Irn Bru Cup 2018

[pineapple stu]

Why not a thread for it?

Bohs have qualified. Bray and Limerick are banned of course. But Sligo have been given the second spot - but Pat's finished higher than Sligo in the league last year. Did Pat's turn the spot down so?

[nigel-harps1954]

Yeah, FAI press release said Pat's refused to take up the offer so Sligo got the spot.

[Ezeikial]

Yeah, FAI press release said Pat's refused to take up the offer so Sligo got the spot.

Poor fcukers - as if things weren't bad enough

[redobit]

Are Pats fans not a bit pi**ed at their club not competing. A chance of a handy away trip and see foreign teams play. At the end of the day we are football clubs and playing matches is what we are here to do. Is there not enough money in it for them, you may only make a few grand. Maybe having a sugar daddy means you can turn down cash but for us it was a no brainer.

[sbgawa]

couldn't agree more.............., a few weeks ago (and possibly again if we lose form) I was thinking if don't qualify for Europa league at least I might get a trip to Scotland or Wales for a bit of craic.
don't understand Pats here , they aren't in a relegation battle (assuming they beat bray on Friday) would have been a bit of fun.

[Mr A]

Just looked it up and this competition has a traditional style cup and not a trophy in the shape of a girder and it's credibility is shot for me completely.

[El-Pietro]

Fair play to Pats. This competition is an embarrassment to Irish clubs.

[D24Saint]

Disappointed but the reasons given by the club were valid. When it’s laid out it does seem financially unviable if you progress in the tournament.

[brendy_éire]

Disappointed but the reasons given by the club were valid. When it’s laid out it does seem financially unviable if you progress in the tournament.

What were the reasons?

Genuinely would love to be in this tournament. When else are you going to get a match in Arbroath on a Tuesday night?

[pineapple stu]

Fair play to Pats. This competition is an embarrassment to Irish clubs.
Bit harsh, no?

Unless the embarrassment is both Sligo and Bray getting knocked out at the first hurdle while TNS made the semis and Crusaders made the quarters.

[D24Saint]

What were the reasons?

Genuinely would love to be in this tournament. When else are you going to get a match in Arbroath on a Tuesday night?

Potentialy having to pay the squad out of season & that’s not allowing for players who’s contracts would be up. I’d have liked to take part but that’s the decision the owner has taken.

[El-Pietro]

Bit harsh, no?

Unless the embarrassment is both Sligo and Bray getting knocked out at the first hurdle while TNS made the semis and Crusaders made the quarters.
Playing Reserve teams and lower league sides is an embarrassment.

[vinnie]

Playing Reserve teams and lower league sides is an embarrassment.

Ah I don't know about that, you don't hear complaints when the reserve team is Celtic, Man Utd or Liverpool

[wonder88]

Strange decision indeed by Pats. Saw a few of the games on TV last season, seems like a decent competition. No consideration at all given to the fans, but this not a surprise given that this is the league of Ireland.

[El-Pietro]

Ah I don't know about that, you don't hear complaints when the reserve team is Celtic, Man Utd or Liverpool

In friendly games? I couldn't give a **** about those games, I rarely attend. Those games are designed to milk barstoolers and LOI clubs rarely play starting XIs.

[EatYerGreens]

I think both Pats and Sligo have made strange choices here.

With just over a third of the season left, Pats have nothing to play for really. They won't get relegated, and they won't be qualifying for Europe. So what really is there fir their fas to get excited about or bother turning up to see ?

Conversely for Sligo - whilst Limerick are not in good shape off the pitch, they're battling hard on it. So Sligo could feasibly end up in the relegation play-off spot if they're not careful. It therefore feels like a distraction they could do without to me. Maybe they feel they have to make amends for being crap last season.

Also - If a Dublin-based club can't make participation in the Irn-Bru financially viable - given they have the island's best transport options on their doorstep -then God knows how Sligo can make it work being stuck out in the west ?

P.S. Is it definitely confirmed that Limerick have been chucked out of this now ? I didn't see any announcement re it.

[NeverFeltBetter]

Yeah it was confirmed. Couldn't afford to travel/stay over anyway. Hell, the trip to Donegal next week is going to be iffy.

[redobit]

Fair play to Pats. This competition is an embarrassment to Irish clubs.

Irish clubs do pretty well at embarrassing themselves all on their own.
Players climbing into a car boot for a game to Dublin or joining an invitational tournament with a mix of football levels, which is more embarrassing. :confused::p

A LOI club could make 10k by losing their Irn Bru Cup tie. Win the League Cup here and you will probably get 10k. Now that's embarrasing.

We lost to a pretty good Falkirk side last time out. We gave them a good game and it was pretty entertaining. Ok the opposition is a mixed bag but in case ye didnt notice, most clubs in this league aren't exactly packing out stadiums and playing beautiful football.

[redobit]

Also - If a Dublin-based club can't make participation in the Irn-Bru financially viable - given they have the island's best transport options on their doorstep -then God knows how Sligo can make it work being stuck out in the west ?

.

Well we arent exactly stuck out in the West. Buses are allowed to leave the Pale in case you didnt know. Knock airport 50 minutes down the road too.
We cant turn down money and we would need to win 3 ties to get through to Quarters , which is only 2 weeks after our season ends. I'm sure if it came to it any team could make an arrangement with players if they had to.

[tedthered]

To be fair while there are a few reserve teams and lower league clubs there are some big clubs in this competition like Dundee United, Dunfermline Athletic and Falkirk, whose average attendance is more than any League of Ireland side.

[pineapple stu]

Playing Reserve teams and lower league sides is an embarrassment.
Can understand the point about U20 teams.

But LoI is lower league. As the results have shown.

[El-Pietro]

Can understand the point about U20 teams.

But LoI is lower league. As the results have shown.
Perhaps, but we've consistently outperformed all non Celtic Scottish clubs in Europe. I realise there is a gap in the LOI between the top and bottom of the Premier but entering this lowers the perception of the league as a whole. The league isn't perfect and there are biggest issues we need to face but it doesn't help us.

I don't begrudge any LOI fan a trip to see their team play in this competition but its a lose-lose situation. Best case scenario you win it and you get "sure you were supposed to be beating that lot". You don't win it and its "sure you couldn't even beat Celtics reserves".

[pineapple stu]

I don't think the kind of people who would judge the league based on a loss to Falkirk are the kind of people who would be convinced to give it a go anyway in fairness.

I wouldn't be too worried about their view tbh.

[TonyD]

Doesn't bother me in the slightest that we turned it down. I'm sure if it was financially rewarding then we would have gone for it.

[ger121]

Hoping for an away match. It’s as close to a European trip as we get these days.

[Martinho II]

imo the Irn Bru Cup would have more respect if it was a knock cup competion both home and away. why does it have to be in scotland the whole time I ask?

[nigel-harps1954]

imo the Irn Bru Cup would have more respect if it was a knock cup competion both home and away. why does it have to be in scotland the whole time I ask?

Sligo played Falkirk in The Showgrounds last year...

[pineapple stu]

imo the Irn Bru Cup would have more respect if it was a knock cup competion both home and away. why does it have to be in scotland the whole time I ask?
I think one of each of the two teams from each foreign country is at home.

Is there any prize money?

[EatYerGreens]

Well we arent exactly stuck out in the West. Buses are allowed to leave the Pale in case you didnt know. Knock airport 50 minutes down the road too.
We cant turn down money and we would need to win 3 ties to get through to Quarters , which is only 2 weeks after our season ends. I'm sure if it came to it any team could make an arrangement with players if they had to.

Scotland is a big/spread out country that's not very well inter-connected.

Knock Airport may be almost an hour down the road from Sligo, but where will it get you to in Scotland ? Just Edinburgh. With one flight a day. Six days a week. See how you get on travelling from Sligo to play someone like Peterhead or Elgin, via the Knock to Edinburgh flight.

In comparison Dublin Airport has multiple flights to Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness. Plus also Carlisle, which could be handy for fixtures in the south-west of Scotland. The ferry from Belfast to Cairnryan is also much more doable from Dublin than it is from Sligo Handy for games against Stranraer, for example.

No matter what way you look at it is will be easier, quicker and cheaper for a Dublin club to fulfil fixtures in Scotland than it will be for Sligo. I appreciate it's annoying, but it's the way things are.

[EatYerGreens]

imo the Irn Bru Cup would have more respect if it was a knock cup competion both home and away. why does it have to be in scotland the whole time I ask?

It isn't though.

[EatYerGreens]

Perhaps, but we've consistently outperformed all non Celtic Scottish clubs in Europe.

When was the last time an LOI side played a Scottish team in Europe though ? Since then, there have been 2 parallel dynamics which I think have changed things quite a bit.

Firstly - LOI teams are not as good as they were 10 or so years ago when there was a lot more money (and professional players) knocking around the league.

Secondly - the SPL is now less of an Old Firm stitch up, what with Rangers being out of it for 4 years and not finishing in the Top 2 since they got back. That appears to have allowed other teams to develop a bit e.g. Aberdeen and Hibs. You only have to look at how Aberdeen did against Burnley in Europe - registering two score draws, and only going out in extra time away from home. Would any LOI side have done the same against Burnley if we're honest ? I fear that both Aberdeen and Hibernians would knock any LOI side out of Europe these days.

[El-Pietro]

When was the last time an LOI side played a Scottish team in Europe though ? Since then, there have been 2 parallel dynamics which I think have changed things quite a bit.

Firstly - LOI teams are not as good as they were 10 or so years ago when there was a lot more money (and professional players) knocking around the league.

Secondly - the SPL is now less of an Old Firm stitch up, what with Rangers being out of it for 4 years and not finishing in the Top 2 since they got back. That appears to have allowed other teams to develop a bit e.g. Aberdeen and Hibs. You only have to look at how Aberdeen did against Burnley in Europe - registering two score draws, and only going out in extra time away from home. Would any LOI side have done the same against Burnley if we're honest ? I fear that both Aberdeen and Hibernians would knock any LOI side out of Europe these days.

City gave Burnley a game two weeks ago. Lost one nil with mostly our subs and some kids and trialists. I think English teams are beatable at this stage. West ham got beaten by a Maltese or Gibraltar side I think?
If you want a direct comparison take a look at Scottish and Irish teams records against Swedish teams.

[Charlie Darwin]

In friendly games? I couldn't give a **** about those games, I rarely attend. Those games are designed to milk barstoolers and LOI clubs rarely play starting XIs.


City gave Burnley a game two weeks ago.

:confused::confused::confused:

[pineapple stu]

If you want a direct comparison take a look at Scottish and Irish teams records against Swedish teams.
I'd say if you wanted a direct comparison, you should compare Scottish and Irish teams' records against each other to be honest.

Comparing them against a country we happen to have an unusually good record against isn't a direct comparison.

Last IRL v SCO meeting in Europe was Derry v Gretna (featuring the memorable SuperGretna (https://foot.ie/threads/37979-Its-not-long-now-lads)). Obviously that was the peak of the LoI bubble against a side just promoted from the Second Division (albeit with a lot of money behind them), so it's not a great comparison.

I think if you take out not just Cork and Dundalk - who are clearly well clear of the other clubs at the moment - but also the two other European qualifiers, then the Irn-Bru playing field is quite level.

[El-Pietro]

:confused::confused::confused:

Like I said. Rarely. I went along to that one last minute to see if Ronan Coughlan was any good.

[placid casual]

Hoping for an away match. It’s as close to a European trip as we get these days.

F**kin dead right.
If I was a boez fan(😱) I'd be definitely pencilling this trip in.

It seems fans are here are "only thinking of my clubs finances" when they rubbish this tournament. What about their own selfish needs/wants?
What about going away with a group of lads & lasses on the pi$$ for 2/3 days in a foreign town, and having great craic.
Ive been away with Rovers on countless euro trips/ pre season friendlys etc and the buzz and camaraderie it creates amongst the fan base often made up for the dirge we were forced to watch on the pitch.
Why any LOI fan would want to turn that down is beyond me!!
It's a reward for suffering through the pains of LOI.

[marinobohs]

Disappointed but the reasons given by the club were valid. When it’s laid out it does seem financially unviable if you progress in the tournament.

Presumably Pats will be paying their players the week of the early rounds anyway ? Only additional costs are potential travel costs, probably little more than a trip to Sligo or Cork ? As the FAI accepted the invitation to participate clubs should take up with them the issue of costs arirsing BEFORE the season starts (not like it was just invented).

Hilarious BTW, that a concern is 'progress in the tounrnament ' :rolleyes:

[marinobohs]

imo the Irn Bru Cup would have more respect if it was a knock cup competion both home and away. why does it have to be in scotland the whole time I ask?

It isn't. one off match EITHER home or way. I think (maybe others able to confirm) that one team is guaranteed to be drawn home in the first round and one away.

[tedthered]

Fairly certain that travels costs for the teams from Ireland, the North, Wales and England are covered by the organisers

[redobit]

Scotland is a big/spread out country that's not very well inter-connected.

Knock Airport may be almost an hour down the road from Sligo, but where will it get you to in Scotland ? Just Edinburgh. With one flight a day. Six days a week. See how you get on travelling from Sligo to play someone like Peterhead or Elgin, via the Knock to Edinburgh flight.

In comparison Dublin Airport has multiple flights to Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness. Plus also Carlisle, which could be handy for fixtures in the south-west of Scotland. The ferry from Belfast to Cairnryan is also much more doable from Dublin than it is from Sligo Handy for games against Stranraer, for example.

No matter what way you look at it is will be easier, quicker and cheaper for a Dublin club to fulfil fixtures in Scotland than it will be for Sligo. I appreciate it's annoying, but it's the way things are.

First off Im not saying its annoying. We are used to travelling to away games. Our away games are actually away games, unlike a lot of teams in the Pale. The price of a bus to Dublin or around Scotland isint going to be the make or break on finances when you consider whether to to take up the invitation to that competition.

The geography of the club isint an excuse or a burden, its just how it is. In fairness by your logic we would should probably not compete in Europe or even the LOI for that matter because we have to travel further. Sligo Rovers is sometimes called the North West Frontier in terms of football (there is pretty good book of that name by Conall Collier who follows Rovers around in the 1990s). It will give you a good insight into how much travelling has to be done. Travel costs us more than most clubs and fans. Its the way it is, we are well used.

[Martinho II]

when this irn bru cup starts again,what tv channels show this competition as I didnt see any of the matches in it last year?

[EatYerGreens]

when this irn bru cup starts again,what tv channels show this competition as I didnt see any of the matches in it last year?

BBC Alba have screened it the last few seasons.

[EatYerGreens]

City gave Burnley a game two weeks ago. Lost one nil with mostly our subs and some kids and trialists. I think English teams are beatable at this stage. West ham got beaten by a Maltese or Gibraltar side I think?

But that was a meaningless friendly. Was it the full Burnley team that played as well?


If you want a direct comparison take a look at Scottish and Irish teams records against Swedish teams.

Vicarious comparisons are by definition not direct ;)

[ToberonaTornado]

when this irn bru cup starts again,what tv channels show this competition as I didnt see any of the matches in it last year?


BBC Alba have screened it the last few seasons.

and S4C covered a good few when the Welsh sides were involved.

[patsdad]

This competition is structured so that you potentially make a bit of money by taking part in the first round, but there's very little extra (apart from share of gate receipts) for progressing. If you do progress, you will have to play a round in late November, If you took the competition seriously enough to progress that far, you'll now be extending your players' contracts for a few weeks (assuming they are willing to do so) and will lose a packet in doing so. Pats weighed it up and said "no thanks".

[Charlie Darwin]

Like I said. Rarely. I went along to that one last minute to see if Ronan Coughlan was any good.
Right, but if they're not games that are taken seriously by LOI sides - and I don't think you could accuse English sides of taking them seriously either - what relevance does it have to whether English teams are beatable in a competitive game?

[Martinho II]

pity that bbc alba isnt part of sky q at all. will have to rely on a link closer the time as theres no longer the option of adding additional channels like you used to do with sky +.

[marinobohs]

pity that bbc alba isnt part of sky q at all. will have to rely on a link closer the time as theres no longer the option of adding additional channels like you used to do with sky +.

Or maybe leave home and attend the game ? ;)

[littlebray]

when this irn bru cup starts again,what tv channels show this competition as I didnt see any of the matches in it last year?

S4C covered 4 matches, all involving Welsh teams. BBC Alba also covered 4 matches, including the Final and the Semi-Final S4C were not covering. No interest here or in NI. Be interesting to see if English stations might show a game or two this coming season, with English clubs now in it as well, but that'll probably depend on how well they do.

[EatYerGreens]

S4C covered 4 matches, all involving Welsh teams. BBC Alba also covered 4 matches, including the Final and the Semi-Final S4C were not covering. No interest here or in NI. Be interesting to see if English stations might show a game or two this coming season, with English clubs now in it as well, but that'll probably depend on how well they do.

I think BT are the only broadcasters to show any interest in the English Conference.