QuoteClearly, there's a PR firm at work here. Wonder who they are and how much they are being paid for the campaign?
Hoping to reach promised land using rub of the green
Sunderland revolution: Mary Hannigan talks to owners Charlie Chawke and Niall Quinn about their plans for the Championship club.
Three weeks into the season, after Sunderland had lost five consecutive games, Charlie Chawke was beginning to wonder quite why he had accepted Niall Quinn's invitation to join the Drumaville consortium that took control of the club back in July.
"I started to wake up at four o'clock in the morning, it reminded me of a few of the pubs I bought down the line, waking up in the middle of the night, wondering how the hell am I going to get out of this mess," said the owner of the Charlie Chawke Group of pubs.
Now? "Now it's great, we're all relaxed, and everything is going fine. We have 10 points, we had none two weeks ago, so we're on the crest of a wave."
Along with fellow publican Louis Fitzgerald; developers Jack Tierney, Patrick Beirne, Patsy Byrne and Paddy Kelly; and John Hays, owner of a Sunderland-based travel company and the only Englishman in the consortium; Chawke was persuaded by Quinn to buy out Sunderland chairman Bob Murray and set about rebuilding the debt-ridden north-east of England club.
"Niall was the common denominator for us all. We all know him and we all respect him, maybe love is too strong a word, but he's a great guy, a gentleman. He picked the syndicate and I was only too delighted when he asked me - he didn't have to ask me twice.
"He just wanted to get guys who have a love for sport, and I think we all have, so we were just delighted to come on board. And now that we have Roy (Keane) with us we have the two foremost sporting people in Ireland at this club, as well as the Irish investors - so I think we have the biggest thing in Irish sport for a long time.
"We hope to take over from Man United now, we're going to set up supporters clubs around Ireland, Niall will be over working with PR people to get that up and running."
The charm offensive began at the weekend when the consortium chartered a plane and flew over a large group from Dublin, including a section of the media.
Upon spotting the Irish football reporters wandering through the dressingrooms on a guided tour, two hours before kick-off, Kenny Cunningham could only declare: "**** me, it's like a bad dream!"
Quinn is hopeful Cunningham and co will be see plenty more Irish faces at the Stadium of the Light in the coming months, convinced that the "greening" of Sunderland will result in a substantial fan base in Ireland.
"We'll be over talking to airlines," said Quinn, "we don't just want to see people coming from Dublin and Cork, we want to see them coming from Galway, Tralee, Derry and so on.
"We want to put something on special here for Irish people because we think they'll enjoy their football here with Roy Keane and in a city like this, as opposed to being one of the multitude in a bigger pond like Liverpool or Manchester."
Has Quinn felt less pressure since handing the managerial reins to Keane? "Absolutely! It goes without saying, chairmen know nothing about football, as my record in management shows you. But there's a great passion around the place again, which was missing, the fear is gone and we have a chance to build on that.
"Roy isn't a miracle worker, but there will be no time limit on him whatsoever, what he's done here already is worth every day of the three-year contract we've given him."
Was Chawke surprised, considering the history between the chairman and manager, that they agreed to work together?
"No, I wasn't surprised at all, ye're the people who kept that going, they're the best of friends really. They hugged and made up and they're both going for the one ambition now. Together they will be great.
"You can see in Roy that he's determined, that he's a professional at the game. He's learning at the moment but there's no doubt that he will be a leader and he will take us to the promised land.
"I'd be happy to finish in the middle of the table this season, and go up next year, but for now we just want a good decent team that will satisfy the ambition and the demands of the people of Sunderland. I look on them like Munster rugby fans, they love the game, they love their sport, and all they want is a team that they're proud of. I hope that we will be able to provide that for them."
Promotion this season, Niall? "I would have thought if I mentioned that word Roy Keane would have me up against that wall, so we'll stay nice and quiet about it," he laughed
In Trap we trust
Clearly, there's a PR firm at work here. Wonder who they are and how much they are being paid for the campaign?
Well i was correct about my Mary Hannigan comments and the Sunderland junket.Originally Posted by BohDiddley
Obviously irish papers can do what they want but I will be watching closely to see if out National Public Service broadcaster is taking junkets to the north east of england in exchange for soft focus pieces.
Anyone want to start an ABS?
People trying to promote something using a PR firm....what a novel idea.
I wonder what the FAI have in mind for their rebranding/relaunching/repositioning or any other gammy marketing term you care to choose?
The PR drivel makes me wretch too, but amazingly Sean Public seems to swallow this crap - wholesale.
We don't have a monopoly on football in the eircom league - nor are we entitled to one. However, rather than us all become ABS, we (and the powers that be) should be concentrating on making the 'eircom' product more enticing.
Last edited by el punter; 19/09/2006 at 10:40 AM.
www.WalkTheChalk.com - Stats, Opinion & Bluster on Irish Club Football
Not amazing at all. The Irish football public is the dumbest in the world. If Andy Gray killed their whole family they would still adore him. Saw a whole family the other day kitted out head to toe in chelsea gear going to the pub to watch "the match". Says it all really. And they think they're Irish?
KOH
The only wonder is someone hasn't tried to sell some two bit Confernence club to us Paddies.
Well one fruitcake is there already:The only wonder is someone hasn't tried to sell some two bit Confernence club to us Paddies.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/m...8/ai_n15993252
Saw a programme on this sap and even one exeter fan said "Its normal to follow your local club but....."
KOH
I didn't say that PR made me retch. I hope the FAI PR campaign for the relaunch of the league is fully resourced and effective.
I just think it would be interesting to know what's being invested in this project aimed at taking yet more potential support out of native football.
I held the door open for a bloke the other day, like you do. I expected him to say 'Thank you'. Like you do. He didn't. The ignoramus breezed past, resplendent in top-to-toe Chelsea gear, current season. That definitely proves something.
Dublin born business man takes over from Barry Fry at Peterborough United Report here.
“Jockey Wilson . . . What an athlete.” - Sid Waddell
www.donegaldarts.com
Never said you did my friend. NeilMcD entitled his post 'This is sick in my view', I was agreeing with him.
www.WalkTheChalk.com - Stats, Opinion & Bluster on Irish Club Football
I get the attraction to the Premiership & big teams but why are irish people so interested in small time english clubs? Is there still such an inferiority complex?
Did none of the Irish media entourage entertained at Sunderland even see fit to ask if investment in Irish football something they would have considered, or would consider in future? Probably not.
Yes because who you in support in a game made popular initially by the English determines how Irish you areNot amazing at all. The Irish football public is the dumbest in the world. If Andy Gray killed their whole family they would still adore him. Saw a whole family the other day kitted out head to toe in chelsea gear going to the pub to watch "the match". Says it all really. And they think they're Irish?
KOH
My mate is off to see the Orient soon, and he claims to support them all his life..........btw he can't stand the eL!
Last edited by Raheny Red; 19/09/2006 at 5:09 PM.
"Hull won 5-1, but Exeter never stopped trying. This was as far removed from the glitz and glamour of the Premiership as professional football permitted, and I realised I had found the love of my life."
My God....
Waterford would have happily indulged his perverse masochistic needs for most of this season and he wouldn't have had to have remortgaged his house.
i see in the indo today , must be the business section, that some dub is gonna invest in peterboro now..... there is no end to this..... there could be alot of fingers burnt if something goes belly up in english football....
ABI: Anywhere but Ireland
Barclays Fan of the Year from last season:
GARETH HAYES
24 year-old Manchester City fan Gareth Hayes has been a fan since City’s famous 5-1 derby win over United in 1989. Since then he has missed just four home games in the last five years, as well as attending as many away and European games as he can – a fantastic achievement for someone who makes the trip over from Ireland for each game. Gareth has slept in airports and train stations to follow his team. He sports an incredible 24 Manchester City tattoos, including one on his back paying homage to his all-time favourite player, Shaun Goater.
Kom Igen, FCK...
Shaun Goater.....hahahaha
Posting Permissions
Bookmarks