What can be done to improve the League of Ireland?

**oriel** · 01/01/2010, 9:57 PM

I always thought a great idea along similar lines would be to give the guaranteed option of being able to buy one International ticket for say every 3 consecutive LOI games attended. Remember the new Aviva Stadium will only hold 50k, and take away the usual non for sale, block bookings, I would say we would be lucky to have 5k left for general sale.

Why shouldnt these be prioritised to regular LOI fans (who want them) and to those who actually pay in to see football on a regular basis?

**Dillonman** · 02/01/2010, 10:50 AM

Originally Posted by oriel

I always thought a great idea along similar lines would be to give the guaranteed option of being able to buy one International ticket for say every 3 consecutive LOI games attended. Remember the new Aviva Stadium will only hold 50k, and take away the usual non for sale, block bookings, I would say we would be lucky to have 5k left for general sale.

Why shouldnt these be prioritised to regular LOI fans (who want them) and to those who actually pay in to see football on a regular basis?

You also have to rememebr that the FAI at the time said that you will have to buy tickets in pairs, that was for Croke Park and they said it would carry over to the Aviva Stadium.

**weecountyman** · 02/01/2010, 10:55 AM

How about this, one for one. ONLY season ticket holders for LOI clubs can get international match tickets. There would be a set limit (obviously) and first come first served, and if you couldn't get a ticket for one game you are put on the top of the queue for the next one. The junior/schoolboy/womens clubs are all eligible too, via their leagues. Put none on open sale (though the corporate ones are already squirreled away). This way you might have a few clever clogs who'll buy a season ticket for a local team in order to get one, and it pays off all around, especially if a couple of floating fans actually go to LOI matches. If you look at the standard statistical rate of 1 in 20, from 25,000 tickets you will see 1,250 new fans rock up at clubs. Just a thought.

**SkStu** · 02/01/2010, 2:53 PM

or 25000 fans would buy the cheapest season tickets available... we're talking Irish football fans here.

**weecountyman** · 02/01/2010, 3:44 PM

Originally Posted by SkStu

or 25000 fans would buy the cheapest season tickets available... we're talking Irish football fans here.

Well, if it brings in a few more punters, why not

I reckon it might work, but then again, who knows.

**SkStu** · 02/01/2010, 3:48 PM

yeah but most of the public would just shop for the cheapest season tickets and never go to the games.

Plus, if the FAI even dared consider such a plan can you imagine the uproar? The outrageous suggestion that people should support their own league! Joe Duffy would be inundated with calls... Pat Kenny would get attacked on live TV - AGAIN!

**Schumi** · 02/01/2010, 3:56 PM

Tom Coughlan would probably give them away for free as part of his next money-making master plan.

**weecountyman** · 02/01/2010, 4:15 PM

I'd reckon it could work, not the Tom Coughlan bit, I'm sure he'd find some way to parlay "season tickets" into match tickets and make a mint, then blow it on wages and scented soaps (joke).

I'm sure that Joe Duffy would revel in the uproar, but the FAI have done far, far worse before and gotten away with it. Eircom Park, the biggest brown envelope job I've ever seen, passed by with minimal fuss, and the "Oirish" fans who spend their weekends watching sky clubs in foreign lands would kick up, but there would be enough for them to scramble for.

At least it would raise some extra funds for chairmen to squander (unless measures are taken) and some poor sod in Cooley would figure that a trip to Oriel might be fun, at least once!

**Dillonman** · 02/01/2010, 4:17 PM

I dont think offering International tickets is really the answer! Something needs to be done to try and attract better players to our leagues in order to attract more fans. I still dream of Ronaldo playing for Dundalk!!!only joking

**Ezeikial** · 02/01/2010, 5:20 PM

Originally Posted by Dillonman

I dont think offering International tickets is really the answer! Something needs to be done to try and attract better players to our leagues in order to attract more fans. I still dream of Ronaldo playing for Dundalk!!!only joking

Sure thats dead easy to do!

Simply increase your playing budget to be able to attract players at wages of €3k and €4k pw and the crowds will roll in.

It's amazing that no one has tried this yet (apart of course from Shelbourne, Cork, Drogheda and Bohs)

**Dillonman** · 02/01/2010, 5:23 PM

Originally Posted by Ezeikial

Sure thats dead easy to do!

Simply increase your playing budget to be able to attract players at wages of €3k and €4k pw and the crowds will roll in.

It's amazing that no one has tried this yet (apart of course from Shelbourne, Cork, Drogheda and Bohs)

FAI or the licening committee to be precise approves the playing budgets so no you actually couldnt anymore without severe punishments and I was referring to trying to bring bettter players not more expensive players already within the league.

**jebus** · 02/01/2010, 5:33 PM

If you wnat to attract more people than the LoI needs to realise that sport in general, but football in particular, is a middle class game now, and the middle class won't attend anything unless their comfort is absolutley assured. At the moment the LoI doesn't have proper facilites (with the exception of a handful of clubs at most) and so can't attract the middle class, family orientated market. Thats the future audience for the LoI if it wants to expand so any money freed up by the government for football should go towards, and I mean solely go towards, improving grounds across the country.

Quick fixes like the ticket suggestions won't work, only medium to long term strategies will

**danthesaint** · 02/01/2010, 8:05 PM

Originally Posted by ClaretnBlue

Should it not be the opposite , free entry to an international with say every 6 LOI matches attended.

cant see that working out, getting people to spend 90 lids to go to LOI games, i reckon people with just skip the loi games and go pay for the ireland ticket.

**irishultra** · 04/01/2010, 3:38 AM

Get finances in order and enjoy it for what it is-our league. however the prob with this is that not only are fans in ireland retarded but they media goes along with this charade. if you support the loi u do kinda of feel opressed especially if u think about these things deeply.

**marinobohs** · 04/01/2010, 10:39 AM

Originally Posted by Ezeikial

Sure thats dead easy to do!

Simply increase your playing budget to be able to attract players at wages of �3k and �4k pw and the crowds will roll in.

It's amazing that no one has tried this yet (apart of course from Shelbourne, Cork, Drogheda and Bohs)

Alternatively sign six new players and realise two weeks later you cannot honour the contracts

Any link up between the International set up and the LOI would be benificial in raising the profile of the LOI. While most of us here owe more allegiance to the LOI (I am presuming here!!!!) the general public do not feel the same. We cannot ignore 80,000 "fans" attend football games in Croker and they (at least some of them) should be the target audience for LOI clubs.
While I am unsure of how a link up between International games and LOI games would best work I do feel it would be worth exploring in an attempt to tap into the potential for increasing our fanbase. Hopefully when "Oireland" move to the AVIVA Stadium they will use the oppurtunity to heighten awareness of our League - especially given the amount of "new" (IE day trippers) fans likely to turn up.

**Riddickcule** · 04/01/2010, 11:51 PM

Yeah but jebus the government are reluctant(and have been for so many years)to fish out grants into the Loi.

So i think the goal should be first get the clubs financially stable, then we can work from there, and clubs need to use their income wiser, ie. Marketing, Youth, Facilities, Community work.

**weecountyman** · 05/01/2010, 7:22 AM

Originally Posted by Riddickcule

Yeah but jebus the government are reluctant(and have been for so many years)to fish out grants into the Loi.

So i think the goal should be first get the clubs financially stable, then we can work from there, and clubs need to use their income wiser, ie. Marketing, Youth, Facilities, Community work.

Would anyone, bar the greatest philantrophist, money washer or patron, dish out grants sufficient to do what's needed to the vast majority of clubs in the LOI? So the only way forward is, as you've said, get the house in order, get out in the community and work on things like marketing, facilities etc. A little bit of comfort is the least that can be expected going to a game, very few of our grounds can offer that.

**marinobohs** · 05/01/2010, 10:36 AM

Originally Posted by Riddickcule

Yeah but jebus the government are reluctant(and have been for so many years)to fish out grants into the Loi.

So i think the goal should be first get the clubs financially stable, then we can work from there, and clubs need to use their income wiser, ie. Marketing, Youth, Facilities, Community work.

In the current envoirnment I cannot see the Govt coughing up money to the LOI - perhaps some enhanced system of retaining tax (for those clubs that pay it) for investment might be possible.
Regarding financial stability, while definitely worthwhile I cannot see the link to improving the League ?
Is the English Prem any less successful as a result of Portsmounth ? Or has La Liga suffered due to the crazy spending at Madrid ? Indeed it could be argued that the overspending indulged in by some clubs offers a better chance of attracting new fans than the frugal approach.
This is not to justify overspending - before I get slaughtered - but simply to point out "financial stability" may actually diminish attractiveness for the LOI not the other way around.

**Riddickcule** · 06/01/2010, 3:39 AM

Sorry lads for having an opinion, such a crime eh?

**marinobohs** · 06/01/2010, 10:23 AM

Originally Posted by Dillonman

I dont think offering International tickets is really the answer! Something needs to be done to try and attract better players to our leagues in order to attract more fans. I still dream of Ronaldo playing for Dundalk!!!only joking

Would he get a game ?

here we are less than two months from kick off and we do not know

How many will be in each division
how many Divisions there will be
Rules applying (RE promotion/ relegation etc)

How the F**** can anyone market a product that is as yet unknown ? I appreciate that the bean counters have to do their stuff but at this point the above matters should be clear and clubs and FAI should be starting a marketing blitz (wishfull thinking). No great cost in insuring that these matters are decided by Janaury 1 and would surely help the League