There was a thread on this in relation to LOI games being used as 'test' events for the new Lansdowne Road.
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??
I like high energy football. A little bit rock and roll. Many finishes instead of waiting for the perfect one.
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
The Lansdowne Road idea is a good one, but only magic the LOI is likely to see is more clubs disappearing from existence.
#NeverStopNotGivingUp
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...
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.
They always cheat, they always lie
**** Delaney and the FAI
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!
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.
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.
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