Garry Kelly coming Home!

**holidaysong** · 06/12/2006, 5:03 PM

If I was a Drogheda fan I'd be concerned about what his wage demands could be. But I'm not so I hope he wants a fortune and they give it to him.

**BohsFans** · 06/12/2006, 5:29 PM

Another 2 words: Curtis Fleming

**Rossi** · 06/12/2006, 5:35 PM

ok....how many caps did Kelly win and how many did Flemming win.Kelly is clearly a better and fitter player

**BohsFans** · 06/12/2006, 5:41 PM

Originally Posted by Rossi

ok....how many caps did Kelly win and how many did Flemming win.Kelly is clearly a better and fitter player

That's not the issue.

**Soper** · 06/12/2006, 6:22 PM

This would be a great move for Drogheda.Also, it might encourage other good Irish players, the likes of Graham Kavanagh to come back for one or two seasons, granted they can perform well enough.

**Sniffer** · 06/12/2006, 6:29 PM

While nobody would want a return to the farcical days of players making 'appearances' in the eL; Kelly is still a supremely fit footballer playing regularly at a higher level. And yes, the Championship is a higher level than the eL at the top end. I know Leeds aren't impressing, but Kelly clearly has if he made the Championship team last season. It can only be beneficial to our younger players to train and play with dedicated professionals of Kelly's calibre.

**Cosmo** · 06/12/2006, 6:35 PM

Originally Posted by holidaysong

If I was a Drogheda fan I'd be concerned about what his wage demands could be.

Why? We dont badly need him so we'll get him if it suits us too.

Gary has made his money in england, owns a few properties in drogheda, is a proud drogheda man, has invested ALOT of his own money into setting up a cancer centre in the town of drogheda and has often spoke of his desire to finish out his career with drogheda (and to get a coaching role with us when he retires).

Im sure its taken that when he finally ends up at drogheda he'll be on a very modest paypacket compared to what he was on!

The only thing that might stand in his way would be if celtic go for him as he's a massive celtic fan!

He'd be a fantastic addition to not only Drogheda United, but to the Eircom League.

**diamond** · 06/12/2006, 7:33 PM

i'll second that. gary has shown over the years that he is a true drog. not only has he invested in the town, he has given his time and support to the people of the town. his cancer support centre close to united park is a wonderful gift to the people of drogheda. gary also makes regular trips to underage training when he's home and is a real football fan. spoke to him at lansdown last year and he was delighted to make the trip to see his hometown club in a cup final.
on top of his regular acts of selfless generosity to the town he is also a quality footballer and better at 32 than any other right back in the league imo. i'm sure one day he will have a role in the club but think it unlikely as a player next season. although he has gone on record to say he wnats his kids to grow up in drogheda. a real family man so you'd never know.
would be welcomed in drogheda with open arms by everyone.

**Raheny Red** · 06/12/2006, 9:20 PM

If Drogheda get him without high wages it will be a great signing and he could be the best right full in the league since Heary came along

**dcfcsteve** · 06/12/2006, 11:48 PM

Originally Posted by Jaime

Championship players are bigger, fitter, stronger, and generally better than eL players. By some stretch.

Yeah - that's why Kevin Doyle and Shane Long really struggled over there....

**dcfcsteve** · 06/12/2006, 11:49 PM

Originally Posted by robbiesdrogs

im with diamond.i think a man who spurns the big pay day to set something like the cancer centre up in his home town has his head in the right place

Did Kelly turn down offers or wages to open the Cancer Centre or something...??

**Coltron** · 07/12/2006, 3:17 AM

Potentially the best signing we could make. On the field is one area where the team could benefit, this is clear. Gary isn't coming home for money so I doubt he will hold the club to randsom. Seeing him playing for us would be a great feeling for everyone in Drogheda. Personally, I'd love to see him. As the other lads have said, he's well like around the town and many appreciate the work he has done and the things he has achieved, not just the eircom league faithful in and around Drogheda. Overall it would strengthen the town and be a great boast to the league in general.

**bawn79** · 07/12/2006, 8:14 AM

Originally Posted by dcfcsteve

Did Kelly turn down offers or wages to open the Cancer Centre or something...??

As far as I can recall, all the money he got from a testamonial with leeds went into it. He didnt go bragging to everyone about it like Niall Quinn although what Niall did was also very good.

I think its a great thing and as they say above I doubt he will be looking for crazy money. He will bring great experience to the league and Im he will turn to coaching in due course.
This is almost exactly like the Sweden model that we are all going on about for the league and yet many people are calling him a has-been which is unfair.

**Celdrog** · 07/12/2006, 8:15 AM

Originally Posted by dcfcsteve

Did Kelly turn down offers or wages to open the Cancer Centre or something...??

Leeds gave him a testamonial and he used around �1M to set up the cancer centre after his sister died of breast cancer a few years ago. With the remainder of the money he set up something similar in Leeds.

I don't think that the issue here is Gary dropping down to play for the Drogs. He has always said that after his contract runs out he and his wife (also a Drog) were coming home. We are all assuming that if he is living in Drogheda then he will continue to play or coach and that would be with the Drogs.

**drummerboy** · 07/12/2006, 8:25 AM

He hasn't been playing recently. Is he injured or has Wise discarded him. I think he would be a great boost to Drogheda and to the EL.

**dcfcsteve** · 07/12/2006, 9:17 AM

Originally Posted by bawn79

This is almost exactly like the Sweden model that we are all going on about for the league and yet many people are calling him a has-been which is unfair.

What's the "Sweden model" ? Is this just because Larsson went home to play for Helsingborg..?

**bigmac** · 07/12/2006, 9:51 AM

Originally Posted by dcfcsteve

What's the "Sweden model" ? Is this just because Larsson went home to play for Helsingborg..?

Not just Sweden (and not just Larsson - Anders Limpar, Glen Hysen, Roland Nillson), but there is a much higher proportion of ex international scandinavian players that return to their home countries either at or towards the end of their careers. Oyvind Leonhardsen, Tore Andre Flo, Jan Age Fjortoft all played a year or two in Norway to finish off their careers, while peolple like Stig Inge Bjornebye returned to Norway to get into management there.
The model talked about is that the people who leave to ply their trade in another country end up coming back and giving the league here the benefit of their experience. It doesn't help that Ireland is so close to Britain both physically and culturally (language, tv etc.) that players can easily settle over there whereas scandinavian players often want to return home more than Irish players would.

**bawn79** · 07/12/2006, 10:52 AM

Originally Posted by bigmac

Not just Sweden (and not just Larsson - Anders Limpar, Glen Hysen, Roland Nillson), but there is a much higher proportion of ex international scandinavian players that return to their home countries either at or towards the end of their careers. Oyvind Leonhardsen, Tore Andre Flo, Jan Age Fjortoft all played a year or two in Norway to finish off their careers, while peolple like Stig Inge Bjornebye returned to Norway to get into management there.
The model talked about is that the people who leave to ply their trade in another country end up coming back and giving the league here the benefit of their experience. It doesn't help that Ireland is so close to Britain both physically and culturally (language, tv etc.) that players can easily settle over there whereas scandinavian players often want to return home more than Irish players would.

What he said!!
To have a truly sustainable league this is the way to go, sell players when they have been developed at 22-23, they spend 10years abroad and finish their careers in ireland and a percentage move into management.

**endabob1** · 07/12/2006, 1:09 PM

Originally Posted by bawn79

What he said!!
To have a truly sustainable league this is the way to go, sell players when they have been developed at 22-23, they spend 10years abroad and finish their careers in ireland and a percentage move into management.

That sort of logical well thought out reasoned argument has no place here, he hasn't spent 10 years earning his Eircom League stripes at tolka/dalymount/turners cross (delete where applicable) therefore he is crap and washed up

**OneRedArmy** · 07/12/2006, 2:35 PM

Originally Posted by endabob1

That sort of logical well thought out reasoned argument has no place here, he hasn't spent 10 years earning his Eircom League stripes at tolka/dalymount/turners cross (delete where applicable) therefore he is crap and washed up

I think the argument, like many things, is somewhere in the middle.

There are examples of previously decent players coming back from England and their performance here ranging from brilliant to absolutely atrocious. There's no absolute guarantee of success and as they say in the financial ads, past performance is no guarantee of future return.