Attendances 2019

[Candystripe]

About 3,100 at Derry city v Dundalk

[EatYerGreens]

About 3,100 at Derry city v Dundalk

Wouldn't have thought it was anywhere near that myself to be honest.

The ground only holds about 3,400, and there were loads of empty seats everywhere.

I'd say 2,500 absolute max.

[Olander]

One huge positive from this season has been how patient our supporters have been during a very difficult season - 876 at Terryland Park for United vs Shels, around 100 away fans to witness a facile win.

[Martinho II]

One huge positive from this season has been how patient our supporters have been during a very difficult season - 876 at Terryland Park for United vs Shels, around 100 away fans to witness a facile win.

thats very impressive. even though our season is ok after having suffered a recent blip we cant hit those nos on the gates unfortunately.

[EatYerGreens]

thats very impressive. even though our season is ok after having suffered a recent blip we cant hit those nos on the gates unfortunately.

Galway has around seven times the population that Longford does though Marty, so I wouldn't feel too despondent about that if I was you.

[RathfarnhamHoop]

Rovers fans regularly hide behind the skirts of others - SDCC closed the toilets, Gardai limiting numbers etc. It's almost as if SRFC have no say in how the match day operates.

Approx half of the East stand was allocated to visiting fans. There was not a single fan in the other half. The first empty section was already set up to accommodate more away fans with netting on its southern side, so extra visitors could have easily been safely accommodated while still retaining space for an overflow of home fans. Even though the stadium was at about 60% capacity, you and others are still implying that these limits were in place in case some 2000 to 3000 extra unexpected Rovers or neutral walk ups turned up. That's bizarre rationale.

Based on previous practices, many visitors would have expected to be able to buy tickets at the stadium if the match was not sold out. The late afternoon announcement by Rovers via Twiiter to say no visitor tickets would be sold was strange to say the least. At best it indicates inefficiency to communicate this so late in this way. Dundalk are not blameless here as they should also have clearly established the situation earlier and not have fans in the dark.

The bottom line is that there was no obvious reason not to accommodate the extra 100 - 200 fans.

Making it difficulty for paying punters to get into matches that are not sellouts seems to be a peculiarly Irish phenomenon

And Dundalk fans regularly complain about away sections while having a health hazard as theirs. It may surprise you to learn that a grounds owners and the people responsible for the publics safety do in fact have quite a big say in what happens.

It wasn't set up for extra fans, that's how you do segregation if you have space. There are tonnes of reasons for Dundalk fans not being allowed past the halfway. Home overflow, lack of demand (dundalk didn't sell out until 3 hours before kick off), inability to change the segregation last minute, distance to available emergency exits. Though I doubt you'll accept any and just continue to rant on about nothing as you tend to do.

How are rovers supposed to announce dundalk end tickets are sold out before dundalk sell them? Please explain that one? Whatever about the size of the away section Dundalk were given the 900 tickets and told that's all there is, any complaints about not being able to buy at the gate belong solely at the feet of Dundalk not Rovers.

Yeah just completely ignore the fact the Dundalk away end regularly sells out when oriel as a whole does not, pot kettle black.

[dundalkfc10]

And Dundalk fans regularly complain about away sections while having a health hazard as theirs. It may surprise you to learn that a grounds owners and the people responsible for the publics safety do in fact have quite a big say in what happens.

It wasn't set up for extra fans, that's how you do segregation if you have space. There are tonnes of reasons for Dundalk fans not being allowed past the halfway. Home overflow, lack of demand (dundalk didn't sell out until 3 hours before kick off), inability to change the segregation last minute, distance to available emergency exits. Though I doubt you'll accept any and just continue to rant on about nothing as you tend to do.

How are rovers supposed to announce dundalk end tickets are sold out before dundalk sell them? Please explain that one? Whatever about the size of the away section Dundalk were given the 900 tickets and told that's all there is, any complaints about not being able to buy at the gate belong solely at the feet of Dundalk not Rovers.

Yeah just completely ignore the fact the Dundalk away end regularly sells out when oriel as a whole does not, pot kettle black.

Well you have a point about everything you said apart from this, Thats just a blatent lie, Oriels away end is never/rarely sold out. Rovers once (Cup 1/4 final) and Cork (League decider) are the only games to even come close to selling out.

[Nesta99]

And Dundalk fans regularly complain about away sections while having a health hazard as theirs. It may surprise you to learn that a grounds owners and the people responsible for the publics safety do in fact have quite a big say in what happens.

It wasn't set up for extra fans, that's how you do segregation if you have space. There are tonnes of reasons for Dundalk fans not being allowed past the halfway. Home overflow, lack of demand (dundalk didn't sell out until 3 hours before kick off), inability to change the segregation last minute, distance to available emergency exits. Though I doubt you'll accept any and just continue to rant on about nothing as you tend to do.

How are rovers supposed to announce dundalk end tickets are sold out before dundalk sell them? Please explain that one? Whatever about the size of the away section Dundalk were given the 900 tickets and told that's all there is, any complaints about not being able to buy at the gate belong solely at the feet of Dundalk not Rovers.

Yeah just completely ignore the fact the Dundalk away end regularly sells out when oriel as a whole does not, pot kettle black.

You are comparing an apple with a turd on this on RH. Lets hope that Dundalk ask for 1k tickets in future, even have a reserve list that closes with enough time for additional accomodation of away fans if needed.

[Dalymountrower]

Well you have a point about everything you said apart from this, Thats just a blatent lie, Oriels away end is never/rarely sold out. Rovers once (Cup 1/4 final) and Cork (League decider) are the only games to even come close to selling out.
A few years ago now but Bohs v Dundalk in Oriel when Joey NDO scored the winner, sold out and hundreds of Bohs fans turned away

[PartySaint]

A few years ago now but Bohs v Dundalk in Oriel when Joey NDO scored the winner, sold out and hundreds of Bohs fans turned away

Opening day of the season around 09/10 wasn't it?

If we want to go even further back, when Pats won the league in 96 up in Oriel we just took the home end, I'm not even sure there were any Dundalk fans there that night :-)

[Asterix]

Well you have a point about everything you said apart from this, Thats just a blatent lie, Oriels away end is never/rarely sold out. Rovers once (Cup 1/4 final) and Cork (League decider) are the only games to even come close to selling out.

It was sold out for the game in April and for the friday night game last season. Unless dundalk are limiting the tickets they give us and not giving us the full capacity of the away end but surely thats not the case with all the crying dundalk fans have been doing.

[Dalymountrower]

Opening day of the season around 09/10 wasn't it?

If we want to go even further back, when Pats won the league in 96 up in Oriel we just took the home end, I'm not even sure there were any Dundalk fans there that night :-)
That's the one.I am struggling to understand what the Dundalk whining is about.?Tallght is, along with Limerick and Waterford , the best policed and stewarded away trip in the league.
If Rovers want to maximise their last minute walk in crowd that's their prerogative.

[dundalkfc10]

It was sold out for the game in April and for the friday night game last season. Unless dundalk are limiting the tickets they give us and not giving us the full capacity of the away end but surely thats not the case with all the crying dundalk fans have been doing.

Of course we are. Didnt we keep the toilets closed for an extra day just so you couldnt use them either!

[oriel]

Opening day of the season around 09/10 wasn't it?

If we want to go even further back, when Pats won the league in 96 up in Oriel we just took the home end, I'm not even sure there were any Dundalk fans there that night :-)

I remember this game, final match of the season, Pats fans were free to roam the ground from memory, def no more than 500 home fans at it. Possibly the worst defence of a league title in modern times, 1995/96, Dundalk struggled most of that season and just avoided the play off I think.

[Nesta99]

Opening day of the season around 09/10 wasn't it?

If we want to go even further back, when Pats won the league in 96 up in Oriel we just took the home end, I'm not even sure there were any Dundalk fans there that night :-)

Wasnt it our first game in the Premier Division after a 100 years in the first division...well it felt that long!! There wasnt any real home or away section back '96 era. Apart from watching the game the side show was watching the antics of opposing fans charging at each other 'taking over/taking back' The Shed. But yeah even as Champions there were probably more attending 1st Division games post 2002 cup win than were going to games mid 90s.

[Nesta99]

It was sold out for the game in April and for the friday night game last season. Unless dundalk are limiting the tickets they give us and not giving us the full capacity of the away end but surely thats not the case with all the crying dundalk fans have been doing.

Its a bit damned if you do and damed if you dont with the away section in Oriel. If its filled to its safe holding capacity many will have a severly limited view, maybe a good lot of the Town end of the pitch. People will crowd to the front for a better view which wouldnt be safe. It's that or further restrict the capacity were people could see the majority of the pitch, bar the corner in front of the home terrace in relative safety. It's not an abritrary decision on capacity depending on who is visiting. Not suggesting that other clubs do the same.

Its still goes back to the point that the biggest the crowd can be at a game should be fully embraced. There was the example of the photos of 2 full stands in Tallaght c couple of weeks ago and how ell it looked. Change the angle of the photo slightly and there is a half empty stand. Without compromising security a number of things can be done to facilitate larger crowds the main being properly communicating to fans well in advance that tickets will only be on sale in advance, and that clubs co-operate well on agreeing the numbers of tickets going on sale. I dont see, if handled as it should by the clubs and association, a big difference between managing 800 or 1200 in a stadium like Tallaght. The difference between say 600 and 800 in the away section in Oriel is a different story!

[oriel]

That's correct Nesta, Dundalk crowds were terrible for most of the 90's really, a decade that returned two league titles (91 and 95) but a slow relegation also from 96, finally going down and finishing rock bottom in 1999.

The crowds in the second FD existence (02/03 to 2008) especially from around 2005-08 were prob around 1k, some games as high as 1800 I recall reading before, the PD period after the 1995 league win were terrible in comparison. There were plenty of reasons, locally and nationally the period from 88-95 were dreadful jobs wise, a generation of support (myself included) went to work abroad, took a long time to recover that support, (same for a lot of other clubs) I think Irish unemployment peaked in 1991 at around 20%.


I think Dundalk have sold 3,500 tickets on Wed, that's the max seats in the ground, and probably the max core support too. This could possibly get to 5k for a Tallaght euro game (if any this year, but did in the past) and possibly around 12k for an FAI cup final, but the latter is a family day out, completely different scene, tickets far cheaper also, everyone / every club loves a cup final day out !

[marinobohs]

Its a bit damned if you do and damed if you dont with the away section in Oriel. If its filled to its safe holding capacity many will have a severly limited view, maybe a good lot of the Town end of the pitch. People will crowd to the front for a better view which wouldnt be safe. It's that or further restrict the capacity were people could see the majority of the pitch, bar the corner in front of the home terrace in relative safety. It's not an abritrary decision on capacity depending on who is visiting. Not suggesting that other clubs do the same.

Its still goes back to the point that the biggest the crowd can be at a game should be fully embraced. There was the example of the photos of 2 full stands in Tallaght c couple of weeks ago and how ell it looked. Change the angle of the photo slightly and there is a half empty stand. Without compromising security a number of things can be done to facilitate larger crowds the main being properly communicating to fans well in advance that tickets will only be on sale in advance, and that clubs co-operate well on agreeing the numbers of tickets going on sale. I dont see, if handled as it should by the clubs and association, a big difference between managing 800 or 1200 in a stadium like Tallaght. The difference between say 600 and 800 in the away section in Oriel is a different story!

Can understand some but why would so many away fans turn up without tickets ? Not like it’s across the road is it ?
Honestly, if people want to attend a match get a fcuk in ticket 🤔 if you take a chance on turning up without one don’t whine if you don’t get in.
Can never understand why ANY club would turn away money to deliberately leave seats empty- its always AGS, Health and safety or some legitimate reason.

[Nesta99]

I wouldnt have taken the chance myself based on previous experience. I suppose when you have a modern stadium with 8k capacity and fans know it wont be a sell-out there is a presumption that tickets will be on sale at the ground as would be the case at the Aviva and Croke Park.

Maybe AGS, SDCC et al dictate things, but that would bug me if I was the club that could add 2-300 to the gate at €10-15 per ticket. But more importantly imo is to be as close to ground capacity for a top of the table clash for an overall benefit to the league. I'm sure Bohs hardcore get tickets early and once there is talk of the 'sold out' signs going up the floating fan rock up in numbers in fear of missing out on Dalymount being the place to be that Friday. I have no issue with SDCC being prepared for 800 away fans and not then in a slapdash way try to fit another 2 or 300 in. The last time that was done there were delays entering the ground and dare I say it, overcrowding initially until additional blocks were made available. With that previous experience in mind a strict no tickets on the gate is totally understandable subsequently as spectator safety is paramount!

[Ezeikial]

That's the one.I am struggling to understand what the Dundalk whining is about.?Tallght is, along with Limerick and Waterford , the best policed and stewarded away trip in the league.
If Rovers want to maximise their last minute walk in crowd that's their prerogative.

The first comment misses the point - there were no complaints about the stewarding or policing for the most recent Rovers - Dundalk match (although there certainly were stewarding safety issues from over-crowding in the first fixture in March, before another section was opened 15-20 minutes into the game).

The latter point is more relevant - the visiting numbers were restricted but not a single home fan ended up in the half of the East Stand that was left empty. The walk-ups argument holds no water - only about 60% of the capacity was actually used. It's simply not credible that Rovers officials seriously forecast the possibility of an extra 2,000 walk-ups

It is absolutely the case that it is their prerogative to do this, but there are potential financial and safety consequences to this, including an inevitability of having visitor fans mixed in the home sections



Can never understand why ANY club would turn away money to deliberately leave seats empty- its always AGS, Health and safety or some legitimate reason.


It's not the first time - Rovers have limited numbers previously in similar circumstances, as have Cork City when Dundalk won 1-0 last September

It also seems unlikely that AGS or Health & Safety considerations have changed significantly since Bohs had about > 20% more visiting fans safely accommodated in Tallaght in April,

It seems to me that the more likely reasons are based in pettiness or a fear that the away team support from title rivals could dominate the stadium atmosphere - maybe that is a 'legitimate' reason to leave seats empty instead of taking additional paying fans.

[PartySaint]

It does seem strange that Dundalk were limited to 900 tickets, Bohs got 1,100 for their game in Tallaght and Pats got 1,000.

[Dalymountrower]

It does seem strange that Dundalk were limited to 900 tickets, Bohs got 1,100 for their game in Tallaght and Pats got 1,000.

Fan per toilet ratio?

[D24Saint]

Fan per toilet ratio?

Its always said the league had **** grounds.

[Asterix]

The first comment misses the point - there were no complaints about the stewarding or policing for the most recent Rovers - Dundalk match (although there certainly were stewarding safety issues from over-crowding in the first fixture in March, before another section was opened 15-20 minutes into the game).

The latter point is more relevant - the visiting numbers were restricted but not a single home fan ended up in the half of the East Stand that was left empty. The walk-ups argument holds no water - only about 60% of the capacity was actually used. It's simply not credible that Rovers officials seriously forecast the possibility of an extra 2,000 walk-ups

It is absolutely the case that it is their prerogative to do this, but there are potential financial and safety consequences to this, including an inevitability of having visitor fans mixed in the home sections




It's not the first time - Rovers have limited numbers previously in similar circumstances, as have Cork City when Dundalk won 1-0 last September

It also seems unlikely that AGS or Health & Safety considerations have changed significantly since Bohs had about > 20% more visiting fans safely accommodated in Tallaght in April,

It seems to me that the more likely reasons are based in pettiness or a fear that the away team support from title rivals could dominate the stadium atmosphere - maybe that is a 'legitimate' reason to leave seats empty instead of taking additional paying fans.


Maybe the club didn't want to take any chances in the happening again. If Dundalk had sold out their allocation earlier maybe it would have been extended who knows.

900 is a generous allocation and probably covers all your season ticket holders. Tickets were available on Rovers website since the start of the season like they are for all clubs apart from Bohs. Any dundalk fan that didn't get one probably wasn't that interested in going.

[nigel-harps1954]

If it helps..you're all welcome in Finn park and can stand wherever you like.

[Ezeikial]

Maybe the club didn't want to take any chances in the happening again.


To be fair it does appear that lessons were learned from the March game - there were certainly less front rows voided by netting, and that probably helped easier flow of people. Nevertheless the more obvious solution was to simply open up the next section for sale (the netting / seat voids was already in place to separate this section from the next empty section further down the stand)


If Dundalk had sold out their allocation earlier maybe it would have been extended who knows.



Another fair point.

There was an expectation that tickets could be bought at the ground based on previous experience. It should have been communicated at an early stage by the clubs that the tickets were limited to 900 and therefore tickets would not be available at the ground if they sold out in advance. It does not reflect well on either club that it was late afternoon on Friday before this was made known. Without knowing the inter-club communication, my biggest criticism here is reserved for my own club for not being proactive in clarifying this with Rovers and communicating this.




900 is a generous allocation and probably covers all your season ticket holders. Tickets were available on Rovers website since the start of the season like they are for all clubs apart from Bohs. Any dundalk fan that didn't get one probably wasn't that interested in going.

'Generous' implies that the number was plentiful, lavish or reasonable. Maybe it was in terms of restricting vociferous opposition support, but not in terms of meeting demand. The fact that Dundalk fans ended up in the home section makes this clear.

The bottom line is that, for reason that are still unclear, there appears to be a growing phenomenon of it becoming more difficult for some paying punters to get in to matches that are very far from sold out.

[oriel]

Maybe the club didn't want to take any chances in the happening again. If Dundalk had sold out their allocation earlier maybe it would have been extended who knows.

900 is a generous allocation and probably covers all your season ticket holders. Tickets were available on Rovers website since the start of the season like they are for all clubs apart from Bohs. Any dundalk fan that didn't get one probably wasn't that interested in going.

I get this point in a way, as its true tickets were online for ages, i bought mine for Rovers v Dlk at least 2 weeks before the game, other family members 3 weeks before, I wouldn't say any who missed out weren't that interested, more so probably a bit lazy, left to last min, if that's the case they can have no excuse, as they missed the boat, plus DFC advertised it for over a week. The online ticket sales from most clubs these days is so handy, buy, save to your phone, zap it on the way in, easy.

[sullanefc]

Maybe they just didn't want to leave in anymore stinkin dalk fans than they had to....

[RathfarnhamHoop]

The always the victim complex is unreal here.
At the end of the day Rovers, AGS, SDCC were given no indication until a couple hours to go to the game that the 900 allocation was insufficient. At that point the allocation size is locked in and not changing because when you do last minute changes is when stuff goes wrong. So the blame lies solely at the feet of Dundalk for not telling fans that 900 was all the tickets and Dundalk fans for travelling without tickets. If dundalk fans had bought tickets in advance maybe accommodations could have been made but 3 hours before kick off nothing can/should change.

[Asterix]

To be fair it does appear that lessons were learned from the March game - there were certainly less front rows voided by netting, and that probably helped easier flow of people. Nevertheless the more obvious solution was to simply open up the next section for sale (the netting / seat voids was already in place to separate this section from the next empty section further down the stand)



Another fair point.

There was an expectation that tickets could be bought at the ground based on previous experience. It should have been communicated at an early stage by the clubs that the tickets were limited to 900 and therefore tickets would not be available at the ground if they sold out in advance. It does not reflect well on either club that it was late afternoon on Friday before this was made known. Without knowing the inter-club communication, my biggest criticism here is reserved for my own club for not being proactive in clarifying this with Rovers and communicating this.



'Generous' implies that the number was plentiful, lavish or reasonable. Maybe it was in terms of restricting vociferous opposition support, but not in terms of meeting demand. The fact that Dundalk fans ended up in the home section makes this clear.

The bottom line is that, for reason that are still unclear, there appears to be a growing phenomenon of it becoming more difficult for some paying punters to get in to matches that are very far from sold out.

Selling out the allocation a few hours before the game doesn't suggest that there was much demand past 900.
To me it would have been a waste getting volunteers to sit outside the away end in case 1 or 2 dundalk fans showed up without tickets while the queues for the home end were big.

[Nesta99]

The always the victim complex is unreal here.
At the end of the day Rovers, AGS, SDCC were given no indication until a couple hours to go to the game that the 900 allocation was insufficient. At that point the allocation size is locked in and not changing because when you do last minute changes is when stuff goes wrong. So the blame lies solely at the feet of Dundalk for not telling fans that 900 was all the tickets and Dundalk fans for travelling without tickets. If dundalk fans had bought tickets in advance maybe accommodations could have been made but 3 hours before kick off nothing can/should change.

My reading above RH is that Dundalk fans have acknowledged that Dundalk FC were inadaquate with communication with Rovers and Dundalk Fans, acceptance that tickets on the gate caused issues before and it was the correct decision not to do so again to mitigate against a repeat. That netting was rearranged to improve on issues from a previous game. That fans that were left without tickets had only themselves to really blame. Not the 'victim complex' that you observe.

[EatYerGreens]

Any chance we can all just move on from this endless squabbling lads ? Discussions are good, but this is just petty tit-for-tat ballax between supporters of a small number of clubs.

It's infecting so many threads on here that it's wrecking the place IMO.

Peace out.

[marinobohs]

Any chance we can all just move on from this endless squabbling lads ? Discussions are good, but this is just petty tit-for-tat ballax between supporters of a small number of clubs.

It's infecting so many threads on here that it's wrecking the place IMO.

Peace out.

Your ma 😁
Even though I believe Tallaght to be the real world Mordor and shams to be the spawn of satan after a few pints and a dodgy curry, I do find it hard to believe any LOI club would deliberately turn away hundreds of punters waving cash at them.
Bohs (can’t speak for Pats) sought additional tickets 2/3 weeks before the game - and got them, seriously doubt shams more concerned about Dundalk fans than ours. Maybe, just maybe Dundalk should have liked for more earlier ?

[vinnie]

But you's have never Shít in the Stand?


Your ma 
Even though I believe Tallaght to be the real world Mordor and shams to be the spawn of satan after a few pints and a dodgy curry, I do find it hard to believe any LOI club would deliberately turn away hundreds of punters waving cash at them.
Bohs (can’t speak for Pats) sought additional tickets 2/3 weeks before the game - and got them, seriously doubt shams more concerned about Dundalk fans than ours. Maybe, just maybe Dundalk should have liked for more earlier ?

[Nesta99]

But you's have never Shít in the Stand?

Never happened! More shít on the pitch than ever was in the stand, no more squabbling though...

[RathfarnhamHoop]

My reading above RH is that Dundalk fans have acknowledged that Dundalk FC were inadaquate with communication with Rovers and Dundalk Fans, acceptance that tickets on the gate caused issues before and it was the correct decision not to do so again to mitigate against a repeat. That netting was rearranged to improve on issues from a previous game. That fans that were left without tickets had only themselves to really blame. Not the 'victim complex' that you observe.

All posts by dundalk fans read as blaming Rovers/SDCC/AGS and at best saying Dundalk didn't help anything when in reality the majority of blame should be shouldered by Dundalk.

[marinobohs]

But you's have never Shít in the Stand?

WTF ? Please stop posting when drunk 😵

[Nesta99]

All posts by dundalk fans read as blaming Rovers/SDCC/AGS and at best saying Dundalk didn't help anything when in reality the majority of blame should be shouldered by Dundalk.

So minority blame with Rovers? I've said "That fans that were left without tickets had only themselves to really blame".

Tbh it was Rovers fans that first suggested that AGS set the ticket limit and conditions.

In the past Asterix I think said that SDCC directed that toilets be closed off for away fans also?

[RathfarnhamHoop]

So minority blame with Rovers? I've said "That fans that were left without tickets had only themselves to really blame".

Tbh it was Rovers fans that first suggested that AGS set the ticket limit and conditions.

In the past Asterix I think said that SDCC directed that toilets be closed off for away fans also?

Well yeah because there is always something Rovers could do to accommodate a bigger crowd, they would have been uncommon things like telling Dundalk fans there'd be no tickets at the gate (which would also **** dundalk fans off in the event tickets didn't sell out beforehand), or set the original allocation bigger (which would cost rovers money in the event there was too much excess) so nobody is completely blameless but it's clutching at straws to look further than Oriel Park for someone to blame.

They do in that they insist in ratios of fans (specifically away) to security personnel and once the number of security personnel is locked in they won't allow numbers to increase the ratio limit.

Yeah that's true too after some alleged incidents at previous games.

[Nesta99]

Dundalk should have been a lot quicker to realise the demand there was and approcah Rovers for additional allocation of tickets. Additional tickets allocated or not Dundalk should have been in contact with Rovers and subsequently informed Dundalk fans of a change with tickets not being available to buy on the night. Those left without tickets have themselves to blame for not getting tickets sooner considering the allocation didnt sell out until the morning of the game and had been on sale for weeks. Rovers did the totally right thing in not making tickets available on the away gates after the away area got overwhelmed in the previous game. It is great to see proactive action in ensuring spectator safety as things can get out of hand quickly.

I cannot make any real judgement on colsing off toilets due to previous conduct of visiting fans as I didnt see any scumbaggery incident with toilets. I do think that it is not the done thing to prevent people from having access to toilets and maybe the thing to do was increase security not lock the essential facilities up. There was an unfortunate experience for a disable child who needed access to disabled toilets and this want available to the embaressment of the poor lad. I say this knowing well that Oriel Park lacks facilities but if in a ground where facilities exist I believe its poor form not to make them available especially for what was a genuine case and not some chancer looking to leave a 'mark' on the facility. While the misbehaviour of some fans would never surprise me I have not heard anyone bar one person mention a disgusting mess left behind in Tallaght. Ive not heard mention of SDCC taking exception that their stadium was disrespected in such away and neither do I believe that a local authority would deny public facilities to people even if abused (or not used) as it would leave them open to all sorts if issues with the likes of the HSA.

Now back on thread! I am quite surprised at the low turn out in Turners Cross, in relative terms, for a European game. Even with the restricted capacity in Oriel there was more at the game than in Cork tonight. That has to be an additional worry from a budget sense, 3100 at the game on top of looking like being out first round and not likley to qualify again through the league. Its an ever decreasing cycle for Cork financially albeit with prudent budgeting as principle in the first instance. It will be a bit of a battle to climb back to top 3 or 4 without a rebuild with young lads if the budget is restricting 'quick fic' signings?

[El-Pietro]

Now back on thread! I am quite surprised at the low turn out in Turners Cross, in relative terms, for a European game. Even with the restricted capacity in Oriel there was more at the game than in Cork tonight. That has to be an additional worry from a budget sense, 3100 at the game on top of looking like being out first round and not likley to qualify again through the league. Its an ever decreasing cycle for Cork financially albeit with prudent budgeting as principle in the first instance. It will be a bit of a battle to climb back to top 3 or 4 without a rebuild with young lads if the budget is restricting 'quick fic' signings?
This is the wrong topic for this discussion but I'll answer as best I can. Our season is over. Theres nothing really left to play for and its about getting through this year without being relegated and cutting the budget back as much as possible to put ourselves in as strong a position as possible for 2020. League crowds are down to ~2k and will probably fall further after last nights abject performance which makes things difficult.

There are rumours of transfer offers from the Championship/League One for McCarthy and McLoughlin, I don't see us turning those down and I think we will be trying to move on several more players who don't seem interested. Hopefully the academy graduates such as Hurley, Byrne, Bargary, Crowley and others get their chance now and give us some bit of hope for the future. If one of them can show they are first team quality between now and the end of the season that would be a real win. Tadgh Ryan deserves a league run out to see if his performance against Preston was a one off or if there is a real player there, either way I think Mark McNultys days in the LOI are numbered.

Our budget will take a hit next year without Europe to look forward but you'd expect it is relatively competitive with the likes of Bohs, Pats, Waterford and Derry even if we aren't going to be anywhere near the top two. A new manager and new team could very easily propel us back into the top 3 or 4, or we could make the wrong appointment and follow the path Sligo went down a few years back, impossible to know ahead of time, managerial appointments are always risky, the fact that Kenny couldn't make it work at Rovers proves that.

As for our attendance last night, I was actually pretty happy with 3,100, we haven't been playing well, we don't know how to score goals and Progrés Niederkorn aren't a draw that would attract the floating fan. There were also about 12 away fans. I wonder how many of those 3,100 were still there at full time.

[D24Saint]

Very healthy crowd for Cork last night.

[Ezeikial]

Our budget will take a hit next year without Europe to look forward but you'd expect it is relatively competitive with the likes of Bohs, Pats, Waterford and Derry even if we aren't going to be anywhere near the top two. A new manager and new team could very easily propel us back into the top 3 or 4, or we could make the wrong appointment and follow the path Sligo went down a few years back, impossible to know ahead of time, managerial appointments are always risky, the fact that Kenny couldn't make it work at Rovers proves that.


The appointment of the next manager is clearly crucial and referencing Stephen Kenny is appropriate in that there are a lot of similarities between the current situation at Cork and the circumstances of his appointment at Dundalk in 2012. He retained only 4 of the players from the previous season (Chris Shields, John Mountney, Stephen McDonnell and Peter Cherrie) and built a new squad of young emerging players bolstered by a couple of experienced characters (Stephen O'Donnell and Mark Rossiter). John Caulfield also achieved incredible first season results taking a club from 6th place with 46 points to 2nd place with 72 points. However there is also a lesson in the narrative of Kenny failing at Rovers - he certainly did not succeed, but I suspect the failure was more got to do with a lack of patience from the board to allow the time needed to succeed.

As Cork have only a small number of players in contract beyond the end of the season, there is a great opportunity to clear out the deadwood and to build a competitive squad. Presumably this appointment will be made sooner rather than later once the formality of Europa League exit has happened. A lot rests on it.

[Nesta99]

Has this been a bit of an audition opportunity for John Cotter? With limited success under difficult circumstances he'll be out of a job in months.

[El-Pietro]

Has this been a bit of an audition opportunity for John Cotter? With limited success under difficult circumstances he'll be out of a job in months.
There was probably an element of that, low risk option, let him take the team for a bit and if he shows hes able to turn things around then great. He has not shown any reason to give him the job full time. You could argue the team hes been given is a shambles and thats not his fault, but there is very little to be optimistic about in recent performances. the game gainst Derry was disgraceful and somehow last night was worse. We were lucky enough to come up against a team as poor as Progrés, a better team would have punished us heavily.

[Charlie Darwin]

The always the victim complex is unreal here.
Plenty of Dundalk fans saying the opposite, to be fair.

[Charlie Darwin]

My reading above RH is that Dundalk fans have acknowledged that Dundalk FC were inadaquate with communication with Rovers and Dundalk Fans, acceptance that tickets on the gate caused issues before and it was the correct decision not to do so again to mitigate against a repeat. That netting was rearranged to improve on issues from a previous game. That fans that were left without tickets had only themselves to really blame. Not the 'victim complex' that you observe.
The stewarding and policing at Tallaght is generally very good and, as you said, they learned lessons from the last time. Tallaght police handle the security for most games but for the bigger games, like this and Bohs, they're under a microscope from HQ so you can understand them being a bit less flexible in terms of numbers let in. We don't have it a fraction of as bad as Bohs do from the Gards in their area and we should be glad of it.

[marinobohs]

The stewarding and policing at Tallaght is generally very good and, as you said, they learned lessons from the last time. Tallaght police handle the security for most games but for the bigger games, like this and Bohs, they're under a microscope from HQ so you can understand them being a bit less flexible in terms of numbers let in. We don't have it a fraction of as bad as Bohs do from the Gards in their area and we should be glad of it.
Always found AGS in Tallaght to be fine and very well organised. The ground was set up (policed, stewarded etc) for so many people and late changes can be logistically difficult.

No reason why shams would intentionally turn away cash so no "conspiracy theories". It really is simple - if it means that much, get a ticket in time. If it doesn't mean that much then STFU.

[sbgawa]

I still think it was the guy on the grassy knoll that fired the fatal shot

[Ezeikial]

Always found AGS in Tallaght to be fine and very well organised. The ground was set up (policed, stewarded etc) for so many people and late changes can be logistically difficult.

No reason why shams would intentionally turn away cash so no "conspiracy theories". It really is simple - if it means that much, get a ticket in time. If it doesn't mean that much then STFU.

So you think the main points that have been made are allegations of " conspiracy theories" and about early buying of away end tickets? If so you are fairly wide of the mark.

Maybe you see yourself as an apologist for Rovers & SDCC stadium management?
Weren't you the poster who labeled those expressing safety concerns about over crowding as snowflakes?