Sporting Fingal to be offered First Division place

**Sniffer** · 19/01/2008, 9:20 AM

OK, the Dublin team country team thing. Higgo is right in pointing out that Sporting Fingal probably will garner greater attendances than Kilkenny City - even if it's just wives,family and confused country folk who took a wrong turn on the way to Dalymount or Tolka.

The greater picture cries out for teams spread across the country such as Tullamore, Kilkenny etc. Unfortunately the reality is that most of these clubs seem to be a sneeze away from collapse most of the time owing to a deep lack of interest locally.

Team X - local side, successful in provincial terms, strong local support, makes the step up to A Championship or 1st Division. After a while they realise that their pool of local talent is insufficient to sustain them - they are strugglingat the higher level. Bring in a few Dubs to improve things. Locals get p'd off at the 'big-time' players coming in and lose interest.

Still there must be a pyramid system however formatted; a league without relegation is a non-entity; relegation battles are just as intriguing as title chases - without the quality.

**Rocky77** · 19/01/2008, 12:05 PM

Originally Posted by monutdfc

And we'll call the goalkeeper ..... a custodian

(I always wanted to write a match report in the style of a gaa report...Williamson at top of the left evaded stalwart defender Doyle and progressed into the large parallelogram where he rifled the leather past Murphy the custodian and into the back of the onion bag.... I'm sure these terms were original once, but they are now hackneyed cliches)

To be honest, I've never read a match report specific to GAA in this style. Perhaps broadcasters of yesteryear were, but maybe I'm not old enough.

Some of the soccer writers in this country don't have an original thought in their heads either, it seems and are as guilty as anybody for god awful phases like 'custodian'. I dabble in the media underworld myself and it really ****es me off.

Like the word 'hugely'. Has anyone ever used that word in everyday speak? But it's newspaper fodder - hugely impressive, hugely important etc

I'm, ranting, sorry.

**pineapple stu** · 19/01/2008, 2:41 PM

Originally Posted by higgins

As for the Dublin clubs. If teams can be sustained in the league and are based in Dublin then so what exactly ??

But the problem is that they can't be sustained. Home Farm, St James' Gate, Shelbourne, St Francis and Dublin City have all shown us this.

Originally Posted by higgins

Why did Dublin City get bashed for having 100-200 fans yet Kilkenny who offer up about 30 or 40 are different ?

Because Kilkenny City at least knew their place and didn't try to spend hundreds of thousands they didn't have while spouting nonsense about some grandiose vision of playing in Croker in the Champions' League.

Also, Kilkenny City and Dublin City had about the same fan base.

**Jerry The Saint** · 19/01/2008, 3:14 PM

Originally Posted by Risteard

I mean the thing with Seery is why did he start afresh and not build on Home Farms considerable legacy

The thing is, he did initally with Home Farm Fingal which had the exact same aim of building a Fingal identity as this new club, only with the added history of HF. It didn't even have the limited short-term success that Dublin City did.

The only thing different that I can see is that SF has the backing of Fingal CC who didn't want to get left behind after South Dublin CC's move into football.

There is something fishy about this and if our media wasn't so obsessed with the senior international team, I'm sure there is scope to do a bit of digging and raise some important questions to the FAI. Daniel McDonnell and Emmet Malone are the only two who might have the inclination to do so but would such an article even get published?

**Dodge** · 19/01/2008, 4:16 PM

Originally Posted by Jerry The Saint

The only thing different that I can see is that SF has the backing of Fingal CC who didn't want to get left behind after South Dublin CC's move into football.

Its more to do with certain Fingal councillors and their aim to create a completely seperate county

**dcfcsteve** · 19/01/2008, 4:57 PM

Originally Posted by Rocky77

Like the word 'hugely'. Has anyone ever used that word in everyday speak? But it's newspaper fodder - hugely impressive, hugely important etc

Do I ever use the word ? Yes - hugely....!

**dcfcsteve** · 19/01/2008, 4:59 PM

Originally Posted by higgins

Why did Dublin City get bashed for having 100-200 fans yet Kilkenny who offer up about 30 or 40 are different ?

Since when did Continuity Home Farm have that many home fans....!?!?

**Martinho II** · 19/01/2008, 7:53 PM

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Because they have PLANS.

Do you not remember what a load of ****** it was from the last time?

Also, this means that there's going to be one less team in the A League. How's that going to work? Is there another team going to come in and take Fingal's place (assuming they take the First Division spot, which I'm sure they will), or will we have one team less than originally planned and so (presumably) an odd number of teams in one league?

asked fran gavin that question pineapple stu he sais that there is nobody to replace them as it has got past the cut off period..

**Sonic** · 19/01/2008, 8:08 PM

Do we really need another Dublin team in the league! And I say that honestly. Surely we should be trying to incorporate other areas of the country much like when Wexford Youths joined! I dont really see the point of sporting Fingal it might just be another Dublin City. In any case very sad about Kilkenny but like Longford if the locals cant get out to support the team you run the risk of this happeneing. LEts just hope another club doesnt fall by the wayside. And also to finish up surely the fai could in some capacity help a struggling club like kilkenny. It wouldnt do any harm to their coffers to subdidise them for a year I mean they cant be running off that high a wage bill. Debts may have been the real issue but at least it would be a start. But as usual the Fai let football in this country down.

**Dodge** · 19/01/2008, 8:55 PM

Originally Posted by Sonic

But as usual the Fai let football in this country down.

The people of the country let football down. They had a team in Kilkenny and no one cared enough to go to the games. And no one cared enough to set up a club anywhere else

**onceahoop** · 19/01/2008, 9:03 PM

Originally Posted by ndrog

Drogs new stadium is being built in Drogheda which has always taken in parts of meath county on the northern part of town . And you cant get a dart or Dublin bus to Drogheda .

Er!! Yes you can get a Dublin Bus to Drogheda. Number 101.

**Dodge** · 19/01/2008, 9:10 PM

Originally Posted by onceahoop

Er!! Yes you can get a Dublin Bus to Drogheda. Number 101.

Thats a bus eirinn bus

**pineapple stu** · 19/01/2008, 9:13 PM

Is there a bus to Newbridge? Pretty sure there's one to Celbridge anyways.

**GavinZac** · 19/01/2008, 9:15 PM

Originally Posted by Dodge

And no one cared enough to set up a club anywhere else

You'll find that there are a few hundred other football clubs in the country, Dodge, just not ones being pushed onwards by a madcap "county council". As for the name... well, at least Youths was somewhat original. This crowd appear to have looked up wikipedia for clubs ending in -AL.

**dcfcsteve** · 19/01/2008, 9:19 PM

Originally Posted by Sonic

Do we really need another Dublin team in the league! And I say that honestly. Surely we should be trying to incorporate other areas of the country much like when Wexford Youths joined! I dont really see the point of sporting Fingal it might just be another Dublin City. In any case very sad about Kilkenny but like Longford if the locals cant get out to support the team you run the risk of this happeneing. LEts just hope another club doesnt fall by the wayside. And also to finish up surely the fai could in some capacity help a struggling club like kilkenny. It wouldnt do any harm to their coffers to subdidise them for a year I mean they cant be running off that high a wage bill. Debts may have been the real issue but at least it would be a start. But as usual the Fai let football in this country down.

Does the league need another Dublin Club ? No

Are there any non-Dublin clubs of the appropriate licensing standard ready and willing to step-up to the senior plate at this extremely short notice ? It doesn't appear so.

Having Spouting Fungus is therefore marginally better than having no replacement for Kilkenny City at all (and the fixture farce that would create). Hence why we are where we are.

**drummerboy** · 19/01/2008, 9:31 PM

I don't think Fingal County Council are allowed under law to fund a football club as regards its daily expenses. What they can do is provide land for a stadium and training facilities. The main backer Gannon, is the guy who bankrolls Malahide United. I think the main area SP are trying to tap into for support is Swords, where there is no league club. Whether they achieve this is another thing.

Just out of interest are Kilkenny going out of football completely or will they compete in the LSL or junior football.

**The Man Himself** · 20/01/2008, 11:35 AM

bohs, rovers, pats, shels, ucd, bray, drogheda, kildare and now sporting fingal!
the all dublin league is not far away.
bloody disgrace replacing kilkenny with another dublin club,
a team from tipp or kerry should have been offered the place.

**MariborKev** · 20/01/2008, 11:42 AM

Originally Posted by The Man Himself

bloody disgrace replacing kilkenny with another dublin club,a team from tipp or kerry should have been offered the place.

Despite the fact that they didn't meet the IAG requirements?

**passerrby** · 20/01/2008, 11:52 AM

Originally Posted by The Man Himself

bohs, rovers, pats, shels, ucd, bray, drogheda, kildare and now sporting fingal!
the all dublin league is not far away.
bloody disgrace replacing kilkenny with another dublin club,
a team from tipp or kerry should have been offered the place.

agreed with the setiiments but if no club from them areas applies there is nothing can be done