Ireland fans: Eircom League in trouble
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Irish football thrown into chaos
The future of Ireland's Eircom League has been thrown into doubt after it emerged two of its best-known teams are in serious financial trouble.
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Defending champions Drogheda can no longer pay their players and this season's champions-in-waiting Bohemians are reportedly saddled with weekly debts of 35,000 Euros.
On Thursday night Drogheda chairman Vincent Hoey informed the club's players there is no more money to pay their wages after Friday night's clash with Bohemians.
The club has already been forced to scrap plans for a new stadium and are set to go part-time next year to ease their money troubles.
Meanwhile Bohemians have recorded losses of 1.18million Euros as they await for a decision on development plans for the ground where their stadium is hosted.
A court case next Friday is set to determine the ownership of Dalymount Park in Dublin and if it is ruled Bohemians don't own the pitch, plans for a new stadium close to Dublin Airport will be put into doubt.
Drogheda and Bohemians are not the first clubs to run into trouble - Cork went into examinership last year and Galway, which is managed by rogue trader Nick Leeson, have reverted to part-time.
Three other sides - Sligo, Finn Harps and Cobh have also recently experienced money woes.
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Your Comments
ccfc84
"i meant to say "..and the credit crunch HASN'T HELPED.." down there, sorry!:-P"
ccfc84
"mylord, im not arguing that the premiership plays the best football,im in total agreement, without a doubt...my point is (and lets be honest) there's a realistic max of two teams that are goin to win the league year in year out..which as i say makes it highly unpredictable. in the eircom league you'l have the same 3 or 4 teams goin for it with any of those teams possible winners but you'l always ALWAYS have one or two surprises in it. this season has been a disaster with bohs running away with it but its a once off kdjvilla, im no fan of the FAI by ANY means but i have to say they've come out above many peoples expectations in their work with the league, and the credit crunch. 100% agree with your proper administration comment but im just findin your comments on the quallity of football pretty unfair."
clarkeeee (Manchester United fan)
"kdjvilla, playing football on a GAA field is not condusive to generating any sort of atmosphere in the stands because you are so far away from the action. The game in Ireland is really in infancy after years of being sidelined in favour of isolationist sports like GAA (I'm not having a go at GAA as I understand it was a reafirming of an Irish identity). Hopefully these 2 clubs can get through their troubles and survive. i also feel that the FAI and IFA are a joke and don't know what they are doing except maintaining jobs for the boys."
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