Friday 20th Fixtures

An eagle-eyed fan has noted that the final day of Division 1 fixtures and a full set of Premier Division fixtures down for this night could be clashing with Ireland playing in a Rugby World Cup Semi-Final.

4 of the Premier Division teams and the Division 1 playoffs are scheduled for midweek so I don't really see an option for any of the matches being moved to later in the weekend.

I guess it's not ideal and it may knock some of the floating crowd off gates - or maybe just hope that Ireland lose another Rugby WC Quarter-Final!

Not ideal at all.

Derry-Shels could be moved back to the Saturday/Sunday. Hopefully would be that if it came to it.

The other matches could be brought forward to the Thursday, but that would affect attendances too.
An awkward one.

The home teams for these round of games would be taking a hit on attendances one way or the other if they get approval switch to the Thursday night or stick with playing on Friday night at the same time as a potential Ireland semi-final or if even they moved to kick-off on the Friday to earlier in the evening say 5.45pm (UCD/Cork at Belfield may be the best candidate for that option)

Then you're dealing with that they would only have 5 days sure notice and I assume the away teams and gardai etc. would have to this week agree to any potential late switch in date or kick-off time?

We are away to Sligo that night and that was originally scheduled for the Saturday night but was moved to the Friday for some reason.
If Ireland are in a rugby semi final that night it’ll hit the attendances. Though the Dundalk away numbers will be minimal either way thanks to our limp end to the season.

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Originally Posted by total hoofball

Then you're dealing with that they would only have 5 days sure notice and I assume the away teams and gardai etc. would have to this week agree to any potential late switch in date or kick-off time?

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FD matches for this Saturday have had their KO time changed. Maybe five days' notice is ok?

If any headbanger wants to go and watch the egg chasing on tv instead of their club’s match then let them. The only games that will see a drop in crowds are games of insignificance which would likely have been small crowds (relatively speaking) anyways.

Premier division wise it won’t be a noticeable difference IMO.

Bohs-Pats will sell out
Derry-Shels won’t be affected
Rovers-Drogheda won’t be affected
UCD-Cork will be a tiny crowd regardless
Sligo-Dundalk will be a small crowd regardless

First Division could have a few more dead rubber type games depending on results this weekend but I wouldn’t say it’ll be a groundbreaking drop off in attendance there either compared to if the games were moved to Saturday

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Originally Posted by 2 Year Contract

If any headbanger wants to go and watch the egg chasing on tv instead of their club’s match then let them. The only games that will see a drop in crowds are games of insignificance which would likely have been small crowds (relatively speaking) anyways.

First Division could have a few more dead rubber type games depending on results this weekend but I wouldn’t say it’ll be a groundbreaking drop off in attendance there either compared to if the games were moved to Saturday

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Galway United will be presented with the Division 1 trophy. It's a dead rubber game but definitely would've been the type of match that floating fans would have turned up for but many probably won't if there's a clash. Wexford, understandably, probably won't want to change it.

Not the end of the world and not a whole lot that can be done really other than cheering on the All Blacks!

I can understand LoI ire toward GAA de to their conduct toward 'Garrison Games' in the past and their general paranoia still, but not so much rugby. I dont think games should be rescheduled or anything but there are plenty of people that have a broad interest in sports, myself included. If Dundalk were playing a key game in a league run in id try to be there but Id also have an eye on the rugby, a possible unique scenario for Irish sport and potential world cup final at stake - not to be scoffed at for a country our size in any sport! That Dundalk are not playing a must win game and I choose to focus on the rugby instead would not mean my support of my club is in question either; There are people that would probably consider me a headbanger either way!

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Originally Posted by brendy_éire

FD matches for this Saturday have had their KO time changed. Maybe five days' notice is ok?

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I'm just not seeing what financial/practical/on-field benefit would be for any of the home teams to switch maybe with the exception of UCD/Cork which won't have a large home or away attendance or significant policing resources just like most FD games that are switched at short notice

I'm sure if any of the home teams were thinking about switching to Thursday night or earlier Friday kick-off discussions with the FAI/away teams would have started already so if all parties are happy 5 days would be sufficient but I couldn't see a Dublin derby like Bohs/Pats been switched easily at 5 days firm notice considering Garda resources involved in policing those evening derby games with a high attendance

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Originally Posted by 2 Year Contract

If any headbanger wants to go and watch the egg chasing on tv instead of their club’s match then let them. The only games that will see a drop in crowds are games of insignificance which would likely have been small crowds (relatively speaking) anyways.

Premier division wise it won’t be a noticeable difference IMO.

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I think it'd be foolish not to recognise that there could be people who like both LoI and rugby though.

I'm not one - no interest in it whatsoever - but even I recognise a World Cup semifinal would be about the biggest game Ireland have ever played and could very well have an impact on LoI

That said, moving to Thursday tends to have an impact too, so maybe it's something that just needs to be taken as a hit

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Originally Posted by Yossarian

We are away to Sligo that night and that was originally scheduled for the Saturday night but was moved to the Friday for some reason.
If Ireland are in a rugby semi final that night it’ll hit the attendances. Though the Dundalk away numbers will be minimal either way thanks to our limp end to the season.

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Moved to Friday because our rescheduled games against Pats from this weekend is on the following Monday

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Originally Posted by pineapple stu

I think it'd be foolish not to recognise that there could be people who one both LoI and rugby though.

I'm not one - no interest in it whatsoever - but even I recognise a World Cup semifinal would be about the biggest game Ireland have ever played and could very well have an impact on LoI

That said, moving to Thursday tends to have an impact too, so maybe it's something that just needs to be taken as a hit

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I for one love watching rugby ( being raised near Milltown meant I like many from that era attended a rugby school and indeed played it) but also fell in love with Rovers so it’s not incompatible that one can love both codes… so I’d already assumed that if we get to the rugby semi then matches will be moved…. I for one will be rightly annoyed if it isn’t and a failure by the club to recognise their base and demographic will be a disgrace as that would be an insult to our roots

First division trophy presentation is scheduled for EDP in that Friday V Wexford
Was expecting nearly a full house with family and kids see GUFC win a trophy for probably their first time
If Ireland reach a World Cup semifinal I could see a least a 50% drop in attendance as the interest will huge across the country
Think it would be a wise move to reschedule fixtures to suit all sports fans

I love Rovers but if Ireland are playing a WC semi final at the same time it will kill the attendance.
there is no easy ansewer though , our Sunday or Monday attendaces have been awful.3k against Cork on the last Sunday game.
Probably better off going ahead and taking the Friday hit

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Originally Posted by total hoofball

I'm just not seeing what financial/practical/on-field benefit would be for any of the home teams to switch maybe with the exception of UCD/Cork which won't have a large home or away attendance or significant policing resources just like most FD games that are switched at short notice

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Derry is the least rugby-ish city in the country, but Ireland getting to a semi-final of anything is rare occurance. Financially, it would cost the club tens of thousands if it clashes.
Sensible thing would be to move what matches can be moved.

(all very confident of beating the Kiwis, aren't we? ;))

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Originally Posted by brendy_éire

Derry is the least rugby-ish city in the country, but Ireland getting to a semi-final of anything is rare occurance. Financially, it would cost the club tens of thousands if it clashes.
Sensible thing would be to move what matches can be moved.

(all very confident of beating the Kiwis, aren't we? ;))

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Nope, the use of 'potential' for me, but then when it comes to supporting teams i sway toward glass half empty!!

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Originally Posted by Nesta99

Nope, the use of 'potential' for me, but then when it comes to supporting teams i sway toward glass half empty!!

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I’m betting we win by 14 points

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Originally Posted by Calcio Jack

I’m betting we win by 14 points

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Have Thomas Davis got rovers playing GAA now? Somebody better tell Kev Doherty so he can prep the team for the trip to tallaght ;)

Cork have a partial stadium closure for hitting Mark Doyle in the head with a glass bottle

https://leagueofireland.ie/news/stat...ity-fc/id-5175

Again, not much of a punishment considering the ground won’t be sold out and the lads that threw the bottles will likely still be at the next match, just sat somewhere else.

EDIT: I see in Cork's statement that a full stand closure or a game behind closed doors seem to be the next steps if it happens again for them

https://www.corkcityfc.ie/blogs/news/club-statement-1

FAI Disciplinary Committee

As a result of 3 bottles (missiles) being thrown at St. Patrick’s Athletic players, the club has been sanctioned with a significant fine and also a closure of sections R, S and T for our upcoming home game against Shamrock Rovers on Monday, 23^rd of October. Section R is located in the Derrynane Road Stand, while Sections S and T are the first two sections of the Curragh Road (Shed) Stand.


This will reduce the approximate 1,600 capacity of the Curragh Road (Shed) stand by approximately 600 seats.
This will reduce the approximate 1,200 capacity of the Derrynane Road Stand by approximately 200 seats.

https://alvin-almazov.com/stadiums/turners-cross-cork/