Greatest League in the World 2024 [new thread available]

ollaetta

Can you or anyone else explain the meaning of this paragraph-

“However, Shakespeare does not see the large-scale fund releasing €20-25 million to ensure Dalymount is finished, as Bohs hope, by February 2026.”

There is no guaranteed funding till when exactly?

No, I don't get that either. He states earlier that he expects that the Government will come up with the money from that Fund so that last line is odd. Unless he means it will be released but probably not in time to start the work and finish the ground by the hoped for date of 2026?

CSF

I’d say it was pretty dumb for him to come out and say that. Given the big political support that the movement had, and how it had all quietened down since the positive recent developments. The fight will resume now.

namloc1980

😂🤣

Amirani

Great last minute equaliser for Sligo there, deserved it.

Jarhead_Tendler

Awful start to the Henderson era. 3-1 home loss to Athlone. Dear god

Oat23

Not really sure about the red card. Obviously it was very stupid for a veteran player like Lopes to put his hand in the face of an opponent like that but I thought it should only have been a yellow since no force was used. Straight red if he had forcefully pushed his head back but I don't think he did. Haven't seen it back yet though but that's how it looked live.

We did deserve the point though. Mannus was probably their MOTM and their only shot of note was the Burke goal. They were poor overall and very sloppy in possession.

Fair play to Russell for trusting the 2 academy lads Clancy at CB and Barlow in attack. They were both very good bar Clancy's mistake not stepping out to close down Burke on the goal.

Oat23

I see one of the Haitian lads Athlone signed scored twice and then got sent off for his celebration on the 2nd goal. What a league.

ben.schlomo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120259352#Comment_120259352

Surely with the budget slashed and essentially a new squad, with lots of inexperience, ye can't have any expectations this year. I fancied Athlone going into it, they finished last season well.

siblers

Was at the Kerry Utd v Cobh match, awful conditions with the wind but Kerry did OK.

Stacey the Cobh keeper must be the quietest keeper I've ever seen. I've seen louder keepers at U10 level, it was weird, he didn't open his mouth the entire second half.

He made a couple of very good saves to be fair to him though

Jarhead_Tendler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120259619#Comment_120259619

I still thought we would beat Athlone. How wrong was I lol ?

shanec1928

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120259422#Comment_120259422

He 100% deserved it. He was probably getting a yellow till he got involved again in the skirmish near the end think it was him who raised his hand again.

Oat23

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120260220#Comment_120260220

Having seen it back on YT he does push him. Looked to me from behind that Barlow got in his face and he just put his hand up to block him and there wasn't much in it, but the red was justified.

Did you smash it

I got to ask, who did the commentator think had scored? Browning…?

https://twitter.com/leagueofireland/status/1627065725226721280?s=61&t=yFS4f_2qOWZN_8RYr-WTGw

Oat23

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120261249#Comment_120261249

Browning did score?

Did you smash it

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120261271#Comment_120261271

Ah never mind, LiveScore has him down as Lukas Lagerfelt, my mistake

dfx-

Rovers probably hold on with 11 men, but that is now a definite trend of Rovers giving up leads to draw or not play for 90 minutes away from home now.

Mushy

Bray supporters group looking to run a bus to Finn Harps on 3rd March, but its open to Dublin based Harps fans too...such a good idea to do if it makes it viable

artanevilla

Is it open to Cabo fans as well though?

joeysoap

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120268713#Comment_120268713

😀😀😀

giving my age away too but I loved the Lourdes Stadium. Have some great memories of the stadium. Pony track now I believe.

artanevilla

Looks like it's an athletics track.

PGE1970

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120270034#Comment_120270034

Still an athletics track and footie pitch.

They've replaced the old ash track with a modern one.

In my youth, we used to play games on it over the summer. There'd be no-one about so we had a LoI pitch to ourselves for the summer holidays!

Mushy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120268713#Comment_120268713

Itll be bray fans going up, they'll be Cabo fans should they lose

deisedude

Feel better about the goalkeeper errors in the Cork City and Bohs game watching the 2 howlers in the champions league tonight from the best keepers in the world

joeysoap

3 memories of the Lourdes Stadium

1) Jimmy Dainty Scoring a goal there

2)the teams leaving the pitch at full time.and Brian McConville (rip) absolutely shattered as he passed.(different game)

3) the ‘donkey’’derby😄 (fundraiser)

PGE1970

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120273280#Comment_120273280

I was in Lanzarote last year and had a great chat with Dermot Keeley.

We spoke about Brian McConville, Tommy McConville and Liam Devine. He told me some great stories including a belter about Dainty and the match against Linfield.

Billy the Brit they called him! This was the late 70s!

I also asked Dermot why Drogheda is probably the only LoI side that he never played for or managed!

If Roddy can write a book, surely Dermot has one in him?

joeysoap

I should have added rip to Jimmy Dainty. Fond memories of him. Great team. great player. I think he was at Dermot’s wedding but can’t say for sure.

David McMillan has retired.

Oat23

Really disappointed to hear on the LOI central pod today that the season pass on LOITV hasn't been selling well and Dan McDonnell suggested piracy has a big impact. Don't know if that's his opinion or what he's hearing from the league but there's plenty of discussion of piracy and "dodgy boxes" on social media around games suggesting many people who are regular supporters of the league just won't pay for the service.

It's not an awful surprise in this country with the amount of tightarses we have. These people don't seem to understand that it'll be gone if it loses money and that'll be a huge step backwards for the league. Instantly available highlights on twitter of any brilliant goals will be gone. Highlight packages within 90 minutes of full time gone too.

CSF

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120276748#Comment_120276748

I wouldn’t pay for a season pass because I only watch Shels and rarely miss a game, but I wouldn’t say it’s just down to people who won’t pay (obviously there will be some like this also). Think the amount of people who can’t pay may have gone up over the last year. Some might consider those to be lost income to the league but it might also be considered income they were never getting in this economic climate.

Oat23

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120276761#Comment_120276761

There are a ton of people who just won't pay. I know at least 10 Sligo Rovers fans myself (including people in my own family) who watch our away games on their dodgy boxes and all of them are more than capable of parting with €120 or €7. One of them is a 60+ business owner with assets worth at least €5m and half a dozen rental properties. Doesn't pay because he already has access to it for free on the box he bought.

There's also a pub in town that has a dodgy box for Celtic TV matches and they showed our games from that box too last season. I doubt that has changed.

There are of course people who can't afford LOITV which is fine. It's the people who can and don't pay that I have a problem with.

Ferris_Bueller

I can understand Dan McDonnells point and it is probably true, but you can't blame people really. If you go to all your teams home games then you have 18 away games you might watch. Factor in you might go to some of the away games and there will be ones you just are not free to watch too. Plus you will probably have a few for free on RTÉ. How many games are you going to watch for €120 quid?

Obviously this could ultimately lead to its collapse and its cessation. Personally I would not feel like it is a huge loss but probably in the minority there. I would rather one game a week on RTE than LOI TV.

Did you smash it

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120276748#Comment_120276748

Isn’t the least bit surprising. I just hope it can remain viable as I don’t go to LOI games because I don’t live in Ireland but this season pass is very good and very fair on price

deisedude

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120276976#Comment_120276976

One game a week on RTE is never going to happen though

joeysoap

I have a (paid) pass. Was offered a ‘free’ one from a surprising ( for me anyway) source. Terrific value for away games alone.

looks like Dundalk and Drogheda both up for takeovers.

namloc1980

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120276748#Comment_120276748

While piracy and IPTV streaming is an issue, "subscription fatigue" is a bigger problem. There's a sub for everything these days and people don't have the money to spare for multiple streaming services.

irishguitarlad

Yeah I decided against the league pass as I'd only ever be watching Kerry and I might miss some of their games due to other things happening. I'll happily pay my 5 euro though to watch them whenever I can.

Mushy

Is there a pay monthly option? It isn't very obvious, so despite it likely costing a few quid more in long run, coughing up 100+ at once may push it down list of priorities

namloc1980

The league would be better off with a decent highlights package and more live TV games to be honest. Streaming all games live with varying quality, when they're all on at the same time more or less, spreads the potential audience very thin.

tastyt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120278530#Comment_120278530

I agree with this , streaming really succeeds when there is a large audience of fans that can’t get to games . I think most people who are willing to pay to stream the league are probably the same that go to all their team home games and a lot to away games . I don’t think there are two separate cohorts to be honest

But I agree it will be a loss if it goes

Drumpot

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120278530#Comment_120278530

I’d love a serie A early 90s on channel 4 kind of highlights package. But you need strong presenter (like James Richardson) and a fun/good commentator. That can make a sport way more enjoyable. I wasn’t a massive serie a fan but loved the highlights. I know that league was strong back then but you have to think outside the box.

Always Remember commentary from a mid table game between foggia and Atalanta in 1991. Basically a defender got a hatrick to get them a 4-4 draw away. It’s not the game I remember but the commentary that was something on the lines of:

”If you were told an away team , 3 goals down with 16 minutes to go were able to recover for a draw with 3 goals from a defender , you would never believe it. If you followed Foggia, you’d expect nothing less”.

Could there or been something like that for shels 4-4 draw with rovers last season?

An Ciarraioch

Kerry's second home game, against Treaty, also sells out - still early days, but grounds for optimism.

topmanamillion

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120279858#Comment_120279858

Very early alright, I remember Cabo selling out their first few games too. If Kerry can stabilise attendances around the 250-300 mark and be reasonably competitive for the next few years that would be a good start. They'll obviously need local business and fundraiser support on top of that.

Did you smash it

Hull manager openly talking about the plans Hull have to buy Dundalk…excuse my ignorance but Hull are a well off club? When did that happen?

CSF

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120280663#Comment_120280663

You’d imagine there’d be similarities with Fleetwood/Waterford situation

Did you smash it

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120280694#Comment_120280694

I guess, it’s not great sounding to be honest to me.

CSF

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120280785#Comment_120280785

Maybe not, but the squad building in Dundalk hasn't necessarily come across as them being in a great financial situation (first to admit that I don't actually know much about the inner workings at the club so happy to be corrected)

PGE1970

Drogheda v Rovers is sold out.

artanevilla

Dalymount is sold out. Home and away with Dundalk in the new Mono Stand.

Eggs For Dinner

The LOI TV should be on a PPV basis. I have absolutely no interest in watching a game between 2 teams, neither of which I support. Firstly, the quality of the stream can be questionable. Secondly, I attend all of my club's home games and some of their away games. At most, there would be 12 games involving my club that I wouldn't go to, so the price of the annual ticket becomes poor value. Obviously it's of benefit to those who can't attend games, but how many fall in to that category who would be brothered

chopperbyrne

It does have PPV also.

srfc d16

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120282956#Comment_120282956

There is nothing stopping you ordering on a game by game basis. From what I can see online the away section in Richmond and the ucd sligo game is the only ticket available to watch a game in person in the top flight. For anyone that wasn't on the ball and bought online earlier in the week LOI TV is the only option as RTE will not be back in the grounds for a month. After tonight I will have used it 3 times this season because away tickets were sold out before I had the chance to order them in Sligo and Drogheda. I think it is very good value but I do understand that people have to pick and chose their spending.

As mentioned previously a monthly sub of €15ish would have probably attracted more people than asking for the 120 up front or asking people to enter card details every time as per last season. I know some older fans are less comfortable entering card details online so asking them to do it less often is a positive imo.