how to fix our league! - Mod Warning in OP

srfc19

super_furry wrote: »

Really like the promotion for Friday's home game with Pat's. Hand out a few hundred of these at the airport when flights from Liverpool and Glasgow come in and leave some around the pubs of Temple Bar and you could get a good few hundred extra people to head out to Tallaght.

Except most of the people going to the game will be "fans" from Ireland.

Better off standing at the toll gate on the way in, maybe then people will realise we have a league here and they don't have to go to this farce.

Dublin Decider me bollox.

super_furry

There'll be a good few thousand over from Liverpool for certain because this is as close to a European away as they'll get all season. The clubs got a third of the tickets each to sell.

AgileMyth

Thomond is better.

I won't bother with the Irelands no 1. bit as Pats currently are Irelands no. 1.

AgileMyth

super_furry wrote: »

There'll be a good few thousand over from Liverpool for certain because this is as close to a European away as they'll get all season. The clubs got a third of the tickets each to sell.

Most of which went to the Irish fan clubs.

srfc19

super_furry wrote: »

There'll be a good few thousand over from Liverpool for certain because this is as close to a European away as they'll get all season. The clubs got a third of the tickets each to sell.

What about Cardiff and Swansea in the league?

CSF

srfc19 wrote: »

What about Cardiff and Swansea in the league?

I'd imagine they view those trips with the same contempt with which we view trips to Derry

Madworld

It might rub a lot of people up the wrong way but I'd love to see clubs nationwide having a poster campaign along the lines of this.

Strongbow10

Madworld wrote: »

It might rub a lot of people up the wrong way but I'd love to see clubs nationwide having a poster campaign along the lines of this.

thats a brilliant advertisement, one of the best i've seen.

The FAI could do alot worse than copying that

iDave

Watched a great documentary last night on BT Sport 2 about lower league clubs in England and Scotland. Clubs like Stenmousemuir, Carlisle, Accrington Stanley, Brentford etc as well as club that went out of business but rescued by fans like Scarbourough and Rushden and Diamonds.
Was great seeing the passion of the fans for these unglamourous clubs, maybe a similar doc should be made for LOI

Madworld

iDave wrote: »

Watched a great documentary last night on BT Sport 2 about lower league clubs in England and Scotland. Clubs like Stenmousemuir, Carlisle, Accrington Stanley, Brentford etc as well as club that went out of business but rescued by fans like Scarbourough and Rushden and Diamonds.
Was great seeing the passion of the fans for these unglamourous clubs, maybe a similar doc should be made for LOI

Good one here about Dayler.

Strongbow10

People in Ireland have absolutely no interest in watching sport that is not hyped to the hilt. The LOI will never have this appeal to the masses beyond the hardcore support.

In the absence of money, the powers that be need to tap into the "local" element. Target the areas where there are big catchment areas. Run the league on an all-ireland basis even. Sure, the idea of Louth United may be repulsive to Dundalk and Drogs fans but if its a matter of pooling resources in order to survive and push on or else either club eventually going out of business due to lack of finances/interest, then you simply have to try something new.

Westmeath GAA can attract far bigger crowds than both midland LOI clubs combined, and that would be for lousy GAA league fixtures. Without a billionaire to pump in millions (without expections of making a return), the league is threading water and will do so for infinity unfortunately.

Start from the top down, an investment in making sure you have a huge number of UEFA pro licence coaches. Upgrade facilities where possible. Facilities are not even the problem, the best players develop in worse surroundings. But they need to be nurtured. The real challenge is to get a handle on the DDSL schoolboy clubs who simply farm our players in the hands of UK clubs to make profit.

We need to provide the best young irish players with an alternative, staying in Ireland until at least 21. And making sure that by doing so they will be receiving a far higher level of coaching than they would have expected. Coaching and development that is the equivalent of what they would receive should they move when they are 15-16.

In turn, the LOI will improve with the cream of irish talent rather than relying on (and this will sound harsh) journeymen who didn't cut it in England and lads who were never at the level to make it in the UK.

With a better base of players, the standard rises. With better coaching hopefully the quality of manager rises also. Its a merry go round here right now with the same managers having managed a host of their rivals clubs.

European football would provide our "cream of the crop" to develop rather than sitting in the Wolves reserves at 19. You would be very surprised at how quickly the hipsters would catch on if young irish lads were getting mentioned abroad as being massive talents yet still operated at home. Look at the Belgian league for example, it gets so much attention right now for being a breeding ground for top class talent, you hear lads at work telling you all about the next big thing playing for Anderlecht and Standard Liege etc...

Keeping all of our best players (or providing them with a chance to avail of first team football and top level coaching in their formative years) may just make some of them see they dont need to move so soon. The big money move will still be there when they hit their early 20s. Transfer fees will also improve and we won't see them shambles of the likes of Cherry Orchard/St Kevins Boys holding the transfer record for biggest fee ever received on the island.

There are other smaller issues (larger isssues from a political standpoint) and this will cause alot of controversy, but maybe special work permits can be issued to exceptionally talented players from non EU countries. The LOI could be a gateway to the bigger leagues for some Brazilian's/Argentinians/American's/etc... who are not eligible for a work permit in the UK? maybe after 3 years they are eligible for Irish passports if extremely stringent conditions are met, and I stress the number of these players should be limited to maybe 3 per club. Young irish players may benefit from playing alongside such talent also and may even eclipse such players in terms of talent.

There are so many avenues to explore in terms of tapping into the appetite of people for football in ireland. My fear though is the lack of creativity, ideas and downright drive and interest to make things better.

legendary.xix

Strongbow10 wrote: »

People in Ireland have absolutely no interest in watching sport that is not hyped to the hilt. The LOI will never have this appeal to the masses beyond the hardcore support.

Even though you tried to ease the stinging response of the idea of Louth United by saying repulsive to both sets of fans, you'll have lost a lot of people there.

Fixing the league won't happen by magic-ing up clubs. A strong league can only be built upon history and tradition of the game in certain areas.

Regards All-Ireland basis, I'm reluctant to discuss that. The Good Friday Agreement means players born in the North can play for the Republic of Ireland. This has made our national team a 32 county team, though this point is not achknowledged by many. If any clubs up North want to join our league they should be welcome to do so. I can't see it happening. When Donegal Celtic and Lurgan Celtic had issus about acceptance to the IFA run league, the FAI didn't exactly offer them refuge in our league.

When we go back to the topic title, "How to fix our league?", a lot has to do with people's expectations. I don't think my expectations are too high for the league. I'd be happy enough for the leagues top clubs to have attendances in and around 6,000+. With only half the 26 counties with a LoI club, though I know some argue we need to move away from county/GAA mentality there, I'd like to see LoI clubs in areas like Mayo, Kerry, Kildare, Carlow, Offaly and Tipperary. The FAI as I've mentioned before should have a blueprint having clubs from these areas in a regionalist First Division. Again I must stress, I'm not looking of magic-ing up clubs. Castlebar Celtic, FC Carlow, Tralee Dynamos, Tullamore Town and Fanad Utd competed in the A Championship. It'd be great to see a club from Tipperary, Kilkenny and Kildare involved.

There's a certain level there while maybe not jaw dropping, it'd be a good level to see the league arrive to. The league has produced some talented players. It's a shame it can't get more recognition of that.

Henlars67

legendary.xix wrote: »

Even though you tried to ease the stinging response of the idea of Louth United by saying repulsive to both sets of fans, you'll have lost a lot of people there.

Fixing the league won't happen by magic-ing up clubs. A strong league can only be built upon history and tradition of the game in certain areas.

Regards All-Ireland basis, I'm reluctant to discuss that. The Good Friday Agreement means players born in the North can play for the Republic of Ireland. This has made our national team a 32 county team, though this point is not achknowledged by many. If any clubs up North want to join our league they should be welcome to do so. I can't see it happening. When Donegal Celtic and Lurgan Celtic had issus about acceptance to the IFA run league, the FAI didn't exactly offer them refuge in our league.

When we go back to the topic title, "How to fix our league?", a lot has to do with people's expectations. I don't think my expectations are too high for the league. I'd be happy enough for the leagues top clubs to have attendances in and around 6,000+. With only half the 26 counties with a LoI club, though I know some argue we need to move away from county/GAA mentality there, I'd like to see LoI clubs in areas like Mayo, Kerry, Kildare, Carlow, Offaly and Tipperary. The FAI as I've mentioned before should have a blueprint having clubs from these areas in a regionalist First Division. Again I must stress, I'm not looking of magic-ing up clubs. Castlebar Celtic, FC Carlow, Tralee Dynamos, Tullamore Town and Fanad Utd competed in the A Championship. It'd be great to see a club from Tipperary, Kilkenny and Kildare involved.

There's a certain level there while maybe not jaw dropping, it'd be a good level to see the league arrive to. The league has produced some talented players. It's a shame it can't get more recognition of that.

The problem there is that the potential support for those clubs would be people involved in other junior clubs in their area, who would see them as rivals.

They aren't going to suddenly go out and start supporting them just because they're in the LOI

Strongbow10

legendary.xix wrote: »

Even though you tried to ease the stinging response of the idea of Louth United by saying repulsive to both sets of fans, you'll have lost a lot of people there.

Fixing the league won't happen by magic-ing up clubs. A strong league can only be built upon history and tradition of the game in certain areas.

Regards All-Ireland basis, I'm reluctant to discuss that. The Good Friday Agreement means players born in the North can play for the Republic of Ireland. This has made our national team a 32 county team, though this point is not achknowledged by many. If any clubs up North want to join our league they should be welcome to do so. I can't see it happening. When Donegal Celtic and Lurgan Celtic had issus about acceptance to the IFA run league, the FAI didn't exactly offer them refuge in our league.

When we go back to the topic title, "How to fix our league?", a lot has to do with people's expectations. I don't think my expectations are too high for the league. I'd be happy enough for the leagues top clubs to have attendances in and around 6,000+. With only half the 26 counties with a LoI club, though I know some argue we need to move away from county/GAA mentality there, I'd like to see LoI clubs in areas like Mayo, Kerry, Kildare, Carlow, Offaly and Tipperary. The FAI as I've mentioned before should have a blueprint having clubs from these areas in a regionalist First Division. Again I must stress, I'm not looking of magic-ing up clubs. Castlebar Celtic, FC Carlow, Tralee Dynamos, Tullamore Town and Fanad Utd competed in the A Championship. It'd be great to see a club from Tipperary, Kilkenny and Kildare involved.

There's a certain level there while maybe not jaw dropping, it'd be a good level to see the league arrive to. The league has produced some talented players. It's a shame it can't get more recognition of that.

Would people in Killarney support tralee?

Would Birr folk support Tullamore FC?

Do Mullingar people follow Athlone town. The answer is simply no. And they never will.

A Kerry soccer team may attract people from all over the county, sure its sh*tting on the work of local clubs yes, but we can't be a prisoner to history either. Quite frankly, the history of the majority of LOI clubs anyway is nothing to be writing home about.

We need to build something sustainable and something that will grow. The current model is broken.

UCD, Pats, Rovers, Bohs, Shels all need to be amalgamated into 2 clubs for starters. Harsh analysis its true, and no doubt ill have supporters of each spit venom. But it needs to be done.

Henlars67

Strongbow10 wrote: »

Would people in Killarney support tralee?

Would Birr folk support Tullamore FC?

Do Mullingar people follow Athlone town. The answer is simply no. And they never will.

A Kerry soccer team may attract people from all over the county, sure its sh*tting on the work of local clubs yes, but we can't be a prisoner to history either. Quite frankly, the history of the majority of LOI clubs anyway is nothing to be writing home about.

We need to build something sustainable and something that will grow. The current model is broken.

UCD, Pats, Rovers, Bohs, Shels all need to be amalgamated into 2 clubs for starters. Harsh analysis its true, and no doubt ill have supporters of each spit venom. But it needs to be done.

And lose the hardcore supporters of those clubs who actually keep them going.

The hardcore supporters are the base on which we have to build on.

You cannot lose them and hope to end up with a successful league.

CSF

That chap's way of thinking seems scarily similar to the likes of Mike Ashley and the lad who ruined Barry Town. Such offensive ideas should be an infraction.

GLaDOS

I'd rather the league continue as is than sell it's soul for success. Any amalgamation of clubs will be met by fierce resistance by fans on all sides, and likely end up something like Sporting Fingal.

Omackeral

Strongbow10 wrote: »

Would people in Killarney support tralee?

Would Birr folk support Tullamore FC?
Do Mullingar people follow Athlone town. The answer is simply no. And they never will.

Dublin people support Manchester teams. Limerick people support London teams. Mayo people support a Glasgow team. I do get where you're coming from though with the local pride etc to be fair but it also seems that people can ignore it conveniently when they want to.

Strongbow10 wrote: »

UCD, Pats, Rovers, Bohs, Shels all need to be amalgamated into 2 clubs for starters. Harsh analysis its true, and no doubt ill have supporters of each spit venom. But it needs to be done.

Absolutely not. Ridiculous suggestion.

bohsboy

Id never go to another game if Bohs amalgamated with anyone. Feck that.

bit of a bogey

bohsboy wrote: »

Id never go to another game if Bohs amalgamated with anyone. Feck that.

Thats understandable but could alienating people now still be better for the game in the long term......

Amirani

bohsboy wrote: »

Id never go to another game if Bohs amalgamated with anyone. Feck that.

Ditto. F*** franchise football.

Amirani

bit of a bogey wrote: »

Thats understandable but could alienating people now still be better for the game in the long term......

There's absolutely zero evidence to suggest that would be the case.

bit of a bogey

NiallSparky wrote: »

There's absolutely zero evidence to suggest that would be the case.

All I'm saying is because you and others stop attending games, does that mean that no one will ever go again?

dan1895

bit of a bogey wrote: »

All I'm saying is because you and others stop attending games, does that mean that no one will ever go again?

If people don't go now why would they go see a new team?
Do you remember Dublin City FC? No one went to watch them either.

bit of a bogey

dan1895 wrote: »

If people don't go now why would they go see a new team?
Do you remember Dublin City FC? No one went to watch them either.

Changing a few teams names aint going to be enough to fix things. The whole organisation needs a massive overhaul grass roots up. Dublin FC was always going to be a struggle. Where were they going to get their fanbase? Its a goldfish bowl and people are not going to leave their beloved Pats/Bohs/Shels for a new competing team.

Corholio

bit of a bogey wrote: »

All I'm saying is because you and others stop attending games, does that mean that no one will ever go again?

'You and others' are what keeps clubs going here. Alienation is the very last thing any club needs in this country, already had enough of it.

bit of a bogey

Corholio wrote: »

'You and others' are what keeps clubs going here. Alienation is the very last thing any club needs in this country, already had enough of it.

Alienation is not the objective but a short term consequence in the grand scheme of things.

AgileMyth

bit of a bogey wrote: »

Alienation is not the objective but a short term consequence in the grand scheme of things.

Where does the money come from to get through the 'short term'?

There'll be nobody attending games so the team will have no money. The team will acheive no success because the lack of money. Without success the Irish public will have no interest whatsoever.

Jayob10

Strongbow10 wrote: »

People in Ireland have absolutely no interest in watching sport that is not hyped to the hilt. The LOI will never have this appeal to the masses beyond the hardcore support.

In the absence of money, the powers that be need to tap into the "local" element. Target the areas where there are big catchment areas. Run the league on an all-ireland basis even. Sure, the idea of Louth United may be repulsive to Dundalk and Drogs fans but if its a matter of pooling resources in order to survive and push on or else either club eventually going out of business due to lack of finances/interest, then you simply have to try something new.

Westmeath GAA can attract far bigger crowds than both midland LOI clubs combined, and that would be for lousy GAA league fixtures. Without a billionaire to pump in millions (without expections of making a return), the league is threading water and will do so for infinity unfortunately.

Start from the top down, an investment in making sure you have a huge number of UEFA pro licence coaches. Upgrade facilities where possible. Facilities are not even the problem, the best players develop in worse surroundings. But they need to be nurtured. The real challenge is to get a handle on the DDSL schoolboy clubs who simply farm our players in the hands of UK clubs to make profit.

We need to provide the best young irish players with an alternative, staying in Ireland until at least 21. And making sure that by doing so they will be receiving a far higher level of coaching than they would have expected. Coaching and development that is the equivalent of what they would receive should they move when they are 15-16.

In turn, the LOI will improve with the cream of irish talent rather than relying on (and this will sound harsh) journeymen who didn't cut it in England and lads who were never at the level to make it in the UK.

With a better base of players, the standard rises. With better coaching hopefully the quality of manager rises also. Its a merry go round here right now with the same managers having managed a host of their rivals clubs.

European football would provide our "cream of the crop" to develop rather than sitting in the Wolves reserves at 19. You would be very surprised at how quickly the hipsters would catch on if young irish lads were getting mentioned abroad as being massive talents yet still operated at home. Look at the Belgian league for example, it gets so much attention right now for being a breeding ground for top class talent, you hear lads at work telling you all about the next big thing playing for Anderlecht and Standard Liege etc...

Keeping all of our best players (or providing them with a chance to avail of first team football and top level coaching in their formative years) may just make some of them see they dont need to move so soon. The big money move will still be there when they hit their early 20s. Transfer fees will also improve and we won't see them shambles of the likes of Cherry Orchard/St Kevins Boys holding the transfer record for biggest fee ever received on the island.

There are other smaller issues (larger isssues from a political standpoint) and this will cause alot of controversy, but maybe special work permits can be issued to exceptionally talented players from non EU countries. The LOI could be a gateway to the bigger leagues for some Brazilian's/Argentinians/American's/etc... who are not eligible for a work permit in the UK? maybe after 3 years they are eligible for Irish passports if extremely stringent conditions are met, and I stress the number of these players should be limited to maybe 3 per club. Young irish players may benefit from playing alongside such talent also and may even eclipse such players in terms of talent.

There are so many avenues to explore in terms of tapping into the appetite of people for football in ireland. My fear though is the lack of creativity, ideas and downright drive and interest to make things better.

Whilst I can see how some of this is extremely offensive to fans of LOI clubs (and personally I don't agree with amalgamation AT ALL), it seems some your better suggestions have been missed.

Taking power out of the hands of the DDSL and larger schoolboy clubs is absolutely vital. Until we are seeing the cream of the crop of 17-22 year olds in irish football (rather than journeymen/guys who didn't cut it in UK) then people will still treat it as second rate.

Large scale investment in getting a large number of pro licence coaches is vital aswell, even more so than investment in facilities.

The special work permit idea (although im not sure of the legalities) is also something to explore further, adding the option of increasing the quality and also the potential for clubs to cash in on foreign players for bigger fees in the future.

Some very interesting points in this post when you look past the amalgamation of clubs statement, which is like holding a red rag to a bull on here.

Lovely Bloke

Dublin City FC, a club with a "Uniting" name - no support.

Sporting Fingal - a club based in the quickest growing urban area in the EU at the time, you'd think they'd have really taken off in the Swords area - it's bigger than a lot of the towns like Athlone, Longford, Sligo - but it was also a failure.

Kildare County - another attempt at unifying support to one "regional" club - again, the likes of Celbridge, Newbridge, Maynooth - large enough towns, but the "people" couldn't have been arsed.

These new, franchise clubs don't work, and there are three examples, from different parts of the country, that show this.

The you have the other end of the sectrum and the absolute clusterfúck that is Galway trying to support three teams in the league, who actually thought that would be a good idea, when a town the size of Cork struggles to maintain one club for any decent length of time.

overshoot

bit of a bogey wrote: »

Alienation is not the objective but a short term consequence in the grand scheme of things.

how is removing your only fanbase going to allow the league to grow and compete when all you are left with is nothing? building the rugby provinces too huge financial help from the IRFU and the FAI has shown nothing but contempt for the league, nor does it have money for such a venture if it actually support it.
and while the welsh franchises are starting to improve (although debatable as they lose players to france on an increasing scale) rugby is no1 in wales and it already had a match going population to try to draw from. we do not

Baldy Conscience wrote: »

Sporting Fingal - a club based in the quickest growing urban area in the EU at the time, you'd think they'd have really taken off in the Swords area - it's bigger than a lot of the towns like Athlone, Longford, Sligo - but it was also a failure.

i always like the original idea to sporting fingal, shame it became a boom baby & played from there dublin city did. always doomed to failure.
agreed with your other examples; Newbridge/kildare county. they never generated the hype, they failed. in a town with 20,000, bang in the middle of a county with 200,000

doncarlos

Strongbow10 wrote: »

Sure, the idea of Louth United may be repulsive to Dundalk and Drogs fans but if its a matter of pooling resources in order to survive and push on or else either club eventually going out of business due to lack of finances/interest, then you simply have to try something new.

Nobody in Dundalk would support a Louth United team playing in Drogheda and vice versa. You are alienating a lot of fans in the hope that a re-branding is the magic wand to fix football in this country. If Dundalk were scrapped by the FAI in some sort of cull I would no longer support football in this country and would hope the clubs would go to the highest of courts against the FAI even if it meant losing international football by doing so.

Amirani

bit of a bogey wrote: »

Alienation is not the objective but a short term consequence in the grand scheme of things.

Can you provide any evidence that this might be successful other than a hunch that you have?

Most people on here who know far more about Irish football than you seem to, know it's not going to work. Why do you think they're wrong and you're right? The main issues with domestic football in Ireland aren't branding and geographic dispersion.

Lovely Bloke

Actually, I see oldyouth has thanked my post, which reminds me of his own club, Wexford Youths - can they be seen as a successful franchise? What about when Mick Wallace has no money left at all and they inevitably go to the wall.

I'm unsure of the model, but is there buy-in from the Wexford general area?

dfx-

Can people please stop going down the road of advocating amalgamation, unity, bringing together - call it what you like - of clubs or areas. It has been tried, it spectacularly didn't work.

I will consider it, from now on, an attempt to wind up LOI fans and deviating from the discussion.

ArmaniJeanss

Possibly an idea to talk to someone in the IGRB.
20 years ago greyhound racing was the preserve of the shabbily dressed and depressed middle aged male social outcast. It was a dying sport.
Yet they were able to turn it around and make it sexy to the extent that it now attracts the late teens/early 20s cool crowd at the weekend, and the office crews on Thursdays and Fridays.

How this can be done I don't exactly know (which is why I suggested getting some of those IGRB people on board).
I suspect it might involve reduced/free admission for women, and club bars stocking and selling 'girlie' drinks at reduced prices. Then moving some games to Thursdays and putting flyers in local businesses for a staff night out - would obviously need some level of indoor 'corporate' facilities, can be relatively cheap and cheerful though. I'm thinking of admission, a beer and a basket of sausages & chips for €20/€25 a head sort of thing.
Finally could look at an actual in-running gambling element to the game, people love gambling. Was thinking of having bookies betting on the next event to happen (corner, freekick, throwin, goal) but not sure how exactly this could be done without corruption.

But regardless, definitely talk to the people who changed the perception of a night at the dogs 20 years ago.

CSF

dfx- wrote: »

Can people please stop going down the road of advocating amalgamation, unity, bringing together - call it what you like - of clubs or areas. It has been tried, it spectacularly didn't work.

I will consider it, from now on, an attempt to wind up LOI fans and deviating from the discussion.

Thank you thank you thank you!!!

GLaDOS

Possibly an idea to talk to someone in the IGRB.
20 years ago greyhound racing was the preserve of the shabbily dressed and depressed middle aged male social outcast. It was a dying sport.
Yet they were able to turn it around and make it sexy to the extent that it now attracts the late teens/early 20s cool crowd at the weekend, and the office crews on Thursdays and Fridays.

How this can be done I don't exactly know (which is why I suggested getting some of those IGRB people on board).
I suspect it might involve reduced/free admission for women, and club bars stocking and selling 'girlie' drinks at reduced prices. Then moving some games to Thursdays and putting flyers in local businesses for a staff night out - would obviously need some level of indoor 'corporate' facilities, can be relatively cheap and cheerful though. I'm thinking of admission, a beer and a basket of sausages & chips for €20/€25 a head sort of thing.
Finally could look at an actual in-running gambling element to the game, people love gambling. Was thinking of having bookies betting on the next event to happen (corner, freekick, throwin, goal) but not sure how exactly this could be done without corruption.

But regardless, definitely talk to the people who changed the perception of a night at the dogs 20 years ago.

I imagine the main problem is would be most (all?) grounds don't have the facility to watch the game while drinking. So people would probably end up spending the whole time in the bar and pay no attention to the match, then wonder why they didn't just go to the pub for cheaper.

dan1895

ScienceNerd wrote: »

I imagine the main problem is would be most (all?) grounds don't have the facility to watch the game while drinking. So people would probably end up spending the whole time in the bar and pay no attention to the match, then wonder why they didn't just go to the pub for cheaper.

I've asked before but why can't you drink while watching a game? You can in Germany. All I've heard is that it's a UEFA rule which sounds like bs if its ok in Germany.

Captain Havoc

ScienceNerd wrote: »

I imagine the main problem is would be most (all?) grounds don't have the facility to watch the game while drinking. So people would probably end up spending the whole time in the bar and pay no attention to the match, then wonder why they didn't just go to the pub for cheaper.

Could clubs just have a bar overlooking the pitch but no exit pitchside?

GLaDOS

Captain Havoc wrote: »

Could clubs just have a bar overlooking the pitch but no exit pitchside?

In theory I'm sure they could, but no club has money to build that, that couldn't be better spent on other improvements in their ground.

dan1895

So Shaktar Karagandy (spelling?) from glorious nation of Kazakhstan beat Celtic and are on the verge of qualifying for the champions league group stage. This is the same team beaten by Pats a couple of years ago. So does anyone know what the Kazaks have been doing to fix their league in the last couple of years or is this a flash in the pan brought on by investors and oil tycoons?

Lovely Bloke

It's an anomalous result, Celtic were shíte on the day - they'll probably turn it around in the second leg.

Fr Tod Umptious

Baldy Conscience wrote: »

It's an anomalous result, Celtic were shíte on the day - they'll probably turn it around in the second leg.

But Shaktar Karagandy still got to the stage where they are one tie away from the Group stages.
How many times have LOI teams done that ? (honest question by the way cos I don't know the answer)

Richard Hillman

ArmaniJeanss wrote: »

Possibly an idea to talk to someone in the IGRB.
20 years ago greyhound racing was the preserve of the shabbily dressed and depressed middle aged male social outcast. It was a dying sport.
Yet they were able to turn it around and make it sexy to the extent that it now attracts the late teens/early 20s cool crowd at the weekend, and the office crews on Thursdays and Fridays.

How this can be done I don't exactly know (which is why I suggested getting some of those IGRB people on board).
I suspect it might involve reduced/free admission for women, and club bars stocking and selling 'girlie' drinks at reduced prices. Then moving some games to Thursdays and putting flyers in local businesses for a staff night out - would obviously need some level of indoor 'corporate' facilities, can be relatively cheap and cheerful though. I'm thinking of admission, a beer and a basket of sausages & chips for €20/€25 a head sort of thing.
Finally could look at an actual in-running gambling element to the game, people love gambling. Was thinking of having bookies betting on the next event to happen (corner, freekick, throwin, goal) but not sure how exactly this could be done without corruption.

But regardless, definitely talk to the people who changed the perception of a night at the dogs 20 years ago.

I agree with your points about jazzing up match day. I was saying in the other thread about what sort of night Leopardstown RC offer for the same price as a LOI match.

You also need to get rid of the tracksuit tucked into socks brigade. This is the main reason why normal folk can't enjoy a pint whilst watching a match. Fortunately for the likes of Leopardstown and the dog tracks, you don't have people that might give you a bottle to the head if your guy wins and theirs doesn't.

padd b1975

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

But Shaktar Karagandy still got to the stage where they are one tie away from the Group stages.
How many times have LOI teams done that ? (honest question by the way cos I don't know the answer)

Shelbourne got closest.

Their attempt bankrupted them.

Lovely Bloke

padd b1975 wrote: »

Shelbourne got closest.

Their attempt bankrupted them.

then Shamrock to to the group stages of the EL

padd b1975

Baldy Conscience wrote: »

then Shamrock to to the group stages of the EL

That really was the greatest achievement of any LOI side.

Lovely Bloke

padd b1975 wrote: »

That really was the greatest achievement of any LOI side.

of course it was - look at them now, languishing in mid-table mediocrity.

Raoul

dan1895 wrote: »

I've asked before but why can't you drink while watching a game? You can in Germany. All I've heard is that it's a UEFA rule which sounds like bs if its ok in Germany.

I would not like to see people being allowed to drink at LOI games. It would be absolute mayhem, people are drunk (or stoned) enough going to the games nevermind allowing them to drink all the way through. Sadly, one of the main factors that stop lots of people going are the crowd associated with the game and the facilities. I brought my gf to a match before without thinking and I was truly embarrassed by the language (which when I was on my own with mates, I never paid that much attention to) of the older people and young kids. Also, it is a hostile atmosphere, there are clearly very drunk people and lots of people on drugs. Its just not a classy event. Also, when certain teams play there are fights afterwards and you have the mounted police and the dogs. Its not a place for women and children.

For me if we want to get bigger crowds, we need to upgrade the facilities and make the grounds more family friendly. Drunk people should not be allowed in and should be ejected. I know this next sentence is never going to happen but there should be some sort of ban on abusive language. Not just saying like "F*ck me ref come on" or something like that but the people shouting "hey you f*cking c*nt blah blah blah". This sort of behaviour really isn't helping anyone. I found it great craic when I was 16 but nowadays its embarrassing.

Bit of a rant I apologise.