Soccer Republic

**jinxy lilywhite** · 13/08/2015, 9:02 PM

Dublin media bias?

**osarusan** · 17/08/2015, 10:52 PM

Towell looks like a very lucky boy from those highlights.

**Spudulika** · 18/08/2015, 7:07 AM

Flicked on the RTE site when I landed in the office, saw the video, dreadful petulant behaviour. It would be a great sign if the club were to suspend him for 2 games (okay, a game) to take a lead on how NOT to play the game. I don't think he can be banned retroactively and I doubt the FAI will do a GAA on it (by laying down a standard), so an internal club discipline for bringing the club/game into disrepute would be a real marker.

**seand** · 18/08/2015, 7:56 AM

Originally Posted by Spudulika

Flicked on the RTE site when I landed in the office, saw the video, dreadful petulant behaviour. It would be a great sign if the club were to suspend him for 2 games (okay, a game) to take a lead on how NOT to play the game. I don't think he can be banned retroactively and I doubt the FAI will do a GAA on it (by laying down a standard), so an internal club discipline for bringing the club/game into disrepute would be a real marker.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest that Dundalk will indeed follow the lead of all those other clubs who volutarily suspend their own players for on-field misdemeanours.

**Spudulika** · 18/08/2015, 8:52 AM

Originally Posted by seand

I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest that Dundalk will indeed follow the lead of all those other clubs who volutarily suspend their own players for on-field misdemeanours.

This is where the game is steeped in shame. We whinge about diving, about cheating, about refs, about everything. Last night it was embarrassing at times watching the RTE coverage when Stephen Beattie came onto the ball. The 2nd chant of "Stephen Beattie is a w......" was magnified by George and Brian staying absolutely silent. Far worse goes on in other leagues, yet isn't as audible. I'm not against idiotic chants, but it hammers the efforts made by clubs to gets euros in (tickets, sponsors). And what a mega media coup it'd be for Dundalk to take a principled stand and say "It could have been worse, Richie knows it was stupid and he's accepted the game ban." It would stand Dundalk and the LOI far above the scumbaggery of Tyrone and their "everybody hates us" excuses.

**nigel-harps1954** · 18/08/2015, 9:03 AM

Totally with Spudulika on this one. It was pretty awful having such audible rubbish coming from the stands towards Beattie at times during the live game last night. I know, part and parcel of supporting football, but as Spud says, when trying to attract a new audience to the league, and promoting a family friendly area, this is not the sort of thing we need.

As for Towell, for Dundalk to come out and issue a ban themselves and a short statement encouraging proper sportsmanship (sticking two fingers up to the GAA) would be great publicity and set a proper precedent for the league as a whole. They only have to say something along the lines of "Richie realises what he done was wrong in the heat of the moment, apologies and regrets his actions. He pledges further to encourage proper sportsmanship amongst his fellow professionals and team-mates".

This would be a proper proud moment for the League of Ireland in my opinion if it were to happen.

**White Horse** · 18/08/2015, 9:20 AM

Originally Posted by Spudulika

And what a mega media coup it'd be for Dundalk to take a principled stand and say "It could have been worse, Richie knows it was stupid and he's accepted the game ban." It would stand Dundalk and the LOI far above the scumbaggery of Tyrone and their "everybody hates us" excuses.

Would it though? Let's say he apologises (which he should) and Dundalk leave him out of the next game. Would that satisfy everyone? Not at all. The attention would then turn to the number of games.

This is not the way to handle disciplinary issues. The ref was beside the incident and linesman was a couple of feet away. I was sitting four tiers from the top of the stand on the opposite side of the pitch and I saw the kick as clear as day. Officials have to get basic decisions right. Why did the ref give him a yellow? I heard some rubbish that it was due to an altercation with Forrester, but Towell just walked backwards as Forrester pushed him, so the yellow wasn't for that.

**colonelwest** · 18/08/2015, 9:22 AM

All this talk of martyrdom & Dundalk suspending him themselves, if it was one of your own players and your club I highly doubt you'd be saying the same thing Spud. He should have gone, the ref booked him and dealt with it (whether he dealt with it rightly is another matter).

Over the years how many players have got away with scything someone down or stitching someone a loaf or getting a yellow when they should have walked?

As to the chants, it's a football game, not a game of bridge down the rotary club. We've all heard plenty worse and if calling someone a ****** in a chant is all we have to worry about hearing about at a match we're doing ok. RTE obviously just can't be arsed mixing the audio on the broadcast, they could have just turned it down when that was being chanted.

**eelmonster** · 18/08/2015, 9:23 AM

Yeah, we're definitely going to voluntarily suspend the best player in the league for a match in the run in to possibly winning an historic back-to-back league title. It was a reckless, rash and totally out of character moment of petulance, but hardly the worst I've seen or seen players get away with. The self-righteous, hypocritical pontificating is hilarious though.

**White Horse** · 18/08/2015, 9:27 AM

Originally Posted by eelmonster

Yeah, we're definitely going to voluntarily suspend the best player in the league for a match in the run in to possibly winning an historic back-to-back league title. It was a reckless, rash and totally out of character moment of petulance, but hardly the worst I've seen or seen players get away with. The self-righteous, hypocritical pontificating is hilarious though.

In the same game last season, Dave McMillan was sent off after Derek Foran feigned a punch to his face. McMillan ended up serving a three match ban when Hoban was out injured.

No-one from Pats or any other club chasing Dundalk were up in arms about that wrong decision.

**PartySaint** · 18/08/2015, 9:35 AM

No other club in the world would suspend their player for it so there is no reason why Dundalk should.

If McGrath had of kicked Towell in the face and broke his nose Dundalk fans would be up in arms demanding Pats were kicked out of the league but it's the other way around so Pats fans are up in arms and Dundalk fans defending their player. Unfortunately that's the world of fickle football fans.

**seand** · 18/08/2015, 9:56 AM

Originally Posted by PartySaint

No other club in the world would suspend their player for it so there is no reason why Dundalk should.

If McGrath had of kicked Towell in the face and broke his nose Dundalk fans would be up in arms demanding Pats were kicked out of the league but it's the other way around so Pats fans are up in arms and Dundalk fans defending their player. Unfortunately that's the world of fickle football fans.

I haven't seen any Dundalk fans defending Towell, to be fair.

**Hulsey** · 18/08/2015, 9:57 AM

Absolutely no excuse for that kind of act, obviously dundalk aren't going to suspend him but a public dressing down and a fine wouldn't go amiss. He's currently the poster boy for the league (well excluding Duff) so allowing this to go unpunished sends out a very bad message

**White Horse** · 18/08/2015, 9:58 AM

Originally Posted by seand

I haven't seen any Dundalk fans defending Towell, to be fair.

I've seen some embarrassing stuff on gutter social media.

**Dunny** · 18/08/2015, 10:08 AM

Originally Posted by White Horse

I've seen some embarrassing stuff on gutter social media.

Aye,from both and all sides,and some people with huge fecking social media egos leading the lines!! Some people need to cop themselves on.

**oriel** · 18/08/2015, 10:19 AM

Originally Posted by PartySaint

No other club in the world would suspend their player for it so there is no reason why Dundalk should.

If McGrath had of kicked Towell in the face and broke his nose Dundalk fans would be up in arms demanding Pats were kicked out of the league but it's the other way around so Pats fans are up in arms and Dundalk fans defending their player. Unfortunately that's the world of fickle football fans.

I agree, haven't seen any either, for me it should have been a straight red for Towell. Simple as.

**Spudulika** · 18/08/2015, 10:22 AM

Originally Posted by colonelwest

All this talk of martyrdom & Dundalk suspending him themselves, if it was one of your own players and your club I highly doubt you'd be saying the same thing Spud. He should have gone, the ref booked him and dealt with it (whether he dealt with it rightly is another matter).

Over the years how many players have got away with scything someone down or stitching someone a loaf or getting a yellow when they should have walked?

As to the chants, it's a football game, not a game of bridge down the rotary club. We've all heard plenty worse and if calling someone a ****** in a chant is all we have to worry about hearing about at a match we're doing ok. RTE obviously just can't be arsed mixing the audio on the broadcast, they could have just turned it down when that was being chanted.

It is my club that I've supported since birth (according to my Uncle last week). I made the pilgrimage up twice when I was home and am not a Pollyanna. We can use all the Whaboutery we want, just like Tyrone or Meath or the GAA apologists who claim that what goes on in other codes is worse. Richie is a decent lad, but that was nasty last night and yes he got a yellow but it should have been red. This is not pontificating, simply fair play. I've worked long enough in sports to see how this works and how a bit of decency never goes astray. Nothing Dundalk do will be enough and the country doesn't give a flying flip anyway - it's only a minority sport after all, but with all the gains Dundalk made this Summer to show how class the club is, this would be (from a simple PR standpoint) Gold! And maybe, just maybe, we could create a league that stands apart from the dross over the water.

Of course nothing will happen because it's the LOI (part of the FAI "family') and it's every dog for itself.

Anyway, we are the champions in waiting.

**Spudulika** · 18/08/2015, 10:23 AM

Originally Posted by oriel

I agree, haven't seen any either, for me it should have been a straight red for Towell. Simple as.

PS is correct that fans are fickle, but anyone I've heard from at home today has been disappointed to disgusted.

**wedwood** · 18/08/2015, 10:36 AM

Towell, deserves a suspension for that, but so does the referee for his home town decision last night where he bottled it by only issuing a yellow when he clearly saw Towell kicking the Pats player in the face.

**White Horse** · 18/08/2015, 10:44 AM

Originally Posted by Spudulika

Nothing Dundalk do will be enough and the country doesn't give a flying flip anyway - it's only a minority sport after all..

The most important audience Dundalk need to address is not the media or supporters, it is the local kids who worship Richie Towell.

People outside the area don't realise how big of heroes these Dundalk players to the young people. In my opinion, Richie should make it clear to these kids that he was wrong and that what he did has no place on any pitch.