Greatest League in the World 2024 [new thread available]

topmanamillion

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118476232#Comment_118476232

Whatever caused it is unlikely to have came from Newport. His current contract runs out in the summer and they let him out on loan to a play off rival. Doesn't seem like Newport want him.

Darkglasses

PP released their Division 1 outright odds lately:

Waterford 5/2

Galway 3/1

Cork 5/1

Bray 6/1

Longford 8/1

Wexford 20/1

Treaty 20/1

Cobh 33/1

Athlone 50/1

I think Bray have been hugely over-estimated there. Don't even see them finishing in the playoffs personally. I'm a lot more optimistic for Wexford's chances to finish there than Bray.

Darkglasses

Watching the Galway - Finn Harps stream. Early days but Galway aren't looking great

4 or 5 great chances and none of them put away. Two open goals and a penalty saved. Not sure about Dimas.

You'd be more worried about Harps mind, if this team reflects what they'll put out for the season.

https://vimeo.com/user120466814

ben.schlomo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118484722#Comment_118484722

First pre season game isn't any time to be making grand statements. I've seen a few comments on our forum that the Spanish lads have played well!!

ben.schlomo

Game finished 1-0, Francely Lomboto scoring, after missing the entire 2021 season through injury. A good run out for us. Pitch was shocking (it was a charity game on a GAA pitch in Ballindereen).

overshoot

We have brutal records in our pre-season games over the years with Ollie so never really read into performances/results (although I missed it anyway).

Our squad has been fairly badly ripped apart though so going to take time to gel and he'll be looking at a lot of trialists. Could really do with Ollie unearthing another Tunde. At the minute we just have Rudden up top who was still playing u19 and got a few cameos last year. Timlin sounded to be back fit and playing well though which will be like a new signing. The man has had zero luck

overshoot

Certainly feel better with UCD than Waterford but it's a good UCD team too. I'd expect them to be competitive until summer/college year ends then you just never know. Can't see the gap from Europe to playoff being as close this year

Ohmeha

I can't see UCD recovering if they lose Whelan and Kerrigan in July like when they were wounded losing O'Neill and Farrugia in summer of 2019. I think it's looking like Shels, Drogheda, Harps and UCD to be in their own 4 team mini-league cut adrift of the top 6 by May

topmanamillion

Difficult to see the top 6 changing from last year. But there'll be a couple of underperformers in that too. There weren't many that called Waterford as going down or Cork the year before. Also think with the hype around Derry they're ripe to flop. Lots of their fans are nailing them on for a top 2 finish and apart from raiding Dundalk (6th last year) they haven't signed much.

The likes of Horgan and Long have consistently pulled rabbits out of the hat the last few years so you can never write them off. Drogheda have lost their entire back 5 this winter. UCD will likely loose a few important players in the summer. It could be a race to the bottom with those two.

SteM

Rovers looking at playing their opening game behind closed doors.

https://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/league-of-ireland/shamrock-rovers-facing-behind-closed-doors-season-opener-as-punishment-for-waterford-firework-incident-41257585.html

Patrick2010

Hope Rovers appeal, unfair to punish the club because of the actions of 2 idiots.

Didn’t Dundalk fans throw flares onto the pitch at the last Dalymount game?, will they get the same ban and if not why not?

shanec1928

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118503403#Comment_118503403

Because this is the first time that the “small minority” has caused trouble before…

topmanamillion

Its a fair punishment and no chance should it be rescinded. What happened in Waterford was a different level to throwing flares on a field. They were aiming fireworks at players on the pitch and hit Anthony Wordsworth in the face.

There`s an element in the Shams support that consistently does this sort of thing from breaking up toilets to spitting at players. This will hit them in the pocket as they`d have been expecting 5k+ for that opening game. Either Shams can control their away support or they shouldn`t be allowed have any.

DvB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118503858#Comment_118503858

& How exactly can a club control its away support?

SteM

Seems like an excessive punishment for the actions of 2 idiots imo.

SteM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118503858#Comment_118503858

The rules are either enforced for all clubs or they're ignored for all clubs, selective enforecement doesn't teach anyone a lesson it just breeds frustration from the regular fans.

Amirani

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118504101#Comment_118504101

Send along a club representative with a banned supporter list and help the home club in making sure they aren't admitted to the match.

Pretty sure this is or has been done by clubs before.

DvB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118505180#Comment_118505180

At the time of the game the 2 people responsible for the fireworks were not banned, nor had been identified previously as being troublemakers or suchlike, so any such action by the away team would still have failed to prevent this happening. Actions such as you have proposed are commendable & indeed they may reduce, but wont stop incidents like this happening.

Ultimately safety within a ground is the responsibility of the home team, so maybe we need to return to a stop & search approach? I'm personally struggling to see how SRFC could have stopped that incident from occurring given the circumstances.

FTR the Rovers support on the night identified the culprits to the Garda as soon as it was safe to do so, both were arrested & charged and are now banned by the club from attending games in Tallaght stadium. As the actions of these idiots was completely outside the clubs control I personally feel the punishment unfair and should whilst an appeal is unlikely to be successful given the history of the adjudicating organization should be undertaken on a point of principle.

Christy Browne

Only Rovers fans could play the victim card after nearly taking a player’s eye out with a firework. Was absolutely crazy and one game is the very least punishment they should be getting.

artanevilla

Crazy punishment and sets a precedent which is not welcome. We've all been starved of live football due to Covid, and now the actions of what could be a single person in a crowd of thousands could deprive supporters of being able to watch their team and deprive clubs of much needed gate receipts.

topmanamillion

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118504101#Comment_118504101

Plenty is the answer to that one.

A club can't just say "sorry not our problem once they leave Tallaght" about their own fans.

If Shams reps need to search people before supporters buses leave Tallaght then that's probably where its at.

Only sell away tickets to supporters with a set amount of home stubs or season ticket holders.

DvB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118506547#Comment_118506547

& what about people using public transport or their own cars? Are the individual clubs meant to police the people travelling via those means also?

If that & 'ticketing' is the sum total of 'plenty' well then we are poles apart in practical solutions of absolving a home club of the responsibility of having a duty of care to all persons entering their grounds.

topmanamillion

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118506751#Comment_118506751

Prime definition of what aboutery there. If a Dundalk/Sligo/Bohs/Pats fan had nearly taking Jack Byrnes eye out with a firework you can be damn sure you wouldn't be on here wondering if he took the train to Tallaght.

DvB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118506873#Comment_118506873

Whataboutery? & then you put words in my mouth with the next sentence. You have no idea of how I would respond to an imaginary incident involving any player so we'll leave it there.

Oat23

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118506475#Comment_118506475

This punishment is for far more than the actions of a single person. Come on. This has been coming for many, many years. They have the worst away fans in the league by far and it's time they actually do something to stamp out the problem.

SteM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118506873#Comment_118506873

Prime defination of whatifery there.

dfx-

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118506873#Comment_118506873

This is a terrible post. It's not whataboutery. Your 'solutions' of searching supporters buses were challenged and none of this post addresses the points raised to your 'solutions'.

Rovers have a much bigger and broader away support than to just use supporters buses or to just depart from Tallaght, a huge number would leave from nowhere near Tallaght. Knowing the name of someone or issuing tickets to known names has no control over their behaviour on the night. All it means is you can ban them afterwards, which is what happened to the people responsible after Waterford anyway.

The Waterford incident itself is not reason to bring a ban, but the ban threat has been hanging around for too long. I'm pretty sure Drogheda fans let fireworks off in Tallaght on the final day...

PGE1970

Keith Cowan to Drogheda from Dungannon.

He used to play for Harps?

RamonD3

Didn't get to any away games since the fans were allowed back in but were searches off the agenda post covid? Hard to imagine where the blame could be attributed in the circumstances beyond the two morons.

overshoot

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118508141#Comment_118508141

Yep, was our captain too. Wouldn't have said no to him back, but as much as he was a man for effort, at 36 you'd surely have to say squad player...

We've brought in Madhy, good to have a striker on board. Squad still needs a bit more though

CSF

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118506844#Comment_118506844

He was really poor for us. Can’t remember one game where he really impressed and eventually he just stopped being played.

We were hoping that he was going to improve under a different style with Duff but in reality, this is probably a good move for everyone involved.

artanevilla

How are we supposed to get cans in if there is searches?

Patrick2010

It'll be a bad look for LOI football having the champions play their first match in an empty stadium, a bad PR move for the league when they could have just had a ban on Rovers fans being sold away tickets for X amount of games. Rovers have sold close to 3,000 season tickets currently and could have expected a lot of late sales closer to the start of the league. Now season ticket holders will have one less game available which is likely to influence some potential buyers, quite a financial hit overall for Rovers as well as losing ticket sales for match night itself. Those opposition fans enjoying this should remember now that a precedent is set their club could be next...

Still wonder how Dundalk escaped punishment for a similar offense in Dalymount, see from their own forum...

"With all the drama at the end , I’d forgotten about that. Pretty disgraceful behaviour (and embarrassing for us all)that the ref actually had to stop the game because some so called DFC supporters decided throw flares on top of Peter Cherrie!

We’ve ( as have some other clubs) always had this element follow the club. Although to be fair I don’t remember Harps, Sligo or Derry fans to name just 3 ever acting like this in Oriel.

Did any of the other fans challenge these pricks and what was their reaction?"

Pawwed Rig

Banning away fans for a couple of weeks would seem a better solution. Little point in punishing a Grandad and his grandson living in Tallaght who want to go and see a game for the sins of a couple of does.

How effective are these stadium bans out of interest? I don't recall ever being scrutinised too much entering a stadium of compared with a list. It would be just as easy to enter with the ho.e fans as the away fans in most games.

kksaints

John Mahon linked to St Johnstone by Daniel Mcdonnell on twitter. He'd be a huge loss for Sligo, one of the best center backs in the league last year.

irishmanmick

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118510627#Comment_118510627

Agreed, I'd be pretty pissed off if I couldn't go to games in Dalymount cos of the actions of 1 or 2 numpties. Every club in the LOI has plenty of these, and it's not fair to punish the massive majority decent fans for their actions.

Jaysus the last few weeks have been grim on the transfer news front, Devoy looks like he's off to MK Dons. Tierney & Kenny gone to SPL, possibly Mahon to follow. Loads of others heading over as well. Lot of re-building jobs for LOI clubs. I'm gutted we're losing Daws, thought we had him for at least another season

Oat23

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118510982#Comment_118510982

Ahh the wonderful release clause strikes again. We had him under contract until the end of 2022 but extended the deal a month ago until the end of 2023 and added a release clause. Another genius move by the club and not at all shooting ourselves in the foot again like with Kenny. 🙄

artanevilla

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118510627#Comment_118510627

Away fan gate reciepts are vital for home clubs. You're punishing a club who's done nothing!

Patrick2010

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118511729#Comment_118511729

As opposed to punishing fans, 99.9% of whom have done nothing wrong?

Pawwed Rig

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118511729#Comment_118511729

What do you suggest?

Gavin "shels"

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118506844#Comment_118506844

Option was Yoyo's supposedly, couple of loanee's coming in and Duff gave the option to stay but not be starting or he could leave.

Was hoping to see him if Duff could get the best out of him but wasn't too be.

CSF

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118511167#Comment_118511167

Would you have been able to get the guys to sign the deals without the release clauses though?

artanevilla

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118511789#Comment_118511789

It's not one or the other...

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118511823#Comment_118511823

Prosecute the actual perpetrators maybe? A bit of a personal responsibility goes a long way.

Patrick2010

I understood the guards were dealing with it? And the club have banned them.

artanevilla

That should be the end of it then. Instead the FAI have set a dangerous precedent that one or two idiots can shut down a stadium.

howiya

Playing games behind closed doors isn't exactly a new punishment in football. Granted its novel for the league here.

I don't know what the right thing to do here is. As many have said you're punishing the majority for the actions of the minority. There should definitely be repercussions for what happened at the game though. It's completely unacceptable and could have had much more serious consequences. It's only luck and good fortune that prevented a player from being seriously injured.

A fine maybe? Then you're into how much is an appropriate fine? And a lot of the same arguments that apply to a closed door game would apply to a fine. You're still punishing the club who have little or no control over what happened.

So in summary I haven't a breeze what the right thing to do is.

Maybe going forward travelling clubs could could have tighter control on who allocations of away tickets are sold to. If they are to be held responsible for the actions of those present it would seem logical. Prioritise members/season ticket holders for example. If you were so inclined to cause trouble at games it's very easy to buy a ticket without any bona fides/credentials etc. Could be something as simple as a unique code to enter on the website like used in a presale.

Oat23

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118512370#Comment_118512370

Probably not, but what was the point extending the deal with a release clause that is triggered less than a month later? If St Johnstone wanted him they would have made an offer anyway and at least we would have had the opportunity to mull it over, assess whether or not a suitable replacement could be signed and then made a decision whether to accept it, negotiate and better deal or simply reject the offer. Now he's gone and god knows who we'll get in to replace him.

We've still got no strikers (apart from U19s) and now a huge hole at CB due to these clauses. Clubs from Scotland and the continent were lining up to trigger Kenny's release 3 weeks ago and now St Johnstone have quite happily triggered Mahons. We either negotiated release clauses that valued both players exactly right or undervalued both. I know which is more likely.

Europe is a pipe dream at this point unless we manage to hit on a bunch of punts from the UK where our track record is mixed at best.

Edit: I will say this. The Mahon deal makes more sense than the Kenny deal at least. If we kept Mahon and let him leave for free next January he'd have been literally free. At least with Kenny we'd have got a decent training fee.

thebronze14

They will appeal, it will be turned into a suspended stadium ban and a fine. Very surprised if this isn't the case

Liberta Per Gli Ultra

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118512618#Comment_118512618

In relation to the last paragraph (have to specify in words it seems, unlike on the old non-**** version of this forum), you'd love the stadium experience in Italy these days. It's very spacious and a little more middle-class, thanks to over 20 years of policies like the ones you've suggested. The "english model" is what the authorities called it and it half worked; they got rid of most of the ultras but couldn't get enough wealthy, pliable replacements.

Still, it'd be handy for a board to have that level of control over supporters. If a campaign is started that they don't like, maybe "Keep Rovers at Milltown" or "Don't Move Bohs to a Bus Depot in the Countryside" or even "Save Tolka Park", they can restrict the "troublemakers".

howiya

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118514520#Comment_118514520

Are you arguing that the individuals responsible for the fireworks incident should be allowed go to games?