FAI block Barcelona playing Limerick FC in Thomond Park.

Karmafaerie

Dear FAI.

I am writing to add my voice to I'm sure the growing number of emails (I hope your inbox capacity is large enough) that I'm sure you've been receiving all morning.
In case you haven't guessed it.
We're not happy.

We don't care that you've been "in active and ongoing negotiations with Barcelona in relation to a visit to the Aviva Stadium."

We're not stupid enough to buy your line about concerns over third party influences.

We know that there are exactly three reasons that you are trying to deprive the Limerick FC players, officials, Mid West tourism workers, Thomond Park directors, local businesses, local people (and those from all over the Mid West), the city of Limerick itself, and the players and staff of Barcelona - who would have received a welcome they'd not soon forgotten - the chance to play a game of football in Limerick on the 31'st of July.

It has nothing to do with the other league games scheduled (none of which involve Limerick FC of course).
I mean is your sanctioned game in the Aviva Stadium against Manchester United a few days later not taking place on the same day that Bohs are playing in the Champions League qualifiers.
Or that 2 days later there is a full set of fixtures featuring Bohs vs Shells, possibly the biggest game in the league season.

It has nothing to do with third parties.
Sure would the GAA not be a third party that the FAI was more than willing to get into bed with for the last few years.



It is because firstly, due to the fact that the game is being held in an IRFU venue, ye will receive nothing from this.

In other words.
Greed.


Secondly, because the greatest club football team in the world coming to Limerick would take some of the gloss off of the Manchester United game that ye are holding in Dublin a few days later.
It kind of lessens your own achievement, and we can't be having that now could we.

In other words.
Greed.


And thirdly that ye want Barcelona for yourself, up in Dublin - as in not Limerick - and know that Barcelona are very unlikely to play two full strength friendlies in Ireland.

In other words.
Greed.



I'm sure you get the picture here.
Just as I'm sure from the fact that you've spent your morning trolling through dozens if not hundreds of emails just like this, and that you have plenty more to go before you can close your mailbox, has opened your eyes to the mistake ye are trying to make here.

Sort this out please, as it's this level of nepotism, instability, incompetence, and - oh yes - greed, that has caused your association to become the laughing stock of the football following public.

Thank you for your time.
Enjoy the rest of the emails.

TEMPLAR KNIGHT

gihj wrote: »

The problem is the FAI get nothing from the game as it will be held on IRFU property.
Thats the small mindedness involved.

By the way Limerick fc play Mervue at home tonight.
Wonder how many posters from this thread will be in attendance??

I dont think people would go to the Limerick v Barcelona match to watch Limerick play, to be honest id be going to see barcelona other than that id never go to a Limerick match.

A2LUE42

TEMPLAR KNIGHT wrote: »

I dont think people would go to the Limerick v Barcelona match to watch Limerick play, to be honest id be going to see barcelona other than that id never go to a Limerick match.

The first game I went to in years was the Liverpool Legends game, and I have taken the kids to games since then. I should be there tonight with my sons hopefully watching Mervue being beaten :-)

If only a small number of the 26000 who had not been to limerick games before, decide to go and support them in Jackman Park, It can only be a good thing.

amiable

By the way Limerick fc play Mervue at home tonight.
Wonder how many posters from this thread will be in attendance??[/QUOTE]

If you think like that you must mean that only people who go to limerick FC football matches should go to the proposed game against Barcelona if it was to go ahead

amiable

A2LUE42 wrote: »

The first game I went to in years was the Liverpool Legends game, and I have taken the kids to games since then. I should be there tonight with my sons hopefully watching Mervue being beaten :-)

If only a small number of the 26000 who had not been to limerick games before, decide to go and support them in Jackman Park, It can only be a good thing.

Well said!!!!!

goingpostal

Amazotheamazing wrote: »

The 10 million thing is from a study Munster did last year. Maybe you've some insider info you'd like to share?

Here's the results of the study.

http://munsterrugby.ie/news/578.php

Self-serving load of PR puff rubbish.

talkingclock

without looking at it: 10 millions?

RonMexico

What do you expect from the FAI? Failure is their badge of honour.




*Awaits call for Willie O Dea to come to the rescue*:rolleyes:

Foxx92

Karmafaerie wrote: »

Dear FAI.

Or that 2 days later there is a full set of fixtures featuring Bohs vs Shells, possibly the biggest game in the league season.

.

Bohs are playing Shamrock Rovers not Shells

SickenedOnYou

FAI, what a bunch of hippocrates. There was no problem with Real Madrid playing Shamrock Rovers, or Manchester Utd, playing the Airtricity 11 (on the same day as another fixture and less than 24hrs before another), its a bizzare situation we find ourselves in indeed.

They are just using bully tactics against Limerick. This is their revenge for the poor turnouts for international matches in Thomand Park. However they are only fooling themselves, just think about the opportunity they lost to promote soccer in Limerick, Munster, and Ireland. :mad:

Amazotheamazing

Kess73 wrote: »

Insider info? No I don't.


But the study has been questioned as a generic figure many times since then. Yes it may be somewhat accurate for the one event, with an estimated 26,000 people, the study was based on, but since then the 10 to 20million figure has been trotted out without fail for every event at Thomond Park, regardless of crowd size, and also for things like the Skyfest, Patrick's Day parades etc.

Just seems odd that every single event is worth that. It just seems lazy to have the exact same figure trotted out for each event when the study was specific to one event.

Also for 10 million to be correct for Thomond Park it would require 26,000 people in attendence and each one of them to be spending roughly €384 in the local economy. Personally I would be suprised if every one of the home fans for each game where spending €384 locally everytime they went to a game, plus the fact that the ground never actually sells 26,000 tickets on the few occassions that there is a full house adds more doubt to the figures.


It also seems odd that similar studies to see what Premiership matches are worth to local economies in the UK came back with much lower figures than the Thomond Park figure, despite the grounds being used in the UK study being far larger than Thomond Park and having far more facilities.

Old Trafford was used in one of the studies, and when that ground has 70,000 in attendence, it was estimated that 45,000 where not from the locality and that it was worth up 5 million to the local economy. Yet a small ground like Thomond Park whose non local fan numbers would only be a fraction of that of Old Trafford is deemed to be worth 10 million plus.


Mind you this is going off Topic and I am sure if you do a search you will find a number of threads that were soley based on the estimated figures for the events in Limerick, one of those threads having links to studies done in cities that have full sized stadiums which showed that the figures from them were far less that what we are expected to believe Thomond Park games are worth.

If you could only understand what could means...

Amazotheamazing

goingpostal wrote: »

Self-serving load of PR puff rubbish.

elaborate, please.

flutered

well one can only expect grunts from pigs

Karmafaerie

Foxx92 wrote: »

Bohs are playing Shamrock Rovers not Shells

Sorry, I copied and pasted the email before I proof readed, and emailed it to the FAI.
I caught that before sending it at least.
I'm constantly mixing the names up.
It's a force of habit at this stage.

I do the same with "trust" and "thrust"!

You can imagine the fun when I ask people to "thrust me"!!!:o

goingpostal

Amazotheamazing wrote: »

elaborate, please.

Life's too short.

PARKHEAD67

flutered wrote: »

the loi are not orgasizing it so probably no kick back for them, as the op said if a club from dublin was involved it would be a no brainer.

FAI are corrupt to the core.Everyone give out about the GAA but this crowd are on a completely different level.Roy Keane didnt go hard enough on em

goingpostal

flutered wrote: »

well one can only expect grunts from pigs

So anyone that doesn't unquestioningly accept the quasi-religious dogma of Munster Rugby is a pig? In that case Oink!! Oink!!!

flutered

goingpostal wrote: »

So anyone that doesn't unquestioningly accept the quasi-religious dogma of Munster Rugby is a pig? In that case Oink!! Oink!!!

for fecks sake cop on

galwayrush

Just saw this, what a pathetic decision.:mad: I would have brought the family down for the day,( providing we could get tickets of course)
The FAI don't seem to want to help the regions at all.:mad:

dave 27

looking on the Limerick fc website the jearseys look very reasonable in terms of price, between 16-20 quid?! if i had a job i would deffinately get it!

http://limerickfc.ie/merchandise/index.html

SickenedOnYou

dave 27 wrote: »

looking on the Limerick fc website the jearseys look very reasonable in terms of price, between 16-20 quid?! if i had a job i would deffinately get it!

http://limerickfc.ie/merchandise/index.html

It is ironic in a way, Limerick Fc are getting lots of support from everybody. I would be very surprised if we don't end up with one or two new fans after this mess is sorted out. They are not bad jerseys either! It's a pity that they wont get to be worn against Barca.

Blazer

I've a feeling the FAI will back down over this. The amount of bad press yesterday at the launch and now the Press are slating them will leave them with choice but to allow Limerick to go ahead.
And to be honest..to the guy who posted earlier about who'd actually go to see Limerick play...it'd be about 99% that would go to see Barca play against any LoI club. It's a pity but it's a sad fact.

rubensni

Berkut wrote: »

And to be honest..to the guy who posted earlier about who'd actually go to see Limerick play...it'd be about 99% that would go to see Barca play against any LoI club. It's a pity but it's a sad fact.

A pity :eek: They could pick anywhere in the world! I for one am delighted that they chose to come to Ireland. If Real and Barcelona are coming here we may be on to a winner as a destination for summer retreats for clubs across Europe. That will mean better facilities, more interest in Irish football, and logically, more people attending local matches. It's a win-win.

Blazer

rubensni wrote: »

A pity :eek: They could pick anywhere in the world! I for one am delighted that they chose to come to Ireland. If Real and Barcelona are coming here we may be on to a winner as a destination for summer retreats for clubs across Europe. That will mean better facilities, more interest in Irish football, and logically, more people attending local matches. It's a win-win.

another way of looking at it

billy the squid

talkingclock wrote: »

without looking at it: 10 millions?

haha

"This is a massive setback for Limerick FC, Limerick city and the mid-west region," Pat O'Sullivan, the Limerick FC chairman, said reacting to this devastating news.
"We along with Thomond Park and local tourism bodies have worked tirelessly to bring a team of the stature of FC Barcelona to the sports-mad mid-west region. The potential benefit to the local economy of up to €10 million and to the profile of soccer in the region is enormous. This makes it imperative that the Airtricity League Director reverse his decision, sanction this match and allow fans all over the region see the likes of Lionel Messi grace Thomond Park in July."

Maybe the Limerick Leader should compile a list of things that are worth 10 million to the local economy.

Soulcrew09

http://limerickfc.ie/home/news/100515barcelona.html

SickenedOnYou

Soulcrew09 wrote: »

http://limerickfc.ie/home/news/100515barcelona.html

It looks like Limerick arn't going to back down, which is great to hear! Hopefully the FAI won't be able to just ignore us away.

dave 27

sorry if this sounds a bit stupid, but can Limerick not just confirm the invite to barca and act as a seperate indipendant body to the fai? i dont see why they need the permission of the fai if thomond park is hosting the match? surely the stadium manager would be the person as he would for any other event ie concerts etc

Soulcrew09

dave 27 wrote: »

sorry if this sounds a bit stupid, but can Limerick not just confirm the invite to barca and act as a seperate indipendant body to the fai? i dont see why they need the permission of the fai if thomond park is hosting the match? surely the stadium manager would be the person as he would for any other event ie concerts etc

Ya but come UEFA licence time in Feb the FAI will refuse a licence and its bye bye Limerick FC.
Fai are the ruling body and have to sanction any game thats played or else your in big trouble with the Abbotstown mafia.

Amazotheamazing

billy the squid wrote: »

Maybe the Limerick Leader should compile a list of things that are worth 10 million to the local economy.

The crucial word that people are missing is "potential", the only available stats are those done by Munster rugby after the Ospreys quarter final which did have a 10 million impact. I imagine the same stat is true for all home HEC games, and the All blacks game and hopefully the Australia game.

I don't know why people get so hung up on it, it would be class if a Limerick v. Barca game sold out in Thomond, I have my doubts that it would, but if it did, it would have (watch closely) the potential to bring 10 million worth of trade to the local economy.

I hope this match goes ahead, and I hope it realises it's full potential (see what I did there?) on and off the pitch.