Great post Barryk .. I totally agree when I played it was hard enough to get out of the house any Sunday but you'd have had no hope during the summer.. In all fairness we get crap weather in summer months too..
Junior Soccer should change to coincide with LOI? Why?Originally Posted by Jofspring
Should it not be the other way around as Junior Soccer is by far the more popular and interactive.
For the last 90 years Junior soccer has been played in it's current format and is as popular as ever (judging by the number of participants)
Changing to a summer format would not only halve the number of teams it would also affect teams ability to put out their best XI. Remember summer holidays and before you say we could take a break for a month - In todays jobs market you take holidays when it suits the company! Also players with Children are under pressure for family time at weekends during the summer.
We played junior soccer for years in Cals Park, Shelbourne Park etc and it rained back then too.
The fields recover in no time - we've become too precious!
Great post Barryk .. I totally agree when I played it was hard enough to get out of the house any Sunday but you'd have had no hope during the summer.. In all fairness we get crap weather in summer months too..
The FAI would need to force it because it would be better for all leagues to do it together than the one or two that are at the moment. To coincide with the LOI was because it is working for the LOI and for no other reason. So why would they go back? The quality of players in the LOI has improved by playing on better pitches week in week out, proof of this being the amount of players that are starting to make there way to England and be successful in the higher divisions (Doyle, Long, McClean, Fahy to name a few) there is far less risk of going a month to two months without a game also (in Shannon Hibs case 3 months).
Obviously Junior soccer is more interactive because the number of teams greatly out numbers the amount of LOI teams and the standard is lower so more people can participate. I don't see what relevance that has though to playing in the summer. I don't know if it is more popular either, maybe in Limerick but not many other places, certainly not in Cork or Dublin anyway. I have been at a few Pike matches and there was about 60 at it and that was being generous. Junior is king in Limerick but in a lot of counties GAA, Rugby or Senior Soccer is a head of it.
People go on holidays all year round now, we have had players going on holiday in August, September, October, November, December (not to mention missing due to Christmas parties) and January. We have also had players missing for stags, work and emigrating so no matter what time of year games are on you will have players missing for other reasons like holidays etc....
Summer soccer would also allow for more midweek games and Saturday evening games, with later kick off times because the days are longer, which cancels out the commitments some people may have at weekends during the summer. No more kick offs at 6:15 on a Tuesday where lads have to rush from work or sitting in on a Saturday night knowing full well the ref will call off the game in the morning. It is still a possibility of happening but less likely.
Our pitch is decent enough but with Schoolboys, A's and B games all on it some weeks then the pitch can be out of action for anything from 2 weeks to a month. Not everyone has a groundsman to keep it in great nick or underground drainage.
There is also the cost of Astroturf that would be saved. A lot of teams have to pay for their Schoolboys and Junior teams to train on Astroturf most the year round where as in the Summer they can train on grass on their own pitches at virtually no cost.
There are plenty of reasons for and against summer soccer but I think if you asked everyone, most would prefer playing on a decent pitch on a nice day rather than in the freezing cold in the lashing rain on a mudding pitch that you are even struggling to run on. Staying in Saturday night and getting up at 9:00 in the morning on a Sunday fully in the knowlegde the ref is going to call it off.
Last edited by Jofspring; 31/01/2012 at 2:55 PM.
See we talk about frozen pitches but have you ever played on a rock hard pitch in the summer(especially goalmouths) you may as well be diving on a frozen pitch. I broke a wrist from landing on it on hard pitch last year and i can imagine slide tackling isn't an option on a pitch that would rip into your knee.
Ok some teams could water thier pitches but this isn't an option for all or most teams.
Give me a mudbath to dive in over a sundrenched patch of dusty dirt...
My Goal Is To Deny Yours...
Easier to water a pitch (for the vast majority of teams) though than de-ice or clear puddles in them
Also it wouldn't be too far off playing on AstroTurf or the 3G and 4G pitches (a little more give in them) which Aisling are currently doing and most people are delighted to play on them.
I still think the pros of summer outweight the cons especially with the way theweather seems to be going recently. From about the end of October till the middle of January most matches are being called off or at least half the fixtures every weekend. Something needs to be done.
Last edited by Jofspring; 31/01/2012 at 4:03 PM.
Checked the results on soccer websiteEasier to water a pitch (for the vast majority of teams) though than de-ice or clear puddles in them
Also it wouldn't be too far off playing on AstroTurf or the 3G and 4G pitches (a little more give in them) which Aisling are currently doing and most people are delighted to play on them.
I still think the pros of summer outweight the cons especially with the way theweather seems to be going recently. From about the end of October till the middle of January most matches are being called off or at least half the fixtures every weekend. Something needs to be done.
Nov 2 - 1 game off
Nov 10 - 2 games off
Nov 17 - Zero games off
Nov 23 - 3 games off
Dec 3rd - Zero Games off
Dec 10th - Zero Games Off
Dec 17th - Blanket call off
Jan 4th - 7 games off
Jan 9th - 4 games off
Jan 16th - 3 games off
Jan 22nd - 5 games off
Jan 30th - 30 Games Off
With the exception of last weekend it hardly backs up your argument.
As far as I know any club who rang the fixtures sec on Saturday to say their pitch was in trouble had their game cancelled.
Jofspring, I can see from the number of posts that you have a big interest in soccer and long may it last.
However I think your blinkered somwhat when it comes to LOI.
I've seen Limerick play about five/six times this season and you have yet to convince me it is any better than a good junior game.
Granted facilities and fitness are better but with a few obvious exceptions the standard is no better than junior fare.
So to think the LDMC should change what has been working well (with a few glitches along the way) to get in line with Limerick is ridiculous.
The LDMC has outlasted numerous guises of Limerick FC/37/Utd/City and while I wish the Senior side nothing but the best the bodies must be independent.
As regards Senior Soccer being more popular in Cork and Galway, well this is Limerick and when you say Pike have about 60 watching their games, remember there are other games in competition for most Pike matches with over 4000 people playing most weekends.
When Pike played Boro in Pearse Stadium I'm told by a Boro man they took in over €2,500 on the gate. That game was fixed for afternoon when other matches were in the morning.
If there is such a demand for Summer soccer among the Junior ranks then it would be so. The clubs put forward the rule changes and as far as I know no one has even mentioned it.
ps. You must have no kids - otherwise you'd know how summer nights work!
We rang on staurday to call it off and were told we couldn't...our b-team had match called off at home sunday morning and we rang again to get ours called off and we were told no...so Killmallock had to travel.
I understand some teams pull fast ones when there are missing players but the weather last week was enough to tell you matches were not going to go ahead.
My Goal Is To Deny Yours...
Not blinkered at all. I attend junior soccer, have managed junior soccer and play junior soccer currently as well as attend LOI games and in my opinion there is a big step up, as you mention with fitness, its a bit speedier, there seems to be less space and the players have to think that little bit quicker. Player for player you may say some are not that much better but as whole squads it is a big step up. Salthill are beaten week in week out and to be honest as a junior team they actually would be pretty decent. Many a top Junior player has stepped up to LOI and been lost at that level and pretty soon has gone back and I don't just mean in Limerick. I was expecting big things from Pike going up to watch them a few times when I saw their squad and I don't know is it because of the opposition they are playing or what but I was disappointed. Maybe at a higher level they would actually show a bit more of their quality, they certainly looked pretty good against Fairview last season in the Touhy Cup. I also agree a lot of Limericks games last season where muck and not much better than a junior game but the games in Cork and Shelbourne where certainly a step up from Junior and the games in the premier would be a good bit of a step up from the first division games last season. This season footballing wise is also probably going to be the worst in years with only 8 teams, 3 with any promotion hopes and the rest following behind.
It's not for Limerick FC or the LOI's benefit that I think Junior should be played in the summer as I don't think by junior teams playing at the same time it will really have any direct affect or benefit for the LOI teams. Its just the way I personally think it should go for the other reasons I've pointed out. As you say if the clubs want it it will happen and if not it won't. I actually can't see it happen to be honest.
shannonman getting games called off by calling secetary on a saturday only applys to certain clubs in limerick !!
" football is a simple game "
wondering what this pike rovers B team is like,my local team playing them this week,what kinda of a side are they!!
They are a decent side and one of the better teams in division 1A, just one division below the premier.
very good,should be a decent game down in midleton so!cheers
Talking rubish once again. prob never seen midleton play and want to get a dig in on pike.... I don't have anything to do with pike but support limerick junior soccer. so best of luck to them and any other limerick team. going around saying teams in 1 a are average ?? sometimes people sit down on the couch and think they know it all, and your def one of them.
Did Pike bt Midleton last night or was it called off?
result
shannon hibs 4 -0 caherdavin celtic
any other results?
Dines won again,3 or 4 1 i think,they as good as up.
3 2 was on the radio,
I heard Dines drew 2-2....anyone have the official result??
midelton won 3-2 after extra time is what i heard !!
" football is a simple game "
Dines won 3-2 I was talkin to one of their players today.
Pike lost 3-2 in extra time last nite game was nearly an hour later starting pike were down to ten men at half time and down to 9 by time the 90mins was up the sending off-s were a bit harsh the Middleton keeper should have been sent off but stayed on the pitch pike conceded a goal late into the second half of extra time pike deserved to win in my opinion but you can you do when the 3 officials are against u best of luck to Middleton in the next round
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