Running a League of Ireland club is probably akin to running the health service in its levels of difficulty. Plenty have tried, few have really succeeded. The most you can really do is try and do a decent enough job while you're there before passing it along to the next poor individual while you still have some semblance of standing within the community.
As such, whoever came up with this promotion for Shelbourne should really be given a hearty applause for thinking outside the box. It's next to impossible to make money in the League. Minimal television money, minimal gate receipts (for the most part) and minuscule merchandising revenue equates to a lot of red pen being used on the books.
So, Shelbourne saw that their name was the same as an upscale Dublin hotel and decided to cash in, with a bit of a difference. We can't say too many of us here at Balls have been to afternoon tea in the Shelbourne Hotel too often but they probably don't do a roaring trade in Long Island Ice Teas during them.
No matter, that's the angle Shels are going with and we sincerely hope it works for them. Here's the invitation via the club's website.
The invitation reads as follows:
Ladies and Gentlemen -
We cordially invite you to enjoy
Fabulously Sumptuous Long Island Ice Tea at The Shelbourne FC
on Saturday 21st February 2015, Tolka Park Bar, 5pm- 8pm.
Special price for the Long Island Ice tea
with cake and special gift included with this cocktail.
Unfortunately it doesn't instruct whether you should come in white tie or merely black tie. We'd guess white just to be sure. You don't want to be the eejit in the corner who forgot his top hat.
