LOI Attendances 2016

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Originally Posted by sbgawa

It couldn't be 18 matches more likely 27 or 36 if that happens.

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Originally Posted by JaketheSnake

Play each other 4 times surely???

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The Premier Division went from 12 teams & 33 games to 10 teams & 36 games back to 12 teams & 33 games. It's unlikely the league would revert back to 10 teams & 36 games.

10 teams & 27 games might be the best fit for both divisions if there is consensus to cut out midweek fixtures with the exception of cup replays and the league cup.

The lower tiers across the water are likely to revert to 20 team leagues. They reckon it'll boost attendances for weekend fixtures amongst other measures.

Good crowd in Cobh tonight, estimated at 2000 + on Facebook which is about right. Cracking atmosphere too until 2nd went in. Very unsavoury incidents outside ground after though. Drogs brought a few scumbags down with them. Ramblers caught out too with no guards in ground and security insufficient.

I thought there was plenty but if you get scum intent on causing trouble on both sides then it's hard to stop.
The sickening thing is that huge work done on a voluntary basis is put in danger by a collection of pond life.

Away fans should have been kept back at the end for 10 minutes, would have prevented the major aggro outside. Thought Drogheda had sorted their hooligan problem, obviously not.

Awful awful scenes outside the ground judging by the video I just watched on twitter. Not the first time the lack of stewarding down there has caused issue. We had trouble down there twice previously

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Originally Posted by Johnnie C

Away fans should have been kept back at the end for 10 minutes, would have prevented the major aggro outside. Thought Drogheda had sorted their hooligan problem, obviously not.

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Very poor organisation. Drogheda have a known hooligan problem. Cobh and the police should have known this and planned accordingly.

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Originally Posted by White Horse

Very poor organisation. Drogheda have a known hooligan problem. Cobh and the police should have known this and planned accordingly.

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What sort of operation are they running down there. Cobh fans seemed to have open access at the Drogheda fans down a tight alley way right after the game. There was bound to be a flashpoint.

Looking at the video it does appear as if the Cobh lot got more than they bargained for when they attacked the Drogs.
Judging by the age profile of the Cobh mob Mammy and Daddy need to keep more of a check on where they are and what they are up to

4637 in oriel tonight

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Originally Posted by nigel-harps1954

Nothing official from Waterford unfortunately. Usually handy enough getting official figures from there.

Thanks for the help folks, coming across these figures gets very difficult at the end of the season.

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247 is now up on extra time for Waterford v UCD. Nothing yet for Athlone game.

Forgive for doorstepping onto the conversation, but I'd be curious about something. What's worrying about the Pats Cork attendance is how relatively easy it should be made for a Cork supporter to get to Inchicore, and I don't mean that as a slight on the cork fan either.

A good few times I've gone to matches in Europe, travel either free or reduced rates are included in your ticket price. It is very appealing. Surely the FAI could be working with Irish Rail for the clubs that are based in towns on the rail line? Richmond is literally a 20min walk from Heuston station, Tallaght is 30 mins direct on the Luas. Dalymount will be 15 mins on the Luas from next year.
Bar Harps and Derry, is there any club not on the train line? I know that Irish Rail ran special trains after Ireland matches to a few areas, not subsidised mind, and they were generally a success.

Ease of access is one of the reasons I get to go to so many LoI matches in Dublin. Surely making it easier for the hard-core away fans is something the FAI should be doing to help away attendances and by extension the promotion of the league?

Often matches finish after the last public transport is finished. In many cases it just isn't an option for matches except in the capital or a few other cases like Galway if you're coming from Dublin.

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Originally Posted by GCdfc

4637 in oriel tonight

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4,637 was the highest crowd of the season in OP. The trophy will be presented on Friday night at home to Galway, however I don't see the crowd being close to this, possibly 3k. Last night was the one not to miss.

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Originally Posted by Kingdom

Forgive for doorstepping onto the conversation, but I'd be curious about something. What's worrying about the Pats Cork attendance is how relatively easy it should be made for a Cork supporter to get to Inchicore, and I don't mean that as a slight on the cork fan either.

A good few times I've gone to matches in Europe, travel either free or reduced rates are included in your ticket price. It is very appealing. Surely the FAI could be working with Irish Rail for the clubs that are based in towns on the rail line? Richmond is literally a 20min walk from Heuston station, Tallaght is 30 mins direct on the Luas. Dalymount will be 15 mins on the Luas from next year.
Bar Harps and Derry, is there any club not on the train line? I know that Irish Rail ran special trains after Ireland matches to a few areas, not subsidised mind, and they were generally a success.

Ease of access is one of the reasons I get to go to so many LoI matches in Dublin. Surely making it easier for the hard-core away fans is something the FAI should be doing to help away attendances and by extension the promotion of the league?

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The train isn't usually an option for us going to Dublin. You can get the train up but its AirCoach back, or else you drive or get a club/fan run coach. Last train to Cork is at 9.
A bigger issue though for City fans is the amount of time off work that is required to get to every game. Some fans do it and fair play to them, but I have to pick and choose which games I get to. I work by the airport in Cork, don't drive and would typically finish work around 6, though my bosses are fairly flexible so I could get out around 5 without any fuss.

If I drove then I'd be able to get to Dublin in 2 and a half hours theoretically but getting out of the city, and into Dublin City between the ours of 5 and 8 would not be extremely easy.
That particular game against Pats was our fourth away game in 15 days. Our second midweek away fixture in 7 days, and our second trip to Inchicore in that same 15 day period. We were also playing Pats at home that Friday, so it was always going to be hard to get a big crowd to that game from Cork. Things may have been different if we felt we had anything to play for.

Ideally every game would be accessible for home and away fans, and travel would be priced reasonably but the Irish rail system isn't a patch on what is available in European countries, and is quite expensive at the same time. I think I'm paying something like 40 euro for my return trip to Dublin for the Cup Final, and I booked my tickets the day we got through to the Final.

One last point, our entire rail system is built around Dublin. Sligo and Galway both have train stations, but to get from one to the other you'd have to go through Dublin. It is possible to get from Cork to Galway by rail, but I don't think its practical. I'll be honest, I've never tried.

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Originally Posted by El-Pietro

One last point, our entire rail system is built around Dublin. Sligo and Galway both have train stations, but to get from one to the other you'd have to go through Dublin. It is possible to get from Cork to Galway by rail, but I don't think its practical. I'll be honest, I've never tried.

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Same for the motorways. Getting from Dundalk to Sligo, Galway, Longford involves trekking on roads that were built for a horse and cart.

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Originally Posted by Kingdom

Bar Harps and Derry, is there any club not on the train line?

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Derry is on a train line, just not exactly a direct one to Dublin.
Being realistic, if the FAI were to create a public transport partnership, it would probably be best with Bus Éireann. Much cheaper to run a bus than a train, and they run plenty of late night buses anyway.

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Originally Posted by Mr A

Often matches finish after the last public transport is finished. In many cases it just isn't an option for matches except in the capital or a few other cases like Galway if you're coming from Dublin.

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Exactly, even for Ireland games it's a total disaster for those of us based down the country, last train back to longford from Dublin leaves Connolly at 7.05. Now obviously it's only an hours drive but it's not ideal for anyone wanting to have a few drinks.

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Originally Posted by Kingdom

Forgive for doorstepping onto the conversation, but I'd be curious about something. What's worrying about the Pats Cork attendance is how relatively easy it should be made for a Cork supporter to get to Inchicore, and I don't mean that as a slight on the cork fan either.

A good few times I've gone to matches in Europe, travel either free or reduced rates are included in your ticket price. It is very appealing. Surely the FAI could be working with Irish Rail for the clubs that are based in towns on the rail line? Richmond is literally a 20min walk from Heuston station, Tallaght is 30 mins direct on the Luas. Dalymount will be 15 mins on the Luas from next year.
Bar Harps and Derry, is there any club not on the train line? I know that Irish Rail ran special trains after Ireland matches to a few areas, not subsidised mind, and they were generally a success.

Ease of access is one of the reasons I get to go to so many LoI matches in Dublin. Surely making it easier for the hard-core away fans is something the FAI should be doing to help away attendances and by extension the promotion of the league?

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Rail is a lot more viable in Europe and the UK in general for reasons of sheer scale. As Brendy said, Bus Eireann would be your man in Ireland, especially given the lack of connections between the two sides of the border.

Noticeably more "Premier League supporters" took an interest in Dundalk's game last night.

I've said before that the league needed something like 6 weeks of positive coverage for perception to change for the better. Dundalk's great run has naturally created positive headlines over that sort of timescale.

I think Limerick's great escape last year spanned more than 6 weeks. Coupled with their return to the Markets Field, that good run up to before they faltered at the final hurdle has helped build a connect with many who hadn't been going to games.

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Originally Posted by outspoken

Exactly, even for Ireland games it's a total disaster for those of us based down the country, last train back to longford from Dublin leaves Connolly at 7.05. Now obviously it's only an hours drive but it's not ideal for anyone wanting to have a few drinks.

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Bus Eireann is the best way imo if you are in living in Longford and wanted to go to a match in Dublin. majority of week last bus leaves from Bus Aras at 11pm and goes to either Sligo /Ballina. But if the match is in Tallaght it would be a struggle to make it from Tallaght to Dublin city by luas unless you took a taxi.

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Originally Posted by legendz

Noticeably more "Premier League supporters" took an interest in Dundalk's game last night.

I've said before that the league needed something like 6 weeks of positive coverage for perception to change for the better. Dundalk's great run has naturally created positive headlines over that sort of timescale.

I think Limerick's great escape last year spanned more than 6 weeks. Coupled with their return to the Markets Field, that good run up to before they faltered at the final hurdle has helped build a connect with many who hadn't been going to games.

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I agree that sustained positive exposure piques that curiosity of non regulars at games like the examples given. The frustrating thing around Dundalk is that a majority of football fans in the town would follow Dundalk if not all actively support them by turning up to Oriel Park regularly. So it isnt entirely that the increase in last nights gate was the interest of new fans or the curious EPL fan. Ive said it before that if half of those who are lapsed fans that "used to always go up to Oriel back in the day" or the "I didnt go up during the 1st Division days so I dont want to be seen as jumping on the band wagon", are added to the current regulars of 2500 or 3k you would have over 4k at every home game. There is the positive snowball effect especially with kids round town in Dundalk shirts and their friends wanting to be in on the in thing of the moment so hopefully that will create a new generation of regular supporters coming up over the years. My nephew, brought up in a hardcore GAA family from the west of Ireland and now in Dundalk has absolutely no interest in GAA no matter how hard he is pushed but he is never out of his Dundalk shirt which of course I have no complaints about. Id imagine that Sligo would be similar, Derry, Cork(though there are other sports representing the City/County that have success for the sports fan), Dublin areas too but are up against Dublin GAA and Rugby, Limerick and Munster in Thomond, Galways and the new improvement in Connacht rugby but have had Hurling and Gealic Football doing all right at times too). So get a team going in Mayo and other sporting success deprived areas and yer laughing :P

Dundalk have announced €5 into the ground for everyone on Friday night v Galway for the final game as a gratitude to the fans. This is a nice touch, and it might boost the crowd a little, it probably would have been decent anyway for the trophy presentation, but fair play to them for doing this.

Putting that €5k from JD & the lads to great use.

Charlie, that 5k was spent on Sunday & Monday, hence the 'tired and emotional' display on Tuesday night in Richmond.

'No Integrity' really anymore.

It's what our glorious leader would spend it on himself

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Originally Posted by oriel

Charlie, that 5k was spent on Sunday & Monday, hence the 'tired and emotional' display on Tuesday night in Richmond.

'No Integrity' really anymore.

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I heard the 5k went on Pats to win -2 with the Asians

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Originally Posted by Kingdom

Forgive for doorstepping onto the conversation, but I'd be curious about something. What's worrying about the Pats Cork attendance is how relatively easy it should be made for a Cork supporter to get to Inchicore, and I don't mean that as a slight on the cork fan either.

A good few times I've gone to matches in Europe, travel either free or reduced rates are included in your ticket price. It is very appealing. Surely the FAI could be working with Irish Rail for the clubs that are based in towns on the rail line? Richmond is literally a 20min walk from Heuston station, Tallaght is 30 mins direct on the Luas. Dalymount will be 15 mins on the Luas from next year.
Bar Harps and Derry, is there any club not on the train line? I know that Irish Rail ran special trains after Ireland matches to a few areas, not subsidised mind, and they were generally a success.

Ease of access is one of the reasons I get to go to so many LoI matches in Dublin. Surely making it easier for the hard-core away fans is something the FAI should be doing to help away attendances and by extension the promotion of the league?

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Irish Rail just wouldn't be interested if we're honest. The numbers involved wouldn't be worth the effort and paperwork for them.

Rail deals for an Ireland game which will attract 30-40,000 people you can understand. Most League of Ireland games are lucky to get 5% of that sort of crowd.

590 or 596 at Wexford Youths v Finn Harps. 590 is mentioned in this week's local papers but I heard 596 at the match itself.

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Originally Posted by White Horse

Same for the motorways. Getting from Dundalk to Sligo, Galway, Longford involves trekking on roads that were built for a horse and cart.

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What a load of tosh - Dundalk to Galway is, bar a tiny stretch, motorway the whole way. Dundalk to Dublin on the M1, join the M50 southbound, then M6/M4 west to Galway. Just over 3 hours.

What a ridiculous roundabout way to go and would not be done in 3 hrs and That'd add another 60km to the journey.

Dundalk Ardee millingar then kinegad on the.
It's about 3:45.

How long by spaceship?

Or the route I suggested, which I have often taken, and it's just over 3 hours. Your suggestion is the most direct route. But it's not the quickest. By all means, travel through small towns and villages and get stuck in traffic, if that tickles your fancy. Or take the motorway. No skin off my nose

Back on topic, attendance last week at Ramblers V Drogheda was 1873. Not bad.

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Originally Posted by WoodquayBoy

What a load of tosh - Dundalk to Galway is, bar a tiny stretch, motorway the whole way. Dundalk to Dublin on the M1, join the M50 southbound, then M6/M4 west to Galway. Just over 3 hours.

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Why the feck would you drive to Dublin in order to go to Galway? The toll costs alone would be bigger than the cost of the ticket.

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Originally Posted by Comic Book Guy

Back on topic, attendance last week at Ramblers V Drogheda was 1873. Not bad.

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Great attendance for Cobh. Attendances like that are why I would like to see the LoI trial a playoff for the final Europa League spot.

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Originally Posted by legendz

Great attendance for Cobh. Attendances like that are why I would like to see the LoI trial a playoff for the final Europa League spot.

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I hate that idea : )

Given our consistent 4th place finishing

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Originally Posted by White Horse

Why the feck would you drive to Dublin in order to go to Galway? The toll costs alone would be bigger than the cost of the ticket.

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What does it matter where it is, if it's the quickest route? Your man thinks his route is 3 hours. That sounds better than the "direct" route of 3:45 that jinxy goes

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Originally Posted by Dodge

What does it matter where it is, if it's the quickest route? Your man thinks his route is 3 hours. That sounds better than the "direct" route of 3:45 that jinxy goes

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Because driving around Dublin on a Friday evening is murder. The "direct route" is quicker at peak times and costs about €20 less in tolls.

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Originally Posted by legendz

Great attendance for Cobh. Attendances like that are why I would like to see the LoI trial a playoff for the final Europa League spot.

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With which teams?