholdn't be allowed run a club.

Oh and didn't know we didn't vote for Kilcoyne. Fair play to us

You voted for your own candidate - Tommy Cummins if I remember correctly.

I think comparisons with Kilcoyne are totally unfair. It is not good for the elague that they fold mid season but Seery tried and failed in an honest attempt to build a club. I don't think anyone can accuse him of trousering cash. I think it was quite an achievement keeping them going for 5 years. I think he'd have been better served trying in a provincial venue where there is a support base rather than trying to go up against existing clubs.

**Breifne** · 20/07/2006, 10:22 AM

Originally Posted by Vitruvian Man

The Revenue Commissioners have done more for this league in one year than the FAI and the Clubs put together in 50 years.

Notice the lack of a winding up order. There is never a good time for a club to die, and i'm sick after four or five years of following my club. We had some great nights:

1-0 against Finn Harps and 1-1 title win against Bray (2003 Season)
4-2 against Bohemians in Dalymount (2004 Season)
3-1 against Sligo Rovers (2005 season)

to mention only a few good memories, some of the away trips, athlone when we scored late to set up the final game against Bray in 2003. last season down in athlone when we had a double decker bus down in athlone. great memories.

I feel sorry for the players and staff, but lets be honest, only two people are out of their lively hood. Each of the players and staff have a main job, and as we are still in the transfer window they are now free agents. This means they have choices where to go, they will all find a club, and the players who don't can go back to junior football if they wish, which starts next month.

This wasn't someone from outside (ie revenue) pulling the plug, this was the cost of keeping the show on the road for the next eight months not knowing whether the club was going to be in the premier division or not.

Can't bring in investors, sponsors or supporters when thats the case. so Rocky decided to call it a day. All that on top of existing debt just crippled the club.

Pineapple Stu, i think its grossly unfair to suggest that Dublin City leave a trail of debt behind them. The vast majority of their debt is to financial institutions and directors loans (and probably the revenue), not to players, management or suppliers.

Bohs are owed rent for one game, which I would imagine would be pretty much normal considering the last game was three working days prior to this announcement. No players or staff are owed wages.

**Dodge** · 20/07/2006, 10:33 AM

Originally Posted by gspain

I think comparisons with Kilcoyne are totally unfair. It is not good for the elague that they fold mid season but Seery tried and failed in an honest attempt to build a club.

Yaeh in fairness he's not in the same league as Kilcoyne but this could arguably cause more harm to the league's rep amongst the great unwashed

I don't think anyone can accuse him of trousering cash. I think it was quite an achievement keeping them going for 5 years

Absolutely not, and it seems he was more honest thatn most but if he kept them alive solely by putting his own money then its no achievement at all.

**Block G Raptor** · 20/07/2006, 10:41 AM

Sad Day for the Fans. Great day for the league. If we can just weed out those other dublin clubs who have no stadium and/or fans or are living beyond their means or well if their from inchicore

then us bohs fans would be really really happy

**dcfcsteve** · 20/07/2006, 10:46 AM

Regardless of your view on it, it was an event that was always going to happen at some point.

The basic fundamental in football/sport is that you need a support-base to survive or prosper in the long term. Dublin City didn't have that, and no-one bar Rocky could see where it was going to come from.

As was mentioned previously, the real shame was that Rocky didn't put his money into a club with genuine potential. Then he really might have done something of benefit to the league.

Is that him fecked financially now then ?

**dcfcsteve** · 20/07/2006, 10:53 AM

Originally Posted by Ringo

It was me that instigated the deal with Carroll's. As a Director of Carroll's I have put money into the club, but we didn't bank roll it. I�ve had over 4 years of fantastic craic & fun, I�ve met fantastic people in particular those that post here.

Ringo - assuming Carrolls found the Dublin City link to be a success, why not look to strike-up a similar one with an established/popular club ?? In particular, I'd have thought teams with names like 'Shamrock Rovers' and 'St Patrick's Athletic' were gifts to a tourist-driven business like Carrolls ? Rovers especially, as they play in green and white.

You could do a nice range with UCD. There always seems to be demand for some reason amongst tourists for 'college' gear. 'University College Dublin' merchandise wouldn't sell any worse than Dublin City kit in my opinion, and it could be a cheap way for you to trade on the college name (without having to pay the college the level of fees they'd expect) ? Just a thought.

Originally Posted by Ringo

Unfortunately probably a lot more teams will go the same way.

Far too throw-away a comment Ringo. One or two clubs are in serious financial problems, but I wouldn't be surprised if they survive. A lot more are finding it tight, but have survived through worse. A few are on quite solid, if unspectacular, financial ground. But to say that a lot will probably self-combust over-night mid-season is just too casual and incorrect. Time will prove which of us is right.

**Passive** · 20/07/2006, 11:13 AM

Originally Posted by Roverstillidie

are they gone as a football club full stop just an EL side?

Looks like they are gone totally.

If Seery couldn't afford to fund a Premier Division side that is one thing, but he couldn't even afford to fund a bottom of the table First Division side.

Instead of going out of business, why not just totally cut back on expenses and continue in the lower reaches of the First Division ala Monaghan? Because the entire 'experiment' was so doomed to failure that he couldn't even afford that.

The launch of "Dublin City" is probably the most misjudged move since Napoleon got a taste for vodka. Not only did the "club" have zero fanbase, they had no home ground and, more importantly, no prospect of ever getting one. Once Home Farm backed out of the Whitehall plans, the writing was on the wall for "Dublin City" - there is no way they could continue when their sole long term plan was to rent either Tolka or Dalymount indefinitely.

Five established Dublin clubs were struggling financially and Seery thought he could finance a Champions League campaign on the back of a few Americans buying cheap jersies in Carrolls. The 'experiment' was a total waste of time and makes the EL look like a total joke, which, sadly, it is.

Of course it was always personal between Rovers and "Dublin City" - even before the play-off game, it didn't take a genius to figure out that Seery's plan was to replace Rovers. He hoped we'd die and his 'experiment' would take our place. The play-off game, obviously, was a big moment for him. Looking back now, however, it is clear what that play-off game was - an established side who were finally living within their means beated by a made-up club living so far beyond their means that they would go bust within 9 months. Looking back, that is really nothing to be proud of from a "Dublin City" perspective.

Aside from inter-club rivalry, this entire debacle should raise serious questions in Merrion Square. Why were these jokers ever allowed into the league? Why were they given a licence to play in the top flight despite being in financial chaos? Why was their reckless trading allowed to continue unchecked?

Finally, this situation should be a massive eye-opener to other clubs, especially one certain club in Dublin who have allowed themselves be hijacked by one man's ego, have allowed reckless trading to go unchecked for up to a decade and now are about to lose their home stadium.

Billy Lord's post on the first page of this thread was the best post yet - how much longer do we allow this farce to continue?

**KildareFan** · 20/07/2006, 11:17 AM

I think it's a real pity about dublin city and rocky is a huge loss to the league.

What would be better, to have a bit of ambition and try to bring a bit of success to your club? or drift along just happy to surive the way that the likes of monagahan and kildare do?

If other clubs throughout the league had half the ambition that Rocky did, the league would be a far better place.

As far as i can see, the only person seriously out of pocket because of this is rocky himself. The players were never stuck for their wages and the likes of rovers and shels should take note of this.