League of Ireland in Europe 2016

[gufcfan]

My initial optimism for the co-efficient this year has been lowered somewhat since the qualifiers began.

[ger121]

Extra money for Pat's so I'd say they'll get over the loss fairly quickly.

[pineapple stu]

Dunno; seems a bit simplistic. Pat's going backwards the past couple of years, and it doesn't look like they'll even have the European money next year. Not sure what's happening there, but losing to a Luxembourg team is a sign that something's gone wrong in Inchicore lately.

[ger121]

Dunno; seems a bit simplistic. Pat's going backwards the past couple of years, and it doesn't look like they'll even have the European money next year. Not sure what's happening there, but losing to a Luxembourg team is a sign that something's gone wrong in Inchicore lately.

I don't disagree with anything you've said. Just in the short term, they'll be glad to be through. 2 more games and 400k in the bank. Longer term, the club is a mess.

[pineapple stu]

Well that's fair enough, yep.

[Nesta99]

Yes, it was the only one. Wont be happening now :D

Wasn't Gartland the main penalty taker for Drogheda at the time? Ironic and at this stage I apologies for a quiet chuckle. I was at the Kiev game and found myself jump up when Gartland scored and then the Robinson hitting the post so it balances it a bit:p

[Hitman]

2436

It turns out "Sky Sources" were Errortel all along.

[Nesta99]

Oh FFS! Almost looks like Rooney was part of the team that bowed out from that screen cap.

[D24Saint]

Nice of UEFA to do us a turn for once we were shocking in both legs and still got through.To Minsk !

[White Horse]

Nice of UEFA to do us a turn for once we were shocking in both legs and still got through.To Minsk !

Minsk is an experience, we had great fun there last year. The hardest bit was getting out of the country. I've never been to a country where passport controls on leaving are more strict that when arriving.

[ger121]

Nice of UEFA to do us a turn for once we were shocking in both legs and still got through.To Minsk !

Presuming Dynamo win that tie. A 1-0 home win and they are out.

[pineapple stu]

Couple of great results for the Gibraltar teams this year - Lincoln 3-2 Flora Tallinn is almost an aggregate result in the CL First Round, while Europa beat Pyunik Yerevan 2-0 in the Europa League last week.

That was good in a way for Ireland, as had both Gibraltar teams lost, both the Estonian and Armenian leagues would have overtaken us in the rankings, pushing us down to 46th. But as it is, the Gibraltar league has 1.250 between this season and last, compared to our 1.200. Granted, they've only two teams and they start in an earlier round of the CL, both of which help, but still, hardly encouraging stuff!

[Nesta99]

I know it was well explained by Dodge and Seand but it still seems odd to me that clubs/leagues dont get awarded co-efficient points as if they had won in the round prior to where clubs enter There is little advantage to jumping in at CL Q2 if you could be seeded in Q1 win 2 rounds, like TNS, and be seeded in Q2. But as ive said before I probably havent got a grip on the workings of the whole thing really.

[outspoken]

Just a quick thought. If the LOI was to fall down the rankings so low and our clubs had to start in the 1st round could it be a positive? More games = more prize money and better chance of winning games in Europe.

[Nesta99]

Go back a few pages and it is well explained. The change from 2009 has confused me plenty with Leagues having greater weighting than individual clubs... I think. Need to read back myself!

[pineapple stu]

Just a quick thought. If the LOI was to fall down the rankings so low and our clubs had to start in the 1st round could it be a positive? More games = more prize money and better chance of winning games in Europe.
No, it would not be a positive. It'd mean we'd fallen that low through another couple of years of bad results, there'd be no extra prize money, and better chance of winning is irrelevant if you've to win more matches just to get to the same level - in fact, by definition, we'd be much less likely to get through QR2 than we are at present, which would cost us prize money and profile.

The LoI has nothing to gain from starting in QR1 of the Champions' League.

[El-Pietro]

No, it would not be a positive. It'd mean we'd fallen that low through another couple of years of bad results, there'd be no extra prize money, and better chance of winning is irrelevant if you've to win more matches just to get to the same level - in fact, by definition, we'd be much less likely to get through QR2 than we are at present, which would cost us prize money and profile.

The LoI has nothing to gain from starting in QR1 of the Champions' League.
An individual club might do well, especially if they were seeded in the first round as they would have an extra game, but the league as a whole would have nothing to gain. Of course, if you play in the first round and lose you get less prize money, and less club coefficient, so there is plenty to lose. Its disheartening that we are even in a position to be having this conversation.

[El-Pietro]

Interesting to see that 3 of the 4 first round seeds were knocked out in the CL, though there is likely marginal difference there.

[El-Pietro]

Blech, wikipedia had the (a) for away goals next to Torshavn rather than Valetta. Two of the four seeds won.

[oriel]

Is this the first season in a decade that the Irish Lge champions start in round 2? I noticed Crusaders play Cophenagen next week, but last year they started in round 1.

I hope their manager hasn't booked his summer holiday again, almost sure he missed one of their legs last year due to an 'already booked family holiday', you couldn't make it up.

Anyway good luck to both our clubs tonight, Cork might find it tougher than they think but they should be strong enough to to go through, they just need to watch the away goal, but their defence is usually water tight. I don't see Rovers getting anything, but maybe if they score first, very long shot though.

[shefellover93]

Live coverage of tonight's Europa League game, coverage begins at 7pm!

http://foot.ie/attachment.php?attachmentid=2437&stc=1 (https://goo.gl/d9uBK5)

[Dodge]

Is this the first season in a decade that the Irish Lge champions start in round 2? I noticed Crusaders play Cophenagen next week, but last year they started in round 1

The new arrangements only started in 2009-10. They started in the 2nd QR all years except
2012 Linfield beat B36 of Faroes on away goals
2015 Crusaders beat Flora Tallinn on away goals

The number of teams starting in QR1 has changed too
2009 - 4
2010 - 4
2011 - 4
2012 - 6
2013 - 4
2014 - 6
2015 - 8
2016 - 8

[dundalkfc10]

Oriel sold out for next Weds night! Great to see considering the poor crowds we have had latley!

Bandwagon well and truly alive

[oriel]

Oriel sold out for next Weds night! Great to see considering the poor crowds we have had latley!

Bandwagon well and truly alive

I haven't seen this confirmed anywhere and I was surprised to hear this, given our average has dropped to 2,500, plus fans usually buy tickets over the weekend and in the run up to the match.

There is a limit capacity of 3,100 for this game though, so I would expect all tickets to sell, just not sure it's sold out yet!

[dundalkfc10]

I haven't seen this confirmed anywhere and I was surprised to hear this, given our average has dropped to 2,500, plus fans usually buy tickets over the weekend and in the run up to the match.

There is a limit capacity of 3,100 for this game though, so I would expect all tickets to sell, just not sure it's sold out yet!

They are all sold apart from the away end. They are still awaiting conformation from Iceland to how many tickets they require before realising more to Dundalk.

[nigel-harps1954]

Do Dundalk actually get use of the seats on the away terrace for European games or just the small section in the main stand? I don't think it's actually possible for anyone over about 5 foot in height to sit in those seats.

It's also another year where Dundalk missed out on putting a temporary stand up behind the nets to increase capacity.

[White Horse]

It's also another year where Dundalk missed out on putting a temporary stand up behind the nets to increase capacity.

My understanding is that a club cannot put up a "temporary" stand for a Champions League game. It can put up a demountable stand but it would have to be up well before the game and considered "permanent". This makes it unattractive from a financial point of view.

[dundalkfc10]

Do Dundalk actually get use of the seats on the away terrace for European games or just the small section in the main stand? I don't think it's actually possible for anyone over about 5 foot in height to sit in those seats.

It's also another year where Dundalk missed out on putting a temporary stand up behind the nets to increase capacity.

We already did this, well Rovers built us one for League Cup final and one last game V Cork.

No need for it next week V an Iceland side! 3,000 odd seats will be enough!

[nigel-harps1954]

Demountable stand or whatever they call it then, if indeed the game is already sold out, in hindsight, another 1,000 seats would have made all the world of a difference in financial terms.

If Dundalk do manage to get through, I'd assume they'll have to move the next round to Dublin to meet further infrastructural criteria?

[Mr A]

The seats would probably costs as much to put in place as they'd bring in so they'd make feck all difference financially.

[MeathDrog]

Absolutely silly rule to begin with at this stage of the competition.

[pineapple stu]

Some early scores coming in from around Europe - Shirak won 1-0 at home to Dila Gori, and get the coefficient points for a win even though the match now goes to extra time. That means we've dropped below the Armenian league into 45th.

Amazingly, Europa of Gibraltar are 1-0 up away to Pyunik Yerevan, who've had a goal ruled out - that would put Gibraltar on 2.000 between this season and last, compared to 1.200 for the LoI.

Hopefully we'll get one result anyway later today (wouldn't be too confident about Rovers, even with sacked manager bounce), and I know the countries below are benefitting from the coefficient points from playing an extra round, but we're still getting a bit too close for comfort to starting in QR1 of the Champions' League - 47th was there this year. I don't know how Kosovo's entry next year will change things - might need to knock one more team out at that stage, so the bottom 10 (i.e. 46-55th) would join.

Bit worrying how far the LoI is slipping tbh.

Edit - Pyunik equalise. Delays Gibraltar passing us out; means Armenia pull further ahead of us.

[nigel-harps1954]

Really need a few teams to go on an extended run in Europe this year and next year. Cork and Dundalk are the only likely ones to do so. A win for Shamrock Rovers would help tonight though.

[Ezeikial]

My understanding is that a club cannot put up a "temporary" stand for a Champions League game. It can put up a demountable stand but it would have to be up well before the game and considered "permanent". This makes it unattractive from a financial point of view.


Demountable stand or whatever they call it then, if indeed the game is already sold out, in hindsight, another 1,000 seats would have made all the world of a difference in financial terms.

If Dundalk do manage to get through, I'd assume they'll have to move the next round to Dublin to meet further infrastructural criteria?

White Horse clarified the financial picture for you on his earlier post.

In either hindsight or foresight, it is simply not a cost-effective option.

However, if the club were to secure the lease to the ground, investment in the ground could result in increased capacity in the longer term

[El-Pietro]

Some early scores coming in from around Europe - Shirak won 1-0 at home to Dila Gori, and get the coefficient points for a win even though the match now goes to extra time. That means we've dropped below the Armenian league into 45th.

Is that true? We didn't get the points for a draw in Iceland last year, we were considered to have lost in ET. Maybe its different with a win and a loss rather than 2 draws getting you to extra time.

[El-Pietro]

White Horse clarified the financial picture for you on his earlier post.

In either hindsight or foresight, it is simply not a cost-effective option.

However, if the club were to secure the lease to the ground, investment in the ground could result in increased capacity in the longer term

Even if you were to break even surely getting more fans in the ground is a good thing, both on the night and in the long term in terms of converting more passing fans into diehards.

[nigel-harps1954]

Rovers team to play RoPS:

Hyland
Cornwall
Heaney
Madden
G Brennan
McCabe
K Brennan
Cregg
Miele
Shaw
D Clarke

Subs: Murphy, Webster, Boyd, T Clarke, Doona, Dobbs, McPhail


There's links for a stream on Firstrowsports but whether or not they actually work or not is another matter. Bet365 doesn't have Cork v Linfield scheduled.

[pineapple stu]

Is that true? We didn't get the points for a draw in Iceland last year, we were considered to have lost in ET. Maybe its different with a win and a loss rather than 2 draws getting you to extra time.
Oh. I thought it was, but maybe I'm wrong.

But it ended 1-0 aet and the shoot out has just ended, so all moot anyway - we are now down to 45th.

[White Horse]

Even if you were to break even surely getting more fans in the ground is a good thing, both on the night and in the long term in terms of converting more passing fans into diehards.

UEFA do not want clubs putting in temporary stands. There is no hard and fast rule as to how long the demountable stand would have be there to quality as "permanent". There is a doubt that it could be used at all. A hired stand sitting in Oriel for 6 weeks will bring in no revenue except (possibly) on match day and cost a lot of money.

The 900 seat stand we put in for the league decider in 2014 was in Oriel for less than a week and we just broke even.

The issue with the capacity of Oriel Park is a more long term issue and isn't fixed by hiring a demountable stand.

[pineapple stu]

I think a result aet isn't affected by any subsequent penalty shootout. Might be mixing that up with what I originally said

[White Horse]

Good luck to all the Irish teams playing Europe tonight.

[El-Pietro]

I think a result aet isn't affected by any subsequent penalty shootout. Might be mixing that up with what I originally said

That is my understanding, though I don't agree with it.

[nigel-harps1954]

RoPS vs Shamrock Rovers:

http://firstrowir.eu/watch/447574/1/watch-rovaniemi-vs-shamrock-rovers.html

[gufcfan]

Mic is right beside the Rovers fans. Gas.

[pineapple stu]

1-0 dinamo minsk. Means Pat's much more likely to be going to Belarus now. 3-1 on aggregate; 10 minutes gone

[MeathDrog]

Peno to Rovers.

[pineapple stu]

Pyunik 2-1 up now - need two more to go through, but it means Armenia now even further ahead of us.

Trakai of Lithuania go 1-0 up; Lithuania closing in on us too.

Not inconceivable at all the LoI champions might have an extra round to play next season.

[nigel-harps1954]

Get in. 1-0

Excellent penalty by McCabe despite the goalkeepers best attempts to put him off.

[MeathDrog]

Rovers 1-0 up and have been the better team. This tie isn't over.

[pineapple stu]

1-0 Rovers!

Good stuff