New Season, new fans?

**ShnaeGuevara715** · 13/02/2009, 2:14 AM

The League of Ireland 2009 Season is nearly upon us. It has been the winter of our discontent as economic realities bite hard. A messy exercise in blood letting.

On the flipside of recessions relation to football, i heard somewhere that it tends to lead to more cinema nights etc as opposed to expensive boozing. Also that it includes football, that attendances tend to increase. I don't know if it is true, but i find that i am applying myself to that logic.

I am a relatively late comer to League of Ireland. 20 years old now, I remember keeping a wandering eye on it when i found i could manage St Pats on Championship Manager 1998 or something, as they were up there at the time... Robbie McGuinness, Osam, Mbabazi! Then, my home county got a team in early part of the decade, Kildare. Then Shelbourne started impressing in Europe, those European matches, getting more exposure on television and more championship manager exploits! Since 2004 i've kept a non partisan eye on goings on. Eircom League Weekly, elevenaside etc and now thank god the excellent MNS. Recent Foot.ie membership the pinnacle lol

It is an amazing AMAZING league, as exciting on and off the pitch as any, if not maybe as glamourous. I am sorry if my aloof of the very serious realities on proper hardcore fans on clubs struggling to stay afloat, the heartache etc is seen as something like entertainment. The fans are what makes the league great. How many fan owned clubs? How many fan diggouts? 400 club! Drogs!!!

I think it is time to look forward to new season of football and try and not let the doom and gloom permeate recovery. This season i've decided to get the lads out to a match in dublin every week. I've rounded up about 5 or 6. In general our selection logic works like thus
Sporting Franchise - too far away, first division (though i admire their setup)
UCD - first division (nobody draw attention to the fact im a ucd student lol)
Shels - would be my choice but again, few connections but first division
Bohs - no disrespect but just... no lol

... and that left just Pats. So we'll try get to a match down inchicore every week and if theres a mouthwatering match elsewhere in town. Again no disrespect for ruling out first division but for practicalities sake if i'm trying to entice more people it'd be best to stick to highest standard possible.

I'd just like to get this out there, get a bit of momentum to go into the league with for everyone after harsh times, see if anyone else is contemplating the same. Considering starting a blog to document the ups and downs of what its like for (call a spade a spade) fair-weathered newbs taking their first bambi like steps on to the LoI plateau. For such a fan orientated league, certainly needs more active fan blogs. More photoblogs, more formal fan ownership and input, more youtube clips, more third eyes, more folk lore, more coherence and accesibility... less brit style chants lol We dont have to wait for the Sindo to sort us we can do it ourselves! This is a unique league, let us embrace it, make it ours and be thankful we are not charged 70 quid to sit in the corner of the upper 4th tier to watch a team of mercenary brazilians owned by russian oligarchs in an "emirates" stadium with a bunch of tourists, then read about who they allegedly raped in a nite club that nite before wrapping their ferrari around a wall.

WE ARE THE PEOPLES LEAGUE OF IRELAND!!! lol

**punkrocket** · 13/02/2009, 10:15 AM

I like your spirit companero Guevara.
Adelante.

**Port Saint** · 13/02/2009, 11:50 AM

Originally Posted by ShnaeGuevara715

Sporting Franchise - too far away, first division (though i admire their setup)
UCD - first division (nobody draw attention to the fact im a ucd student lol)
Shels - would be my choice but again, few connections but first division
Bohs - no disrespect but just... no lol

... and that left just Pats.

Good rally cry and why not **** off half of Dublin LOI supporters and completely ignore Rovers fans all at the same time

**holidaysong** · 13/02/2009, 12:51 PM

To the OP, from the Shelbourne avatar I take it you support them? If so then it'd probably be easier to get your mates into suporting them than trying to get them into a different team (St. Pat's)..

**ShnaeGuevara715** · 15/02/2009, 7:46 PM

Hahaha jaysus lads sorry about Rovers!

Love what theyre doing down there, in my opinion theyre set to dominate league of ireland in the medium term once the bohs bubble bursts. Sustainable, sensible and steady, building for the future. Since when were those words associated with Rovers? lol

Anyway, apart from the slip of mind... theyre all the way out in Tallaght, too awkward to get out there. Otherwise they'd definitely be number 1 on the list. Know a few of the players aswell like.

Well second to Shels if they were in the prem

**thischarmingman** · 16/02/2009, 11:29 AM

Originally Posted by ShnaeGuevara715

Anyway, apart from the slip of mind... theyre all the way out in Tallaght, too awkward to get out there.

Luas?

**holidaysong** · 16/02/2009, 11:36 AM

Originally Posted by ShnaeGuevara715

Well second to Shels if they were in the prem

So you do support Shels but will be going with friends to watch a premier division team each week instead?

**ShnaeGuevara715** · 16/02/2009, 4:13 PM

St Pats are 15mins away on a bus from the doorstep. Tallaght is about 3 times that, expensive bus and luas combo.

Yeah i would favour Shels. However, my point isn't for me to bring mates to see the team i like. Its to get more people hooked on league of ireland.

With that in mind, people would be easier hooked going to watch Pats versus Cork or Derry or Bohs etc at a full enough Richmond on a summer evening around the corner, than going up to Tolka to watch first division standard players infront of half the crowd. I wish it was the other way around, hopefuly next season it will be, but gotta learn to crawl before can run. Just being realistic. The idea is to expand the fan base, interest of the league in general, make it a viable night out in lad culture.

**thischarmingman** · 16/02/2009, 4:18 PM

Your sentiments are commendable but I think if you go along and show them how enthusiastic you are about your team and how exciting watching your team, can be, it might help them understand ho great it is to be an EL fan. That's what gets people hooked. If you're relying solely on the standard of football then, much as the standard has improved over the last few years your friends stand more chance of being disappointed. The reason Enlgish freinds of mine who support Spurs, West Ham, Arsenal and Liverpool like going to EL matches is because of the craic, the atmosphere, how much it means and because in some ways myslef and my Derry mates' enthusiasm drives them along and they can emotionally invest in it. Think how much more excviting it will be for yuor freinds to be going regularly to see your team challenging for promotion.

**holidaysong** · 16/02/2009, 4:40 PM

Originally Posted by ShnaeGuevara715

St Pats are 15mins away on a bus from the doorstep. Tallaght is about 3 times that, expensive bus and luas combo.

Yeah i would favour Shels. However, my point isn't for me to bring mates to see the team i like. Its to get more people hooked on league of ireland.

You could continue to go see Shels on a Friday night though and go to see Rovers with your mates as they will be playing on a Saturday.