Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Limerick FC

  • 21-02-2010 2:42pm
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 204 ✭✭


    I'm surprised that there is no Limerick FC thread.

    To get the ball rolling...

    Limerick v Galway United twitter updates

    http://twitter.com/galwayunitedfc

    Match kicked-off at 2pm.


«13456724

Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 16,514 ✭✭✭✭osarusan


    Final score 0-0. Limerick missed a penalty.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 8,048 ✭✭✭Amazotheamazing


    Anymore news on the FAI trying to buy the Market's Field? It's the best long term home for Limerick FC and a small pretty much city centre stadium could generate a bit of interest in casual fans.

    Will Limerick FC host a friendly in Thomond Park this summer, could be a nice earner if they got the right team in.

    And, finally for now, how are the training grounds in Knocknalisheen coming together?


  • Registered Users Posts: 13,589 ✭✭✭✭Aidric


    Anymore news on the FAI trying to buy the Market's Field? It's the best long term home for Limerick FC and a small pretty much city centre stadium could generate a bit of interest in casual fans.
    Agree completely, it can't happen soon enough although I haven't heard anything on it in a while. The new Greyhound Stadium is due to open before the end of this year. Do they have to wait till then?


  • Registered Users Posts: 542 ✭✭✭Soulcrew09


    gufcfan wrote: »
    I'm surprised that there is no Limerick FC thread.

    Sher you know yourself Limerick fans have a home of their own. ;)
    http://foot.ie/forums/53-Limerick

    Unless the club can come up with several millions or the city council acually do something for the club for once, then the Markets Field plan is dead in the water.


  • Registered Users Posts: 67 ✭✭macheda


    Soulcrew09 wrote: »
    Sher you know yourself Limerick fans have a home of their own. ;)
    http://foot.ie/forums/53-Limerick

    Unless the club can come up with several millions or the city council acually do something for the club for once, then the Markets Field plan is dead in the water.

    Ya to be honest this project is a non-starter. On the filed scully seems to have established a decent squad so hopefully we can maintain a promotion push.


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users Posts: 542 ✭✭✭Soulcrew09


    macheda wrote: »
    Ya to be honest this project is a non-starter. On the filed scully seems to have established a decent squad so hopefully we can maintain a promotion push.

    Decent team, well prepared, could do with a striker though. (Clarke, Kelleher and Tierney flying in pre-season though) If they challanged for a play-off spot then everyone would be happy. Unfortunetely having Bray, Waterford, Derry and Shelbourne in the league will make it very hard.

    Thankfully we'll have an 'A' team this year so lads who are not starting with the first team and who are coming back from injury can get some game time.


  • Registered Users Posts: 67 ✭✭macheda


    Soulcrew09 wrote: »
    Decent team, well prepared, could do with a striker though. (Clarke, Kelleher and Tierney flying in pre-season though) If they challanged for a play-off spot then everyone would be happy. Unfortunetely having Bray, Waterford, Derry and Shelbourne in the league will make it very hard.

    Thankfully we'll have an 'A' team this year so lads who are not starting with the first team and who are coming back from injury can get some game time.

    Ya you can add cork to that too. I share your point about up front but hopefully robbie who has lost a good bit of weight and clarke and tierney can hit the ground running early.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,312 ✭✭✭Limerick Dude


    Yeah i think there was alot of pressure on Scully last season, hopefully this year we will see the benefits of the young but talented squad that we have.

    It would be great if we got into the playoffs.


  • Registered Users Posts: 16,514 ✭✭✭✭osarusan


    Yeah i think there was alot of pressure on Scully last season, hopefully this year we will see the benefits of the young but talented squad that we have.
    There wasn't really much pressure on him, as he'd come in after the season started, and inherited a thin squad rather than building his own. This season will see more pressure on him as he's had time to get his team together.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 8,048 ✭✭✭Amazotheamazing


    Soulcrew09 wrote: »
    Sher you know yourself Limerick fans have a home of their own. ;)
    http://foot.ie/forums/53-Limerick

    Unless the club can come up with several millions or the city council acually do something for the club for once, then the Markets Field plan is dead in the water.

    Afaik, Limerick FC have already sent a bid for the Market's Field to Bord na gCon? The land is valuable, but not massively so, it will always be designated for recreation and let's face it, no-one's buying large chunks of land for apartments anymore. Who else is going to buy it if not Limerick FC? Not the GAA, not the IRFU. The only other option would be for someone like UL to buy it and develop a university stadium there, but that's beyond unlikely.


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users Posts: 4,924 ✭✭✭Raiser


    I find this a small bit confusing?

    Hasn't the Irish Greyhound Board been trying to get out of the Markets Field for the past number of years due to problems with parking, anti-social elements, arson etc?

    - Why would anyone else be queueing to get in?


  • Registered Users Posts: 13,589 ✭✭✭✭Aidric


    Raiser wrote: »
    I find this a small bit confusing?

    Hasn't the Irish Greyhound Board been trying to get out of the Markets Field for the past number of years due to problems with parking, anti-social elements, arson etc?

    - Why would anyone else be queueing to get in?
    It's a dump, no doubt, but a slightly better dump then their current ground.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,361 ✭✭✭Itsdacraic


    Raiser wrote: »
    I find this a small bit confusing?

    Hasn't the Irish Greyhound Board been trying to get out of the Markets Field for the past number of years due to problems with parking, anti-social elements, arson etc?

    - Why would anyone else be queueing to get in?

    Well, when you spend a few years playing in Rathbane even one of the greens in Moyross would start to look good.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 8,048 ✭✭✭Amazotheamazing


    Raiser wrote: »
    I find this a small bit confusing?

    Hasn't the Irish Greyhound Board been trying to get out of the Markets Field for the past number of years due to problems with parking, anti-social elements, arson etc?

    - Why would anyone else be queueing to get in?

    Different reasons, Bord na gCon are trying to revamp all their stadia, and promote greyhounds as a night out in itself, a self contained stadium on suits them.

    On the otherhand, the market's field is the spiritual home of Limerick senior soccer (though GAA and rugby were both played there before Limerick FC even existed, afaik). It suits Limerick FC because it's pretty much city centre, has the potential to draw fans in to it who live within walking distance, etc. Very easy to see people going to games after work on a Friday and then talking the short walk to Nancies etc to continue the night out. As such, football would be only one element of the night.

    More than anything else though, it's because it's an available stadium that they could own and call their long term home, something they haven't had in nearly 30 years.

    Btw, what's going on with Hogan's field this weather?


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,361 ✭✭✭Itsdacraic


    Different reasons, Bord na gCon are trying to revamp all their stadia, and promote greyhounds as a night out in itself, a self contained stadium on suits them.

    On the otherhand, the market's field is the spiritual home of Limerick senior soccer (though GAA and rugby were both played there before Limerick FC even existed, afaik). It suits Limerick FC because it's pretty much city centre, has the potential to draw fans in to it who live within walking distance, etc. Very easy to see people going to games after work on a Friday and then talking the short walk to Nancies etc to continue the night out. As such, football would be only one element of the night.

    More than anything else though, it's because it's an available stadium that they could own and call their long term home, something they haven't had in nearly 30 years.

    Btw, what's going on with Hogan's field this weather?

    The fact of the matter still remains though that the Markets Field is privately owned, it's in Bord na gCons interests to extract as much money as they can for it. Kevin Kiely called for Bord na gCon to sell the MF to Limerick FC for a nominal amount, so that it would "create goodwill" towards Bord na gCon. The problem is though, who would it create goodwill from? The couple of hundred people that go to watch Limerick every week? Even soccer people in the city don't support Limerick.
    Until the deficencies in Limerick senior soccer (and LOI soccer in general) are addressed and a sustainable marketable model is introduced, I can't see anybody stumping up the cash to buy the Markets Field for Limerick. they had to raise €40k just to keep the club afloat last year, let alone raise €1m to buy a stadium.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 8,048 ✭✭✭Amazotheamazing


    Itsdacraic wrote: »
    The fact of the matter still remains though that the Markets Field is privately owned, it's in Bord na gCons interests to extract as much money as they can for it. Kevin Kiely called for Bord na gCon to sell the MF to Limerick FC for a nominal amount, so that it would "create goodwill" towards Bord na gCon. The problem is though, who would it create goodwill from? The couple of hundred people that go to watch Limerick every week? Even soccer people in the city don't support Limerick.
    Until the deficencies in Limerick senior soccer (and LOI soccer in general) are addressed and a sustainable marketable model is introduced, I can't see anybody stumping up the cash to buy the Markets Field for Limerick. they had to raise €40k just to keep the club afloat last year, let alone raise €1m to buy a stadium.

    I worry that if Limerick FC buy it, they will simply have to sell it down the line due to their previous history of running the club. I'd rather the FAI bought it and leased it out to Limerick FC but if they did, every other club would probably want the FAI to buy their stadium too.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,361 ✭✭✭Itsdacraic


    I worry that if Limerick FC buy it, they will simply have to sell it down the line due to their previous history of running the club. I'd rather the FAI bought it and leased it out to Limerick FC but if they did, every other club would probably want the FAI to buy their stadium too.

    The only way the FAI could get away with something like that is to develop a center of excellence/acadamey still thing but there isn't the space at the Markets Field for that.

    Shamrock Rovers rent their pitch from South Dublin County Council, but that was developed in better times and Limerick City Council don't have a bean, so can't see them investing any moeny in another stadium for what is regreattably a very poorly supported club. It would see very little spin off benefits in comparison to big match days at Thomond or the Gaelic Grounds.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 8,048 ✭✭✭Amazotheamazing


    Itsdacraic wrote: »
    The only way the FAI could get away with something like that is to develop a center of excellence/acadamey still thing but there isn't the space at the Markets Field for that.

    Shamrock Rovers rent their pitch from South Dublin County Council, but that was developed in better times and Limerick City Council don't have a bean, so can't see them investing any moeny in another stadium for what is regreattably a very poorly supported club. It would see very little spin off benefits in comparison to big match days at Thomond or the Gaelic Grounds.


    Yeah, iirc, the FAI actually wanted to build an Academy at Hogan's field but some sort of typical disaster stopped it. However, with the regeneration of the long Pavement, the city council should do a joint enterprise with the FAI to build both an Academy and a stadium, city council gives the land at the long pavement and the FAI provides the money to build the necessary facilities. Win-win really.


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,634 ✭✭✭flutered


    i remember the old markets field very well, there was some crack there the day turlogh o connor came back with dundalk for his first game after leaving limerick, dundalk won b.t.y. limerick had to play some big games in thomand park to cater for the crowds. they should never have gone to dublin to play in the BIG one, me thinks that was a turning point, many supporters i used to know could not afford to travel, they also got sour and started to vote with their feet,the main problem for limerick fc is the strenght of junior football, it eats up players and supporters, in an ideal world it should be a feeding ground but it is the opposite.


  • Registered Users Posts: 16,514 ✭✭✭✭osarusan


    Limerick FC are closer to a return to the Market's Field than they have been for a while. The fact remains though that it is privately owned land, and Bord na gCon, while wanting to sell, are willing to wait for a good price.

    It will be interesting, if Limerick do get back in there, how many people will turn up who have used Limerick not being in the Market's Field as an excuse not to go to games.


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users Posts: 6,634 ✭✭✭flutered


    osarusan wrote: »
    Limerick FC are closer to a return to the Market's Field than they have been for a while. The fact remains though that it is privately owned land, and Bord na gCon, while wanting to sell, are willing to wait for a good price.

    its a buyers market now, they will have a long long wait for a good price, unless they find a way to hand it to nama, then they will be on the pigs back


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,361 ✭✭✭Itsdacraic


    flutered wrote: »

    its a buyers market now, they will have a long long wait for a good price, unless they find a way to hand it to nama, then they will be on the pigs back

    Why would they hand it to Nama? I assume they have no debt attached to the Markets Field, so can afford to sit on it for as long as they want.


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,634 ✭✭✭flutered


    Itsdacraic wrote: »
    Why would they hand it to Nama? I assume they have no debt attached to the Markets Field, so can afford to sit on it for as long as they want.
    it costs money 24/7 even if its empty, security etc, every week its costing, they cannot keep that up.


  • Registered Users Posts: 542 ✭✭✭Soulcrew09


    flutered wrote: »
    problem for limerick fc is the strenght of junior football, .

    Maybe during Fairviews glory days a few years back but cant agree now, some fine players about town but general standards have dipped in the city. The best players at junior level have made little or no mark at senior level which has created a lot of bitterness (Pike still decent mind) Crowds at Junior games average about 30/40.

    Problem is the big clubs dont want to see a strong senior team as all the best young talent will want to go there. Just look a Clarke going from Boro to Limerick recently.

    Real in Dublin and moving from the Markets Field were certainly bad moves no doubt, however the few people still left from that era all seem to agree the clubhouse fire in Hogan Park was the start of the downfall. People forget Limerick were pulling crowds of 3/4000 up there before that.

    If Limerick are doing well the crowds will come, crowds of over a thousand was not unusual 2 years ago when they went on a bit of a run in the second half of the season. Fact is the club is being better run now than it ever has in a long time.

    Im aware of what went down during the days of Grace and Fr Joe and dont blame people from staying way (I would too)
    However a younger hardcore generation seems to be following the club now and have not been messed around and long may it continue.


  • Registered Users Posts: 542 ✭✭✭Soulcrew09


    flutered wrote: »
    it costs money 24/7 even if its empty, security etc, every week its costing, they cannot keep that up.

    Limerick would only want to use it for 90mins every 2 weeks, there are other plans for the site involving the FAI and Dept of Education.
    Sher put a car park in there (already a small one there) would bring in a few bob every day.

    Limerick Chairman offered 1mill.


    About 6 short

    (open to correction)


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,361 ✭✭✭Itsdacraic


    flutered wrote: »
    it costs money 24/7 even if its empty, security etc, every week its costing, they cannot keep that up.

    The place is only about 2 steps above disrepair as it stands. They wouldn't be overly concerned with security for it, at least not to the degree where they would be willing to accept a bid 4 or 5 million below the asking price.

    It would be fantastic to have a 4 or 5k seater soccer stadium in the city but the numbers just don't add up.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 8,048 ✭✭✭Amazotheamazing


    Soulcrew09 wrote: »
    Limerick would only want to use it for 90mins every 2 weeks, there are other plans for the site involving the FAI and Dept of Education.
    Sher put a car park in there (already a small one there) would bring in a few bob every day.

    Limerick Chairman offered 1mill.


    About 6 short

    (open to correction)

    I don't see how the 7 million price tag is realistic, the land is zoned for sports, who else is going to buy it? Also, even if it was rezoned to residential or commercial, no-one's going to build anything there for the foreseeable future.

    It's uses are limited, 7 million seems overly ambitious, considering the current stadium would have to be levelled.

    In truth, a bid from Limerick FC or the FAI is all Bord na gCon can hope for, as is, imo.


  • Registered Users Posts: 41 IrishGooner83


    On the otherhand, the market's field is the spiritual home of Limerick senior soccer (though GAA and rugby were both played there before Limerick FC even existed, afaik). It suits Limerick FC because it's pretty much city centre, has the potential to draw fans in to it who live within walking distance, etc. Very easy to see people going to games after work on a Friday and then talking the short walk to Nancies etc to continue the night out. As such, football would be only one element of the night.QUOTE]


    Do Limerick FC not play their games these days at Jackman Park..? I cant see a massive difference in distance from town between here and The Markets Field to be honest.. Jackman Park would only be about a 10 minute walk to the major pubs in Limerick (Nancy's, Flannerys etc...)

    The club could do more to promote the Friday night games - I think the idea has good basis. Catch the footy with a few mates and then walk into town to kick off the w'end with a few more scoops.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 858 ✭✭✭goingpostal


    I saw an article in the Limerick Post that said that Limerick City Council sold the Markets Field to Bord na gCon for 40,000 punts and will now have to pay 1million euro to get it back!! Good work, fellas!! Jackman Park and Markets Field are much of a muchness. Both of them are very run down and need serious investment to bring them to the standard of Thomond Park and The Gaelic Grounds. That is the standard that people going to sporting events expect these days and what Limerick FC will need in order to compete with soccer on satellite TV seven nights a week. Charging 12euro to watch a relatively low standard of football in non existent facilities isn't going to fly anymore. The last Limerick game I went to was Limerick vs Cork in the cup a few years back. You don't expect the players to be Brazil 1970, but the negativity of Limericks play was unforgivable. They could have at least tried to put on a show and play some decent attacking football instead of sitting back and defending and playing for penalties from the first minute. The most entertaining thing that night was some fat kid stumbling around the place at half time in a kit many sizes too small for him. Nuff said.


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users Posts: 6,634 ✭✭✭flutered


    just look at all the facilitys at stadiums across chanell, yet most games have only 40% or less attendance, except for the high profile games,


This discussion has been closed.
Advertisement