Club Loyalty/Family Commitments

Pighead

Tonight Dundalk play arguably their biggest game in the last 5 years. They play against Waterford in a playoff that could well determine whether or not they'll be involved in the Premier League next year.

It has emerged over the last few days that Sean Finn will not be available for the game. Hamstring? Achilles? Fever? Nope, he has to go top America to visit his Wifes parents for Thanksgiving. He says he has had it booked since February and theres nothing he can do about it.

Finn has undoubtedly been a great player for Dundalk this season(Its between him and Hughes for the club player of the year) and hes the only player who can regularly make defence splitting passes. He'll be a huge loss. Do you think hes well within his rights to go awol on the eve of the clubs biggest match in ages or do you think family should come first and he owes the football club nothing.

Personally I realise that the lad is feeling pretty crappy about the timing of all this and in fairness to him there was no word of a playoff back in February when he booked it but c'mon surely he should have made alternative arrangements in order to help Dundalk get back to the top division once more.

gustavo

They should really try to work out something , thats ridiculous that Dundalk could miss out on Premier Division football over a bit of turkey and stuffing.

_blank_

Hmm.

Strange one this.

There obviously isn't a clause in his contract saying he has to play every game he is needed for.

Something can surely be worked out?

Is he flying to the states in good time for Thanksgiving, or arriving the morning of it?

Could Dundalk get him on a later flight? The FAI Lear Jet?

Pighead

seansouth wrote:

Hmm.

Strange one this.

There obviously isn't a clause in his contract saying he has to play every game he is needed for.

Something can surely be worked out?

Is he flying to the states in good time for Thanksgiving, or arriving the morning of it?

Could Dundalk get him on a later flight? The FAI Lear Jet?

Flew out to the states this morning, was at training last night to wish his teammates luck. Apparently hes none too happy with whats been written about him on Dundalk Forums. Thanksgiving is next Thursday but I'm guessing it would be nigh on impossible to get a flight change at this short notice.

If Dundalk were to ask for the FAI Lear Jet, Pigheads pretty sure that John "I'm from Waterford" Delaney would claim one of the tyres had a puncture!

gimmick

All this does is highlight how shambolic the administration of the eL is. This play off was only decided upon a few weeks ago, right? If so, Dundalk should be able to claim the expenses they would have to pay Finn for cancelling his flight, and re booking it.

Bah, its never ending.

Benedict XVI

Pighead wrote:

Thanksgiving is next Thursday but I'm guessing it would be nigh on impossible to get a flight change at this short notice.

Thanksgiving is tomorrow

Pighead

Benedict XVI wrote:

Thanksgiving is tomorrow

Oops My mistake. Always thought it was on the last Thursday of November.

KdjaCL

Sucks paying fans like Pighead go to the games and dont see the players commitment when its needed.


kdjac

_blank_

Unless he's posting updates from the ground, he paid nowhere tonight.

Pighead

Nope, at work tonight. Manager wouldn't let me off, something about owing the company 170 hours or something. Waiting for a goal to cheer on.

bohsman

KdjaCL wrote:

Sucks paying fans like Pighead go to the games and dont see the players commitment when its needed.


kdjac

Thats not very nice.

Actually when I read the title I thought Pighead was panicking about having to go to a family event when the game was on.

A Dub in Glasgo

Pighead wrote:

Do you think hes well within his rights to go awol on the eve of the clubs biggest match in ages or do you think family should come first and he owes the football club nothing.

It is hardly AWOL, he booked leave many months ago to travel to the USA. Additional work requirements have come in pretty late.

His commitment is to his family, not his employer. Certainly mine is and I assume the vast majority of people would feel their commitment is to their family rather than employer.

Pighead

A Dub in Glasgo wrote:

It is hardly AWOL, he booked leave many months ago to travel to the USA. Additional work requirements have come in pretty late.

His commitment is to his family, not his employer. Certainly mine is and I assume the vast majority of people would feel their commitment is to their family rather than employer.

Ah right, sorry buddy. Pighead thought pride and passion in the jersey was still alive and well.

Obviously playing for Dundalk is exactly like working a night shift in a soul destroying multinational company. My mistake.

county

in my book it`s P45 time,this isn`t your typical 9-5 job,can you imagine this farcical situation in any other league in europe

A Dub in Glasgo

Pighead wrote:

Ah right, sorry buddy. Pighead thought pride and passion in the jersey was still alive and well.

Obviously playing for Dundalk is exactly like working a night shift in a soul destroying multinational company. My mistake.

In which case, you are asking an emotional question, nothing to do with his rights. His rights are very clear.

What is all this about 'playing for the jersey' anyway? I certainly would not expect any player to abandon his family to 'play for the jersey'?

Playing football is a job, I do not expect people to do things I would not do myself and when it comes to family, commitments are clear.

A Dub in Glasgo

county wrote:

in my book it`s P45 time,this isn`t your typical 9-5 job,can you imagine this farcical situation in any other league in europe

How can he be sacked if his employer has given him the time off?

Maybe there should be a clause in players contracts which states 'You will play every game between X and Y' or 'You do not go on leave during the football season'.

Pighead

A Dub in Glasgo wrote:

In which case, you are asking an emotional question, nothing to do with his rights. His rights are very clear.

What is all this about 'playing for the jersey' anyway? I certainly would not expect any player to abandon his family to 'play for the jersey'?

Playing football is a job, I do not expect people to do things I would not do myself and when it comes to family, commitments are clear.

Abandon his family? What the fcuk. We're talking postponing a holiday for a week. Its only a fcuking Thanksgiving dinner. We're not sending him to a remote jungle in Waterford with a warning to his wife that he may not ever return.

bohsman

county wrote:

in my book it`s P45 time,this isn`t your typical 9-5 job,can you imagine this farcical situation in any other league in europe

Dennis Bergkamp? (fair enough, he never flew to the states to miss a match)

KdjaCL

county wrote:

in my book it`s P45 time,this isn`t your typical 9-5 job,can you imagine this farcical situation in any other league in europe

Yes happens every week, players dont show for training, drug tests, planes delayed etc:

PLayers miss important games overs tupid things.


kdjac

county

A Dub in Glasgo wrote:

Maybe there should be a clause in players contracts which states 'You will play every game between X and Y' or 'You do not go on leave during the football season'.

thats a valid point.you would think that would be the norm though

bohsman

In this case the season is over, players and clubs were informed the season would finish on the 19th.

Pighead

bohsman wrote:

In this case the season is over, players and clubs were informed the season would finish on the 19th.

What if Dundalk had of made the Cup Final?

Benedict XVI

Pighead wrote:

Ah right, sorry buddy. Pighead thought pride and passion in the jersey was still alive and well.

Fans should never overestimate the level of emotional attachment a player might have for his team. .

In most cases the pride and passion are far more prevelant with the fans, to the players it's just another job

ciaran76

Pighead wrote:

Abandon his family? What the fcuk. We're talking postponing a holiday for a week. Its only a fcuking Thanksgiving dinner. We're not sending him to a remote jungle in Waterford with a warning to his wife that he may not ever return.

Thanksgiving is a major deal over there Pighead nearly more important then Christmas in certain places.

I used to think players had pride for their teams that they play for but a few years ago I realised that it was all wishfull thinking and that all they care about is getting their wages and playing for their next contract and most don't care who that contract is with once they get paid.

I can understand their mentality to be honest but the days were players play for the love of the club is well gone. There is only a handful of players like that left today i reckon.

Chucky the tree

did Dundalk offer to compenstate him for the price of the holiday?


Family comes before work all the time. If it doesnt, your a tool.

cournioni

Why should they compensate him? They're paying him his wages. If he wants to leave for America, he should be doing it when no games are being played. Otherwise he shouldn't be getting this weeks wages off Dundalk.

I was at the game last night, it was fairly poor for the first half and a bit of the second but the 20-30 minutes was great. Dundalk really should have won it. They were by far the better side.

John_C

This problem stems from the fact that, with the new genesis thing, the league format was not finalised untill a week or two before the start of the season. It's an unavoidable consequence of playing in a league organised by the FAI.

A Dub in Glasgo

PORNAPSTER wrote:

Why should they compensate him? They're paying him his wages. If he wants to leave for America, he should be doing it when no games are being played. Otherwise he shouldn't be getting this weeks wages off Dundalk.

I was under the impression that Dundalk gave him the time off so that he can book this trip. Therefore, he is effectively on leave from Dundalk. The goalposts then change and Dundalk ask him to cancel his plans and not go on leave. The question of compensation has been raised wrt Dundalk paying for the money that was spent on the holiday if he agrees to cancel his leave.

If you put this into the same framework as your job, it is easier to see the issues.

Benedict XVI

WARNING – Upcoming gross generalisations and assumptions

Assumption # 1 – Players wife is American, her family live there; therefore she is likely to be American.
Assumption # 2 – Dundalk is a s**thole

Fact # 1 – Thanksgiving is huge, bigger than Christmas.

Gross Generalisation #1 – American women are very fond of home a can be f**king annoying when they are not near home for big holidays.

OK here is the story.

Back in February our player (forget his name) and American wife decided to go to USA for Thanksgiving. No problem.

Then Dundalk gets to playoff on the day they are travelling

So heer is the conversation

Player – Honey we can’t go I have a game and the team will compensate us for the flights

Wife – What do you mean we can’t go, I have been looking forward to this for months

Player – It’s our biggest game in x years and means that bla bla bla…

Wife – But you promised me, I have not seen Mom and Pop etc for months, Aunt Fanny and Uncle Bob are coming all the ay from Kuntzville, Pennsylvania to meet you.

You drag me over to this s**thole, thousands of miles from home, cos you want to play soccer and now you tell me we can’t go home for the holidays, cry, cry, cry

Player – Ok, Ok well go…..

cournioni

Feckin footballers wives... :mad:

Rikand

PORNAPSTER wrote:

Feckin footballers wives... :mad:

fottballers wives ? all wives in general!

KdjaCL

Rickylovesuall wrote:

fottballers wives ? all wives in general!

Just generalise it as women, it was heading that way


kdjac