Pats v Spurs - what an eye-opener

Roar

dunno what the OP was blowing on about poor food in richmond park for.. i got a lovely hot dog the last time i was up (for the setanta cup) with onion and cheese and everything..

way better then the meat and potato "pie" i got at the merseyside derby in anfield at the start of the year..

and who honestly cares about toilet facilities at a football ground??

KdjaCL

OP was banned for personal abuse.


kdjac

KdjaCL

Roar wrote:

dunno what the OP was blowing on about poor food in richmond park for.. i got a lovely hot dog the last time i was up (for the setanta cup) with onion and cheese and everything..

Tonis before the game and get a proper hot dog, Papa Mios after the game and get a Chicken Baguette. Noone should ever eat food at a football match its not right.


kdjac

Roar

KdjaCL wrote:

Tonis before the game and get a proper hot dog, Papa Mios after the game and get a Chicken Baguette. Noone should ever eat food at a football match its not right.


kdjac

when you arrive just at kick off after a four hour drive from cork you'll eat anything...

papa mio's do the nicest garlic bread with cheese in the world.. i brought an extra one home with me and had it the next day.. the job...

KdjaCL

Theres a town in the middle that its only purpose is its chipper The Iron Anvil or something.




kdjac

_blank_

Roar wrote:

dunno what the OP was blowing on about poor food in richmond park for.. i got a lovely hot dog the last time i was up (for the setanta cup) with onion and cheese and everything..

In fairness, you were probably drunk.

stepbar

6 of us went, 35eur a ticket :eek:
Was an "ok" match, pats played some nice football but couldnt get past the Spurs backs. As for Spurs, it was more of a training session than anything else.

<EDIT> The food I got was awful. They should have had a table set a side and let people put on sauce etc instead of holding up the queue.

KdjaCL

seansouth wrote:

In fairness, you were probably drunk.

They dont put cheese on hot dogs, so im inclined to agree with you.


kdjac

Roar

seansouth wrote:

In fairness, you were probably drunk.

you psychic or something??

[Jackass]

kearnsr wrote:

so who is to blame for all this? The fans, the club or the league? Or is every one to blame?

What is the solution to the problem?

Everyone unfortunatly.

Starting with the people in the 80's who started ignoring the leauge and it very quickly came near to death. AFAIK crowds through the 60's and 70's were very high and up to the 80's EL players regularly lined out for Ireland.

But English football took the lime lite and as soon as these pepole started to tatoo crests of clubs from another country on their arms that they maybe get to see once or twice a season in person and sit in the warm pub on sundays to watch, the LOI was in trouble.

Who knows, if people stayed loyal to their local club over the last 20 odd years I've no doubt we'd have had a team in the CL proper by now, fair enough we wouldn't be competing to win the thing and wouldn't be up there with the PL, but it's such a shame we were so quick to abondon our own national teams for the glitz of big teams over the water...I dont see how these people can call themselves real fans?? You choose to associate yourself with a team at random, usually because they win things i.e. Man utd. Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, Spurs (back in the day), Celtic (as well as the whole RA buzz)...

But anyway, what's done is done. You can choose to say fu*k it, I dont care about Irish football, I'm happy enough to stick to England.

OR you could still support an English team and your local team...it's not going to be Brazil, but its still competetive, you'll get into it and be passionate about it if you genuinly want to see Irish football and your local Irish club sucsessfull and you'll get to see your team week in week out, and when the sucsess of your club grows you'll feel a part of it. You can support more than one team in different countries you know, and if your truly passionate about your sport and your country, you'll want to see it do well in your country

If even 1 in 10 football fans in Ireland supported their local team the league would be in a much healthier state.

_blank_

That's a nice canful of worms there.

Guy:Incognito

In fairness Des, it was only a matter if time before one of the militants found the thread.

Maybe people should stop supporting the evil foreign games altogether. the GAA are always after a few more to further the cause.

Thanx 4 The Fish

So who was my local team in Castlebar. I have asked this question many times now and nobody seems to be able to answer me. Took me an hour and a half to drive to Galway or Sligo on match days (well an hour to galway or sligo) and half an hour getting parking when I went to a game. The standard was alright and Terryland was ok, not premiership standard or even championship or div one for that matter (teams from leagues I have attended in the last year as they are more local to me than Galway was to C'bar).

To blame people for not attending EL games is a bit rich when the EL is not delivering a product that is easily accesible to fans (except for those in Dublin where they have oversaturated the market) wherever they come from. And to say that people in Ireland are to blame for Irish teams not competing is also a bit rich, get the youth involved, I can take my children to Shrewsbury for free. Same for Telford (non league but still better facilities than alot of EL grounds), in fact I can bring my children to train with the Telford players (or three or four of them at any session) and have done on occasion, and who knows, having trained with the lads, done some work with them they may grow up supporting Telford (I hope not but hey if they are they are). I have not heard of such initiatives when I was in Mayo and even if there was it is a bit of a trip to take my children on a two-three hour round trip when I could just take em up to C'bar Celtic who have a superb youth setup and allow people of all abilities to at least get a kickaround.

I am willing to bet that there are more people in Mayo supporting Cbar Celtic or Ballyheane, Ballyvary and whatnot than there is supports an EL team. Is that their fault ?

_blank_

Stekelly wrote:

In fairness Des, it was only a matter if time before one of the militants found the thread.

Militant. Heh.

I thought I was one of them.

KdjaCL

seansouth wrote:

Militant. Heh.

I thought I was one of them.

You are and cos of you i will never go to see a 1st division game :eek:


kdjac

_blank_

What?

Zebra3

Nick wrote:

Everyone unfortunatly.

Starting with the people in the 80's who started ignoring the leauge and it very quickly came near to death. AFAIK crowds through the 60's and 70's were very high and up to the 80's EL players regularly lined out for Ireland.

But English football took the lime lite and as soon as these pepole started to tatoo crests of clubs from another country on their arms that they maybe get to see once or twice a season in person and sit in the warm pub on sundays to watch, the LOI was in trouble.

Who knows, if people stayed loyal to their local club over the last 20 odd years I've no doubt we'd have had a team in the CL proper by now, fair enough we wouldn't be competing to win the thing and wouldn't be up there with the PL, but it's such a shame we were so quick to abondon our own national teams for the glitz of big teams over the water...I dont see how these people can call themselves real fans?? You choose to associate yourself with a team at random, usually because they win things i.e. Man utd. Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, Spurs (back in the day), Celtic (as well as the whole RA buzz)...

But anyway, what's done is done. You can choose to say fu*k it, I dont care about Irish football, I'm happy enough to stick to England.

OR you could still support an English team and your local team...it's not going to be Brazil, but its still competetive, you'll get into it and be passionate about it if you genuinly want to see Irish football and your local Irish club sucsessfull and you'll get to see your team week in week out, and when the sucsess of your club grows you'll feel a part of it. You can support more than one team in different countries you know, and if your truly passionate about your sport and your country, you'll want to see it do well in your country

If even 1 in 10 football fans in Ireland supported their local team the league would be in a much healthier state.

Nick,

There is a whole host of reasons for the decline of the domestic game.

Imo one of the main problems was that by the time kids were old enough (from the 80s onwards) to be into football they knew nothing else but English football due to the tv coverage and their parents no longer went.

The tv coverage of English football into Ireland opened up the eyes of those whom previously thought of their LoI stars as gods ,and made them look quite ordinary compared to the likes of Best et al. Coinciding with Manchester becoming the first English side to win the European Cup (and doing so in some style), the attraction of Cork Hibs and Drums in the Shield no longer held as much attraction.

Many of those consumers of foreign football will often cite the facilities (or lack of them) at LoI grounds as a reason for not going, but it is little more than an excuse. GAA grounds are packed during the summer and a lot of them (from bits I see on the tv) seem to be little more than uncovered grassy hills. Lansdowne is/was an absolute dump, but the FAI have no problems shifting tickets for most of their games. People have no problem paying €35 to sit in a temperory stand with no cover to watch Ireland play the likes of the Faroes or San Marino. Makes our First Division games look like a snip at €15 for a (covered) seat.

People have every right to pick and choose how to spend their hard earned money (or that handed to them by daddy) and the reality is that the clubs here have failed miserably to be seen as the representitive side of the city/town/county. The loyalty with the masses just isn't there. In Dublin, the death of Drums along with Shels and Rovers moving out of Ringsend and Milltown as well as the constant collapse of clubs in Cork have created apathy amongst the floating sporting public, but if Leinster can suddenly start attracting fans out of nowhere (and beyond the traditional rugger areas), the LoI sides can recreate it too. It ain't gonna be easy though.

One thing the FAI/LoI should not be trying to is to think that trying to copy everything from England will make the league here a success. The sanitised version of the sport that's marketed so successfully over there (and here!) is very hard to compete with, so the FAI should be promoting the league in a different way. The atmosphere at many LoI games is as good if not better than a lot of games in England. The FAI should be promoting this along with other positives like being able to move around and not stuck in one seat (imagine paying €50 to sit in front of a broken record and being stuck there for the game) as well as the pride in one's local team.

Hopefully the fact that about 50 games a year now are being shown live, a new generation of kids will grow up whom are able to identify with their local teams and heroes. Maybe they'll also have an interest in Liverpool or Milan, but hopefully when they're in the Canaries or Ayia Napa, they'll be decked out in Irish club shirts and not foreign ones. After all if our NT were complete no hopers would we all follow a foreign one?

Football is first and foremost about pride and passion. That's what'll always hold my interest, not reading about which 18 year old drunken prima donna on sterling£50k a week has wrapped his latest sports car around a lamppost.

English football has long since lost its soul. Local working class people priced out so shameless PLCs can milk toruists from Dublin, Oslo and Tokyo. Given the chance of a game in Wembley or a game in Warsaw, I know where I'd be going.

Rant over (for the time being ).

LuckyLloyd

Excellent post Zebra IMO. *strokes chin.


And, while I would normally enjoy the odd potshot at the Eircom league I have to say that I find the OP to nothing other than an unintelligent and inarticulate troll.

shane86

The EL wont change until at least one businessman does a few things- buys a huge stake (100% even) in a Dublin club, pledges 100m (or however much a 60,000 min stadium in Dublin costs to build these days), and throws in a huge buying budget fior two things

a- Foreign players

b- To keep our talent within his own club. i.e. vastly outbidding Chelsea, Sunderland, Man U/City for the new Kevin Doyles and Stephen Ireland/Hunts currently aged 16-19. Currently, whatever real talent there is from this age group will be plucked by their 19th and sent to Engand.

I know the above creates a "Celtic will ALWAYS win" typw attiude to whichever team in EPL would be bought, but unless two businessmen do the above with two different clubs it will be like that.

eirebhoy

Thanx 4 The Fish wrote:

So who was my local team in Castlebar. I have asked this question many times now and nobody seems to be able to answer me. Took me an hour and a half to drive to Galway or Sligo on match days (well an hour to galway or sligo) and half an hour getting parking when I went to a game. The standard was alright and Terryland was ok, not premiership standard or even championship or div one for that matter (teams from leagues I have attended in the last year as they are more local to me than Galway was to C'bar).

To blame people for not attending EL games is a bit rich when the EL is not delivering a product that is easily accesible to fans (except for those in Dublin where they have oversaturated the market) wherever they come from. And to say that people in Ireland are to blame for Irish teams not competing is also a bit rich, get the youth involved, I can take my children to Shrewsbury for free. Same for Telford (non league but still better facilities than alot of EL grounds), in fact I can bring my children to train with the Telford players (or three or four of them at any session) and have done on occasion, and who knows, having trained with the lads, done some work with them they may grow up supporting Telford (I hope not but hey if they are they are). I have not heard of such initiatives when I was in Mayo and even if there was it is a bit of a trip to take my children on a two-three hour round trip when I could just take em up to C'bar Celtic who have a superb youth setup and allow people of all abilities to at least get a kickaround.

I am willing to bet that there are more people in Mayo supporting Cbar Celtic or Ballyheane, Ballyvary and whatnot than there is supports an EL team. Is that their fault ?

Agreed. I asked a question on foot.ie a few months ago of how everyone began supporting the team they do. 6 pages of replies and pretty much everyone lived (very) locally to the club or were sucked in by someone else. A lot of LOI fans just don't realise that if you're not brought up a fan of Pats/Cork/Derry/Shels/etc then you'll almost certainly never be one. It's your heart that does the choosing and not your head. I went to a few Pats games in the last few years but I've grown very little affinity. I'll support Irish teams in Europe but that's as much as it goes. In fact, I'd take a night off work to watch a LOI team play in the Champions league if they ever get that far.

KdjaCL

shane86 wrote:

The EL wont change until at least one businessman does a few things- buys a huge stake (100% even) in a Dublin club, pledges 100m (or however much a 60,000 min stadium in Dublin costs to build these days), and throws in a huge buying budget fior two things

a- Foreign players

b- To keep our talent within his own club. i.e. vastly outbidding Chelsea, Sunderland, Man U/City for the new Kevin Doyles and Stephen Ireland/Hunts currently aged 16-19. Currently, whatever real talent there is from this age group will be plucked by their 19th and sent to Engand.

I know the above creates a "Celtic will ALWAYS win" typw attiude to whichever team in EPL would be bought, but unless two businessmen do the above with two different clubs it will be like that.

The irony of posting that on this thread.

Special K


kdjac

Zebra3

shane86 wrote:

The EL wont change until at least one businessman does a few things- buys a huge stake (100% even) in a Dublin club, pledges 100m (or however much a 60,000 min stadium in Dublin costs to build these days), and throws in a huge buying budget fior two things

a- Foreign players

b- To keep our talent within his own club. i.e. vastly outbidding Chelsea, Sunderland, Man U/City for the new Kevin Doyles and Stephen Ireland/Hunts currently aged 16-19. Currently, whatever real talent there is from this age group will be plucked by their 19th and sent to Engand.

I know the above creates a "Celtic will ALWAYS win" typw attiude to whichever team in EPL would be bought, but unless two businessmen do the above with two different clubs it will be like that.

Imo you're totally wrong. All you're doing is creating a miniture version of the Scottish and English leagues and still trying to compete against them on the same terms which can never be done here with the smaller population base.

What needs to be created is an Irish version of the Nordic leagues whereby clubs have real local identities, great atmosphere at the games, and mainly local players with a couple of foreigners thrown in. Just like the successful Shels of the last few years. Mainly Dublin players with a few foreigners like Rogers, Williams, Ndo, and Ollie Cahill thrown in.

Success for the LoI will not be determined by one club making it into the CL group stages. After all would the LoI now be a success if Shels had done it in 2004? I don't think so. The LoI will be a success when it has captured the hearts and minds of a sizeable number of people in Ireland, when clubs have built 10,000 all-seater grounds and are more than half-filling them for their so-called less attractive matches.

Success is not about having a one off decent club side having six big nights in two months that puts €10,000,000 in the bank acount of one club, but about building a long lasting infrastructure across the whole league that rises all boats.

_blank_

Zebra3 wrote:

...foreigners like...Ollie Cahill...

:eek:

Jaysis, when did Tipp get independence?

Zebra3

seansouth wrote:

:eek:

Jaysis, when did Tipp get independence?

It's a timewarp down there.

Republic of Munster and all that.

20 Times 20 Times

I made the point as seen here that St Pats made 400,000 out of the game against spurs . Can someone explained to me how this was. I would like to backup my statement

_blank_

Sarge wrote:

I made the point as seen here that St Pats made 400,000 out of the game against spurs . Can someone explained to me how this was. I would like to backup my statement

lol...you're looking for a straight answer ouot of KdjacL there. Ain't gonna happen I'm afraid.

gimmick

I heard this morning that Niall Quinn saw the OPs posts and is reconsidering bringing Sunderland over to Ireland for their 3 pre season friendlies.

This may not be true, but if it is, PETER COLLINS should get a free ST to Sunderland for saving them such an awful experience.

DerekD Goldfish

seansouth wrote:

lol...you're looking for a straight answer ouot of KdjacL there. Ain't gonna happen I'm afraid.

While That Figure may be exagerated Id say we made a good few quid from it
Stand 2000 * €35 = 70K
Ground 4000 * €20 = 80K
Corporate Tickets = 30 K
Tv Coverage = 20K
around 200k Corporate tickets and Tv coverage may have brought in more complete guesses.

I heard this morning that Niall Quinn saw the OPs posts and is reconsidering bringing Sunderland over to Ireland for their 3 pre season friendlies.

Wasnt Quinn in a FAI appointed role supposed to be looking into the future of the EL or something im sure he knowns all about the standard of the grounds etc.
Would they really be that much better playing League 1 oposition or whoever else premership teams usually lay for warm ups.

Fratton Fred

Maybe the OP's biggest problem was the standard of Prawn Sandwiches at the game.

Mny Premiership fans, especially those based in london, would expect Prawn sandwiches and a nice medium white wine to be available at all football matches.

Beer and hotdog is for the working classes damnit!!

Running Bing

I must say I was disappointed with the atmosphere. I remember when I used to go to every Pats game and the fans put on some tremendous displays with flags and banners and the like.


Unfortuneately a perfect opportunity to convert some more PL fans to EPL teams was missed by ,to be perfectly honest, pure stubborness.

The most frustrating thing about LOI and it's fans is the "us against them" attitude they have. People supporting English clubs is a way of life, if you love football and are born in Ireland absolutely surrounded by people talking and following argubaly the best league in the world, rightly or wrongly, your probably gonna follow an English club.

LOI has little to offer compared to the EPL but it does offer one thing, live football week in week out. I wish the majority of Pats fans had not taken the view of, "who cares their an English club and their bad" and instead got behind the team and the league.

The pats support seemed to consist entirely of a small pocket of youths singing things like "you can shove your english football up your arse":rolleyes: Im a Pats fan and I have been going to games for a long time and will continue to go, but based on the game last Tursday I dont know why any non LOI fan would be bothered going to the games....in fact they would probably feel quite justified in there refusal to go to games up to that point.

gustavo

Babybing wrote:

I must say I was disappointed with the atmosphere. I remember when I used to go to every Pats game and the fans put on some tremendous displays with flags and banners and the like.


Unfortuneately a perfect opportunity to convert some more PL fans to EPL teams was missed by ,to be perfectly honest, pure stubborness.


.

It was only a friendly for Pats, They have far bigger games coming up soon

Running Bing

gustavo wrote:

It was only a friendly for Pats, They have far bigger games coming up soon

I know, I know. It just seemed the whole thing was looked upon as a nice little money spinner at the expense of the English thickos instead of the opportunity it was.


Dont get me wrong and think I am saying everyone should go gooey eyed at the prospect of an English club playing and tiddle their arse's with feathers. Im not being patronising, I just feel it was an excellent opportunity to showcase what is great about LOI and Pats and it was squandered.


The truth I feel is that a lot of LOI fans are really happy with the way things are. They are glad the league is not highly supported as it makes them feel like "real fans", words which are spouted almost ad nauseum by LOI fans I know.



Correct me if I am wrong but most LOI clubs were founded in the late twenties some thirty years after most English to flight clubs. Personally I feel 30 years is more than enough to bring LOI up to English Championship standard. For that to happen though the league needs investment and a change in attitude. Unfortunately in thirty years time I think we will still be having this conversation.

KdjaCL

Babybing wrote:

I know, I know. It just seemed the whole thing was looked upon as a nice little money spinner at the expense of the English thickos instead of the opportunity it was.

Thats what it was pure and simple money, there were 500 pats fans there usually 2000+ on thursday there will be 2 to 3000 fans at our important game in UEFA cup. As much as it is for Spurs to go and play in China or somewhere far away its all about money, no matter what Pats did last thursday prawn sambos, free beer, naked cheerleaders etc The majority of the Spurs fans were irish Spurs fans and have no intention of ever going to an EL game.

What clubs need to do is improve grounds and get into Europe proper, the football is already there (as spurs fans will no doubt know now we played 20 players vs you, and we played some nice ball, the kind i watch every week). Hosting days for irish english football fans is not going to change anything as far as i know there are irish open days for english fans every year in all clubs in the EL (sunderland stockport sheff utd spurs and some others due over soon)

http://foot.ie/forums/showthread.php?t=43132 thead on foot.ie with all detials on what ground improvements going on now.

Sarge there was more than 4500 at the game and tv plus other things put it closer to 400k than to 300k


kdjac

gustavo

Babybing wrote:

Correct me if I am wrong but most LOI clubs were founded in the late twenties some thirty years after most English to flight clubs. Personally I feel 30 years is more than enough to bring LOI up to English Championship standard. For that to happen though the league needs investment and a change in attitude. Unfortunately in thirty years time I think we will still be having this conversation.

eL is always going to have a problem if it is constantly compared to English football , those that say the standard is ****e , are probably saying it is ****e whilst using the English Premiership as a reference point, which is grossly unfair to the eL.

Running Bing

gustavo wrote:

eL is always going to have a problem if it is constantly compared to English football , those that say the standard is ****e , are probably saying it is ****e whilst using the English Premiership as a reference point, which is grossly unfair to the eL.

But we have to just accept that is what it will be compared to by the vast majority and if LOI could get up to a first division standard with some decent grounds and facilities and some good, even international players(this is an area that people like Kerr and Stan need to kop on....there should be a lot more EL players getting call ups for friendlies) I have no doubt the stadiums would be packed week in week out.


As for the standard at the minute, it is not as bad as non-loi fans make out I must admit. Defensively and midfield there is a lot of good football played, but I always felt it is up front where the standard is let down.


I think the main things keeping people away though at the moment are the poor facilities and the fact they are going to a half empty stadium(vicious circle I know:( )


I looked at the stadium last thursday packed to the rafters...I have never seen it like that and I just thought to myself imagine if it was like that every week, it would be sensational.

It could happen and it should happen but my gut tells me it never will.

When you have a country who absolutely adores it's football and yet it's professional league games are half full(if that) week in week out you know there is a problem somewhere....and personally I think the problem has nothing to do with the English game.

Fratton Fred

I lived near Wycombe Wanderers for a few years and they were masters at this, kid a quid days where an adult could take up to four kids with them for a quid each, players visiting schools giving out free tickets, so the kids were pretty much dragging their Dads along. Family fun days, they even sold kids season tickets in the family section for about £25 per season, less than the price it costs to get into a premiership game. It is now trendy for Wycombe kids to support Wanderers and not Chelsea or Arsenal, the main premiership competition.

It can be done if the will is there, but it starts by attracting families and using the principle that the Chairman f Doncaster used, it is better to have 10,000 people paying £5 than it is to have 5,000 people paying £10

Jonny Arson

Babybing wrote:

The truth I feel is that a lot of LOI fans are really happy with the way things are.

So you think LOI fans are absolutely delighted with the pathetic crowds attending our league... why on earth would any fan of any club want pathetic attendances depriving their club of income to improve facilities, to improve youth structures and to improve their playing squad?????

Babybing wrote:

They are glad the league is not highly supported as it makes them feel like "real fans", words which are spouted almost ad nauseum by LOI fans I know.

Firstly, repeating myself, no one is glad that the LOI is poorly supported, so please end that nonsensical point you're unsuccessfully attempting to make.
Now, a real football supporter attends games and actively supports a club, that doesn't change if you're one of 2 supporters or one of 5 million supporters. No eL supporter needs or should be trying to feel like a real supporter, it's quite clearcut for any rational thinking individual to know what is a genuine football supporter and what isn't a football supporter, however that's a concept that 95% of Irish football ''supporters'' have a hilariously distorted view of.......

Babybing wrote:

Correct me if I am wrong but most LOI clubs were founded in the late twenties some thirty years after most English to flight clubs. Personally I feel 30 years is more than enough to bring LOI up to English Championship standard.

Firstly about our country catching up to English football's championship standard, you are obviously forgetting about the intense competition there has been since this period from GAA and the fact that we have has an estimated population of 4m compared to England's population more than 10 times that. The fact that our clubs are where they are now under these circumstances and pathetic attendances is a hell of an achievement

Babybing wrote:

For that to happen though the league needs investment and a change in attitude. Unfortunately in thirty years time I think we will still be having this conversation.

Are you talking investment from trees growing in Russian millionaires backgardens or what other type of investment? The best type of investment for any domestic league comes from the fan themselves going through the turnstiles every week. Similar sized populations to us such as Scotland and Denmark have relatively strong domestic leagues with alot better facilities than us, their football supporters have a habit of actuallly going to games and supporting their league, it's no coincidence.
You are right about a need for a change in attitude, that obviously has to come from the 90% odd of our football fans but that's not going to happen because of their ignorant attitudes towards our own domestic game, this current attitude will not change so domestic football must market itself towards the future - Hit them when they are young, get them playing, get them attending... pity that's not a simple concept the marketing gurus at the various clubs and the top can't get a grip of, we could help ourselves in this regard.

Babybing wrote:

When you have a country who absolutely adores it's football and yet it's professional league games are half full(if that) week in week out you know there is a problem somewhere....and personally I think the problem has nothing to do with the English game.

You're right, it's not directly the English games' fault, it's our own Irish football ''fans'' who call themselves Irish football supporters yet while while ignoring their own domestic league which holds back the game in this country from progressing. A new culture has to develop, it may take 10-20 years for something to happen but if the clubs and the FAI put time, effort and money into getting youngsters through those turnstiles, playing the game regularly from an early age and meeting players of their local clubs then supporting an eL will become the norm.

Clubs can't survive or compete without fans, facilities can't improve without fans coming through those turnstiles, playing standards can't improve without income from fans..... we know what the problem is, it staring us straight in the face and yet too many people still try to make excuses for themselves and for their fellow barstoolers

Jonny Arson

Fratton Fred wrote:

I lived near Wycombe Wanderers for a few years and they were masters at this, kid a quid days where an adult could take up to four kids with them for a quid each, players visiting schools giving out free tickets, so the kids were pretty much dragging their Dads along. Family fun days, they even sold kids season tickets in the family section for about £25 per season, less than the price it costs to get into a premiership game. It is now trendy for Wycombe kids to support Wanderers and not Chelsea or Arsenal, the main premiership competition.

It can be done if the will is there, but it starts by attracting families and using the principle that the Chairman f Doncaster used, it is better to have 10,000 people paying £5 than it is to have 5,000 people paying £10

I touched on this in my post there without seeing your post and you're 100% spot on. This is the type of thing eL clubs and the FAI must do NOW, the only two words in any club or FAI marketing department should be ''future'' and ''youth''.

_blank_

Johnny Arson, that was an excellent post.

Fratton Fred

Jonny Arson wrote:

I touched on this in my post there without seeing your post and you're 100% spot on. This is the type of thing eL clubs and the FAI must do NOW, the only two words in any club or FAI marketing department should be ''future'' and ''youth''.

I realised that, great minds eh;)

It is impossible to compete with Manu and Liverpool, the smaller clubs be they English or Irish, need to offer something different and that should be a sense of own.

We are on a high now, but I have seen Pompey play in every division of the football league, and some of the best games have been against "lesser" oppostion. I remember the game against cardiff in 1982, we were top of the table, they were second and there were something like 28,000 in fratton park. the atmosphere was amazing (although it was a 0-0 draw) and winning the old old third division was one of the best seasons I've had as a Pompey fan.

You see, Pompey is MY team, I'm a Pompey boy and I could never support anyone else. I've been going to Fratton park since I was a boy (Merthyr Tydfil in the frst round of the FA cup, can't remembr the year) and I could never get as emotional about another team. Playing the big teams is great, but the buzz of going to Stamford bridge is great the first time, but after a while, it is no more exciting than visiting Brentford on a cold Tueday night.

20 Times 20 Times

Kdjac / or any other pats fans , what about Spurs expenses ? Di you guys cover them ? Any idea what they were ?

therecklessone

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=53585993&postcount=45

KdjaCL wrote:

We paid their insurance and nominal fee.


kdjac

Fratton Fred

I've been thinking about this further, partly because I am bored at work and partly because I am going to see Bray v Wolves tonight.

Are Eircom the right sponsor for football in this country or are they just interested in the national side? would Meteor be a better "Brand" for Irish football to be associated with (Bearing in mind their new ad with Laim O'Brady).

Maybe a trendier, younger image is what Irish league football needs.

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Fratton Fred wrote:

Laim O'Brady

Fratton Fred

he's not as good as his brother Liam Brady though:o

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Have they got different Dads?

Because that's two different surnames.

Not having a good day eh?

Fratton Fred

seansouth wrote:

Have they got different Dads?

Because that's two different surnames.

Not having a good day eh?

you mean not everyone here has O' in front of their surname? Jesus, you'll be telling me the little people don't exist as well:D

(can I go home now, it's been a long day:o )

adam_ccfc

Peter Collins wrote:

Was at the game last night, what a dreadful match.

The "stadium" is nothing more than a shed, there was no atmosphere to speak of, the pats fans seemed to be pissed and were drunkenly shouting nonsense throughout the game, the facilities (toilets/food) were truly dreadful, the security and organisation was pathetic...I could go on.

I have seen the odd LOI match on tv, but if this is what the fans sit through every week, you can keep it.

You would have a better experience of football in the Norwegian second division.

And €20 for the ticket? I should have stood in the local field with the rest of the scangers, they had a better view.

What a shambles...embarrassing.

Chris Hughton should be ashamed to bring (half) the team to that load of crap.

Some people go to a live football match expecting a trip to the theatre.:rolleyes: Enjoy your prawn sandwich, bud.

Fratton Fred

I went to the Carlisle Ground last night and I thought it was ok, It was dry which was a help, I may have had a different view if it rained, but unless St Pats ground is a lot worse, I can't see what the problem is.

adam_ccfc

Fratton Fred wrote:

I went to the Carlisle Ground last night and I thought it was ok, It was dry which was a help, I may have had a different view if it rained, but unless St Pats ground is a lot worse, I can't see what the problem is.

Carlisle is one of the worst, actually. Richmond is poor by eL standards, badly needs to be modernized. Personally, I think our own ground Turner's Cross is the best in the country:



Other decent grounds would be Tolka, Dayler (although it'll be gone soon), and Galway's is a nice, tiday little ground, with a new stand built recently.