Rovers not allowed play in Tallaght this weekend

[sonofstan]

In the long run, if more of the top teams come here for pre-season training it will be good for football in this country.

bhs

Why?

.

[soccerc]

Why?

.

Edit: No point, it would be lost amongst the sanctimonious third choice opponents supporters'

[SkStu]

Isn't Madrid game going to be a big pay day for Rovers and why would anyone in their right mind risk that in a league that is crying out for money.

I don't know the facts on the money but would imagine it would be worth a decent amount to Rovers. A pay day Bohs , Cork , Derry etc would love to have upcoming.

theyre making a fixed sum of e30k. Platinum are the real winners in this debacle.

Now, what would be fun would be if Shels charged Rovers a once off special fee of e30k to rent Tolka.....

[pineapple stu]

In the long run, if more of the top teams come here for pre-season training it will be good for football in this country.

bhsWhy?
.
They were interviewing Éamon McLoughlin from Platinum One on Newstalk on Friday. He said Real had been in the same camp in Austria for the last six years and figured it was time for a change to keep from going stale. It wasn't mentioned, but I'd say Platinum would like to keep Real in Ireland for the next six years, arranging one friendly a year. At the very least, if you got a E30k injection into the league every year for the next six years, it'd benefit Irish football.


Isn't Madrid game going to be a big pay day for Rovers and why would anyone in their right mind risk that in a league that is crying out for money.
How is playing one league game going to affect whether the Real game goes ahead or not?

TBH, my first reaction was that there were builders and building equipment in putting up the stands.

[Hairy Bowsie]

The most important thing to happen on Monday will be that is absolutley buckets down rain on top of all the Premiership loving ******* attending the game. You don't get to feel the rain on a barstool.

[passinginterest]

As far as I can see it's Platinum One putting one over on the FAI. Don't forget Platinum had a grand plan for an All Ireland league, which the FAI scoffed at, they're just showing them who's boss now.

I can't see it doing SDCC's image any good with the people of Tallaght, Rovers crowds have been up about 2,000 per game on last year with the majority of those being Tallaght residents, changing a game to Tolka like this, for spurious reasons, is not going to do their popularity any good.

[Redie]

[QUOTE=pineapple stu;1193738]They were interviewing Éamon McLoughlin from Platinum One on Newstalk on Friday. He said Real had been in the same camp in Austria for the last six years and figured it was time for a change to keep from going stale. It wasn't mentioned, but I'd say Platinum would like to keep Real in Ireland for the next six years, arranging one friendly a year. At the very least, if you got a E30k injection into the league every year for the next six years, it'd benefit Irish football.


What the hell would 30 grand get you these days - it certainly wouldn't be any compensation for the sh1t we've had to listen to since that crowd landed!!!

[pineapple stu]

You reckon thirty grand for nothing isn't good for the league?

[Redie]

You reckon thirty grand for nothing isn't good for the league?

I reckon 30 grand is feck all for a club these days let alone an entire league. A decent raffle would generate 30 grand.

[pineapple stu]

Why not do both?

Seriously, what world are we living in when people think E30k is something to be sniffed at in a league where clubs are going broke left, right and centre? And that's before you look at the free publicity for Rovers and the potential for merchandise sales at the game.

(FWIW, E30k would be about 10% of our budget. If you don't want it, we'll take it)

[passinginterest]

Just got a Rovers club text there and they're running free buses from Tallagth stadium to Tolka on Saturday, that's an excellent idea I think.

[Dodge]

Just got a Rovers club text there and they're running free buses from Tallagth stadium to Tolka on Saturday, that's an excellent idea I think.

yeah, fair play

[Hairy Bowsie]

Would Sligo fans be welcome to use those buses too?

[marinobohs]

Surprised you didn't suggest walkover.

Long walk over from Tallaght to Tolka :)

[Hairy Bowsie]

(FWIW, E30k would be about 10% of our budget. If you don't want it, we'll take it)

I can see his point and yours too. No one should turn there noses up at €30k but your club isn't in the sh*ts. Bohs and Cork appear to be and what % of their budget is €30k? Very little i'd imagine

[pineapple stu]

Can see that point alright, but to suggest it's not of benefit is nonsense.

(For Cork, for example, it'd be a good chunk of the money they need for Revenue next week; add it to the rumoured Healy/Behan money and they'd be almost half way there already)

[passinginterest]

Would Sligo fans be welcome to use those buses too?

They're being run by Dublin bus, so I don't see why not, the stipulation is that you have to show a match ticket or season ticket to use them, so if they already have match tickets it shouldn't be a problem, and it may be possible to buy match tickets in Tallaght.

[Schumi]

Would Sligo fans be welcome to use those buses too?

If they ask "are you a Rovers fan?", just answer truthfully.

[Hairy Bowsie]

AFAIK Cork are only getting €58k for Healy and Behan so i wouldn't say half way there but again, i'm not 100% either so it's still all pie in the sky.

[pineapple stu]

I think they've been asked for E200k up front, with the rest in instalments. So 58k + 30K is 88k, which is where I'm getting "nearly half" from. May be wrong on that though.

Put another way, Drogheda are putting a lot of effort into a Legends weekend which may make them E30k if they're lucky; by the same logic, why bother?

[Hairy Bowsie]

Put another way, Drogheda are putting a lot of effort into a Legends weekend which may make them E30k if they're lucky; by the same logic, why bother?

Good point. I didn't know about the money up front and installments either.

[Rovers fan]

If they ask "are you a Rovers fan?", just answer truthfully.

I am, the one and only Rovers fan:)

[Redie]

Can see that point alright, but to suggest it's not of benefit is nonsense.


I'm not suggesting for a minute that anyone should turn their nose up at 30 grand, or at 30 euro for that matter - but at what price?

I for one am sick to the teeth of all this Real Madrid hype over the past week or so and the farce with the switching of tonights game is the final straw. It is a total insult to Irish soccer!!!

Shams now have to put on free buses and play their game at a different venue on a different night. How much change are they going to have out of €30k.

[pineapple stu]

I'd take a sell-out game against Real and E30k if it meant Real were talked about in the media a bit.

The change of venue is unfortunate alright, but still doesn't negate the benefits, IMO.

If Real played a friendly in Ireland every year for the next six years, it'd be good for the game.

[Mr A]

If nothing else, this should motivate Rovers to kick the living bejesus out of Real.

Has there been any comment from SDCC on this? I remain genuinely mystified as to why they would do this.

[Mad Moose]

In the SDCC release on this did they actually cite 'Health and Safety reasons' without further expansion on it. I mean despite been a Health and Safety Inspector I would never go up to somebody and say I'm making this decision on Health and Safety Grounds. Its just too vague and in fact if somebody just cited health and safety grounds I'd say they really don't know what they are talking about.

Logistically as only one stand is used for Shams home games then there should be no impact on the temporary set up for the Real Madrid game.

[Dodge]

They can have as many vague statements as they like, its nothing more than a powerplay by SDCC

Its finally hitting home with Rovers fans that they are merely tenants in the ground, and they are at the whim of the landlords

I guarentee you that they wouldn't have been shafted like this by Pats, Bohs or Shels if they were renting those grounds

[dong]

Heard the Shams Chairman on Newstalk there and he's delighted with the whole thing. Great to have a club like Real Madrid coming to play after all the struggles of the Hoops over the years.............Blah Blah blah..........finally in their "own" ground..........
It's not your ground. You have zero say in what happens there you silly man. This whole affair has made the league look unbelievably amateurish. Coming in your pants when Ronaldo and Co. come to town! I read the piece in the Irish Times this morning where Jonathon Roche said "If we'd known this we wouldn't have agreed to play Real Madrid"! It would make you cringe.:o
Nice headline to the piece too "Rovers on Move Again". What a laugh.

[Ezeikial]

I read the piece in the Irish Times this morning where Jonathon Roche said "If we'd known this we wouldn't have agreed to play Real Madrid"! It would make you cringe.:o


So, you didn't believe him then?

He is nobodies fool, and he knows the right PR things to say!

[dong]

Maybe you think so. I just see it as making two totally different comments on the issue in the one day.

[passerrby]

dont know who is responsible but platinum one must be sniggering at putting one over on the league.
Just finished reading pat dolan does this man never tire or talking sh&t

[marinobohs]

[QUOTE=Dodge;1193963]

Its finally hitting home with Rovers fans that they are merely tenants in the ground, and they are at the whim of the landlords/QUOTE]

If only ! I suspect it will be no time beforec the hoops on this forum are pontificating again about how every other club should be run.

Still think the Madrid game is good for them and the League although if figure mentioned (30K) is all they are getting then Platinum are making a major killing.

[Sheridan]

I always knew the Cosmos (http://foot.ie/showthread.php?p=502964&highlight=cosmos#post502964)were ahead of their time:


We also propose to pursue a revolutionary fixture policy, rotating league matches between a planned, compact, modern stadium in North Dublin (initial capacity 6,500) and an existing facility in South County Dublin. A small fleet of coaches (already purchased and resplendent in Cosmos livery) will ferry supporters between the two venues.

[Mr A]

Bring it back sonofstan, it was very good!

[sonofstan]

Bring it back sonofstan, it was very good!

Preaching to the converted, on reflection - and annoying myself to no end.

[eL Bettor]

What are the actual health and safety concerns or have they said?
I've read through this whole thread and nobody seems to know.
Is it simply that they dont want the game interrupting preparations for Mondays game?

[sligoman]

Is it simply that they dont want the game interrupting preparations for Mondays game?Basically, yes.

I hope the pitch gets waterlogged on Monday and the match gets called off, would be perfect for SDCC & Platinum One:).

[SkStu]

are updates on Rovers game going to be in here or in the Shels forum tonight?

[Réiteoir]

are updates on Rovers game going to be in here or in the Shels forum tonight?

In any case you'll only get 4% of any match report

[Drogman.]

They can have as many vague statements as they like, its nothing more than a powerplay by SDCC

Its finally hitting home with Rovers fans that they are merely tenants in the ground, and they are at the whim of the landlords

I guarentee you that they wouldn't have been shafted like this by Pats, Bohs or Shels if they were renting those grounds

That's true, but so what? Rovers will soon have the best stadium in the country. I wish Louth CoCo or Drogheda Bourough Co. were able to build us a stadium.

My first visit to Tallaght was near the end of May for our 1-1 game. Even though there is only 1 stand, I thought the buzz around the place was great and it looks really great with the club shop.

Whatever about the bitter Bohs fans, I for one am very jealous of not having a setup like they have.

I still hate playing against the kunts though ;)

[Dodge]

That's true, but so what? Rovers will soon have the best stadium in the country. I wish Louth CoCo or Drogheda Bourough Co. were able to build us a stadium

I've said countless times that I wish more clubs had councils as generous as SDCC, and grounds as nice as tallaght

I also wish rovers fans were a little more humble about having a ground built for them

[Sheridan]

The FAI did Rovers a massive favour by not revoking their authorisation of the friendly, as they were fully entitled and arguably required to do. SDCC would have made life impossible for Rovers if they had.

[Dunny]

Madrid training in Tallaght atm apparently.

[Drogman.]

I've said countless times that I wish more clubs had councils as generous as SDCC, and grounds as nice as tallaght

I also wish rovers fans were a little more humble about having a ground built for them

I know, I was just really responding to all those, IE. Bohs fans, who are still going on about how Rovers don't own the stadium etc....

Ah yeah, but you have to remember that most of the "new" Rovers fans probably don't know squat about the club and it's background etc..

[osborne]

The FAI did Rovers a massive favour by not revoking their authorisation of the friendly, as they were fully entitled and arguably required to do. SDCC would have made life impossible for Rovers if they had.
I think you mean the FAI did Platinum One a massive favour.

[SkStu]

That's true, but so what? Rovers will soon have the best stadium in the country. I wish Louth CoCo or Drogheda Bourough Co. were able to build us a stadium.

My first visit to Tallaght was near the end of May for our 1-1 game. Even though there is only 1 stand, I thought the buzz around the place was great and it looks really great with the club shop.

Whatever about the bitter Bohs fans, I for one am very jealous of not having a setup like they have.

I still hate playing against the kunts though ;)

what the hell do we have to be bitter about when it comes to Rovers???? At most we've lost a song from our repertoire and thats about it. The posts are just a jibe at our rivals dont be getting so offended on their behalf, theyre well capable of that themselves...

And really Drogman, they dont own their ground and that much is obvious now surely.

[dfx-]

In any case you'll only get 4% of any match report

Definitely below 65% anyway


Madrid training in Tallaght atm apparently.

By all accounts :mad: Hope they got out safely...

[Hairy Bowsie]

Reality sets in. 20 odd years waiting on a new ground, only to be turfed out at the first sight of anything even slightly more, high profile.

Hope it was worth the wait lads :)

[sonofstan]

Once upon a time, Real Madrid and Shamrock Rovers were the same kind of thing: football clubs - sure, Real were always many times 'bigger' in terms of gates, quality of players and success, but still: each was a club made up of predominantly local players playing in front of fans almost exclusively from their own city. And, just as football is a simple game and played much the same way everywhere, so its form of competitive organisation and its social function are -or were - similar across the large part of the world in which it was the favoured game of the urban working class. There were leagues, and there were cups, organised on a national level, and the former is always the more prestigious, but the latter provides a way to compensate for failure in the former.

More importantly, being a football fan, and the whole set of cultural practices that went with it, evolved in a remarkably short space of time (say 1890 -1930) in most of Europe and south America, a little later in Africa and barely at all in most of Asia or North America or Australia (outside Melbourne). It was played at the weekend, when workers were off work, it was played weekly, and being a fan required going to all or most home matches, knowing the players well, and knowing the history and traditions of the club you followed. You generally didn't have much choice as to who you supported: family, work, religion, political affiliations all played their part, but locality was by far the most important determinant of who you followed.

Like I say, this was as true in Milltown or in Phibsboro' as it was in Madrid, Prague, Buenos Aries or Athens - and in all those cases it mattered deeply that you were 'one' or the 'other'. Paradoxically, perhaps, this intense localism was also a kind of universal: a transplanted fan from one of those listed cities would find it fairly easy to slot into the culture of another just as soon as he decided what side he was on, and allowed himself to be consumed with hatred for the other. The organisation of the game, the whole point of going to matches would be immediately apparent. In an odd way, it mirrored the fact that 'working class' skills were generally pretty mobile - being a plumber in Munich wasn't that different to being one in Birmingham. However, though a universal, the specifics of football fan-dom remain stubbornly opaque to outsiders.

One thing that is central to the experience of football though, is competition - you want to win things, and only competitive matches matter. A dull 0-0 draw that wins you the league on goal difference will be a more treasured memory than a cultured, but meaningless victory in a friendly - or a league cup game.

winning mattered financially to a club because it brought in bigger crowds, because it brought prize money and because it attracted better players from outside the locality. Other sources of income - souvenirs, shirts, sponsership were, until well into the 80s relatively minor streams even for really big clubs.....

That was then: now, Real, and even more so, Man U and the other three of the big four in the prem. are 'brands'. Income from prize money and from gates is dwarfed by revenue from TV and merchandise, and business practice reflects this. A huge and growing portion of the income of such clubs comes from way outside their catchment areas, but since a lot of Londoners still wouldn't support a Manc team, and no catalan would ever support Real, they have to look well beyond their native shores. Crucially, the relationship of a Man U fan in Kuala Lumper to the team is completely to different that of man U fan from Withenshawe: whereas the latter could, once at any rate, talk about 'us' and mean the club including him, his mates, the players and the manager, and not be completely deluded, the fan in KL is a 'fan' the way one could be a Michael Jackson fan or a U2 fan: there is no 'us', there is just a product to be consumed. And, with that kind of relationship, the summer tour becomes the equivalent of a gig - an 'in person' appearance, with the local opposition as something about as important as the support band on a stadium show. For that kind of fan, the continuity, the intensity of a long campaign is replaced by the glamour of a short- lived, intense celebrity crack hit.

The universalism of football fandom where the same social practices were accompanied by intensely local peculiarities and histories has been replaced by a globalised model, where the same product, that belongs everywhere and nowhere, slowly extinguishes the indigenous one.

Of course, even big clubs still have to win things to stay big: but, in a model familiar from late capitalism, the game gets distorted more and more to favour the giganticism of success - huge Wall St./ City of London salaries did not just accidentally coincide with huge wodge for footballers. And, because these are now, comparatively big corporations, future success must be at least reasonably assured: so leagues become less competitive as the rewards for winning become disproportionate and the cost of challenging the big boys impossible - and, most crucially, European competitions are tilted hugely in favour of the big leagues and the big clubs: so, whereas once, Rovers and Real could reasonably hope to meet competitively, this possibility has been all but removed.

And so we end up, logically, inevitably, at a situation where SRFC find themselves playing a league game that really matters because, for the first time in long while they are possible challengers for the title away from their new home because an event in which they have a bit part, and for which they are being paid - what? - less than 10% of the gate, is more 'important': important to who?

[brianw82]

Great post, but nothing any of us didn't already know, to be honest.