Sadlier in today's Indo

[gustavo]

Shamrock Rovers
Sligo
Cork City
Derry City
Louth Utd
Kerry unknowns(?)
Midlands fc
Dublin City United
St Patricks
Galway athletic.

piece of pi$$.
put small town bitterness & rivalry aside and embrace the future
Agreed - Though would suggest merging Bohemians and Shamrock Rovers - Bohemian Rovers or Bohs for short. :)

[SwanVsDalton]

Really good, considered response to O'Hara and Sadlier on Back Page Football (http://backpagefootball.com/defending-the-league-of-ireland/61921/).

Nails the fallacy of the 'bitter LOI fan' cliche nicely. Probably too much to hope the aforementioned writers think twice of lazily reaching for it next time they need a stick to beat the league with.

[ArdeeBhoy]

Agreed - Though would suggest merging Bohemians and Shamrock Rovers - Bohemian Rovers or Bohs for short. :)

​'Bhams', surely...
;)

[oriel]

Could also look at merging Dundalk and Drogs, a name just springs to mind, Dundalk Utd, as long as the games are held in Oriel Park and the Drogs fans go to the away end. :)

[peadar1987]

The league is fine they way it is, stop trying to fix it.

http://1-media-cdn.foolz.us/ffuuka/board/vg/image/1336/95/1336950898501.jpg

[Macy]

More bs from the Irish media/ commentators, trying to justify their own lack of interest in the league.

There are plenty of good ideas about how things could be improved and made more attractive, but most of them involve money the clubs and the FAI don't have. Nothing stopping central contracts now for example. Tax breaks mentioned earlier in the thread apply to all sports not just rugby, and are taken advantage of now by football players. In fact the tax breaks are keeping decent players out of the league at the moment as they approach retirement as they take advantage of the payback!

Provincial rugby goes back to the 19th century, and while they're effectively clubs themselves now, you can't dismiss that history and extrapolate the success of the provincial "franchise" system to football. It's a totally different set up of the sport, with guaranteed access to the top competitions (at the moment). Long term, it remains to be seen how rugby does - the future of the European cup in the air, French clubs spending bigger and bigger, and perhaps a time when the provinces aren't as strong (Munster’s attendances have dropped off a fair way now they're only pretty good, not brilliant).

Franchise football will not work, and the reality is that in most parts of the country there is only one club. Would "Longford County" established 2014 be anymore appealing than "Longford Town" established 1924 or "Westmeath United" as opposed to "Athlone Town"? The biggest games are the derbies - i.e. the "petty rivalries" that'd be done away with if we had franchise football.

There's a lot of dross spoke about other sports though in terms of attendance too - it's not comparing like with like when looking at GAA counties playing a few games a year and comparing them to a full season league in football. We should accept that the majority of sports fans aren't interested in live sport and deal with it. Live within our means in our niche sport - it really is their loss. There are things that could be done to improve things - an AIL is no silver bullet, but would give us the clubs to put in place a proper structure. And if not that, it's time to look at things like a North/South or East/ West conference split with play offs imo. But they aren't going to make many more go week in, week out short term - a few big games though and money that wouldn't go amiss (long term you'd hope people would see what they're missing when they did turn up).

As I said in another similar thread, the media, media commentators and fans of TV football continually feel the need to justify their choice with bs excuses as to why they don't support the LoI. It says more about them than it does about the LoI and LoI fans.

[bennocelt]

Exactly Macy - its getting boring listening to the excuses at this stage. The league is what it is, probably will remain like this for a good while until someone seriously invests or the fai get their arse in gear. It isnt a bad league but we will never attract the big crowds as we are event junkies and thats it. Franchise football? tut tut

[hoops1]

Séamus Coleman isn't an exception; he's proof that your notion that a player can't go from the LoI and become a top, top player is wrong (Kevin Moran and Paul McGrath would be other exceptions). It's hard, of course, but then it's hard to become a top, top player.

You are forgetting someone!

[pineapple stu]

Ronan Finn hasn't bothered making the jump yet!

The really ironic thing is that articles like Sadlier hurt the league more than anything; it just gives non-LoI fans an excuse not to bother. "Ah sure look; it's a joke. It needs all this done to it. Sure look at Australia/US/random country I know nothing about really. Sure tis obvious. Then it'll be good and I'll go."

[Dodge]

http://1-media-cdn.foolz.us/ffuuka/board/vg/image/1336/95/1336950898501.jpg

To be fair, a lot of it is perception. The league has been going for 90+ years and every weeks thousands go to see their teams. For most, they go and enjoy themselves (even if sadomasochists). There is FAR too much naval gazing within some LOI circles.

There's loads of problems with the clubs, but there's loads of good points too. Continually focussing on the negative and trying and justify their existence to shtehawks like sadlier who wouldn't **** on the league if he wasn't being paid to watch the games is counter-productive IMO

The clubs would be far better off saying "look we're here, we're not going away, now either join the party or shut up" to all the people who can't wait to see the league fail.

As long as clubs can pay their way, and people get entertainment each week, the league will be fine.

Stop comparing it to GAA or EPL and enjoy it for what it is.

[bennocelt]

To be fair, a lot of it is perception. The league has been going for 90+ years and every weeks thousands go to see their teams. For most, they go and enjoy themselves (even if sadomasochists).

The clubs would be far better off saying "look we're here, we're not going away, now either join the party or shut up" to all the people who can't wait to see the league fail.

As long as clubs can pay their way, and people get entertainment each week, the league will be fine.

Stop comparing it to GAA or EPL and enjoy it for what it is.

Its hard to be constantly compared to the EPL. Wondering is the LOI getting similar crowds to nations with the same co efficients on the uefa table (ie small time leagues)- Estonia, Iceland, Montengro, Malta, Finland, etc? Without looking Id say we are.

[gormacha]

enjoy it for what it is.

I love it for its quirkiness, and not despite it. :)

[wonder88]

The league always had poor enough crowds. I remember the takings of a Shelbourne game in Tolka being stolen in a raid and the sum of money was 100 pounds, I think it was in the 1980's. Costs have gone up a lot in the last two decades, with bigger squads, medical expenses etc, ask anyone involved with a GAA club know how much more difficult it is now to field teams.

[Closed Account 2]

Its hard to be constantly compared to the EPL. Wondering is the LOI getting similar crowds to nations with the same co efficients on the uefa table (ie small time leagues)- Estonia, Iceland, Montengro, Malta, Finland, etc? Without looking Id say we are.

http://comparetheleagues.com/

Looks like the average attendance is above Estonia, below Finland, can't compare with other leagues as they are not on the list... But to be fair to Estonia it's population is only a quarter of Ireland's.

[Dodge]

The league always had poor enough crowds. I remember the takings of a Shelbourne game in Tolka being stolen in a raid and the sum of money was 100 pounds, I think it was in the 1980's. Costs have gone up a lot in the last two decades, with bigger squads, medical expenses etc, ask anyone involved with a GAA club know how much more difficult it is now to field teams.

Shels moved out of Harold's Cross for the 1989/90 season (replaced by Pats for a little while)

[Sean South]

To be fair, a lot of it is perception. The league has been going for 90+ years and every weeks thousands go to see their teams. For most, they go and enjoy themselves (even if sadomasochists). There is FAR too much naval gazing within some LOI circles.

There's loads of problems with the clubs, but there's loads of good points too. Continually focussing on the negative and trying and justify their existence to shtehawks like sadlier who wouldn't **** on the league if he wasn't being paid to watch the games is counter-productive IMO

The clubs would be far better off saying "look we're here, we're not going away, now either join the party or shut up" to all the people who can't wait to see the league fail.

As long as clubs can pay their way, and people get entertainment each week, the league will be fine.

Stop comparing it to GAA or EPL and enjoy it for what it is.
Would you go away with that common sense post and let Peadar1987 write a long post for the 2233rd time about what the "league" should do to make it a top top league.

[peadar1987]

Would you go away with that common sense post and let Peadar1987 write a long post for the 2233rd time about what the "league" should do to make it a top top league.

That's a load of crap. I also write long posts about Termonbarry and wall construction.

[ArdeeBhoy]

Richie S suddenly gets 'famous'...


http://sphotos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-frc3/996921_10151912275236042_728414216_n.jpg

[TonyD]

Players like McClean, Long, Fahey, Doyle, Forde will never be in the top bracket of players. They simply went to UK to late. The made good careers for themselves but after making an initial splash, they plateau in terms of develeopment. Their glass ceiling is alot lower so to speak. This is mainly due to the level of coaching received in Ireland in their formative years.

Seamus Coleman is the excpetion, he has the makings of a top quality full back.

Players like this in the LOI are the exception to the rule. Fans know this is the exception to the norm. Lets do something to make this more "the norm". As for fans not paying attention even if there was a young Lionel Messi in our league? Such is the gulf in quality of coaching across the water, all of our top young talent have departed the island by the time they are 16.

I personally know myself that the level of coaching is on another planet over there. And keep in mind the UK is seen as one of the more backward countries in terms of new methods.

We simply need to treble the number of coaches (Pro licence qualified). Build from the very bottom.



I wouldn't disagree too much with most of that. Except to say that as recent international players all of the names mentioned are clearly in the top 20-25 Irish players of the past few years. So exactly what standard are players required to reach in this league before they are "worth" going to watch ? Do you expect us to develop a whole raft of top drawer european standard players ? Do you realise how unlikely that is, even with improved coaching ? And even if we did, I ask again, how are the general public going to discover how good these players are before they inevitably go to England anyway ? Because you can be damn sure they won't bother going along to find out for themselves, and the media are equally unlikely to develop any interest.

Don't misunderstand me, I'm not for one second arguing that we shouldn't try to improve coaching and the quality of player in the league. Of course we should, and I'd love to see it. But it's a red herring to suggest that quality of player is the reason attendances aren't bigger. Most people who slate the standard, or the entertainment value of the league have absolutley nothing to base their prejudice upon. (And whatever about the first, I think they're way off about the second) My original point stands. It's clubs/teams we need to foster an allegiance to, not players, who will be here today gone tomorrow.

[DannyInvincible]

Richie S suddenly gets 'famous'...


http://sphotos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-frc3/996921_10151912275236042_728414216_n.jpg

http://s3.thejournal.ie/media/2013/08/richie-sadlier-tweet-468x500.png

[TonyD]

Not exactly on topic, but I watched Man U/Chelsea the other night, and was I the only one bored stupid ? Dull as ditchwater I thought. Or maybe it's just the fact that I have no real interest in either team (always a good laugh to see Unireh lose though)

[oriel]

It was an awful game, watched it in slots of 15 mins, thinking it would spring to life, it never did.

But..................you will never hear anyone give out about it, if that was a LOI game, comments would be qued up 'I`m not watching that s##te'

[sadloserkid]

It was an awful game, watched it in slots of 15 mins, thinking it would spring to life, it never did.

But..................you will never hear anyone give out about it, if that was a LOI game, comments would be qued up 'I`m not watching that s##te'

Agree completely, could have counted the moments of genuine quality on your fingers. All that said there were plenty of defenders of it on my facebook feed as well as a few critics, I was genuinely staggered by that.

[Charlie Darwin]

It was good in parts. United were a surprise in that they were utterly dominant but they didn't have the creative players to win the game. Chelsea were just atrocious - no ambition. I couldn't believe what I was hearing about Rooney having a great game.