Summer football vacuum

**peadar1987** · 10/05/2009, 3:12 PM

I'd be interested to know if there is a plan at the FAI for a hike in advertising for the league after this month. Obviously the attendances in this country suffer due to competition with them across the water, but with the EPL season drawing to a close, and no major international tournament over the summer, now would be the ideal time for the league to target the many "floating" football fans there will be between May and August. And with the r-word it's not like we'll be losing any of them to sun holidays either!

Any thoughts?

**pete** · 10/05/2009, 6:30 PM

Advertising is a waste of money. There are better ways to spend the cash.

**A face** · 10/05/2009, 10:12 PM

Originally Posted by pete

Advertising is a waste of money. There are better ways to spend the cash.

Agreed, although i do think its worth investing in a good season launch campaign. After that its all media based stuff that works over advertising. If they were going to spend money, put a good magazine programme together and give it to RTE to broadcast for free.

**thischarmingman** · 11/05/2009, 9:45 AM

Originally Posted by pete

Advertising is a waste of money. There are better ways to spend the cash.

Must disagree there Pete, there's advertising and there's advertising. Yes, a 1-min radio ad with the production values of EL weekly does little good as it only reinforces the idea among non-fans that the LOI is an amateur, jumpers for goalposts organisation. Done properly however, like Shamrock Rovers' Luas ads or if we had giant billboards featuring some of teh players and the idea lodges in people's heads that the LOI is professional, slick and sharp. It's the same thinking behind MNS over EL weekly- it gives the impression of a well-run league. Even if they don't go immediately, it's a change in their mindset, even subconsciously to one where they don't think of the LOI as being some kind of Sunday League to one where they think of it as a proper national league. We need money in many parts of LOI at the moment, that's true, but proper, well-organised, 'glossy,' slick, ad campaigns have been sorely lacking for years.

**Macy** · 11/05/2009, 9:54 AM

Well they should do something, as the much vaunted "no competition" argument for summer football has been totally disproven by the fact that attendances actually drop during the UK close season.

If it's to be an advertising campaign, then it has to be a top quality one like the Rovers one around Tallaght. I wouldn't see another crap TV programme doing anything more or less than MNS. Although I suppose if it was FAI produced it could be 100% positive and not have the shodster taking crap.

**Fr Damo** · 11/05/2009, 10:32 AM

I brought two non LOI supporters to a match at the weekend. We sat in the stand for the first half, went down to the bar at half time had one, watched the start of the second half on the Club TV and back to the seats for the last half hour with another drink in our hand. Great Atmosphere in the bar, bit of banter and my two mates enoyed the experience. Said it wouldn't be their last.

There has to be a message in their somewhere? Bord Na Gon have managed it with the greyhounds, between the three of us we spent 45 euro on programmes First goal, admission and Bar, (i have a season ticket) if you mulitply that by 50 groups of three people your looking at over two grand.

I don't want to link beer with the game per say but you cannot ignore the facts either so a bit of spin on how to start your friday or Saturday night might go somewhere towards it. How about clubs running free shuttles to and from grounds to local town centers or something like it?

**peadar1987** · 11/05/2009, 11:38 AM

I have mentioned this before, but I have a mate who had never even considered going to an LOI game before. I brought him down to a Dr. Tony O'Neill Cup game at the Carlisle, in the ****ing rain, to see Bray lose 1-0 in front of about 450 fans. Probably the worst game with which to make your introduction to LOI football, but now he's been to 2 other home games since, despite living in Balbriggan, and is telling all the barstoolers in college how "you can't beat live football".

These people are out there, all we have to do is reach them, whether that's with traditional advertising, "bring a friend" schemes by the clubs, price promotions, school visits (Look at what Limerick achieved the other week)...

I'm just saying that now is probably the best time, apart from maybe the buildup to the season, to run a concerted advertising campaign, and not just 20 seconds on a radio station only 35 people listen to, I'm talking billboards, ads on the train, on TV during existing football programmes. Push the fact that the EPL is drawing to a close, but that there's no need to miss your fix of football over the summer. Okay, maybe it won't work, but feck it, if it does wouldn't it have been worth the risk? The EPL didn't get to it's current position of dominance by saying that advertising and promotion was a waste of money.

**Raheny Red** · 11/05/2009, 12:36 PM

Originally Posted by Fr Damo

I brought two non LOI supporters to a match at the weekend. We sat in the stand for the first half, went down to the bar at half time had one, watched the start of the second half on the Club TV and back to the seats for the last half hour with another drink in our hand. Great Atmosphere in the bar, bit of banter and my two mates enoyed the experience. Said it wouldn't be their last.

There has to be a message in their somewhere? Bord Na Gon have managed it with the greyhounds, between the three of us we spent 45 euro on programmes First goal, admission and Bar, (i have a season ticket) if you mulitply that by 50 groups of three people your looking at over two grand.

I don't want to link beer with the game per say but you cannot ignore the facts either so a bit of spin on how to start your friday or Saturday night might go somewhere towards it. How about clubs running free shuttles to and from grounds to local town centers or something like it?

What game did yiz head to?

**Fr Damo** · 11/05/2009, 1:36 PM

Athlone Town and UCD. UCD good side, Athlone very young. Plenty of goal mouth action and a red card.

**Ash** · 11/05/2009, 1:41 PM

Originally Posted by Fr Damo

Athlone Town and UCD. UCD good side, Athlone very young. Plenty of goal mouth action and a red card.

Not just 1 "sending off" ... our mascot was also dismissed from the line as
the lino had trouble telling him from our strikers!

Leo The Lion

Stephen Place

**Macy** · 11/05/2009, 1:53 PM

Originally Posted by Fr Damo

There has to be a message in their somewhere?

Yeah, millions of euro of grants will get you great facilities! If we'd had anything like the funding the dogs have, to build glorified pubs, we'd be sorted too.

**Fr Damo** · 11/05/2009, 2:16 PM

I know plenty of people who go the the dogs and don't drink ( i have a share in a geyhound) or eat in the resturant. All I am saying is if the product on the pitch isn't great you promte your strenghts to gain appeal. Or bury your head up your bum and say the world is against me.
The league/clubs can choose.

Going to LOI since 86, and at least 75% of those years has been in the "waste land" of the first division, still keep coming back though, cos it's where I meet friends and like minded individules and it's not bad way to spend a couple of hours. Bord Na Gon got people to buy into the dog, (tag was along the lines of "He like one of the lads") Gaa have people buying ito community spirit, I don't know the answer but what could LOI spectators buy into.....

I forgot about the williamson's Red Ash!

**irishultra** · 11/05/2009, 4:47 PM

Originally Posted by Ash

Not just 1 "sending off" ... our mascot was also dismissed from the line as
the lino had trouble telling him from our strikers!

Leo The Lion

Stephen Place

onwubikos leg muscles are well developed.

he actually looks like a proper player. i mean some of the loi lads would want to hit the gym really. no offence like they have talent, i wish i was in their position but many don't look at all physical.

**davidatrb** · 11/05/2009, 6:23 PM

Originally Posted by peadar1987

I'd be interested to know if there is a plan at the FAI for a hike in advertising for the league after this month. Obviously the attendances in this country suffer due to competition with them across the water, but with the EPL season drawing to a close, and no major international tournament over the summer, now would be the ideal time for the league to target the many "floating" football fans there will be between May and August. And with the r-word it's not like we'll be losing any of them to sun holidays either!

Any thoughts?

I agree. If MNS could put on something like the below video except better, glossier and slicker and with clips of Keith Fahy, Jason Byrne etc instead of the Kildare County goals then it could look good if shown at the break of the Champions Leauge Final, FA Cup final, the last few weeks of the Premiership on RTE2.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjUhhr68tqw