Promoting Irish football

[marinobohs]

I know there is another thread on The game in croker but dealing with a different point to the one I wish to highlight.

With 73,000 + footie fans in Croker on Saturday night for a high profile football game, this was surely, a fabulous oppurtunity for the FAI to "sell" the domestic game.

Only a week before a team based only a goal kick from Croker had sealed the League of Ireland title. The fact that there was not as much as a "congratulations" announcement over the PA shows how little the Abbotstown muppets care about this league.

At "Oirland" international games in the past we have had swimmers/boxers runners etc all presented to the crowd at half time yet it did not occur to the idiots to take one or two minutes to profile our own league Champions. Was there even a mention of the forthcoming FAI Cup final ?
The FAI sole "commitment" to the league at International games appears to be a phoney presentation to some never-was Rovers player from the '50s. Perhaps in 2075 we will see some recognition of todays players.

It is clear that Trap is not the only FAI employee who thinks there is no League in Ireland.

[Titan]

I think theres some stipulation from the GAAAAAH heads that they cant promote the loi at croker (No really I'm not making it up).

Also 73,000 soccer fans? you think? more like 23,000 real* soccer fans and 50,000 bandwagon jumping turds.

* by real I mean those who actively support a loi team or even an english/scottish team by attending their matches as well. It would also include those involved with junior/schoolboy football but not people with beards or monocles

[marinobohs]

I think theres some stipulation from the GAAAAAH heads that they cant promote the loi at croker (No really I'm not making it up).

Also 73,000 soccer fans? you think? more like 23,000 real* soccer fans and 50,000 bandwagon jumping turds.

* by real I mean those who actively support a loi team or even an english/scottish team by attending their matches as well. It would also include those involved with junior/schoolboy football but not people with beards or monocles

Sounds bizarre enough to be true :) although would that not prohibit the presentation to former players ? if only 23,000 of saturdays crowd were real fans but sadly think the day trippers/event junkies number was higher.

[The Betting Man]

I think theres some stipulation from the GAAAAAH heads that they cant promote the loi at croker (No really I'm not making it up).



Ive seen advertising inside the ground saying that mns rte2 8pm at some of the games

[MariborKev]

We were told by FAI officials that the FAI are not allowed to show LOI highlights on the big screen(plenty of other forum posters heard this as well)

The Cup final featured in the programme.

[eamo1]

I had thought one stipulation was that hurling and Gaelic would be advertised during halftime at football and rugby games but any Ireland game ive been to theres been no sign of it.So it must be that stipluation you mentioned thats there now.I dont get programes so i dont know do they advertise the LOI in the match program for Ireland games.
ALL of the 75,000 Irish ppl there have no excuse for not knowing about the LOI anyway.

[Splurge]

In fairness you dont see the English FA parading Man Utd around wembley before games in May do you?

[BohDiddley]

I think theres some stipulation from the GAAAAAH heads that they cant promote the loi at croker (No really I'm not making it up).
You've got to be kidding. Is this really true, and where can it be substantiated?

[Straightstory]

So relieved that we'll never have to go near Archbishop Croke Park again.

[Jofspring]

In fairness you dont see the English FA parading Man Utd around wembley before games in May do you?

Well i think thats because LOI teams need it a lot more than the likes of Manchester Untied do. We need more LOI fans wearing their club colours to matches and putting up more clubs flags etc..... You see plenty of England flags with Man United, Liverpool, Everton, Arsenal, Villa and so on splashed on them all over the ground when England play. If no one else will advertise the clubs then maybe the fans should start doing it a bit more at games. Show the rest of the country that some people actually do care about our own league.

[Magicme]

I always wear something with Monaghan United on it to all games, usually one of my jackets.

[jebus]

They could send out lap dancers initially wearing LoI jerseys at half time and people who don't already care wouldn't give a jolt

[Riddickcule]

Subliminal advertising is what we need....

[galwayjames]

Wear your clubs jersey when around town or jacket/coat in winter

[phillaldinho]

Just because people show up doesn't mean that they're automatically interested in football- plenty are there for the big night out (as when the Dubs played a league game under lights) and wouldn't dream of going to Dalymount Park.

That said, there are a lot of people who support English clubs who have an interest in the game that goes beyond the once-every-two-years crowd that was out on Saturday, but I'd suspect the only way to get to them is through the channels they already know, such as Sky and the red-tops.

[rebus2008]

I think theres some stipulation from the GAAAAAH heads that they cant promote the loi at croker (No really I'm not making it up).



So you're suggesting that gaaah (and as was right to do) opened up croker park to the likes of Brian O'Driscoll and Shay Given but insisted during negotiations with fai, that glen crowe & co strolling around in front of 72,000 mainly uninterested fans would be bridge too far.

The reality is that it didn't occur to gaa or fai during any negotiations that loi was relevant to croke park. LOI and large attendance stadia don't live in same world.

The reality is that fai probably didn't think of the idea or maybe they did but discounted as irrelevant.

People bitched about gaaah when berties meddling delayed the correct decision to open access for few years.
People bitched when it was open saying a suitable atmosphere couldn't be generated. Italy/Frace matches have proven that stadium (as is shown every sept) can have great atmosphere when it is full with supporters who can be arsed getting involved.
People bitch about the wait in getting out of croker back to home..assuming it can be paid for. I fear that future will show that Aviva was another folly of the celtic tiger...too small for one co-owner and too expensive for the other

Were the loi champs ever been pararded in the old landsdowne?
Maybe it would be more constructive to focus on the possibility of seeing if fai could show LOI highlights during half times of intl matches when aviva opens than excessive paranoia about what the gaaahh might be doing out of fear of the LOI.

[Dillonman]

Wear your clubs jersey when around town or jacket/coat in winter

You cant do that, I was in Scotch Hall with my girlfriend(who is a Drog) wearing my Dundalk jersey and two wee ****es called me everything they could think off, they even went as far as insulting my girlfriend so I let one of them have it and by god he wont be calling any Dundalk people names any more!

[Acornvilla]

one of those told me i was gay and i had aids and loads of crap for no reason in gamestop last week so i told him i hope he dies.. got the point across well i think:cool:
was i wrong to say that?

[MariborKev]

You've got to be kidding. Is this really true, and where can it be substantiated?

It was at an open Q&A session in Abbotstown. Question surrounded using the big screens to show "Goal of the month" from the LOI or the like. Answer was the contract with the GAA stipulates that the screens can't be used to promote football.

I would say at least half a dozen posters from here were present when the statement was made.

[galwayjames]

You cant do that, I was in Scotch Hall with my girlfriend(who is a Drog) wearing my Dundalk jersey and two wee ****es called me everything they could think off, they even went as far as insulting my girlfriend so I let one of them have it and by god he wont be calling any Dundalk people names any more!

I'm not surprised considering Scotch Hall is in Drogheda! That's like going around St John's in a Man U jersey.

[Dillonman]

But yet no abuse is shipped by town heads to the good few Drogs who wear their jerseys around DKIT! Same goes with everyone who wears their colours around Dublin, feck all happens there.

My point is merely to the post of wearing your colours more often, you simply cant. Whereas in GAA its a completly different ball game when you wear your, for example Dublin coulours in Cork, nothing said(sorry for bringing up the GAA)

[stamullendrog]

had me drogheda hoodie on the other night mainly because tis the warmest top i own and i got this really filthy look off a lad in a pub, because the hoodies light blue, till he seen the crest on.seen one guy in croker a few rows back in a shamrock rovers jacket apart from me and him i didnt see any other LOI clothing being worn

[gufcfan]

In fairness you dont see the English FA parading Man Utd around wembley before games in May do you?
That's not comparing like with like...

[Colbert Report]

I'd pay good money to watch the senior Irish team play any other country.

You couldn't pay me one hundred euro to go out and watch the two best LOI teams compete in the title-deciding match. Sorry lads but I'm just not interested. Instead of trying to sell your league to people that aren't interested in buying, you should concentrate on improving your own league first and then let the fans come to you.

[Nedser]

You couldn't pay me one hundred euro to go out and watch the two best LOI teams compete in the title-deciding match. Sorry lads but I'm just not interested.

Yet you've taken the time to read and reply to a thread discussing the promotion of the LOI? Either this is a WUM or someone with so little to occupy himself that he resorts to reading internet forums dedicated to subjects that he has absolutely no interest in. I'm undecided about which it is to be honest.

Unfortunately, whatever the motivations of this poster, there are a lot of people who think like this. They will never understand that being a true football fan means your support is not conditional on your team being of a certain standard. They will never understand that the only way Irish football can seriously improve is if domestic attendances improve. They will never understand that saying things like "you should concentrate on improving your own league first and then let the fans come to you" is just buck-passing by people whose failure to support the domestic game is the root cause of the problem. They will never understand that the EPL didn't establish itself as the league it is before the clubs started attracting huge numbers of fans.

Anyway, leaving aside people of that ilk (as there's really no point in worrying about them) ........ In a crowd of over 70,000, it's fair to assume that there are also some people who occasionally but not regularly turn up at LOI games, or who used to go but don't any more, or who have never been but might give it a go with some persuasion. Marketing the LOI to those people makes a lot of sense.

If it riles a few people who are so uninterested in the LOI that they feel the need to come on to an LOI forum and tell us about it, then so much the better.

[bennocelt]

I'd pay good money to watch the senior Irish team play any other country.

You couldn't pay me one hundred euro to go out and watch the two best LOI teams compete in the title-deciding match. Sorry lads but I'm just not interested. Instead of trying to sell your league to people that aren't interested in buying, you should concentrate on improving your own league first and then let the fans come to you.

So I presume you follow the local leagues in canada then?
if not, you are a glory hunter, and not a passionate fan of the beautiful game
Stick to rugby or gah please

[osarusan]

I'd pay good money to watch the senior Irish team play any other country.

You couldn't pay me one hundred euro to go out and watch the two best LOI teams compete in the title-deciding match. Sorry lads but I'm just not interested. Instead of trying to sell your league to people that aren't interested in buying, you should concentrate on improving your own league first and then let the fans come to you.
To what level would we need to improve before you would be interested in watching a game?

[Acornvilla]

he wouldnt know he hasnt watched a match:rolleyes:

[marinobohs]

I'd pay good money to watch the senior Irish team play any other country.

You couldn't pay me one hundred euro to go out and watch the two best LOI teams compete in the title-deciding match. Sorry lads but I'm just not interested. Instead of trying to sell your league to people that aren't interested in buying, you should concentrate on improving your own league first and then let the fans come to you.

As I said an unfortunately high number of day trippers in croke park (if he even made it that far).
football fans watch football at any level, often just out of interest. Anyone who says they could not be paid to watch a game between the two best teams in this country is not a football fan, end of.;) sorry pal, but you are on the wrong forum.

[BohDiddley]

I'd pay good money to watch the senior Irish team play any other country.

You couldn't pay me one hundred euro to go out and watch the two best LOI teams compete in the title-deciding match. Sorry lads but I'm just not interested. Instead of trying to sell your league to people that aren't interested in buying, you should concentrate on improving your own league first and then let the fans come to you.
A lover of spectacle, and a hater of football.

[Jofspring]

Its funny how peope seem to think just cause they watch a match that has players that are regularly on telly or in the papers that somehow it has to be a more entertaining match than a LOI game no matter how ****e the match really is.

[Hairy Bowsie]

Its funny how peope seem to think just cause they watch a match that has players that are regularly on telly or in the papers that somehow it has to be a more entertaining match than a LOI game no matter how ****e the match really is.

Correct. Thats what Sky Sports have brought to the footballing table. Andy Gray constantly telling you the Premiership is the best league in the world (probably is too) but how many people repeat it without ever watching a La Liga game? For me the great thing about football is that it is enjoyable at any level. One of the best and most enjoyable games i've ever seen was played last year, in Ringsend park by to LSL sides, just as the one of the Champions League finals of recent years was dour and horrible to watch and one of the worst games i've seen.

[ndrog]

But yet no abuse is shipped by town heads to the good few Drogs who wear their jerseys around DKIT! Same goes with everyone who wears their colours around Dublin, feck all happens there.

My point is merely to the post of wearing your colours more often, you simply cant. Whereas in GAA its a completly different ball game when you wear your, for example Dublin coulours in Cork, nothing said(sorry for bringing up the GAA)

Thats really sad dillon ! there are some idiots around allright .If i see someone in Drogheda in Dundalk gear i can relate to them and would much rather see them than the celtic , man u etc people who there are many off . Same goes for me when i visit Dundalk though , had stickers ripped off me car and spits all over the windows etc . No doubt by young scumbags :confused: Wouldnt go around pubs at night in me Drogs jersy . No chance ...

[Dillonman]

Thats really sad dillon ! there are some idiots around allright .If i see someone in Drogheda in Dundalk gear i can relate to them and would much rather see them than the celtic , man u etc people who there are many off . Same goes for me when i visit Dundalk though , had stickers ripped off me car and spits all over the windows etc . No doubt by young scumbags :confused: Wouldnt go around pubs at night in me Drogs jersy . No chance ...

My god, I'v used an example to correspond to the comment left about wearing your coulours more often to promote both your club and league, and what Im simply saying is that you cant or this sort of crap goes on!

[ndrog]

You do realise that im completely agreeing with you and not having a go whatsoever :eek:

[Dillonman]

You do realise that im completely agreeing with you and not having a go whatsoever :eek:

Well that first line of your responce was pretty iffy in terms of sarcasm so didnt really know what to think!

[HulaHoop]

So you're suggesting that gaaah (and as was right to do) opened up croker park to the likes of Brian O'Driscoll and Shay Given but insisted during negotiations with fai, that glen crowe & co strolling around in front of 72,000 mainly uninterested fans would be bridge too far.

The reality is that it didn't occur to gaa or fai during any negotiations that loi was relevant to croke park. LOI and large attendance stadia don't live in same world.

The reality is that fai probably didn't think of the idea or maybe they did but discounted as irrelevant.

People bitched about gaaah when berties meddling delayed the correct decision to open access for few years.
People bitched when it was open saying a suitable atmosphere couldn't be generated. Italy/Frace matches have proven that stadium (as is shown every sept) can have great atmosphere when it is full with supporters who can be arsed getting involved.
People bitch about the wait in getting out of croker back to home..assuming it can be paid for. I fear that future will show that Aviva was another folly of the celtic tiger...too small for one co-owner and too expensive for the other

Were the loi champs ever been pararded in the old landsdowne?
Maybe it would be more constructive to focus on the possibility of seeing if fai could show LOI highlights during half times of intl matches when aviva opens than excessive paranoia about what the gaaahh might be doing out of fear of the LOI.

I'm sorry but you are wrong. Under the contract between the FAI and the GAA for the use of Croke Park, the FAI are precluded from promoting the game of association football within the confines of Croke Park. This was a stipulation the GAA insisted on during negotiations.

[Colbert Report]

Sorry if I come across as a wind-up artist. I'm being serious. The top leagues here in Canada are total rubbish, so I have no interest in watching them unless I know someone off of one of the top teams, which I usually do. Any LOI club would come out here and destroy all the top teams. Unfortunately, the same can be said for English vs. Irish football. Any Premiership team could come to Ireland and destroy all the teams in Ireland.

I guess I've grown accustomed to watching football on television because the weather out here is not condusive to going out and watching football every week. It is simply too cold or else not available to watch most weekends.

I tried watching the MLS Cup Western final last week, and I had to turn it off. Even my girlfriend who knows nothing about football but who has been watching the EPL with me on Saturday mornings commented on how terrible it was to watch. Players couldn't string five passes together without coughing the ball up. Why would I waste my time on such a terrible product when I can switch over to Setanta and watch Chelsea vs. Manchester United? Don't tell me I'm not a lover of the beautiful game - I watch at least four or five full length matches every week, along with playing and training at least three times a week myself.

[BohDiddley]

Don't tell me I'm not a lover of the beautiful game - I watch at least four or five full length matches every week, along with playing and training at least three times a week myself.
Are those matches you play in total rubbish too?

[endabob1]

Chelsea v Man Utd - the beautiful game.... are you sure?

I do sort of take your point, watching on TV is not the same as being there though, I would rather go and watch non-league football in the flesh than a random EPL game.
I even lowered myself to go to a womens premier league game when I was in the UK recently because my mates local non-league side were away and they ground share with a ladies team. I hate to sound sexist but considering it featured Arsenal Ladies who are apparently the Real Madrid of the Ladies game in the UK, it was brutal, sunday league standard.

[bennocelt]

Sorry if I come across as a wind-up artist. I'm being serious. The top leagues here in Canada are total rubbish, so I have no interest in watching them unless I know someone off of one of the top teams, which I usually do. Any LOI club would come out here and destroy all the top teams. Unfortunately, the same can be said for English vs. Irish football. Any Premiership team could come to Ireland and destroy all the teams in Ireland.

Why would I waste my time on such a terrible product when I can switch over to Setanta and watch Chelsea vs. Manchester United? Don't tell me I'm not a lover of the beautiful game - I watch at least four or five full length matches every week, along with playing and training at least three times a week myself.


You kind of prove my point - you want to be entertained, enjoy the "product", have your can of carling and sit back and enjoy, passive support in the comfort of your own home. Thats fine, but please dont pretend you are a real fan of the game.
Most football is rubbish - look at most of the teams in the EPL - Bolton, Stoke, Blackburn, etc etc. We watch football because its football - nothing else

And by the way - the standard of football in the LOI is not as bad as many (barstoolers mostly) make out. Most of the games I have seen this year I have thoroughly enjoyed

[osarusan]

You kind of prove my point - you want to be entertained, enjoy the "product", have your can of carling and sit back and enjoy, passive support in the comfort of your own home. Thats fine, but please dont pretend you are a real fan of the game.
Most football is rubbish - look at most of the teams in the EPL - Bolton, Stoke, Blackburn, etc etc. We watch football because its football - nothing else

In all fairness, I think that the lack of quality ceases to be so important only after the blind and tribal nature of support has got into your blood, or under your skin, or whatever the best expression is.

To take a person with only a passing interest in football to a game, and reply to their criticisms regarding the quality of football and facilities by saying "It's got nothing to do with enjoying it" is not going to be a very persuasive argument.

[WoodquayBoy]

For what it's worth (shag all probably), there was a one page feature on the upcoming FAI Cup final in Saturday night's programme, and a short little box in the corner on Bohs winning the league.

[galwayjames]

For what it's worth (shag all probably), there was a one page feature on the upcoming FAI Cup final in Saturday night's programme, and a short little box in the corner on Bohs winning the league.

Not good enough

[A N Mouse]

What's the point in trying to promote the LOI to the barstoolers?

Better to promote it to 'real football fans' - encourage fans of english and scottish teams to come over here, in their off season, and get back to proper football. Course if this was successful we might have to deal with the barstoolers, cos if the english like it... :o (but that's probably a discussion for that other thread)

While we're at it we could sell a few storylines to hollyoaks or some such.

[Riddickcule]

You know what i'd love,

If Liverpool, Celtic, Man United and Chelsea all went bust...

Just to see what the reaction would be like over here

[galwayjames]

You know what i'd love,

If Liverpool, Celtic, Man United and Chelsea all went bust...

Just to see what the reaction would be like over here

They'd just start supporting Man City, Tottenham, Arsenal etc...

It's not the clubs themselves but their success that attracts them.

[Riddickcule]

They'd just start supporting Man City, Tottenham, Arsenal etc...

It's not the clubs themselves but their success that attracts them.
Yeah, i think i've finally figured that out ofter all these years :rolleyes:

[Redie]

What's the point in trying to promote the LOI to the barstoolers?

Absolutey no point whatsoever, nor to the likes of Colbert Report either who doesn't and never will get it.

Irish soccer has improved enormously over the last number of years and hopefully will continue to do so and I think the best possible way to build up attendances in a sustainable way is to focus on the younger generations coming up - kids involved with youth soccer clubs and the like - get them in early and if the product is half decent they will stay.

Leave the barstoolers where they are, it's their loss.

[bennocelt]

To take a person with only a passing interest in football to a game, and reply to their criticisms regarding the quality of football and facilities by saying "It's got nothing to do with enjoying it" is not going to be a very persuasive argument.

Yeah but its not in my interest in converting people to the football - if they can't see the beauty of it then its their loss