Shamrock Rovers v Liverpool

**desaintsno.12** · 28/03/2014, 10:23 AM

As a Pats fan i'm definitely ****ed off we werent asked (as league champions)

**wonder88** · 28/03/2014, 11:11 AM

I am glad the Europa League sold out. It would be very nice to have it back again, did anyone on this forum go to it? I am a little surprised, with greater tv and internet access, that more Irish soccer fans do not follow some of the other European Leagues apart from England and a bit of Scottish Football. Two teams from Portugal were in the final then, and AVB was manager of one of them, their fans were very colourful around the city center as well. Strange time to be in Dublin with traffic blocked off etc. Also I noticed out by the airport there was loads of photographers on the road beside it the day before. If this was to do with the soccer final it must have given Ireland greater exposure/media coverage than the visit of Queen of England and Obama (forgot about him), but maybe I am wrong on this.

**Boots9** · 28/03/2014, 11:16 AM

Originally Posted by desaintsno.12

As a Pats fan i'm definitely ****ed off we werent asked (as league champions)

Warrior have organised this match.

They weren't gonna just invited any team from Ireland to play this, even the league champions. They wanted a team who are also sponsored by Warrior so that every player the public see's in Lansdowne Road that day will be showing off the Warrior badge.

**Dodge** · 28/03/2014, 11:19 AM

Warrior did not organise this game.

**Boots9** · 28/03/2014, 11:32 AM

Originally Posted by Dodge

Warrior did not organise this game.

Is that all?

Do you just not want to believe it or do you want to share some information on what was the reasoning behind choosing the 2 teams involved?

**passinginterest** · 28/03/2014, 11:52 AM

Originally Posted by wonder88

I am glad the Europa League sold out. It would be very nice to have it back again, did anyone on this forum go to it? I am a little surprised, with greater tv and internet access, that more Irish soccer fans do not follow some of the other European Leagues apart from England and a bit of Scottish Football. Two teams from Portugal were in the final then, and AVB was manager of one of them, their fans were very colourful around the city center as well. Strange time to be in Dublin with traffic blocked off etc. Also I noticed out by the airport there was loads of photographers on the road beside it the day before. If this was to do with the soccer final it must have given Ireland greater exposure/media coverage than the visit of Queen of England and Obama (forgot about him), but maybe I am wrong on this.

I was at the Europa league final, picked up a couple of free tickets and thoroughly enjoyed it. There seemed to be an awful lot of free tickets floating around and it would have been easy to get a ticket on the day even if it was officially sold out.

Despite having an interest in following Rovers and Liverpool this friendly game is not really appealing to me at all. A ten year old me would have driven my parents mad wanting to go and see Liverpool. These days all I can see is Rovers B playing Liverpool's disinterested reserve side and I've got better things to do with €30.

**Dodge** · 28/03/2014, 11:56 AM

Originally Posted by Boots9

Is that all?

Do you just not want to believe it or do you want to share some information on what was the reasoning behind choosing the 2 teams involved?

There's nothing to believe. Good luck to Rovers and fair play to them for playing their part in organising it.

**Nah Nah Nah Nah** · 28/03/2014, 12:18 PM

If Warrior arranged it wouldn't you think that they would have been shouting from the rooftops about it? They haven't been mentioned in any of the press releases that I've seen

**Charlie Darwin** · 28/03/2014, 1:14 PM

Originally Posted by desaintsno.12

As a Pats fan i'm definitely ****ed off we werent asked (as league champions)

You're ****ed off that your status as league champions wasn't recognised by being invited to play in a meaningless mid-season friendly between two B teams? It's a commercial fixture designed to make money and the organisers invited the two teams they felt would best achieve that. It sounds like Rovers were also pro-active in making sure they were one of the clubs.

**Dodge** · 28/03/2014, 1:45 PM

What I think happened is that Rovers approached the FAI to see about availability of Lansdowne if they could arrange a high profile frinedly. FAI say "funny you should ask, we had great success with Liverpool last year and were thinking of bring them back. Do you want to come in and we'll give you €x and we'll take the rest?"

Rovers get their few bob hassle free (and great PR) and FAI get another few quid to pay off the Lansdowne debt. Liverpool get their shed laod of cash so all 3 delighted with themselves

**Charlie Darwin** · 28/03/2014, 1:49 PM

You discounted Warrior being involved earlier but even if they didn't organise it (I've never heard of a kit sponsor putting on a game in Ireland) they did help to grease the wheels and make sure both their kits were on display.

**PartySaint** · 30/03/2014, 9:31 AM

Originally Posted by wonder88

I am glad the Europa League sold out. It would be very nice to have it back again, did anyone on this forum go to it? I am a little surprised, with greater tv and internet access, that more Irish soccer fans do not follow some of the other European Leagues apart from England and a bit of Scottish Football. Two teams from Portugal were in the final then, and AVB was manager of one of them, their fans were very colourful around the city center as well. Strange time to be in Dublin with traffic blocked off etc. Also I noticed out by the airport there was loads of photographers on the road beside it the day before. If this was to do with the soccer final it must have given Ireland greater exposure/media coverage than the visit of Queen of England and Obama (forgot about him), but maybe I am wrong on this.

I went to it, got tickets the day of the game. Although the match itself wasn't great it was a great occasion to have in Dublin, enjoyable day.

**Neish** · 31/03/2014, 7:49 AM

Originally Posted by Nah Nah Nah Nah

If Warrior arranged it wouldn't you think that they would have been shouting from the rooftops about it? They haven't been mentioned in any of the press releases that I've seen

Check out Warrior Ireland's facebook page it all over it.

**Dodge** · 31/03/2014, 9:49 AM

Originally Posted by Neish

Check out Warrior Ireland's facebook page it all over it.

Warrior Ireland is John Courtney. He's a Rovers man

As I said, Warrior had nothing to do with organising it but I'd fully expect them to promote it. Why wouldn't they?

**ThePrisoner** · 01/04/2014, 2:17 PM

Just reading in today's Indo that Shams are to collect over €100k for this gig. http://www.independent.ie/sport/socc...-30143084.html

Can anyone explain, from my perspective at least, why Shams are getting preferential treatment from the FAI? Do the FAI not have a duty to the other Clubs to act in a fair and transparent manner? Level playing pitch, etc. - pun intended.

I for one would certainly give serious consideration to supporting the other Clubs if they refused to play both Shams' teams. A drastic and unprecedented measure but given that the FAI are in effect financing Shams why should the other Clubs just accept it?

**Dalymountrower** · 02/04/2014, 3:10 PM

Get over it. Rovers have always had preferential treatment from the FAI and from the establishment ( Media, revenue, politicians etc). Similar to certain favoured clubs in other countries, i.e.Linfield, Munich, R. Madrid, PSG. The difference being that the latter clubs win their major domestic trophies on a regular basis.

**wonder88** · 02/04/2014, 4:00 PM

I am not sure it was always Shamrock R who got special treatment; I remember Roddy Collins saying in his newspaper column a few years ago that Bohs were getting certain advantages when the money from Zurich Bank and the property developers was wining LoI titles for them. Everyone likes a winner so decisions from refs, blind eye turned to certain rule infringements often happen. The big Dublin clubs (whoever they may be at the time) also benefit, which again in natural. Other clubs just have to try harder and when it is blatant highlight it and fight it. There is a cost of fielding a B team this year for Rovers so this friendly income should go and cover that. We couldn't have a 7 team First Division.
But sometimes picking winners is not that easy and Fran Gavin and the FAI may get it wrong, which is why it would be better to have the clubs themselves in charge of running the league, rather than the FAI. Then there would be less chance of blatant unfairness happening.

**ThePrisoner** · 02/04/2014, 4:39 PM

Whatever deal Bohs did with Zurich Bank is between themselves and Zurich. Yes, they got money and won titles, but they are now paying the price with Dalymount Park mortgaged to the hilt and heavily in debt.

The FAI are not a commercial bank. They are the governing body. They should be, and be seen to be, independent.

In relation to the B team, that is a reflection on the FAI in that they could not get a new member.

**Charlie Darwin** · 02/04/2014, 8:10 PM

Nobody knows the exact circumstances of how the friendly came about and what how extensive a role the FAI had in its organisation so it's a bit much to be alleging favouritism.