Are the Ireland team losing support?

**Scram** · 15/11/2008, 8:29 PM

The empty seats at Croker were very noticeable at the last game and the Poalnd game will probably be 40-50% empty? This would not have happened in previous years.

The good news is that it screws the scumbag touts over, but is this a trend?

Note the contrast with the massive vocal crowd supporting the rugby team today.

**Colbert Report** · 15/11/2008, 8:31 PM

Croke Park is much much bigger than Landsdowne was.

40-50% of seats empty would be a full house at Landsdowne.

Think before you post a redundant thread again please.

**Razors left peg** · 15/11/2008, 8:40 PM

was there still not something like 65000 at the last qualifier..... not many countries would have that many against Cyprus

**Scram** · 15/11/2008, 8:47 PM

Originally Posted by Colbert Report

Croke Park is much much bigger than Landsdowne was.

40-50% of seats empty would be a full house at Landsdowne.

Think before you post a redundant thread again please.

Pathetic.

Anyway, for anyone with any sort of intelligence; Lansdowne would have been filled twice over for almost any Irish game, the touts were guaranteed business.

There is a noticeable deterioration in interest in tickets (noticeable to those who are awake). I thought Trappatoni was going to reignite the passion but with decisions like leaving Andy Reid out, it may be going the other way.

**hp123** · 15/11/2008, 9:11 PM

Originally Posted by Scram

Pathetic.

Anyway, for anyone with any sort of intelligence; Lansdowne would have been filled twice over for almost any Irish game, the touts were guaranteed business.

There is a noticeable deterioration in interest in tickets (noticeable to those who are awake). I thought Trappatoni was going to reignite the passion but with decisions like leaving Andy Reid out, it may be going the other way.

who gives a sh*t about Andy Reid or any other player who gets left out as long as we get results???

**eirebhoy** · 15/11/2008, 9:19 PM

Colbert Report - that's twice you've critisised a poster opening up a thread. After you're thread in here about Dave Mooney and FIFA you're hovering around the list of wind up merchant's so leave it out.

**Dodge** · 15/11/2008, 9:19 PM

Originally Posted by Scram

Anyway, for anyone with any sort of intelligence; Lansdowne would have been filled twice over for almost any Irish game, the touts were guaranteed business.

x 1 million

**Razors left peg** · 15/11/2008, 9:50 PM

Originally Posted by Scram

Pathetic.

Anyway, for anyone with any sort of intelligence; Lansdowne would have been filled twice over for almost any Irish game, the touts were guaranteed business.

There is a noticeable deterioration in interest in tickets (noticeable to those who are awake). I thought Trappatoni was going to reignite the passion but with decisions like leaving Andy Reid out, it may be going the other way.

Really think you have it wrong. Tickets were hard to come by for Lansdowne because there was only a max of 40000 availible... now compare that to the amount of people at any of our recent qualifiers in Croke Park and even friendlies there have been over 60000 at these games. So obviously it means that people that would be finding it hard to come by tickets for Lansdowne are getting them easily now.

**soccerc** · 15/11/2008, 9:58 PM

Originally Posted by Scram

There is a noticeable deterioration in interest in tickets (noticeable to those who are awake).

.........RAFLMAO.

Considering some persons, no names mentioned, didn't take up their allocation and failed to respond to requests for payment during last campaign despite agreeing at the outset.

**craig7042** · 15/11/2008, 10:52 PM

Originally Posted by hp123

who gives a sh*t about Andy Reid or any other player who gets left out as long as we get results???

I agree completely that the andy reid debate is completely over-exaggerated. The atmosphere at the last game was excellent and a major improvement on Stans time.

**tetsujin1979** · 16/11/2008, 3:54 AM

Originally Posted by Scram

The empty seats at Croker were very noticeable at the last game and the Poalnd game will probably be 40-50% empty? This would not have happened in previous years.

Are you seriously comparing the draw of the Polish soccer team over the All Blacks??

**mypost** · 16/11/2008, 6:46 AM

Now that the novelty of playing in Croke Park has worn off, we are getting attendances suitable to the quality of opposition.

It'll be 80k for the Italy game of course.

Ireland played the All Blacks* today, and Canada last week. While the All Blacks game was sold out, there were still tickets going for the Canada game in Limerick as late as Friday last week.

*= One of the few times you can openly say that without been branded "racist"

**gspain** · 16/11/2008, 9:32 AM

Originally Posted by Scram

The empty seats at Croker were very noticeable at the last game and the Poalnd game will probably be 40-50% empty? This would not have happened in previous years.

The good news is that it screws the scumbag touts over, but is this a trend?

Note the contrast with the massive vocal crowd supporting the rugby team today.

I don't think Poland will be that empty.

The rugby team played the number 1 ranked rugby playing nation in the world (albeit not the world champions). Cyprus is not a fair comparison. However you do have a point on the levels of interest. It was totally full with lots of people outside looking for tickets and no public sale.

I wouldn't agree with the vocal bit btw. I went to Tolka afterwards and the atmosphere was much better with a small fraction of the crowd.

**shelsfan1** · 16/11/2008, 12:04 PM

we can't count on the bandwagon army to always be there

**sullanefc** · 16/11/2008, 12:30 PM

Originally Posted by Scram

The empty seats at Croker were very noticeable at the last game and the Poalnd game will probably be 40-50% empty? This would not have happened in previous years.

The good news is that it screws the scumbag touts over, but is this a trend?

Note the contrast with the massive vocal crowd supporting the rugby team today.

Its been happening for a while now, but it seems to be more fashionable to support the Irish rugby team now than the Irish soccer team.

In the Celtic tiger era when money and social status are more valued than older traditions, people were on the look out for a higher class sport, one that is played by private school kids and supported by toffs and yummie mummies, and rugby fits that bill.

Also, rugby seems to the second adopted sport of GAA heads. Swapping one brutish sport with low skill levels with another isn't a problem for them it seems.

Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

Are you seriously comparing the draw of the Polish soccer team over the All Blacks??

To be fair, when Ireland played Brazil, there wasn't half the fuss as there was for the rugby team playing NZ. Rubgy gets bigger kudos in the media.

**paul_oshea** · 16/11/2008, 1:51 PM

Originally Posted by Dodge

x 1 million

grow up.

**paul_oshea** · 16/11/2008, 1:54 PM

Originally Posted by sullanefc

Its been happening for a while now, but it seems to be more fashionable to support the Irish rugby team now than the Irish soccer team.

In the Celtic tiger era when money and social status are more valued than older traditions, people were on the look out for a higher class sport, one that is played by private school kids and supported by toffs and yummie mummies, and rugby fits that bill.

Also, rugby seems to the second adopted sport of GAA heads. Swapping one brutish sport with low skill levels with another isn't a problem for them it seems.

To be fair, when Ireland played Brazil, there wasn't half the fuss as there was for the rugby team playing NZ. Rubgy gets bigger kudos in the media.

Apart from the obvious WUMing your 3rd point first sentence is very true.

**sullanefc** · 16/11/2008, 2:11 PM

Originally Posted by paul_oshea

Apart from the obvious WUMing your 3rd point first sentence is very true.

Who am I Wumming? If it were a rugby site you could argue I was wumming, but this is a football site.

And I stand by everything I posted. It is no coincidence that the celtic tiger era (and all its values) coincides with the rise in popularity of rugby in this country. And so soccer loses out as a result.

**Scram** · 16/11/2008, 2:19 PM

Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

Are you seriously comparing the draw of the Polish soccer team over the All Blacks??

Is Croker not full for all the rugby games? Just happened to be the All Blacks yesterday, so what's your point?

Are you saying there is no deterioration in interest? I've never had so many e-mails at work from people with tickets they want to get rid of.

Also, the atmosphere at the international football games has been dreadful for years, Lansdowne Library to Croke Park Church.

Amazing how defensive a few posters get on here to an observation, a little bit of growing up to be done methinks!

**Paddy Garcia** · 16/11/2008, 3:00 PM

Originally Posted by Ciaran

On another note was anyone watching the New Zealand game yesterday for the national anthem? Aside from the 3 Ulster lads the other 20 or so lads were bellowing out the anthem with pride and gusto, tears in John Hayes eyes. The point of the anthem is a team rallying call and they certainly used it.

..actually whilst many did sing, there were quite a few, not Ulster lads, who were not singing, esp amongst the subs.

I'd be more cooncerned whether they give their all on the field.