Galway United

lavaghball

Just wondering what the public opinion on League of Ireland soccer is? As a frequenter of Terryland Park i find it astonishing that a city of over 75 thousand people, plus however many live in the county, can only attract a crowd of 1,400 max for home games.
Is it the Friday kickoff that people dont fancy or is Galway too much of a GAA town?

JIZZLORD

pesky foreign sports!

Ronan|Raven

lavaghball wrote: »

Just wondering what the public opinion on League of Ireland soccer is? As a frequenter of Terryland Park i find it astonishing that a city of over 75 thousand people, plus however many live in the county, can only attract a crowd of 1,400 max for home games.
Is it the Friday kickoff that people dont fancy or is Galway too much of a GAA town?

It is because sadly the entire country doesnt care about its own league and is more bothered about "irish" teams like Liverpool, Manchester United and whoever is winning this week.

snubbleste

If they gave away free tickets I'd go. Otherwise i can see mediocre soccer on the television or in the local playing fields.

biko

I'm just not a soccer fan.

biscuits1981

there will b a bigger crowd in terryland on sunday to watch west united play in the connacht cup final at 3,the reason why is cause its a local team there is not enough local lads up with galway united thats why no crowd imo

howyanow

its a pity the crowds are poor as they will be in real danger of going out of business im told by an insider.the standard of football is graudually improving but the club is lacking real characters and entertainers,wouldn pay to watch most of that squad but i wish them well,we'd miss them if the club had to fold.galway city in general tends to be very poor/fickle supporters even if its hurling/football/rugby.going to try get up to terryland mayb three times before season ends.

Bobeagleburger

The standard is appalling, terrible to watch.

Tickets are pricey too imo for the spectacle on offer

gd1987

Poor quality football, its difficult to sit in the cold and watch it.

galwayrush

I go when i can, i like supporting local.:cool:

Foxx92

gd1987 wrote: »

Poor quality football, its difficult to sit in the cold and watch it.

With all respects, the standard is not as poor as people think. Last year Drogheda came within inches of knocking out Dinamo Kiev who got to the Uefa Cup semi-final. The majority of people who say the standard is poor are the people who have never gone to Terryland
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXPd66mDLsQ This is a vid I made on GUFC this season so far...Believe me the standard is quite high!

sgthighway

JIZZLORD wrote: »

pesky foreign sports!

+1

Will go to a Football or Hurling game everyday if I could but wouldn't go across the road to see a soccer game but if people supported Irish Soccer Clubs instead of English ones more money would be put into it here instead of sending all your €€€s abroad.

Is Galway United considered a business? - who owns it?

Mr Maroon

rarnes1 wrote: »

The standard is appalling, terrible to watch.

Tickets are pricey too imo for the spectacle on offer

The standard really isn't that low. As it stands we're 3 points off a Europa League qualification place. Also, United play some of the best football in the League, it's really not bad to watch at all.

gd1987 wrote: »

Poor quality football, its difficult to sit in the cold and watch it.

The Old Stand is actually much warmer than the New Stand. Because of the sides and it not being as high up I suppose.

biscuits1981 wrote: »

there will b a bigger crowd in terryland on sunday to watch west united play in the connacht cup final at 3,the reason why is cause its a local team there is not enough local lads up with galway united thats why no crowd imo

11 members of the squad are local.

sgthighway wrote: »

Is Galway United considered a business? - who owns it?

Yes, it is a business. I couldn't tell you who owns it. Members of the board I suppose (who are all, or mostly, local businessmen).

civis_liberalis

biscuits1981 wrote: »

there will b a bigger crowd in terryland on sunday to watch west united play in the connacht cup final at 3

Complete nonsense. Of course there won't.

FreeOSCAR

rarnes1 wrote: »

The standard is appalling, terrible to watch.

Tickets are pricey too imo for the spectacle on offer

No true at all, this comment usually comes from the same barstoolers who watch the Premier**** week in week out. It amazes me how people hate the England national team yet support EPL teams.

Happy Monday

It's to do with glamour.

The Premier League and CL offering is sexy, nubile and exotic.

The League of Ireland is slow witted, out of shape and TOO local.

I can remember watching Galway United play in Europe in 1985/6 and that's as close as we ever got to it.

There is no comparison between Torres and Gerrard and the donkeys plying their trade at Terryland! :pac:

Sea Devils

biscuits1981 wrote: »

there will b a bigger crowd in terryland on sunday to watch west united

LMAO. That was pretty funny.

Diabhal Beag

Its not the Premier League or anything but it is still a high standard of football and it is a more realistic way of being a pro-footballer than dreams of playing for Real and United

IrishWhiskeyCha

I'm a blow-in and live 20miles outside Galway and I try to go to a few games when I can. Cup matches are great.

I too love to watch the Premiership but cannot understand why then we don't watch our own league. All very sad and that is why our clubs are struggling.

I agree with the voices who say the standard is not bad ... of course it will not be of Champions league standard but it can be just as entertaining.

If everybody who watches the premiership goes to just one match it would be a huge help.

Give it a chance and see ...

Shaniev

biscuits1981 wrote: »

there will b a bigger crowd in terryland on sunday to watch west united play in the connacht cup final at 3,the reason why is cause its a local team there is not enough local lads up with galway united thats why no crowd imo

Best of luck to west in the final.. But the last bit is complete rubbish and your talking sh1t, there is:
* Ger Hanley - Salthill
* Seamus Conneely - Connemara
* Paul Sinnott - Renmore
* David Cooke - Salthill
* John Russell - Moycullen (vice captain)
* Cian Mc Brien - Salthill
* Vinny Faherty - Moycullen
* Jason Molloy - Mervue
* Mark O'Toole -
* Neil Walsh - I know they are local but not 100% where though
(sorry I don't know what area)

out of a squad of 18....

Happy Monday wrote: »

It's to do with glamour.

The Premier League and CL offering is sexy, nubile and exotic.

The League of Ireland is slow witted, out of shape and TOO local.

I can remember watching Galway United play in Europe in 1985/6 and that's as close as we ever got to it.

There is no comparison between Torres and Gerrard and the donkeys plying their trade at Terryland! :pac:

As for that statement what a load of crap you rather be a stupid lazy fan in front of a tv and watch a tv screen than go and have a night supporting your local team. They have had a great start to the league this year it annoys me so much when people put down galway utd they have a great side a great young manager with a squad that has the youngest average age in the league

1 Bohemians 10 7 2 1 17 / 2 23
2 Cork City 10 6 2 2 11 / 7 20
3 Derry City 10 5 3 2 15 / 8 18
4 Shamrock Rovers 10 4 3 3 12 / 10 15
5 Galway United 10 4 3 3 11 / 10 15
6 St Pat's Athletic 10 4 0 6 8 / 16 12
7 Bray Wanderers 10 2 5 3 9 / 11 11
8 Sligo Rovers 10 2 4 4 7 / 10 10
9 Dundalk 10 3 1 6 9 / 14 10
10 Drogheda United 10 0 3 7 3 / 14 3


At least go one friday evening and im sure when your there you will have a great night and hopefully the next time you'll bring a friend and so on.

Mars Bar

With the way Galway have started, I wish I did go to a couple but Friday evenings are just bad. My Dad finishes work at 5 and guess where he works?! The Waterworks, right beside the pitch! But he'd have to come out and collect me (whilst passing Claregalway, mad traffic), to go back in. And have something to eat in between.
Saturdays would be SO much better. I went to one game 2 or 3 seasons ago, against Athlone. Was 0-0, boring match.
I much prefer soccer to GAA though...

leeroybrown

I've zero interest in LoI soccer. I grew up sufficiently far from a LoI club that I couldn't realistically have supported one if I wanted to. Due to this, I (along with more than half the country) follow one of the bigger Premier League teams. I've actually watched dramatically more Junior League soccer than LoI soccer. At this stage I've got too many other interests to bother making time for LoI soccer. Also, even if I wanted to make time, I'm a Connacht Rugby season ticket holder which isn't exactly compatible with being a regular attendee at Terryland Park.

On top of that I dislike the kind of attitude that some LoI supporters have towards people who don't regularly support a local team and instead support a foreign one. They're just as bad as the worst of the EPL/SPL tards they complain about. If it's still going there's a huge sprawling thread over on Soccer that's no doubt full of both sides.

Ultimately, without sustained major success, building a fan base is a very long term thing.

Wompa1

Sacked Don O'Riordan without justification. New owner decided he was excess to their needs. Boooo on them. Not a big Galway United fan, but I'm a big David Cooke fan..Cookie Monsters are we!...anyone else want to start a David Cooke fan club?

Shaniev

Wompa1 wrote: »

Sacked Don O'Riordan without justification. New owner decided he was excess to their needs. Boooo on them. Not a big Galway United fan, but I'm a big David Cooke fan..Cookie Monsters are we!...anyone else want to start a David Cooke fan club?

Cookie the legend ha ha!

SYLT

IrishWhiskeyCha wrote: »

I'm a blow-in and live 20miles outside Galway and I try to go to a few games when I can. Cup matches are great.

I too love to watch the Premiership but cannot understand why then we don't watch our own league. All very sad and that is why our clubs are struggling.

I agree with the voices who say the standard is not bad ... of course it will not be of Champions league standard but it can be just as entertaining.

If everybody who watches the premiership goes to just one match it would be a huge help.

Give it a chance and see ...

I always use to put off my first game, saying it would be **** or whatever... Now I go to every game, home and away

Mr Maroon

Wompa1 wrote: »

Sacked Don O'Riordan without justification. New owner decided he was excess to their needs. Boooo on them. Not a big Galway United fan, but I'm a big David Cooke fan..Cookie Monsters are we!...anyone else want to start a David Cooke fan club?

Last Monday he scored the goal that got us through to the League Cup quarter final, knocking out the defending champions Derry City.

ErnieBert

I am a Galway United Season Ticket holder. I enjoy the games and even go to a few away games every year. I meet the same bunch of lads at all home games and we have the craic.

Terryland is a fine stadium and the standard of football is often quite high but the Premiership it is not and never willl be.

Most of the players are local and all but one are culchies (Jay O'Shea is a Dub). All the rest are from Kilkenny, Kerry, Offaly, Mayo etc. All players live in Galway.

I don't watch the Champions League anymore due to an overload of football on TV in recent years. I dumped Sky 3 years ago which gave me a new lease of life!!! The only live football I watch is Galway United.

That said, I look forward to the games in Teryland every 2nd Friday. I have never been to a Connacht Rugby game and it is years since I went to a GAA game in Pearse Stadium but I follow all codes and read about them in the papers and on the net.

I can't ever see Galway United winning the League. Most seasons are dog fights but I love it. If you haven't been to a few games then you cannot make a judgement.

.

Wompa1

Mr Maroon wrote: »

Last Monday he scored the goal that got us through to the League Cup quarter final, knocking out the defending champions Derry City.

Yeah I saw that. He's a handy player, hopefully he gets more of a chance this time around. I've just singled him out as the random player to rise to superstardom. Got talkin to him when he was warming up at half time during his first run...I haven't supported Galway United since O'Riordan got sacked but would go to see live soccer (Yes I call it soccer..its not my football)

I gave him a bit of abuse and he seemed kind of upset about it so I've felt a bit bad. Think we should start a fan club...Photoshop his face onto a Cookie Monster sign..Cookie Monsters Unite!

bigeasyeah

Ive gone up to see them a few times,it was good craic. It clashes with Connacht playing up at the Sportsground so I dont see them too often.

fergiesfolly

I've been a Man Utd for 30 years, but last fridays game against St Pats was a lot more exciting than either of the Champions League semis against Arsenal. The club could probably be run better and a BAR would be a bonus, but the lads on the pitch give their all(most of the time) and they deserve a bigger crowd than they're getting at the moment IMO.Also, quite a few of our most famous players got their start in LOI, so you might get to point at some Premier League star on the telly one day and say "I saw him above in Terryland when..."

civis_liberalis

fergiesfolly wrote: »

I've been a Man Utd for 30 years, but last fridays game against St Pats was a lot more exciting than either of the Champions League semis against Arsenal.

I've seen much more exciting games in Terryland than last Friday's, but point taken all the same.

fergiesfolly wrote: »

The club could probably be run better and a BAR would be a bonus

I do believe the club could be structured better. A bar isn't really an option at the moment. The units underneath the stand have yet to be finished due to the grants allocated towards them being cut. A bar is something I would like to see, perhaps making Terryland a sort of social hub would encourage growth in attendances and revenues.

fergiesfolly wrote: »

but the lads on the pitch give their all(most of the time) and they deserve a bigger crowd than they're getting at the moment IMO.

United are doing really well at the moment but crowds are really disappointing. A win tonight could see us level on points with Derry in third place, depending on results obviously. We could see ourselves widening the gap between ourselves and the bottom half of the table. Not bad going for a bunch of kids and a rookie manager.:cool:

fergiesfolly wrote: »

Also, quite a few of our most famous players got their start in LOI, so you might get to point at some Premier League star on the telly one day and say "I saw him above in Terryland when..."

The Irish lads in England all have to come from somewhere. If people want to see a future Premiership player, come to Terryland and watch Jay O'Shea.