Longford Takeover - Roddy's Back (But not for long)

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Longford take-over to see Collins return as manager

By Daniel McDonnell
Wednesday March 12 2008

RODDY COLLINS is set for a shock return to football management with Longford Town after a Dublin-based consortium last night shook hands on a deal to take over the Midlands club.

The charismatic former Bohemians, Carlisle, Dublin City and Shamrock Rovers boss will be installed by new owners McMullens Properties, who expect to complete the deal within the next month.

Current manager Aaron Callaghan will remain at Flancare Park in an as yet undefined capacity.

Longford were relegated from the Premier Division of the Eircom League last season, with a points deduction due to licensing irregularities, brought about by their dire financial state, proving costly.

To prepare for First Division football, they have slashed their playing budget by a fifth but Anthony McMullen of McMullens Properties believes the club can be turned around by exploring alternative revenue streams.

"We're taking over debts here but they are manageable. "We are looking to create new vehicles that will look after those debts," said McMullen last night after a day of meetings with Town officials and solicitors which ended with agreement being reached.

"There's potential here with an all-seater stadium and we'll be looking to get a bar licence, an all-weather pitch and other ways of bringing in income," he added.

McMullen, who was a promising underage footballer in his youth and has a family steeped in the game, has lofty ambitions beyond these shores when it comes to the sport.

After two years of proving his acumen in the Eircom League, he hopes to get more money together with further investors with a view to purchasing a club in England -- while maintaining his links with Longford, which could end up acting as feeder team to his cross-Channel operation.

And he would plan to bring Collins with him, such is his faith in the often controversial double-winning manager, who has been out of the game since parting company ignominiously with Shamrock Rovers in 2005.

"I have great faith in Roddy," said McMullen.

"You look at players like Paddy McCourt, Richie Foran, Brian Shelley, talents that he helped nurture. I'm confident he's the right man.''

It is understood that Collins will be a shareholder in the new Longford Town set-up.

Very, very strange imo

KdjaCL

In a field far far away, ronan weeps

thats an odd move alright, we doing the opposite and bringing players back while he wants to send more over


kdjac

OhNoYouDidn't

I assumed McGuire would be the last one to but Rodericks snake oil (investors my swiss).

If Longford take Roddy on they deserve all they get.

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Is "alternative revenue streams" a codeword for "gaffs on Flancare"?

The bets thing about this is that they will be looking for a bar licence.

Why the jaysis does it not have one already?

Ronan|Raven

What the **** im to shocked to think of what.

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Ronan|Raven wrote: »

What the **** im to shocked to think of what.

Change yer sig there Ro :D

gucci

"There's potential here with an all-seater stadium and we'll be looking to get a bar licence, an all-weather pitch and other ways of bringing in income," he added.

I'm nearly sure they have a license already there. (maybe its restricted for some reason!) They definitely have 2 all weather 5 aside pitches at flancare too, not sure there is a market for a full size in a town the size of longford as there is a new one IN the town that no no one would be bothering their barney to go out and use the one out there.

After two years of proving his acumen in the Eircom League, he hopes to get more money together with further investors with a view to purchasing a club in England -- while maintaining his links with Longford, which could end up acting as feeder team to his cross-Channel operation.

Ahh jesus, that sounds like complete pie in the sky there.

SantryRed

The one bit I really don't like is where it's saying he might use Longford as a feeder club to an English club that may be taken over at a later date

Maybe that's were Roddy really wants to manage and may go with them?
I just find it hard to believe he will be managing Longford for longer than two seasons.

EDIT: didn't read it fully so don't mind the second part of what I said.:D

Ronan|Raven

Not Roddy oh god no, jesus wept I would sooner follow longford in the LSL than see that bollox in charge.

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gucci wrote: »

I'm nearly sure they have a license already there.

They don't.

You can't buy a pint in the FlanSiro

Ronan|Raven wrote: »

Not Roddy oh god no, jesus wept I would sooner follow longford in the LSL than see that bollox in charge.

:pac::pac::pac:

SantryRed

Ronan|Raven wrote: »

Not Roddy oh god no, jesus wept I would sooner follow longford in the LSL than see that bollox in charge.

The possibility of being a feeder club to an English side is what I'd be most annoyed about if it was my club tbh.

Ronan|Raven

We dont have a license for the bar, they have tried but some issues are preventing us, dont know what they are. There were already plans to build a full size all weather pitch behind the uncovered stand so nothing new there.

I dont know what to really think, getting someone to take over the debt would be a good thing and ot be able to invest a bit in us. However the other half of me is happy seeing us as we are now, with a steady ship and us having got our financial affairs in order and paying off the debts via the supporters trust scheme which is doing well and continuing to develop the local players and in a couple of seasons and push for promotion.

Roddy, dear lord, when he gets bored or has a boxing match he will soon **** off and if things dont go as they all plan they all will **** off leaving us in the ****.

A feeder club for some team in England? **** that to be honest.

A large banner for the next home game is in order me thinks.

:mad: :rolleyes:

KdjaCL

SantryRed wrote: »

The possibility of being a feeder club to an English side is what I'd be most annoyed about if it was my club tbh.

How much Man Utd give shels to be their irish feeder club, 50k was it?

If McMullen buys it they be fine, its the Rod part i be worried about as there is relegation from the 1st coming and he can keep up his record of getting all bar one of his clubs relegated.

kdjac

OhNoYouDidn't

Ronan|Raven wrote: »

I dont know what to really think, getting someone to take over the debt would be a good thing and ot be able to invest a bit in us. However the other half of me is happy seeing us as we are now, with a steady ship and us having got our financial affairs in order and paying off the debts via the supporters trust scheme which is doing well and continuing to develop the local players and in a couple of seasons and push for promotion.

:

I would wager that the property man has his eyes on the rest of the land LTFC own, where the all weather pitches are going.

Roddy lines up these investors for the simple reason they will take over the club and keep him in a job. He did it at Carlisle (look what happened there) and tried to do it at Rovers and Bohs. These investors always have an agenda and are not in it for football reasons, despite the noise.

Some of the stories I could tell you about Roddy and what he did behind the scenes at Rovers would scare the dung out of any Longford fan. He and his 'backers' will kill your club if you let him.

You need to get organised and try to block this now before anything is signed.

OhNoYouDidn't

KdjaCL wrote: »

If McMullen buys it they be fine, its the Rod part i be worried about as there is relegation from the 1st coming and he can keep up his record of getting all bar one of his clubs relegated.

If Roddy was the 'fixer' here and got McMullen involved, I would think things would be far from fine. If this guy has ambition to run a football club, why Longford? Why now? Why not (for example) Shels, who are looking for investors, have far more potential, but there is no property involved?

SantryRed

KdjaCL wrote: »

How much Man Utd give shels to be their irish feeder club, 50k was it?

I don't know what the figure was but the schoolboy teams are now linked with Hull and I don't agree with that either.

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SantryRed wrote: »

I don't know what the figure was but the schoolboy teams are now linked with Hull and I don't agree with that either.

If Hull are paying for this link, and the money is helping to keep the club alive, then I most certainly welcome it.

Better than spending the builders' money anyway.

KdjaCL

McMullen tried to buy pats until he found out how much the ground would cost him as its still not all owned by the club even now.

Rodster would have came in as manager so i reckon Mc Mullen wants an El club and longford is a no risk little investment team that could break even if they had a bar.


I also have no issue taking money from english clubs, i know we got money from Crewe before and they loaned us the aptly named Kevin Street

kdjac

SantryRed

DesF wrote: »

If Hull are paying for this link, and the money is helping to keep the club alive, then I most certainly welcome it.

Better than spending the builders' money anyway.

Yeah I know that but then are we not showing a lack of ambition by not holding on to our best players?

Or we could sell them over at 18/19 if clubs think there good enough?

Sure, didn't we get about €100,000 for Karl Sheppard at the start of the season?

Sherifu

Strange move. Interesting to see how this pans out.

OhNoYouDidn't

KdjaCL wrote: »

McMullen tried to buy pats until he found out how much the ground would cost him as its still not all owned by the club even now.

Rodster would have came in as manager so i reckon Mc Mullen wants an El club and longford is a no risk little investment team that could break even if they had a bar.

Perhaps and if Roddy wasn't involved I would agree.

But if this is strictly about football and McMullan claims to be a footie man, it seems counterintuitave that Roddy will be the manager.

Xavi6

Can't believe Roddy's gettin his dirty little hands on another eL club. Between him and Dolan, probably the two worse characters in the domestic game.

Jonny Arson

so, thats Longford down to the A-league next season ah seriously nothing to worry about, i'm sure Roddy has Efan Ekoku lined up to take the First division by storm :pac:

seriously, i can't think of a more lethal cocktail to be injected into a club that is just sorting itself than Roddy and property developers. Roddy will f**k off when he gets bored, Mr. Property developer and Roddy's investors buddies are already off to England in 2 years time. like with the Sporting Fingal project, developers are not in football to piss money up against the wall or to 'give something back to the community', to raise revenue streams or any other crap you hear, its land land land = €€€

this will end in tears , unless money is being put in with no profit or return expected from Roddy and co. , then Longford fans must object to this because this takeover stinks

Jonny Arson

Club Statement

Today, 10:42AM

LTFC would like to confirm that a meeting was held last night with potential investors. Contrary to reports in todays papers no agreement has been reached. Any formal proposal received will be brought before the club executive and club members for a decision.

http://www.ltfc.ie/news/article/?id=dc8fc957-636b-43d0-9e47-c20b391ef59f

kerash

No No No No No No No No No No NOOOOOOOOOooooo
Oh Christ, please no, I cant read a paper, watch tv, now I have to see him manage my soccer team, please someone say its not true.:(:(:(:(:(

Gavin "shels"

KdjaCL wrote: »

I also have no issue taking money from english clubs, i know we got money from Crewe before and they loaned us the aptly named Kevin Street

kdjac

Talk about my neck of the woods badly again and we'll have problems.:D

KdjaCL

Gavin shels wrote: »

Talk about my neck of the woods badly again and we'll have problems.:D

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Street

seriously


kdjac

Ronan|Raven

LONGFORD TOWN'S club executive and members will meet this evening to decide whether to accept a deal from McMullens Properties which would see Roddy Collins coming into the club as part of a majority takeover.

The estate agents have been in talks about purchasing the club and were confident that a deal was concluded after meeting representatives of the board on Tuesday.

But Longford have stalled on finalising the arrangement before putting the package to all interested stakeholders currently involved in the First Division club this evening.

A working proposal which would see McMullens take a 51pc majority share in the club has been devised and that is likely to put to the meeting this evening.

The remaining 49pc would remain in the name of the existing owners with the Flancare Park ground being protected to alleviate any concerns that the Dublin investors were looking at the land as a property deal.

However, to manage the club's debts and finance the further development of Longford, the McMullens group would be looking to build all-weather pitches, purchase a bar licence and look to build other potential forms of revenue on the site.

Strapped

The Midlanders are in a cash- strapped position and were relegated last season due to their financial difficulties leaving the existing board open to discussions.

Yet they are reluctant to hand over full control to an outside party and that is why discussions have reached a situation where McMullens would take a majority stake rather than the entire 100pc.

The role of Collins, however, is crucial to their interest and they want the former Carlisle, Bohemians and Shamrock Rovers coach to take an active part in football matters.

Collins has spoken to current manager Aaron Callaghan who, along with assistant Vinny Perth, has assembled a panel on a reduced budget to compete in the upcoming campaign.

It now appears that Callaghan will be allowed to continue in control of team affairs for the time being although McMullens are looking at establishing a full-time set-up next year where Collins would take a prominent role.

ho hum

kerash

Thank Jesus!!!! Shoddy's not comin to town!!