The Paris Experience

The Paris experience

The dust has settled, the ridiculous calls for a replay are dying away and we are left with the stark reality that we won't be in the South Africa next summer. So what can we take from the experience? In my opinion it is probably in the top three Irish away performances I have ever seen. The manner in which we played through the French, creating a number of great chances was a real positive and answered the pathetic criticism which has dogged the team throughout the campaign.

Given the size of the country I don't expect Ireland to “achieve” on the world stage very often. All I want is a team that is competitive and a team we can be proud of. A lot of fans who travel regularly have spoken of being revitalized by this campaign. After the negativity and the nightmare under Stan, we have roared back into life this time around. Bari, Sofia and last Wednesday were proof positive of the “new Ireland”.

I was in Paris from Tuesday night onwards, taking a half day and hitting the plane/train combo to make it there. Rendezvoused with the troops and headed for a bite to eat. This was a somewhat prolonged affair and we weren't back in the hotel till after three.

Matchday and the weather was perfect. All of us had done the main sites before so we opted for a cruise along the Seine, bite of lunch, and a visit to the Military Museum in the afternoon. Then it was back to get the “match gear” on and head for the stadium. Anyone that knows me would know I am not a good person to be around before a game as I just want to be in the stadium as early as possible.

The game itself was both fantastic and awful at the same time. Fantastic to see us play so well, awful for the end to come as it did. Keane's goal reminded me of Pizza's goal in the 95 Cup Final, even the whole slow motion nature of the way it went in. The goal produced absolute bedlam around us, but a middle age lad took a real tumble and had to be escorted away by the medics, which curtailed the celebrations.

Half time was a bit surreal as we were playing so well and everyone was sure the French were going to pummel us in the second half/ I said to me da that I was really worried when Duffer and Keano missed and so it turned out. If we had scored the second I am 100% certain we would have gone through as the French would have need two to beat us and that was never going to happen.

When the French scored it was a just like getting a dig in the stomach. That sickening feeling when you can feel something slipping away. In the stadium no one had an idea of the controversy. I was only when I started getting all the texts from home that I realised that something was amiss/

I was hurting on Wednesday and Thursday, no doubt. To come so close and have a decision like that go against you, it really takes it out of you. After the game, plenty of French fans came up to apologise. We went for something to eat around 1am on Thursday morning and the table of lads beside us were totally apologetic. It wasn't a faux sincerity, as one of them said “Shame on us”. To come so close and miss out is heartbreak and it could be twenty years until we come that close again.

There was a very anti-climatic feel after the game as the Irish were stunned at the manner of the defeat and the French were stunned by the manner of victory. There was no mad celebrations from the home fans, both sets of supporters just shuffling off into the night.

The atmosphere before and during the game was absolutely magic. We may have had far less travelling than we did in 2004 but it somehow felt a lot louder. The introduction of the Singing Section in Croker and the impetus ybig.ie has provided has undoubtedly helped that, evidenced through the campaign. The wall of noise from our section all night, and even at the denouement was a sight to see(and hear). You still have the quotient of eejits travelling and everyone has a story to tell about them and their antics. On the whole though, the traveling support tends to be great.

The Eurostar back home at 6.43am on Thursday was carnage. A mix of French people heading for London for a day's work and a load of lads who drank through the night and headed for the train. I was between the category, as I had been out till after 4am but was suited and booted as I was heading for the office on Thursday afternoon.

I was absolutely shattered come Thursday evening and increasingly embarrassed by the reaction of the nation at large. There was never going to be a replay, it was a shite decision, but hey that's the way it happens. Any real supporter of a team could reel you off fifteen decisions of similar magnitude that has happened to their side in the last decade.

Roll on 9/2/10 and the draw for the Euros. C'mon YBIG.

From Retro rig

From Retro rig

From Retro rig

From Retro rig

They've arrived. Anyone who prepaid-I'll be in touch.

The cleansing process

Thursday saw the start of the "cleansing process" (Copyright Rico, Monday night on MNS).

The FAI sent a high powered delegation north to explore what the future held for Derry City. The last remaining director stood aside, and talk of a road map back into senior football began to emerge.

Some of the stories of the type of stuff that went on at the club is utterly shameful and indeed would make you very angry.

Personally I thought Stephen Kenny's comments on the issue on Friday were stunning. As the manager of the club he had absolutely no knowledge of the wages that the club were paying? No player ever mentioned to him that he had to sign a blank form? He didn't wonder about how we were within the 65% rule if we were paying the higher wages?

People now seem to think it is just a matter of procedure for us to be in the senior football next year. This is far from certain. This is not a case of just ticking a few boxes and getting back in the League.

The Calver issue at Coleraine has made it a lot more difficult to just wind up a company and start again. We are far from out of the woods yet. It will require a mammoth effort to have a club next season.

A new week

Sunday morning, and the news of Derry being thrown out the League was starting to gain real momentum. Press from the UK, Europe and further afield were starting to learn of the news of the club's demise.

The message board nearly went into meltdown and Greengo took the sensible step to close the site overnight. At Mass that morning people were talking about the club for the first time in years. Next up was the news of a press conference at the Brandywell at 2pm on the Sunday, where the fight back would begin.

I didn't bother attending, and from talking to those that did, I missed nothing. The idea of a press conference is that it is exactly that, a press conference. Once again, fans and any other interested onlookers were allowed in and the journalists I spoke to said it precluded an chance of actually asking decent questions.

I had a Supporters Trust meeting on the Sunday evening and I tried to explain to those in attendance that the contracts was a side issue. The financial state of the club meant that a Trust was need either way and therefore the need for a Trust was as pressing as ever.

Monday was a seminal day in the whole saga. The devastating performance of John Delaney on MNS showed that the FAI weren't backing down. At the same time the board were holding an open meeting. Such was the size of turnout that the group had to move to the City Hotel. Speaking to those who were at the meeting they thought that the board had done a good job and had coralled plenty of feeling against the FAI. This was before they had seen MNS though.

JD, with the threat of bans etc, had played classic divide and conquer with the players. Given the players hadn't been paid in weeks there was nothing for them to gain by staying quiet and they were always going to go running to Abbotstown to throw themselves on the mercy of the FAI.

On Tuesday the rumour mill buzzed that the players were on the way south. Events moved at breakneck speed as the players were exonerated and the majority of the board resigned that night. The statement by the PFAI/FAI regarding the players was quite a sight to behold. The players admitted signing the contracts but they didn't know what they were signing and they didn't think to question what these blank forms might relate to.

I personally don't believe this for a second and it was a complete exercise in self survival for the players. The FAI were happy as they had their evidence, the players were happy as they were off the hook. Everyone club has a union rep, did they not think to call Stephen McGuinness and check the blank form?

On Wednesday we had the one remaining director claiming no knowledge of the contracts issue. He spoke of taking the club forward and using his business skills to run the club as a business. Make of that what you will.

A week is a long time....

Sometime they say that football is better than any drama and the events of the last of last ten days have certainly proved that beyond doubt. To be honest I don't even know where to start on it, and I will probably have to break down the blog into several sections.

We'll start with the before, as in before last Saturday.

Let's be honest, the situation was far from rosy before last week. I had been saying to people for a few weeks that I was ashamed to be a Derry fan especially in the light of the Dungannon and Linfield issue. The club was in financial meltdown and most fans were sleepwalking their way into it.

The rumour of the wages issue at Derry has been floating around the League for quite a while. I was alerted to the seriousness of it in September time. Several newspaper articles hinted at the issue and indeed I posted a question relating to it on a Q&A thread posted by Pat McDaid several weeks ago.

I got a few texts on Thursday indicating that the issue was going to come to a head and the news of the hearing was announced. Friday night in Dundalk there was an acceptance that we were going to be relegated, but there was no talk of demotion.

The decision on Saturday dragged on and dragged on and whilst plenty of people thought a delay meant good news for Derry, I was far from certain. I'll be honest, even I was shocked when the news came out. For the rest of the night my inbox and mobile went into melt down.

What did these mean? Where did we go from here? Why had the FAI punished us so badly? There were the general tone of the questions I was getting. I didn't have the answer and the pictures from the 9 o'clock news with an emotional Pat McDaid claiming "shame on the FAI" meant this story was going to run and run.

It's all about this

Kudos to anyone who can spot McDaid senior and junior!

For those that want a hint, check out 1.47 or so.

Going Green on November 14

I'll be blogging about events of a breakneck week, but today it is all about going green on November 14.

Stranger and stranger

Events at Brandywell get madder by the hour

1. Derry have their contract terminated on Saturday circa 5pm
2. Derry hold press conference at Brandywell on Sunday at 2pm. Club utterly refutes allegation, talk is of witch hunt and lack of investigation. Derry invite FAI to investigate books
3. Today Monday, FAI go on co-ordinate press smoozing. Tony O'Donoghue gets shown proof on MNS, other print journalist get juicy quotes from the CEO. If the evidence was there, why weren't Derry shown it.
4. Players are asked to come forward by noon on Thursday. Classic game theory/divide and conquer attitude here. If they have the evidence, why do they need the players?

I'm not saying something isn't amiss on the contract front, but why are the FAI suddenly on a charm offensive?

Cool as f*ck

Madness to have Paul McLoone reading the t-shirt that me and Chalks made up one day in the Empire. Good times.

Sign from above

Is the fact that Felix is the scorer the sign that he should come back as manager?

Contract terminated from the League of Ireland

Statement from the FAI

DCFC response

Interesting times, and will the financial state it will only get more interesting in the coming weeks. Ye never get bored in this League.

From the ashes

Supporters Trust Meeting tomorrow @ 5pm

This won't save the club, but if you are interested in getting involved, get yourself along tomorrow.

Scaremongering was I?

Irish Times Article

The house of cards is falling. The end is nigh.

It is not about being right, though I do give two fingers to all those that had a go at me in various mediums about being a scaremongerer, working against the club and other criticisms. It was never about personalities from my side, it was about the club.

Thanks lads, you've left us in great shape.

Visions of this being sung in the Brandywell boardroom at the minute.

The house is cards is collapsing and I'll be honest and say I'll not be shedding any tears for the board.

My two cent

The roof has gradually been falling in at Brandywell in recent week, as one financial horror story after another has emerged as to the true state of the club's finances. A number of people over the weekend asked me "What do you think will happen?" and to be honest I don't know what will happen. On the road back down last night I did consider what I would prefer to happen.

I've my own estimation of the level of debt that the club is in and if I'm near the mark, I can't see how the club can get out of it. We managed to haemorrhage cash despite winning in Europe and selling three players cross channel, as well as McHugh to Linfield. No one in the squad stands out in terms of the quality of McGinn or McCourt, so there is likely to be little interest from across the water in the current squad.

The first Celtic friendly destroyed a lot of credibility and like the doubting Thomases, even if a full strength Celtic side showed up, a lot of people won't bother going this time round. This is we ever get a full strength Celtic side to come. You can't blame people having been stung once.

How else are we going to raise significant finance? The Dream Draw was a lot harder to sell the last time round and being honest, there are a lot more deserving causes in the City than the football club.

The recession, the mismanagement of the club and general apathy will make it a Herculean task to try and raise money for the club. Fair play to those that do, but we don't even know how much we need to raise.

Even if we were to get investment to see us through the current difficulties, anyone with any sense would make this a loan and not a donation. Therefore the money will still have to be paid back at some point.

I would have serious concerns that we would be denied a licence, even if we remain solvent long enough. I'll not go into the detail again, but have a look at the "10 questions for the board" post, as to where I think our difficulties may lie.

I don't get the feeling that there is the appetite amongst the support to get us back to an even keel by raising massive funds to cover the debt. I'll be honest, I've no appetite for it. Why should I contribute to clean up the mistakes of a board, when I disagreed with many of their decisions? As I said during an early disagreement, if our business model means that we have to charge £8 for a friendly, what type of business model is that.

I'm on record here, DerryCitychat.com and elsewhere as disgreeing with many of their decisions. People might claim it is a personality issue, but I had the same questions of the last board as well. The reality is that if we live within our means then we were probably not be competitive in the League of Ireland. Sad, but true. Derry doesn't have the spending power of Cork or Dublin and attempting to enter into an arms race with sides from there will only end in tears.

Personally, I'd wind Wellvan up and apply for the A League. I don't see how we can get ourselves out of the current position. Let us start from scratch, work from the model in the UK and truly organise ourselves as a community club. Don't use it as a cheap soundbite as it currently is, but actually start again from the ground up.

Maybe there will be no desire for a senior club, maybe we will fade away and that will be the end of Derry City. However if there is no desire for a club, then why are we all throwing some much time, energy and money into trying to be one of the top clubs in Ireland. Rovers emerged much stronger from a spell in the First Division, can we not be the same.

People may argue that we have got out of this position before, we can do it again. Maybe we can. However remember a few salient points.

1. The friendlies against United, Celtic and Barcelona cleared that debt
2. The board fronted up with their problems when it became clear how bad it was
3. We were told it would never happen again

Yet nine years since the last crisis, we are back where we started and what have we learned. I don't entirely blame this board, others must take responsibility as well. However I don't care about personalities, I care about the club. The club is a very very story state. The manner in which we have treated Linfield, Dungannon and others makes me ashamed to call myself a Derry fan. Treat people with honesty and decency and it appears that we have failed to do that.

" What is a club anyway? It's the noise, the passion, the feeling of belonging, the pride in your city."

I've used that quote from Bobby Robson before, and it rings true. The antics of the club at the minute leave me far from proud at the moment.

Swifts consider winding up order

I'm ashamed to call myself a City fan at the minute, such are the antics of those running the club. At least if Dungannon pursued a winding up order then it might bring an end to the madness

RTE Report