Weekend Latest (w/e 1 April)

**Town Legend** · 02/04/2011, 7:26 PM

Salthill 0-2 Waterford

**Guinney** · 02/04/2011, 7:44 PM

Originally Posted by White Horse

The lad is good, no doubt there. Tons of footballing ability. However, with their defence and lack of cutting edge, UCD will struggle.

I thought Corry was excellent last night. His goal from the free kick was brilliant and his general play was good. Fair play to UCD they stick to their principles and pass the ball about. Similarly Dundalk look to play ball and when are attacks work out it can be a joy to watch. Gaynor, Kearns, Byrne and Quigley are dangerous when they are on the front foot and attack with real purpose and pace.

**bennocelt** · 02/04/2011, 7:45 PM

Originally Posted by Longfordian

Longford 1-0 up v Athlone. Jacques Morley direct from a corner apparently.

2-0 now, Austin Skelly against his old club. Gillespie on the bench for anyone semi-interested.

Hearing there is a decent crowd for this, damn I wish I was home

**Town Legend** · 02/04/2011, 7:49 PM

Gillespie on for the last half hour!

**Town Legend** · 02/04/2011, 7:53 PM

FT- Salthill 0-2 Waterford

**Town Legend** · 02/04/2011, 8:23 PM

FT- Longford Town 2-0 Athlone Town

**Acornvilla** · 02/04/2011, 8:27 PM

Originally Posted by Town Legend

FT- Longford Town 2-0 Athlone Town

things back on track a bit thank feck

**Longfordian** · 02/04/2011, 8:40 PM

Yep an important win. It'll be tough in Monaghan next weekend but 3 wins from 5 is a decent start and two home wins in there which is always good. Shuts up those that don't go but complain anyway for another week.

**oriel** · 02/04/2011, 10:06 PM

Just a question on the few teams who do not play on Fridays now, I think its only Sligo in the PD, and Longford, Athlone? & Salthill?, now I was never a fan of the thurs nights for us, so I was glad when we changed to Friday, but just wondering why the others are going with Sat nights?

Are attendances really that much better, and would it not be better for all to stick with Friday nights to max publicity and for Sat am papers/radio ?

**Longfordian** · 02/04/2011, 10:18 PM

Can only speak for our club but attendances are noticeably better on Saturdays. For example I know personally about ten people who were going tonight that work or study away during the week and Friday is just not suitable. We've tried Fridays at 8.00 over the years but Saturday gets a better home crowd every time. It's better for any travelling away fans too to be honest. Every euro counts.

**mypost** · 03/04/2011, 4:03 AM

Originally Posted by oriel

Just a question on the few teams who do not play on Fridays now, I think its only Sligo in the PD, and Longford, Athlone? & Salthill?, now I was never a fan of the thurs nights for us, so I was glad when we changed to Friday, but just wondering why the others are going with Sat nights?

Are attendances really that much better, and would it not be better for all to stick with Friday nights to max publicity and for Sat am papers/radio ?

The league has played Friday night for 25-odd years. The amount of back page papers they make the next day during the season, can be measured on the fingers of one hand, while the radio coverage the next day is minimal at best.

We are the only senior league in Europe, and one of the few in the world, that insist on playing almost it's entire "weekend" league programme on a weeknight. It's a bit like 10-team 4-series leagues. A disaster on every level.

**oriel** · 03/04/2011, 10:47 AM

I think the Irish Times and the Star give decent PD reports on Sat am, the Times even gives an attendance at each game.

From memory most clubs were still playing Sundays up until the early 90`s, and wasn`t it Sky Sports compensation with the intro of the english premiership that part funded clubs to install floodlights so they could move away from the traditonal sunday afternoons?

DLK fm is great for any game I miss, they cover most away games, but the big loss is the RTE radio 1 friday night LOI show.

As for Newstalk, a top tier sponsor, they have an irish language show on at 9.30 on Friday, hopeless service.

**cornflakes** · 03/04/2011, 11:26 AM

Newstalk don't care about the league, their soccer correspondent, Ken Early, knows nothing about the league and doesn't want to know.
The only coverage it gets is the views of Roddy Collins on a Wednesday night for ten minutes

**born2bwild** · 03/04/2011, 12:06 PM

Originally Posted by cornflakes

Newstalk don't care about the league, their soccer correspondent, Ken Early, knows nothing about the league and doesn't want to know.
The only coverage it gets is the views of Roddy Collins on a Wednesday night for ten minutes

If the Off the Ball lads could be persuaded to cover the league a bit it woul make a big difference. I'm nost sure how these things are measured but I'd say their show is pretty much the most influential sports show in the country.

**Rasputin** · 03/04/2011, 12:09 PM

Originally Posted by oriel

Are attendances really that much better, and would it not be better for all to stick with Friday nights to max publicity and for Sat am papers/radio ?

No.
We have always played Saturdays ever since they changed from Sunday kick offs years ago.
Its a tradition here, its always Saturday night in the Showgies and when we get ****ed around by the TV or the FAI or who ever and have to change to Fridays our attendances do suffer.
Why should our club have to suffer in the hope that the national media who largely show contempt for our league might give us an extra few column inchs?

**redobit** · 03/04/2011, 12:49 PM

Saturday night games, aswell as being a tradition around Sligo, does allow for some Rovers fans to get to games when otherwise they might not. We have a lot of fans that live in towns like Ballymote, Kinlough, Dromahair, Carrick, Coolaney etc that commute to Sligo Town for work. Finishing work on a Friday evening and making it out home and back to the match to get ready or collect a kid leaves it very tight for time. Personally I dont mind either way but Saturday Night = Rovers in Sligo so no point in changing.

**oriel** · 03/04/2011, 1:12 PM

Thats fair enough for Sligo and Longford, def no point changing to Fridays if Sat nights are working well.

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

**White Horse** · 03/04/2011, 8:12 PM

Originally Posted by born2bwild

If the Off the Ball lads could be persuaded to cover the league a bit it woul make a big difference. I'm nost sure how these things are measured but I'd say their show is pretty much the most influential sports show in the country.

Close to 25,000 people go to see LOI games every week and that joke of a programme devotes 10 minutes a week to it.

If the LOI doubled it's crowds, they might give it an extra 5 minutes.

**Charlie Darwin** · 03/04/2011, 8:35 PM

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.)

**Dodge** · 04/04/2011, 9:31 AM

Originally Posted by mypost

The league has played Friday night for 25-odd years. The amount of back page papers they make the next day during the season, can be measured on the fingers of one hand, while the radio coverage the next day is minimal at best

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