Team forums

[Briuk]

I have noticed that recently this year Bohemians and Finn Harps forums stopped working, (harpstalk and thebohs) and I wonder where are fans now gathering online to talk. As other forums stopped working during the years, SRFC Ultras, Shelschat... It feels the community is getting smaller...

I know the fans of this teams are posting on these sites, but what about the rest? Are there any other spaces am I missing?

St Pats -Z Saintsforum
Sligo Rovers -> Sligorovers.co
Dundalk -> Orielweb
Derry -> DerryCitychat

Galway United -> Galwayunited.net
Cork City -> CCFC Forum
Waterford -> Facebook Group

[joey B]

Harpstalk is still active though quite a bit quieter than it once was,I think Twitter and Facebook have reduced the activity on forums….

[D24Saint]

I have noticed that recently this year Bohemians and Finn Harps forums stopped working, (harpstalk and thebohs) and I wonder where are fans now gathering online to talk. As other forums stopped working during the years, SRFC Ultras, Shelschat... It feels the community is getting smaller...

I know the fans of this teams are posting on these sites, but what about the rest? Are there any other spaces am I missing?

St Pats -Z Saintsforum
Sligo Rovers -> Sligorovers.co
Dundalk -> Orielweb
Derry -> DerryCitychat

Galway United -> Galwayunited.net
Cork City -> CCFC Forum
Waterford -> Facebook Group


There seems to be a core group of contributors on the Pats forum. Overall it hasn’t got the causal poster anymore. The discussion on the European draw this year for example was a lot quieter that previous years . I really enjoy the site and I hope it can stay alive and relevant. I do think there is a generational switch to social media going on. I do think these forums offer a bit more freedom for people to voice their opinions to social media. The pseudonyms used by people can be abused by trolls on occasion but the majority of people just want to talk football.

[DCSIL]

CCFC Forum must be one of the busiest going.
Derry City Chat(which is one of those odd forums i can't get onto no matter what)is only busy on Matchday.

[David BOHie]

I have noticed that recently this year Bohemians and Finn Harps forums stopped working, (harpstalk and thebohs) and I wonder where are fans now gathering online to talk. As other forums stopped working during the years, SRFC Ultras, Shelschat... It feels the community is getting smaller...

I know the fans of this teams are posting on these sites, but what about the rest? Are there any other spaces am I missing?

St Pats -Z Saintsforum
Sligo Rovers -> Sligorovers.co
Dundalk -> Orielweb
Derry -> DerryCitychat

Galway United -> Galwayunited.net
Cork City -> CCFC Forum
Waterford -> Facebook Group

There's a new Bohs forum some lad setup:
https://thebohsfc.freeforums.net/

Only new and not got much traction yet but we'll see if it grows to as big as the previous Bohs forum was.

[Nesta99]

CCFC Forum must be one of the busiest going.
Derry City Chat(which is one of those odd forums i can't get onto no matter what)is only busy on Matchday.

Its a wonder considering the fear and banning policy of 'foreigner'.

[ger121]

There's a new Bohs forum some lad setup:
https://thebohsfc.freeforums.net/

Only new and not got much traction yet but we'll see if it grows to as big as the previous Bohs forum was.

The last one just went overnight, yet it was very popular.

[D24Saint]

Just wondering about the road ahead for forums. Will the technology still be there in the next few years to support forums as they are a dying thing on the internet. I much prefer sites like this compared to the toxic environment on the likes of twitter. I hope foot.ie etc are here to stay.

[Nesta99]

It would be a real loss to not have message boards like this. Traffic is well down from peak and maybe even gradually over recent years bit by bit bar a few of us hanging on but its a community and doesnt have the vitriolic nature of twitter. Im sure similar said when message boards became a thing at all but other forms of social media lack the ability to get to know personalities if not a name. It was good when the question was asked by the former owner of Orielweb whether people wanted it to continue and a lot of old friends and does came out of the woodwork to say they wanted it kept going. Many checked in for a look still even if they didnt post anymore. The numbers of daily visits were surprisingly good for my limited knowledge on such things. Do know whether willing but maybe dahamsta, give a rough guide to the good old days to today, maybe how different fora do. I dont tend to frequent current affairs too much, or Id have thesis levels of word count done monthly, Im bad enough here. Ireland fora maybe on match nights, Irish League just when a new post pops up. Predictions i'd get too OCD about. Dont know enough or follow enough of non LoI for junior or intermediate stuff anymore. If there was an injury list forum id probably never close the tab. If there were old things i'd like to see again apart from certain and more posters it would the potm/poty - some of them are comedy gold! Apart from ridiculous rants or stupid moments I am quite proud of one post and its was someone saying there was 404 at a game and I said it had to be an error...sad but a humour highlight for me here.

Id certainly miss this forum on night duty though I still hate using the phone as text predict can throw up some right clangers if not quick enough to spot, I always end up editing plenty when back on a laptop.

[MichaelCherrito]

Sadly these forums tend to disappear. It's twitter and facebook the places to discuss these days. Even reddit seems to have joined in terms of talking any sort of sport.

[ger121]

Is boards.ie still popular? I’ve been posting on this forum, though not heavily for 19 years. I’ve tended to be a reader more than a poster for many of those years. With the toxic nature of social media and the demise of the Bohs forum, I have found myself visiting and posting more frequently on foot.ie. The one thing I have noticed, is there does seem to be still a fair few people posting on the site lately, which is a good sign in my view. I hope it means the forum has some legs in it yet. I’d be optimistic.

[sbgawa]

The last one just went overnight, yet it was very popular.

From what i heard it was run by a club person as a sideline and they were asked to ditch it as it had become a bit toxic with a thread for Long to go not helping.

Social media in the guise of facebook and twitter is a different type of interaction to forums.
Long may they continue

[pineapple stu]

Is boards.ie still popular?
Yes, but it changed platform last year which seems to have been a disaster; lots of people complaining about functionality and many of the smaller forums have died.

Agree about the advantages of forums over social media (obviously, or I'd be on social media), and good to see a bit of life on here still. Feels like there's been more new blood than departures of late, which is good if it isn't just my imagination

[nigel-harps1954]

Have definitely noticed a bit of life back in foot.ie in the past year or two. Did seem like it was going the way of all the rest for a while but a good bit of life back in it now, and long may it last.

A very different type of discussion than what you see on social media, and I don't like what social media done in that regard.

A bit of life has come back into Harps own forum this past year or so too, and while it's nowhere near the same level of traffic forums showed ten or fifteen years ago, it's nice to see it clinging on. There's definitely a role for the old faithful yet.

[John83]

The moderation on a forum can make a big difference in the discussion, mostly invisibly because norms of behaviour are in place.

I have never warmed to the lack of structure on some of the newer social media where threads are visible because they're popular, which often means they're vitriolic.

[Nesta99]

Just as an aside on this, the owner/admin on Orielweb changed recently. Started by Dan McDonnell late 90's, Colin held the fort for a couple of decades after (much appreciated to both) and handed it over to new custodians after a general consensus that it was wanted to stay. People who hadnt posted regularly popped on to say that while they dont post regularly if at all anymore they do log in for up to date news/gossip and the entertainment of a good old squabble. It was always moderated very lightly which was appropriate, all fans of other clubs were welcome even if some were also an irritant. Mods should be a bit like referees, rarely seen or noticed! One remarkable incident involving OW was a fans Q&A with the club and then owner Gerry Matthews where he proceeded to read out a list of pseudonyms of OW posters demanding them to come forward. It was a real wtf moment to realise that a club owner was trawling a message forum and taking what was said very much to heart.

[sadloserkid]

I once, many years ago, fielded an unexpected call from an ex-Limerick chairman unhappy with some of the content on the Limerick forum here. He was quite polite about it but, to quote Nesta above, it was definitely a WTF moment. I was moderating the Limerick forum at the time so it wasn't a wholly random call but even so...

[bohsmug]

I'm a bit lost without thebohs.com forum open in the background in work but the discourse was getting worse and, at times, wholly odd. There was way less posters than there had been in previous times. Much harder to have decent threads on facebook groups with the way it's organised. Forums organise threads by topic. Everything on facebook/twitter/whatever feels very temporary, whereas on a forum you could have a thread that runs for years.

[Martinho II]

Never knew Dan McDonnell founded Orielweb now thats a claim to fame!

[Nesta99]

Its where he first cut his teeth as a sports writer. Id say there is some of the old content still there if searched for. Its some fun seeing what was going on back then never mind the forum contributors. The message board was a secondary part of the original site but now is the only active section. The days before the very good club website and the not so good aertel so a gamechanger especially for those of us who were expats at the time. Along with the Eircom League forum too of course.

[Nesta99]

I once, many years ago, fielded an unexpected call from an ex-Limerick chairman unhappy with some of the content on the Limerick forum here. He was quite polite about it but, to quote Nesta above, it was definitely a WTF moment. I was moderating the Limerick forum at the time so it wasn't a wholly random call but even so...

I could kind of understand a club official contacting a board admin to questions stuff, it may have happened with OW too. On this occasion it was the public nature of a chairman and owner standing up in the YDC with a list going 'who is a-z I want to 'speak' to them. Part of the spectacle was that fans present probably knew who posters were. I think its fair cop that identities werent coughed up by the site or subscribers and I believe that the recent change in admin wasnt taken lightly to actually maintain whatever anonymity there is. Tbh there has been one or 2 over the years that I wouldnt mind have knowing who they were myself for either a pat on the back or a good clatter round the chops!

[ToberonaTornado]

Yes, but it changed platform last year which seems to have been a disaster; lots of people complaining about functionality and many of the smaller forums have died.

Agree about the advantages of forums over social media (obviously, or I'd be on social media), and good to see a bit of life on here still. Feels like there's been more new blood than departures of late, which is good if it isn't just my imagination

And a lot of the bigger ones too.
The change from one platform provider to another has been nothing but an unmitigated disaster for Boards.I used to love the drop down menus and the easy navigation of the site but now its just a lot of hard work to try and find old haunts.i bought my last 3 phones and a lot of other stuff from the the "bargain alerts" page there.

The guys currently running OrielWeb are there until the planet finally explodes in a fireball i reckonl.(have a story about how i/we nearly took it over but i'll keep that one for another day)

[Mr A]

I doubt there is a club board anywhere that has not tied in knots about online forum posts at some stage. When Patsy McGowan violently assaulted a fellow director, the conversation started about forum posts, but when it was pointed out that some abusive posts came from the same IP address as he posted in his own name things got out of hand. Extreme example obviously.

[D24Saint]

I doubt there is a club board anywhere that has not tied in knots about online forum posts at some stage. When Patsy McGowan violently assaulted a fellow director, the conversation started about forum posts, but when it was pointed out that some abusive posts came from the same IP address as he posted in his own name things got out of hand. Extreme example obviously.

There was a few issues on the Pats site but that was a long time ago. I haven't seen any major issues in over fifteen years or so. Its amazing what was said was perceived as a big deal at the time and now pales in comparison to what is said on social media these days.

[Nesta99]

I doubt there is a club board anywhere that has not tied in knots about online forum posts at some stage. When Patsy McGowan violently assaulted a fellow director, the conversation started about forum posts, but when it was pointed out that some abusive posts came from the same IP address as he posted in his own name things got out of hand. Extreme example obviously.

It's quite funny when someone either forgets to log off and in again with their different accounts and answer themselves or feign multiple support for some agenda etc. Doesnt happen too often these days on whichever fora but some of my favourite moments. I'd also have used boards, rarely posted, but just dont bother now. Maybe some new platforms are an improvement but if ye are just used to one it can be a pain when its changed (but then when 'new improved formula or recipe appears on something I think gahhhh! its never an improvement!). Could be a backlash against social media and why message boards do seem to be busier again these days.

[pateen]

Anyone know if the shamrock rovers forum exists anymore?

[ger121]

Anyone know if the shamrock rovers forum exists anymore?

If it does, MI6 will be all over it today.

[WeAreRovers]

There’s new one called WeAreRovers funnily enough. Not sure it’s very busy though.

[Peaky Blinder]

There’s new one called WeAreRovers funnily enough. Not sure it’s very busy though.

Didn't the facebook group kind of replace the old Ultras forum? A shame as that FB group was toxic to the point many reasonable people simply left.

[ccfcman]

Its a wonder considering the fear and banning policy of 'foreigner'.

Jeez man you musta done something fairly onerous to get banned. The admin and moderators are all (checks notes) fairly sane.

As a club we've played fast and loose with the high courts, members have made some incendiary/potentially libellous posts and we've had a few "technical issues" ie. the forum being taken offline temporarily for some sanitation but I reckon you'd have to have a go off XR's missus to get banned!

[Nesta99]

Jeez man you musta done something fairly onerous to get banned. The admin and moderators are all (checks notes) fairly sane.

As a club we've played fast and loose with the high courts, members have made some incendiary/potentially libellous posts and we've had a few "technical issues" ie. the forum being taken offline temporarily for some sanitation but I reckon you'd have to have a go off XR's missus to get banned!

Naw I was better behaved that I am here and bar wrecking heads with longwinded posts I dont think I cause too many annoyances on foot. It was damned if you do and damned if you dont with a number of regulars on the CCFC fora with posts taken as either critical or sarcastic so no win possible. I suggested that McNulty's eloquent post cup win commets were in a way a compliment to Dundalk and that that cup win was a masssive result as another league and cup double for Dundalk would have sucked the life out of whatever self belief Cork had built. An observation subsequently on how divided Cork fans were on Caulfield, that it was bonkers increasing a playing budget with financial projections based on 4k or whatever average attendances and FORAS were losing sight of why they existed, got quite a backlash and banned I was and was certainly not the only one. I did have a back up account to lurk and did post as an exiled Cork fan with more nark and could still be there if I remembered passwords and the like.

[Briuk]

There’s new one called WeAreRovers funnily enough. Not sure it’s very busy though.

Can you give the link?