Sports minister wants Galway United back...!

Paddyfield

At the renaming ceremony for Terryland Park to Eamonn Deacy Park on Saturday 18 Aug, the Minister for Sport, Michael Ring TD pleaded with the CEO of the FAI John Delaney that Galway United should be reinstated in the League of Ireland.

Jim

While I'd love to see it happen the only real hope is the fans getting the cash together or an outside investor coming in. Although in fairness there should only be one Galway team (I know this has been debated multiple times before).

Multiple LOI teams going bust? This lad couldn't give a toss.

ErnieBert

I miss Friday nights in Terryland.

Neither Salthill Devon or Connacht Rugby can ever fill that gap.

civis_liberalis

IBTL...

Jim wrote: »

or an outside investor coming in.

The idiots that ran Galway United into the ground has given many people the false impression that Galway can't support a LOI Premier Division team. This is pure nonsense. If someone was installed solely to sabotage the operation, they couldn't have done a better job. People took advantage of that with a poor imitation and it failed even more than anyone could have imagined.

Everybody in Galway football seems to be rowing together to create a united team for the region, not just in name.

Jim wrote: »

Although in fairness there should only be one Galway team

Agreed. A team from Galway challenging for Europe etc. is perfectly achievable. This can only happen when those in Galway who stand in its way for the sake of their own gain are cast aside by those in power.

Galway United STFC begin their League of Ireland U19 League campaign in Eamonn Deacy Park (formerly Terryland Park) on Sunday 2nd Sept.

As for Michael Ring, if you listen to the whole video, you can tell that he hasn't a bulls notion what is going on in Galway. There to be seen.

mikemac1

I remember an interview with Nick Leeson when he was commerical director, he later became the top man.

What's the verdict on him in Galway?

Just interested to know, very high profile man. Did he leave before the club collapsed? Was he partly to blame?

civis_liberalis

mikemac1 wrote: »

I remember an interview with Nick Leeson when he was commerical director, he later became the top man.

What's the verdict on him in Galway?

Just interested to know, very high profile man. Did he leave before the club collapsed? Was he partly to blame?

Oh Jesus... The whole business community in Galway knows what he is like. If you are familiar with what he did at Barings, he did the exact same things in Galway.

The directors who appointed him were bad enough, but Leeson was the single biggest cause of the whole situation.

I don't know much detail I can go into really. He is a convicted fraudster. He is extremely intelligent. He is a self-confessed sociopath.

I don't know who the directors of that company are currently but he stepped down as CEO in Feb of 2011. He was still a member of the board and was a constant thorn in the side of the supporters who did their best to rescue the situation.

celty

Jim wrote: »

While I'd love to see it happen the only real hope is the fans getting the cash together or an outside investor coming in. Although in fairness there should only be one Galway team (I know this has been debated multiple times before).

Multiple LOI teams going bust? This lad couldn't give a toss.

The problems with Irish soccer begin right at the top, with this CEO, who earns more than his Spanish and Italian equivalents.

It is an absolute disgrace that this man was earning €400k per annum until he agreed to a 10% cut a few weeks ago (wow!), while he heads up a League which is pathetically weak and an organisation which doesn't even have a decent Youth Academy.

Lapin

Paddyfield wrote: »

At the renaming ceremony for Terryland Park to Eamonn Deacy Park on Saturday 18 Aug, the Minister for Sport, Michael Ring TD pleaded with the CEO of the FAI John Delaney that Galway United should be reinstated in the League of Ireland.

I wouldn't expect a politician to come out with anything different.

Especially a Mayo politician whose constituency looks set to lose a sizable chunk of territory to Galway West before the next election.

grooney

John Delaney doesn't head up the league though, he heads up the national association. The league has only become merged with the FAI over the last few years. If it's not financially viable doesn't matter who's in charge of the FAI or how much they get there's not much they can do is there?

Predalien

Hopefully we will see Galway United back and the people of Galway get behind the team. It's depressing to see all the empty seats at many League of Ireland games particularly considering the many quality players in the league in recent years.

civis_liberalis

grooney wrote: »

John Delaney doesn't head up the league though, he heads up the national association. The league has only become merged with the FAI over the last few years.

The FAI run the league. Delaney is the head of the FAI

grooney wrote: »

If it's not financially viable doesn't matter who's in charge of the FAI or how much they get there's not much they can do is there?

It was always financially viable. It was ran into the ground by idiots.

The economy is in a bad way, but all you do is cut your cloth accordingly.

ErnieBert

Predalien wrote: »

It's depressing to see all the empty seats at many League of Ireland games particularly considering the many quality players in the league in recent years.

Sligo Rovers are 8 points clear at the top of the Premier Division yes they only got 2,700 for their home win 3-0 last night. I was at a game there in the mid 90's and they were getting 5,000+ at games. Their facilities are good and it's a soccer mad town so I can't figure it out. Maybe the recession is kicking in?

WallyGUFC

ErnieBert wrote: »

Sligo Rovers are 8 points clear at the top of the Premier Division yes they only got 2,700 for their home win 3-0 last night. I was at a game there in the mid 90's and they were getting 5,000+ at games. Their facilities are good and it's a soccer mad town so I can't figure it out. Maybe the recession is kicking in?

2,700 on a Monday night is an exceptional crowd.