Airtiricity League XI v Manchester United confirmed for Aviva Stadium on August 4 [Archive] - Page 3

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marinobohs

13/05/2010, 11:22 AM

As pasing interest points out, the dry runs are usually low key games. They start small to iron out gliches that come from the stadiums being full of numpties without a clue where they're going, what to do at a match etc. It's a PR disaster waiting to happen for the FAI on that front, imo.

Still, once people get the chance to wave their green and gold scarves whilst paying the glazers debts, who am I to argue...

........ and I bet you some "fans" will forget to bring thier 3D specs :rolleyes: At least the green/gold colours will save some embarrasment for those clowns supporting a foreign team over an Irish team (they can pretent its Irish colours). Wait until they discover there is no action replays !

SupaJon

13/05/2010, 12:10 PM

...or half time commentary from Andy Gray!

Schumi

13/05/2010, 12:40 PM

I would have thought there would be some rugger games (as it's the IRFU's stadium) to be the actual opening games and safety certificate games. I'm assuming the Argentina & United games are the FAI's first but not the stadiums
Yeah, Leinster/Ulster v Munster/Connacht is the first game in the stadium. At least I won't be missing the first game there by ignoring this nonsense.

Jofspring

13/05/2010, 1:18 PM

When Thomond Park re-opened it was at reduced capacity for the frst few games. They played an U20 munster match as the first game and after about 3 matches they finally opened it to full capacity.

SupaJon

13/05/2010, 2:06 PM

There'll be absolute riots at this match if they run out of prawn sandwiches!

pixiehead

13/05/2010, 2:45 PM

Lim till i die

13/05/2010, 2:51 PM

Going to E-Mail MNS to see what the panel think. Personally this is a joke but at the same time I think every fan should attend to make massive noise for our league! We have some of the best and Noiseist fans around so why not get together as one league and show a massive support for OUR LEAGUE!!!

Why does it matter what the MNS panel think??

You think it's a joke but you think everyone should go??

I don't support the league, I support Limerick FC (or whatever form we are taking any particular year).

Redie

13/05/2010, 3:49 PM

Surely the tickets for this match should go on sale inside each ground on match days and clubs allowed to keep a percentage of their sales.

Lim till i die

13/05/2010, 3:53 PM

Or clubs could sell stuff in their grounds that they get 100% of the sales from

Buller

13/05/2010, 4:00 PM

Surely the tickets for this match should go on sale inside each ground on match days and clubs allowed to keep a percentage of their sales.

Thats what should happen...

outspoken

13/05/2010, 4:04 PM

everyone seems so against this game but I think it can be a great thing for our league. It will give the LOI great exposure and will give fans and players the chance to see and take on utd.
The problems though could be that LOI clubs are unlikely to release players as they game takes place during a crucial period in the league and BOHS and ROVERS is also on a day before/after. Also Utd will probably have reserves on show also if any players do play well an English side will rob them away and if we get hammered our league becomes a laugh. the cons weigh out the pros by the look of things. BOHS and ROVERS might have been a better choice by the FAI , but lets hope it goes well.

Lim till i die

13/05/2010, 4:09 PM

but lets hope it goes well.

I hope it collapses on its aras, along with that one crap end of the ground if at all possible.

OneRedArmy

13/05/2010, 4:36 PM

Surely the tickets for this match should go on sale inside each ground on match days and clubs allowed to keep a percentage of their sales.The last time Derry played Man U, the tickets were sold in this manner and we had the cringeworthy (yet financially rewarding) sight of people travelling long distances arriving in the ground, buying tickets, and not even staying to watch the league game that was on.

Football fans indeed....

Straightstory

13/05/2010, 4:41 PM

Article on extratime (http://www.extratime.ie/newsdesk/articles/3455/).
Not quite sure I could stomach the company of that many barstoolers to go along myself.

Couldn't agree more. What a bunch of ******s the FAI are. I think I might actually leave the country for a few days to avoid the embarrassment of the Barstoolers Day Out. Ugh!

micls

13/05/2010, 4:54 PM

Dodge

13/05/2010, 7:09 PM

Intesting point made by Butsy here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5LMeMh_aAU

In the week leading up to the Setatna Cup final, the FAI chose to announce their friendly rather than promote the final...

Mr A

13/05/2010, 7:23 PM

MariborKev

13/05/2010, 10:33 PM

The Indo mentioned today that there is a row as apparently Vantage club tickets won't cover this game. Though, for anyone stupid enough to buy them they probably deserve to pay again for this match.

Lim till i die

13/05/2010, 11:15 PM

This farce doesn't adversely clash with any other fixtures by any chance does it guys?? :rolleyes:

Longfordian

13/05/2010, 11:42 PM

The last time Derry played Man U, the tickets were sold in this manner and we had the cringeworthy (yet financially rewarding) sight of people travelling long distances arriving in the ground, buying tickets, and not even staying to watch the league game that was on.

Football fans indeed....

We actually had a worse situation in 2003 or 2004. We were selling cup final tickets at a home game, people came in queued to buy them and didn't even bother to stay and watch the game of the team they were buying tickets to watch the following week!. Says alot about the Longford sporting public, I'm in no doubt they'd do the same if it was a GAA team in a final.

OneRedArmy

14/05/2010, 7:23 AM

The Indo mentioned today that there is a row as apparently Vantage club tickets won't cover this game. Though, for anyone stupid enough to buy them they probably deserve to pay again for this match.That's bound to p off at least a half dozen people......... :)

pineapple stu

14/05/2010, 9:19 AM

Didn't Cobh sell tickets for their game against some Roy Keane team outside St Colman's? The "fans" didn't even have to spend a tenner getting into the ground for that one.

Dodge

14/05/2010, 9:19 AM

That's bound to p off at least a half dozen people......... :)

And a huge amount of clubs who bought the tickets to raffle off/auction etc etc

OneRedArmy

14/05/2010, 9:39 AM

And a huge amount of clubs who bought the tickets to raffle off/auction etc etcOk, two dozen, tops ;)

Straightstory

14/05/2010, 11:44 AM

The ground opener should have been the Irish Rugby Team playing a combined Man United/Dubs GAA team.

MuckaTucka

14/05/2010, 12:55 PM

. BOHS and ROVERS might have been a better choice by the FAI , but lets hope it goes well.

No thanks, it's the national stadium, not a Dublin stadium. I'd way rather an Airtricity XI with representatives from every province take on a foreign team than have 22 Dubs running around.

A Dublin league select versus the rest of Ireland select would have been a nice way to open it.
Can I just ask if it was an Airtricity select playing against say Atletico Madrid, what would be the reaction? In my opinion it's a sad anti-premiership and anti-English thing. Still.

Can we not have faith in our own league and get rid of the chips on the shoulders?

Why wouldn't you go to watch the game and support an Airtricity XI beat Manchester United?
Watching Bohs beat Shams 1-0 through a Jason Byrne penalty is not going to bring any more fans to our league. Beating or being very competitive against Manchester Utd will show the Irish public that there are some very good players in this league, and it is actually quite a sellable product.

Like it or not, there will be far more media coverage and exposure by playing Manchester United, and a good performance by our league will be as good an advertisement as we could wish for.

I'm not expecting many people to agree with me, just trying to put the argument forward

Jicked

14/05/2010, 1:13 PM

No thanks, it's the national stadium, not a Dublin stadium. I'd way rather an Airtricity XI with representatives from every province take on a foreign team than have 22 Dubs running around.
They were the two best teams in Ireland last year, and will be up there again. They also have a big rivalry, and attracted a crowd of 6,000 earlier in the season. You'd be better off wondering why part's of the country show no interest in domestic football even in a city like Galway, rather than blaming the big bad Jackeen meedja for everything.

A Dublin league select versus the rest of Ireland select would have been a nice way to open it.
Can I just ask if it was an Airtricity select playing against say Atletico Madrid, what would be the reaction? In my opinion it's a sad anti-premiership and anti-English thing. Still.

The league is in direct competition for hearts and minds with Man Utd, Liverpool, Glasgow Celtic etc. We're not in competition with Atletico Madrid. It's basic business and common sense.

Why wouldn't you go to watch the game and support an Airtricity XI beat Manchester United?
Watching Bohs beat Shams 1-0 through a Jason Byrne penalty is not going to bring any more fans to our league. Beating or being very competitive against Manchester Utd will show the Irish public that there are some very good players in this league, and it is actually quite a sellable product.
It's going to be a load of LoI reserves getting well beaten by one of the 3 or 4 best teams in the world. That doesn't sell a product. Playing Rovers v. Bohs and showing LoI football isn't the ugly stepchild of 'real' football would go someway to getting rid of the impression a lot of the public, and the FAI have, that LoI football is a mere sideshow.

Like it or not, there will be far more media coverage and exposure by playing Manchester United, and a good performance by our league will be as good an advertisement as we could wish for.

No there wont. There'll be interviews with Damien Richardson the day of the game, and media taking pictures of Ben Foster arriving in Dublin airport. Plenty of these type of friendlies against English oppoisition have been played before with little interest.

Dodge

14/05/2010, 1:17 PM

Thats the bottom line. These games do nothing for the league. its been proven.

L.T.F.C.

14/05/2010, 1:21 PM

How are they picking the players!?

osarusan

14/05/2010, 1:29 PM

Can I just ask if it was an Airtricity select playing against say Atletico Madrid, what would be the reaction? In my opinion it's a sad anti-premiership and anti-English thing. Still.

By no means all, but part of the reason why domestic football is in the situation it finds itself is due to the infatuation with football across the water. A walk around Limerick (or any other town or city I'm sure) will reveal loads of people in their Celtic or Prem. League team jerseys.

Although domestic football clubs are, as Jicked says, in direct competition with them, the FAI have decided to bring the biggest of them all over here, a move which will increase that club's exposure in Ireland even more (if that's actually possible). The FAI have gone for the club which will put as many people in seats as possible, and the fact that it will in no way serve to generate interest in the domestic league which they govern seems irrelevant to them.

MuckaTucka

14/05/2010, 1:35 PM

They were the two best teams in Ireland last year, and will be up there again. They also have a big rivalry, and attracted a crowd of 6,000 earlier in the season. You'd be better off wondering why part's of the country show no interest in domestic football even in a city like Galway, rather than blaming the big bad Jackeen meedja for everything.

Attack the argument not the man. Who's talking about Galway or the Jackeen meedja?

It's a national stadium, therefore a national representation in it's first fixture is better than a Dublin derby. By not accepting that, I can only conclude that it's quite an insular view you're holding.

The league is in direct competition for hearts and minds with Man Utd, Liverpool, Glasgow Celtic etc. We're not in competition with Atletico Madrid. It's basic business and common sense.

Why not challenge them instead of ignoring these teams, pretend they don't exist and hoping they go away? When did that ever work? It's Comical Ali reasoning.
Playing them in their pre-season while we should be in full swing should give us a chance to cause an upset, show the public that we are not a hugely inferior product.
I think one of the main problems we have is thinking that the premiership is a different sport to the Airtricity league. By challenging them, and showing that the Premiership isn't all that maybe we'll convince the premiership supporters in this country that they have decent senior club footballers on their doorstep. The standard is just as good, if not better than the SPL, and is at least League One if not Championship level. Some people don't believe that because they see them nearly as two different games.

I honestly don't think that supporting the Airtricity league and watching the premiership need to be mutually exclusive. Surely it would benefit us an awful lot more if we made it complementary.

It's going to be a load of LoI reserves getting well beaten by one of the 3 or 4 best teams in the world. That doesn't sell a product. Playing Rovers v. Bohs and showing LoI football isn't the ugly stepchild of 'real' football would go someway to getting rid of the impression a lot of the public, and the FAI have, that LoI football is a mere sideshow.

I'm sorry but outside of Dublin watching Bohs Rovers doesn't set everyones heart racing as much as you might think.
I doubt it'll be a load of reserves. I know I'd way prefer watching Stephen O'Donnell represent my club, city and province playing for an Airtricity select against one of the best teams in the world rather than watch another Dublin derby in a different stadium.

No there wont. There'll be interviews with Damien Richardson the day of the game, and media taking pictures of Ben Foster arriving in Dublin airport. Plenty of these type of friendlies against English oppoisition have been played before with little interest.

This is just not true. I can't really argue as it is all just supposition.

An Irish team with representatives from all four provinces taking on one of the best teams in the world, opening a magnificent new stadium will have more media coverage than a Bohs Shams friendly. For it can't be competitive as neither team will give up home rights.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not on the FAI's side. As I said before I would rather it was a Dublin league select against a rest of Ireland select opening up the stadium.

Dodge

14/05/2010, 1:54 PM

Either you want the cream of the league to play (to showcase the league), or you want a side representing the country to play? Make up your mind. Because if its based on the best players in the league not a single galway man will be near it.

Both cases are deeply flawed too. mainly due to your opinion that a) a team of semi pros that haven't played together will gel together enough to impress against a Man U side that has trained togther for years and b) whatever the result, most Man Utd fans and media commentators will dismiss (rightly) the result as being in a pre-season friendly.

Jicked's point isn't that it should've been Rovers v Bohs, its that Rovers v Bohs would've been better. Or Cork v derry. Or Sligo v Drogheda. or Galway v Pats

NO one serious about football cares about results of pre-season friendlies.

Jicked

14/05/2010, 2:05 PM

Attack the argument not the man. Who's talking about Galway or the Jackeen meedja?

It's a national stadium, therefore a national representation in it's first fixture is better than a Dublin derby. By not accepting that, I can only conclude that it's quite an insular view you're holding.

It's not because Rovers-Bohs are from Dublin, but because they're the top two teams in the league, with the biggest rivalry, and big support bases. If Galway and Cork City finished in the top two last year and had a long running rivalry and attracted big gates I'd be delighted to see them play in such a game (especially if they were playing that week anyway as Rovers-Bohs are).

As for your point about "taking on" the Premier League. When you're a league of our size with a budget of our size, against the biggest business in sports then that is a completely lunatic idea.

Jicked's point isn't that it should've been Rovers v Bohs, its that Rovers v Bohs would've been better. Or Cork v derry. Or Sligo v Drogheda. or Galway v Pats

Exactly. And if that's not deemed feasible for whatever reason, then by all means play a friendly to test out the stadium. But why oh why would you give up a chance to promote your league by having an Irish team play a continental side, and give the PR boost to the biggest club in the world instead. I would really love to have seen the decision making that went on behind this.

harps1954

14/05/2010, 2:07 PM

Didn't Cobh sell tickets for their game against some Roy Keane team outside St Colman's? The "fans" didn't even have to spend a tenner getting into the ground for that one.

They did indeed. Keane brought over a Man United XI to play Cobh (at Turners Cross) and the tickets went on sale on the same night that Cobh played Harps in St. Colemans. There were 200 people inside the ground watching the Cobh/Harps game and over 2,000 lined up outside looking for tickets to the United game. Whey they didn't put the tickets on sale inside the ground is beyond me.

Three years ago Harps played a home game and put tickets on sale for the first time for the friendly against Celtic. However, the tickets were on sale inside the ground, meaning anyone wanting tickets had to go to the Harps game (I think it was against Shelbourne) and then queue for their tickets. Hundreds (and I'm not joking here), paid the ten or twelve euro into the ground, queued up for their Celtic game tickets and walked straight back out again. You'd think when they had paid the money into the ground they would have stayed and watched at least the first half. At least Harps got the match admission fee from them.

The LOI will never progress when you have football "supporters" like those above.

thischarmingman

14/05/2010, 4:09 PM

Lim till i die

14/05/2010, 4:13 PM

Last time we played Celtic there were a group of local Celtic fans singing 'You're supposed to be at home' at the City support, apparently without irony.

That's fantastic :D

I remember when Danny Drew was running us and we played Leeds United's u-19s in Hogan Park. I don't know how many of you were ever in Hogan Park but imagine the worst Eastern European ground you can, then imagine if it was bombed, then burned down.*

FIVE THOUSAND people jammed into the place, we had only pulled 1500-2000 for top of the table clashes against the two Rovers earlier on the season.

*Don't get me wrong, I LOVED Hogan Park.

Magoo..O'O

14/05/2010, 4:45 PM

LOI support remains stubbornly low by standards in other developed countries. Some factors of course are the Premiership, the TV hype with Sky, Setanta and now ESPN and now the Internet. Most of the "foreign fans" I know absolutely love the game - and are lucky enough to have (debatedly) the best league in the World available to watch so easily. They want to see the best players in the world (!) with the drama and tension that goes with it.
I watched Fulham with 20 people in a pub on Wednesday after I watched an u14 club game with 40/50 parents and friends and we had no problem cheering on Fulham. And generally everyone thought it was a good game.
This week-end I will watch a local Junior game the outcome of which will be more important to me than any Premier game. Last night I played with 13 other over 40's for 90 minutes on the local Astro pitch - so like many thousands of others around the country I love football
... So - why dont I see "live" my nearest LOI club more than twice a year.
Simply , they do very little to connect with me - Galway Utd filled terryland v Sunderland 3 years ago, built a new stand to seriously improve the venue - But their management do not have a clue how to connect with their fanbase. Their catchment area would have a population of 300,000 people and they now struggle to get 1000. Any decent junior club connects everyday/week with its community to get sponsorship, lotto tickets, why do LOI find it so difficult to broaden their horizons.
While money is a factor, the "boom" years failed to deliver any steady progress in Europe which is what gives us a huge buzz.
It's not a GAA/Rugby problem IMO. Irish people love their sport - but they want to feel some connection.
As an example of the potential here, the World Cup Play-Off attendance at Croker against France was only matched by the Russia game on the same night and was three times greater than the others.
So we have a huge interest in football at junior youths level, we have an huge interest in the International game - its the Inbetweeners we cant sort out - yet. It will get there - but it could go faster.
In the meantime, if I was still a player I'd be delighted to run out against Man U - hopefully it won't be a leinster 11 tho'
LOI seems small minded, petty, conservative when looked at under the microscope - no razzamataz, still short on technique, stars (even little ones) dour contests and petty officialdom

osarusan

14/05/2010, 5:21 PM

I don't know how many of you were ever in Hogan Park but imagine the worst Eastern European ground you can, then imagine if it was bombed, then burned down.*

Or just imagine Jackman Park in a worse part of town, and you've got a pretty accurate image.

DannyInvincible

14/05/2010, 7:00 PM

Last time we played Celtic there were a group of local Celtic fans singing 'You're supposed to be at home' at the City support, apparently without irony.

Jesus wept.

There was text sent into TV3 the other night after the Europa League final. Went as follows:

"Fulham did us proud!" - Jim, Dublin.

Charlie Darwin

14/05/2010, 8:28 PM

To be fair, there are plenty of English people and Londoners in Dublin. Lots of Jims too.

Rasputin

15/05/2010, 12:01 PM

No thanks, it's the national stadium, not a Dublin stadium. I'd way rather an Airtricity XI with representatives from every province take on a foreign team than have 22 Dubs running around.

Thats just idiotic in my opinion.
A Bohs V's Shams derby is the best foot forward for our League.
For the simple fact that the are 2 of the strongest teams in the league with big fan bases and a great rivalry with an atmosphere that dwarfs Premiership encounters.
Lets face it we can never go head to head with the Premiership with regaurds to quality or shiney packaging but we can compete with match day atmosphere.
Having token players thrown togethor from different corners of the country is just a shambles and not an accurate reflection of our league.

A N Mouse

15/05/2010, 1:16 PM

It wasn't so long ago that these teams would do a pre-season tour of these parts as a matter of course.

With the advent of skysports, and the best league in the world, even the smallest of them have fecked off to do pre-season half way around the world - to expand their market. As others have pointed out this is united maintaining their market, as they'd do in the states or the far east - and the fai wetting themselves at the possibility is sickening.

It's a sad day when sunderland's pre-season garners more media coverage than our league, might they be eating into united's market?

I'm all for high profile friendlies, and league representative sides. But it has to be done in a proper thought out fashion. That means allowing for it in a mid season break, bearing in mind possible euro fixtures, and not fecking over clubs out of pettiness and spite.

outspoken

15/05/2010, 3:05 PM

DannyInvincible

15/05/2010, 3:16 PM

has everybody heard that the FAI have stopped bohs from playing Barca as well because it clashes with league fixtures. that makes no sense the game VS Utd is on at the worst possible time but they dont care once they get the barstool fans in. its really becoming a joke

Where did you hear this? :confused:

Edit: Sorry, just read about it there. Would be interesting to hear the FAI's perspective on that one.

Ciaran W

15/05/2010, 3:52 PM

Bohs v Rovers would be perfect for the league, or something like the magic weekend in rugby league where all the teams go to one stadium over the weekend and play one after the other might work ?

outspoken

15/05/2010, 4:13 PM

Bohs v Rovers would be perfect for the league, or something like the magic weekend in rugby league where all the teams go to one stadium over the weekend and play one after the other might work ?
That is an absoluteley fantastic idea ciaran a magic weekend that would be so cool.

DannyInvincible

15/05/2010, 4:37 PM

Here's a bit by Daniel McDonnell on the FAI lobbying UEFA to move the potential Bohs Champions League game as it would clash with this meaningless money-spinner: http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/fais-manuturn-2181578.html

Delaney added that preliminary discussions have taken place if an embarrassing clash with a crucial Bohemians Champions League game the same night arises.

If Bohs win their second qualifyinground tie, the stage where they enter as a seeded team, then the decisive encounter in the third round, which would have huge ramifications for the domestic game, would be scheduled to played on either August 3 or August 4.

The timing is particularly unfortunate given that one of the reasons offered to Limerick FC for blocking their lucrative friendly with Barcelona is a clash with Airtricity League fixtures.

Delaney said that the FAI would lobby to have the Bohemians showdown moved to the Tuesday � 24 hours before the visit of Manchester United � if that situation developed.

�We can certainly talk to UEFA if Bohemians make their way through, which I really hope they will do,� said Delaney. �We�re in preliminary discussions with UEFA in terms of the ability to move games if we need to do so.�

Can't get over it. The bit about Limerick is especially galling. UEFA will just laugh at the FAI, and rightly so.

SkStu

15/05/2010, 4:42 PM

DannyInvincible

15/05/2010, 5:10 PM

�We�ve got a huge positive reaction to Manchester United." - Delaney.

Isn't it just marvellous?...

Charlie Darwin

15/05/2010, 6:22 PM

the really galling thing is that this is a safe game for Delaney and the horrible smug c**t knows it. Outside of our little band of LOI fans, no one in the country will really give a f**k at the end of the day. Its sad and depressing. Its when **** like this last week happens that we need to stand together and make our voices heard. Quite how that is done is another question but Maxi was thinking along the right lines.
Dunno about that. The average football fan would probably be quite miffed about missing out on a chance to see Barcelona. Having said that, if the FAI gets them for the Aviva then nobody will care.