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Just wondering is there are organisations like FSF in the league of Ireland or are there any union/association which represent supporters clubs/trust/groups for dealing with matters which concern supporters for the FAI or policing etc?
http://www.fsf.org.uk/
Used to be, but the last one, the National League Supporters Association, fell apart when the key people got sick of eating **** from the FAI. Or so went the account I heard. The league supporters block of tickets is their only legacy I can think of.
N.L.S.A and N.L.U. before that.
Needs to have a solid raison d'etre and it has to be inclusive. It could be a great vehicle to get stuff done. I always thought that a magazine would have been a great mechanism to gather information, get opinion, exert pressure and voice opinion. After that there is the tickets for international games but probably most importantly, raise the profile of the league. It would just take a good group to steer it, not allowing themselves to get bogged down and stay focused on what can been done.
That was nothing to do with them. That was Fran Rooney's initiative (ably assisted by soccerc) to bring "atmosphere" to Lansdowne. Supporters Groups like the SEI and Rovers Ultras were invited to a meeting, which then became individial supporters clubs too.Quote:
Originally Posted by John83
I'll take your word for it Dodge. Probably I'm thinking of the fuss they caused when the FAI cut the ticket allocation without warning. I think it was towards the end of Kerr's reign.
Yeah, i remember that as well, the lads met the FAI in a hotel and we found out shortly afterwards. The tickets were being issue that way well before that though.Quote:
Originally Posted by John83
I'd love to see this kind of organisation.
What onus is there on the FAI to meet or acknowledge such a supporters group though?
What I mean by that is I'm wondering how such an organisation would be able to make their voice heard. We're seeing the FAI do whatever they like with fixtures in order to get the Man. U friendly set up, while waffling about the integrity of competitive fixture dates regarding the Barca friendly. And nobody in the media cares. Nobody.
From my recent education on the NLSA, I understand that the FAI met with them because they were in a position to threaten legal action regarding tickets for international games. Without holding a trump card like that, I'm wondering how this organisation would become something the FAI need to respect.
Going back to my idea of handing out leaflets outside the Man. U friendly highlighting some issues supporters have with the FAI's management of the LOI, it would be great to put a supporters' association name on it, with a link to a website or something. That's one way it might make its presence felt.
A lack of commitment and self-interest ultimately wrecks any chance of such an organisation presenting a united front and actually getting anything done.
In my experience with the NLSA most people got more exercised about how the club reps were selected and ulterior motives than any of the major issues that should have been debated. Usual Irish story....... 1st agenda point, who is going to organise the split......
LoI football is such a small world you quickly run into personal disagreements, prejudices and festering arguments, and that applies equally to fans as well as administrators.
I wouldn't be as harsh as that. I think a big part of the difficulty is that able and committed volunteers are already working hard for their own clubs (which are generally horribly short of hands) and there isn't spare capacity for a national group.
So when the FAI are making decisions about our league there is no consultation with any supporters groups?
Think the majority here would be surprised if there was consultation, of any kind.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sean South
Well it would see to be the logical thing to do as the supporters are what makes the league. :rolleyes:
Get real FFS.
There isn't even proper consultation with the clubs never mind the fans.
As for the supporters making the league there are some clubs that count their support in the dozens.
No point in a supporters organise, I have no idea what anyone hopes such a group could actually achieve.
Ease up squire and take that knot out of your knickers:)Quote:
Originally Posted by Lim till i die
No knot in my knickers son
If anything you're the one with the issues for taking my ranting personally.
It's just every now and again self important followers of clubs that can't pay theri bills from one end of the week to the next come out with this pointless nonsense.
If ye all want to do something to help the league, do a bit of volunteering at your own clubs :good:
Don't worry about it chum I don't take anything on the Internet personally:)Quote:
Originally Posted by Lim till i die
I see where your coming from too on volunteering at your own club and so on and I agree and on the FAI's lack of consultation with clubs never mind supporters. Also volunteering at your club is not always possible for everyone but opinions of supporters should still be taken on board I feel.
the sad fact is sean the leauge could not give a fiddlers ***** what your opinion is if it differs in any way from theresQuote:
Originally Posted by Sean South
The supposed infighting and that comes from a lack of a clear issue or vision. The UK national movement was built around opposition to ID cards iirc (and that wasn't the FSF I don't think which came much later), and the individual clubs Independant Supporters Association grow out of things like club policies, ticket price issues, ownership issues etc. Infighting and politics (with a small p) isn't restricted to Irish football supporters.
What's our common cause? A lack of consultation? That the FAI are a bag of s***e? Delaney? That Irish people won't follow any sport, regularly (in terms of going to matches)?
I think its very important to establish objectives and aims for such a grouping, the end product is the thing that would drive it.
Could reorganising this be possible? Surely it couldn't be that hard I mean you don't really need much cash to set up such a group.
I think groups like these are vital especially in these uncertain times we live in.