Drogheda's weak side

[Sniffer]

Isn't there a rule that obliges a club to field it's strongest team in competition? Drogheda's team last night was a huge disrespect to the League Cup; effectively they gave Shamrock Rovers a walkover. Fit players were being rested, seemingly.

[Steve Bruce]

Suppose this is modern day football. A cup with more money than another gets treated more seriously. I personally do not blame them on fielding a weakened side when they have an important final on Saturday.

[passerrby]

agree, league cup means little to the bigger clubs cant really blame him for restig his senior lads

[Sniffer]

I understand the reasons, they were well flagged; but is there such a rule?

[passerrby]

think there is but expect fai to do an ostritch because of setanta cup

[GavinZac]

I understand the reasons, they were well flagged; but is there such a rule?
I think any such 'rule' would rather be an interpretation of "bringing the game into disrepute".

[Schumi]

I understand the reasons, they were well flagged; but is there such a rule?Very much doubt it. Teams have been playing weakened sides in the league cup for as long as it's existed.

[micls]

Sure City did the same......dont see a problem with it. If the team put out isnt good enough theyl lose and the more deserving team will go through.

League cup may not have much prize money but there is a Setanta place up for grabs....

[Dodge]

Think there's a "participation" agreement that forces clubs to field to their "strongest posisble side". Usually get away with resting a few players but an entire u17 side may well get flagged

[micls]

Think there's a "participation" agreement that forces clubs to field to their "strongest posisble side". Usually get away with resting a few players but an entire u17 side may well get flagged

Probably would have been grand if he hadnt gone advertising the fact that it was all under 17s.......

[paudie]

I've no problem with fielding a weakened team in a secondary competition but just 2 points:

1. Did Drogs charge the full entrance fee to see their starlets? If so they should have publicised the fact as much as possible that they were playing a weakened team.

2. Just as well there were no serious injuries to the young guys playing against the full Rovers team. Wouldn't have looked good if some nippy 16 yr old winger was kicked out of the ground by a (ahem) strong tackle by a Rovers player.

[Bald Student]

Probably would have been grand if he hadnt gone advertising the fact that it was all under 17s.......Or if he had played his Under 21s, what was the point in leapfrogging them and playing the Under 17s?

[Sniffer]

Was this just Doolin's way of giving the two fingers to the FAI for not allowing the club with the strongest squad in the league to have the game postponed?

[superfrank]

With all this talk of a Drogheda injury crisis and a cup final at the weekend, it's no wonder Drogs didn't play their full team. They wouldn't be the first team to do it. I've seen ourselves and Rovers do it in the same game one year and actually it was a pretty good game.

It would be just plain stupid to see Drogs get a fine for this. Other teams do it too.

[Dodge]

Although I don't really mind, I hope Drogs are docked points :D

[Jerry The Saint]

And is there a rule against players betting against their own team...?

[Erstwhile Bóz]

And is there a rule against players betting against their own team...?
They have to wait for the ball to go out of play.

[BohsPartisan]

And is there a rule against players betting against their own team...?

Do you know something?

[Sniffer]

Most of them would be too young to place a bet.:)

[Jerry The Saint]

Do you know something?

Just what I read on here

http://foot.ie/showpost.php?p=681799&postcount=43

No reason to doubt it as Shamrock fans always speak the truth.

Anyone know if there's anything in the rules against this? This is a huge issue in most sports all around the world but I wouldn't be surprised if the FAI took the attitude that "it's all a bit of a laugh, what harm?"

Particularly relevant given the widespread gambling audience for the league that has sprung up in recent years.

[OhNoYouDidn't]

Do you know something?

whispers about the place. local bukies none too amused etc.

[Dyl10]

The rule doesnt exist for the league cup, but it does for the setanta. Apparently the 21s werent played because the 17s are more match fit.

[Sniffer]

Cheers Dyl10, only had to wait for 23 posts to get a definite answer.:)

[BohsFans]

Or if he had played his Under 21s, what was the point in leapfrogging them and playing the Under 17s?

http://foot.ie/showpost.php?p=681619&postcount=36

[cestlavie]

I dont care what competition it is, too have the biggest squad in the league and to end up playing your youth team is a disgrace. They should fined:(

[mypost]

Did Drogs charge the full entrance fee to see their starlets?

Yes..

[ndrog]

I dont care what competition it is, too have the biggest squad in the league and to end up playing your youth team is a disgrace. They should fined:(

no probs .we can pay the fine from the setanta cup winners money .

[Celdrog]

What I find strange is that last season games were being postponed almost a week before the euro games even though we neither needed nor wanted this. Supposedly it was to help our teams to be fully prepared for the CL and UEFA cup. This really screwed up Derry who had a huge fixture pile at the end of the season having gone so far in the UEFA, league and FAI cups. Ultimately it probably cost them the league.

Now when we want a game postponed its refused. Never mind an injury crisis, the Setanta final is on next Saturday and the FAI don't seem willing to let the EL club be fully prepared for that.

Maybe its just because it helps the Drogs and has no benefit to the overall league in terms of co-efficient points but surely we should have been allowed to give Rovers a walk over. Shels requested not to play in the CL so we should have done the same, mind you it showed we have some decent U-17 players.

Did this happen somewhere else last season (the walkover)??

The league cup has been further devalued this season with the automatic Setanta place gone and the prize money is paltry compared to the league and the Setanta cup. What are we supposed to do? Not play in the Setanta to play in the league cup. We asked for a postponement but were told to play our U-21 and U-17 players so there cannot be a fine. We fulfilled the fixture.

[micls]

Or if he had played his Under 21s, what was the point in leapfrogging them and playing the Under 17s?

Presume its cos the u21 season hasnt started yet and they thought theyd be fitter

[GavinZac]

Maybe its just because it helps the Drogs and has no benefit to the overall league
Ridden rock solid

[Bray Head]

Isn't there a rule that obliges a club to field it's strongest team in competition? Drogheda's team last night was a huge disrespect to the League Cup; effectively they gave Shamrock Rovers a walkover. Fit players were being rested, seemingly.


I think the rule only applies to league games where your result effects other clubs. If you lose a cup game with a weaken team it only effects yourself. If clubs are not treating the league cup serious there should be some price reduction for the fans as clubs charge the same to league cup games as league games.

[half_full]

IMO its not the worst thing in the world:

1) Rest the first-team (squad:eek: ), keep them injury free

2) Family and Friends of the U-17/21's that may never gone to a drogheda game in their lives had a reason to go to see their relatives/friends, maybe they enjoyed live football and will be back?

[cestlavie]

no probs .we can pay the fine from the setanta cup winners money .

Young Ferguson might have a thing or two to say about that, LOL

[ndrog]

Young Ferguson might have a thing or two to say about that, LOL

He wont get a sniff :cool:

[Steve Bruce]

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/local/article2531506.ece

Is that the true reflection of your injuries?

[ndrog]

Yes for sure .I hope to god that some of them might make it though .We picked up more injuries against waterford .

[mypost]

Drogheda have no excuse but to fulfill their fixture. With all the money they have at their disposal, they should have built up a big enough squad to cope with injuries before the season.

As it turned out, it didn't affect their team too much in the Setanta Cup final.

[GavinZac]

weve even more now were back to back all ireland champions

is that hurling or gaelic?

[DmanDmythDledge]

and the most amount of times out of all the senior clubs on this island
You haven't actually. I know Linfield have won it 4 times (it was around before the Setanta) and I'm sure a good few teams would have won it more than twice.

[onephillyhughes]

I would imagine you are your typical johnny come lately Drogheda fan, unaware of such competitions existing under different faces long before your club became bankrolled. Fair play on winning it yesterday, full deserved, should've been out of sight at half time.

[OhNoYouDidn't]

Rovers have won 6 all ireland cups of various types.