Cup Final

[Mark]

By the way does anyone know what happened in the VIP suite in the lower West stand during the first half? I could see a mass of paramedics and stewards stretchering someone of the area.

We saw that as well. Looked serious enough but they acted quickly.

[Jicked]

Better team on the day won, though it was a pity there wasn't a goal in the first half to open up the game a bit more. We must be the most awful team in the history of penalty kicks. Hopefully we'll be back next year,and hopefully with a few less players out injured.

Oh, and thanks Dessie.

[legendz]

When Cork won the league in 2005, comments came about them going on to dominate the domestic game, mainly from themselves though mind, but only 2 weeks later they lost to Drogheda in the FAI Cup final. This had a similar ring to it, Shamrock all talk of dominating the domestic game and Sligo come in today with a wake up call. We could be looking at the start of a good domestic rivalry? Hopefully both clubs will keep their finances in order. The Drog's won the league two years after that 2005 success and look at both themselves and Cork now.

[hedderman]

Enjoyable game alright; right team won. Whole thing looked very impressive on the telly; fair play to all concerned.

As a bit of trivia, I remember after the League Cup Final a couple of years ago when Derry beat Shels that Pat Jennings - who saved all three penalties in the shoot-out - was the only keeper ever in senior football to have saved every penalty he faced in a shoot-out (or maybe it was in cup finals?). Amazing coincidence that Jennings was in the Rovers squad this time. (Did he make the bench? Can't remember)

The other weird coincidence is that Jennings and Kelly were Derry's goalkeepers at the start of the 2004 season.

[outspoken]

Great day out my first trip to the Aviva and I loved it it truely is an amazing stadium , yes the speakers didnt work properly but hopefully just a once off great to see so many neutrals , 36,000 fans all il say is ARE U WATCHING IRFU , cant wait 2 go back on wed and 10 euro off!!

[fionnsci]

National Anthem was a joke. Also, am I right that the players didn't even turn to face the flag? Fans should've stopped singing uring it and it should've been played louder.

More importantly, was fantastic seeing so many people there creating such a good atmosphere. Very happy for Sligo after last year, hopefully you'll draw the floaters in for next year.

[MeathDrog]

Thought it was a very good game, Sligo played super stuff and should have won it within the 90.

This could have just from where I was sitting but it looked like Sligo Rovers had just as much if note more fans than Shamrock Rovers?

[White Horse]

Also, am I right that the players didn't even turn to face the flag?

I've never understood the practice of turning around and facing the flag. Looks contrived and smacks of trying too hard to be "patriotic".

Let's leave that stuff to the Americans and North Koreans.

[The Lep]

Sligo deserved the win .

[BonnieShels]

Great day out I have to say. Great advert for the league and hopefully they can take this on board.
All of this talk about the irfu needing to learn a lesson is silly. They learnt their lesson long before today and admitted as much. I think the FAI need to learn the lesson. Watch the disaster that's coming on Wednesday night.

On an aside having been to all soccer matches (bar that bull against man yoo) in Lansdowne 2.0 so far without doubt the noise and passion generated today was immense and a credit to all that were there. Not a lull for over 2 hours says something about LOI fans. A proud day for the league and some if the quality of sligos play was top drawer.

However, I'd to endure a gang of barstoolers during the match and in several occasions had to bite my lip.

[Dunny]

Sligo deserved the win .

Like they did last year? :)

[Magicme]

Well done sligo...delighted for you. Also as one of our fans said on facebook they were the only team to beat mons in cup games and they won them both.

Was watching it when my aunt and uncle from Holland arrived and they watched penos with me. Was a great ad for the league seeing a great crowd in a great stadium.

[gael353]

Our league and clubs may be the nesissary inconvienience but it was clear today that international football hasnt a patch on league of ireland clubs when it comes to support, passion and bringing atmosphere to the aviva. The FAI are backing the wrong horse as will be seen on Tuesday night? against norway. Anthem was ****e, pa was non existant at times and bar staff need a good root up the hole and work. Nice ground, if the shed wasnt at the end of it and it didnt cost so much for being so small.

[The Lep]

Like they did last year? :)

Not a chance. They played well today and deserved it over the 90 minutes.

[robbieos88]

Sligo played some great football at times. Gary McCabe is a smashing player

[peadar1987]

Sligo played some great football at times. Gary McCabe is a smashing player

Taking credit! :)

He did the same thing at Bray, waited out on the touchline until everyone forgot about him, then suddenly picks the ball up in acres of space and starts being a menace.

And Magicme, spreegt u Nederlands?

[Magicme]

Geen want ik ben dik.

[dfx-]

However, I'd to endure a gang of barstoolers during the match and in several occasions had to bite my lip.

I think they infiltrated all sections..including my bus home..:mad:

[peadar1987]

Geen want ik ben dik.

Ah nee, ik ben zeker dat is niet waar!

[Terry-Lander]

Well done Sligo. Deserved the win.

[Straightstory]

How great too see two LOI teams play a game in a fine stadium with a brilliant crowd. Oh, if we could only have this more often! Hope future Cup Finals can continue like this. Sligo well deserving of win. I've rarely seen a LOI team retain possession of the ball so well.

[Duggie]

great game, one of the best i seen in a long time. to win the league we need 2 strikers IMO, only shams can stand in our way now of total domination...........no world domination!

[peadar1987]

How great too see two LOI teams play a game in a fine stadium with a brilliant crowd. Oh, if we could only have this more often! Hope future Cup Finals can continue like this. Sligo well deserving of win. I've rarely seen a LOI team retain possession of the ball so well.

Indeed, I hope the FAI remember how well the ticket promotion worked out.

In terms of league development, maybe the clubs would be well served by cutting ticket prices and wages in order to build up the attendances over the course of a few seasons. I'm sure plenty of people would sacrifice the excellent bar service at Bohemians if the tickets were under €10.

[peadar1987]

great game, one of the best i seen in a long time. to win the league we need 2 strikers IMO, only shams can stand in our way now of total domination...........no world domination!

If you come near Jake Kelly... :shout:

[Duggie]

If you come near Jake Kelly... >:(

nobody is safe now from us....even twiggy.ha

[OwlsFan]

The crowd was high for threee reasons:

(a) Many people (and I know a number) went to see the Aviva Stadium for the first time.
(b) Shamrock Rovers were playing in the final and the ground was awash with old Hoops fans (like myself) there to see the renaissance of the club.
(c) The relative low cost of the tickets.

I am not sure there will be a crowd like that again as it was a unique occasion but it was also great to see the Sligo fans travel in such large numbers.

As for the Final itself, Sligo, other than for two fifteen minute spells in each half, bossed the game and played some lovely football. The Hoops were always second best. SLigo players also seemed much fitter - didn't see any going down with cramp and I wonder did this affect the penalties.

The trouble about the low ticket cost of course is that it won't have generated much money for either club or the FAI. That said it is better to have 36k at the game at €10 a head than 16k at €20k a head.



A great occasion though

[White Horse]

The crowd was high for threee reasons:

(a) Many people (and I know a number) went to see the Aviva Stadium for the first time.
(b) Shamrock Rovers were playing in the final and the ground was awash with old Hoops fans (like myself) there to see the renaissance of the club.
(c) The relative low cost of the tickets.

I am not sure there will be a crowd like that again as it was a unique occasion but it was also great to see the Sligo fans travel in such large numbers.

I would be a lot more positive than you.

A large FAI cup final like this tells lapsed fans that it is OK to go to a LOI game. They are not going to be ridiculed by the pro-English football media.

Several people I spoke to this morning are regretting that they didn't go. That fact that the game meant something and wasn't the usual non-competitive friendly with 22 disinterested players added to the excitement.

As to the crowd I thought there were more Sligo fans than Shams fans. When one considers that there are about 30,000 people (men, women and chidren) in Sligo town, that is some achievement.

[Magicme]

Ah nee, ik ben zeker dat is niet waar!

I actually understood that without cheating! Am ashamed to say my dutch uncle has been a family member for 25 years and I have learned very little dutch.

[ndrog]

Great crowd yesterday but lets not get carried away with the effect it will have . Both teams have decent crowds by loi standards and should be praised for this but i cant help but remember our cup final in lansdowne v cork , over 25 ,000 at that game which was one of the biggest in years . It had little of no effect on league attendances the next year . Its big day out syndrome and unless other issues are sorted out attendances at league matches will continue to be crap .

[Dixie Dean]

Terrible way to lose a cup final and i felt sorry for Shams. Credit to the shams supporters who stayed behind and the rovers fans where i was standing applauded shams off the pitch.

Great day for us and my personal greatest as a Rovers fan.

Alot of ****e is written on these boards between Rovers and Shams fans but truth is there is a healthy respect for Shams in Sligo. We are the same supporters that went out on the pitch at Milltown in 87.

This league needs clubs like Rovers and Shams, the large attendance was a credit to both clubs. Its a reality of an Irish supporting public that its unlikely to affect league attendances, we are event junkies.

[peadar1987]

Great crowd yesterday but lets not get carried away with the effect it will have . Both teams have decent crowds by loi standards and should be praised for this but i cant help but remember our cup final in lansdowne v cork , over 25 ,000 at that game which was one of the biggest in years . It had little of no effect on league attendances the next year . Its big day out syndrome and unless other issues are sorted out attendances at league matches will continue to be crap .

At least let me get my umbrella before you start raining on our parade! ;)

[Duggie]

im a firm believer that if the facilities are there the crowds would be up. now im not saying you have 10 aviva's but when its a day out at the carlisle grounds its not the quite the same. some people might not agree but im convinced of it.

[marinobohs]

Great day at the Aviva -excellent crowd, decent game good performances all round. Thought Sligo were the better team without really having the edge up front which always left the possibility shams might nick it. credit to both teams for 120 minutes of decent football.
Would hope that the spectacle of the day might encourage more to sample the delights of LOI but suspect many wont darken our turnstiles until "cup final 2011"

Oh, and congrats to all involved at Sligo on completing a cup double

[razor]

As the cup was presented at 3hr 19min and about 50secs…what happened the guy in the blue jacket at the front?

http://www.rte.ie/player/#v=1084796

[White Horse]

Great crowd yesterday but lets not get carried away with the effect it will have . Both teams have decent crowds by loi standards and should be praised for this but i cant help but remember our cup final in lansdowne v cork , over 25 ,000 at that game which was one of the biggest in years . It had little of no effect on league attendances the next year . Its big day out syndrome and unless other issues are sorted out attendances at league matches will continue to be crap .

Attendance at league matches can only be improved if the LOI gets better media coverage.

At the moment, the coverage is abyssmal on general sports programmes. Newstalk have 15 hours of sports programming during the week. That is 900 minutes. The amount devoted to LOI football is a paltry 10 minutes, 1%!

Showpiece events like the FAI cup final give the game better media coverage.

I understand that some people cannot rise above their negativity. However, we shouldn't be so quick to dismiss the importance of yesterday's 36,000 attendance.

[dantheman]

Went to the match, good atmosphere and good attendance.

But the Sligo cow mascot was a disgrace.

[Duggie]

Went to the match, good atmosphere and good attendance.

But the Sligo cow mascot was a disgrace.

ahh come on hooperman had about 6 cans in him he was way more active......joke!

[Fester]

Well done to Sligo Rovers. The better team won on the day. Enjoyed the atmosphere, great stadium.

[passinginterest]

Well done to Sligo, they gave a beautiful display of technically excellent football and it would be hard to argue that they didn't deserve it on the day. A lot of people have questioned if Shamrock Rovers are part time only in name, but it showed very clearly in the fitness levels that Sligo were the full time team. The Aviva looks great from the outside but there's some serious issues with the food stalls, the PA and even the poor enough view. The stmosphere was a credit to the two sets of supporters and it made it feel like a very special day, it would be great if that could be repeated every year.

Looking forward to next season already.

[historynut]

One would think Sligo certainly will benefit from increased attendances next season. For their first home match for 2011 surely the Showgrounds will be a sell out of 5/6000.

[White Horse]

A lot of people have questioned if Shamrock Rovers are part time only in name, but it showed very clearly in the fitness levels that Sligo were the full time team.

I thought this was very obvious as well.

If Shamrock Rovers are paying wages as high (or even higher than) Sligo, why are the players not as well conditioned?

[mandrake]

i went witha few friends , good fun, stadium great, big crowd alright but i think all the excitment getting one up on irfc is not right , we only got that cos of 10euro i think if rugby charged that they wouldve sold out.. 36k is great tho...but rugby got 37k at full whack, went for a coffee at 90 mins, 3 18 year old serving a lot of people , shouldve been more staff... food looked cr*p...

[Dublin Red]

As to the crowd I thought there were more Sligo fans than Shams fans. When one considers that there are about 30,000 people (men, women and chidren) in Sligo town, that is some achievement.

Big sign up in Sligo Town yesterday on the road out, it read: "LAST ONE OUT TURN OFF THE LIGHTS"

[White Horse]

i went witha few friends , good fun, stadium great, big crowd alright but i think all the excitment getting one up on irfc is not right , we only got that cos of 10euro i think if rugby charged that they wouldve sold out.. 36k is great tho...but rugby got 37k at full whack, went for a coffee at 90 mins, 3 18 year old serving a lot of people , shouldve been more staff... food looked cr*p...

The rugby was an international game featuring a 32 county team in a country of 5 million people.

The FAI cup final featured a team from a town with 30,000 inhabitants.

The scales are not comparable which is why the attendance is excellent despite the low addmission price.

By the way, I'm not sure if you are a Dub but it takes a lot more money to go to the Avivva from Sligo than it does for Dublin yuppies to go to a rugby match. The ticket is only part of the overall cost.

[BonnieShels]

Was I the only one who was impressed with the state of the pitch considering what had occurred just 24 hours before?

[DaveyCakes]

No, no you weren't!

[Fester]

Big sign up in Sligo Town yesterday on the road out, it read: "LAST ONE OUT TURN OFF THE LIGHTS"

Funny out!!

[Fester]

Was I the only one who was impressed with the state of the pitch considering what had occurred just 24 hours before?

Agreed I was very surprised that the pitch was in such good nic!

[Dunny]

Went to the match, good atmosphere and good attendance.

But the Sligo cow mascot was a disgrace.

He's a BULL!

[Bluebeard]

....
Would hope that the spectacle of the day might encourage more to sample the delights of LOI but suspect many wont darken our turnstiles until "cup final 2012"

Do you have inside information that the 2011 final is to be Sporting Fingal v Salthill?

And, of course, congratulations to Sligo on the cup coup and to both teams an excellent spectacle.