QuoteNo, it was from me.Originally posted by wws
was he from 123 Fake Street?
However, they fairly heavily edited the letter and didn't really print my answers to Coopers "points". At least they published it, I suppose.....
was he from 123 Fake Street?
No, it was from me.Originally posted by wws
was he from 123 Fake Street?
However, they fairly heavily edited the letter and didn't really print my answers to Coopers "points". At least they published it, I suppose.....
I take it they didn't print my letter, then. Suppose it was rather on the long (and aggressive) side. Here it is, FWIW.
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Matt Cooper's ill-advised attempts to tackle a subject he evidently fails to comprehend on any meaningful level are probably best ignored (after all, in the face of such ignorance, indifference develops a whole new appeal), but the very fact that they appeared at all is striking enough to warrant comment.
Attempting to form an axiom from an anomaly, Mr. Cooper cites several factors which obtain the length and breadth of the footballing world as insurmountable barriers to the development of a professional league in this country. The disparity between the strength of the Irish national team and that of the country's domestic league is entirely unique among the major football-playing nations of the world, but one need only (as seems de rigueur in all other aspects of modern Irish society) glance across the Atlantic for a dramatic example of how new life can be breathed into a dormant footballing culture, and the knock-on effect such a revival can bring to bear on the fortunes of a national team.
In 1996, Major League Soccer made its debut in the USA, within a cultural and sporting context of outright hostility towards the game of football. By 2002, a US national team comprising eleven home-based and twelve European-based players had metamorphosed from the worst side at World Cup 1998 to quarter-finalists in Japan/Korea.
No such miracles will occur in this country while the attitude of the Sunday Tribune and other national media organisations remains unchanged (in passing, it is interesting note that Leinster's recent Heineken Cup game against Cardiff Blues, a top continental fixture involving a professional Irish team packed with internationals, drew a record-breaking crowd of 23,000 spectators to Lansdowne Road - higher than the attendance for the domestic soccer cup final in October, but not by much; none of which prevents the Sunday Tribune from devoting four full pages to rugby union each Sunday.)
The manifest and manifold misconceptions which bring Mr. Cooper's piece to a close are scarcely worthy of rebuttal. For example, the suggestion that a change in the laws of international competition might pave the way for Irish participation in the Scottish League is laughable; were such a seismic shift in FIFA/UEFA policy ever to occur, Celtic and Rangers would be the first teams through the loophole and into the English Premiership, rendering the Scottish League just as non-viable as Mr. Cooper perceives the eircom League to be at present.
Should Matt Cooper ever again feel tempted to examine the topic of domestic soccer in these pages, I fear that the familiar admonition to "think before you write" would prove insufficient to prevent a repetition of the debacle described above; the only solution, Mr. Cooper, is to think before you think.
Turlough Kelly
Originally posted by Sheridan
Attempting to form an axiom from an anomalyI'd say that confused them so they didn't print it.
We're not arrogant, we're just better.
Sums up Dublin City perfectly !Originally posted by Sheridan
Attempting to form an axiom from an anomaly,
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Here is mine in full:
Dear Sir,
Yet again the Sunday Tribune publishes an attack on the Eircom League, this time under the guise of an “economic” analysis. Mr. Cooper makes the point that Ireland is under-populated to cater for a professional league and so the Eircom League will never make money. Those halcyon days when the L o I drew “large crowds are well past”. Our only hope is to somehow convince UEFA to create a “multinational” league in which 2 or 3 clubs could come from Ireland, or should I say Dublin and Munster. Those clubs might even be allowed to play in the Scottish Premier League! In the absence of such an enticing prospect, we EL fans should do the decent thing and kill off our league as quickly and as painlessly as possible.
Well here are a few points that may come as a surprise to Mr. Cooper, an avowed sycophant of Murdoch and his TV circus. Most Eircom league fans know exactly the limitations of our clubs and our league. We have modest ambitions for our clubs, a league title or cup win, maybe win a few games if we get to Europe. We admire and laud the skills and efforts of those players “who can’t make the standard in larger foreign leagues”. We love going to see soccer live, we enjoy the atmosphere and the rivalry. We moan and gripe and give out about the FAI, the EL and soccer generally in this country. We do all this in our own country, at our own league, watching our own clubs. It is worth it, even at €20.
We do not need our clubs to be profitable. We only need them to be able to pay all their debts. Standards have been raised by clubs in this country, and not “only” relying on professional players. The overwhelming majority of players are not full-time, but they do have a full-time mentality. But according to Mr. Cooper we should all just go away quietly, as there is no chance of attracting those for whom soccer is a TV event, which takes place in a pub. To add insult on insult, Mr. Cooper likens the Eircom league to the AIB rugby league. This idiotic comparison could only come from someone who gets his entire sporting knowledge from the sports pages of the ST.
So Mr. Cooper, please return to ignoring the Eircom league, we do not need your un-informed and worthless “analysis”. In return here are some ideas for you. Offer your services to “your” club, Leeds, they seem to be in need of serious economic analysis at the moment. Maybe they too could close down their operation as, economically speaking, it might be the best thing to do. Or come next March, you might head for an Eircom League ground near you, and see teams who represent our cities, towns and communities. To some people in Ireland, that is far more important than all the over-stated, overpaid, over-hyped antics of the Premiership.
Yours sincerely,
Great response Patsh, shame they edited it so much, they didn't print mine either Sheridan, for the record..........
Ref: 25th Jan, Comment
“There’s no profit in Irish soccer”
While Mr.Cooper argues that the Eircom League (EL) is unprofitable he reveals the real issue, overcoming naysaying and public indifference.
While disparaging the EL, Mr. Cooper ignores increasing attendances resulting from the summer league and blatantly disregards recent European progress. Victories in Scotland, Germany and Poland belie his “consistently embarrassing results in European competition”. No mention is made of UEFA licensing and the improvements it will produce in the grounds, finances and youth structures of our clubs.
It is estimated EL clubs are spending 20m euros per year. With the current average 12 euro ticket, it would require 50,000 people attending each series of EL games to cover cost, before consideration of sponsorship, European and television revenues.
At the moment, the league falls short of this, a combined attendance of 17,000 fans marking a good week. However, in a country where more than 190,000 viewed the excellent FAI cup semi-final last season, over 200,000 play football competitively, and 614,000 watched Ireland’s World Cup 2002 play-off with Iran, it is misleading to suggest there is not a market which can be exploited to make the league profitable.
Removing the Irish football fan from the living room and the barstool and bringing them to Irish terraces is where the EL faces it’s greatest challenge. The Irish media can play a positive role, but first they must know their subject.
Mr.Cooper comments on the EL included the ‘imaginative’ suggestion of entering teams in the Scottish Premier League. This league has two successful clubs, both reportedly seeking a move to the Premiership. This shows how Mr.Cooper knows little about the subject he is tackling.
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