Clubs make IAG presentations

**hoopy** · 22/10/2006, 7:27 PM

Originally Posted by Galway Harps

Rumours that certain clubs have been guarenteed promotion already mean this process has a bad smell about it

Rumours started by who? It wouldn't be a certain fat manager who's trying to cover his own arse if he doesn't win the league would it?

**Mr A** · 22/10/2006, 7:45 PM

I assume you're referring to John Gill here? Most of the rumours that GUFC are guarenteed promotion are coming from GUFC supporters to be fair. There are also suspicions that UCD will be shafted as aired many times on this board. I don't think John Gill comes into it- although he has been bleating on about how it would be awful if Dundalk won the league and didn't go up.

Like I say, if the FAI do this in a cloak and dagger manner and don't published detailed scoring in each area then we could easily end up with total farce on our hands. Of course the FAI may decide to do it that way to avoid awkward questions about how club's marks were arrived at, but if they just do this right then they'll be in the clear.

In my opinion this process could lead to one of the biggest scandals in Irish Football history if some of the rumours flying about prove to be correct.

**Mr A** · 22/10/2006, 9:18 PM

There have been various claims made including:
1. That the first division winners are guarenteed promotion- again, reading the actual criteria reveals that this means relatively little. For instance, Limerick will rank ahead of Galway and Dundalk this year because of their cup performance!
2. That Galway United will definately get promoted regardless of whether they win the league or not. Even if they do, my reading of the league criteria means this makes little sense to me. Their 4 year record is poor and their ranking this year won't be great due to zero cup performance, and it seems very highly unlikely indeed that they could make this up in off the field criteria.
3. That UCD will be relegated because their face doesn't fit. The idea of criteria brought in to make the clubs run themselves better and so on being used to relegate one of the best run clubs in the league makes me sick to be perfectly honest. Especially when they have a massive area to themselves and a new stadium on the way.

**DmanDmythDledge** · 22/10/2006, 9:26 PM

Originally Posted by geezer

i think there will be uproar in louth if they are excluded on a presentation

Just shows how sad the league as become.

**Conor H** · 22/10/2006, 10:26 PM

Originally Posted by Galway Harps

There have been various claims made including:
1. That the first division winners are guarenteed promotion- again, reading the actual criteria reveals that this means relatively little. For instance, Limerick will rank ahead of Galway and Dundalk this year because of their cup performance!
2. That Galway United will definately get promoted regardless of whether they win the league or not. Even if they do, my reading of the league criteria means this makes little sense to me. Their 4 year record is poor and their ranking this year won't be great due to zero cup performance, and it seems very highly unlikely indeed that they could make this up in off the field criteria.
3. That UCD will be relegated because their face doesn't fit. The idea of criteria brought in to make the clubs run themselves better and so on being used to relegate one of the best run clubs in the league makes me sick to be perfectly honest. Especially when they have a massive area to themselves and a new stadium on the way.

But we'll be still be ahead of Limercik overall and Harps and Dundalk.I'm aware to finish ahead of Harps on league standings we must finish at least 2 places ahead of yee which i think we will.

**Mr A** · 22/10/2006, 10:45 PM

Even if that's the case Conor I can't see ye making up enough ground off the pitch on any of the current 11 or Shamrock Rovers to make the top 12.

In most of the off field criteria see here most clubs will probably score quite well so to me Galway really need to win the division and hope one of the 12 I mentioned have fooked up their case completely.

There's no question that Galway United are doing a lot of things right and have a really professional setup and all but looking at the criteria as laid out I don't see anything to convince me that Galway have that much to be optimistic about.

**Mr A** · 22/10/2006, 10:50 PM

And I wouldn't be so sure ye'll be ahead of us either. We'll have a better mark from the 50% for football, and will do well on infrastructure (as 60% is on future plans) governance and finance (5 years profit in a row, immediate action when things got difficult this year) licensing compliance and even attendance over 3 years and not too bad in the other sections either.

**holidaysong** · 23/10/2006, 9:22 AM

Originally Posted by Galway Harps

The FAI simple have to get this right- they have to publish the detail of the scoring or rankings in each and every area so we can see exactly what the story is. Rumours that certain clubs have been guarenteed promotion already mean this process has a bad smell about it but if (and that's a very big if!) the FAI do this correctly and transparenly then no-one can have any complaints, seeing as everybody voted for this!

There is a better chance of transparency in the North Korean nuclear programme than there is in the FAI.
They will have to publish a comprehensive document on the scoring/ranking or people will accuse them of just choosing who they want. If we don't get in but it is clear why we didn't then I will accept that. If they just give out a list one day of who got in and who didn't then I'm sure most would agree that it would be completely unacceptable.

**Dodge** · 23/10/2006, 9:40 AM

Cheers for the very informed post Galway Harps.

**Ash** · 23/10/2006, 10:32 AM

The Galway rumours I heard were due to an announcement of an increased
price for season tickets and the "gate price" going up to �15 which is Premier
Division price. Minimum Division 1 Clubs are allowed to charge is �10 for adults.

Have since heard that these were projected increases based on "if we get into
the Premier"

**Conor H** · 23/10/2006, 10:46 AM

Ya they were Ash but Galway Harps is hell bent on showing everyone why GUFC areb't going to be in the Premier.

**Dodge** · 23/10/2006, 10:51 AM

Originally Posted by Conor H

Ya they were Ash but Galway Harps is hell bent on showing everyone why GUFC areb't going to be in the Premier.

In fairness, he's showing reasons why you mightn't be after tons of reasons given by Galway fans why they will be in the Delanyship

**harps1954** · 23/10/2006, 11:02 AM

We all know by now, that 500 points are on offer for on-the-field (50%) and 500 points for off-the-field (50%). If the season were to end at this moment in time (not allowing for results of FAI Cup semis and final) and assuming that second placed in the First (Shamrock Rovers) beats second last in the Premier (Bray Wanderers) in the most pointless play-off match in history, this is how the teams would finish in the on-the-field criteria (maximum of 500 points on offer).

1 Shelbourne 493
2 Derry City 460
3 Cork City 460
4 Longford Town 450
5 Drogheda United 437
6 Bohemains 423
7 St. Patrick's Athletic 407
8 Shamrock Rovers 370
9 UCD 357
10 Sligo Rovers 353
11 Waterford United 340
12 Bray Wanderers 333
13 Finn Harps 283
14 Galway United 277
15 Dundalk 257
16 Limerick 253
17 Cobh Ramblers 250
18 Kildare County 240
19 Kilkenny City 187
20 Athlone Town 187
21 Monaghan United 183

You will now see where teams need to make up points in their off-the-field criteria. Galway seems to be the team everyone is talking about. At this moment in time, for them to get into the Premier, they need to outscore the team that is currently in 12th position (i.e. Bray). Bary currently sit 56 points ahead of Galway. Will Galway make up 56 points (out of 500) on Bray. If so, where is this likely to happen?

I still think the top eight above are certain of their Premier place next season, while positions 16-21 are more than certain of being in the First next season. That means UCD, Sligo, Waterford, Bray, Harps, Galway and Dundalk will fight it out for the remaining four spots. I'm still of the opinion that I had months ago - the 11 teams currently in the Premier will stay there and Shamrock Rovers will be the 12th side. I'd say that the FAI are hoping that Rovers win the 1st Division this year to avoid too many "awkward" questions been asked. Next season's first will be the same as this years, with a new club likely to replace Rovers.

**Dodge** · 23/10/2006, 11:09 AM

And then normal promotion/relegation will see the natural order restored?

**Mr A** · 23/10/2006, 11:56 AM

Ya they were Ash but Galway Harps is hell bent on showing everyone why GUFC areb't going to be in the Premier.

I'm posting the facts as I see them Conor, and showing why I've reached those conclusions. I realise this will annoy a lot of Galway fans as it's not what they want to hear, but I'll have to live with that (quite literally).

Also- the rumours did not originate from that thread that appeared on Friday- they've been going around for quite some time. To my mind the source of these is that Mr Leeson and co at GUFC who consistently made statement abouts how Genisis where so impressed and how they're the only club with a strategic plan and who're properly run. The former is probably because they only met one club, and the latter is, frankly, a load of ballacks.

**Mr_T** · 23/10/2006, 8:56 PM

Originally Posted by geezer

i also believe they showed full accounts showing minimal deficits and very professional budgets and strategic plans

A DVD, wooooo!

But seriously, the above is a sample of what bugs me about all the "Galway" talk eminating mostly as GalwayHarps says from Terryland.

The Irish Indo even stated something along the lines that Genesis said Galway were the only club in Ireland who had a strategic plan. Wonder who exactly told them that eh?

As a shareholder of Finn Harps this ****es me off as I was at the club's AGM in 2001 where I was presented with, and still have a copy in a file somewhere, the Finn Harps Strategic Business Plan 2001-2005. This plan was implemented, including reducing debt, bringing in financial controls, getting tax compliant and returning a trading profit in each of those 5 years. At the last AGM this plan was reviewed and another one put forward. Yet Mr Leeson and Galway have a strategic plan since last year and they seem to think they invented the whole concept.

Note to Galway United - you are not the only club with minimal deficits , professional budgets and strategic plans .

So bascially that leaves you relying on the DVD and the "right here, right now". I hope yous allowed for the helicopter in the professional budget!

PS - I have nothing against Galway, think they'd be an excellent addition to the Premier, but lads, seriously, this whole "we've a divine right to be in the Premier cause we're sooo clever and the rest of yis are big thickos" routine is more than a little annoying!

**Fivesilver** · 23/10/2006, 9:05 PM

Originally Posted by geezer

a dvd . . . city and county landmarks . . . helicopter views . . . all delivered with a backing track of music with the song "right here right now" . . .

In fairness, you have to hand it to the FAI - instead of going with the novel idea of teams being in a given division based on how many games they win, draw and lose, they decided on encouraging this sort of stuff, thus providing us with the funniest post in months. God, you could smell the pride in that.

**Mr A** · 23/10/2006, 9:14 PM

I wonder if it had a car chase and a romantic sub-plot?

If not, why not?

**geezer** · 23/10/2006, 9:18 PM

if you read the posts you will find that no gufc poster here feels we have a divine right to be there, far from it we are nervous as hell of another year down in the 1st and also none of us would not be too keen on gaining entry without at least competing on the football front. galway harps is correct in his analysis and gufc have to finish in 1st or at least second to stand any chance of making the cut.... note the word chance.. rumours are rumours and we only post stuff to inform what we are hearing. stuff was also posted under this thread as it was a request to find out any info on how last week went and I posted what i heard nothing more nothing less. as a football fan I want us to do it with football nothing else but we havent made the rules all the clubs made them up albeit with a gun to their heads

Rovers'Til IDie · 23/10/2006, 9:33 PM

Apart from all the poindexter statistical analysis, the FAI have a get out clause for picking who the want in 'premiership' (that's what they seem to be calling it

)

Section 4, point 3 of the merger document says,
"In the course of the independent assessment process, IAG members will be obliged to:
Disregard unsolicited applications, approaches and / or material from any source. Any breach of this condition should be reported in a timely fashion to the IAG membership, which can forward its concerns / recommended course of action (including disqualification?) to FAI for its consideration of further action (if required)."

So they'll just say they got unsolicited approaches for the teams they don't want in the premier division.