Dublin City bunglers, says Dolan - March 13,
2001
St. Patrick's Athletic manager Pat Dolan has accused Home Farm of bungling their big image change.
The north Dublin club - which has traded under the names of Drumcondra, Home Farm, Home Farm Everton and Home Farm Fingal over the years - has decided to change its name to the much-more-prestigious Dublin City FC for next season.
But they decided to make their announcement last Friday - the day the FAI was voting on a crucial decision for Irish football - and the event passed entirely without notice.
Writing in his weekly column in The Star newspaper, the outspoken Dolan said: "It's a prestigious title that they have acquired. But why did they acquire it on huge day for Irish soccer, when so much was at stake with Eircom Park?"
Dolan also questions the club's motives in changing its name - thouth without spelling out why.
But Home Farm's annexation of the Dublin City tag means the name cannot now be used by a potential European Superleague club: that was Wimbledon's plan when they attempted to move to the Republic a couple of years back.
Million-head cities in countries which have their own FA but don't have a strong domestic league - like Dublin, Cardiff and Swansea - have huge potential in the context of a European Superleague. Jockeying for pole position in these cities has gone on behind the scenes, with Sam Hammam's move to buy Cardiff City and Ron Noades' rumoured takeover of Swansea.
Now Pat Dolan seems to fear some such move is behind Home Farm's name change.
All together now: "That Sam Hammam, that Sam Hammam, I do not like that Sam Hammam ... etc etc"!