Any talk of Linfield joining the English premiership is laughable. The EPL would never have them - and rightly so.
If they changed leagues, it would be into some sort of all-island structure.
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True. If Shels had beaten Deportivo, it wouldn't have added on a 1,000 fans for their league matches imo.
it would if they beat them 3 years in a row...
That seems to suggest that Irish football is fecked, will never have decent crowds, and we should all give up ? :confused:
The bandwagon obviously rolls out for big games - there isn't a team in the world where this isn't the case. But a conurbation of 20-30,000 people cannot sustain a team at a level where it is competing to a decent level in Europe regularly. A city of 1.5m like Dublin can. And you can be sure that if an Irish team was competing regularly at a high level in Europe it would add to it's ordinary matchday appeal
Just look at Derry City - one good year in Europe and our season ticket sales rocket. That shows you what can be achieved. As I mentioned before, however, it is easier to do it with a team outside Dublin, as those clubs have affinity and a residual appeal within their communities already. Shels didn't add to their gate post-Deportivo, as Shels means nothing to the overwhelming majority of people in Drumcondra, let alone Dublin. The same is not true for provincial clubs. But give Shels a few years of consistently performing at a good level in Europe and they would undouibtedly have picked up some new fans (though again - not at the same rate of conversion as a provincial club).
Hence why I said Dublin clubs offer the greatest potential return on your investment - but also the greatest risk in achieving it.
So population is absoluitely key here - as shown throughout Europe (success and catchment area are very closely linked across all leagues).
if i won billions i would buy tallagh finish the stadia and give it to TD .only joking give it to rovers just to shut them bogballers up
Galway - 75k population, 250k overall in the county - good potential fanbase, with no other eL teams to compete against. A fast-growing population. A popular destination, for the away-fans to 'make a weekend of it' - & a popular place, so the bandwaggoners can hop on easily.
A well-recognised name for promoting world-wide - the Galway 'brand name'.
Most of the above also works for Cork - also larger population & the fact that about 40 million americans think their granny came from cork! - but it looks like someone got there before me:rolleyes:
Id buy Belfast Celtic or whatever is left of them. Get them up and running again, develope a decent stadium. Put them in to the LOI and watch them take off.
it is a pointless thread because everyone will just say their own club!!
Well I am saying my own club now :) I would buy Longford, build a roof over us poor souls opposite the stand!
At least we will be dry ;) Fully licensed bar, strippers at half time... the possibilities are endless.