Setanta Cup 2014

If the game had been allocated to the Showgrownds there would have been a lot less dissenting voices than there were for the final in Tallaght involving Shams! Dundalk to Sligo driving on average takes me 2hrs 20, a regular excursion due to family residing in County Sligo. Dundalk to Tallaght driving is, depending on the time and traffic, bout 1hr 30 or so. People bahave as if this island is huge. Accross the water 3hr spins to see your football team would be considered a convenience! I think that South Dublin County Council Stadium is soulless. Watering pitches aside with equal ticket allocation i dont see major advantage to Sligo to play in the Showgrounds - if anything in recent times we have seen more success there than in Tallaght. The players im sure would rather be in a final in front of a full house marking the occaison than in an half full 2 sided venue like tallaght.

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Originally Posted by Nesta99

The players im sure would rather be in a final in front of a full house marking the occaison than in an half full 2 sided venue like tallaght.

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I suspect that winning the match is the priority for all players involved. By comparison issues like atmosphere, attendance capacity, travelling times etc fade in importance.

Logically and statistically a home tie gives an advantage.

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Originally Posted by White Horse

I am surpassed at the statement from Sligo Rovers.

They must realise that staging a final in which they are a participant would be grossly unfair on the opposition. The journey between Dundalk and Sligo is a torturous one. I drove it a few weeks ago and drove on roads that are little more than country lanes. There is also no public transport between Dundalk and Sligo. The likelihood is that given the difficulties of travelling to Sligo, Dundalk would have little more than 500 fans at the final, while the "home side" would fill most of the stadium.

I would love to see a cup final in the Showgrounds, just not one in which Sligo are playing.

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Ya Id agree with ya. If our committee want to make a stab at hosting then fair enough, I can see their thinking regarding crowd, boost to the area etc. But if it was in Dundalk for the same reasosn I wouldn't be so happy. A few hours to travel to a cup final ... no big deal.

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Originally Posted by Ezeikial

Stephen Kenny made his views on this prospect very clear in this post-match interview last Monday night

http://www.dundalkdemocrat.ie/sport/...ophy-1-6005566

While the Dundalk board have not gone public on their views on this proposal (which was floated a number of weeks ago by Milo Corcoran), it is almost certain that they were very forceful in expressing their preference for a neutral venue even with the potential of lower financial returns.

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According to RTÉ, your chairman was explicitly supportive of playing the game at the most suitable neutral venue, as is only fair and logical for a final: http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/irish...wgrounds-snub/

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Originally Posted by RTÉ

However, Cup final opponents Dundalk were never in favour of bringing the final to Sligo, which would have effectively handed home advantage to Ian Baraclough’s side.

When contacted by RTÉ Sport, Dundalk chairman Ciaran Bond said: “You have to play a final at the best stadium in country and after the Aviva it’s Tallaght Stadium.

“A cup final of this magnitude should be played in a neutral venue.”

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Embarrassing statement from Sligo.

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Originally Posted by Ezeikial

I suspect that winning the match is the priority for all players involved. By comparison issues like atmosphere, attendance capacity, travelling times etc fade in importance.

Logically and statistically a home tie gives an advantage.

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A football pitch is a football pitch - the advantage lies in the home support enviornment where for example a partizan crowd can influence officials decisions aside from just driving on the players. In Tallaght in our previous SSC final the home advantage was negated more or less and the game turned on an injury to Sam. Equal allocation of tickets assuming full allocation is taken well then the home advantage becomes minimal. It felt last season for a bit that we couldnt buy a win at home. While winning is absolutely the priority, players are more likely to thrive in a cauldron of atmosphere rather than (potentially) a half full ground with 2 empty goal ends diluting the occaison of a cup final.

The organisers have been fierce subtle in their timing wth (i am told ) a 4pm kick off putting the last train back to Sligo at seven bells just tantalisingly out of reach. Pity there isn't a decent ground near the city centre, Tallaght is such a dis-spiriting place, 22 sink estates in search of a suburb (if Dorothy Parker but perhaps not the locals will forgive me) with nary a boozer in sight, except for those hotels that stink of brown beef and gravy. I am not a fan of the stadium either but it is one thing and perhaps the only thing we can't blame Shamrock for, and why pray tell me is The Square called so, the Pyramid maybe, its like a Louvre extension with poundshops designed and built by Tom McFeely.

Very embarrassing statement from Sligo. Love the word 'disappointed' , all that's missing was 'that we (Sligo) didn't get our way.

Also remember they got their way previously with this, 2010 or 2011, league cup final v Monaghan.

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Originally Posted by oriel

Very embarrassing statement from Sligo. Love the word 'disappointed' , all that's missing was 'that we (Sligo) didn't get our way.

Also remember they got their way previously with this, 2010 or 2011, league cup final v Monaghan.

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Ah, get a life, will you?. Sligo Rovers made a business case for the staging of the game in The Showgrounds and they are disappointed that it does not appear to have received the consideration it deserved. They are merely keeping their supporters in the picture. If they hadn't made the submission, trust me, there would be plenty in Sligo jumping on them. Apparantly, The Plastic Pitch outfit didn't make any submission. Anyway, it'd done and dusted now and lets get on with the game.

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Originally Posted by avvenalaf

Ah, get a life, will you?. Sligo Rovers made a business case for the staging of the game in The Showgrounds and they are disappointed that it does not appear to have received the consideration it deserved. They are merely keeping their supporters in the picture. If they hadn't made the submission, trust me, there would be plenty in Sligo jumping on them. Apparantly, The Plastic Pitch outfit didn't make any submission. Anyway, it'd done and dusted now and lets get on with the game.

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They appear to forget that football is also a sport.

It is fine to make a business case but to expect to have home advantage in a final?

It's pretty obvious why the chairman would make such a statement.
He is a smart guy to be fair to him.

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Originally Posted by White Horse

They appear to forget that football is also a sport.

It is fine to make a business case but to expect to have home advantage in a final?

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No one was expecting to have the game in Sligo but in a competition where the majority of finals have been staged at the ground of one of the teams playing in the final I don't believe it was a bad idea to put a bid in to host it. Do you?

If it was the FAI Cup Final it wouldn't have been an issue. Everyone knows it's in Lansdowne every year. The Setanta and League Cup finals are played anywhere and everywhere. What I would like I see come out of this is that if the competition survives that finals are always played at neutral venues anymore.

Still no need for the statement in my eyes mind.

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Originally Posted by avvenalaf

Ah, get a life, will you?. Sligo Rovers made a business case for the staging of the game in The Showgrounds and they are disappointed that it does not appear to have received the consideration it deserved. They are merely keeping their supporters in the picture. If they hadn't made the submission, trust me, there would be plenty in Sligo jumping on them. Apparantly, The Plastic Pitch outfit didn't make any submission. Anyway, it'd done and dusted now and lets get on with the game.

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You've been misinformed as we did make a submission with costings to hold the game just like Sligo did. Sligo are obviously disappointed not to hold the game but the statement just smacks of bitterness. I agree that the final should be played at a neutral venue every year anyway.

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Originally Posted by Yossarian

You've been misinformed as we did make a submission with costings to hold the game just like Sligo did. Sligo are obviously disappointed not to hold the game but the statement just smacks of bitterness. I agree that the final should be played at a neutral venue every year anyway.

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If it's in Tallaght then so be it. No big deal. It will give a few people an excuse not to go and sit in a pub in Sligo whingingaboutwhingingabout about it but whom cares really?

More bonkers ideas from the organisers!

http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/s...up-267766.html

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Originally Posted by Mr_Parker

More bonkers ideas from the organisers!

http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/s...up-267766.html

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Ridiculous, not one mention of multiball!

Jeez, 16 teams? Might as well just let every team in the LOI and IFL have a go.

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Originally Posted by NeverFeltBetter

Jeez, 16 teams? Might as well just let every team in the LOI and IFL have a go.

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Could make pre-season friendlies more interesting by adding the incentive of setanta cup qualification.. hmm now where did I here something like that before

Slow build up here for the final but to be honest I cant wait. Two great teams pitting it off against each other. Sligo on a good run but the way we demolished cork put to bed any fears I had on our previous 3 games.

looking forward to it.

whats the mood in Sligo for the game. Dundalk is a little muted due to the Giro D'Italia passing through on sunday

Open top bus + Giro = Scary

Certainly not the level of anticipation that the FAI Cup Final would bring.

Although I think the club might have brought some of that on themselves when complaining about the game not being in Sligo. People who might have been dragged along are now using that they wouldn't play the game in The Showgrounds as an excuse not to go.