Thursday night again?!

[NY Hoop]

Lads,

Have Derry gone back to the dreaded thursday night football again? And if so why?

KOH

[MariborKev]

Aye

Crowds are significantly better on a Thursday

[NY Hoop]

Significantly better? Dont think so. Been up there on both nights and the crowd seemed the same. How would you like to travel to Dublin on a thursday night?

Farcical decision. Football is a weekend game. Derry on a saturday night is great especially when we stay over. Look for ever decreasing away crowds. Really the league should step in here and not be allowing clubs to change fixtures. More paddy practise...........

KOH

[A face]

Agreed ... Derry on a Thursday is impossible. It is hard to imagine that crowds would be better on a Thursday.

[OneRedArmy]

Agreed ... Derry on a Thursday is impossible. It is hard to imagine that crowds would be better on a Thursday.

I agree that Thursday is ridiculous and it also hurt us at the end of last season when we had to play our "midweek" matches on a Monday or Tuesday and then again on Thursday night.

However, whilst it will probably reduce the large crowd Rovers bring up it won't make much difference to the 20 to 50 odd most other non-Dublin clubs bring.

A Face, our first home game with Cork was played on a Saturday night earlier this season and from what I could see compared with last season there was no increase in travelling support. 600 miles round trip is a long way whatever day of the week it is, although your Munster friends from up the coast brought a sizeable crowd up on Saturday night. You wouldn't want to be losing that best supported club in Ireland moniker you gave yourself now would you? ;)

[NY Hoop]

Well cos the ****s that run our league have gone back to the stupid 12 team league next season there will be no midweek games.

I take your point about the other Dublin clubs' support but take into account it's not just the supporters who are inconvenienced. Most of our players are part time and the officials are'nt too amused with this either. Fair play to the blues with the sizeable crowd they brought up for what is a savage away trip.

I'm sure the home faithful there arent too happy with it either. I remember ye protested against it when it first started. I guess my point is where will it end? If clubs just keep thinking of themselves we could end up having matches whenever clubs like and it could get ridiculous. I've stayed over there countless times and along with cork is the best away trip of the season.......

Please use common sense and get back to saturday night.


KOH

[MariborKev]

NY

Understand that the decision wasn't taken lightly but for financial necessity. Our crowds were drastically reduced on a Saturday and despite increased away support we were still dropping a few K in sterling in gate receipts every week.

Players were signed on the basis of Saturday night and I am sure they are not just enamoured with it either but what can you do. As an exile who faces a 75 mile round trip for home games Saturday suits me much better as well but it seriously wasn't working

[NY Hoop]

I dont know. Have been up on both nights and there didnt seem to be a lot of difference. Having said that a fixture change requires both clubs to agree so the away clubs are just as culpable for putting up with it.

Still the league should step in and force all games to be played on saturdays and sundays. We must be the only league in the world to play fixtures midweek!

KOH

[dortie]

I dont know. Have been up on both nights and there didnt seem to be a lot of difference. Having said that a fixture change requires both clubs to agree so the away clubs are just as culpable for putting up with it.

Still the league should step in and force all games to be played on saturdays and sundays. We must be the only league in the world to play fixtures midweek!

KOH


Have to agree with what you are saying, I for one cant stand the thursday night football as i love to have a few beer and working on a friday rules that out. I dont honestly see a big difference in the attendance between both nights, but if the club are saying its better then I will have to stick with it.

Also agree that the away support to our ground is pathetic (apart from Rovers). To be honest with you though, i go to 90% of our away games and i have to take time off for friday nights too....
The league should make a stand for Saturday nights or Sunday afternoons.

[NY Hoop]

Exactly it should be saturday nights or sunday afternoons. But fridays are ok for derbies e.g. Rovers v b**z, shels v pats etc.

Didnt they abolish the mile rule a while back? I think it was if the game is over 100 miles away it had to be played at the weekend? Bring back that back asap.

KOH

[thecorner]

although your Munster friends from up the coast brought a sizeable crowd up on Saturday night. You wouldn't want to be losing that best supported club in Ireland moniker you gave yourself now would you? ;)


we had a bus organised togo up there on a saturday and then your board went away and changed it to a thursday.

thursday is near impossible for most fans

p.s. how come the waaaaherfur game was on a saturday

[dortie]

we had a bus organised togo up there on a saturday and then your board went away and changed it to a thursday.

thursday is near impossible for most fans

p.s. how come the waaaaherfur game was on a saturday


All our games have been played on a saturday, they seem to be moving back to Thursdays from this week on.
As ive said before too, Friday is just as bloody bad for travelling over 100 mile as you have to take time off work. I reckon I use about 70 hours a year taking half days on a friday.

As NY Hoop said, why cant the league even try a Saturday/Sunday evening or afternoon like the Irish league for ALL games. It can only increase the away support. When we travel to Longford for saturday night games we take twice the support.

[wws]

well derry picked a stupid time to start changin their mind
i know pats had about three buses lined up for this between various parties travelling and two groups had hotels booked for the overnight
would have been a large vocal contingent
now we'll be lucky to fill a 24 seater on a thursday :rolleyes:


doubt very much Derry get any more on a Thursday than a sat - AND YOU'D THINK BY THIS STAGE THEY'D FCKN KNOW WHAT WAS THE BEST DAY! (no excuse for changin midseason)

end of rant

[NY Hoop]

Dont think clubs will play sat afternoon especially with setanta beaming in live premier****. We played cark on a saturday night a few weeks back and still they didnt bring great support!

Having said that looking forward to a saturday night in Ballybofey next season.

Could be wrong but think the league leaned on Derry to change back to saturday nights a while back. It's a disgrace to change mid season all right and can definitely sympathise with the pats fans there. We had a super weekend there july especially with bottles for £1.40!!!!


KOH

[OneRedArmy]

well derry picked a stupid time to start changin their mind
i know pats had about three buses lined up for this between various parties travelling and two groups had hotels booked for the overnight
would have been a large vocal contingent
now we'll be lucky to fill a 24 seater on a thursday :rolleyes:


doubt very much Derry get any more on a Thursday than a sat - AND YOU'D THINK BY THIS STAGE THEY'D FCKN KNOW WHAT WAS THE BEST DAY! (no excuse for changin midseason)

end of rant

Agree 100%. Changing it mid-season is amateurish.

[thecorner]

All our games have been played on a saturday, they seem to be moving back to Thursdays from this week on.
.

UR WRONG THERE DORTIE

city were down down to play derry on a saturday only 3 or 4 weeks ago and derry changed it to a thursday

it was eventually called off because of ur replay with shels in the cup

[thecorner]

We played cark on a saturday night a few weeks back and still they didnt bring great support!




KOH

that evening we probably had more support than ye ever brought to the cross

[dortie]

well derry picked a stupid time to start changin their mind
i know pats had about three buses lined up for this between various parties travelling and two groups had hotels booked for the overnight
would have been a large vocal contingent
now we'll be lucky to fill a 24 seater on a thursday :rolleyes:


doubt very much Derry get any more on a Thursday than a sat - AND YOU'D THINK BY THIS STAGE THEY'D FCKN KNOW WHAT WAS THE BEST DAY! (no excuse for changin midseason)

end of rant


I think what you have to take into consideration is the official attendance figures for the club. Ive been told by reliable sources that we do take more through the turnstiles on a thursday night. Ok it may be only an extra 250 or so but the best away support we ever witness on saturday nights is around 40-60. So if the club can get an exta 200x£8 (£1,600) a game they have to go for it. You have to admit that even at this late stage of the season with maybe only another 6 homes games left it makes sense if the club will take in around £9,000 sterling ?? Dont you agree ??
Before anyone replies I actually prefer Saturday nights myself and hate the thought of going back to thursday nights. But if the club is to make extra money who am i to question it.

Saturday night for all league games is my preferred opinion.

Oh, Id rather have the FAI cup final on a saturday afternoon too, sundays are a drab ****** of a day with work the next morning

Best Away support to the Brandywell over past 2 years.....

1. Shamrock Rovers
2. St Patricks Athletic

[tiktok]

What is it about Thursday nights that gets more fans out? Genuine Q.
Is it that the pubs and clubs take from it on saturday, people heading off for the weekend?

[thecorner]

What is it about Thursday nights that gets more fans out? Genuine Q.
Is it that the pubs and clubs take from it on saturday, people heading off for the weekend?

they go to mass on saturday evenings ;)

[NY Hoop]

that evening we probably had more support than ye ever brought to the cross

Keep dreaming. We used to bring great crowds when it was sunday down there but since friday nights.........

Dont forget you're the only show in town down there whereas we have 4 clubs so considering you had not even a hundred up on a saturday, and an All Ireland, you've got to admit that's not good considering you've got "The best support in Ireland"!


KOH

[tiktok]

......so considering you had not even a hundred up on a saturday, and an All Ireland, you've got to admit that's not good considering you've got "The best support in Ireland"!...

To be honest, as you say, considering that it was a saturday and that the All-Ireland was on the next day the numbers we had disappointed me. There was more than a hundred of us there to be fair though :rolleyes:

[thecorner]

so considering you had not even a hundred up on a saturday, and an All Ireland, you've got to admit that's not good considering you've got "The best support in Ireland"!



yes we have got the best support in ireland...facts and figures prove that

and we had well more then 100 up there

in fact we nearly have more than 100 at every away game

when is the last time rovers even brought 50 to the cross :eek:

[dortie]

What is it about Thursday nights that gets more fans out? Genuine Q.
Is it that the pubs and clubs take from it on saturday, people heading off for the weekend?


I seriously think its to do with the 'Saturday night out' syndrom....All over Ireland not Just in Derry people tend to go out drinking/for meals with their families/wives/gfs. If your not getting out of a game to around 9.30pm it makes it more difficult for people to do both.

You know yourself the diehards like you or me will not give a flying feck about what the wife/gf has to say but theres a 'core' of support out there that will dwindle away if they have other 'plans'....!! Saturday nights for me over the past few seasons was 'lads night out at the game' / even friday nights if we are playing away, but not all fans can manage it (pussies).

When we started playing Saturday nights the board brought the KO forward by 15 minutes to 7.30pm....still too late I thought, a KO around 6.30 or 7pm would have given that 'core' the option of going to the game then doing whatever else they had planned.

Oh...Corner boy.....I never went to mass on a saturday night, last one on a sunday morning if i got home from the night before lol

[Colm]

Keep dreaming. We used to bring great crowds when it was sunday down there but since friday nights.........

Dont forget you're the only show in town down there whereas we have 4 clubs so considering you had not even a hundred up on a saturday, and an All Ireland, you've got to admit that's not good considering you've got "The best support in Ireland"!


There about 200 of us there, not 100, which is still dissappointing considering it was a Saturday. We have in fact brought bigger crowds to some friday games this season (both Pats games and the first Bohs trip spring to mind). We'll bring at least 400 to Waterford in a few weeks and we even had alright crowds in Derry and Longford. Tell me when was the last time ye brought more than 100 to a game outside of Dublin?

[thecorner]

We'll bring at least 400 to Waterford in a few weeks

400+

take over the stand again...overflow

love this trip.

yellow house here we come

[dortie]

None of you will beat the 'away' support between Derry and Finn Harps. At every derby in the past there is at least 800 or so away fans, the play-off last year seen us take over 2,000 fans to Ballybofey.

Id rather see them rot in the first division were they belong but it looks like we will have an easy 9 points next season again.

[NY Hoop]

There about 200 of us there, not 100, which is still dissappointing considering it was a Saturday. We have in fact brought bigger crowds to some friday games this season (both Pats games and the first Bohs trip spring to mind). We'll bring at least 400 to Waterford in a few weeks and we even had alright crowds in Derry and Longford. Tell me when was the last time ye brought more than 100 to a game outside of Dublin?

200 my arse. Eh scroll up and read what I said last time.

Last time we brought more than a 100 outside Dublin? Probably Longford and Drogheda and for last year Poland and Liberec.

We still have the most dedicated hardcore there is considering the amount of crap we've had to put up with in the last 17 years.

Dortie surely Harps coming up is better than dublin ****y being in the premier?!

KOH

[dortie]

Dortie surely Harps coming up is better than dublin ****y being in the premier?!

KOH

Yep, cant wait to see Dublin City relegated, another club with nothing to bring to Irish football. Id rather have Dundalk or Sligo promoted than Harps though........

Unfortunately Dublin City's rivals in the 'fans department' will be up again too...UC Fecking D

[thecorner]

Last time we brought more than a 100 outside Dublin? Probably Longford and Drogheda and for last year Poland and Liberec.






what a bunch of supporters. fair play to ye :rolleyes:

500+ we had in nantes

easily bring about 600 to waherfur

carlsberg dont do away support but if they did.......................... ;)

[OneRedArmy]

what a bunch of supporters. fair play to ye :rolleyes:

500+ we had in nantes

easily bring about 600 to waherfur

carlsberg dont do away support but if they did.......................... ;)

There's nothing like the sound of a bandwagon rolling by........

And Corner, whenever you bring as many to Derry as we did to Cork for the cup semi two years ago then you can use your Carlsberg line :D

BTW NYHOOP, your lot def had more than 100 in Derry earlier in the season.

[wws]

lads the who brings the most away fans debate is infantile and I steer well clear of it (afterall 20 hardcore pats fans or my mates on tour will always be a "better" crowd to me than 10,000 of any other teams - its all relative to the banter and craic)

anywho just in reply to dorties reply to my post:

yeah I agree with you Dortie my point is why has this realisation dawned on them now?

surely to god derry have already played on both nights in seasons gone by - they know well by now and should have known at the start of teh season

we'll have a sh;t crowd tonight but its the people who booked overnights that are really put out - dont change horses in mid stream - too much short termism in this league when it comes to planning

[dortie]

lads the who brings the most away fans debate is infantile and I steer well clear of it (afterall 20 hardcore pats fans or my mates on tour will always be a "better" crowd to me than 10,000 of any other teams - its all relative to the banter and craic)

anywho just in reply to dorties reply to my post:

yeah I agree with you Dortie my point is why has this realisation dawned on them now?

surely to god derry have already played on both nights in seasons gone by - they know well by now and should have known at the start of teh season

we'll have a sh;t crowd tonight but its the people who booked overnights that are really put out - dont change horses in mid stream - too much short termism in this league when it comes to planning


No grounds to argue, Im ****ed off myself at our clubs decision, I hate thursday nights, I cant have a good bloody drink !!!...And I understand your 'overnighters' anger as I myself spend many a friday night in Dubland.

[MariborKev]

WWS

At the start of the season it was believed that the League was going to implement a "set nights" policy so we thought that Saturday would be our best(can't have Friday due to doggies)

However Dublin City ploughed ahead with a Thursday night policy.

Crowds were significantly down so at oen of the regular Fans Forums the board announced that we would move back to a Thursday night for a trial basis. Crowds have improved so we are staying on a Thursday for the moment

[wws]

was that an improved crowd last night?

any way, Jim Roddy walked by us in the second half - let him know our thoughts on the thursday "switch" :D - he didnt look a happy camper

[dortie]

was that an improved crowd last night?

any way, Jim Roddy walked by us in the second half - let him know our thoughts on the thursday "switch" :D - he didnt look a happy camper

To me it looked the same as the Saturday crowd, around 2,000 there last night.

[corkharps]

What is it about Thursday nights that gets more fans out? Genuine Q.
Is it that the pubs and clubs take from it on saturday, people heading off for the weekend?

Thursday is dole day! Friday night is doggy night! Saturday night no money! :rolleyes:

[dortie]

Thursday is dole day! Friday night is doggy night! Saturday night no money! :rolleyes:

Says the redneck who cant get a Job in Bogland (Donegal)

You should try and get to a Harps game and bring the attendance up to an average of 601