Weekend Latest (w/e 1 April)

[Dodge]

We did have a tradition in Ireland. Used to bring regular crowds of 20-40,000 in the 50's-60's. It was called Sunday Afternoon. Then everyone changed. Now there are crowds of 2-3k at best at most grounds

last post on this because you're obviously not reading it. Clubs changed to Fridays because attendances were so poor on Sundays. I'm not sure how long you're supporting the league but most clubs had crowds in the hundreads in the late 80s, early 90s so now we're getting multiples of that.

The last time the top league in England played games on Friday nights, was 1984. And only for tv. They play at all kinds of times now, but never on Friday night.

Arsenal beat Liverpool to win the 1989 championship on Friay and up until very recently there were games on Good Friday too. But continue to make up stuff...

[pineapple stu]

We did have a tradition in Ireland. Used to bring regular crowds of 20-40,000 in the 50's-60's. It was called Sunday Afternoon. Then everyone changed. Now there are crowds of 2-3k at best at most grounds. One of the reasons: Friday Night. People (both home and away fans) have to work/study that day instead, and 15-30 Euro+ per person per gamenight (at home) is harder to justify today.

Crowds had dropped to below current levels way before the change to Fridays. Friday has absolutely nothing to do with why we got 30,000 (on occasion) in the 50s and 2,000 now.

The notion that people are more frugal on Fridays is bizarre. And again, you have offered nothing whatsoever to back it up.

[SkStu]

you have got to love when some people (never me though) get themselves so entrenched in positions that they make it impossible for themselves to back down in an argument even when they are proven completely and utterly wrong. Its hilarious and its what keeps me logging onto foot.ie.

Keep digging yourself deeper mypost!

[Guinney]

"Going to Ikea". Suggest that to another European as a reason why we play on weekdays, and he'll have hysterics.

I thinks it obvious I was messing when I suggested going to IKEA as a reason why people don't go to League of Ireland matches. But in a way it suggests that people have much more ways to entertain themselves and may choose to do other things (watch TV, cinema, watch EPL, watch rugby ... the list goes on) than go to League of Ireland matches. The fact that people have more choices and the fact that the EPL is shoved in their faces every 5 seconds may be a more palpable to help explain the reason why interest in the league has dipped in recent decades. Also don't know about the rest of you, I consider Friday eve as part of the weekend.

You can still play under lights on Saturdays and Sundays too. Unfortunately, only a handful do.

True but on Friday nights we would be competing against less than we would on Saturday evenings and Sunday night would be unsuitable because most people like to just sit in then and may be broke from the weekend. There is no perfect night/afternoon. Take Dundalk for example, the Horses and greyhound races are on a Friday night (also greyhounds races on Saturday) and potentially we are losing potential customers who have to pick between the two. But overall the general feeling is that Friday nights are most suitable.

[mypost]

Arsenal beat Liverpool to win the 1989 championship on Friay and up until very recently there were games on Good Friday too. But continue to make up stuff...

Second poster to throw the one-off theory, as "evidence". Was surprised you didn't throw in Boxing Day, and New Year's Day too, as evidence that everyone plays on Fridays.

We know why they play on Fridays on those dates. They're not weekdays. They're bank holidays. Liverpool v Arsenal in 1989 was a special case for obvious reasons. If in doubt, have a look at one EPL stadium on Friday week. There'll be people there. Not to watch a game though.

And again, you have offered nothing whatsoever to back it up.

Why does every argument with you, always require links, attachments, and "back up"? This is foot.ie, not the Leaving Cert History exam.

I accept you and Dodge like playing Friday nights. That's your business. But that doesn't make it great for the game, and the wider public's ability to watch it then, either locally or globally. Recently, the international calendar has changed to playing on Friday nights. It's extremely unpopular amongst fans. For a reason.

Also don't know about the rest of you, I consider Friday eve as part of the weekend.

You may consider it "part of the weekend", but it's a workday. The Dundalk fans presence in Derry on Friday will be considerably reduced, because of it.

True but on Friday nights we would be competing against less than we would on Saturday evenings and Sunday night would be unsuitable because most people like to just sit in then and may be broke from the weekend. There is no perfect night/afternoon. Take Dundalk for example, the Horses and greyhound races are on a Friday night (also greyhounds races on Saturday) and potentially we are losing potential customers who have to pick between the two. But overall the general feeling is that Friday nights are most suitable.

There is no "perfect night", but you play on what best suits the public, not the players. Everyone plays their league programme everywhere else at weekends, as it gives their public the best chance to see them play.

I'm sure the players would prefer to play winter football, but that's not what is best for the game. For 20 years, Dundalk played at home on Thursdays, citing this and that as why they shouldn't change. Eventually, they had to change. Thursday like Friday, is also a workday.

As for the "people like to sit in on Sunday night" argument, most of those people are watching football from other countries then. Why? Because unlike here, those countries play league games at the weekend. If it works there, it can work here. It's really not that difficult.

[Hibs4Ever]

You may consider it "part of the weekend", but it's a workday

As is Saturday and Sunday for a lot of people, probably more then the amount of people who work after 7pm on a Friday night

[Dodge]

Second poster to throw the one-off theory, as "evidence".

You brought up the 1984 thing. I just pointed out you were wrong

I'm finished pointing out that everything you've posted in this thread is BS.

Continue to wish for Saturday afternoon kick offs. it isn't happening, because the rest of the league knows more than you

[thischarmingman]

The biggest problem of all would be what would the leagues new website 'We Play on Fridays' call itself - 'We Use to Play on Fridays, but now we Play on Saturdays and the Odd Sunday'.

Finally, someone talking sense.

Why does every argument with you, always require links, attachments, and "back up"? This is foot.ie, not the Leaving Cert History exam.

"Phfft! Facts. You can use them to prove anything."

Mypost, why don't you and PS or one of the pro-Friday camp summarise your posts into a neat 4-500 words, sendez-vous them to me and let me run a nice "Friday night: For and Against" feature?

[mypost]

You brought up the 1984 thing. I just pointed out you were wrong

Not at all.

I'm finished pointing out.

For the third time.

Continue to wish for Saturday afternoon kick offs. it isn't happening

Sure enough, it isn't happening. You still don't understand what the difference between "Saturday afternoon" and the "weekend" is.

Mypost, why don't you and PS or one of the pro-Friday camp summarise your posts into a neat 4-500 words, sendez-vous them to me and let me run a nice "Friday night: For and Against" feature?

No, I just look around the world. Even the CL Final is on a Saturday evening now ffs. Reasons: Easier for travelling fans, and more tv viewers. After 55 years of stubbornly sticking to weekdays, they've moved into the 21st Century, while we're still stuck in the Stone Age.

[pineapple stu]

Not at all.

On what basis do you reckon he's wrong? Bear in mind, he's quoted a verifiable fact debunking your theory that no game in England has been played on a Friday since 1984 (26 May 1989 being a Friday). This is why I've asksd you to quote facts before - because you live in a land of make-believe where you think you can dismiss valid counter arguments as you have done this one.

[mypost]

On what basis do you reckon he's wrong? Bear in mind, he's quoted a verifiable fact debunking your theory that no game in England has been played on a Friday since 1984 (26 May 1989 being a Friday). This is why I've asksd you to quote facts before - because you live in a land of make-believe where you think you can dismiss valid counter arguments as you have done this one.

It's not a valid argument, he's using one week of the year to "prove" that he's right, even though games are no longer played then, for the same reason I've given. He also cites the Liverpool-Arsenal game as more "evidence", even though the game was a stand alone fixture rather than part of the full weekend's schedule, for well-known reasons.

Throughout the thread, I've shown why Friday nights are shunned. 10k people from 4 million, go to PD games here on a Friday night. The rest of the world has full stadiums at weekends in their leagues. All you want to do is tell us why they're great, when the overwhelming view at home and abroad suggests otherwise.

[Dodge]

It's not a valid argument, he's using one week of the year to "prove" that he's right, even though games are no longer played then, for the same reason I've given. He also cites the Liverpool-Arsenal game as more "evidence", even though the game was a stand alone fixture rather than part of the full weekend's schedule, for well-known reasons.

Oh sweet jessu, I used those to prove your "no games on Friday since 1984 point was rubbish" No more, no less. As 1984 itself was an anomoly, why did you mention it at all?

Throughout the thread, I've shown why Friday nights are shunned. 10k people from 4 million, go to PD games here on a Friday night.

No you haven't. You haven't responded to the FACT that crowds were smaller on Sundays before the change, and have been consistently smaller on Saturday and Sundays since the change.

The rest of the world has full stadiums at weekends in their leagues.

No they don't

All you want to do is tell us why they're great, when the overwhelming view at home and abroad suggests otherwise

The FACTs suggest that Friday nights give most LOI clubs better gates than Saturday or Sunday.

What happens in other countries is irrelevent.

[dahamsta]

OT and garbage posts edited or binned, stu infracted.

Lads, if ye have a problem with a user, add them to your ignore list. I added mypost, and my day is much more palatable for not having to see the, uh, stuff he posts.

If you have a problem with a post, by anyone, report it. Replying inline is either feeding the trolls or making you look like an idiot.

Back on topic now please.

[bluemovie]

Not sure if this counts as 'on topic' now, but we tried Saturdays two years ago and they were an unmitigated disaster. Doesn't work for us anyway.

[nigel-harps1954]

The rest of the world has full stadiums at weekends in their leagues.

The man has a point. Ask Blackburn, Wigan, Sunderland, Bolton and the likes.
Far as I can see, there is really only 4/5 teams in the top flight in England selling out their stadia each week.

Inter and AC Milan get on average about 50,000 at each home game, with 30,000 empty seats. Barcelona have 20,000 empty seats each week, The whole Scottish league aside from Celtic and Rangers have only 2 clubs getting more than 10,000 a week.

Check out this site, http://itv.stats.football365.com/dom/ENG/PR/attend.html
Official attendance figures from the top European leagues. Tell us then everywhere is packing out their stadia.

Sure there are teams and leagues getting bigger crowds, sure in the 60's and 70's there was 15,000 people in the ground every week for a LOI game, but times have changed man. It's all advertising and marketing and money now we're competing with. If LOI football had the right money in it, I'm certain there would be more bums on seats with a polished ground, big money signings and good coverage in the media.