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
Galway United
Options
Comments
-
From what I know Connacht receive a fraction of what the big 2 receive, and as such I think their performance is over and above all expectations.
Big difference from the Top tier of European Rugby, I have seen Toby Flood and Johnny Wilkinson playing in the Sportsground.
In the Soccer World they are probably comparable to Wayne Rooney or Stephen Gerard. I have never heard of a household name playing in Terryland Park.
Stephen Ward, Kevin Doyle and Seamus Coleman to name 3 off the top of my head.0 -
gordongekko wrote: »Stephen Ward, Kevin Doyle and Seamus Coleman to name 3 off the top of my head.
David Forde, Keith Fahey, Paddy McCourt.
Seamus Conneely is a household name of the future!0 -
Kevin Doyle the only one I recognized straight away and he is hardly up there with the greats, when are they playing in Terryland next - As the Sportsground will be hosting a feat of International players all season.0
-
Connacht get a few million a year. Galway United pay the FAI money to compete in the league.From what I know Connacht receive a fraction of what the big 2 receive,
Being dropped into the Heineken Cup reflects badly on the idiosyncrasies of the ERC's qualification procedure for the H Cup and has nothing to do with anything Connacht have done.and as such I think their performance is over and above all expectations.
Connacht's participation in the H Cup is a product of a lack of willingness on the part of the IRFU and other traditionally strong associations to give up their influence over it, in favour of a fair system based on something very strange... merit.
That is completely true, but when the FAI start throwing money at Galway United and drop them into Europe every year you can get back to me. Apples and oranges.Big difference from the Top tier of European Rugby, I have seen Toby Flood and Johnny Wilkinson playing in the Sportsground.
In the Soccer World they are probably comparable to Wayne Rooney or Stephen Gerard. I have never heard of a household name playing in Terryland Park.
I am from Connacht, but I have no interest in supporting a team that is undeserving of a place at the top table in Europe, in a game that is played seriously in a just a few countries outside of the British Isles in this part of the world.
This is absolutely not true (any more). I cannot defend anything that has happened in the past, but since the group of volunteers that now run the club on a day-to-day basis took over in February, every single thing that they have done was in the interests of the fans and restoring the reputation of the club. Nick Leeson was take take take, that cannot be denied. While this was apparent long before he left the position of CEO, the supporters had little say in it and soldiered on as best they could.My main issue with Galway United is, that it all seems take take take,
The club (Nick Leeson and the Board of Directors) saw fit to leave scores of suppliers unpaid, something which the supporters have been putting right.
Junior clubs have been brilliant in giving support to the club this season, as they can see the work being done by genuine people, to restore the reputation of the club and create something rooted in the community.
Connacht Rugby is a professional outfit, with professional players. It is expected that they take part in club promotion activities.
Galway United is now an amateur outfit, save for a couple of players who probably don't get paid much anyway. There were was a lot of school visits and engaging with clubs earlier in the season, but as things went pear shaped and professionals had to be released this sort of stuff didn't happen much any more.
Galway United do this, admittedly not as much as Connacht, but due to media favouritism and the money they can spend on advertising themselves sees them get far more attention.Connacht players can be seen in the town, and at community and supporters events.
When Galway United do something in the community, they tend to get a line in the club notes. Connacht tend to get photo spreads, often near the front of the paper.
The committee are doing their best to rebuild the club, but the concern right now, as it has been since February, is the immediate future of the club.They are currently taking the game to all parts of Connacht and trying to engage the fans, they also have a strong youth network.
Just because you don't see it in the paper doesn't mean it didn't happen.All I ever hear from Galway United is come, pay your money and go - there doesn't seem to be any community involvement with the city they represent.
Galway United had very successful youth teams, but they were dismantled around ten years ago, to the delight of the Mervue and Devon, who always maintained that United "robbed" players. The same people now actively poach players from all over and have developed selective memory.I don't know if it is true but from what I read in a post on this thread they don't even have a youth system.
I don't know the exact ins and outs of the situation at the time, but it seems that those in charge at the time had delusions of grandeur and thought that running an actual club and not just a team was beneath them.
They can't, no question, but the volunteers now running the club on a day-to-day basis since February have been working to remedy the situation.How can a community develop an affinity with a team if there is all take and no give?
Again, I'm not arguing for the sake of it, I'm just calling it as I see it.0 -
Kevin Doyle the only one I recognized straight away and he is hardly up there with the greats, when are they playing in Terryland next - As the Sportsground will be hosting a feat of International players all season.
Maybe you shouldn`t be commenting in a soccer thread if that is the extent of your knowledge?0 -
Advertisement
-
civis_liberalis wrote: »Again, I'm not arguing for the sake of it, I'm just calling it as I see it.
Same as you I am just going on what I know about the club, I don't have an in-dept interest in it, just like sport in general..
Didn't know that suppliers were screwed but good to hear that the club is making attempts to rectify its image.Maybe you shouldn`t be commenting in a soccer thread if that is the extent of your knowledge?
Apologies If I don't know every dog that barks, but this thread is in the Galway forum and from what you say it should be in the soccer forum, As I said above I just like sport, I can prob on a a good day name maybe 5 Connacht players.
Maybe the Mods can move this thread to the Soccer forum to keep you happy0 -
I for one would hate to see this thread moved. I gave up on the Soccer forum on Boards a long time ago. If the thread is here the muppetry is vastly reduced to what it would be if it was in the Soccer forum.Apologies If I don't know every dog that barks, but this thread is in the Galway forum and from what you say it should be in the soccer forum, As I said above I just like sport, I can prob on a a good day name maybe 5 Connacht players.
Maybe the Mods can move this thread to the Soccer forum to keep you happy
As for not knowing Keith Fahey etc, that's hardly a hanging offence but making out that it's somehow someone else's fault is a bit unfair. I have no idea who Toby Flood is and I only know of Johnny Wilkinson from that drop goal he scored to win the Rugby World Cup once upon a time. It wouldn't be fair for me to drop into the Rugby forum and start throwing uninformed opinion around so I don't do it. Before you jump on that last sentence, I'm not saying your opinion in uninformed!0 -
I for one would hate to see this thread moved. I gave up on the Soccer forum on Boards a long time ago. If the thread is here the muppetry is vastly reduced to what it would be if it was in the Soccer forum.
I know what you mean, Soccer forum is muck, Also I do agree with your comment. But if it is in the Galway forum posters have to respect the fact that it is a regional forum and not a sport forum.0 -
0 -
-
Advertisement
-
civis_liberalis wrote: »I don't understand the point you are making?
I was attacked by an earlier poster who said I shouldn't be posting in a soccer thread, my point was that if it is a soccer thread then it should be in a soccer forum or if it stays in the Galway Forum the poster has to accept that not everyone who posts will have a deep knowledge of Galway United or Soccer.0 -
Pinturicchio wrote: »David Forde, Keith Fahey, Paddy McCourt.
Seamus Conneely is a household name of the future!
Surely you have heard of....
Uhh Ahhh Johnny Morris Burke, Jumbo Brennan, Refrigerator O'Flaherty, Um Pa Pa, Slab Murphy, Wella Boy, G, Chick Deacy, Stall, Ski McGee, Mull and Quirkey?
I rest my case,0 -
civis_liberalis wrote: »Apologies if it's obvious but I don't get what difference announcing before or after the game makes? Once an agreement is reached, surely that is what matters? No biggie anyway. What matters is that he gone from, something he has ironically had a lot of experience of while employed by the club.
I don't really agree. If United had been managed properly in the first place, United would be well capable of competing. Cut your cloth accordingly, build structures, be involved in the community. The club was busy at work doing the complete opposite for years until the committee took over.
Basically, the deal was 90% done before the game, but they were afraid that Connor, given his track record, would renege on it. He had a three year contract. He could have waited and waited, and sued them if he got fired.
As for the support, I disagree. Salthill Devon are a huge club but get tiny crowds. A huge amount of people connected with Mervue have some sort of connections with Galway Utd in the past.
Look at the crowds. United get a hardcore of 600. They have obviously lost fans from the Mervue area. If you're old enough to remember, the biggest crowds they ever got was during the year they were in Crowley Park (94-95 I think) while Terryland was being redeveloped.
Three clubs in a city of Galway's size just doesn't add up. Two of them are bottom of their respective divisions.0 -
-
I was attacked by an earlier poster who said I shouldn't be posting in a soccer thread, my point was that if it is a soccer thread then it should be in a soccer forum or if it stays in the Galway Forum the poster has to accept that not everyone who posts will have a deep knowledge of Galway United or Soccer.
I hardly attacked you I just pointed out that you don`t seem to know what you are talking about something which you have since pretty much agreed to.0 -
Pinturicchio wrote: »You think so? I really haven't noticed that.
For whatever reason, there seems to be a lot of venom out there among junior clubs and Mervue / Salthill directed at United.
Mervue's new book even accuses United of poaching players from them long before they got into the LOI, when in fact they were just moving up from junior to national soccer!
During that year out at Crowley Park there were regular 5,000 to 6,000 gates and the team featured local lads from the Mervue area such as Ollie Neary and Donie Farragher. I know it's more than 15 years ago, but I'd suggest that a club which currently attracts 600 loyal souls has lost much of its support base from the eastside of the city.
Those who think that LOI is a joke have had their case strengthened by the 'gombeens' in the FAI inviting two further Galway clubs into the League when the one club which used to represent the city and county has been struggling, financially, at the gate, in every way, for years.
Hopefully, the MC and new management will help to rebuild ties with the local communtiy and local clubs. I'd hate to see Galway United die and, while I've nothing against Mervue and Salthill, I just think it's wrong to have three clubs in a city of this size. That's the same as the whole of Munster, including Cork which is a much bigger city than Galway.0 -
Ridiculous to suggest that GUFC are letting Galway down in a sporting sense, given the absolute dross both senior GAA teams have served up in the last 4-5 years. They have been an utter disgrace.
While I admire the strides Connacht have made recently, they were handed their place in the Heineken Cup to them on a plate. Rugby and Soccer in this country are run completely differently anyway, and when so many of the players aren't even from Galway, they're hardly a representation of Galway or the West. But I would accept that that is and has been a problem for GUFC before.
Whether ya like it or not, GUFC IS soccer in Galway. There will always be the hardcore support to let it compete at a national level, whether that's Premier, 1st division or A championship. Mervue and Salthill will never have that support, ever.0 -
I acknowledge that and cannot help but be envious of it, but I also think it's completely besides the point if I understand what you're getting at. How many kids (or adults) they have playing for them hasn't translated into any bump into attendances.As for the support, I disagree. Salthill Devon are a huge club but get tiny crowds. A huge amount of people connected with Mervue have some sort of connections with Galway Utd in the past.
The loss is negligible in my opinion. Mervue average about 250 home fans roughly. Even if most of them were "lost" from the Dyke Road, it wouldn't account for the nosedive in attendances in Terryland. Take away from that number the people who also like to attend both, as the game tend not to clash and you've got an even smaller number.Look at the crowds. United get a hardcore of 600. They have obviously lost fans from the Mervue area.
Galway United lost 23 matches in a row. That is the reason they are down to just the hardcore and whatever amount of away fans travel. Mervue has nothing to do with the drop.
True, but hardly relevant to anything right now. There certainly is potential for big crowds at United (in relative terms anyway), but I can never see such a thing happening for Mervue. The support they get from people in the area is disappointing. I'm basing my assertion that they will never be able to develop further due on this. People outside of Mervue don't identify with the team. It's hard enough to attract people to LOI games, but when you can't attract significant numbers of people living in or originally from the area the club is based inIf you're old enough to remember, the biggest crowds they ever got was during the year they were in Crowley Park (94-95 I think) while Terryland was being redeveloped.
Had Leeson and the board not made a balls of everything, Mervue and Devon playing in the first division would be a complete non-issue for United.Three clubs in a city of Galway's size just doesn't add up. Two of them are bottom of their respective divisions.
The difference it makes at the moment is that a few players who could be playing in the United team now or at least challenging for a place decided to stay put at Mervue or Devon or move on elsewhere.0 -
The main reason United got large crowds at Crowley Park was because we were third in the table.
The average was not 6-7000, we only got one or two crowds of that size in 1993-1994. Average would have been more 2-3,000.
Understandably, a lot of people from the east of the city would have attended due to easy access.0 -
For whatever reason, there seems to be a lot of venom out there among junior clubs and Mervue / Salthill directed at United.
Rubbish. No one begrudges United anything, and people empathise with their plight. In fact, reading through some of the posts on here there seems to be a bit of the opposite happening, with people dismissing Mervue/Salthill as amateurs who play in fields, while continuing to go on about the how Galway United got screwed over. The first thing the people who are in charge now should do is hire someone to ring the references given on potential employee's CV's. It is also true that Galway United did have the monopoly of choice on junior club players in the past, and they frequently raided Mervue. But then again, if you wanted to play in the LOI, you went and played for United. So no one should really have any complaints.
Football in this country is evolving (despite the FAI's best efforts). Shamrock Rovers are in the UEFA cup, the national team isn't doing too badly, but more importantly(while we all enjoyed Italia '90 where most of the players were English born) they are local players. The reason that most were second/third generation Irish is that the set up in the UK and the amount of different clubs encouraging competition. These days, the Irish team is mainly homeborn players and even the ones that leave, are going later in their life. That's because the LOI is slowly improving. In maybe 15-20 years the LOI could be making a decent contribution to European Football. Competition is good. Threee economically viable professional clubs in the Galway area would improve the amount and quality of players being produced. Mervue itself, had a great rivalry with Crescent for years, and who knows if that contributed to the level of interest in football for such a small suburb?
In the interest of a bit of debate, how's this for a scenario. Either Salthill change thier names to "Galway Devon" or Mervue change their name to "Galway City". All of a sudden you remove the parochial aspect of it all, and people start to forget about the fault lines. Would that benefit football in the city? With a great rivalry that marks all the European cities in place. Not suggesting it for a second, but just a hypothetical to make people think about he over all state of the city's football.0 -
Advertisement
-
I quite like the sound of West Galway Albion or Galway Wanderers myself
. 0 -
Dynamo Dyke Road0
-
Galway Divided? Oops, we've had that team already this year.0
-
Galway Galaxy.0
-
You mentioned in your first post in this thread that you are not in the country and went on to make a ludicrous statement about it being inevitable that Mervue will buy out Galway United. You are hardly best placed to make an observation on the situation and many would find it difficult to take any subsequent argument you try to make seriously.sword of light wrote: »Rubbish. No one begrudges United anything
Yes, many people do empathise, but they empathise with the fans and volunteers that have done their best to right the wrongs of those that came before them. I know a number of people who resent Galway United's presence in the league and believe their club to be the rightful representative of the city and county. Nobody at United thinks the club is entitled to anything. Anything they get will be worked for. Any respect they get will be earned.sword of light wrote: »and people empathise with their plight. In fact, reading through some of the posts on here there seems to be a bit of the opposite happening, with people dismissing Mervue/Salthill as amateurs who play in fields,
What do you mean? Leeson ran the club into the ground. Fact. Does it help anyone to whine on about it? No. Does anybody involved with the club do that? No. When people ask questions and try to understand what has happened with United, is it possible to do so without referencing Leeson? No.sword of light wrote: »while continuing to go on about the how Galway United got screwed over.
The people who are in charge now have been since February when they saved the club from folding, one of the many times they have done that, before and since. There is nothing the volunteers in charge now can do about mistakes made in the past, disastrous as they were. All that can be done is repair the reputation of the club as best they can, be it with the current entity or a new one in the future. The appointment of Leeson by the board of directors was a huge mistake, one that didn't need the benefit of hindsight to come to that realisation. There's sweet **** all can be done about it now unfortunately.sword of light wrote: »The first thing the people who are in charge now should do is hire someone to ring the references given on potential employee's CV's.
Exactly. Mervue and at times Devon have been unable to see past their often petty parochial attitudes, standing in the way of young players who had the ambition to take the step up to the Premier Division. This was the case even before they were playing in the League of Ireland. A number of players in recent years were told that they were welcome to move on and develop their careers, but under no circumstance would they allow them to move to United if they had any control over the situation.sword of light wrote: »It is also true that Galway United did have the monopoly of choice on junior club players in the past, ansd they frequently raided Mervue. But then again, if you wanted to play in the LOI, you went and played for United. So no one should really have any complaints.
A well known coach at a local club verbally abused a player when he informed them he would like to attend a trial at Galway United before deciding to commit for them, letting him know in no uncertain terms that if he did so, he would not be welcome to return.
There have been quite a few situations like that.
Ok, stop right there. One club from Galway may just about be viable in the long-term, but three professional ones is nonsense.sword of light wrote: »Competition is good. Three economically viable professional clubs in the Galway area would improve the amount and quality of players being produced.
What interest is this? The one that is seeing big crowds in Fahy's field? The matches between Mervue and Crescent certainly could have had a lot of spice to them, but I would be sceptical of anybody going to see them outside of a dozen or two friends and family.sword of light wrote: »Mervue itself, had a great rivalry with Crescent for years, and who knows if that contributed to the level of interest in football for such a small suburb?
Fairplay for entering the debate and offering an opinion, but the above has no basis in reality. You did point out it was hypothetical but Mervue and Devon will always have their own ambitions and want United "out of the way" even though I believe they can never develop much further.sword of light wrote: »In the interest of a bit of debate, how's this for a scenario. Either Salthill change thier names to "Galway Devon" or Mervue change their name to "Galway City". All of a sudden you remove the parochial aspect of it all, and people start to forget about the fault lines. Would that benefit football in the city? With a great rivalry that marks all the European cities in place. Not suggesting it for a second, but just a hypothetical to make people think about he over all state of the city's football.
If the volunteers at Galway United manage to turn things around, repair the image and start building an actual club, grounded in the community... it will only serve to intensify the feelings of those who would have them fail.0 -
sword of light wrote: »Competition is good. Threee economically viable professional clubs in the Galway area would improve the amount and quality of players being produced. Mervue itself, had a great rivalry with Crescent for years, and who knows if that contributed to the level of interest in football for such a small suburb?
Possibly the most ridiculous thing I've read in the 86 pages of this thread.
Anyone who knows anything about Galway soccer knows for a fact that it is a struggle to keep one LOI club in the city, and just ridiculous to try to sustain three when the support base is not there.
Have you ever been to a Salthill game? They are lucky to get 50 to 100 home fans? How does that tie in with having to tour the country by bus every second weekend to play teams in the lower divison?
Mervue have a decent 150 or so base, while United have a hardcore of 600 which is in stark contrast to the 6,000 who turned up for the game against Cork City on the night the revamped Terryland reopened in 1994.
As ever, Irish fans are obsessed by all things EPL and, given that soccer comes fourth now to GAA football, hurling, and rugby, clubs all over Ireland are struggling to survive. Yet no other urban area as small as Galway has to try to sustain three clubs. Cork only has one, for God's sake.
Being involved in sport myself I'm well aware that there is antipathy towards Galway United in Mervue. The feeling is not mutual. It's sad when local clubs don't want their best players to move up a divison or league, but that's the scenario many are facing.
By the way, I've nothing against Mervue. I'm full of admiration for how they have revamped Fahy's Field and built decent underage structres. If anything, they are an example for what United should have been doing when the previous regime took their eyes off the ball.
But right now Galway doesn't have one decent or viable club, capable of challenging for national honours. Having three in the LOI is just insane.0 -
I could probably give robust defence of everything that I've said, but I'm not gonna bother as I seem to have made an error(see last paragraph) I will however, defend myself against the one that you both have picked up on. Let me clear this up
QUOTE: Threee economically viable professional clubs in the Galway area would improve the amount and quality of players being produced.
Economically viable=Self sustaining
Would= in an ideal world
I did not say “Galway needs three football clubs” or “Galway should be able to sustain three football clubs” or whatever it is you think I said. If Galway United were not in the dire financial situation that they are in, would ye be even having this argument with me? I doubt it. Mervue and Salthill would be tipping along in the 1st Division, and United would be tipping along in the premier. In fact, if I'm not mistaken, one of you at least agree with me.
QUOTE Originally posted by Civis Liberalis
Had Leeson and the board not made a balls of everything, Mervue and Devon playing in the first division would be a complete non-issue for United.
The error I've made is not reading the thread heading. I came to the thread via a Galway Advertiser Facebook post that said something along the lines of "there's an interesting thread running over on boards speaking about the state of sport in the city" While in hindsight I am clearly mistaken,(has it been changed?) this is what I thought this thread is about. I notice other posters have been met with the same resistance. I have specifically taken Mervue/Salthill's side in an attempt to make the debate balanced. I also have, in the interest of moving it away from GUFC, said specifically provocative comments and used a lot of hypothetical’s to try a get some constructive and interesting conversation going on the state of football in the city. I realise now that this was the wrong thing to do, seeming as this has now officially evolved into a "Galway Utd" thread. Trust me, if I wanted to go arguing with United supporters I would have went straight into GU's own forum. I have to say that the first post is somewhat mis-leading in relation to where we are now.
Anyways no more posts from me. And I will gladly take the worst post in the entire thread title with me.:):):):)
Good luck to Utd, I hope they do turn things around and re-build as they have planned0 -
Check the first post of the thread, it's always been about Galway Utd specifically. I'm sure there have been a few thread merges along the way which may have rendered the Facebook link obsolete.sword of light wrote: »The error I've made is not reading the thread heading. I came to the thread via a Galway Advertiser Facebook post that said something along the lines of "there's an interesting thread running over on boards speaking about the state of sport in the city" While in hindsight I am clearly mistaken,(has it been changed?)0 -
Join Date:Posts: 10078
It's a different thread altogether to this that the Advo Facebook linked to. It was a general discussion around when one or both of the senior GAA teams crashed out of their respective championships for the first (or was it second) time.Check the first post of the thread, it's always been about Galway Utd specifically. I'm sure there have been a few thread merges along the way which may have rendered the Facebook link obsolete.0 -
Advertisement
-
I don't think it was the intention of anyone to shut you up. We just countered statements or arguments you made because they were sometimes based on incorrect assumptions or just a plain difference of opinion.sword of light wrote: »Anyways no more posts from me.
United fans are used to people having a pop them, so maybe we can be forgiven for appearing to be a little overzealous. I felt we didn't cross the line though.
Your opinion is a valid as anyone's, you were just calling it as you saw it from what you knew yourself.0
This discussion has been closed.
Advertisement