Bohemians' millions

[Billsthoughts]

If the league averaged 3k a game I'd be happy. It doens't come close though. Oh and BTW if Genesis use the Celtic League crowds as a basis of whatever rubbish they spout (including the Welsh and Scottish crowds!!!), I think us using it to compare is fair enough

just to clarify I wasnt sayin they should be getting 8000 every week. was saying that 8000 at matches would be best case scenario. i.e. that the league was a ragin success. premiership/croker sized crowds are never going to happen here but I think some people think it wont be a proper league unless there are tens of thousands at the games.

[DmanDmythDledge]

Anyone got any thoughts on how this could impact the national game as a whole?

I'm putting this in the Ireland International section as my main angle of enquiry is to ask if people think the Bohemians windfall could lead to any or all of the following:

Stronger domestic league
Better facilities
Better crowds
Better investment
Better money for better players
Better players staying at home
At least one fully functional academy
Any scope for other clubs to "cash in" on their real estate assets
Stronger representative sides in due course due to any of the above

I wonder how the Kilcoynes feel?

Hopefully Bohs can use their money wisely so it can have a positive effect not only on Bohs, but on the league as a whole. If they spend the majority of their money on signing players and player's wages that would be bad for the club. They would have to maintain success to be able to afford the wages year after year. Just look at Shels. Just one trophyless season and they are up shít creek. This is why I think Fenlon is the wrong man for the job at Bohs.

However some of the money has to be spent on an improved playing squad. It would be madness if it wasn't. This could in turn attract players around the same level to other top EL clubs as the skill levels of players at the top of the league had been improved. Also more players will stay and play their football in Ireland. All in all, better players, better European results, better publicity for the league, and higher attendences.

A very important thing to do with the money IMO is to invest in a youth academy so that the most talented youth can be signalled out and trained specifically as youth players, rather than having them move straight to U-21s when some would not be ready to play at that age group. Many 15/16 year olds move to England and join an academy. Hopefully they would stay in Ireland if they opportunity was there. However one club is not enough to achieve all that as they won't be able to do that all by themselves. In an ideal world the top 6 clubs in the country would all have a youth academy in 10 years.

I don't really follow the Eircome League but really the best thing for the league as a whole, and Irish football as a consequence, has to be to get a team into the Champions League. I'm sure there are better qualified people here than me ... is that a realistic goal for say the next five years?

I think it is a realistic goal. The fact that teams have gone full time and summer football has been introduced has improved clubs performances in Europe.

I don't see why so many EL-heads are so anxious about improving training facilities or our youth academies. I think the money should be spent on raising the profile of our league so that our best young players do stay here. If Bohs 'do a Rosenborg' (And with the money they have its very possible) we'll be able to keep our better players and then we should begin improving training facilities etc. Then the stadiums would gradually improve and like as in Norway, a spin off efect will occur where teams will begin to challange Rosenborg, or in this case Bohs.

What use would it be using the money to raise the profile of the league? Yeah sure spend the money on advertising, that will work. At the end of the day it's the product you are trying to sell. You can use as much PR as you want or put whatever spin on it but the simple fact is unless the quality of the product is improved the profile of the league won't improve.

If the money is spent on training facilities and youth academys then the league will improve and the profile of the league will still go up. I think you're mad to suggest that improved training facilities and youth academys are less important than marketing the league.

8k would only be achievable IMO by half a dozen clubs, the likes of Sligo, Longford, Galway, Limerick would never get that sort of crowd unless as one off's.

If Sligo and Galway were challenging towards the top of the Premier they would get 4,000-6,000 fans on average IMO.

[GalwayFrancis]

If Sligo and Galway were challenging towards the top of the Premier they would get 4,000-6,000 fans on average IMO.

I second