Half 6
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Half 6
What's with the peculiar kick-off time? Any specific reasoning behind it? Sky?
Wales 2-0 up against NI now. Gary Speed looking set to claim his first win as Wales boss.
Finished 2.0 to Wales. The attendance was 6,036.
BBC reported the official attendance as 529, claims some of them were also Scotland fans!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/13540749.stm
I thought there was about 600 or so behind either goal, so 1,200 total. 6,000 would be way too many.
Good that we have finally got a win, but Northern Ireland were truly dreadful. Very frustrating that we couldn't score more as we were totally dominant at times but also looked rather harmless.
Both Gary Speed and Nigel Worthington have both questioned the organisation, benefit and future of the competition.
Speed: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/13569495.stm
Worthington: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/13565918.stm
Worthington also gave his opinion on McGinn's "I'm an Ireland fan" comment after the game on Tuesday:Quote:
Northern Ireland boss Nigel Worthington has questioned the future of the Carling Nations Cup after poor displays by his side and low attendances.
"This tournament has been difficult for everyone and supporters have voted with their feet," said Worthington.
"Having three games against British-style opposition isn't ideal and I'd prefer to select foreign opposition.
"Two games at the end of a very long season has made it difficult for us but it's up to the Associations to decide."
Obviously, it was blown out of proportion as the media have actually seen fit to make a meal out of something so ridiculously trivial - besides it being pretty obvious anyway - but I don't think McGinn did anything wrong or worthy of condemnation. What he said was more than fair enough, so should he really have something to learn from and ensure won't happen again? :rolleyes:Quote:
Worthington commented: "You have got to choose your words carefully and Niall has maybe made a statement that's been exaggerated a bit.
"At the end of the day, Niall will learn from that and won't let it happen again."
Just in case, he's had "DO NOT admit Ireland support!" sewn into his boots. He was seen to be examining them studiously during the anthems this evening.Quote:
Originally Posted by DannyInvincible
Told by a hack mate, 529 was the no.of tickets were sold for this game. Any others were comps/freebies.Quote:
Originally Posted by Cymro
There were more stewards than fans.Quote:
Originally Posted by Cuyahoga
Quote:
Originally Posted by DannyInvincible
Worthington really is an odious prat. Realistically, in what competition no matter the style of play would he hope for NI to learn anything, They are gash and they are not gonna get any better with that teuwl in charge. He has significantly set back the progress of the team over the last few years and it just seems. Compare the feeling around the team even from a southern perspective even compared to when Sanchez was in charge. The sooner the better that Nigel bites the bullet.
I also like how he thinks that he has any influence on the existence of the CNC. The FAI and the SFA will more gthan likely be more influential.
I'm actually looking forward to our game on Sunday now.
Also poor McGinn tonight the camera just focussed on him for an overtly long time.
Yeah I hope this tournament takes off one way or another-timing of games maybe could be looked at-but I see more merit in playing these games than vs a half arsed 'glamour' side like Brazil or some other south american side we get no meaningful experience from.
playing easter euro sides away regularly would be great but we never seem to do that in friendlies.
I wonder if it would work better as a tournament with two semi finals, a 3rd and 4th place play off and a final. It cuts it to two games per team which might have some impact on TV money, but it could be staged in 6 or 7 days. Fitting that into the international schedule or end of season is easier.
You sound as if you really care, Bonnie.Quote:
Originally Posted by BonnieShels
He just really really bugs me something serious.Quote:
Originally Posted by geysir
I'd disagree. Each team should get at least one home game. They should use the international friendly dates of August, November and February. Each game will be about 3 months a part. Club's don't like releasing players for friendlies but at least their players won't be travelling too far across Europe or anything like that for the Carling Nations Cup. The competition could have a decent future being played every year on those dates.Quote:
Originally Posted by Eminence Grise
It won't happen now the the Aviva is open, but perhaps what could have been a better idea was if the tournament took place either in the RDS, or in Thomand Park. Coupled with more parochial marketing.
The whole history of this tournament's genesis was to promote the idea of local rivals / neighbours playing each other. Ideally pushing an idea of rivalry between the Celtic nations. But an empty 50K-seater bedpan is not going to bring this about, especially in the games featuring the "away" sides. You want the smaller, cosier stadiums where a bit of emotion and passion could swell up. Cheap tickets, smaller venue, closer to the action. Ideally at the weekend. The RDS, 100% full, would generate far more noise and enthusiasm than a half-filled Aviva.
Of course as I said, with the new stadium open & a deal with Sky hanging over their necks, the FAI aren't going to leave the new Lansdowne fallow while our boys are kicking about in the RDS, but for this tournament to work, it has to start small, and grow upwards. Not start with large ideas and slowly deflate (as it has done) while 500 people sit watching Wales v. Norn Iron.
Rob Earnshaw calls for Nations Cup revamp: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/13585705.stm
In the article above Earnshaw is calling for a revamp as well. The tournament has been an embarrassment. It was going to be open to certain criticisms but it's been open to a whole lot more due to the disastrous way it has been run.
A successful 6 nations is run in rugby, they only had to use that blueprint but obviously with 4 teams being involved. The following as I've mentioned would've have gotten by far more crowds than the current format:
August 2010: Wales v Ireland ... Cardiff. N Ireland v Scotland ... Belfast.
November 2010: Ireland v N Ireland ... Dublin. Scotland v Wales ... Glasgow.
February 2011: Ireland v Scotland ... Dublin. Wales v N Ireland ... Cardiff.
For the next tournament then they only needed to reverse the fixtures so Northern Ireland and Scotland would get the extra home game.
Excellent article in the Indo about Nigel Worthington and his crap attitude towards players playing for the Republic. Eamonn Sweeney mentions too Derek Dougan who was a visionary in terms of where he felt English soccer should seek its influence and style of play and was often deemed controversial for these views. I never knew that due to his beliefs about a United Irish team that his international career was ended. Watch out Niall McGinn - you could be next!
http://www.independent.ie/sport/socc...p-2660613.html
That might work, but I was thinking, too, about having concentrated numbers of fans in town for a week-long tournament, creating atmosphere and generally bigging up the event in a way that a prolonged series of games doesn't. The good thing about the 6 Nations format is that from start to finish, it's over within two months - short, concentrated and omnipresent for its duration. Spinning out the CC over 7 months makes it lose momentum.Quote:
Originally Posted by legendz
Except the "loophole" Sweeney refers to is not the GFA but rather the "change of association" clause in the eligibility statutes, no?Quote:
Originally Posted by gastric
The Gibson hate campaign? Was he referring to Colbert Report? :)
The best bit was his put down of Worthington, a self-pitying mediocre manager, or something like that.
Guys im stuck in france, i need to see this game..does anyone hace a link to where i watch it ????????
Perhaps the best option would be to run the tournament over a weekend in the same host city - ie have two semi finals on a Friday and final/ third place matches on a Sunday.Quote:
Originally Posted by legendz
I'd drop NI from the tournament, rotate the hosting of the tournament between us, Scotland and Wales, and have the fourth team as an invite.
If Nigel and his mates want Northern Ireland to have a unionist football team, they're going the right way about it. - Eamon Sweeney
http://www.independent.ie/sport/socc...p-2660613.html
Well said Mr. Sweeney
A couple of salient points aside there's an amount of tired auld guff in there from Sweeney though ..."cauldron of hatred", GFA, Lennon, bullets in the post -and of the course the All-Ireland team solution because that'd solve it all and make everyone happy.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fixer82
He's correct that Nigel is a bit of an eejit who doesn't understand that the rest of the world don't neccessarily see things as he does mind.
Yeah I agree but I though he nailed it with that particular sentence
Hence the quote.
What i really didn't like was the gloating at the end '5-0, 5-0, 5-0'. What is he, 10?
Yes, totally pointless. Totally fails to acknowledge how experimental and far from full strength NI were.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fixer82
Indeed. Perspective and grace are two qualities that would go a long way
Mr Sweeney's rant is riddled with inaccuracies.
It has a stench of bigotry to it too.
Really?
And his piece is an improvement on what passes for 'facts', in The Belfast Telegraph...
Yeah spoke to Dougan about this myself through work, an articulate and likable man.Quote:
Originally Posted by gastric
As long as we get through the Scotland game without too much grief, I think these 2 games will prove to be important preparation for the qualifier against Macedonia.
.
This years format was desperate. Even the timing of today's game at 6.30 won't attract Scottish daytrippers. Then again if Sky are paying the money they make the calls.Quote:
Originally Posted by ifk101
2 semis and afinal over a weekend would be better as would double headers.
Didn't Craig Levein call for '10,000 Tartan Army fans to travel to Dublin for Sunday's crunch Carling Nations meeting' in the Scottish media on Friday?
Hmm.
Should hopefully get something suitable here as kick-off approaches: http://www.livefootballol.com/stream...9-05-2011.htmlQuote:
Originally Posted by bwagner
You'll require Sopcast for some streams.
Something should appear here as well, just in case: http://www.myp2p.eu/index.php?part=sports
Also keep an eye on the football section.
There was a stream mentioned on Friday for the Wales game which definitely worked back then.
And maybe, tonight also?
www.atdhe.ws has yet to let me down for any matches
That is correct, although you could include article 15 in that as well.Quote:
Originally Posted by Stuttgart88
Whilst dubbing it a "hate campaign" might be a tad strong, there is certainly a lot of vitriol and antipathy reserved for Gibson. I'm not sure why he's loathed by general NI fans so much in particular given he's been with us from under-17 level. Maybe it's due to his high profile and a mistaken belief that he was the first to "set the ball rolling" or "open the floodgates".Quote:
The Gibson hate campaign? Was he referring to Colbert Report? :)
Ah, I was wondering where that site had disappeared. They changed their domain name.Quote:
Originally Posted by richieos
I don't see the need for having a concentrated number of fans in a city for a week. Atmosphere can be created on the day or two before a game in the city of the team with the home game.Quote:
Originally Posted by Eminence Grise
The idea of the Nations Cup was to use the friendly dates so I'm not sure where the current arrangement came from. The qualifying process is spread out over an Autumn, Spring and Autumn. The three dates mentioned would be an even enough spread within about 6 months and run within the season the players play in. The nature of the competition was to give a more competitive game than a friendly. It doesn't need to be concentrated within a week, just played on the regular friendly dates.