FAI Cup Final

[oriel]

Sorry if this has been brought up before, I haven`t been a regular here for a few months.

With the changeover from winter to summer football, surely it has been a massive mistake by leaving the cup final at the end of the season when its bleak, dark, too cold, too much of a gap from the lge season and too close to christmas for fans to get excited about.

Would it not make more sense to have earlier rounds in early summer and to complete the competition by august bank hol ???

[sullanefc]

Sorry if this has been brought up before, I haven`t been a regular here for a few months.

With the changeover from winter to summer football, surely it has been a massive mistake by leaving the cup final at the end of the season when its bleak, dark, too cold, too much of a gap from the lge season and too close to christmas for fans to get excited about.

Would it not make more sense to have earlier rounds in early summer and to complete the competition by august bank hol ???

I think the cup final is way too late in the calender as well but I think August bank hol is too early. It's nicer to have it towards the end of the season. The GAA has its finals in September and the weather is usually ok. The FAI could go for the 1st weekend in October. Weather wouldn't be too bad then.

[centre mid]

It was dragged out this season alright but that was more to do with an FAI world cup junket than anything else. It doesnt matter what month you have it in, its the blue ribband event and as such should be played after the league has ended.

[GavinZac]

well its scheduled for before the league has ended, this year, isnt it?

[micls]

well its scheduled for before the league has ended, this year, isnt it?

Nope, 2 weeks after

[GavinZac]

Nope, 2 weeks after

:D I scrolled down til i saw it, and there were another couple of weeks of fixtures afterwards. Those were the First Division's :o

[osarusan]

Those were the First Division's :o

So Limerick will have to be crowned 1st division champions after winning the cup? Ridiculous scheduling.

[sullanefc]

It was dragged out this season alright but that was more to do with an FAI world cup junket than anything else. It doesnt matter what month you have it in, its the blue ribband event and as such should be played after the league has ended.

That only added an extra week. It got played 3 weeks after the season ended rather than the originally planned 2, which is still too much of a gap.

To be honest I don't mind if its dark, dreary or p*ssing rain the day of the cup final. I just don't want to be waiting 2 weeks after the season has ended for it. When the league season finishes, people switch off and start forgetting about LOI. And the 3 weeks this year was a nightmare. All momentum was lost in the build up. For fans, players and media.

[Dodge]

BTW we had the 2003 cup final on the October bank holiday and when we lost, our crowd dropped by 50%

Haviong it at the end of the season is the right call. The weather in August or October can be equally as ****ty as December

[sullanefc]

BTW we had the 2003 cup final on the October bank holiday and when we lost, our crowd dropped by 50%

Haviong it at the end of the season is the right call. The weather in August or October can be equally as ****ty as December

You are right of course. I think there is a danger in having it too early as you have pointed out, but surely it doesn't have to be in December. If the league ends mid November it can be played the week after. 20th or whatever. Or if you wanted to have it a little sooner, you could play it a week before the end of the league. Minimal disruption to attendances that way.

[Burny89]

could be hard to host it mid season, with all the big teams still playing group games in the Setanta

[thedoyler]

It should be at the end of the season, the saturday/sunday after the last round of games. A week of build up is a lot better than 2 weeks, where some people would lose interest.

[redron]

I think the weekend after the league finishes is late enough.
But I also think the start of the league should be brought forward by at least one week, if not two!