RTE next season

[Charlie Darwin]

I'm surprised he's not on it more.

The panelists have been OK, nothing earth shattering. Brian Kerr is alright, nothing against the guy, but he's a bit bland. Someone like Dolan at least brings personality.
Kerr might be bland but he actually goes to games and knows what he's talking about. I don't know what Pat does but very little of what he's said in the past few years actually corresponds to what happens on the pitch. He's a businessman and that has a role in football and good luck to him, but I wouldn't hang around waiting for him to talk about football. I'd take bland but knowledgeable ahead of exciting but sketchy any day.

[NeverFeltBetter]

Waiting for him to complain about Limerick's crazy spending.

[Duggie]

the show is terrible, terrible. hardly any highlights of the game. last show it showed the derry-cork highlights first and then it was like half an hour before they showed anymore LOI games. For a start the derry-cork game was on television guys. they basically looked at soccer AM and sky sports analysis and tried to copy it. eeh your not sky sports with your annoying "tiny" touchpad screen. and that stupid "freekick" challenge. arrrrgggggggg! they spent more time talking about utd-liverpool than our own games. its so bad its laughable. yet again RTE show themselves to be useless. and we pay for this sh**e.

[Dave77]

Always liked MNS, but this new show is poor. Like what people said above who is this show made for? LOI for 15 mins, Champs League for 10 mins, random premier league stuff for 15 mins, and then chat on random stuff for 5/10 mins. I just dont get it. Hopefully as Premier League & Champs League ends it will concentrate on Irish football, which is what the show said it was about. Its trying to be everything for everyone and therefore is nothing for anyone. LOI fans wont be too bothered with Champs League or Prem League. Irish fans of Man U, Liverpool etc wont have any interest in LOI stuff. Disappointing. Bring back MNS. If there was a youtube channel or similar for the league it would be alot better.

[adamd164]

If there was a youtube channel or similar for the league it would be alot better.

True. In this day and age, it's as valuable to have a strong internet presence as it is to be on TV, certainly at 11pm on a Monday.

Would be great to see the league have its own YouTube channel and put all the highlights on there. Each club could look after the recording of their home games, and that would mean first division highlights could go up too if clubs were prepared.

[Dodge]

The league does have it's own youtube channel. Interviews only at this stage

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSN6OstaSZ2S8UV_NPYjSiQ

[oriel]

Not quite RTE, but I see Sky sports news have called us 'League of Ireland' Premiership on their ticker when showing the table. I hate that last word, and we were never called that, always premier division, well since 86, I know they won't use the sponsor title, but premiership? You even hear some LOI managers using the term.

Down with this sort of thing.

[Pablo Escobar]

Not quite RTE, but I see Sky sports news have called us 'League of Ireland' Premiership on their ticker when showing the table. I hate that last word, and we were never called that, always premier division, well since 86, I know they won't use the sponsor title, but premiership? You even hear some LOI managers using the term.

Down with this sort of thing.

At risk of being pedantic, I think we only became the 'Premier Division' in the mid 90's. It would have been after the English top league went from 1st Division to Premier League.

[atfconline]

At risk of being pedantic, I think we only became the 'Premier Division' in the mid 90's. It would have been after the English top league went from 1st Division to Premier League.

Just had a look for an old programme around this time. Only one I could find was a Rovers one from the 85/86 season, and it called the League 'Premier League Championship'.

[Charlie Darwin]

Not quite RTE, but I see Sky sports news have called us 'League of Ireland' Premiership on their ticker when showing the table. I hate that last word, and we were never called that, always premier division, well since 86, I know they won't use the sponsor title, but premiership? You even hear some LOI managers using the term.

Down with this sort of thing.
Shoot them off an email sure. They seem to have as much or more of an interest in Irish football as the actual Irish stations, so I'm sure they'd be glad to correct.

[nigel-harps1954]

Email is old news. Twitter is your way to go these days.

[Charlie Darwin]

Actually, I heard if you want to gain any truck with Sky Sports you have to sexually harass a female employee.

[Dodge]

At risk of being pedantic, I think we only became the 'Premier Division' in the mid 90's. It would have been after the English top league went from 1st Division to Premier League.

When the LOI expanded and split into 2 divisions in 1985 they were called the Premier Division and the First Divison.

We copied the Scottish League AFAIK

[A N Mouse]

I only got watching the second show at the weekend. The 'international' version on rteplayer. Seems the lack of rights has removed all mention of epl and cl. Left with a tidy 35mins mostly devoted to loi. From what people are saying it was obviously edited to play in a more joined up way, hence few times they mentioned features before they occured.

Having seen the first episode as it aired I agree that it was a bit disjointed. However this seems like a more solid template to work with - if it could be bookended with the other guff, instead of the seemingly hapazard approach thats been in evidence.

[TheBoss]

The oddness continues, they have Alex McLeish as a guest? and talking to Jon Daly of Rangers.

[A N Mouse]

The oddness continues, they have Alex McLeish as a guest? and talking to Jon Daly of Rangers.

Sounds like it's perfect mirror of the average Irish football fan… eclectic, bordering on schizophrenic!!

[Neish]

anyone know any good youtube channels for LOI highlights, goals etc. Have been in contact with a basque guy via facebook who has interest in LOI he said he can't use rte player in his location

[geysir]

anyone know any good youtube channels for LOI highlights, goals etc. Have been in contact with a basque guy via facebook who has interest in LOI he said he can't use rte player in his location
He can download this extension (http://this extension) for use with Chrome and he will be able to watch the RTE player.
That info courtesy of Joe Denilson.

[Johnnie C]

What a joke having that zombie McLeish on, how much being wasted on him I wonder?

[Charlie Darwin]

What a joke having that zombie McLeish on, how much being wasted on him I wonder?
I doubt they paid him any more than their other guests and it's always good to have an outside eye giving their point of view. I didn't see the show, but I assume they booked him for this week because they expected Fahey to be playing for Pats on the weekend.

[White Horse]

I doubt they paid him any more than their other guests and it's always good to have an outside eye giving their point of view. I didn't see the show, but I assume they booked him for this week because they expected Fahey to be playing for Pats on the weekend.

He did provide some great insights of the difference in match preparation for derby matches. It was riveting stuff.

[Charlie Darwin]

He did provide some great insights of the difference in match preparation for derby matches. It was riveting stuff.
Well there's the value in itself. I'll have to catch it on the player tomorrow. Did he have much to say about the matches themselves? I hope RTE sent him the footage in advance. I think it's good to see them bringing in people from outside the RTE circle.

[Cuyahoga]

Why have Alex Mc Leish as a guest? Why interview Brent Pope who clearly does not like football.
Why didn't Peter Collins ask Alex Mc Leish what he thought of the LOI matches he was watching. I was prepared to give Soccer Republic a chance but now after 3 episodes it's very disapointing. The coverage of LOI has been diluted in this programme for sure.

[White Horse]

Well there's the value in itself. I'll have to catch it on the player tomorrow. Did he have much to say about the matches themselves? I hope RTE sent him the footage in advance. I think it's good to see them bringing in people from outside the RTE circle.

It was bizarre.

Fenlon would be asked a question on the LOI and then McLeish be asked a general question on football. There was no continuity or flow.

[Charlie Darwin]

It was bizarre.

Fenlon would be asked a question on the LOI and then McLeish be asked a general question on football. There was no continuity or flow.
Nothing new there then. If they're bringing in somebody from outside, they have to give him the footage so he can contribute properly.

[ger121]

Better show tonight in terms of highlights/analysis time spent on LOI. Also liked it was all in the top half of the programme, which meant I didn't have to watch the rest:)

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/national-league/early-season-televised-games-did-little-to-broaden-appeal-to-new-audience-1.1736700

[Jofspring]

Much better this week but that was purely down to the fact they could show more highlights and analysis of two games rather than the one. If they could keep that up the show would be far superior going forward.

[Yossarian]

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/national-league/early-season-televised-games-did-little-to-broaden-appeal-to-new-audience-1.1736700

I think this hits the nail on the head really, clubs just don't want their home games televised as it ultimately costs them a lot of lost revenue for no gain at all.

[White Horse]

Much better this week but that was purely down to the fact they could show more highlights and analysis of two games rather than the one. If they could keep that up the show would be far superior going forward.

Some things were better, two games got decent hightlights. However, the other games continued to be an afterthought. The barstooler part was relegated to the end of the programme, so fans could simply switch off at that point, if they wanted.

Analysis continued to be a problem, McLeish added nothing as he knows nothing of the league. Fenlon was poor and disinterested.

[Martinho II]

I am surprised Fenlon wasnt asked about the links to the Linfield job when the Linfield playin days were mentioned by him

[adamd164]

Half an hour into tonight's show and they haven't shown a game.

[nigel-harps1954]

Tonight's show I felt was a vast improvement on the only previous show I watched. This celebrity six rubbish should be scrapped altogether as it adds absolutely nothing to the show, and these folks aren't even celebrities. Highlights were a bit better tonight, bit more MNS style, although there was still no real analysis of them. Delighted there's no music over the games though, as the bit of atmosphere is very welcome.

I'd like to see more time dedicated to LOI, but it's improving, and hopefully as the season progresses, they'll realise their only real market with this show is LOI fans.

[ger121]

Probably the best show so far. Keane does a good interview and the special guest knows the League. I can see it bit by bit going more towards the MNS format as the gimmicks are phased out.

[wonder88]

Roddy was great reading the tweets on secondcaptains tonight. Niall Quinn had some interesting things to say, nearly paid a million plus for a LoI keeper, but still Roddy was the more impressive guest with with Dessie Doolan a close second.

[Charlie Darwin]

Was watching that - what keeper was he referring to? The only one I can think of is Brian Murphy who went to Ipswich at the same time, but that was a free from what I remember and Quinn also said he was around the same age as Mignolet when Murphy is 4 years older.

[Ezeikial]

R Niall Quinn had some interesting things to say, nearly paid a million plus for a LoI keeper,


Was watching that - what keeper was he referring to? The only one I can think of is Brian Murphy who went to Ipswich at the same time, but that was a free from what I remember and Quinn also said he was around the same age as Mignolet when Murphy is 4 years older.

It's a great story alright, but only the really gullible would believe that.

[GypsyBlackCat]

It's a great story alright, but only the really gullible would believe that.

Erm...

€1m for Roy O'Donovan

Not to mention £5.5m for Michael Chopra, £2 for Rade Prica and £3m for Anthony Stokes!:D

[Charlie Darwin]

Roy O'Donovan was not a keeper, in any sense of the word.

[El-Pietro]

Erm...

€1m for Roy O'Donovan

The reported figure was closer to €600,000. The actual fee paid was about 1/3rd of that.

[GypsyBlackCat]

Roy O'Donovan was not a keeper, in any sense of the word.


Wasn't a centre forward either!!!!

[GypsyBlackCat]

The reported figure was closer to €600,000. The actual fee paid was about 1/3rd of that.


€500,000 rising to €1m in adds was the offical transfer from the Sunderland side of things.

[El-Pietro]

€500,000 rising to €1m in adds was the offical transfer from the Sunderland side of things.
Yeah that was just the reported amount. Our Chairman thought that if we reported higher figures then it would have a knock on effect and make our players seem more valuable. Problem was the English clubs were all talking to each other so we never got the benefit.

[Ezeikial]

Erm...

€1m for Roy O'Donovan

Not to mention £5.5m for Michael Chopra, £2 for Rade Prica and £3m for Anthony Stokes!:D


Wasn't a centre forward either!!!!


€500,000 rising to €1m in adds was the offical transfer from the Sunderland side of things.

OK so lets check again -

Hands up all those who believe that Sunderland "almost" signed a LOI goalkeeper for £1m / €1m a few years ago?






Have you got your hand up GypsyBlackCat?

[Charlie Darwin]

OK so lets check again -

Hands up all those who believe that Sunderland "almost" signed a LOI goalkeeper for £1m / €1m a few years ago?




Have you got your hand up GypsyBlackCat?
I believe they almost signed two. Darren Quigley and Dean Delaney.

[Martinho II]

I havent seen 2nd captains before. What on earth is the show about and why is Roddy Collins on it so much??

[Charlie Darwin]

I havent seen 2nd captains before. What on earth is the show about and why is Roddy Collins on it so much??
It's just a general sports show with interviews. Roddy reads out the 'boring sporting tweets' segment, which is pretty funny to be fair.

[ger121]

I've noticed that nearly every week, Soccer Republic is always in the most popular list on the RTE Player. MNS rarely made it into the list. So is this due to the fact it's getting more viewers overall or is it that due to the lateness of the show, more people watch it online compared with MNS. The optimist in me hopes for the former but the realist thinks it's the latter. How do posters on here watch the show? I record it and watch it later to skip the ads/boring stuff.

On a side note, thought last nights show was the best one yet.

[blueblood]

I sky+ and watch at night during the week when I have peace and quiet in the house.

I don't think the show is as bad as some make it out to be, it has less on loi alright but mns was just talked way too much about nothing anyway so on average it probably has the same amount actually worth watching/ listening to and it's easier to skip through the boring stuff now. Also simple things like Goal Cam or whatever it's called makes it a bit better, if only it was at most grounds the show could look decent.

[El-Pietro]

I don't actually have an tv capable of receiving RTÉ so I watch it live on the player.