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Get involved with your local club. Nonsense about "We should have more media exposure" or "We need an AIL" or "Let's change the number of teams" or anything like that is the internet equivalent of ringing Joe Duffy.Quote:
Originally Posted by Soccer Mom
If you are implying that the Genesis Report is poor then I couldn't agree more. It is one of the worst, most lightweight reports of its' type that I have ever seen. As I said in an earlier post I, and I would suggest the majority of people in Ireland, could not relate to the extract in my original post and I couldn't agree with it. As the basis of a meaningful discussion I believe it performed admirably. I am better informed now than when I started the post and while I can't speak for other posters the quality of other posts suggest to me it was largely a worthtwhile exercise.
Thanks for that. I think that's coming at it from the wrong end. Someone will only get involved with their local club if they are already one of the converted. One of the problems for the League is that most people don't feel a connection to any club. Therefore it is up to the FAI / LoI /clubs to reach out to the public and make that connection.Quote:
Originally Posted by pineapple stu
Couldn't disagree more. You asked for the single most important thing, and there it is. Your post merely seeks to use the age-old Irish problem of blaming someone else for the state the league is in (or whatever it is we're looking to moan about).
I agree that what you suggest would help solve the problem - but it's just not happening and it hasn't happened in sufficient numbers for more than 50 years.
I'm not blaming others - I'm blaming the FAI / LoI & the clubs
LOL!!Quote:
Originally Posted by Soccer Mom
"Others" means "people other than you". You're clearly blaming people other than you. It's partly your fault why the LoI is seen as it is. So the single most important question is - what are you going to do about it?
Otherwise, this whole thread is just you moaning and coming out of it feeling good without having actually changed a single thing.
Sorry pineapple stu but I think you're missing the point. You seem to think that it is a responsibility of people that do not actively support the LoI to do so. But clearly most Irish people that are interested in football do not attend League matches. Simply stating that 'they should' changes nothing. The fact is that 'they don't' - and the question is 'how do the FAI, LoI and the clubs attract people to games?'
I'm not missing the point; you asked me for the "single most important thing that needs to be done to improve the League of Ireland", and I gave it to you. Throughout this thread, you seem to not like what you don't want to hear.
The general attitude in this country of "I'd support the LoI if it were better and if a club got into the group stages of the CL" is one of the main things holding the league back.
Macro talk sounds good but is irrelevant because you've no input; you may as well start an internet petition. You, however, have input into what you do, so you go down to the micro level - what can you do? Answer - get involved in your local club.
what in your opinion attracts people to fly to england to watch a game??Quote:
Originally Posted by Soccer Mom
Sorry to wade in but what defines "interested in football" ? wearing a man u/ liverpool/Arsneal top down the pub ? Watching your offspring play schoolboy football ? Kicking ten shades out of someone from different town/county/part of city ? Supporting your local club through thick and (mainly) thin ?Quote:
Originally Posted by Soccer Mom
Many of what you may class as "having an interest in football" will never take an interest in the LOI because the interest is too narrow based. Many more are social fans (something to talk about over a pint). Personally I know fans who go to most Ireland away games but don't go to the home matches - hardly likely to go to LOI games anytime soon.
The people who get involved in thier local clubs as PS has indicated are people I would see as "interested in football" and unfortunately there are far too few of them. Clubs have made progress in broadening the appeal of the LOI but in my opinion the potential market is not as great as people sometimes think.
Well there is no question that the quality of football is higher but the best players in the world will always gravitate to where the money is. People are suckers for hype and gloss. The majority of people that travel over have grown up thinking of UK teams as 'their team'. The mindset is now deeply ingrained and that's why I don't agree with pineapple stu that it's simply up to people to decide to support LoI clubs. They won't because they don't feel any affinity for them. For a whole variety of reasons generations of fans in Ireland now have a blind spot for the LoI. That's the fact and wishing that it wasn't won't change anything. It's going to take concerted action by those that are committed to the League to undo the current mindset.Quote:
Originally Posted by danthesaint
That's not what I said on two counts. One, I said I was giving the single most important thing - which is what you asked for. Of course there's other things that can be done. Two, you're mixing up supporting a club and getting involved with a club.Quote:
Originally Posted by Soccer Mom
Soccer Mom, one more time: http://foot.ie/threads/132005-What-R...=1#post1324982
I'm not merging any more of your posts, I'll be deleting from this point forward.
Delighted to have you wade in :) I'll try to put this as delicately as I can - I get the sense from many contributers here that if you don't go to LoI matches then you can't be a real Irish football fan. It comes across to me as a type of intolerance and - to be frank - snobbishness. People that go to international matches have an interest in football. People that watch English football on TV have an interest in football. The fact that I will be up at 9am on Sunday putting up nets with my fingers freezing to the bone for my sons schoolboy match displays an interest in football. It's a broad church so let's be inclusive and tolerant.Quote:
Originally Posted by marinobohs
Sometimes it's easier to get tickets for away matches and in my experience the atmosphere can be better for away matches.Quote:
Originally Posted by marinobohs
I agree with you that progress is being made - Shamrock Rovers is a case in point. My son is an ardent Manchester United fan but I've taken him to Tallaght Stadium a few times and he is now a Rovers fan with a 2010 season ticket. He goes to matches now with his mates - so that IS progress. However I do agree that the Irish market is limited and that puts a limit on what can be achieved - but I still think the the principals in the sport can do more to generate greater interest.Quote:
Originally Posted by marinobohs
Apologies but I don't understand what you're asking me to do. Can you please explain?Quote:
Originally Posted by dahamsta
I take that point, as long as you are refferring to Frank and Irene.Quote:
Originally Posted by Soccer Mom
The button at the bottom right beside the "reply with quote" button is the multi quote button, if you click this on each post you wish to reply to then go to post your reply it should incorporate all of those posts, rather than making an individual reply to each.Quote:
Originally Posted by Soccer Mom
Man ure and now Shams ? somebody call the ISPCC :D seriously , some great work done over the last couple of years in Tallaght (even before they moved out there) and among other clubs as well. it is people like yourself developing an interest in LOI among younger people that is the greatest hope (although it is a slow process). Speak to most regular fans and they will talk of going as "a young fellow" and becoming "hooked"on the LOI.Quote:
Originally Posted by Soccer Mom
Again nobody would argue that greater promotion of the LOI is a way forward but with limited resources it is less than apparent how to make that a reality. the genesis report was big on aspiration (some good a lot bad) but not great on the practicalities
my own view would be that the LOI cannot cmplete with the EPL and should be marketed as complimentary ( have your fave EPL team AND your LOI team ) I agree that asking people to choose is not helpful to the LOI (although it is beyond doubt that LOI fans are better :D)
Thanks for the help passinginterest. Obviously I'm not too good with computers :)Quote:
Originally Posted by passinginterest
I couldn't agree more. Try to compete head to head is not on. Many football supporters go to GAA matches and rugby matches. There is absolutely no reason why people can't have an interest in different areas of football. Others have made the point here that one doesn't have to exclude the other and if people can afford to go to Old Trafford for a match then a season ticket for Rovers or whoever is not beyond reason.Quote:
Originally Posted by marinobohs
Well in term of commitment to the cause and pure passion that would be hard to disagree with :)Quote:
Originally Posted by marinobohs
This is true, but I think the point being made is that for the LOI to improve, the onus is on LOI clubs to make themselves attractive to those who are not currently attracted to it.Quote:
Originally Posted by pineapple stu
It is easy, and to a certain extent correct, to say that it is just as much their (the uninterested people's) fault the LOI is the way it is as it is the LOI's fault, but the fact remains that for us to improve, we need them, in a way they do not need us. We can criticize them for not wanting to come along to games until the clubs reach a certain level of success, and we'd have a valid reason to criticize, but that valid reason doesn't bring any money into the club.
I still think what I posted is the single most important thing that needs to be done. There are other factors too, of course, including what you posted.
that will be unlikely to happen, with uefaQuote:
http://foot.ie/../../images/misc/quote_icon.png Originally Posted by pineapple stu http://foot.ie/../../images/buttons/viewpost-right.png
The general attitude in this country of "I'd support the LoI if it were better and if a club got into the group stages of the CL" is one of the main things holding the league back.
id love to see the day, england spain and italy and maybe germany get less teams to go to champions league and an irish team gets in automatically, then these big clubs in england mightnt have the same appeal to barstoolers.
soccer mom, does you kid(s) go to LOI matches??
Again, nobody argues that the LOI has to improve its image/profile what we need to look at is HOW we do that. Many clubs have tried initiatives around pricing and/or special offers (kids go free, two games for price of one, Ireland ticket access etc) many clubs have had promotional campaigns and many other ideas.Quote:
Originally Posted by osarusan
What I have never been clear on (and I think many clubs fall into this trap) is who are we targeting ? Euro success (on previous experience) gets one off crowds but has rarely had "stickibility" (Shels V Depo ) therefore trying that route is not the answer in my opinion. Building community links (especially at a time of more transient population) is slow burning at best (not to mention the competition from the bogball etc).
Promotion of LOI will never compete with the unlimited bankroll of EPL and the ever present shadow of SKY Sports.
Unfortunately I can see no "magic bullet" solution to the problem of limited attendance. Hard slog and a gradual targeted build up (among fans with a genuine interest in watching live football) is the only option I can see for the League of Ireland, the national team could do more (antyhing would be a start) to promote the game here but that does not appear to be on the FAI agenda.
The most promising thing is that we have a good product to sell (all the major intellects on here could not possibly be wrong :D) - and it is guaranteed Irish !
What!! You mean these internet discussions won't solve our problems?Quote:
Originally Posted by marinobohs
Precisely the point I was trying to make. Thank you.Quote:
Originally Posted by osarusan
On one hand I can't deny that if more people "Get involved with your local club" then that helps to solve the attendance issue but people are not doing it. We can engage in all the wishful thinking in the world but that changes nothing.Quote:
Originally Posted by pineapple stu
My eldest son has no interest in sport whatsoever. Part of my youngest sons' Christmas present was a 2010 season ticket for Shamrock Rovers. I brought him to Tallaght Stadium a couple of times last year and he must have gotten the bug because he asked for the season ticket. I didn't foist it on him. BTW I changed milkman between the birth of my two boys. The first one had no interest in any chit chat about football.Quote:
Originally Posted by danthesaint
You're absolutely right that there is no magic bullet and that there is a need for a multi-faceted approach. In terms of building long term and loyal support I think the clubs have got to get into the schools and the schoolboys clubs. The FAI should take a overarching role and help facilitate the clubs with the organisation of this. This shouldn't cost that much especially if it was stitched into the players contracts that he had to spend x amount of time in visiting schools and clubs. Maybe also give heavily discounted tickets to kids to get them in the gate to experience the match-day experience. I agree that this will be a slow burn but if the League had begun a sustained outreach program twenty years ago those kids might very well be bringing their own kids to LoI matches today.Quote:
Originally Posted by marinobohs
Playing the "Guaranteed Irish" card has merit also and recruiting Irish international (especially the likes of Kevin Doyle & Fahy) players in promoting the LoI. The FAI should take a lead role in all this.
Does the Foot.ie have a real world presence? I get the sense that there is the potential of a strong lobby group here that could meet with the Head of League Marketing (Noel Mooney) to see what his plans are and maybe have an input?
foot.ie will set up their own football club in my back garden and ourselves and foras can break away and make an irish premierleague like in england?
thatl get the barstoolers in the gates
no?..
This is already happening.Quote:
Originally Posted by Soccer Mom
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Originally Posted by Soccer Mom
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Originally Posted by Soccer Mom
The only connection one needs is a love of football, live football. Get off the sofa and head to the nearest LOI match - simple as
If Irish people can support muck like the Gah then surely they can support football in this country - no excuses
And I am sorry but you surely cant compare fellas watching Sky Sports to people experiencing real live games in the LOI - one is to be entertained the other is there for the love of the game and their team.
well said bennocelt.
The guaranteed Irish thing only gets premiership tv watchers backs up as they feel that we are questioning their patriotism or whatever.Quote:
Originally Posted by Soccer Mom
The rest of the stuff is being done by the majority of clubs. Bohs have sent players to schools and have a big schoolboy section using DCUs world class facilities. Kids go free, junior gypsies programmes all done.