Shamrock Rovers v Liverpool

[WoodquayBoy]

I don't agree with people giving off about the number of Rovers fans at the game - when Liverpool sent their reserves over here to play Galway United a few years ago, I purposely didn't go as I didn't want my money going towards an English club's match day fee. As for the Barstoolers v Us thing, I think the local juvenile clubs need to have packages presented to them - we did it many moons ago when McDonalds were our sponsors, the kids were given vouchers to go there after the game. Stuff like that - invite a juvenile club, try and sort out 'goodie bags' for the kids, and give Dad and Mum a ticket for next game. You need to catch the parents to build the support base of the future. Just a thought

[DannyInvincible]

What does the 'FAI accepting ownership and taking responsibility' mean in practical terms?

Dismiss it as vague all you like, but a change in psyche is the first and most important step to any progression from the current state, as in, "What can we, the interested, do about this rather than shifting the blame onto uninvolved others?" You can think about practicalities then.

How would 'long-term investment and sustainable development' translate into crowds of ten thousand people at LOI games?

I'm not the expert, but developing youth structures and modern stadia/infrastructure that look the part are all investments that will sustain longer-term progress. Of course, there's a short-term sacrifice to be made and the money has to come from somewhere - it's a great shame funding and public support is so hard to come by - but when there is money available, throwing more at players' wages and splashing out on transfers can only promise immediate success. What happens when that dries up?

Look- it's as clear as day: the reason people don't support the League of Ireland is lack of imagination and a child-like outlook:'I support Man United because they're big and successful and lots of other people do too'. I used to support Leeds United for those very reasons - but that's when I was a child.
I don't think anything can be done about all this, by the way. There is no solution, barring a complete change in mindset - and that's not going to happen.

C'mon, it's just too simple; "They're all just too stupid and have simply failed to see the light that we have."

And why be so fatalist? You have very little faith in people's ability to change their thought patterns. Perhaps it's rooted in your own unwillingness or seeming inability to change yours?

[Stuttgart88]

Ray Houghton's opinion

http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/s...me-269376.html

[legendz]

Let's start off with a plan. A strategic approach to the next five years for the league. Set down where we're at, what can be improved and how each element involved must act to get there.

I'd agree with that 100%. The obvious area I'd focus on here is more clubs joining the league. There should be a plan/strategic approach for getting clubs/regions who were involved in the A Championship back involved in the underage leagues at the very least.

10000 people at games is currently unrealistic- there isn't even a ground that holds that currently. But say an average increase in crowds of 50% over 5 years (or whatever figure, this is just an example)- that would make a difference. How do we get there? Well we sure as feck won't without a plan. Perhaps as the FAI's financial position improves there will be more money available to help clubs along. But it all needs to be worked out properly.

A lot of this has to come from clubs but the FAI could work more with LoI clubs with regards summer soccer camps and having LoI clubs more central to the development on the game in their area. There needs to be visibility of a clubs involvement in the local community.

People do whatever they feel like doing. They don't owe us anything. We may not like their choices but they're their choices to make. The league/ clubs need to find a way to get the message across that they offer something that the premiership or SPL cannot- community, belonging, an attachment to place, atmosphere and involvement, asterisks, Roddy fecking Collins. Whatever- we DO have strengths as well as weaknesses and progress can be made. But without some leadership and planning within the league and within the FAI in general we're going to stagnate as a league.

There should at least be a goal and determination to improve from where we are. There isn't any positive noises coming from the FAI. When Delaney was interviewed about the B team joining the league and on any possibility of a new region joining the league, he wasn't making any comments on how clubs could build to league level. As CEO of the FAI, he should at least be making comments on the underage league and how it can be a platform for even new clubs/regions to get involved at a national level. The FAI need to create the environment, from there, the respective clubs have to have the drive etc. to do the rest.

[Nesta99]

Ray Houghton's opinion

http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/s...me-269376.html

Ray Houghton - the master of stating the obvious....improve the standard, improve the facilities, better attendances more money that'll fix LoI ... ffs.

[Macy]

Ray Houghton - the master of stating the obvious....improve the standard, improve the facilities, better attendances more money that'll fix LoI ... ffs.

It's also just lazy - how's the top class facilities working out for Limerick? Top class facilities, but not in too big a stadium etc. etc. There will always be some excuse.

[NeverFeltBetter]

Ray Houghton - the master of stating the obvious....improve the standard, improve the facilities, better attendances more money that'll fix LoI ... ffs.

In fairness, he was being interviewed as part of something else and that question just came up. I'm not sure how insightful he could have been in the 30 seconds, on the spot, he had to answer.

[Stuttgart88]

I think the phenomenon can be largely described by the concepts BIRGing and CORFing, although with subtle twists in the Irish context. These are not very adventurous sexual acts, they are terms coined by an American sociologist in the 70s, acronyms describing Basking in Reflected Glory and Cutting Off Reflected Failure.

We kind of know the concept as bandwagoning.

People attach themselves to projected success. It adds to their sense of collective self-esteem and they buy into all the branding etc that goes with it. Irish people attach themselves to English football because it's successful. Some go quite far and attach themselves very closely with English teams, whereas others are less fanatic about a team but are attached to the whole EPL thing and the Champs League etc. too. I also think provincial rugby captures this. Our teams compete with the best in Europe, and our national team is arguably the best in Europe on current form. County GAA engenders this too. Yet, AIL rugby gets paltry crowds as does National League GAA at times.

Most people look down on Irish football and cut it off from their minds. It offers no form of associated collective feelgood.

I think there is a strange Irish twist to the phenomenon though. The terms have to be seen in conjunction with our irrational need for external gratification. We loved it when Riverdance was lauded all over Europe, when Chris De Burgh was number one even though the song was drivel, when foreign heads of state from big countries patronise us. We even loved it when The Guardian ran an editorial in praise of last year's hurling final.

Some info here, a summary and then the original paper which I'm going to re-read now.

http://www.units.miamioh.edu/psybersite/fans/bc.shtml

(Does the last sentence in the above linked article describe the motivation to single out "barstoolers"?)

Original scholarly article:

http://www.bps.org.uk/system/files/i...nietal1976.pdf

[Stuttgart88]

Dermot Keely thinks Caroline Wozniacki is a moron

http://www.thescore.ie/caroline-wozn...78137-May2014/

[trevy]

I don't think facilities are a big issue and seem to be the latest trendy reason for the league not having bigger support. The RSC has a lovely stand only a few years old and there is only a handful of people in it for most games. Most of the fans are in the older stand which is still less than 20 years old and in good condition. Most grounds I've been to or seen on tv have decent facilities and they are a lot better than years ago.
Stuart Byrne was saying we should look at changing season back to what it was as there are too many other distractions in the summer. This year the World Cup is on so gates will be affected by live games on tv too so I think he has a fair point.

[Charlie Darwin]

I don't think facilities are a big issue and seem to be the latest trendy reason for the league not having bigger support. The RSC has a lovely stand only a few years old and there is only a handful of people in it for most games. Most of the fans are in the older stand which is still less than 20 years old and in good condition. Most grounds I've been to or seen on tv have decent facilities and they are a lot better than years ago.
Stuart Byrne was saying we should look at changing season back to what it was as there are too many other distractions in the summer. This year the World Cup is on so gates will be affected by live games on tv too so I think he has a fair point.

The summer break takes up most of the World Cup. I think there's only one fixture during the groups and one more during the knockouts when there are days off.

[Stuttgart88]

Would it be too much of a leap of the imagination to hope that the FAI might encourage Monkeano to take the senior squad out to Tallaght tonight to watch the derby match, and sign autographs for the kids?

It'd be a cheap but effective PR boost (to all parties) and I'm sure the squad are likely to go stir crazy cooped up in a hotel together for 3 weeks.

Separately, is the game on an Irish TV channel tonight?

[Macy]

Stuart Byrne was saying we should look at changing season back to what it was as there are too many other distractions in the summer. This year the World Cup is on so gates will be affected by live games on tv too so I think he has a fair point.

Not so sure about the World Cup specifically, but there are definitely more distractions in the summer imo. Within our family, between children and me and the missus, there's been something on every weekend since Easter, and that'll be the case to when the schools are back. This makes it very hard to get away for a match, and I can't see it getting better as they get older. If it's like that for somebody who'd be actively trying to get to a match, it certainly isn't going to help attract new or floating fans.

iirc this is also backed up by attendance figures, which are lowest during the summer months. I wouldn't propose changing back on a whim (2 wrongs might not make a right), but the assumptions of what our actual competition was when we had a winter season turned out to be bogus.

[Charlie Darwin]

Would it be too much of a leap of the imagination to hope that the FAI might encourage Monkeano to take the senior squad out to Tallaght tonight to watch the derby match, and sign autographs for the kids?

It'd be a cheap but effective PR boost (to all parties) and I'm sure the squad are likely to go stir crazy cooped up in a hotel together for 3 weeks.

Separately, is the game on an Irish TV channel tonight?

No games on telly. The Sligo and Pats matches have been moved though so might be shown live.

[DannyInvincible]

iirc this is also backed up by attendance figures, which are lowest during the summer months.

It's not as if the difference is a matter of thousands though. Attendances outside of the summer months, when there are alleged to be less distractions for the general population, are still a lot lower than we'd hope. The season during which a large chunk of games are played might be a factor that will influence attendances to a slight degree, but in terms of winning over the minds of the public, I'm not sure of its significance.

[Dodge]

No games on telly. The Sligo and Pats matches have been moved though so might be shown live.

They won't be. Sligo moved because of the ROI friendly, pats moved because of Kings of Leon (garda request)

[Macy]

It's not as if the difference is a matter of thousands though. Attendances outside of the summer months, when there are alleged to be less distractions for the general population, are still a lot lower than we'd hope. The season during which a large chunk of games are played might be a factor that will influence attendances to a slight degree, but in terms of winning over the minds of the public, I'm not sure of its significance.

I think it's a big enough difference. I'm not going to dig up the figures, as my caveat of any move back would be proper research - something that was definitely lacking when we switched from a winter season to a summer season.

Summer football has suited the diehards who'd rather watch games in a t-shirt than a big coat, hasn't increased attendances (anecdotally reduced them - hard to get proper figures from the winter seasons), we're lumbered with a mid season break (as it doesn't suit the players either), hamstrung the cross border competition, hasn't really helped the few clubs that qualify for europe, and further seperated the LoI from most of the other levels of Irish football. It was a balls of a decision.

[Nesta99]

It was a balls up because it was done without establishing how things were before change and how to evaluate after. It seemed to be a whimsical stab at a silver bullet solution to all LoI ills. When the season changed it should have also happened in conjunction with junior football (if it was possible to move that mountain). Not moving underage leagues affiliated to LoI clubs is just bizarre. The entire problem is rooted in a lack or credibility summer or winter, 10,12,16 team leagues. We, by our standards, have had a relatively trouble free period without the jokeshop player registration or lack of issues or clubs freaking out about money. Simply we will never have credibility as long as our governing body doesnt see us as credible. This will only happen if UEFA turn around one day and say that a league such as our own must see greater intervention from the FAI.

[DannyInvincible]

Richard Sadlier not a w*nker, after all: http://balls.ie/football/richie-sadl...999-world-cup/

Richie Sadlier was on Second Captains today and the former Ireland striker got to discussing his experience of how players keep themselves entertained during international tournaments.

Talking about playing for Ireland at the U20 World Cup in Nigeria in 1999, Sadlier said that once players had become bored of putting a golf ball into an empty Ribena bottle, some got a bit more risque with the entertainment.

Sadlier takes up the story:

There was one afternoon where there was seven of us in a bedroom. I’m not going to name any names and there was a suggestion by someone, I don’t know how to phrase this – ‘why don’t we have a competition where we pleasure ourselves and the fella who can complete the job first is the winner. So we all reacted the way you’re reacting now.

We all laughed and said well this fella is nuts. We were trying to work it out and he’s actually suggesting what we think he is.

Myself and another fella left, because it appeared this is actually going to happen. And it did, five lads competed with one another.

[nigel-harps1954]

The party police..pfft.