Celtic Cup thread

**ArdeeBhoy** · 14/01/2011, 8:53 AM

Was that really worth saying twice? Especially given most of it's pointless waffle.

Beyond those who can be actually bothered to attend (and probably only The Tartan Army will bring even the slightest joy to the occasion), nobody else really cares.
It's a sad reflection of the current Ireland team that we have rather more important games v.Macedonia to worry about than this sh*t. If only, out of the 4 teams competing, we're the only one with even a slight chance of making the play-offs.
These are a pointless distraction.

**Junior** · 14/01/2011, 8:57 AM

Originally Posted by Gather round

I doubt the English FA would do that- they need the money. The Home Nations will be cheaper than Brazil, Germany and Nigeria or likely alternatives.

Maybe. I forget the reasons for the FA declining to be part of the 'Celtic Cup' (or whatever the original idea name was). I think its discussed earlier in the thread, wasn't it something to do with more glamourous/lucrative friendlies already being lined up? I think a tournament held at Wembley with England in it, would be a money spinner. The Aviva hosted one will just be a pain in the hole for all concerned, attendances will be poor and it will probably be deemed not to have been worth the effort - certainly from a commercial aspect, probably equally so from a footballing one.

**Gather round** · 14/01/2011, 9:13 AM

Originally Posted by ArdeeBhoy

pointless waffle

For someone who doesn't care you have a lot to say on the tournament. All the Scots, Welsh and NI fans I know who are going are expecting to have fun.

No-one is suggesting this tournament is more important than Euro qualifiers. That would be true regardless of the strength of the four sides. All four of whom have at least a slight chance of making 2012, although I'll agree yours is the best of a bad bunch. The sad reflection on the RoI side is simply that they haven't qualified much in recent years. The friendlies are only a pointless distraction if you would prefer either a) alternative friendlies with even less 'edge', or b) no games at all. Begging the question, do you actually want to watch regular international football? Remember that teams who don't qualify and shun friendlies play on average only 10 games per tournament, or only four in a finals year.

Originally Posted by Junior

The Aviva hosted one will just be a pain in the hole for all concerned, attendances will be poor and it will probably be deemed not to have been worth the effort - certainly from a commercial aspect, probably equally so from a footballing one

If you aren't interested, ignore the tournament. I'm looking forward, despite the eccentric organisation. Looking forward, mainly, to watching NI. I mean, even the 10 games we have to play this year isn't that many. How much money the FAI make, or how little the actual games resemble Barcelona v Inter, is really of much less interest to me.

I was replying to your kids' party analogy on the basis that the alternatives offered were c) a HI tournament or d) nothing at all. A third alternative of England playing other friendlies is plausible, but as a one-off I think they'd go for c) to mark their big year in 2013.

**ArdeeBhoy** · 14/01/2011, 9:22 AM

Mainly it's responding to the high drivel count on here.

As for 'fun', well not ever seen too much evidence of that from the usually dour Nordies & Welsh.
Not to mention Ireland's in the middle of its worst-ever recession, so even most of the diehards aren't interested/have better things to spend their cash on.
Also Wales & Scotland have no chance already of even the play-offs.

And if we are to indulge in 'meaningless' games to fill-up the calendar., then the occasional away friendly in a 'new' country, or someone we've not played in ages, would not go amiss.
However, there's far far too much football generally and starting to have sympathy with club managers who say international friendlies should be eventually abolished.

**Gather round** · 14/01/2011, 9:33 AM

Originally Posted by ArdeeBhoy

And if we are to indulge in 'meaningless' games to fill-up the calendar., then the occasional away friendly in a 'new' country, or someone we've not played in ages, would not go amiss

Whatever floats your boat, although every exotic fixture away from home against better opposition obviously means that your opponent is playing a less exotic (or 'pointless', as you'd presumably call it) fixture at home. In practice almost everyone will play a mixture of home and away games against lesser and greater rivals.

However, there's far far too much football generally and starting to have sympathy with club managers who say international friendlies should be eventually abolished

The main source of too much football is domestic, not international. As you'll know from the recent holiday in English D3, everyone in it plays 46 league games plus three national cup competitions. A couple of years ago, Port Vale played as many cup ties (even without replays) as NI had full internationals.

**Dodge** · 14/01/2011, 9:48 AM

Originally Posted by ArdeeBhoy

However, there's far far too much football generally and starting to have sympathy with club managers who say international friendlies should be eventually abolished.

The same managers who bring their players all over the world to play friendlies?

**ArdeeBhoy** · 14/01/2011, 9:54 AM

Yeap.

But that's more about money/profile....

And those games are usually even more pointless.

To reiterate, think these games are even more pointless than some international friendlies.

**Dodge** · 14/01/2011, 10:00 AM

Thats my point. YOu have sympathy for managers who complain about their players playing too much football, even though they make them play even more pointless games...

**gastric** · 14/01/2011, 10:33 AM

It's international football against your neighbors, so bound to be at least a bit political. Would you be equally uninterested if they were qualifiers against England and NI?

Gather Around, You trivialise my point. I am talking about so called supporters who send bullets through the post to players because of their beliefs and look upon people of different backgrounds as some sort of inferior species. If NI win it will be seen by many as some sort of political victory rather than a sporting victory. Therefore why then would I be interested.

**Not Brazil** · 14/01/2011, 10:41 AM

Originally Posted by gastric

[B] If NI win it will be seen by many as some sort of political victory rather than a sporting victory. Therefore why then would I be interested.

Is the reverse true also...if the Republic Of Ireland win, it will be viewed by some as some kind of political victory?

I'm looking forward to a "local derby", with a bit of an edge. "Politics" will be far from my thoughts, win, lose or draw.

Bring it on.

Looking forward to seeing the new Aviva for the first time next month also - should be good banter with the skirt wearers pre and apres match also.

**Gather round** · 14/01/2011, 11:00 AM

Originally Posted by gastric

You trivialise my point. I am talking about so called supporters who send bullets through the post to players because of their beliefs and look upon people of different backgrounds as some sort of inferior species

That was hardly obvious from your (pretty trivial) reply, was it? I read your post as a gentle wind-up and responded in kind. You've continued to avoid the point, anyway. If you're going to ignore a friendly game with NI because a couple of morons threaten violence and most of our fans see the RoI as the biggest rival, what would you do if it was a qualifier? Not enjoy even if you won? Suggest to FAI that they withdraw from the tournament?

**ArdeeBhoy** · 14/01/2011, 11:23 AM

Originally Posted by Dodge

Thats my point. YOu have sympathy for managers who complain about their players playing too much football, even though they make them play even more pointless games...

Except I never said that. Lazy assumption there.

**ArdeeBhoy** · 14/01/2011, 11:31 AM

Originally Posted by Gather round

Whatever floats your boat, although every exotic fixture away from home against better opposition obviously means that your opponent is playing a less exotic (or 'pointless', as you'd presumably call it) fixture at home. In practice almost everyone will play a mixture of home and away games against lesser and greater rivals.
The main source of too much football is domestic, not international.

Hmm, sweet or savoury, you decide?

There's too much football at all levels including club games and international.

Originally Posted by Gather round

If you're going to ignore a friendly game with NI because a couple of morons threaten violence and most of our fans see the RoI as the biggest rival, what would you do if it was a qualifier? Not enjoy even if you won? Suggest to FAI that they withdraw from the tournament?

Except you're exaggerating our relative importance. The North are only 'bothered' about us, as they seem to think it's of some kind of distorted "political" importance to beat us. Kinda of ironic.

If I was them I'd be more bothered about Scotland and Ingerland. Our 'biggest' rival would certainly be the latter.
And up until around 10 years ago, the North were more animated about them than us on the basis of the fans I encountered.