Would the LOI benefit from a 'magic' weekend?

Got this topic from another forum in relation to the English League and thought it would be an interesting discussion.

This weekend Murrayfield saw 14 Engage Super League teams go head to head in a one off event played over 2 days. Over 59,000 tickets were sold for this event with 6000 of those being sold to locals.

Would the League of Ireland benefit from an event like this? It could take place in the new Lansdowne or even Thomand Park. Would it ignite the interest of the sporting public for that weekend at least?

What do you reckon? Would fans even want something like this and if so would you object or go along with it knowing that it could bring about positives.

There was a thread on this in relation to LOI games being used as 'test' events for the new Lansdowne Road.

ignoring the merits of the idea itself, wouldnt it be a policing nightmare to have Bohs, Rovers, Dundalk and other teams "fans" in the same area at the same time??

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Originally Posted by SkStu

ignoring the merits of the idea itself, wouldnt it be a policing nightmare to have Bohs, Rovers, Dundalk and other teams "fans" in the same area at the same time??

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I wouldn't have it in Dublin for that reason, too many little scumbags would be more than willing to come along and Dublin seems to naturally have more of them than any of the rest of us do. Thomand Park would be a reasonable choice for this if the idea went ahead as Limerick has proven that it can host big sporting events time and again if the reaction of the rugby crowd is anything to go by. Would have been a good idea to tie into something like the Riverfest weekend down here as there is generally a very good vibe around the city and you do get a lot of tourists coming in for the weekend that might have been interested.

The idea has merit, but would take a lot of planning, which is something I'm not convinced the FAI and the rest of us are capable of

Edit...

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Originally Posted by jebus

I wouldn't have it in Dublin for that reason, too many little scumbags would be more than willing to come along and Dublin seems to naturally have more of them than any of the rest of us do.

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Jebus is from Limerick.

The Lansdowne Road idea is a good one, but only magic the LOI is likely to see is more clubs disappearing from existence. :(

We should try the 'multi-ball' idea instead.

Play the first 20mins of every game in the normal way. If the scores are level at the end of that period, add a second ball to the pitch up to half time. If scores are still level at the start of the 2nd half, add a third ball - and so on until a maximum of five multi-balls are in play.

It just might work...

Or a monkey knife fight

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Originally Posted by peadar1987

Or a monkey knife fight

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That's a given.

One would wonder how the new pitch would stand up to a bunch of matches, especially given Wembley's problems.

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Originally Posted by Mr A

That's a given.

One would wonder how the new pitch would stand up to a bunch of matches,

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Is that the collective term for a group of knife wielding monkeys?

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Originally Posted by dcfcsteve

We should try the 'multi-ball' idea instead.

Play the first 20mins of every game in the normal way. If the scores are level at the end of that period, add a second ball to the pitch up to half time. If scores are still level at the start of the 2nd half, add a third ball - and so on until a maximum of five multi-balls are in play.

It just might work...

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Originally Posted by peadar1987

Or a monkey knife fight

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I think these could be added to the League Cup Future thread...

What is a magic weekend? I am guessing there is no Super League team in Scotland?

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Originally Posted by thischarmingman

Is that the collective term for a group of knife wielding monkeys?

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No, that would be 'Shamrock Rovers fans'....

OH-NO-SHE-DIDNT!!!:eek:

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Originally Posted by pete

I think these could be added to the League Cup Future thread...

What is a magic weekend? I am guessing there is no Super League team in Scotland?

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Pete i went to the magic weekend in Murryfield at the weekend 14 teams, 7 matches and what a laugh I had, no arrests even though there was lots of police, a great family weekend by everyone even the Scottish folk that turned up to watch it not really knowing the rules had a great time and have said they will be back next year. Great success and something our league should look at, but not in Dublin

Lads, i've been around this league an awful long time and i think it's time to realise that nothing is going to get the rest of the sporting public in this Country, into LoI rounds regularly.

If the event went ahead i've no doubt it's be a massive success but only because of the bandwagon jumping, event junkie nation that we are. The week after it's be the exact same faces at the games because they aren't a massive event.

24,000 people in Lansdowne Road to watch Shels - Deportivo proves this, our league attendances were ****e before that game and were just as bad after.

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Originally Posted by Hairy Bowsie

Lads, i've been around this league an awful long time and i think it's time to realise that nothing is going to get the rest of the sporting public in this Country, into LoI rounds regularly.

If the event went ahead i've no doubt it's be a massive success but only because of the bandwagon jumping, event junkie nation that we are. The week after it's be the exact same faces at the games because they aren't a massive event.

24,000 people in Lansdowne Road to watch Shels - Deportivo proves this, our league attendances were ****e before that game and were just as bad after.

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It's clear that the Irish public are a bunch of event junkies, who won't attend out of a sense of duty or local pride, or even an interest in sport. Therefore the only way to get them in the gates is to make each game as big an event as possible.

There's no inherent reason a huge game between Bohemians and Cork should draw 2000 people while a rugby match between Leinster and Munster (essentially Dublin v Limerick+Cork) draws 82000. It's just that rugby have been very clever with their marketing recently. Nowadays, rugby matches are events, not just sports matches.

I still don't think there is any reason why the league couldn't draw average top-flight attendances of between 7000 and 8000 people if it was marketed properly. Every game has an angle you can use to turn it into an event, Leinster v Munster, Northside v Southside, Dundalk against anyone*, an all it needs is for someone to get together the money and the foresight for a concerted effort. If it doesn't work, then fine, but at least we'll be able to say we tried.

*apologies Dundalk fans, that was a cheap shot!

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Originally Posted by peadar1987

There's no inherent reason a huge game between Bohemians and Cork should draw 2000 people while a rugby match between Leinster and Munster (essentially Dublin v Limerick+Cork) draws 82000.

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Paul Doolin managed neither of the rugby sides?

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Originally Posted by peadar1987

Every game has an angle you can use to turn it into an event, Leinster v Munster, Northside v Southside, Dundalk against anyone*, an all it needs is for someone to get together the money and the foresight for a concerted effort. If it doesn't work, then fine, but at least we'll be able to say we tried.

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Not being luddite about this, but I have no desire for each game to become "an event". Listen to any old school football fans and they decry the manner in which everything has been packaged into an event.

It is a football game. If people don't want to go and would rather go and watch something where they get comedy foam hands, let them.

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Originally Posted by Maribor

Not being luddite about this, but I have no desire for each game to become "an event". Listen to any old school football fans and they decry the manner in which everything has been packaged into an event.

It is a football game. If people don't want to go and would rather go and watch something where they get comedy foam hands, let them.

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Well I'm only young, but for me, getting people through the gates is more important. They still pay the money whether they're there for an event or because they really care about Longford Town or Cobh Ramblers. I'm not talking about adding an extra ball or bringing in cheerleaders, just finding a marketing angle for each game to get some passion going in the local community. Not many Cork people are going to turn up for some LOI game against some shower the average barstooler hasn't heard of. A lot more might turn up if the game was built up in the preceding week as Cork defending their pride against the Shams langers who knocked them out of the cup the previous month.

Marketing the club correctly is not the same as turning the game into an event.

The reality is that if people want an event, they can jump on a plane and head the "The Greatest League in the World". They are backed by a TV company with a budget such that missing Wigan v Bolton is a crime worth considering murdering a close relative for. We are never going to win against that.

Aping it will have two effects:
- It will alienate a portion of the existing support
- It will show up how amateur our efforts when compared to clubs who can drop several €k on each game

We need facilities, product, and proper marketing. We have the product, we the facilities aren't great and marketing is poor to non-existent. What does your club/any club spend on proper marketing? What is that when compared to what they spend on players. Until club realise that they continue to **** away their money on mercenary players who for the most part have nowhere else to go, we are going nowhere.

I watch a League
- which is relatively competive.
- where my side can qualify for Europe.
- which has been the start for a number of Irish internationals.
- where(for the most part) the fans can mingle freely in the ground.
- which plays its games in the summer, when there is no other football on

If that isn't a viable product, then no amount of gimmericky and paddywhackery will make it so.

Again Maribor, i totally agree. Spot on.

Obviously we were working off different definitions of the word "event". Maybe "occasion" would be a better work for what I was talking about.

The EPL may have the marketing machine behind them, they may have the classy clubs, they may have the best players and all the money, but there's one thing they don't have, and that's something Irish fans can genuinely get worked up about. You only have to look at the GAA county championship to look at how much these regional and national rivalries actually mean to people.

If the LOI can tap into that with good marketing, we'd have a situation where people in the community view each match as more than just a football match, and care far more about the result than one between two teams whose home cities they couldn't even point out on a map.

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Originally Posted by peadar1987

You only have to look at the GAA county championship to look at how much these regional and national rivalries actually mean to people.

If the LOI can tap into that with good marketing, we'd have a situation where people in the community view each match as more than just a football match, and care far more about the result than one between two teams whose home cities they couldn't even point out on a map.

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Which is exactly that, a championship.

Ask Irish sports fans to sustain their interest(ie actually getting up and going to the game) for an entire season and you'll see where your argument falls down.

It's never been tried before though. you put up a post saying we need proper marketing, then when I agree with you you say it will never work. I'm just suggesting an angle that could be used to market the league.

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Originally Posted by peadar1987

but there's one thing they don't have, and that's something Irish fans can genuinely get worked up about. You only have to look at the GAA county championship to look at how much these regional and national rivalries actually mean to people.

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You need only be stuck in the company of one of the many boring Premiersh!t fawning arses when 'their' team is playing its local derby to be left in doubt as to how much vicarious passion and bile Irish people can generate over two dreary English towns/neighbourhoods they've invariably never been to or couldn't even locate on a map.

There's nothing funnier that an Irish Plunderland fan talking about how much they hated the Geordies. Who needs Balldehob Blueshirts versus Killinaskilly Kilashnikovs when you've got that sort of 'passion' available via your tellybox.

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Originally Posted by dcfcsteve

You need only be stuck in the company of one of the many boring Premiersh!t fawning arses when 'their' team is playing its local derby to be left in doubt as to how much vicarious passion and bile Irish people can generate over two dreary English towns/neighbourhoods they've invariably never been to or couldn't even locate on a map.

There's nothing funnier that an Irish Plunderland fan talking about how much they hated the Geordies. Who needs Balldehob Blueshirts versus Killinaskilly Kilashnikovs when you've got that sort of 'passion' available via your tellybox.

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It would make me laugh if it wasn't so damn depressing. Sometimes I feel like becoming a Real Madrid "supporter", and telling them all that "we" have won the European Cup more times than they have.

But I think my point still stands. My dad is from Stoke, and I can get equally worked up for a Stoke match against West Brazil Albion, and a Bray match against Drogheda. Just because people are getting worked up about Ipswich games (I can guarantee you about 5% of the Keano brigade know where Ipswich is) doesn't mean they can't follow their local team as well.