FAI need to review fixture planning

**A face** · 08/09/2012, 10:15 PM

The FAI need to seriously review the fixture list as a whole and try to ensure that there are as few midweek games as possible. It's clear that attendances are much lower during the week and clubs desperately need the revenue that is lost.

What can be done to enable this to happen?

**Trainee** · 08/09/2012, 10:29 PM

Originally Posted by A face

The FAI need to seriously review the fixture list as a whole and try to ensure that there are as few midweek games as possible. It's clear that attendances are much lower during the week and clubs desperately need the revenue that is lost.

What can be done to enable this to happen?

Money clubs lose on gate receipts they save on wages as the season is shorter.

Just wonder if Midweek games were played on a Sunday would that work,

**A face** · 08/09/2012, 10:36 PM

Originally Posted by Trainee

Money clubs lose on gate receipts

And merchandise, and sponsorship, and fundraising, and bar revenue ...... there is no way the money saved on wages (for players on one season contracts only) would go towards the money lost elsewhere.

**Trainee** · 08/09/2012, 10:55 PM

Originally Posted by A face

And merchandise, and sponsorship, and fundraising, and bar revenue ...... there is no way the money saved on wages (for players on one season contracts only) would go towards the money lost elsewhere.

90% of players are on 1 year contracts.

take Dundalk as an example at start of season had a budget of 7k a week, so if there are 4 midweek games planed (dont know how many midweek games Fai have planned this year). As the season would be 4 weeks shorter Dundalk would have saved 28k on wages, I dont think Dundalk income from midweek games would be reduced by more than 28k so they would be better off.

**adamd164** · 08/09/2012, 11:39 PM

Originally Posted by Trainee

Money clubs lose on gate receipts they save on wages as the season is shorter.

Why not just scrap the pointless mid-season break (unless there's a Euro/World Cup on)?

**nigel-harps1954** · 08/09/2012, 11:45 PM

19 team division. That will sort everything out.

**bullit** · 08/09/2012, 11:56 PM

Add "are the FAI acctualy interested in LOI" ?Nah don't,all of us here already know the answer to that one.Just a rant !!head clear now

**sullanefc** · 09/09/2012, 9:15 AM

They should schedule league games on the same weekend as the latter rounds of the FAI cup so that clubs who are knocked out can play each other.

**BonnieShels** · 09/09/2012, 2:30 PM

Originally Posted by sullanefc

They should schedule league games on the same weekend as the latter rounds of the FAI cup so that clubs who are knocked out can play each other.

But that has the difficulty in that they don't know who gets to play each other at the start of the season. So there will be serious chopping and changing with the league fixtures.

However, in saying that, I agree with you. I just don't trust the FAI to do it right.

**A face** · 09/09/2012, 3:16 PM

Originally Posted by BonnieShels

But that has the difficulty in that they don't know who gets to play each other at the start of the season. So there will be serious chopping and changing with the league fixtures.

If they can just look at how its done elsewhere and implement something that fits this league that might help. The fact is, nearly all teams are not fulltime anymore so its not practical to have so many Midweek games, and they are the administrators of the league .... they need to do some administrating and sort it out. They should be looking to facilitate clubs in this, assist them in attracting crowds etc. by having games arranged suitably .... And again if its done elsewhere then it could be done here. Jeez i'd say something if they were new to it but there are well practiced in this, they should be able to draw on their experience. They rub shoulders with administrators of other leagues fairly frequently, couldn't they have a word in the ear and say "here buddy, we're making a pigs ear of the fixtures on a consistant basis at home, have you got any ideas on how i'd sort it".

**BonnieShels** · 09/09/2012, 3:23 PM

Originally Posted by A face

If they can just look at how its done elsewhere and implement something that fits this league that might help. The fact is, nearly all teams are not fulltime anymore so its not practical to have so many Midweek games, and they are the administrators of the league .... they need to do some administrating and sort it out. They should be looking to facilitate clubs in this, assist them in attracting crowds etc. by having games arranged suitably .... And again if its done elsewhere then it could be done here. Jeez i'd say something if they were new to it but there are well practiced in this, they should be able to draw on their experience. They rub shoulders with administrators of other leagues fairly frequently, couldn't they have a word in the ear and say "here buddy, we're making a pigs ear of the fixtures on a consistant basis at home, have you got any ideas on how i'd sort it".

They're well practised in making pigs ears out of everything.

there's a whole heap of things that need to be done to be honest.
Sorting out the nationwide calendar and removing provincial fiefdoms is a good place to start.

**A face** · 09/09/2012, 3:26 PM

Originally Posted by Trainee

90% of players are on 1 year contracts.

Oh so thats alright so, its grand .... just leave it the way it is

take Dundalk as an example at start of season had a budget of 7k a week, so if there are 4 midweek games planed (dont know how many midweek games Fai have planned this year). As the season would be 4 weeks shorter Dundalk would have saved 28k on wages, I dont think Dundalk income from midweek games would be reduced by more than 28k so they would be better off.

Dundalk are bottom of the premier division and their club is going through the ringer at the moment, and because of that their crowds are down as is, and their budget i'm guessing is a fairly significant contributing factor in that and you are taking them as an example to make your case? I dunno, i'd say go again with another club and i'll reply to that then. Bare in mind, a club ideally would be earning more than they are spending (i.e. if they are playing in the league in any given week then on the law of averages they should be earning more in that week than they take in) cos if they're not then there are other issue to address other than midweek fixtures.

**SkStu** · 09/09/2012, 10:10 PM

Get rid of minnow cups. It costs more to host a LSC game on a midweek day than a club gets in return. There's a pretty stong argument to just keep the FAI cup. Get rid of midseason break. Move Friday series that clash with intl games to Saturday evenings. Simple stuff that would improve average attendances almost immediately.

**abcd** · 09/09/2012, 10:46 PM

Originally Posted by SkStu

Get rid of minnow cups. It costs more to host a LSC game on a midweek day than a club gets in return. There's a pretty stong argument to just keep the FAI cup. Get rid of midseason break. Move Friday series that clash with intl games to Saturday evenings. Simple stuff that would improve average attendances almost immediately.

I'd agree, really the league cup and Leinster Senior Cup fail to justify the expense and have never really captured the public imagination bar the League Cup final maybe which gives clubs a few thousand for winning it but no European place or no major incentive to win it.

However having said that I think the season should be extended out by at least another 2/3 weeks. Really I'd put one game a week, add in weekends for FAI Cup, Setanta Cup streamlined to one leg and extend the year by a couple of weeks. You want to keep people interested and as it is the LOI has a ridiculously long close season which doesn't help clubs and certainly doesn't help players who may move on to bigger things as they are immediately faced with a step up in class and an extra few weeks of training and games to what they are used to.

Another improvement (as I've read on here) could be to set aside a couple of weekends at the start for teams in Europe to play off even a couple of their games against one another so say Pats, Derry, Bohs, Sligo, Shamrock Rovers or whoever won't be heading up and down to Cork a few days before a long away trip rather than the usual situation where games are half fixed and teams might agree to cancel with a few days notice which makes it difficult for supporters.

Saving money from hosting a lot of games together doesn't really work as people start picking and choosing games and in many cases simply aren't around for the midweek games and can't justify taking time off to come down to see a LOI match.

Even club is trying to cut their cloth but I believe a (slightly) longer season would be of benefit to the league in the long run.

**SkStu** · 09/09/2012, 10:56 PM

Yea, wasn't sure whether to include Setanta Cup as a minnow cup but it needs serious revamping or it should be scrapped too.

**Mr A** · 10/09/2012, 8:42 AM

Surely you don't have to enter the LSC unless you want to? And if you didlike the league cup so much just play the youths and go out, simple.

**Macy** · 10/09/2012, 8:58 AM

The mid season break goes completely against the arguments for a summer league - prep for europe, supposedly the better weather for the quality of pitches/ football/ crowds etc.

One reason for scrapping the lesser cup competitions would be to have more mid week fixtures and condense the league over a shorter number of weeks, saving wage costs for clubs that way.

**punkrocket** · 10/09/2012, 9:19 AM

Plenty of good suggestions here and all simple to implement. Moving Friday International night clashes to Saturdays being a good example and I actually think that having a game the day after an Ireland game would perhaps attract a few extra people that had their interest in football awakened that would be lost when the wait for the next LOI game is longer ( last Friday's game notwithstanding). I'd go one further and have games on Saturday afternoon's, I grew up going to Irish league games and the afternoon games were always good for getting kids in and after the game there'd always be a big huddle at the front of the local TV shop getting the english (and scottish) results. It makes sense to me to cut out the need for floodlights at all games. I mean how much do they cost to keep going when the margins are so tight? It's a lot easier to cover the distance to and from an away game when the driving is being done during the day than arriving home in the middle of the night and having to take of work early to make the kick off.

**mypost** · 10/09/2012, 9:37 AM

Originally Posted by abcd

Saving money from hosting a lot of games together doesn't really work as people start picking and choosing games and in many cases simply aren't around for the midweek games and can't justify taking time off to come down to see a LOI match.

Even club is trying to cut their cloth but I believe a (slightly) longer season would be of benefit to the league in the long run.

Well over 90% of domestic games in Ireland are held on working weekdays. They're even played on international nights, if the game ko time isn't at the same time as the home club. Home fans are barely catered for, and away fans are treated with contempt by most clubs. If you don't want to attract customers, scheduling games at times they can't get there, is a good way of keeping them away.

Originally Posted by Mr A

Surely you don't have to enter the LSC unless you want to?

All LFA members have to play the LSC.

**A face** · 10/09/2012, 10:00 AM

Originally Posted by Macy

saving wage costs for clubs that way.

This is killing us imo, i just think that trying to avoid a few quid on wages is like biting off our nose to spite our face. If we are going to play 30+ games a season (or whatever number, it doesn't matter) then we need to facilitate them taking place. And thats about that size of it, you either make the call or not; we are going to play X amount, take it on the chin and plan the season for those games to take place. Cutting it short to save on wages is small time, its short sighted, and its definitely regressive.

Planning properly will allow clubs to work with councils and gardai more effectively if we know in advance what is going to happen. Everything works better when we know there is going to be a game each week and not cramming games in midweek, fund raising, event management, players not having to take time off work, jeez everything single thing to be honest.

Again, if people are worried about wages; try this one ..... if each game throughout the season is planned properly and each game on its own merit can attract a crowd that allows the club pay 65% or less of its revenue to players then there wont be a problem.

Having midweek games does the opposite ..... Midweek games has clubs not making that revenue needed and results in clubs needing to pay less wages. Thats the knock on effect it is having. If games are planned properly then there wont be a need to cut wages.