Cypriot team qualifies

Just read an article saying the first cypriot team has qualified for the group stages, surely we could match a country with a population only about three quarters of dublin. I know they have some good old players but really we should be able to emulate that if not better it. Liege last night brought home the fact that apart from a handful of sides (the chelseas,uniteds possibly barca) the gap is narrowing in european football, even ardent barstoolers are admitting the league standard has improved vastly. Kiev got 8 against moscow over 2 legs. Makes Drogheda's result all the more impressive. Still cyprus have someone in the group phase before us, thats abysmal.

I reckon, though, Cyprots actually support their own football teams and Famagusta get more than a couple of thousand at their games. That's the difference.

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Originally Posted by Straightstory

I reckon, though, Cyprots actually support their own football teams and Famagusta get more than a couple of thousand at their games. That's the difference.

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I know which is a bad reflection on our 'soccer-mad' people. As quoted an average of circa 1m people tuned into RTE for the european cup final last may, do we get near that total gate for all 22 clubs per season??

Cork beat the Cypriot champs a couple of years ago in europe. BATE Borisov made the CL from an even lower seed than Drogheda this year.

Both got through with a good bit of luck, and its great to see. If Drogheda had the same draw as BATE, no reason to think they wouldn't be in CL now.

When we played Apoel 5 years ago their Polish striker was on E10k a week. Makes Cork's wage bill look paltry.

As someone above said, a bit like the Norwegians, the Cypriots watch a lot of foreign football, but they also support their local sides.

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Originally Posted by Straightstory

I reckon, though, Cyprots actually support their own football teams and Famagusta get more than a couple of thousand at their games. That's the difference.

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Famagusta was a deserted town that nobody had lived in for 30 years when I was last in Cyprus... :confused:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anorthosis_Famagusta_FCI think it's kind of moved over the border or something? It's in northern Cyprus, but they play in the main Cypriot league.

Edit - Anorthosis play in Larnaca apparently. Never knew that. The main tourist area is sealed off, but the Turkish still live just north of the town.

I like this bit from Wiki -

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Unlike other parts of Turkish-controlled Cyprus, the Varosha section of Famagusta was sealed off by the Turkish army immediately after being captured and remains in that state today. The Greek Cypriots who had fled from Varosha were not allowed to return, and journalists are banned. It has been frozen in time with department stores still full of clothes, now many years out of fashion, and hotels empty but still fully equipped. Swedish journalist Jan-Olof Bengtsson, who visited the Swedish UN battalion in Famagusta port and saw the sealed-off part of the town from the battalion’s observation post, called the area a 'ghost town'. He wrote in Kvällsposten on September 24, 1977),

"The asphalt on the roads has cracked in the warm sun and along the sidewalks bushes are growing [...] Today, September 1977, the breakfast tables are still set, the laundry still hanging and the lamps still burning [...] Famagusta is a ghost-town."

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Wierd place.

Cypriot league attendances are here. By contrast, Bohs average about 2000 at a game and got 1100 against Cobh. The eL is a long way behind the Cypriot league because, as pointed out, the locals support their teams while watching the Premiership as well.

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Originally Posted by pineapple stu

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Edit - Anorthosis play in Larnaca apparently. Never knew that. The main tourist area is sealed off, but the Turkish still live just north of the town.

Wierd place.

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I've been right up to the border and you can go up these towers and look over at the ghost town.. It's quite surreal.

They've gotten two sides into the next round of the UEFA Cup too despite very tough draws.

Apoel Nicosia have knocked out Red Star Belgrade and Omonia Nicosia have knocked out AEK Athens.

Looks like their Coefficient could fly up.

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Originally Posted by Big Ears

They've gotten two sides into the next round of the UEFA Cup too despite very tough draws.

Apoel Nicosia have knocked out Red Star Belgrade and Omonia Nicosia have knocked out AEK Athens.

Looks like their Coefficient could fly up.

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Just to think I stood on the terraces at Dalymout Park in the mid-80's and saw Ireland hit seven (it might have been eight come to think of it) past the Cypriots. On a night when St Pat's have done so well it's not right to be criticising domestic football, but it just shows you how far Cypriot football has come versus our own. I wouldn't put me life savings on Trap's team to beat them either home or away in WC qualifying, and just to think their squad is made up of several home based players.

What's the moral of the story? IMO it's all down to coaching - simple as that. They move the ball fast, never lose it, and play to their strengths. Domestically we still have a long long way to go.

BATE also qualified and are ranked below ireland. I think Bohs beat them well a few years back. Fair play to both, Drogs should have made it too!

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Originally Posted by mark12345

Just to think I stood on the terraces at Dalymout Park in the mid-80's and saw Ireland hit seven (it might have been eight come to think of it) past the Cypriots. On a night when St Pat's have done so well it's not right to be criticising domestic football, but it just shows you how far Cypriot football has come versus our own. I wouldn't put me life savings on Trap's team to beat them either home or away in WC qualifying, and just to think their squad is made up of several home based players.

What's the moral of the story? IMO it's all down to coaching - simple as that. They move the ball fast, never lose it, and play to their strengths. Domestically we still have a long long way to go.

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We put 8 past Malta in 1983 at Dalymount. We put 6 past Cyprus in 1980 at Lansdowne.

The Cypriot clubs have done incredibly well. It shows what can be done and good luck to them.