KICK-OFF CHANGED - 7.15pm, Galway United v Finn Harps [Archive]

Mr A

15/06/2007, 10:55 AM

FFS, how was it that this decision took until hours before the game to be made?

This will hurt the crowd which in turn hurts both clubs, never mind the inconvenience for people traveling long distances- some of whom may not even find out at this stage.

Very disappointed by this.

MyTown

15/06/2007, 11:03 AM

I think we scored a major O.G on this by not getting the news out earlier in the week.

Who knows, maybe there was a problem contacting the ref. or getting his / Harps / FAI agreement?

The righteous indignation from Donegal is hard to swallow given the number of fixtures lost up there and the fact that it is only a half an hour, but, yes, I agree we got it wrong on this one amd apologies should go to those planning a long journey this afternoon.

KBurke

15/06/2007, 11:07 AM

Its only a change of 30 mins. It would be worse if kick off had been changed to 5.00 or something. Im sure the majority of fans from Donegal would be leaving early to avoid traffic and would be arriving in plenty of time anyway.

Mr A

15/06/2007, 11:10 AM

In all fairness there's a big difference between the ref calling off a game due to the weather (which has happened to all of us- I remember games in Kildare and Cork being called off within the last hour before KO, but that's life) and a club deciding to move a kick off on the day of a game when the circumstances causing this were known weeks in advance.

MyTown

15/06/2007, 11:16 AM

Is this for real???

http://www.eircomloi.ie/index.htm

when the circumstances causing this were known weeks in advance.

In all fairness..... the circumstances only came to light (no pun intended) at the start of this week. (The cup draw was on May 31st.).

As I noted above I'm sorry for travelling Harps fans & that we didn't have clarity on it by yesterday morning at least.

Mr_T

15/06/2007, 11:21 AM

Who knows, maybe there was a problem contacting the ref. or getting his / Harps / FAI agreement?

The righteous indignation from Donegal is hard to swallow given the number of fixtures lost up there and the fact that it is only a half an hour, but, yes, I agree we got it wrong on this one amd apologies should go to those planning a long journey this afternoon.

What a load of cobblers. If a game is called off for unforseen problems , e.g. weather then not much the club can do about it. If Harps have doubts about the pitch they always try to have early inspections to avoid clubs / fans travelling in vain but at the end of the day it is entirely down to the referee.

Its been comon knowledge all week they would have no lights, GUFC must have known for longer. They contacted Harps this morning at 10.00am, then the FAI send out a press release confirming its off. Harps had no say in it.

Our teams travel and pre match plans have now been thrown in a heap, never mind the inconvenience for supporters, which could all have been avoided.

MyTown

15/06/2007, 11:26 AM

They contacted Harps this morning at 10.00am, then the FAI send out a press release confirming its off.:confused: Harps had no say in it.

Our teams travel and pre match plans have now been thrown in a heap, never mind the inconvenience for supporters, which could all have been avoided.

Aren't we talking about kick off coming forward by a half hour?

If everyone's plans are thrown in a heap by that amount of inconveninece then you really do have a problem.

For the third time, sorry for the inconvenience. And I bow to your greater knowledge of how the FAI & Harps came to hear of it.

GuisaSaigon

15/06/2007, 11:27 AM

Our teams travel and pre match plans have now been thrown in a heap, never mind the inconvenience for supporters, which could all have been avoided.

I have an idea on how it can all be avoided, this might seem crazy but you could try........ Leaving half an hour earlier :eek:

harps1954

15/06/2007, 11:37 AM

I have an idea on how it can all be avoided, this might seem crazy but you could try........ Leaving half an hour earlier :eek:

Yes, that would be the idea. However, a 20 man squad plus all the backroom staff need to be informed of this - most of which are at work this morning. The bus company now needs to provide the coach 30 minutes earlier. The hotel where the team are meeting for their pre-match get together needs to have pre-matches meals / room available 30 minutes earlier. It's all okay leaving half-an-hour earlier when you know a day or two in advance. But been told just nine hours before heading off on a four hour journey is a bit much.

Some people questioned the kick-off time earlier this week when they heard their were no lights. I know a Harps official had a conversation about this with a Galway United official three days okay. The Galway official said "sure it'll be okay, it's clear most nights to 11 O'Clock.

Just one question - how many matches have Galway played this season without the floodlights switched on for at least the second half? Why did it take the FAI to make the decision for Galway this morning?

harps1954

15/06/2007, 11:38 AM

Is the time printed in today's papers incorrect ?

YES. And the time given on all sports bullintins this morning.

Schumi

15/06/2007, 11:38 AM

I have an idea on how it can all be avoided, this might seem crazy but you could try........ Leaving half an hour earlier :eek:In fairness, the team don't just hop in a bus and arrive ten minutes before kick off like fans do. They'd have a plan for the day involving stopping in a hotel along the way, getting something to eat at a particular time, arriving at the ground at a certain time for warm ups, etc. It's not trivial to move all that forward, even by 30 minutes. I'd imagine several Harps players may be working in the morning too.

mypost

15/06/2007, 11:48 AM

In fairness, the team don't just hop in a bus and arrive ten minutes before kick off like fans do.

Monaghan did that for a game in Galway years ago, and lost 8-0!! :D Both sides were relegated.

I'd imagine several Harps players may be working in the morning too.

More Friday night football madness. :o

Btw, is the ko time of our game there next week, now provisional? :confused:

Claret Murph

15/06/2007, 11:52 AM

I have to agree with Harps & Rocket on this , something should have been said sooner but fair play to the club at least they have got their heads together and with the extra 30 minutes we should be fine . Bye the way the floodlights are turned on around half time .

I still say a few flares would be handy .

ONLY JOKING .........

MyTown

15/06/2007, 11:57 AM

Just one question - how many matches have Galway played this season without the floodlights switched on for at least the second half? ?

Fair cop. None that I can recall.

Why did it take the FAI to make the decision for Galway this morning?

Actually, that's a second question - but to be honest, I don't know.

Btw, is the ko time of our game there next week, now provisional? :confused:

Another reasonable question given today's developments, but I would have thought with Live TV, the original time is set in stone:eek:

GuisaSaigon

15/06/2007, 11:59 AM

Yes, that would be the idea. However, a 20 man squad plus all the backroom staff need to be informed of this - most of which are at work this morning. The bus company now needs to provide the coach 30 minutes earlier. The hotel where the team are meeting for their pre-match get together needs to have pre-matches meals / room available 30 minutes earlier. It's all okay leaving half-an-hour earlier when you know a day or two in advance. But been told just nine hours before heading off on a four hour journey is a bit much.

Fair enough, it's not exactly ideal, and United messed up by not changing KO earlier :( , but it's not the end of the world. a few phone calls should sort it out.
And a shligo fan giving out about floodlights is a bit of a joke

GuisaSaigon

15/06/2007, 12:02 PM

Btw, is the ko time of our game there next week, now provisional? :confused:
No,the floodlights will be back in place by next Friday AFAIK

BohsFans

15/06/2007, 12:03 PM

I never thought any club in this country would resort to these tactics!

Tribesman

15/06/2007, 12:06 PM

Who made the decision to bring forward the KO time on the day of the game. Did the FAI make it? Thought we were past all this amateurism at this stage.

geezer

15/06/2007, 12:15 PM

lads talk about whinging and moaning, for a crappy competition of which the Fai take a big scalp of the gate for nothing, the referees up their expenses big time and the 2 clubs divvy out the leftovers. The magic of the cup I never understood any kind of half arsed team on a roll can win that cup. I much prefer the league, a team that wins a league , any league are a good team.

Mr A

15/06/2007, 12:26 PM

Look at it this way geezer (and I don't think the FAI take a significant share of the gate until the latter stages)- should the late change mean that 200 people paying on average €10 now do not attend the game, then that's €2000 that the clubs lose out on for no good reason. That's a lot of lotto tickets or whatever to sell and hard work for people to do to make that up.

GuisaSaigon

15/06/2007, 12:52 PM

We were on our way to Kilkenny last season for the last game of the season when Harps called off your game against Dundalk. All games were to be played at the same time but Dundalk had the advantage of knowing the result of our game because ye had to postpone the game at the last minute. I haven't seen this much moaning since Maxi attacked John Delaney's Christmas tree. Get over it. its a half an hour change in kick off time ffs

Conor H

15/06/2007, 12:53 PM

Not giving out about floodlights giving off about the way you are treating another club, total joke ! also to be fair to us at least we know a week in advance what time it gets dark at !;)

Yes but it was only after ye took down the old one's ye realised they'd have to be replaced.Idiots.

Go away from our forum-you're too much like the old days.

Don't see the huge fuss myself but i can acknowledge Harps frustration.

Mr_T

15/06/2007, 12:55 PM

For the third time, sorry for the inconvenience. And I bow to your greater knowledge of how the FAI & Harps came to hear of it.

Apologise for the inconvenience as often as you like, but its kinda pointless when you qualify it by repeatedly trying to imply that its not really any big deal at all and call aways fans annoyance "righteous indignation". Tell you what, keep you apology. :rolleyes:

Team travel arrangements are on a tight itinerary as already stated. Add in contacting everyone (some of whom are working) to make sure everyone is there in time for the new departure time and Paul Hegarty has a major headache he did not need in advance of the cup game.

Then add in the fact that local and national press this morning list the game as 7.45pm, with National Radio bulletins I've heard not highlighting the change, and the fact that many supporters are not online, and you can garauntee that a number of Harps fans will not find out in time to change travel plans or to "simply" leave half an hour earlier. It would have been easy to leave half an hour earlier if we'd been told a few days ago.

Mr A

15/06/2007, 12:56 PM

Harps called off your game against Dundalk

This was called off by the ref, not by FHFC. Totally different circumstance in any case.

Tir Oilean

15/06/2007, 1:06 PM

I reckon that all ye'll be missing out on is a couple of beers before the game lads. As for the team they will have left Ballybofey with loads of time to spare. Having said that it is a **** up but hey these things happen. I just hope that its brighter in Galway than it is in Cork at the mo cos you wouldn't be able to see jack sh1t if its this dark in Galway!

Patrick Dunne

15/06/2007, 1:08 PM

The FAI insisted that the game KO at 7.15pm due to poor weather conditions.

Five floodlights are still working. On any normal day in June, it would be bright until 10.30pm. GUFC/GUST have sent out over 500 texts to supporters this morning, as well as contacting Galway Bay FM and posting on two fora and the club website.

Any inconvenience to the team and supporters of Finn Harps is regrettable. In retrospect, this decision should have been made yesterday.

harps1954

15/06/2007, 1:08 PM

Aertel still reporting the match as a 7.45pm kick-off.

2FM had no metion of the change in kick-off time on their sports news at 2.00pm.

Apart from the few Harps supporters who are on this and other forums (and the Harps website) where are the Harps supporters going to get their advice to set off on their journey's half-an-hour earlier. By the time the next sports news is on the radio, it will already be too late to set off half-an-hour early if you know what I mean.

GuisaSaigon

15/06/2007, 1:13 PM

Aertel still reporting the match as a 7.45pm kick-off.

If the game hadn't been changed I doubt they would have had it right. I wouldn't depend on Errortel if I were you.

MyTown

15/06/2007, 1:18 PM

Apologise for the inconvenience as often as you like, but its kinda pointless when you qualify it by repeatedly trying to imply that its not really any big deal at all and call aways fans annoyance "righteous indignation". Tell you what, keep you apology. :rolleyes:

Right. Brilliant. Thanks for that.

gilberto_eire

15/06/2007, 2:42 PM

Does this mean I'll have to miss the second half of Home and Away??????????

Its a joke if you ask me!!! they should have given us much more notice bout this!!! im not happy at all!!! i wonder what John Cahill thinks about this? no doubt he will have a letter in the local press!!!!!!!!!

why dont ya ask him thats his reply to this right above yours...bet ya didnt realise that...:D:D:D

gilberto_eire

15/06/2007, 2:43 PM

corbyeire

15/06/2007, 2:58 PM

i can see logistically it will be a bit of a pain in the arse for the finn harps team etc. - but for most of the fans - its one less beer beforehand

if your comminting to the 3-4 hour journey - youll have some leeway im sure - and only miss a few minuets at the most

obvoiusly it would have been better announced yesterday etc.

but as is lets get the word out

KoemansCC

15/06/2007, 4:15 PM

Just a heads up on the traffic situation in the city, in short it's mental because of the Tuam Road works....

Anyone traveling from the East of the city or the Tuam direction would want to adjust their journey time accordingly....

Mr A

15/06/2007, 4:27 PM

The match has been put back to 7.35 or 7.45 if there is a big crowd. This is not a joke- got a message from ***** *******. The Harps bus was delayed in Sligo.

Whoops!- Got badly caught there!

Schumi

15/06/2007, 4:28 PM

The Harps bus was delayed in Sligo.Clever. ;)

mypost

15/06/2007, 5:10 PM

harpskid

15/06/2007, 5:11 PM

The match has been put back to 7.35 or 7.45 if there is a big crowd. This is not a joke- got a message from Ronan Coleman. The Harps bus was delayed in Sligo.

THIS IS NOT TRUE FOLKS!!!

pineapple stu

16/06/2007, 12:56 AM

Patrick Dunne

16/06/2007, 8:36 AM

Disgraceful, shocking, horrific, barbaric.

Not since the days of Pol Pots regime have we seen such wanton evil.

Khmer Maroon :mad:

pineapple stu

16/06/2007, 8:52 AM

And the award for most stupidly and knowingly over the top reply goes to...

corbyeire

16/06/2007, 10:33 AM

its quiet funny really!

Conor H

16/06/2007, 10:36 AM

Disgraceful from Galway, to be honest.

But then, it's hard to get too high and mighty about slagging Galway - remember, they are the most professional club in the country, and that's official. Whenever they **** up, we can only sit back and wonder how much worse a job our own club would have done.

Why do you always get away with Trolling on our forum?
If that was a Sligo/Limerick fan they'd be banned.Grow up Stu or get lost.

Mr A

16/06/2007, 12:03 PM

Alcohol is bad for the body and the soul. I wouldn't touch the stuff.

harpskid

16/06/2007, 2:54 PM

Anybody know if Galway harps survived the night or did he drink himself into oblivion ? I say he will be lucky to be sobered up for Monday's replay.

:D Some things never change! ;)

You up for the replay Aidan?