1st division

**sporting** · 21/07/2008, 6:52 PM

Originally Posted by passerrby

im not saying anyone should stop you from going up in fact i would love to see yous going up would love to see how platium one would deal with that

cant c the wole platium thing going ahead. hopefully not anyway

**TheFingallian** · 21/07/2008, 6:54 PM

Originally Posted by passerrby

im not saying anyone should stop you from going up in fact i would love to see yous going up would love to see how platium one would deal with that

Same way they would deal with all the other non-invited teams. Forget about them. Coming to think about it, if this were destined to come true, then it makes this season's promotion chase pointless since we would still be in the 2nd tier eventually.

**sporting** · 21/07/2008, 6:55 PM

Originally Posted by Battery Rover

Maybe but when a team is playing to a certain style at home every week it does become an advantage as they are playing to suit the conditions. IMO it is very hard play a full passing game on your narrow pitch it suits balls over the top into corners with people running onto them.

so your sying if athlone played at home every week on there pitch, they'ed win the league??? the table doesn't lie, players have to be able to adjust to different pitches. obviously yours cant

**Battery Rover** · 21/07/2008, 7:02 PM

I am just on about your pitch in particular. It must be just within the allowed limit for a soccer pitch.

Some weeks if we didnt have an opposition team to play we would struggle win. Pitches should be wide and flat to allow teams play football if they want.

Anyways I dont think you will be promoted but if you do I don't think your club is sustainable with the money you are spending compared to gate attendances

**Martinho II** · 21/07/2008, 9:00 PM

Originally Posted by TheFingallian

We havn't hit our bad patch yet. Can't go through a season without one. That will probably put a halt to our ambitions until next year. Limerick are coming in a weeks time while Shels play muck teams. The way they are playing they could beat us. Then in August we go to Waterford and play Shels and Dundalk at Morton. Those games will have a big say in whether Fingal are capable or not of winning it.

what about us the first day of the season??does it not count???

**oldyouth** · 21/07/2008, 9:28 PM

My head says Shels will last the pace but don't underestimate a run such as L37 are putting together. Fair play if they can pull it off but recent results are impressive.

**higgins** · 22/07/2008, 1:05 AM

Originally Posted by Black and White

Theres nothing wrong with the pitch...it was delaney who approved it 4 years ago and now hes being a w.n.er over it...jst like when we won the playoff!!its fifa approved too so if we go up and they wont let us use the pitch...lets jst say maxi will be visting alot of headquarters in the next 6 months!!!

FIFA approved to what level ?

The pitch you have is not up to the standard of pitch required by current UEFA licensing. It may pass some standard but it doesn't pass the current standard for the Premier Division in this country.

IF,, that's IF you do finish first it will be interesting to see if the FAI back down.

**Kildare Lad** · 22/07/2008, 9:43 AM

IMO it will be Dundalk or Shelbourne, would be happy to see either club win the league too. Believe they are both capable of competing in the Premier Division, have the grounds for it, big (enough) names in Ireland.

Havnt been too impressed with Fingal or Waterford when I've seen them to be honest, but unfair to judge based on 1 or 2 games. League table is the only fair way to judge teams

**brianw82** · 22/07/2008, 10:16 AM

League table is the only fair way to judge teams

For sure. That's the beautiful thing about the league - you're bottom if you're the most **** team, and you're top if you're the best.

For me, I'd say Dundalk. They've ground out a few results recently while not playing well, which is the mark of a strong-willed team.

**Con-Con** · 22/07/2008, 10:21 AM

My bet is either Shels or 37 I can see Dundalk messing it up again.

**Kildare Lad** · 22/07/2008, 10:23 AM

Originally Posted by brianw82

you're bottom if you're the most **** team

Thanks for that

fully agree with what you said about Dundalk too, came down here a week or two ago and despite them not being great still managed to come out 2-1 winners. They have a good set of fans too, for me they have everything a premier division club needs.

**jinxy lilywhite** · 22/07/2008, 11:45 AM

Originally Posted by higgins

FIFA approved to what level ?

The pitch you have is not up to the standard of pitch required by current UEFA licensing. It may pass some standard but it doesn't pass the current standard for the Premier Division in this country.

IF,, that's IF you do finish first it will be interesting to see if the FAI back down.

Neither is any pitch in the first division then.
Because of our synthethic surface 2 tests needs to done. The test involved firing a ball at predetermined speed and to measure how long it would take for the ball to stop. The other test was the bounce of the ball. One of these tests failed. We where the only club that had to do the test and no grass surface in the first division and some of the premier would of passed those test as to their pitch conditions. The majority of away games i go to the pitches are in an awful state and they really are cabbage patches.
But when we do get promoted I would fully expect the pitch issue to be resolved and we will see Dundalk FC back where she belongs in the Premier Division.

**Battery Rover** · 22/07/2008, 12:17 PM

Having seen Dundalks pitch this season I can say it has improved with age as the high bounce seems to have settled and now plays like a normal pitch

**bholg** · 22/07/2008, 12:41 PM

Personally, I think Fingal will crumble under any sort of pressure.... not enough backbone..
Rich coming from a dundalk fan I know... Limerick I would be worried about... Shels didnt look too great on friday - Yet we couldnt beat them.

If we can beat the next 3 - monahgan (h), longford (a) and wexford youths (h) I will start getting excited at our prospects... not too tall an order from what Ive seen.

**passerrby** · 22/07/2008, 3:09 PM

I beg you pudding jinxy Kinspan Century park has a premier licence and if you pitch failed a uefa syntetic pitch inspection last year chances are it will have not got better but worse after another season.

**Paraic** · 22/07/2008, 3:35 PM

Originally Posted by passerrby

I beg you pudding jinxy Kinspan Century park has a premier licence and if you pitch failed a uefa syntetic pitch inspection last year chances are it will have not got better but worse after another season.

the problems with the pitch in oriel can be solved with an investment in maintenance work that afaik hasn't yet been carried out. as jinxy said, that can addressed with promotion.

re the run in, dundalk have been grinding out the results despite not playing particularly well recently or having a regular goalscorer like Shels and SF have, so despite backing shels to go up, I'm gonna plump for the lilywhites.

**jinxy lilywhite** · 22/07/2008, 3:40 PM

Originally Posted by passerrby

I beg you pudding jinxy Kinspan Century park has a premier licence and if you pitch failed a uefa syntetic pitch inspection last year chances are it will have not got better but worse after another season.

The reason that your kip got a licence was because there was a promotion that week. Collect 10 packets of tayto and get a premier licence. Sadly we where all on holidays to miss it.

As far as i'm aware slight maintenance needs to be done on the pitch. The infill needs to be changed or more put in to it. The club is working with the installers to make sure that the test is passed this year for the 2009 season.

**TheFingallian** · 22/07/2008, 3:45 PM

Originally Posted by Martinho II

what about us the first day of the season??does it not count???

We were slow to start the season but i'd put that to the age old gelling a team together problem. I'm talking a mid season four or five games where no matter what we do we can't win like Shels have been on of late and Dundalk also to a lesser extent. Surely at least one of them or Waterford will get the better off us come seasons end. Hell Limerick too if they beat us monday coming.

**Magicme** · 22/07/2008, 3:46 PM

Originally Posted by jinxy lilywhite

The reason that your kip got a licence was because there was a promotion that week. Collect 10 packets of tayto and get a premier licence. Sadly we where all on holidays to miss it.

As far as i'm aware slight maintenance needs to be done on the pitch. The infill needs to be changed or more put in to it. The club is working with the installers to make sure that the test is passed this year for the 2009 season.

At least it was a promotion that we won already this season.