Greatest League in the World 2024 [new thread available]

Oat23

Enjoyed this article about John O'Flynn's career.

https://www.the42.ie/john-oflynn-interview-5165471-Aug2020/

c.p.w.g.w

wadacrack wrote: »

Cant fault the quality of LOI watch. Very good production but I think most realize that we dont necessarily follow the league for the standard of football.Theirs obviously leagues with far better teams technically. The LOI needs fans back pretty quickly. Its a far far greater experience attending games.

For many lads I know, LOI football is how they socialize, lads who don't drink especially

harpstilidie

Zebra3 wrote: »

Harps v Shels could be called off too.

Haven't seen anything apart from a few social media posts from fans saying this.

Anything concrete or just pure speculation?

You'd imagine it would be OK as the player didn't even play v Shels and the risk of a Shels player catching the virus from any Waterford players outdoors is very low.

Gareth Keenan

s1ippy wrote: »

Speculation around the place that he doesn't actually have any symptoms, but he's newly signed and came from abroad, so they've postponed the match (under the guise of suspected covid) until he can play.

Very bad form if so. Hope it's not true, because it would be a sh!tty move. I also hope he doesn't have it though.

named locally as new signing Pinny Verth

Zebra3

harpstilidie wrote: »

Haven't seen anything apart from a few social media posts from fans saying this.

Anything concrete or just pure speculation?

You'd imagine it would be OK as the player didn't even play v Shels and the risk of a Shels player catching the virus from any Waterford players outdoors is very low.

Was told he had been mingling among the Shels players.

kksaints

Awful from us tonight. Like night and day between Friday's performance. Rennie's misses in injury time have to be seen to be believed. Georgie Kelly was unimpressive.

c.p.w.g.w

kksaints wrote: »

Awful from us tonight. Like night and day between Friday's performance. Rennie's misses in injury time have to be seen to be believed. Georgie Kelly was unimpressive.

Some of yere defending left a lot to be desired

artanevilla

Omackeral wrote: »

Delighted with Bohs win down in Cork. McGuinness is every bit as competent as Talbot imo and should feel justified to be in the starting XI, regardless of knocks. Great stuff from Bohemians.

McGuinness earned his place coming into the side after Talbot injury. Wouldn't be surprised if he keeps his place going forward.

NIMAN

kksaints wrote: »

Awful from us tonight. Like night and day between Friday's performance. Rennie's misses in injury time have to be seen to be believed. Georgie Kelly was unimpressive.

Funnily enough, same could be said for us. We were tragic v Sligo last Friday. Looked like a completely different team versus you last night.

It was great to see players in their correct positions, it changed us completely.

I was very disappointed that we couldn't get George Kelly when he became available as we were very short of forwards at the time, but our defence shackled him easily last night.

fatbhoy

c.p.w.g.w wrote: »

Some of yere defending left a lot to be desired

That Pats #14 is a disaster. Watched him in both games so far.

Ferris_Bueller

Just saw this thread on twitter explaining UEFAs rules on the qualifying rounds for CL/EL this year, which may be of interest to some.

https://twitter.com/DaleJohnsonESPN/status/1290652357869613059

As Ireland are one of the strictest countries in Europe in terms of travel is there a possibility this could be bad news for our clubs? Simply put we should be hoping to draw a team from the green list really, anything outside of that and things start to get complicated. Is there a list of potential opponents for our clubs anywhere?

Ohmeha

Karl Sheppard continuing to exceed my pre-season expectations that he would be an expensive bust

CSF

Ohmeha wrote: »

Karl Sheppard continuing to exceed my pre-season expectations that he would be an expensive bust

The only positive from this is he will get a 3 match ban now.

kksaints

Ohmeha wrote: »

Karl Sheppard continuing to exceed my pre-season expectations that he would be an expensive bust

Awful tackle. Both a two footed lunge and up around knee height. He'll get an additional few matches for that.

jay1988

kksaints wrote: »

Awful tackle. Both a two footed lunge and up around knee height. He'll get an additional few matches for that.

Fingers crossed, he turns like a bus.

Ohmeha

Lovely goal from Shels, no surprise that we have played well with 10 men without that donkey Sheppard

Omackeral

Morris needs to drop Shep, he's poisonous as a baller and as a personality.

joeysoap

Dundalk escaped a bullet there.

( when he wouldn’t sign)

Zebra3

Omackeral wrote: »

Morris needs to drop Shep, he's poisonous as a baller and as a personality.

No need to drop him now. :pac:

c.p.w.g.w

Finn Park is looking awful on the tele...Been up there a few times, don't remember it looking this bad

Ohmeha

What a heroic effort from all of that Shels team minus Sheppard to pull that result off. Glad I'll never have to watch that game of football again

CSF

Jesus that was great

joeysoap

joeysoap wrote: »

Home teams 1 ( and in reaity it was never in doubt empty stadium or not)

Away teams 3

Sums up empty stadiums for me anyway

Two more

Zebra3

c.p.w.g.w wrote: »

Finn Park is looking awful on the tele...Been up there a few times, don't remember it looking this bad

What did you remember it like? :eek:

c.p.w.g.w

Zebra3 wrote: »

What did you remember it like? :eek:

Certainly not as run down...It was dark when i was up there, late season games both times...

eigrod

This is getting interesting/concerning. Fascinating to see what her reasons are.

https://twitter.com/flanagan_adrian/status/1290732158383009793?s=21

Zebra3

https://mobile.twitter.com/fitzosligo/status/1290737090771193859?s=12

Absolutely disgraceful if true.

kksaints

Zebra3 wrote: »

https://mobile.twitter.com/fitzosligo/status/1290737090771193859?s=12

Absolutely disgraceful if true.

If its true, the book should be thrown at them. Points deduction as a minimum and automatic relegation should be strongly considered.

Oat23

This started as a daft rumour. Yes, they have 1 or 2 players unavailable due to quarantine but we were without Penninkangas, Cooper and Junior. It makes no sense that they would fake a COVID case to get the game called off. We have more to gain from the match being delayed and played later in the season.

If it does turn out to be true their license should be revoked.

s1ippy

Well that was certainly a game of football which took place.

s1ippy wrote: »

Speculation around the place that he doesn't actually have any symptoms, but he's newly signed and came from abroad, so they've postponed the match (under the guise of suspected covid) until he can play.

Called it.

Niall Quinn is confident that everything will run smoothly though, so it should all be absolutely fine aside from this one hiccup.

Ohmeha

kksaints wrote: »

If its true, the book should be thrown at them. Points deduction as a minimum and automatic relegation should be strongly considered.

The FAI take public health very seriously so they will accept a public 'apology' over twitter from Waterford like they did with Bohs a couple of months back

Oat23

Doesn't sound like they've faked symptoms. Certainly sounds like they haven't been following the rules, though.

https://waterford-news.ie/2020/08/04/blues-doctor-resigns-as-fai-confirm-clubs-second-suspected-covid-case/#.XynSvmnTXqu

Zebra3

Oat23 wrote: »

Doesn't sound like they've faked symptoms. Certainly sounds like they haven't been following the rules, though.

https://waterford-news.ie/2020/08/04/blues-doctor-resigns-as-fai-confirm-clubs-second-suspected-covid-case/#.XynSvmnTXqu

Looks like they need to buy a stretcher.

CSF

Oat23 wrote: »

Doesn't sound like they've faked symptoms. Certainly sounds like they haven't been following the rules, though.

https://waterford-news.ie/2020/08/04/blues-doctor-resigns-as-fai-confirm-clubs-second-suspected-covid-case/#.XynSvmnTXqu

What rules do we think they haven’t followed?

Oat23

CSF wrote: »

What rules do we think they haven’t followed?

I'm not sure. Have you read the qoutes from the doctor? Something obviously not right and she doesn't want to be involved in whatever is going on.

Dr Fitzpatrick, who replaced Dr Liam MacCann as club doctor five years ago, stated: “Been a really wonderful five seasons at Waterford FC (well one as United…!) and I’ve made some great friends and had some fantastic times (with the club). Resigning when you feel things are very wrong is sometimes the right thing to do though. I’m very sad tonight but happy I have done the right thing."

It’s understood that Dr Fitzpatrick had expressed concern in relation to how Covid-19 protocols had been interpreted in recent weeks, culminating in her departure this evening.

CSF

Yeah, lots of smoke, but still waiting to hear what the fire actually is.

Will Junior be able to play against us on Saturday?

Oat23

CSF wrote: »

Yeah, lots of smoke, but still waiting to hear what the fire actually is.

Will Junior be able to play against us on Saturday?

Buckley doesn't think he'll be ready for Saturday according to interviews after the Derry game. He hasn't played or trained in a team since February so I'd say he'll debut against Cork after a full week of training.

Gavin "shels"

If we can keep dishing out them 1-0 struggles for the rest of the season I'll take it! Not sure I can do another midweek one without a pint mind you!

howiya

Gavin shels wrote: »

If we can keep dishing out them 1-0 struggles for the rest of the season I'll take it! Not sure I can do another midweek one without a pint mind you!

Table looks a lot healthier after the latest 1-0 installment. A lot of criticism of Saturday's performance, haven't managed to see it yet. Didn't get to see either game live due to other commitments. Thought it more prudent to watch the Harps game when I got in last night. Was a lot easier to watch knowing the score in advance.

Liberta Per Gli Ultra

'We're slipping further back' - Brian Kerr on why an All Island League will save soccer on both sides of the border (Indo)

All-island plan could help reverse falling standards in domestic game, insists Kerr


Bit of a discrepancy between the headline and the subheading, it went from a melodramatic "save soccer" to a mundane "could help".

Brian Kerr hoping the clusterfùck compromise All-Island League can bring our clubs back to the glory days of the 2000s, when coefficients and wage bills were more to his liking.

He's not too keen on non-football people holding a majority in the FAI, but presumably he is hoping that Lucid (non-football) and the other suits in his group can magic up some short-term cash to make his personal dream come true.

joeysoap

Pundit for hire or interview, no job to small, no job to big.

Just put the money in the bag.....,......

Zebra3

Is Kerr's claim correct about the league's UEFA co-efficient falling from 29th place to (was it) 43rd?

topmanamillion

Zebra3 wrote: »

Is Kerr's claim correct about the league's UEFA co-efficient falling from 29th place to (was it) 43rd?

Ya the league took the biggest jump in UEFA rankings of any league in Europe around the early to mid 00s. Then took the as expected tumble when clubs couldn't pay the wages that took.
The good old days when SPL scouts would come over taking a look at a decent LOI player and run a mile when they found out how much his wages were here.

Gavin "shels"

howiya wrote: »

Table looks a lot healthier after the latest 1-0 installment. A lot of criticism of Saturday's performance, haven't managed to see it yet. Didn't get to see either game live due to other commitments. Thought it more prudent to watch the Harps game when I got in last night. Was a lot easier to watch knowing the score in advance.

Don't waste your time with watching Saturday's game, one of the worst games of ball I've every watched in my life and I've seen a lot!

irishmanmick

Liberta Per Gli Ultra wrote: »

Brian Kerr hoping the clusterfùck compromise All-Island League can bring our clubs back to the glory days of the 2000s, when coefficients and wage bills were more to his liking.

Would we all not like to have both the coefficients & wage bills of the 2000s back, this time, however, done in a sustainable way. Which, rightly or wrongly, Kerr is suggesting is achievable via an AIL, and the commercial value of such a venture.

Think there are some very harsh opinions on Kerr here. I don't think anyone can accuse his of not wanting the best for Irish football, whether you agree with the way he believes it could happen.

Some posters here don't want the league to change, to remain as is, which is their prerogative of course.

However, when you looked at FC Copenhagen winning tonight to set up a Qtr final clash of a major European tournament vs Man Utd, you have to wonder, why we are so far away from that.

Population of similar sizes, I'd agrue that there are far more football fans here than in Denmark. We are a sports mad country. Football in Ireland has the potential to grow massively, it just needs a shot in the arm. The AIL could be that. Maybe. Who knows.

Banjaxed82

What was the highest earner getting at the height of things?

Omackeral

irishmanmick wrote: »

Population of similar sizes, I'd agrue that there are far more football fans here than in Denmark. We are a sports mad country. Football in Ireland has the potential to grow massively, it just needs a shot in the arm. The AIL could be that. Maybe. Who knows.

We like watching football on telly, truth be told. (The football of a country we supposedly hate in football, no less). To your point, people aren't gonna burst down the gates of the Carlisle Grounds to watch Bray Wanderers against Distillery. You might get a couple of decent crowds vs Linfield but outside of that I just don't see it. The Setanta Cup tapered off after the novelty wore off.

kksaints

Banjaxed82 wrote: »

What was the highest earner getting at the height of things?

I'm not entirely sure but I do remember that we offered Joe Gamble €4,000 a week in 2008.

Ferris_Bueller

Mark Byrne that plays for Gillingham put up a tweet saying that he won't be renewing his contract and that he is coming back for a new challenge in Ireland, only aged 31 or 32, central midfielder from Dublin, wonder who he is signing for?

joeysoap

Banjaxed82 wrote: »

What was the highest earner getting at the height of things?

Wasn’t Jason Byrne on €180,000 at Shels?


Three cup 1st round matches on WATCHLOI stream