Barstool facepalm

[redarmyfaction]

Arrah give the poor barstoolers a break, I betcha some ye have an attachment to a brand of beer, clothing or God help us a car. I brought a mob of Rovers supporters into the Wetherspoons on the Diamond in Derry to sample the very fine and even better value cask conditioned ales and they all ordered Guinness same as at home. The Stoolers are victims of our brand orientated consumer culture, whose neatest trick is a sort of credit card Stockholm Syndrome whereupon the victims are convinced to not only enjoy but pay for and advertise their captivity by a logo.

[MariborKev]

I brought a mob of Rovers supporters into the Wetherspoons on the Diamond in Derry......

I read that and thought it was the start of "Green Street, Shligo styyyyle".......

As for Ken Earley, I stopped listening to OTB solely due to him. Now he has invaded the pages of the IT to plague me.

Joe Brolly is doing a quare job trolling barstoolers on Twitter today.

[redarmyfaction]

I read that and thought it was the start of "Green Street, Shligo styyyyle"..... .

In Sligo we say Sliiiiigo not Shligo, not a lot of people on here know that.

[BonnieShels]

So there's gonna be a problem come August when BT Sport launches.

m.rte.ie/sport/touch/soccer/english/2013/0510/391492-bt-sport/

[MariborKev]

Yeah,

Someone, not for the first time, in RTÉ think that we have actually joined the UK. Clearly the concept of domestic and foreign "rights" is lost on them. As in the same way that ROI viewers have live legal 3pm Saturday kickoffs, whilst UK viewers do not.

BT will put their rights on either UPC or SKY, the only "problem" is where they can get the best deal.

[Bosco]

I wouldn't imagine there is much love for Mark Lawrenson on here but something he said on the last word yesterday reminded me of this thread. He was being asked about Moyes going to United etc and was asked about all the United fans on twitter already givng out about him. He just goes

"In fairness thats the way football has gone, Man United fans just presume they deserve the best of everything, I bet 90% of those tweeting about it don't even go to games, they're not real football supporters"

[gufcfan]

I bet 90% of those tweeting about it don't even go to games, they're not real football supporters"
90%? I'd say it's closer to 100% than that.

[TheBoss]

Based on their facebook page, they have 33 million likes, so divide in by 75,000 per home game, that would be about 0.002% of fans go to games, even if they had a different 75,000 every home league game, that would still have it at: 0.4%

[Guinney]

Ah the joys of barstoolers stories. Was told by a mate of mine the other day, a Man Utd fan, why do you bother going to matches when you can just watch the highlights on MNS

[gufcfan]

Ah the joys of barstoolers stories. Was told by a mate of mine the other day, a Man Utd fan, why do you bother going to matches when you can just watch the highlights on MNS
Reminds me of somebody that gave out about one of our ex-managers for attending a match involving both teams we were playing the following week, when it was on tv. I remember thinking to myself that I would disregard any opinion even remotely related to football that he had after that.

Vinny that used to put together highlights packages for us most weeks, they were often 10 mins long. You could often get a very different sense of the flow of the game from extended highlights like those to actually seeing the game. Not that I need to convince anybody here, but MNS highlights are usually a couple of mins long at most, iirc.

[Jofspring]

Vinny that used to put together highlights packages for us most weeks, they were often 10 mins long. You could often get a very different sense of the flow of the game from extended highlights like those to actually seeing the game. Not that I need to convince anybody here, but MNS highlights are usually a couple of mins long at most, iirc.

Could MNS potentially be moved to a Tuesday night (with a different name obviously) to allow a little more time to put together longer/better highlights rather than the 2 minute long ones they do now. Surely they could stretch a few games out to at least 5 minutes of highlights with a bit more time on their hands to do so. That still leaves plenty of time for talking about the game. Right now it seems they just cut to the time of goals or a red card and then might throw in one or two more highlights from a game like its a rushed job.

[Fivesilver]

Not sure Bohs would be too happy about the new abbreviation flashing up on their screens every Tuesday evening.

[gormacha]

Could MNS potentially be moved to a Tuesday night (with a different name obviously) to allow a little more time to put together longer/better highlights rather than the 2 minute long ones they do now. Surely they could stretch a few games out to at least 5 minutes of highlights with a bit more time on their hands to do so. That still leaves plenty of time for talking about the game. Right now it seems they just cut to the time of goals or a red card and then might throw in one or two more highlights from a game like its a rushed job.

As its the only game in town, I'll watch MNS no matter how good or not it is, but by jaysus its poor at the moment.

Saying nothing new here, but the balance between highlights and drone drone drone drone drone analysis is so far out of kilter its no longer funny. I've taken to watching it on player and skipping huge sections of it. The only time I watch every second of it is when Kenny Cunningham is on. His eyebrows are hypnotic.

[peadar1987]

I can only assume that this guy is going to be a surprise inclusion in Arsenal's starting lineup, because he's got zero connection with North London:

http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/peadar1987/barstool.png

[nigel-harps1954]

Today I'm scratching my head toward the outpouring of emotion at a 71 year old man retiring.

Joe Brollys twitter account however, had kept me laughing for a few minutes.

This quote in particular, I quite enjoyed


"Giving your loyalty to an english soccer club is like endlessly chasing after a woman who has no interest in you."

[Spudulika]

I wouldn't knock Alex Ferguson, he did a big turnaround with a club that were not even 2nd best for most of my childhood. He's made money for lots of people and for himself, so fair play. What kicks me in the nuts, however, is hearing Irish media and goms calling him "Sir Alex". Just doesn't fit.

[nigel-harps1954]

I wouldn't knock the man either. He's done an unbelievable job, a title every two years on average over 26 years is unbelievable.

But holy feck...the outpouring of emotion in the Irish public is cringeworthy.

Just had an argument with an old school friend of mine. He's never been to Old Trafford. Never put a cent into the club. Never been inside Finn Park, despite living ten minutes from the ground.
Yet, when I posted a few Joe Brolly quotes on Facebook..he replies simply with "that's bulls**t" and proceeds to tell me how Irish football is crap..just like the Irish team..
It really makes you wonder.

[legendz]

I wouldn't knock the man either. He's done an unbelievable job, a title every two years on average over 26 years is unbelievable.

But holy feck...the outpouring of emotion in the Irish public is cringeworthy.

Just had an argument with an old school friend of mine. He's never been to Old Trafford. Never put a cent into the club. Never been inside Finn Park, despite living ten minutes from the ground.
Yet, when I posted a few Joe Brolly quotes on Facebook..he replies simply with "that's bulls**t" and proceeds to tell me how Irish football is crap..just like the Irish team..
It really makes you wonder.
I wouldn't knock Alex Ferguson either.

What's wrong with the outpouring of emotion in the Irish public? Sure Man Utd are the best team in Ireland!

[avvenalaf]

I wouldn't knock Alex Ferguson either.

What's wrong with the outpouring of emotion in the Irish public? Sure Man Utd are the best team in Ireland!

Will you cop on to yourself - everyone knows that Shamrock Rovers are the best team in Ireland/Europe:p

[Charlie Darwin]

Reminds me of somebody that gave out about one of our ex-managers for attending a match involving both teams we were playing the following week, when it was on tv. I remember thinking to myself that I would disregard any opinion even remotely related to football that he had after that.
That's just ridiculous. Any decent manager (Cook, Baraclough, O'Neill, Croly) will go to the game and then use the tapes to enhance their initial analysis. Even Trapattoni has conceded that seeing games in the skin in beneficial to his DVD analysis, and he's watching games that are shot for 100 different angles.


Could MNS potentially be moved to a Tuesday night (with a different name obviously) to allow a little more time to put together longer/better highlights rather than the 2 minute long ones they do now. Surely they could stretch a few games out to at least 5 minutes of highlights with a bit more time on their hands to do so. That still leaves plenty of time for talking about the game. Right now it seems they just cut to the time of goals or a red card and then might throw in one or two more highlights from a game like its a rushed job.
The timeframe is nothing to do with the shallowness of the coverage on MNS. Soccer Saturday can play extended highlights because they are presented with a huge package that they can edit down. LOI games are shot from one angle and that can get tedious for even the most devoted supporter. LOI coverage will get better once there are multiple camera angles and some of them will have to be provided by the clubs themselves to a professional standard.

[peadar1987]

That's just ridiculous. Any decent manager (Cook, Baraclough, O'Neill, Croly) will go to the game and then use the tapes to enhance their initial analysis. Even Trapattoni has conceded that seeing games in the skin in beneficial to his DVD analysis, and he's watching games that are shot for 100 different angles.


The timeframe is nothing to do with the shallowness of the coverage on MNS. Soccer Saturday can play extended highlights because they are presented with a huge package that they can edit down. LOI games are shot from one angle and that can get tedious for even the most devoted supporter. LOI coverage will get better once there are multiple camera angles and some of them will have to be provided by the clubs themselves to a professional standard.

It's one of those things that needs leadership and organisation. If the clubs got together and decided they were going to start shooting professional quality footage from various different angles, it could probably be done. So basically like everything else, it's lost in the sea of short-termism that is the League of Ireland

[Charlie Darwin]

The day LOI clubs collaborate together for the long-term health of the league is the day the Catholic Church holds its hands up and says "wow, maybe we were wrong to protect the church's name above the well-being of children".

[bluemovie]

Intriguing barstooler experiment launched by Waterford United that could save or break our club. We're playing a Man U XI (presumably their kids/reserves) on the 18th July. Tickets are €30 a pop. Man U's first team will be in Sydney at the time which you'd imagine every big diehard 'supporter' would know. The club will still market it as Man U. Tickets go on sale at the Wexford match tomorrow meaning you have to pay a tenner in before you can buy a ticket. I think the laying of a new running track at the RSC means we might only have the 3000 seats available whereas we got another 2500 standing against Liverpool's youths two years ago (€10 standing).

Now, the big experiment as fas as I'm concerned is that we're testing the elasticity of demand for barstoolers to get off their backsides, get some fresh air and see their 'future heroes'. I have my doubts that we'll sell it out in a town that's on it's knees, but it will be mightily interesting to see and the immediate future of the club depends upon us making a shedload of money from this. It's a massive gamble and will tell a lot about the nature of the local barstoolers.

[gufcfan]

Not calling the team what it is does more harm than good imo.

[Sean South]

The day LOI clubs collaborate together for the long-term health of the league is the day the Catholic Church holds its hands up and says "wow, maybe we were wrong to protect the church's name above the well-being of children".

I often see comments like this on this forum. What do you suggest clubs do together that will improve the long term health of the league?

[Macy]

I often see comments like this on this forum. What do you suggest clubs do together that will improve the long term health of the league?
Or when they're actively working against each other? Only time recently was the P1 proposal, which really depends on which side of the fence you were as to who was working against the greater good. The turkeys even voted for Christmas handing control over to the FAI. Things have calmed down, imo, since we lost the biscuit tin welding one.

[nigel-harps1954]

Tickets go on sale at the Wexford match tomorrow meaning you have to pay a tenner in before you can buy a ticket.


Seen this done in Finn Park a few years ago with the Celtic first team coming to town.

About 600 people paid in, got their ticket for the match, and left.

The mind boggles.

[peadar1987]

I often see comments like this on this forum. What do you suggest clubs do together that will improve the long term health of the league?

Take their eyes off the short-term wages arms-race for long enough to put together a concerted and sustained national promotion plan for the league into effect, for one.

[bluemovie]

Seen this done in Finn Park a few years ago with the Celtic first team coming to town.

About 600 people paid in, got their ticket for the match, and left.

The mind boggles.

Same happened when we were selling Liverpool tickets two years ago. If 600 pay a tenner to get in, then leave, that's still an extra six grand raised so happy days.

[dong]

Not calling the team what it is does more harm than good imo.

I hope it sells out.

[Sean South]

Take their eyes off the short-term wages arms-race for long enough to put together a concerted and sustained national promotion plan for the league into effect, for one.

We could move the league to North Korea too... Clubs seem to pay what they can afford these days and if clubs are stupid enough to over spend they get what they deserve.

[peadar1987]

We could move the league to North Korea too... Clubs seem to pay what they can afford these days and if clubs are stupid enough to over spend they get what they deserve.

I'm guessing your facetious North Korea comment is because you don't have a decent counter-argument.

[Sean South]

I'm guessing your facetious North Korea comment is because you don't have a decent counter-argument.
Read the next sentence too. There has always and will always be a wages "arms race" in football. If you want the best players available to play for you, then you pay what the market dictates. So going by your tin foil hat wearing idea clubs like Shams and Sligo Rovers should only spend the same amount on wages as Bray? Like I said if clubs over spend on more then they can afford they get what the deserve. On your other point of a gh to put together a concerted and "sustained national promotion plan for the league" can you elaborate on that one because it sounds like another moon man fantasy.

[peadar1987]

Read the next sentence too. There has always and will always be a wages "arms race" in football. If you want the best players available to play for you, then you pay what the market dictates. So going by your tin foil hat wearing idea clubs like Shams and Sligo Rovers should only spend the same amount on wages as Bray? Like I said if clubs over spend on more then they can afford they get what the deserve. On your other point of a gh to put together a concerted and "sustained national promotion plan for the league" can you elaborate on that one because it sounds like another moon man fantasy.

Tin foil hat? How have I demonstrated paranoia or a persecution complex at any point?

When have I ever suggested that all clubs pay their players the same wages? I was talking

Do you think that a well-organised and professional national promotion of the league, with cross-media advertising and large-scale exposure, wouldn't be of benefit to the LOI?

[Macy]

Do you think that a well-organised and professional national promotion of the league, with cross-media advertising and large-scale exposure, wouldn't be of benefit to the LOI?
Did it work a few years ago when it was done, with all the radio ads (John Creedon is one that sticks in my memory for some reason)? Would it be of some benefit? Probably, but I'd seriously question the return on investment on such a promotion to be honest. Some slick advertising isn't going to get "the best fans in the world" off their arses.

Facilities (not necessarily seats/ new stands) are more important imo - once someone comes give them enough comfort to not be put off coming back.

[Sean South]

Tin foil hat? How have I demonstrated paranoia or a persecution complex at any point?

When have I ever suggested that all clubs pay their players the same wages? I was talking

Do you think that a well-organised and professional national promotion of the league, with cross-media advertising and large-scale exposure, wouldn't be of benefit to the LOI?

Well do tell how you're going to end this wages "arms race" so?

And no to your last point, its a waste of money. If clubs get reasonable facilities and work in building the club within their community that's when you see results.

[hoops1]

Well do tell how you're going to end this wages "arms race" so?

And no to your last point, its a waste of money. If clubs get reasonable facilities and work in building the club within their community that's when you see results.

Id imagine what you would do is let all current contracts expire. Say it takes 3 years max.
Then the clubs get together and say ok lads this isnt good enough for the next x amount of years nobody is paying any wages. Put your wages into schoolboy development, facilities whatever.
The FAI say we arent giving any prize money either.
Everybody is then forced to take a longer term look at things.
It really is that simple, all thats needed is desire, time and patience.
Sure you would lose most of the current players but lets be honest most of them are not very good either way
Crowds would not be as effected as you would think if younger players were given a chance instead.
Sure most LOI fans would still go even if you put cats out on the pitch playing in the teams colours

[Charlie Darwin]

I agree. Advertising is a waste of money when the product isn't particularly attractive.

The main thing clubs can do is get their own houses in order, but I think there's plenty they could do with a little cooperation too. Some sort of coordinated approach to counter the industry of packing kids off to England and Scotland would be a good start, putting in place a system whereby 15-18 year olds are shown a clear and definable path to league football, training camps where the best players can audition for all the clubs, pool PR resources to promote the league in the media rather than individual clubs.

[Macy]

We're supposed to have a system that limits the amount that can be spent on wages, freeing up money for facilities/ community work etc. It's called Licencing. Only way I'd say no prize money, is no fees as well.

I actually think the product is alright, rather than not "particularly attractive". The problem is the punters - we're never going to compete with the EPL on quality, and too many just don't "get" going to a match rather than watching TV. At least one sub conference level english club has an irish supporters club ffs! We just have to accept that and live within our means and make it as comfortable as possible for those that do take a club up on a "free kids" promotion or whatever. This is something the club can control - facilities.

[Fivesilver]

I agree that facilities should be improved, but for the sake of those already attending. You're not going to attract the Great Irish Football Fan, no matter what you try. As Macy says, they just don't get it.
Maybe if all clubs could substitute the seating with barstools, install counters for punters to rest their elbows on, and then have idiotic commentators and half-baked half-time 'analysis' so they know what to think, we might get some of them in.

[TonyD]

I agree that facilities should be improved, but for the sake of those already attending. You're not going to attract the Great Irish Football Fan, no matter what you try. As Macy says, they just don't get it.
Maybe if all clubs could substitute the seating with barstools, install counters for punters to rest their elbows on, and then have idiotic commentators and half-baked half-time 'analysis' so they know what to think, we might get some of them in.

And you'd have to have SKY and the newspapers tell them beforehand too that they should be interested and that the game matters.

I've said this before, I think it all comes down to perception. From the top to the bottom in this country, from the FAI (witness John Delaneys comments after the Ireland/France playoff that "it's not Bohs v Waterford we're talking about here".) and the media, the whole message is that football here doesn't matter. It's not "real" football, that happens in England. When you start to think a game matters and is important, that's when it becomes so. The trick is to convince Irish people that Bohs v Rovers, Pats v Derry, etc etc, is a big game and is important.

[SkStu]

A Liverpool fans perspective on the atmosphere in the Bohs end at the derby on Friday. Barstoolers really don't know what they're missing.


Just going to copy and paste a comment from the justice in tallaght video on youtube. I think this lad was standing beside us and he was really getting into it. Everything he says is smack on the money

"I'm just home after coming from Ireland,I live in Liverpool born and bred,And I was in the Bohs end when that goal went in.I loved it,It's the 5th league of Ireland game I have ever been to and I thought it was amazing,And I will be coming back again,How Irish fans support our teams is beyond me when you have things like that on your doorstep.Amazing day,Great passion,I'd actually say you lads beat us in terms of passion even when we play Everton,Thanks for everything guys.You were fantastic."

[Charlie Darwin]

Glad to hear they enjoyed it. It was as big a Bohs support as I've seen in Tallaght for a couple of years - any reason for that? Not having a go, I'm genuinely glad Bohs are bringing more faces in.

[SkStu]

Rovers gave us more tickets than last couple of years? Security reasons for past allocations i presume. There are a handful of Bohs fans who don't like the Tallaght experience but we have sold out our allocation or come very close each and every time.

[Charlie Darwin]

Can you not pay in at the door?

[SkStu]

Are you really asking me that?

Anyways, I'd rather keep using this thread for 'stooler bashing than analyzing attendance patterns for ding dong Dublin derbies.

[Dalymountrower]

Glad to hear they enjoyed it. It was as big a Bohs support as I've seen in Tallaght for a couple of years - any reason for that? Not having a go, I'm genuinely glad Bohs are bringing more faces in.

Big enough crowd too for our 1-0 win last year. I think if you go to one of these games once ,you`ll go again, and that`s why the away numbers have steadily increased The Luas is handy from town, it is well policed ,there is a cracking atmosphere, it is a comfortable stadium and a good pitch. Why any Bohs fan in Ireland wouldn`t want to be there is beyond me

[marinobohs]

Big enough crowd too for our 1-0 win last year. I think if you go to one of these games once ,you`ll go again, and that`s why the away numbers have steadily increased The Luas is handy from town, it is well policed ,there is a cracking atmosphere, it is a comfortable stadium and a good pitch. Why any Bohs fan in Ireland wouldn`t want to be there is beyond me

+1. Pretty much it. Always a cracking atmosphere and (whatever we both say) fans of both lookm forward to it. Shams V Bohs (or Bohs V Shams) is a game I would recomend to any barstooler - and the best chance of them seeing the light :cool:


LUAS and the fact the Gardai have the fixture well controlled have also encouraged a few more to attend, and in a time of declining attendances this is to be welcomed.

PS As Charlie says it was possible to pay in at the gate on Friday, which has also helped get fans out (late callers or people who find it difficult to get a ticket in advance)

[BonnieShels]

There's a discussion of the merits of EPL v LOI going on behind me in the office.

*must resist*

[Fivesilver]

Stay out of it - tempting, but unfair, to enter a battle of wits against the unarmed.