Any news on the playoff final given it's now confirmed Drogheda are in both it and the Cup final?
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Any news on the playoff final given it's now confirmed Drogheda are in both it and the Cup final?
The word is that it's on Nov 15th - Friday after Cup Final. Not sure if that's officially confirmed.Quote:
Originally Posted by pineapple stu
Has any club ever won the Cup and been relegated in the same season ? (Having said that, I’d fancy Drogheda to win the play off, so probably won’t happen anyway.)
Dundalk in 2002Quote:
Originally Posted by TonyD
Bray also did the Relegation/FAI Cup double in 1998-99
Great to see that the stadium is going to be mostly filled again this year. I think the fact that it sold out last year may have had a positive knock on effect that there are a lot of people who just know they want to go to the cup final and buy their ticket early to get the better seats.
Being able to continually update ticket sales hitting 20/25/30k is some of the best marketing material the FAI could hope for.
I wonder what the split of Derry - Drogs - Neutral fans will be, completely uneducated guesstimate would be 20k - 10k -12k
12,000 neutrals? No chance I fear. I'd say 5,000 or so would be a good showing. It's on TV after all, and the November cup finals have a history of being chilly as feck.Quote:
Originally Posted by yurt
Plus your split there would mean a crowd of 42,000, which won't be happening either.
I'd expect Derry to have a lot more there than Drogheda, but Drogheda could also surprise everyone with how many they bring. So I'd guess 18-20,000 Derry, 10-12,000 Drogheda, and then 3-5,000 neutrals.
I have a couple of pals who are drogheda fans and they tell me that theyve more or less sold out their allocation of 15,000 and that theyve been given a new block of tickets in the west upper to sell !
Almost hard to believe , but seems theres a serious buzz around that club at the moment
Defo a 30,000+ attendance so for the FAI Cup Final again. The Cup Final is becoming a great domestic event!
No! Apparently it's on Saturday the 16th at 2 o'clock.Quote:
Originally Posted by Straightstory
Yeah that’s been confirmed now. Fixtures taken from RTE article on it:Quote:
Originally Posted by Straightstory
Play-off fixtures
Semi-Final 1st legs - Thursday 24 October
Bray Wanderers v UCD, Carlisle Grounds, 7.45pm
Athlone Town v Wexford, Athlone Town Stadium, 7.4pm
Semi-Final 2nd legs - Monday 28 October
Wexford v Athlone Town, Ferrycarrig Park, 3pm
UCD v Bray Wanderers, UCD Bowl, 5pm
Final - Saturday 2 November
UCD/Bray v Athlone/Wexford, Dalymount Park, 4pm
Promotion/relegation play-off - Saturday 16 November
Drogheda United v UCD/Bray/Athlone/Wexford, venue tbc, 2pm
An expected decision that the promotion relegation playoff would be pushed back a week. Something like that was mentioned on a fixtures list a few years back.
If Drogheda are bringing that many, how many would they expect to follow them for their League play-off decider the following week, especially if they win the FAI Cup?Quote:
Originally Posted by Slartibartfast
I suppose the venue for this would then have to be Tallaght! :confused:
Th charter train from Derry sold out in minutes, despite the relatively pricey fare of £48.50.
Surprised at the interest this year, thought 2022 may have just been a one-off.
Why what gave you the impression that it wouldnt be as popular this year as it was in 2022. Attendances on the up and the League of Ireland is now becoming mainstream in Ireland.Quote:
Originally Posted by brendy_éire
You are no longer an outlier. Its now cool to be a league of Ireland fan.
Mehh - I preferred it when we were unique.Quote:
Originally Posted by dcfc_legend9
Hard to know what sport I'll have to move on to next to keep my edginess so. Would there be many at the club basketball these days? I've always had a soft spot for the 'Irish Guide Dogs Ballincollig @MTU' team.
Drogheda have released their new jersey which will be worn in the cup final. Rookie move, everyone knows wearing a new kit in a final is the kiss of death. The jersey itself isn’t great as a home jersey, this years one was better IMO
https://x.com/droghedaunited/status/...569555535?s=46
Looking to cash in on a game that they'll already be getting a handsome payday from anyway.Quote:
Originally Posted by 2 Year Contract
Feels a bit grasping tbh ?
Totally understand it financially, just a silly superstition is allQuote:
Originally Posted by EatYerGreens
Design looks like something from a movie poster for a cheap late 90's SciFi/Horror
Just on the cup final, and I'll balance it out before any digs (Dundalk absolutely deserved to be relegated), Drogs had easiest ever route to a cup final.
Dundalk - FD bound - and at home
Weakest NL - home again
Athlone -FD- -QF - away
Wexford - FD - Semi - Home again
Couldn't make it up for an easier route, esp in bold.
You're correct, dundalk was by far our handiest match on our way to the final. That result changed our season too, ensuring we wouldn't come last in the leagueQuote:
Originally Posted by oriel
Good effort but that result ensured nothing bar progression to the next round of the cup! Dundalk FC ensured that you wouldnt come last in the league all on our own.
Never understood people going on about who clubs do and don't play when progressing through a cup competition.Quote:
Originally Posted by oriel
It's an open draw, you can only play what's in front of you. Wexford got similar grief, as did Treaty in 2022 despite the fact it was only the second time since '91 that a side from the City got to the last four.
Doherty has said that match was the turning point for our season in the league - and he's right. Thanks!Quote:
Originally Posted by Nesta99
I wonder why the play-off final is in Richmond Park? Is Tallaght unavailable? Far better stadium, better transport links, larger capacity. On the face of it, a poor decision to have it at Pats.Quote:
Originally Posted by 2 Year Contract
It was a turning point, it ensured nothing but progressing to the next round. You are welcome!Quote:
Originally Posted by Cosmo
Agree with yoy, disappointed it's not in tallaght!Quote:
Originally Posted by Straightstory
if Drogs win the cup they’d easily sell 10,000 tickets for the play-off if the venue was big enough.Quote:
Originally Posted by Cosmo
Richmond is cheaper to rent than Tallaght? That'd be my guess.Quote:
Originally Posted by Straightstory
No chance! You’re aware that you’re saying they’d bring the largest crowd a club has brought to any domestic game in decades? (FAI Cup finals aside)Quote:
Originally Posted by smasherdrog
Cup draws are like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get.Quote:
Originally Posted by oriel
Drogheda got to the cup final, in a few years times very few will remember who they beat to get there
Yes which will also relate to the anticipated attendance, the participating teams and location of the teams. Last season's play-off final held in Tallaght between Cork and Waterford only attracted an attendance of 4032 which you would expect was a good bit less than what was anticipated due to Tallaght being selected so you would not expect Drogheda versus any of the current four First Division participants to exceed 4000 attendance making Richmond a sensible choiceQuote:
Originally Posted by brendy_éire
What about the 15,000 odd so called Drogs fans going to the AVIVA for the FAI Cup final!Quote:
Originally Posted by total hoofball
If Drogs win, will many of that 15,000 follow a Cup winning team to a play-off wherever it is!
I reckon we'd have brought a bigger crowd to tallaght than inchicore.Quote:
Originally Posted by nr637
Just like all other teams in FAI Cup finals, majority of supporters on Cup final day will be there for the one off event. Inchicore doesn't really have the feel of an "event", whereby tallaght woukd be much more appealing to some supporters who'll show up for the FAI Cup
My heart sank when I saw the play-off was going to be in Inchicore. I'm not even a Rovers fan, but I often go to see them play (and cheer them on) in Europe. Always a pleasure to go to a 'proper' stadium.
Richmond Park, by comparison is like something from the 1950s. Very quaint and all that, and not without a certain charm - but it's in the stone age compared to Tallaght. Havig the game there will definitely have a negative effect on the attendance.
Can definitely see the argument for having the final in Inchicore. Given it'll be either Athlone or Bray against Drogheda, I'm not convinced Richmond Park will come close to a sell out for it.
Tallaght would have been a nicer ground for it, but 3,000 people in a 10,500 capacity stadium would have looked dreadful, as it did for the womens FAI Cup final.
Rovers stadium easily the best in the league in terms of capacity , facilities etc. , unfortunately it's also in the most soulless place in IrelandQuote:
Originally Posted by Straightstory
Inchicore will be much better for atmosphere.Quote:
Originally Posted by Cosmo
I get the charms of Tallaght etc excellent facilities but as an away fan, I don't look forward to it anymore
No atmosphere for 90% of games (not that we will have to worry about it for a while)
Give me Bohs, Pats, Shels away any day of the week.
Maybe I'm old school and like standing on a terrace to watch football. Bohs new stadium plans with terracing is a far better idea than an all seater stadium
From a selfish point of view I prefer terracing, good away section for atmosphere, etcQuote:
Originally Posted by dundalkfc10
But since I’ve starting bringing my kids, there are some away grounds I won’t bring the 2 youngest to. The 2 youngest (10 and 8) are girls so the state of toilets are a factor - aswel as being able to get a covered seat. I bring the oldest fella anywhere though.
Tbh inchicore is one I’ve brought the girls to and they had zero complaints.
But if we want the league to grow, we need to make it attractive to families. Even for league of Ireland matches, you feel like you are going to a “big match” outside the ground before a rovers match. It’s definitely more appealing than inchicore for bigger matches