Galway United

10green bottles

civis_liberalis wrote: »

To blame GUST in any way for the demise of the company is nonsense.

Galway United was a private company. It amassed huge debts. There are many many instances when GUST advice was completely ignored.

Rather than see it collapse before the beginning of the 2011 season, GUST agreed to look after the day to day operations of the club for the 2011 season. Nothing more, nothing less.

Substantial debts which were hidden from by the former CEO popped up on a weekly basis.

GUST had to keep up with payments related to the huge existing debts, before they could even think about allocating money towards the running of the club.

Before GUST agreed to look after the day-to-day, the outgoing CEO gave the team manager a substantial raise and a long-term contract, when everything was being scaled-back in order to save the club and live within its means.

When the season finished, the decision was made to withdraw support from the company.

Why try to save a company when it's directors are working against.

My personal opinion is that the directors and some FAI administrators were happy to let GUST appear to be in control of the club and shift the blame when the company failed, one way or another.

You are entitled to your opinion, but don't falsely accuse people of causing the collapse of a club when they clearly were not to blame.

What Mervue or Salthill do/think/say or what Galway United fans think of them is neither here nor there. A structure that cannot be hijacked, like Galway United was, is the only way forward.

So GUST got a black eye(in terms of credit/credence it seems because they stepped in to take on some of the debts and now the name of GUST is blackened ? Is that what you're saying?

Its Hard to understand the whole politics of what is going on in Galway football from an outsider pov.

GUST wont be supporting the new entity?

If not-can you or someone else tell us(the gen public) what GUST's main objections are in relation to this "NEW" GalwayFC.

If you can lay them out as bullet points that would be appreciated.

I'm just trying to understand the situation there before jumping in with an opinion that could be way off the mark.

LOSTfan57

Zebra3 wrote: »

cl, I only said "of sorts". They've put this statement out with vague promises in it as you've mentioned, and unless GUST come out and shoot it down straight away, that'll do for the FAI as "an endorsement of sorts".

GUST dont do announcements.....look at their forum. people asking repeatedly for info and getting none. GUST wanted it their way or nothing. This compromise they would never accept it was there way or nothing

10green bottles

10green bottles wrote: »

So GUST got a black eye(in terms of credit/credence it seems because they stepped in to take on some of the debts and now the name of GUST is blackened ? Is that what you're saying?

Its Hard to understand the whole politics of what is going on in Galway football from an outsider pov.

GUST wont be supporting the new entity?

If not-can you or someone else tell us(the gen public) what GUST's main objections are in relation to this "NEW" GalwayFC.

If you can lay them out as bullet points that would be appreciated.

I'm just trying to understand the situation there before jumping in with an opinion that could be way off the mark.

Yeah I'm genuinely interested to know what Gust want too.

Also interested how many Gust members will boycott the new team.

If they boycott they are left with no team to follow.

Zebra3

TheCoolWay wrote: »

Why don't FAI like GUST?

In a dictatorship, those at the top do not tolerate criticism from those below.

LOSTfan57 wrote: »

GUST dont do announcements.....look at their forum. people asking repeatedly for info and getting none. GUST wanted it their way or nothing. This compromise they would never accept it was there way or nothing

Haven't GUST had a number of public meetings? It's not like they're hiding away somewhere.

On the contrary, it's the FAI who have been keeping them out of sight by kicking them out of the U19s league.

Gaillimh1976

Realistically, what sort of squad will the new club be able to afford ?

Will it be all part-timers & kids or is there going to be money for a handful of pros to give them some chance of being competitive ?

Hard to see the attendances holding up if its all college kids & they're getting thumped every week.......

aramush

A_Sober_Paddy wrote: »

Its not just the FAI...

The problem with GUST is that there are people involved in it who were involved with the demise of the previous Galway team, also the whole attitude from the GUST/Galway FC/Galway Utd shower towards Mervue and Salthill about how bad they are....Newflash these clubs operated within their means and didn't go flat broke like the previous Galway side...

Also this attitude from GUST, of throwing their toys out of the pram about it not being a co-op...Cop on the support your local team, shower of children around galway football...

/rant

You really don't have a clue do you?

Galway football is politics, politics, politics. Members of GUST, to my mind, aren't in the same league as some of the cowboys in Galway football circles, some of them very much involved with Salthill and Mervue but thats a story for another day.

LOSTfan57

aramush wrote: »

You really don't have a clue do you?

Galway football is politics, politics, politics. Members of GUST, to my mind, aren't in the same league as some of the cowboys in Galway football circles, some of them very much involved with Salthill and Mervue but thats a story for another day.

recent gust behaviour suggests they are very similar tbh. also GUST have a nasty habbit of telling people they dont know anything and being rather rude to people with an alternative viewpoint. Initially GUST were good, now tho they are just bitter and insulting and are just unhappy they dont call the shots. The wanted One County One Team at first.....however since the two football clubs in existence SD and MU didnt bow to the former club that is GU they got cranky. Two GUST members are on the Galway FC panel, GUST is just fading now. the "loyalists" are just to stubborn to change and take whats on offer. If they had there way Galway would have NO team next year. as a soccer fan I am delighted Galway has a team as will majority. GUST had there run. was good while it lasted time to move on
/rant over\

Seaneh

I totally understand why GUST don't accept the new idea.


The FAI hold up Cork and Shams as the "example" of how clubs should be in the LOI, fan run and owned social clubs with democratically elected board members.

The setup the FAI have organised is answerable to nobody and will, more than likely, run FAI Franchise #1988654567898765432345678 into the ground within the nest 2-3 seasons.

With GUST you have a structure that puts fans in control of the club, you have a support base that already exists and people who are passionate about Galway football.

With the FAI's new franchise structure you have the usual political bull**** that has kept the LOI the laughing stock that it has been for 30 years now.

civis_liberalis

Seaneh, I was writing a rather lengthy reply to a question someone asked a good few posts back but what you have said about sums things up pretty much.

The thing is Gust will never get to achieve their aim though will they?

So what happens then?

TheCoolWay

I know little of the situation but whoever these GUST lads are, through my experience are very pretentious and it's their way or the highway. If I were the FAI I wouldn't deal with them. However i'm sure there's two sides to every story.

Galway United is gone get over it. We gotta move on

ratracer

As a child I loved going to Terryland with my dad on a Sunday afternoon right through to the arrival of Friday night football. It really was a shame that a city the size of Galway couldn't have a team in the LOI. I'm delighted to have a team back for next season, can't wait to bring my own young lad with me to the games. I don't give a crap for the politics of it, I hope the soccer fans get behind the team and fcuk the begrudgers!!

Seaneh

ratracer wrote: »

As a child I loved going to Terryland with my dad on a Sunday afternoon right through to the arrival of Friday night football. It really was a shame that a city the size of Galway couldn't have a team in the LOI. I'm delighted to have a team back for next season, can't wait to bring my own young lad with me to the games. I don't give a crap for the politics of it, I hope the soccer fans get behind the team and fcuk the begrudgers!!

Sure you had two teams in the city to support this year...

fergiesfolly

No WE didn't. Mervue have a team and Salthill/Knocknacarra have a team.

Seaneh

fergiesfolly wrote: »

No WE didn't. Mervue have a team and Salthill/Knocknacarra have a team.

So yeah, there were two teams in Galway city to support.

Do you honestly think putting the name "Galway" on a franchise makes it any different than the other two in terms of support base? If anything, they will have an even worse base.

Salthill even had their name and colours changed and played their games in Terryland for a while and still had nobody at games so ended up back out in Drom.

WallyGUFC

fergiesfolly wrote: »

No WE didn't. Mervue have a team and Salthill/Knocknacarra have a team.

By that logic, we still don't. This isn't Galway United. Some fans won't care and just want to see a team that represents Galway on a national stage. And some, GUST etc. won't recognise it. Going to be interesting to see how it works out.

WallyGUFC

WallyGUFC wrote: »

By that logic, we still don't. This isn't Galway United. Some fans won't care and just want to see a team that represents Galway on a national stage. And some, GUST etc. won't recognise it. Going to be interesting to see how it works out.

How many people will boycott as part of gust. I know one guy who says he'll go to the games and he's being going to gust meetings.

Some are obviously gonna have a harder stance than others.

Seems it'll be gust who lose out. No team to support and probably hoping for the new team to fail.

WallyGUFC

rarnes1 wrote: »

How many people will boycott as part of gust. I know one guy who says he'll go to the games and he's being going to gust meetings.

Some are obviously gonna have a harder stance than others.

Seems it'll be gust who lose out. No team to support and probably hoping for the new team to fail.

I don't know tbh, but then I'm in no way affiliated with GUST and know very little of their inner workings. There was an obvious divide when this was initially announced what, 6 weeks ago. But GUST never release statements so nobody knows.

They'll probably eventually (have to) come round to the idea. Personally I was never a die-hard and never will be I'd say, but Friday night football in Terryland would be very welcome. I was never going to support Mervue or that SD Galway sham considering I had competed against them occasionally in youth and junior football.

ratracer

Seaneh wrote: »

Sure you had two teams in the city to support this year...

No, I didn't, these are two local clubs with supporters in their local areas. Now while I would have kept an eye them and Mervue had a good run at it this season, I wouldn't have travelled into town to watch them play. I would consider them similar to the GAA, I'd follow my own club and the county, but just keep an eye on the others. So an amalgamation of these two teams plus others, under the Galway name, let's be having ye.

Alfa Quadrifoglio

One team in Galway makes sense and if its to succeed if needs the support of all football fans in the city and county. Should it be called Galway, Galway Rovers or Galway United? Would not get hung up on that, Cork City successfully re-established senior soccer in Cork when many naysayers said Cork Hibs and Cork Celtic could never be replaced.

Seaneh

Yeah and Cork failed spectacularly because of idiots running the club into the ground who weren't answerable to anyone and only survived because of a supporters group being set up and taking over the club. Which is exactly what should (and did) happen with Galway United. But instead of following that model, which worked with cork, the FAI go down their normal bullsh*it politics route and create another franchise who don't have to answer to anyone.

Mars Bar

Seaneh wrote: »

So yeah, there were two teams in Galway city to support.

Do you honestly think putting the name "Galway" on a franchise makes it any different than the other two in terms of support base? If anything, they will have an even worse base.

Salthill even had their name and colours changed and played their games in Terryland for a while and still had nobody at games so ended up back out in Drom.

I'm not from Salthill/Knocknacarra. I'm not from Mervue. I really wouldn't have any intention of following either and never felt a connection with Devon even when I was doing work for them.

A Galway team that represents city and county. Now that's a team I'd have a connection with.

Panthro

Mars Bar wrote: »

I'm not from Salthill/Knocknacarra. I'm not from Mervue. I really wouldn't have any intention of following either and never felt a connection with Devon even when I was doing work for them.

A Galway team that represents city and county. Now that's a team I'd have a connection with.

Probably plenty like you as well.
Massive fan base potential for a new club if they just get out and market it right.

A_Sober_Paddy

Mars Bar wrote: »

I'm not from Salthill/Knocknacarra. I'm not from Mervue. I really wouldn't have any intention of following either and never felt a connection with Devon even when I was doing work for them.

A Galway team that represents city and county. Now that's a team I'd have a connection with.

That sort of attitude is a lot of whats wrong with football in this country...

A know too many people giving out about the quality of our league, but in my opinion if you've a club near by and don't go to the games you have absolutely no right to give out about the league, or the national team for that matter...

Mars Bar

A_Sober_Paddy wrote: »

That sort of attitude is a lot of whats wrong with football in this country...

A know too many people giving out about the quality of our league, but in my opinion if you've a club near by and don't go to the games you have absolutely no right to give out about the league, or the national team for that matter...

I'm not giving out about the league. I'm not even giving out about the quality and I've been to about ten Salthill Devon games this season!

A_Sober_Paddy

Mars Bar wrote: »

I'm not giving out about the league. I'm not even giving out about the quality and I've been to about ten Salthill Devon games this season!

It wasn't directed at yourself, but at people from Limerick, Galway, Cork & Dublin who give out about the league but don't bother going to matches...Of which there are a whole lot

Alfa Quadrifoglio

Seaneh wrote: »

Yeah and Cork failed spectacularly because of idiots running the club into the ground who weren't answerable to anyone and only survived because of a supporters group being set up and taking over the club. Which is exactly what should (and did) happen with Galway United. But instead of following that model, which worked with cork, the FAI go down their normal bullsh*it politics route and create another franchise who don't have to answer to anyone.

Would not get hung up on the model to be deployed, the model does not guarantee good governance, look at Bohs owned by the fans and owe millions.

Seaneh

Alfa Quadrifoglio wrote: »

Would not get hung up on the model to be deployed, the model does not guarantee good governance, look at Bohs owned by the fans and owe millions.

Bohs owe money from before they became a trust, it's not comparing like for like.

The owe money because of the way the club was run BEFORE it became a trust, when a private board, unelected and unanswerable to anyone, spent money they didn't have because they thought they'd sold a plot of land.

Bohs is another example of why fans trusts/social clubs are the best model.

Without the fans now, the club would be gone.

Alfa Quadrifoglio

Seaneh wrote: »

Bohs owe money from before they became a trust, it's not comparing like for like.

The owe money because of the way the club was run BEFORE it became a trust, when a private board, unelected and unanswerable to anyone, spent money they didn't have because they thought they'd sold a plot of land.

Bohs is another example of why fans trusts/social clubs are the best model.

Without the fans now, the club would be gone.

Your wrong here, Bohs are a membership based club with an elected board since 1890, I should know I am a life long member (although not since 1890 I hasten to add!!!!)

token101

A_Sober_Paddy wrote: »

It wasn't directed at yourself, but at people from Limerick, Galway, Cork & Dublin who give out about the league but don't bother going to matches...Of which there are a whole lot

If you want people to support something then you need to be prepared to listen to its faults, and there are plenty in Irish football.

A_Sober_Paddy

token101 wrote: »

If you want people to support something then you need to be prepared to listen to its faults, and there are plenty in Irish football.

I accept that, but before people start giving out about the league go and support your nearest team, without fans this league is nothing

LoonyLovegood

Alfa Quadrifoglio wrote: »

Your wrong here, Bohs are a membership based club with an elected board since 1890, I should know I am a life long member (although not since 1890 I hasten to add!!!!)

An elected board, but all Bohs fans know the dirty politics that was involved in that board for a long time. Regardless, that's OT for this thread.

I moved to Galway last September for college and decided to start following a team because I couldn't get home for Bohs matches. Ended up following Mervue purely because I was living in Rahoon and could get a bus out rather than trying to walk out to Drom on my own. I'm fully in support of a fan owned Galway club, but there has to be support - not only from GUST, Salthill Devon and Mervue, but from all the schoolboy clubs in the area, to try build a community spirit around it.

I can see it succeeding, Galway has a good student population that's there and it would be a tourism thing as well on a Friday night, especially considering that Terryland is fairly accessible. But what HAS to be done if it is to succeed is that everyone agrees to let bygones be bygones. It's a damn shame that Galway United folded, I've a lot of brilliant memories of car journeys to away matches in Terryland as a teenager. But if there's going to be a reasonably successful club in Galway everyone has to pull their weight. There can't be arguing over who did what in causing the original club to fold, that won't do anyone any favours. While it may have the same name and be in the same ground, it will be a different club.

And the difference is hopefully what will keep it running. If they're successful in getting a license, I'll be down there every Friday night cheering on. But there has to be co-operation both behind the scenes and in front of the general public. Backstabbing won't do anything.

Saint_Mel

Mars Bar wrote: »

I'm not from Salthill/Knocknacarra. I'm not from Mervue. I really wouldn't have any intention of following either and never felt a connection with Devon even when I was doing work for them.

A Galway team that represents city and county. Now that's a team I'd have a connection with.

So you wouldn't support Mervue and you wouldn't support Salthill but you look forward to supporting a Mervue-Salthill amalgamation that will have Galway in the name

Mars Bar

Saint_Mel wrote: »

So you wouldn't support Mervue and you wouldn't support Salthill but you look forward to supporting a Mervue-Salthill amalgamation that will have Galway in the name

I can see why you'd write that!

They'll be playing in maroon with Galway on their crest and in Terryland. That's good enough for me. I don't care where the players have come from!

Saint_Mel

Mars Bar wrote: »

I can see why you'd write that!

They'll be playing in maroon with Galway on their crest and in Terryland. That's good enough for me. I don't care where the players have come from!

That sounds exactly like SD Galway tried though!!!

Mars Bar

Saint_Mel wrote: »

That sounds exactly like SD Galway tried though!!!

But it's not! They were Salthill Devon playing in Terryland. Why would a club abandon their tradition and leave their home ground and change their colours?

Here will be a new club who will represent Galway City and County.

civis_liberalis

Mars Bar wrote: »

Here will be a new club who will represent Galway City and County.

I disagree. They have gone out of the way to ignore the wishes of supporters.

The club is controlled by the same people who blocked a Cork City type co-op from applying to the LOI for the last few years.

Galway United was run into the ground by the people that controlled it. The same will happen here.

TheCoolWay

civis_liberalis wrote: »

I disagree. They have gone out of the way to ignore the wishes of supporters.

The club is controlled by the same people who blocked a Cork City type co-op from applying to the LOI for the last few years.

Galway United was run into the ground by the people that controlled it. The same will happen here.

The club doesn't even exist yet how can it have supporters???

So nobody knows how many Gust fans are boycotting the new team?

From the lack of response I'm guessing it's very little

WallyGUFC

But Mars Bar, it is what SD did. They changed to maroon, moved to Terryland for a season and put Galway in their name. It's exactly the same thing as what's happening now surely?

Mars Bar

WallyGUFC wrote: »

But Mars Bar, it is what SD did. They changed to maroon, moved to Terryland for a season and put Galway in their name. It's exactly the same thing as what's happening now surely?

So you were up there supporting a club from salthill/knocknacarra posing as a club representing city and county?

WallyGUFC

Mars Bar wrote: »

So you were up there supporting a club from salthill/knocknacarra posing as a club representing city and county?

No, I stopped going after GUFC was wound up. And as I was playing junior football at the time for another Galway club, it wouldn't have felt right supporting them.

I said it would be good to have Friday night ball back and I might go, but tbh I don't know what to make of GUST's approach. There is complete silence. With this in mind, people will see more of a reason to support this new entity as GUST will probably remain silent and won't be making hollow promises of a fan-run club being set up. And anyway, the FAI (or whoever) seem to be suggesting that it might change to a co-op structure eventually.

I don't think many people know what to make of it. It's a mess. Every one of the main sports apart from rugby seem to be ruined by politics and infighting in Galway, and it's absolutely pathetic. We won't know until next March how successful this is.

10green bottles

Postcard from Dundalk. to Galway fans.

Galway; Please come back and play LOI ball soon.We miss yee.More esp for the away matches when we could all get away to to the West & get pishedd up in the pubs in the city and also for the handy 3 points on offer ,but we also miss you as a club that had a nice ground,great supporters and most of all,a club with a great history.Hope to see yee soon,from (Dundalk/LOI Fans)

civis_liberalis

WallyGUFC wrote: »

And anyway, the FAI (or whoever) seem to be suggesting that it might change to a co-op structure eventually.

The FAI have done nothing but lie and stall for the last few years. It will never happen under Galway FC imo,

10green bottles

Wait and see so for GFC

WallyGUFC

civis_liberalis wrote: »

The FAI have done nothing but lie and stall for the last few years. It will never happen under Galway FC imo,

You're probably right, the FAI cannot be trusted when it comes to the LOI (or anything for that matter). What do you reckon would happen if this doesn't work and goes the way of SD Galway?

LoonyLovegood

If this goes to the wall, will it end up with no club in Galway in the LOI? I'm assuming Mervue and SD aren't going to want to try go back in.

civis_liberalis

CTYIgirl wrote: »

If this goes to the wall, will it end up with no club in Galway in the LOI? I'm assuming Mervue and SD aren't going to want to try go back in.

I've chilled out a bit after getting fairly mad about the situation recently, but this is exactly what I fear.

It will go ahead regardless of what fans think of it. That isn't on the radar of the architect of this, league chairman Eamonn Naughton.

I predict a public vote happening in the somewhat near future, opposing GUST involvement in Galway FC, which will be virtually unanimous or a large majority at the very least.

Until it is controlled by a one man, one vote co-operative. No boards, CEO's, chairmen etc with veto power over them, a democratic entity, many people will ignore it completely.

People have made the point that such a system isn't perfect either, which is a very point, but really, I can't see them doing any worse than the private companies and interfering league administrators we have had for the best part of a decade.

At the very least it could encourage a large number of people to become involved, who were rightly disillusioned by the antics of Galway United Ltd.

It could allow the distribution of club income in a way that aids the club to become more sustainable, something I can't remember happening with Galway United.

Words like "football family" and "community" are almost swear words in Galway these days, because they have been used and abused to window-dress so much of the skulduggery that happened, but hopefully somewhere down the line, we can return the meaning of those words locally to what they mean everywhere else.

civis_liberalis

Crunch time approaching. Public meeting at some point in near future I would guess.

civis_liberalis

Tommy Dunne to be unveiled as manager of Galway FC soon.

Report due back soon-ish from the management committee of the Galway United Supporters Trust soon regarding the implementation of a co-operative structure.

Vote at a public meeting will likely follow that to decide if GUST support the Galway FC venture.