Galway United

Membership alse creates a sense of entitlement and a loss of people offering the hard yards because they have paid for membership. Imo the main weakness of fan owned clubs and not just the potential for fans to risk a club for a trophy. Its a tough one, can see why fans would be annoyed but also why active volunteers feel an entitlement also and grab their ticket. There are a lot of club volunteers that are busiest on match nights and see damn all home games so big away day....

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bohsmug

You can't really say that or else it ceases to be volunteering. Also, as a members owned club, that's where our version of the "owner pumping money in" comes from - the membership. If it comes with some kind of volunteer hours quota that's a much less attractive option and we'll have less members. Thats before you get into the myriad of reasons somebody might not be able to volunteer (disability, living/working situation etc). We need to keep promoting our volunteer ethos within the membership and wider club yes and a little social pressure nudge but we need to sell membership too.

10% of capacity to away fans for a cup semi in a league with grounds as small as ours is too few. The 10% thing may need to be looked at because that might hold true for the league too. Maybe it needs to be a higher percentage or 600 minimum when 10% is less than that figure. Would still leave the majority disappointed though. Up until this year we were offering 30% to away fans, which is a lot obviously for normal league matches and caused us problems with turning home fans away. However, we've had 3 semi finals in Dalymount during that time so it gives us a fair idea what 30% looks like in a cup semi and it's much more appropriate.

When games weren't selling out across the league we didn't really have this issue because, in most cases, you'd end up just being accommodated and away sections were generally large. I think it needs to be looked at again.

---

Didn't the FAI used to hold cup semis in neutral grounds years back? A 50-50 ticket split for semis (after sponsors etc) woud seem fair, as it's only the luck of the draw that gives one club a home tie. They're already advanntaged by that, nevermind them giving them almost all the tickets as well.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by EatYerGreens

Didn't the FAI used to hold cup semis in neutral grounds years back? A 50-50 ticket split for semis (after sponsors etc) woud seem fair, as it's only the luck of the draw that gives one club a home tie. They're already advanntaged by that, nevermind them giving them almost all the tickets as well.

---

I agree the semi finals should be played at a neutral venue and tickets split 50/50. Neither team has any advantage, it should fill the venue adding to atmosphere and reduces the number of dissatisfied supporters. The problem is getting a ground with the required capacity half way between the clubs involved. This goes back to the standard and capacity capabilities of the facilities as a whole. It could be stated at the start of the season both semi's at Tallaght or (other nominated ground) over 2 days sat & sun, but this could give Rovers or (other) a pitch advantage if they get that far but reduces their fan numbers.
God forbid, a double header in the Aviva with slightly reduced capacity for fan separation and before anyone starts, if the yanks could put a man on the moon in 1969 surely with careful planning this could be achieved.

Cork City's 10% of capacity is about 700, but due to demands from St.Pats, that has gone up over to over 1,000 sold.

And the capacity at TC for this semi-final will be reduced to 6,000 because of the security arrangements in housing the away fans. :eek:

Cork will be lucky to attract a 4,000 attendance for this one based on their current form, unusual kick-off time and TV coverage as distractions. :confused:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Nesta99

Membership alse creates a sense of entitlement and a loss of people offering the hard yards because they have paid for membership. Imo the main weakness of fan owned clubs and not just the potential for fans to risk a club for a trophy. Its a tough one, can see why fans would be annoyed but also why active volunteers feel an entitlement also and grab their ticket. There are a lot of club volunteers that are busiest on match nights and see damn all home games so big away day....

---

At least in my experience the more active a member is the less entitled they feel. I know members of Bohs who put in plenty of hours every week and if/when they miss a ticket they will post in Facebook fan groups looking to see if people have one spare. It's almost always the ones who won't volunteer who feel that because they are members they should get their tickets and fail to understand that generally it's first come first served for big games.

A double header at the Aviva would seem the best solution for the current capacity problem. No extra time if a draw, replay with a toss for home advantage. So 2pm and 4.15pm kick offs. is that too long a day for league of Ireland fans?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Shinkicker

I agree the semi finals should be played at a neutral venue and tickets split 50/50. Neither team has any advantage, it should fill the venue adding to atmosphere and reduces the number of dissatisfied supporters. The problem is getting a ground with the required capacity half way between the clubs involved.

---

I don’t actually mind the home or away draw for the semis, even though it’s worked against Pats this year. As you correctly identify, the problem with a neutral venue is finding somewhere that doesn’t give one team an advantage travel wise. We don’t have the luxury of England (pre Wembley semis) of being able to juggle around, depending on what teams are involved. We don’t have enough suitable stadia for that. Not sure a double header at the Aviva would work either, has the potential for a logistical nightmare in my view. Plus, if you look at this years games, if they were both at the Aviva, wouldn’t it give Bohs and Pats an advantage in the respective games. No harm in my view that Galway and Cork (more so Galway tbh ;)) have a big game at home.

Just wish we hadn’t played in Cork last week. It’s a bit of an ask I think to go down and win again this week. Hope I’m wrong, obviously, but it wouldn’t surprise me if we went out. We’ll certainly have to improve on the performance last week at any rate.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by nr637

Cork City's 10% of capacity is about 700, but due to demands from St.Pats, that has gone up over to over 1,000 sold.

And the capacity at TC for this semi-final will be reduced to 6,000 because of the security arrangements in housing the away fans. :eek:

Cork will be lucky to attract a 4,000 attendance for this one based on their current form, unusual kick-off time and TV coverage as distractions. :confused:

---

That's disgraceful.
We're down 1400 fans when 15 years ago the fans mixed generally without a problem.
Now fans are caged in like animals and a perimeter put around them.

Maybe take a zero tolerance approach and make sure the older fans tell kids off if people are stepping out of line.

It's sad to see it been locked down like this.

Personally think we're a while away from neutral venues being a runner.

The likes of Pat's and Bohs have recently started travelling in great numbers but I don't think you could depend on the majority of the LOI to bring 3k+ to a neutral venue to give a game of its size the atmosphere it deserves.

Recently we've had Treaty and Athlone in semi finals which I think would have been significantly worse in a neutral venue.

I think we all realise the real problem is facilities. It's no bad thing the more regularly it's an issue for domestic games here instead of just the embarrassment of LOI teams needing to travel to Tallaght every summer.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Another Bohemia

At least in my experience the more active a member is the less entitled they feel. I know members of Bohs who put in plenty of hours every week and if/when they miss a ticket they will post in Facebook fan groups looking to see if people have one spare. It's almost always the ones who won't volunteer who feel that because they are members they should get their tickets and fail to understand that generally it's first come first served for big games.

---

Yeah fair comment. I think those who are willing to be active are falling in numbers and tend to be the same corp group of people with others quite willing to stand back, and yup would shout loudest on...everything!