View Full Version : FAI chief executive hails Rovers’ ‘super’ Old Trafford prize draw
sligoman
22/09/2006, 6:39 PM
I know this is Sligo Rovers news but I figured some of ye would be interested in Delaney praising tickets to Old Trafford:D.
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FAI Chief Executive John Delaney has called Sligo Rovers amazing free draw for six tickets to Old Trafford as “a super package which is sure to attract intense interest from the local soccer community”.
Mr Delaney was visiting The Showgrounds for a briefing on the club’s ongoing development programme, and he took time out to enquire about the big draw on September 23. “We heard some details about this unique venture in the FAI, and I was keen to find out more about it.
“From my experience I cannot recall a draw of this sort being organised by any other club, and I must pay tribute to the Sligo Branch of the Manchester United Supporters’ Club for their generosity in sponsoring the tickets for the draw.”
Mr Delaney continued: “This is a very special gesture by Sligo Rovers to acknowledge and reward their loyal supporters by offering them free entry into the draw.
“It shows the supporters that they are not taken for granted, and that their loyalty is appreciated by all at the club.
Continued here (http://www.sligoweekender.ie/news/story.asp?j=29834)
Saw that on the pats website and wondered wtf was up.
kdjac
A face
22/09/2006, 9:56 PM
I dont know who is worse, Sligo or Delaney. Its embrassing to be honest. Shouldn't have even started a thread, if we ignored it, it might have went away. The inferiority complex continues will Sligo leading the way :mad: :o :(
sligoman
22/09/2006, 10:02 PM
I dont know who is worse, Sligo or Delaney. Its embrassing to be honest. Shouldn't have even started a thread, if we ignored it, it might have went away. The inferiority complex continues will Sligo leading the way :mad: :o :(WTF? A face, be realistic, the English Premiership is more popular with Irish people than the EL. This package was given FREE of charge to Rovers. What the club is trying to do is get more new people to come to this game in the hope that they'll see some good football and decide to come back again, what's wrong with that?
Have Cork City come up with any better suggestions to get the barstoolers in!?!?
Soper
22/09/2006, 10:05 PM
If it gets even one more person coming to see us every home game, then it is worth it.No inferiority complex, just trying to get some money out of the barstoolers.
el punter
22/09/2006, 10:07 PM
WTF? A face, be realistic, the English Premiership is more popular with Irish people than the EL. This package was given FREE of charge to Rovers. What the club is trying to do is get more new people to come to this game in the hope that they'll see some good football and decide to come back again, what's wrong with that?
Don't you think it's a bit like Coca-Cola giving away cans of Pepsi as a competition prize? Ireland tickets would have been more appropriate perhaps.
steno
22/09/2006, 10:08 PM
I honestly don't see anything wrong with this, Sligo Rovers is the winner here. Rovers can only gain from this fan wise.
You are not going to change people from following premiership to irish soccer overnight.
sligoman
22/09/2006, 10:18 PM
Ireland tickets would have been more appropriate perhaps.Not really, we were given the "Trip to Old Trafford" package(which includes flights, hotel etc.) for FREE, as I already said. It was a generous donation from the Sligo branch of the Manchester United supporters club. Ireland tickets were not donated so we'd have to pay for them and run the risk of losing money then!
holidaysong
22/09/2006, 10:22 PM
Sligo were given the package for free so it does make sense to do this draw. If they had paid for the package instead of opting for Ireland tickets then you would have to question it.
soccerc
22/09/2006, 10:27 PM
Not really, we were given the "Trip to Old Trafford" package(which includes flights, hotel etc.) for FREE.
No such thing as a "free" lunch. Can you not see the irony in it?
If one of the winners decides they love the prawn sandwich atmosphere of an English football ground and become "fans" of that club, spending maybe, for example, €1000 each year travelling over to see their new team play, then that money is lost to the economy of football in Ireland.
kdjaC
22/09/2006, 10:34 PM
No such thing as a "free" lunch. Can you not see the irony in it?
If one of the winners decides they love the prawn sandwich atmosphere of an English football ground and become "fans" of that club, spending maybe, for example, €1000 each year travelling over to see their new team play, then that money is lost to the economy of football in Ireland.
Spot on.
kdjac
sligoman
22/09/2006, 10:37 PM
If one of the winners decides they love the prawn sandwich atmosphere of an English football ground and become "fans" of that club, spending maybe, for example, €1000 each year travelling over to see their new team play, then that money is lost to the economy of football in Ireland.But on the other hand, if extra people come to the game, enjoy it, and becomes fans of the club and spend money on the club every year, then that is money gained to the economy of Irish football in Ireland.
We're willing to take the risk;).
Spot on.and if you win the tickets tomorrow night you'll refuse to take them will you?:rolleyes:
steno
22/09/2006, 10:37 PM
No such thing as a "free" lunch. Can you not see the irony in it?
If one of the winners decides they love the prawn sandwich atmosphere of an English football ground and become "fans" of that club, spending maybe, for example, €1000 each year travelling over to see their new team play, then that money is lost to the economy of football in Ireland.
But how many times is someone going to travel over to Manchester unless they are season ticket holders and rich?.
Also summer football here and winter/spring there, the seasons do not overlap all that much.
I used to go once a year to Liverpool as well as eircom league games.
gustavo
22/09/2006, 10:43 PM
Think it can only be a good thing for the club will probably add on to the crowd with people that previously wouldnt have gone to the games and hopefully they will be attracted back
kdjaC
22/09/2006, 10:44 PM
We're willing to take the risk;).and if you win the tickets tomorrow night you'll refuse to take them will you?:rolleyes:
I will give them to a sligo fan as i have ****i all use for them.
If you beide me you have 2 chances of wining.....
kdjac
sligoman
22/09/2006, 10:46 PM
If you beide me you have 2 chances of wining.....I'll PM you my description then;) :D
soccerc
22/09/2006, 10:46 PM
But on the other hand, if extra people come to the game, enjoy it, and becomes fans of the club and spend money on the club every year, then that is money gained to the economy of Irish football in Ireland.
We're willing to take the risk;).and if you win the tickets tomorrow night you'll refuse to take them will you?:rolleyes:
Therein lies the irony. Those people are not going to see Sligo V Pats, they are going for the opportunity to win a trip to Manchester.
How many will purchase any Sligo merchandise, food or drink inside the Showgrounds?
How much does the "average punter" spend at Old Trafford?
Would you believe Man U budget for approx €100 spend per non season book holder per home game.
LeixlipRed
22/09/2006, 10:47 PM
Bit like Bray handing out leaflets at the Carlisle Grounds offering trips to the Premiership. The Coke/Pepsi analogy is spot on here
gustavo
22/09/2006, 10:51 PM
I dont think it is really because one can be a follower of Manchester United and like to see them do well and would appreciate the opportunity to see them play but also at the same time go to see your local eL team week in and week out.
Frankfurt Hoop
22/09/2006, 10:59 PM
It's what my Bohemian friends would call minnowism. No surprises from Delaney, but sad to see Sligo stoop to this level.
sligoman
22/09/2006, 11:02 PM
Jesus lads, such a bunch of whingers. The club got this great prize for FREE, they're hardly going to refuse to accept it!
Conor H
22/09/2006, 11:07 PM
A sligo bashing thread-i like!:D :D
steno
22/09/2006, 11:08 PM
It's what my Bohemian friends would call minnowism. No surprises from Delaney, but sad to see Sligo stoop to this level.
It's not like there 2,000 or so fans are going to stop going to Sligo games. Even if there are only people who turn up for a single game and never turn up again Sligo will still have made money from it.
sligoman
22/09/2006, 11:08 PM
A sligo bashing thread-i like!:D :DHilarious:rolleyes:. You must be on a high after beating the mighty Monaghan I suppose, so we'll excuse you for now.
el punter
22/09/2006, 11:13 PM
Jesus lads, such a bunch of whingers. The club got this great prize for FREE, they're hardly going to refuse to accept it!
Ahh, you could have made a big song and dance about telling the west-brits to stick their stinking premiership tickets up their prawn sandwich. Then, Sligo Rovers, you would have been heroes to us all. But you let it pass. You let the Premiership boys buttfcuk you again and leave them think they're doing you a favour. Sure your lot are wearing Sunderland jerseys as it is. You're missing the big picture Sligoman.
gustavo
22/09/2006, 11:16 PM
Big picture is that you have to realise that there are soccer fans in Sligo that dont go to the games and this is one way that they will be attracted as a once off and hopefully stay. I think its a pity that the club are being attacked here for doing something to boost attendances which isnt costing them any money
Conor H
22/09/2006, 11:27 PM
Hilarious:rolleyes:. You must be on a high after beating the mighty Monaghan I suppose, so we'll excuse you for now.
No i'm on a high from GUFC been top of the league.:)
sligoman
22/09/2006, 11:30 PM
No i'm on a high from GUFC been top of the league.:)You'd wanna check that again. Shams are top of the one I'm looking at;)
If it gets people into the Showgrounds I don't see why people here are against it. It aims for a market that already has an interest in football and aims to get them into the ground where they'll hopefully enjoy themselves and come again. It might form a new habit for some of them.
It's not 'minnowism' or an inferiority complex to realise that interest in the premiership, especially for this sort of game is higher than in the eL in general- it's the truth FFS! Any progress the league might make will be made by persuading these people to come to eL games, not by abusing or even ignoring them.
Fair play to Sligo for trying this, I hope it's a big success. if all the clubs put a bit more effort into marketing the league would be in a better state.
dcfcsteve
23/09/2006, 12:04 PM
The main criticism here should be aimed at Delaney.
What is the head of Irish football doing drooling over a prize like that ?!?! He would've been better advised to say nothing.
Patrick Dunne
23/09/2006, 1:31 PM
Sligo Rovers are trying to get barstoolers into the Showgrounds and I applaud them for it.
What do some people want them to do ? Take the high moral ground and refuse people entry unless they know who scored the winner in the 1983 FAI Cup final ?
aido1895
23/09/2006, 1:46 PM
FFS lads Sligo are getting money for nothing. No Irish team can afford to turn down an opportunity to make a few quid and if Sligo can manage to attract a few extra fans fair play to them.
Anybody here who thinks their club would have turned down the opportunity offered to Sligo is kidding themselves.
BohDiddley
23/09/2006, 2:37 PM
An original and thought-provoking promotion, and I think it's a good one.
It's very gratifying personal therapy to adopt a Taliban-like position on this, and to insist on the purity of the national league. But Sligo are playing a cleverer game that doesn't put the league in opposition to the Bungiership, but actually uses it to promote the game here.
If fans who drool over the Bungiership can be turned into fans who also go to Irish football, then that's ok with me.
osarusan
23/09/2006, 5:23 PM
Dont see what the problem is.
Sligo got the package for free, so any extra people that pay in and buy a ticket, even if they come once and never again, that money still is profit for Sligo.
With a bit of luck, some of those who come for the draw may see that LOI football isnt the crap they thought it was, and they might come back again - more money for Sligo.
To the arguement that this could cause football fans to throw away their money in England instead of supporting a eL team - if these people only come to have a chance of winning premiership tickets, then it is highly unlikely that they would ever have spent that money in eL football anyway.
On a separate note, will the club have any other activities on the night of the draw to try and convince any "once-off visitors" to come back for the next home game?
Red&White Rover
23/09/2006, 5:56 PM
I dont see what the problem is...money for nothing as far as i'm concerned...i mean lots of people my age are going to this match and it just means their paying for a raffle ticket for 8 euro. and if they like what they see, hopefully they'll come back again and boost our attendance...i cant see what you are all fussing over apart from your own pride.
DmanDmythDledge
23/09/2006, 6:03 PM
Sligo were given the chance to attract more people to The Showgrounds, at no cost. If it doesn't alter the attendence in any way they haven't lost anything. It's a no lose situation.
Incidentally where does the money raised from the raffle tickets go to, Sligo Rovers or the Man Utd SC?
Red&White Rover
23/09/2006, 10:14 PM
Sligo were given the chance to attract more people to The Showgrounds, at no cost. If it doesn't alter the attendence in any way they haven't lost anything. It's a no lose situation.
Incidentally where does the money raised from the raffle tickets go to, Sligo Rovers or the Man Utd SC?
Rovers of course!
cheifo
23/09/2006, 10:43 PM
Did this promotion add to the attendance?
Larry 'da' Wyse
24/09/2006, 9:15 AM
jaysus lads it might be possible for Sligo fans to also enjoy watching the Premiership - and who knows they might even support Man Yoo also. Big deal.
Well done Sligo.
I remember being at an Athlone game in 1990-91 (?) and they gave away their allocation of tickets -50 I think- for Ireland v. Poland in a half time draw based on numbers in the programme. I didn't win one and estimated they must have flogged about 51 programmes.
1 9 2 8
24/09/2006, 10:13 AM
Did this promotion add to the attendance?
Yes. :ball:
Gareth
24/09/2006, 1:50 PM
Delaney is a bit over enthausiastic about a feckin draw for Manu ticket. Stupid
SligoBrewer
24/09/2006, 1:59 PM
Delaney is a bit over enthausiastic about a feckin draw for Manu ticket. Stupid
delaney is a twit anyways...
it added about 200 to the crowd.
worth it :ball:
Dr.Nightdub
24/09/2006, 3:29 PM
I think the Sligo-bashers are entitled to point to the principle of not promoting the League's biggest rival attraction.
However, the Sligo lads are completely correct in pointing to the pragmatic benefits.
As stated, they got the prize for free so it's not like they sold their souls or anything.
Secondly, has anyone stopped to think that those 200 extra people who went had to actually skip watching the Premiership on TV to go to the Showgrounds?
Finally, they got to see a rip-roaring game live in the flesh, with five goals a great atmosphere and a dramatic last-minute comeback. While I'm obviously sick at the way it panned out for us, from Sligo's point of view they couldn't have asked for a better reason to prompt a good chunk of those 200 extra to go back for more in a fortnight's time and maybe become regulars.
I take Soccerc's point about three lots of €1000 a year being potentially lost to the Sligo football economy. However, if even a quarter of those newcomers become regulars, it'll put €750 a FORTNIGHT into the Sligo football economy. To me, that sounds like a good return for zero investment.
Rory H
25/09/2006, 10:15 AM
if people are giving out about extra people going to an el game then they should really cop on...by any means neccessary....i think the atmosphere last 5 mins will bring a few of the new fans back next saturday for the cup game!
Tough one to call. Obviously promoting Man U and English Premiership
is against the whole promoting of eL but at the end of they day they
got a prize for free that will bring in some extra cash to the club.
It might make a few more Rovers supporters and it might not, but at
least those who dont decide to stick with Rovers will have given some
money to the club.
In an ideal situation they would be in a position to give out an Ireland
trip, but it wasnt to be. You can only work with what you have.
Pity to see our Commander in Chief though whacking himself off to the
thought of Old Trafford. Did he go to the game to try and win the prize
himself?
seand
25/09/2006, 10:38 AM
A great promo for Sligo Rovers, I'd be delighted if Dundalk could rope a couple of hundred extra people in for such a promo. Delaney's a gob****e for talking it up though, and at least one other club (Mons) have done it before.
There's a difference between promoting the English Premiership and taking advantage of it. If Rovers are not allowed to give away a trip to England then presumably the rest of us should not be showing English Premiership games in our bars.
Some people just aint happy unless their moaning.
absolutely fantastic promotion by Sligo
they're thinking 'outside the box' and boosting crowds
as Nightdub pointed out - the sceptical extras on the gate (and it did appear to be an unusually big crowd to my eyes) were treated to a 3-2 cracker.
I've no doubt the interest levels of the newbies would have been aroused by a game of such quality and drama, skill and tempo.
Keep up the good work, keep coming up with radical new ideas - keep boosting your attendances and to hell with teh begrudgers
ure still a shower of jammy barstards tho! ;)
BohDiddley
25/09/2006, 10:47 AM
Delaney is a bit over enthausiastic about a feckin draw for Manu ticket. Stupid
Link?
Dodge
25/09/2006, 10:52 AM
No problem with Sligo doing the raffle (loads of other clubs have had prizes of trips to games in England/Glasgow in xmas raffles etc). Good luck to them BUT unless they asked people on the gate why they were coming to the game they've no way of knowing how succesful it was. For all they know it was 200 people who really really hate Pats and came along to boo. Obviously it wasn't but the 200 people could've been there because Sligo are doing well and scoring goals, or because Derry are doing well in Europe or because its back to winter football. You get my point...
Delaney on the other hand is a tool.
i think if their gate went up (as its seems to have been a statistical anomaly taken with their recent home games) - you can fairly well attach some credit to the promotion
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