Weekend Latest (w/e 1 April)

**Straightstory** · 04/04/2011, 10:01 AM

Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

I wonder how many Irish people each week go to games in England and Scotland. Probably more than go to LOI games. (Not disputing your point - I'm just interested.)

Yes - I'd love to know too. Anybody got this info?
(Also agree Off The Ball coverage of league is appalling).

**mypost** · 04/04/2011, 10:37 AM

Originally Posted by Dodge

The amount of back pages we had on a Monday when the main league programme was played on Sundays was even less...

At least the games were on a weekend then.

I worked for several years a solid night shift on Friday nights. The only games I could go to in the season were Saturdays and Sundays, roughly about 6 games a year. It was then that I lost all tolerance of Friday night games across the board.

Fridays suit 9-5ers based locally. This is a weekend sport, and all league games should be played at weekends (Sat/Sun), like everywhere else on the planet. A system that caters for everybody.

**pineapple stu** · 04/04/2011, 10:53 AM

Originally Posted by mypost

This is a weekend sport, and all league games should be played at weekends (Sat/Sun). A system that caters for everybody.

Except those who work Sat/Sun.

**Acornvilla** · 04/04/2011, 11:04 AM

bah could clubs do every 2nd home game on alternating days or something

**marinobohs** · 04/04/2011, 11:09 AM

Is it not open to clubs to play Sat/Sunday if they want ? Some like Sligo currently do. The reason clubs opt to play Fridays is because they believe they get better crowds / coverage, otherwise they would simply change.
The fact that Mypost worked on friday nights was probobly not a major consideration when the decision was made

**geezer** · 04/04/2011, 11:19 AM

Originally Posted by mypost

Fridays suit 9-5ers based locally. This is a weekend sport, and all league games should be played at weekends (Sat/Sun), like everywhere else on the planet. A system that caters for everybody.

15% reduction in gate money is practically guaranteed if you move from friday nights in most cases, the rugby crowd are coping on to this and more and more of their games are moving to friday nights bar the big event pullers. Id also reckon if you dont get the �10 or �15 on a friday night the longer the weekend goes on the slimmer chance clubs have of getting it with the recession. The above for some reason is borne out in the bigger urban centres, its hard to fathom but the figures, research show it

**marinobohs** · 04/04/2011, 12:04 PM

Originally Posted by SkStu

empty coke bottle is all i could see. Absolute rubbish.

no red either - it was just a yellow.

glad with that point. Shocker of a game.

Unfortunately a lot more than one coke bottle thrown on by Numpties after pen decision (which looked a bit soft, player went down in instalments). Shocking peno reflected a fairly shocking game, void of anything resembling entertainment. Football did threaten to break out on one or two occassions but fortunately this trend was nipped in the bud.
Pats marginally the better team (although bar was not high) but neither side really deserved to win (and fans/viewers deserved a lot better). Bet RTE will be in a hurry back

**poster** · 04/04/2011, 12:26 PM

Originally Posted by oriel

PS Sligo appear to have a good county wide suppport, I did hear this before.

That's true, yes.

**redobit** · 04/04/2011, 12:55 PM

Originally Posted by marinobohs

Is it not open to clubs to play Sat/Sunday if they want ? Some like Sligo currently do. The reason clubs opt to play Fridays is because they believe they get better crowds / coverage, otherwise they would simply change.
The fact that Mypost worked on friday nights was probobly not a major consideration when the decision was made

Not sure if LOI clubs can play on the Sunday. Dosent it go back to when our games used to be played on the Sunday afternoon but when Sky came in (mid 90s) they sponsored the lights for clubs so they could move their games to Friday or Saturday evenings so as no to clash with the Sky Sunday games. Hence why their is no Sky games on Friday or Saturday evenings to this day either.

**harps1954** · 04/04/2011, 12:59 PM

Originally Posted by redobit

Not sure if LOI clubs can play on the Sunday. Dosent it go back to when our games used to be played on the Sunday afternoon but when Sky came in (mid 90s) they sponsored the lights for clubs so they could move their games to Friday or Saturday evenings so as no to clash with the Sky Sunday games. Hence why their is no Sky games on Friday or Saturday evenings to this day either.

Clubs can play Sunday's if they want - nothing to stop them doing it. But it would be madness to go up against the Sky Sunday games and the GAA in the summer. Sky show plenty of games on a Friday night - most from the Championship - and also show games at 5.15 on a Saturday evening (granted they are over before most of the Saturday LOI games begin).

**redobit** · 04/04/2011, 1:07 PM

Maybe they can now Harps. But at the time im pretty sure thats why Sky paid for the lights in LOI grounds on the the basis that LOI clubs had a choice to avoid the clash. Most likely the EPL has not switched to late Friday/ Saturday games cause it has become a tradition and people are used to it and dont want to change. Same as here.

**Dodge** · 04/04/2011, 1:21 PM

Originally Posted by mypost

Fridays suit 9-5ers based locally. This is a weekend sport, and all league games should be played at weekends (Sat/Sun), like everywhere else on the planet. A system that caters for everybody.

Except the thousands who play football on Saturdays and Sundays. Local (and mean junior/intermediate/schoolboy) football is the reason saturday afternoons can't work. Not just players, but coaches, parents, etc etc

Sundays are gone. EPL is totally dominant. Simply won't work.

For Dublin clubs it has been proven beyond doubt, even by your own club mypost who toyed with Saturdays, that Friday night works best. For every argument you have (shift work), there's a counter argument.

**CMcC** · 04/04/2011, 1:55 PM

While we are on the subject, I see the Dublin county board are going to play next year's 'Spring Series' on Friday nights.

**redobit** · 04/04/2011, 1:58 PM

Originally Posted by CMcC

While we are on the subject, I see the Dublin county board are going to play next year's 'Spring Series' on Friday nights.

Im going to assume youre talking about the Gah, cause I have no idea what a Spring Series is.

**pineapple stu** · 04/04/2011, 2:05 PM

Give 'em credit - their marketing is good anyway. (Apart from Jedward, of course...)

**marinobohs** · 04/04/2011, 2:12 PM

Originally Posted by CMcC

While we are on the subject, I see the Dublin county board are going to play next year's 'Spring Series' on Friday nights.

very contentious issue in bogball world. Recently Dublin tried to bring forward their game against Mayo to friday 18th (day after Paddys Day) and eventually (there was a saga about Mayo under 21 match) both counties agreed but bogball central (Croke Park) decided against. Dublin had hissy fit and said they were not going to play in Croker next year in League (bogball needs Dublin in Croker to pay for the place) so was agreed they could play Fridays.
Rationale for Dublin seeking move to Friday was very similar to arguments laid out by Dodge and others above RE clashing with other sports etc but they were firmly convinced Friday was most attractive option.

**Financial Stew** · 04/04/2011, 3:53 PM

Not trying to be negative or anything but...

It doesn't matter what day the match is on - if the entertainment level is practically zero as it was last Friday night in Richmond park punters, radio stations and newspapers are all going to stay away.

At least if you go to croker you're going to see a score every other minute. Compare that with the snoozefest on Friday night and it's no wonder that the LOI is on CPR at the moment

**SkStu** · 04/04/2011, 4:03 PM

the Pats - Bohs game on Friday set the league back years in my opinion. We need more tales of financial disaster to keep the publics interest and i am more than happy for Bohs to produce those headlines for the benefit of all of the league and all of us as fans.

**bennocelt** · 04/04/2011, 4:04 PM

Are u serious!! No way can u compare gah to any football match, totally different level of entertainment

**mypost** · 04/04/2011, 7:32 PM

Originally Posted by Dodge

Except the thousands who play football on Saturdays and Sundays. Local (and mean junior/intermediate/schoolboy) football is the reason saturday afternoons can't work. Not just players, but coaches, parents, etc etc

Sundays are gone. EPL is totally dominant. Simply won't work.

For Dublin clubs it has been proven beyond doubt, even by your own club mypost who toyed with Saturdays, that Friday night works best. For every argument you have (shift work), there's a counter argument.

So much so, that another Friday night Dublin club has just gone bust.

Yes, people work on Saturdays, yes there are junior club games on Saturdays. But the games have to be played at some point. And they should be played at the time when the most people can go. When was Real-Barcelona last on a Friday night? Celtic-Rangers? PSG-Marseille? Inter-Milan? Liverpool-mu? They're all played at the time where the greatest possible audience can see them. That's what should happen here.