Cup Final

[hoopy]

Great day at the Aviva -excellent crowd, decent game good performances all round. Thought Sligo were the better team without really having the edge up front which always left the possibility shams might nick it. credit to both teams for 120 minutes of decent football.
Would hope that the spectacle of the day might encourage more to sample the delights of LOI but suspect many wont darken our turnstiles until "cup final 2012"

Oh, and congrats to all involved at Sligo on completing a cup double

Good assesment of the day. My only gripe and I may well be in a minority was that Ndo got MOTM. Thought all four centre halves were excellent.

[Charlie Darwin]

Alot of ****e is written on these boards between Rovers and Shams fans but truth is there is a healthy respect for Shams in Sligo. We are the same supporters that went out on the pitch at Milltown in 87.

From my experience, the niggle between supporters of the two Rovers is almost entirely message board-based. And apparently in Super Valu in Sligo town. Great atmosphere of mutual respect between the two sides, although it was a bit flat up where I was with the neutrals and curious observers.

It wasn't a vintage final by any means but I think it was a good advert for our football. Plenty of nerves and heavy touches but Boco, Ndo and Doyle stood out for me in particular - although Boco must have set a new record for shots drilled straight into the first man.

I wouldn't understate the achievement that was the attendance. To get 37k out (my brother tells me RTE put it at 41k - maybe that's including the 4000 stewards) at a game when both Arsenal and Chelsea are on the box is no small feat.

Well done to Sligo, they gave a beautiful display of technically excellent football and it would be hard to argue that they didn't deserve it on the day. A lot of people have questioned if Shamrock Rovers are part time only in name, but it showed very clearly in the fitness levels that Sligo were the full time team.

I wouldn't go that far. Sligo are better conditioned for obvious reasons, but they also gave Rovers the run-around for long periods. You see the same when teams play Barcelona and Spain (not suggesting Sligo are in the same league... yet) - Germany at the World Cup were out on their feet. Add to that Rovers have had a more intense run-in, both physically and emotionally, and you can see why this match might have been just one step too far. All credit to Sligo, though - they still had to do the job.

edit: also sincere congratulations to Sligo. I really hope yous hang on to Boco and Ndo stays fit so you can have a real go at the league and Europe next season. Your style of football would be a great advert for our league abroad.

[dong]

Russell is up there with the best in the league as well. Lovely footballer who has really come into his own this season.
I think Ndo is right that we were blessed not to get too many injuries all year as our squad is tiny really when you compare it to what Shamrock Rovers have.

[Jicked]

Hadn't heard Ndo say that, but I think he's right. We were running on fumes by the end of the game, and being without Twigg (who really shouldn't have played, he was left on in case we could fashion a one on one chance he could finish, but wasn't fit enough to really contribute) was just one injury too many. For those who've slagged off how we've played at the end of the season bear in mind that yesterday we were without Dan Murray, Pat Sullivan, Sean O'Connor, Robert Bayly, Aidan Price and had to play with our two front-men half fit (Twigg and Baker). A lot of players there who could have made a big difference, but that's football for you.

[Charlie Darwin]

Thought Twiggy played very well until the penalty. He physically dominated the Sligo centre halves and won everything in the air.

[Jicked]

He put himself about pretty well in the aerial sense but I got the impression he was a guy playing with a few painkilling injections. It's not been many times this season he's failed to have a good chance in a game. MON said pre kick-off that neither he or Price was fit so he couldn't take a risk on playing two such players.

[sligoman]

As the cup was presented at 3hr 19min and about 50secs…what happened the guy in the blue jacket at the front?

http://www.rte.ie/player/#v=1084796

Lid fell off and hit him on the head. Top of cup is slightly bent now

[De Town]

Russell is up there with the best in the league as well. Lovely footballer who has really come into his own this season.

To be honest, I thought Russell was one of the worst players on the pitch yesterday. He showed a few nice flashes of play but most things he tried didn't come off for him I thought.

[Rasher]

Delighted Sligo won, they were the best side, worked harder but were handicapped without a striker. It's great to see Shamrock Rovers' bubble burst so soon after winning the league, they are the worst league champions I've ever seen.

I don't see any of the event junkies going to see any LOI matches after today. Aside from a decent atmosphere at the goals ends, I thought the game was pretty poor, it badly needed a goal, and the quality of the penalty shootout with the exception of Ciaran Kelly was awful. The new Lansdowne is all style and no substance, the upper tier was nearly something out of Hillsbrough and the lack of catering facilities is seriously bad up there. Also too many annoying kids running around the place and kicking seats but you would have expected that with €5 tickets

Jesus! You're one narky fúcker

[Oldred]

Has anyone ever won the FAI cup before without conceding a goal including with a penalty shoot-out?

[Martinho II]

Has anyone ever won the FAI cup before without conceding a goal including with a penalty shoot-out?

there has only being one penalty shootout ever before this and that was two years ago when bohs and derry drew two all after extra time so no is the answer!

[hoops1]

Not just because of yesterdays result,but after a 90 min draw would a replay not be the better option.Another big gate,more exposure. Its not as if the league is the main event in a sporting week very often. Why not have seconds if possible.

[Spudulika]

A brilliant day, great thinking by the FAI, well organised, good energy and two teams giving it a rattle, put a real smile on my face yesterday.

[redarmyfaction]

Has anybody mentioned that when Sham's did get the ball, they did try to play a bit.

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

Not just because of yesterdays result,but after a 90 min draw would a replay not be the better option.Another big gate,more exposure. Its not as if the league is the main event in a sporting week very often. Why not have seconds if possible.

You're dead right. There would have been huge interest in a replay. The players wages for the extra week could come out of the gate receipts

It was a great occasion. Was saying it just before the penalties about what a great day it was (was resigned to defeat at that stage) and to win it obviously topped it all off. The amount of text messages I got after the game from people that I never thought would even know the game was on let alone would watch it was very surprising but also great to see. I don't expect any of them to start going to matches mind. MNS has done a huge amount to get peoples attention about the league. A great show on a great time (everything the old TV3 version wasn't)

Delighted for Cook and all the lads. Now the 3 or 4 months of worrying whether we can keep the squad together for next season begins

[osarusan]

Do/did the teams actually get a cut of the gate receipts?

[Charlie Darwin]

I'd guess it's the same as the Setanta Cup - gates minus rent for the stadium.

[gufcfan]

Apologies if this has been spoken of already (the thread is 21 pages long at this stage), but does anyone know of a list of cup final attendances that can be accessed online?

[Candystripe]

I'd guess it's the same as the Setanta Cup - gates minus rent for the stadium.

Unless things have changed the Att doesn't effect the money the teams get.

[Bluebeard]

Apologies if this has been spoken of already (the thread is 21 pages long at this stage), but does anyone know of a list of cup final attendances that can be accessed online?

I doubt that the FAI would be willing to disclose the names of all 36,101 of them, even if they had them all...