Barstool facepalm

[marinobohs]

Brady did studio analysis for a few of Shamrock Rovers games over the last year or two - remember the Juventus and Copenhagen home games specifically.

The things people do for money not aware of any personal interest he has in LOI (although could be wrong).
I would be happy to analyse bogball or rugby if someone (actually, anyone) paid me. it does not mean I give a rats ass about them though

[gustavo]

Dublin Dons Dunphys views on LOI are well known

Always made me laugh knowing this when seeing him clamour for Coleman , Long , McClean and Hoolahan to be involved in the national team.

[nigel-harps1954]

For the record, I posted the question to Ming Flanagan on Facebook about his following of the League of Ireland

This was his reply

Sligo rovers supporter. Most dedicated season was 1994 when my brother and I attended 28 games. Travelled to matches in a fiat 127 with no reverse on it. My brother still attends regularly.don't get there as often as I like anymore. Also spent many days at mels park and terryland park when I lived in Galway. Favourite place to visit has to be the brandywell.

[BonnieShels]

Ming Flanagan on Vincent Browne just now: "As a Queens Park Rangers supporter, I'd like to see us sack Mark Hughes and get Harry Redknapp" before he takes the Ireland job

Though I suppose being a proud Roscommon man he couldn't possibly support a team like Longford or Sligo who are from an entirely different county!

Sure, with 18 clubs in Termonbarry alone he doesn't even have to cross into Longford for a team.

[Sam_Heggy]

not sure Brady knows there even is a LOI
.

Believe it or not, back in the 70's Brady was a regular visitor to Ballybofey and once togged out for Harps in a friendly whilst he was still an Arsenal player.

[Charlie Darwin]

Sure, with 18 clubs in Termonbarry alone he doesn't even have to cross into Longford for a team.

That's Tarmonbarry to you!

[razor]

The things people do for money not aware of any personal interest he has in LOI (although could be wrong).

Not forgetting his alleged involvement with Arkaga, the shower that ran us into the ground.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/delaney-faces-questions-over-arkaga-and-brady-mystery-1474143.html

[A face]

Ming Flanagan on Vincent Browne just now: "As a Queens Park Rangers supporter, I'd like to see us sack Mark Hughes and get Harry Redknapp" before he takes the Ireland job

Though I suppose being a proud Roscommon man he couldn't possibly support a team like Longford or Sligo who are from an entirely different county!

For the record, I posted the question to Ming Flanagan on Facebook about his following of the League of Ireland

This was his reply

Sligo rovers supporter. Most dedicated season was 1994 when my brother and I attended 28 games. Travelled to matches in a fiat 127 with no reverse on it. My brother still attends regularly.don't get there as often as I like anymore. Also spent many days at mels park and terryland park when I lived in Galway. Favourite place to visit has to be the brandywell.

I emailed him and got this back ...

Hi,


I am a QPR supporter and proud. Two of my brothers and one sister we're born near the ground. The basis for my comments were that I believe Harry Redknapp would be a great replacement for Mark Hughes who has been a disaster. I believe Redknapp would not make a good Irish manager. Mick McCarthy I believe would be a better choice.


Your point on the league of Ireland is correct. I have however over the years attended a couple of hundred league of Ireland games. Mainly as a Sligo rovers supporter but I also attended many games at terryland park when living in Galway. Given the proximity of athlone town to where I live I have also attended many of their games. My most memorable season was 1994 when we, Sligo rovers, won the treble. My brother, complete LoI nut, and I went to 28 games that season. All in a Fiat 127 without reverse.


Unfortunately since I have had 2 children and gotten elected my attendance has been less than satisfactory. Not by choice though.


I love people like yourself who stand up for LoI. Keep it up. Many people I know have never actually seen an soccer match bar on telly. The difference as you know is you actually get to see the whole game.


A major quandary that my brother an I have is who to shout for the rovers were ever draw each other in Europe. Used to be a hypothetical question. Not anymore.
Luke

[DannyInvincible]

Believe it or not, back in the 70's Brady was a regular visitor to Ballybofey and once togged out for Harps in a friendly whilst he was still an Arsenal player.

What brought Brady up to Ballybofey so regularly?

[Charlie Darwin]

Fair play to him, but maybe next time he should say suggest Harry as a replacement for Barraclough!*

*I am only 50% saying this because I'd love to see Sligo go bankrupt chasing Harry's rainbow

[Macy]

Like our friends on their barstools they appear incapable of connecting the decline of the League that produced Paul McGrath, Ronnie Whelan, Kevin Doyle, Shane Long etc etc and the failure of throughput of players to the International team.

Or maybe they just dont give a crap.

During the euro's when we got knocked out, it was the selection policy and tactics. When England got knocked out the RTE panel go into how it reflects the player development structures of the English game, and how these have to improve etc etc. Nothing wrong with their analysis of the english problem, just the fact they are incapable of making the same connection between our national team and player development, and how that is our issue.

[Fivesilver]

I can confirm that Ming's not bluffing about having been a Rovers fan - used to bump into himself and the bro at home and away matches back in the day, before he got into politics (and while he was still Luke, sans beard). Didn't actually know it was his brother until I met him in a pub a few months ago and talked about those days.

[A face]

During the euro's when we got knocked out, it was the selection policy and tactics. When England got knocked out the RTE panel go into how it reflects the player development structures of the English game, and how these have to improve etc etc. Nothing wrong with their analysis of the english problem, just the fact they are incapable of making the same connection between our national team and player development, and how that is our issue.

Richard Sadlier has made points on that topic though, so at least its getting out there to some degree.

[noddy102]

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/1023/1224325578421.html

Irish soccer fans spent €100m in UK

CONOR POPE Consumer Affairs Correspondent
IRISH SOCCER fans are proving to be remarkably resilient in the face of recession. While the numbers travelling to Britain to watch football are down from the height of the boom, almost 200,000 people still spent close to €100 million cheering on their favourite teams in the English Premier League last year, according to figures from the British tourism authority.

VisitBritain, the UK’s state tourism agency, said the number of visits made by Irish fans to English soccer stadiums increased in 2011, with 174,000 fans crossing the Irish Sea to cheer on their team compared with 164,000 the previous year.

The Irish are the most likely overseas visitors to be found in English soccer grounds when Saturday comes, although a similar survey at the height of the boom in 2008 found 267,000 Irish fans attended at least one soccer match in Britain.

All told, the Irish accounted for one in five soccer fans who visited an English Premier League ground from overseas last year.
VisitBritain said the 900,000 foreign football tourists spent £706 million (€865 million), an average of about £785 (€962) per fan per visit.

The averages are high because of the number of visitors from the United States and Asia but even if the typical Irish spend is half that average, the total outlay from Irish soccer fans ran to €78 million in 2011.

Unsurprisingly, Old Trafford remained the top choice of international football fans last year, followed by Anfield, the Emirates Stadium and Stamford Bridge. White Hart Lane, Wembley, Goodison Park, the Etihad Stadium, Upton Park and Villa Park were the other stadiums in order of popularity.

Soccer is not the only draw for Irish sports fans. VisitBritain also identified rugby union and horse racing as being almost the preserve of the Irish.

--

Pretty shocking amounts of money when you consider what one tenth of that could do for the LoI.

[El-Pietro]

looking forward to my next trip to London the week after the LOI season ends