Greatest League in the World 2024 [new thread available]

Ohmeha · 23-08-2022 2:01pm

A LOI club who bleed money and don't have any major assets being flipped between two questionable EFL club owners with a random UK nursery owner as an intermediary for a year should be coming serious scrutiny by the FAI

topmanamillion · 23-08-2022 11:14pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119510621#Comment_119510621

Forrest listing a First Division LOI side with no assets at €1.3 million for them then to be bought by a man currently in the English courts charged with fraud and money laundering is seriously sketchy to say the least.

Ohmeha · 24-08-2022 8:46am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119513119#Comment_119513119

All I've read is that this new Waterford takeover has cost less than the €1.3 million but nothing about if Pilley has actually paid this out of his own pocket or if he has saddled Waterford with debt like he does with Fleetwood, latter would make more sense why this guy is 'investing' into a First Division club that has no real assets and doesn't make money and will only generate real returns if they make Europe/win games

- bo - · 24-08-2022 8:46am

Waterford with a new English owner after the previous two turned out to be absolute nutters?

hardybuck · 24-08-2022 9:29am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119510621#Comment_119510621

I heard a six figure sum mentioned.

Most Irish clubs don't really have fixed assets. Shamrock Rovers don't own their own stadium, but Dermot Desmond still paid €2m for a 25% stake in 2019, which would have valued the club at €8m.

The valuations will be based upon Equity Upside - and that's potential to you and me. They'll be looking at potential UEFA prize money, the potential value to be extracted from club academies and maybe a hope that the league will secure better broadcast revenues in the future,

PGE1970 · 24-08-2022 10:33am

If persons are investing on potential, does that suggest that they expect to take money out of the club?

Did you smash it · 24-08-2022 10:56am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119514174#Comment_119514174

Yes, the alternative is to plough in money just because it gives you so much enjoyment to have the status as an owner or part owner of a football team. They are some like that but it’s hardly the majority.

artanevilla · 24-08-2022 11:09am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119514174#Comment_119514174

A tale as old as time itself, they see the European money and want a slice, not knowing that the wage bill required to compete for (only compete for, not guarantee) will wipe that out fairly sharpish, add in your days to days, zero assets. Historically no league of Ireland club has been profitable, I don't think any owner who sold has made a profit.

It would be safer to bring the money to a casino. Waterford will be competing with clubs with significantly wealthier backers in Rovers, Derry and Pats, as well as the likes of Bohs and Sligo who work wonders a lot of years on organic revenue and Dundalk who since Peak6 left are somewhere in between.

joeysoap · 24-08-2022 11:51am

How do make a small furtune in the league of Ireland?

A) start with a large one.

topmanamillion · 24-08-2022 6:18pm

Pilley must have put £25 million+ into Fleetwood in 18 years to take them from 6 leagues below League 2 to League 1. Any suggestion that its an "investment" is nonsense. Any suggestion that he`ll recoup whatever he puts into Waterford is similarly nonsense. European qualification or not.

Fleetwood was a vanity project and a way of showing off that he could be part of something like that. The likes of Salford and Forest Green Rovers show that its not particularly difficult to move up the English league system if you have deep pockets. David Beckham isn`t sitting in Miami waiting for his "investment" in Salford to come good! Power reckons he put E2 million into Waterford to get from promotion - to 4th in the PD - back to the cusp of relegation/the FD before he left.

Ohmeha · 24-08-2022 8:27pm

It's also fascinating during the onset of the pandemic Pilley was at the forefront of all the EFL clubs with the begging bowl demanding the Tory government and the Premier League cover Fleetwood's completely unsustainable League 1 wage bill

joeysoap · 24-08-2022 11:10pm

RIP Des Casey. Always a gentleman.

(Fwiw Oriel Park renamed Caseys Field until end of the season)

As far as i know the Casey family still own it.

trashcan · 25-08-2022 8:57pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119514273#Comment_119514273

Think we’re very lucky at Pats with Garrett Kelleher in that respect. I know there was a lot of comment about him being a property developer early on, but he’s owned the club since 2008 and has put significant money in. If he had any nefarious purpose he’s certainly a very patient man. Such a pity the Council wouldn’t go with his plan for St Michaels estate.

topmanamillion · 25-08-2022 10:40pm

An hilarious implosion by Linfield tonight and over 2 legs. They were leading 2-0 in Riga last week going into the last 5 mins and drew 2-2. They then go a goal up in extra time tonight, make a hash of a 4v1 to seal it in the last minute of extra time and RFS go straight down the other end and score from an OG to bring it to penalties. Linfield then miss their first 2 penalties! Hard to believe there`s ever been a bottle job like it.

Oat23 · 25-08-2022 10:48pm

Turned it on for ET and it was mad to watch. If they had just went to the corner flag when it was 4 v 1 they'd have went through.

Hammer Archer · 26-08-2022 7:44am

That was some bottling by them. By all accounts, they dominated the tie.

Is it true Shamrock Rovers will be third seeds for the group stages? If so, good chance for them to add a few more coefficient points.

I told ya · 26-08-2022 7:51am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119522217#Comment_119522217

Have a read of St Pat's filed accounts - Newonheath Company Limited CRO No 189439

Patrick2010 · 26-08-2022 8:32am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119523374#Comment_119523374

Care to give us a summary?

Mushy · 26-08-2022 8:32am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119523363#Comment_119523363

Yeah they're third seeds so hopefully able to get some wins in the group stage

I told ya · 26-08-2022 10:13am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119523463#Comment_119523463

Not in the office, so can't access the CRO for the most recent accounts.

So, in the interest of fairness, I won't rely my recall of earlier years. Also, some significant changes may have occurred. However, I will revert next week when back in the office.

Patrick2010 · 26-08-2022 10:44am

From CRO...Your search for Newonheath Company Limited CRO No 189439 did not generate any results. Try another search...

Have to pay for accounts anyway, couldn't you just say whats up?

dfx- · 26-08-2022 10:49am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119523464#Comment_119523464

that heavily depends on the draw and timing. Fitness will not be a factor in Rovers' favour by October. Lech Poznan are in pot 4 and playing them away in late October would not be good...

I told ya · 26-08-2022 10:53am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119524011#Comment_119524011

Go onto cro.ie, services, search facility, enter the number in CORE, should be there.

I'll have free access when I'm back in the office.

Did you smash it · 26-08-2022 10:58am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119524056#Comment_119524056

Newtonheath ltd? paywalled

Ferris_Bueller · 26-08-2022 11:13am

https://twitter.com/McDonnellDan/status/1562934847282479104

Uefa Conference League draw at 1.30pm, this is who Rovers could get. There are probably teams in each pot that they could potentially beat at home, but likewise there are teams in each pot they would likely lose home and away to.

Dream draw: Partizan Belgrade, Slovan Bratislava, RFS Riga

Worst case: Villarreal, Fiorentina, Lech Poznan

Some very nice potential away trips for the fans in there, particularly pot 1.

c.p.w.g.w · 26-08-2022 11:20am

Worst draw re traveling would be...

Istanbul Basaksehir, Hapoel Beer-Seva & Pyunik Yerevan

Brussels Sprout · 26-08-2022 1:46pm

Quite a few dangerous teams in the 4th pot by virtue of the fact that they haven't been in Europe recently. Rovers would be unlucky to draw: Dnipro, Poznan & Slovacho

Dr. Bre · 26-08-2022 2:05pm

Good away trips for Rovers

DvB · 26-08-2022 2:05pm

Gent, Molde & Djurgarden

Francie Barrett · 26-08-2022 2:05pm

Gent, Molde, Rovers, Djurgarden.

That's a nice draw all things considered.

Brussels Sprout · 26-08-2022 2:06pm

Could have better. Could have been worse.

kksaints · 26-08-2022 2:25pm

Not the worst group although the fourth seed could have been nicer. Rovers definitely should be capable of getting 4 or 5 points.

Hammer Archer · 26-08-2022 2:29pm

Not great but not terrible. At the very least, it's three away games that are relatively easy to get to.

Looking at the coefficient, if Shamrock Rovers manage even a draw in the group stages, it'll be Ireland's (as a whole) best performance in European competitions when it comes to coefficient points. As it stands, Ireland will be up to 33rd in the rankings next year (though that could get better or worse based on the results in the group stages). If Irish clubs can perform similarly next year, we'd likely go even higher as 2018/19 & 2019/20 were relatively poor years for Irish clubs in Europe.

topmanamillion · 26-08-2022 2:44pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119525100#Comment_119525100

All tough sides with no glamour tie that's going to bring TV money. Djurgardens were probably one of the strongest 4th seeds they could have gotten. They overturned APOEL in the play offs. Molde humped Wolfberger, an Austrian Bundesliga side 4-0. Wolfberger had gotten out of a Europa League group last year. All those sides are stronger than Shkupi and Hibernians. Anything from 1-4 points would be a good return for Shams.

chopperbyrne · 26-08-2022 2:48pm

Which Irish TV station holds the rights to show the matches?

If rté, presumably they're contractually obligated to show Rovers?

Wouldn't be surprised though if they show an English team on rté2 and put Rovers on the News channel.

topmanamillion · 26-08-2022 3:00pm

I think its split between Virgin and RTE. I seem to remember Virgin/RTE showing Dundalks EL home group games. I don`t think the away ones were picked up here. I`d be highly surprised if either channel picks up all 6 of Shams matches, particularly with the teams drawn.

joeysoap · 26-08-2022 3:22pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119522764#Comment_119522764

Linfield should have scored in the 119th minute. Unforgivable miss, also taking off Chris Shields with 3 minutes to go was a big mistake. Easily the poorest team left.

Did you smash it · 26-08-2022 3:54pm

The lad is getting pelters for the miss but boy oh boy the og is deplorable. If the defender is right footed it’s even worst

dfx- · 26-08-2022 3:56pm

Virgin had already announced they'll show Rovers games I think. Now whether that's on Virgin Sport 6 or whatever...

Decent though tough regional draw in effect. No trip to Yerevan before a league game and all teams were blue or blue/black kit so there should be no sign of the hideous black away jersey.

hold my beer · 26-08-2022 7:20pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119525527#Comment_119525527

A wet fish shot, made a million times worse by the goal.

https://mobile.twitter.com/newschambers/status/1563075393665449986?s=20

Hammer Archer · 26-08-2022 9:11pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119526561#Comment_119526561

I was thinking that, maybe, it being the last minute of extra time, it was due to tiredness but the lad was only on the field 15 minutes at that point. And then he barely broke into a jog tracking back when RFS were breaking forward.

NIMAN · 26-08-2022 11:27pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119525527#Comment_119525527

Think Shields had picked up an injury.

NIMAN · 26-08-2022 11:30pm

All the FAI Cup ties went as expected tonight.

Good effort by Wexford it looks like. Would have shaken up the competition had Dundalk went out.

kksaints · 27-08-2022 12:04am

Dundalk rode their luck tonight in Wexford. Barely created anything and continuing to play a high line in defence was near enough to suicidal. Wexford's forwards particularly Ger Shorrt created havoc with their runs and pace and forced Sheppard to make some very good saves to keep them in it in the 2nd half and Ryan O'Kane made an impact from the bench but they were lucky and with better finishing Wexford would have gone through.