EA Sports League Cup 2011

**nr637** · 24/08/2011, 11:52 AM

Final confirmed for Turners Cross at 6pm on Saturday 24th September

**pateen** · 24/08/2011, 12:24 PM

Bring it on

**poster** · 24/08/2011, 12:27 PM

******!

Great game though, Derry seem to have some great bench players.

**BonnieShels** · 24/08/2011, 1:09 PM

Originally Posted by razor

Turners Cross thank god

Was it a double-headed coin supplied by the MFA?

**Dodge** · 24/08/2011, 1:48 PM

Cork are the 7th first division side to reach the League Cup final. None of those 7 have won promotion that season.

(So far 2 wins, 4 defeats)

**razor** · 24/08/2011, 2:24 PM

Originally Posted by BonnieShels

Was it a double-headed coin supplied by the MFA?

I think there was a Queen on either side.
It's well known the MFA don't have any money. (Although hosting this event for the FAI might help)

Originally Posted by Dodge

None of those 7 have won promotion that season.

Oh no, we're doomed.
Surely you mean the previous 6

**Dodge** · 24/08/2011, 2:41 PM

maybe wishful thinking, eh?

**micls** · 24/08/2011, 2:53 PM

Originally Posted by Dodge

maybe wishful thinking, eh?

Ah Dodge, you'll make people think you don't like us or something!

**Dodge** · 24/08/2011, 3:19 PM

Yeah, I just want Cork fans thinking that

**Ezeikial** · 24/08/2011, 3:31 PM

Originally Posted by razor

the coin toss takes place at 12.30pm today.

Proper order that it should have been decided by a coin toss.

Could it be that the FAI have learned a little bit about fairness since the Setanta final venue nonsense?

**holidaysong** · 24/08/2011, 9:02 PM

The League Cup final venue has always been decided by a coin toss in recent years, while the Setanta Cup final venue has always been at the discretion of the organisers. Linfield playing Shels in Tolka, Drogheda playing Linfield in Windsor Park, Glentoran playing Cork in Turner's Cross - none of those were decided by a coin toss. The League Cup finals in Derry, Wexford and Waterford have all been decided by a coin toss though. Different procedures for different competitions.

**Martinho II** · 24/08/2011, 10:02 PM

its nice to see the two old clubs back in the final for the first time in three years... some comeback from both clubs..

**bullit** · 25/08/2011, 12:39 AM

Goals and penos from Tues nights Semi.

**Ezeikial** · 25/08/2011, 10:06 AM

Originally Posted by holidaysong

The League Cup final venue has always been decided by a coin toss in recent years, while the Setanta Cup final venue has always been at the discretion of the organisers. Linfield playing Shels in Tolka, Drogheda playing Linfield in Windsor Park, Glentoran playing Cork in Turner's Cross - none of those were decided by a coin toss. The League Cup finals in Derry, Wexford and Waterford have all been decided by a coin toss though. Different procedures for different competitions.

Even if you are correct in this (and Bohemian fans may take issue about the 2009 decider) it does not justify the Setanta decision which flew in the face of fair play.

Any Participation Agreement I have seen gives the FAI almost unlimited powers to do as they see fit - I doubt if the "coin toss" is written into the EA Sports Cup rules.

Unless the final venue is pre-determined from the outset the coin toss (or mutual agreement of the clubs) is the only fair method. They got it right with the EA Sports Cup and wrong with the Setanta Sports Cup.

**Dodge** · 25/08/2011, 10:15 AM

In your opinion, as a Dundalk fan.

Others, like myself and holidaysong, disagree.

**razor** · 25/08/2011, 11:11 AM

Originally Posted by Ezeikial

Unless the final venue is pre-determined from the outset the coin toss (or mutual agreement of the clubs) is the only fair method. They got it right with the EA Sports Cup.

Hold on a minute.
Turns out it wasn't a coin toss after all.
They drew lots.

So basically it boiled down to the fact that whoever we had there was able to draw more than the Derry representative

**Charlie Darwin** · 25/08/2011, 11:12 AM

I thought Setanta picked the location of the Setanta Cup final. Tallaght is the best LOI stadium for TV so it makes perfect sense to have the game there.

**Dunny** · 25/08/2011, 11:14 AM

Whos paying for the medals this year?...

**Dodge** · 25/08/2011, 11:20 AM

On Setanta, when it was originally announced, they said that the final would alternate between Tolka park and Windsor Park. If two teams from same league played, then the venue would not be alternated.

So the venues have been

2005 - LOI v IL - Tolka (pre-determined)
2006 - LOI v LOI - Tolka (Pre-determined as no IL involvement)
2007 - LOI v IL - Windsor (pre-determined - rotation back in)
2008 - LOI v IL - Turners Cross (organisers wanted crowd, Turners Cross picked as Tolka would be empty)
2009/10 - LOI v LOI - Tallaght (picked by organisers, not pre-determined)
2011 - LOI v LOI - Tallaght (picked by organisers, not pre-determined)

Now it was hardly a surprise that Tallaghy was picked in 2011 IMO

Shame it looks like being the last final

**Ezeikial** · 25/08/2011, 2:41 PM

Originally Posted by Dodge

In your opinion, as a Dundalk fan.

Others, like myself and holidaysong, disagree.

Of course it is an opinion and one that I would hold in the circumstances that existed even if Dundalk had not been involved.

Originally Posted by Dodge

On Setanta, when it was originally announced, they said that the final would alternate between Tolka park and Windsor Park. If two teams from same league played, then the venue would not be alternated.

So the venues have been

2005 - LOI v IL - Tolka (pre-determined)
2006 - LOI v LOI - Tolka (Pre-determined as no IL involvement)
2007 - LOI v IL - Windsor (pre-determined - rotation back in)
2008 - LOI v IL - Turners Cross (organisers wanted crowd, Turners Cross picked as Tolka would be empty)
2009/10 - LOI v LOI - Tallaght (picked by organisers, not pre-determined)
2011 - LOI v LOI - Tallaght (picked by organisers, not pre-determined)

Now it was hardly a surprise that Tallaghy was picked in 2011 IMO

Shame it looks like being the last final

I don't want to sidetrack this League Cup thread back to the Setanta final venue debate, but want to clarify this part -

There can be no reasonable objection to a final venue where it was pre-determined at the outset of the competition.

The problem is when the two finalists are known that it is arbitarily awarded to the home ground of one of the finalists.

That certainly happened this year (and perhaps also in 2008). It is wrong from a sporting perspective and contrary to all notions of fair play in my view.

The reasons given by the Setanta Sports Committee (essentially the FAI) for Tallaght was to facilitate the biggest possible attendance. If that logic were followed in the EA Sports Cup decision this season the FAI would would automatically have gone for Turners Cross. Lots / coin toss was the right way to decide the venue.