Soccer Republic

[Spudulika]

The most important audience Dundalk need to address is not the media or supporters, it is the local kids who worship Richie Towell.

People outside the area don't realise how big of heroes these Dundalk players to the young people. In my opinion, Richie should make it clear to these kids that he was wrong and that what he did has no place on any pitch.

WH, you're 100% correct. I think he's an amazing player and (with zero disrespect for our league or clubs) he is well capable of performing in a good continental league - German BII, Portugal I for eg - and showing that the LOI is a launchpad. With the Louth senior team again at a low, DFC are EVERYTHING in the town and around abouts. Seeing a kid sitting on a wall in Tallanstown wearing a Dundalk shirt shows what this club can do. If the club do something positive they will not only show how great they are, and how decent Richie is, they will set a standard for the country.

[Nesta99]

(with zero disrespect for our league or clubs) .

Thats a bit harsh. Ambition to move on is hardly disrespect! What has you come to thos opinion Spudlika. He has stated that if he didnt get a club that is of a higher level tha LoI he would stay and would only play with Dundalk - that at least negates tha lack of respect of the club. The kick out last night can happen to the most disciplined player with a rush of blood or with provocation. I agree that a big point should be made that it isnt appropriate and is actually as inferred a big opportunity too if managed well!

[Nugget]

As for Towell, for Dundalk to come out and issue a ban themselves and a short statement encouraging proper sportsmanship (sticking two fingers up to the GAA) would be great publicity and set a proper precedent for the league as a whole. They only have to say something along the lines of "Richie realises what he done was wrong in the heat of the moment, apologies and regrets his actions. He pledges further to encourage proper sportsmanship amongst his fellow professionals and team-mates".

What are you getting at here?

[nigel-harps1954]

Thats a bit harsh. Ambition to move on is hardly disrespect! What has you come to thos opinion Spudlika. He has stated that if he didnt get a club that is of a higher level tha LoI he would stay and would only play with Dundalk - that at least negates tha lack of respect of the club. The kick out last night can happen to the most disciplined player with a rush of blood or with provocation. I agree that a big point should be made that it isnt appropriate and is actually as inferred a big opportunity too if managed well!

I think you misunderstood what Spudulika was trying to say there.

[nigel-harps1954]

What are you getting at here?

That the GAA is full of a lack of sportsmanship. I'd have thought that bit was obvious. I played and supported the game of Gaelic Football all my life and fell away from it around 4 or 5 years ago altogether once I realised how petty and bitter the game had become. Too many people get away with too much crap. The first sign of anything decent being done by the GAA was the ban handed out to the Tyrone player for feigning injury, to which a good 75% of GAA fans and players ended up outraged at the decision.

[White Horse]

That the GAA is full of a lack of sportsmanship. I'd have thought that bit was obvious. I played and supported the game of Gaelic Football all my life and fell away from it around 4 or 5 years ago altogether once I realised how petty and bitter the game had become.

Players move around clubs in the football. In any game, it is quite likely that many of the players played together at some stage, whether at schoolboy level, other clubs, or underage Irish teams.

In inter-county GAA, players grow up with the same players and develop a tribalism that makes anything acceptable.

[Nesta99]

I think you misunderstood what Spudulika was trying to say there.

Really? (should have a non sarcastic smiley!!) As an aside, do others have trouble watching RTE player with constant buffering - I never have a problem watching any other catch up or streaming live. Its a pain in the ass!!

[Spudulika]

Thats a bit harsh. Ambition to move on is hardly disrespect! What has you come to thos opinion Spudlika. He has stated that if he didnt get a club that is of a higher level tha LoI he would stay and would only play with Dundalk - that at least negates tha lack of respect of the club. The kick out last night can happen to the most disciplined player with a rush of blood or with provocation. I agree that a big point should be made that it isnt appropriate and is actually as inferred a big opportunity too if managed well!

Nesta99, sorry, that was mixed in context. My mistake. I mean that I don't (ever) wish to demean our league or our clubs, I just see Richie being capable of playing at a really good level - he'd be a started in the Russian Premier and a number of other high level leagues. I would dislike seeing him move to England because I think it would harm his development as a player, though there are plenty of good clubs and leagues for him to go to (should he choose). Agree, it was not usual for him and it'd be a real standard setter if something was done. In a way I don't care about what the other clubs do, we should set a standard!

I'm with both Nigel and White Horse on the GAA situation. I was up in the press box Saturday before last and next to me was a Tyrone reporter. Behind us, in the fans, were some of the most obnoxious fans I've ever endured - from Tyrone. Their language, abuse of officials, of other supporters, was disgusting and sadly mirrored what their team were doing on the field. The sense of entitlement and stupidity shown by them I've seen many times in 6 county GAA, yet a week earlier I'd been near some Fermanagh fans who made me genuinely proud to be a Gael. They embodied what real supporters are. Too often in GAA the tribalism takes over though internal discipline and GAA reaction is good, because they can make their own rules. It just shows how our sport (football) is dysfunctional and all the talk of the FAI failing to promote a super Monday.......

[Couch Potato]

Yeah, we're definitely going to voluntarily suspend the best player in the league for a match in the run in to possibly winning an historic back-to-back league title. It was a reckless, rash and totally out of character moment of petulance, but hardly the worst I've seen or seen players get away with. The self-righteous, hypocritical pontificating is hilarious though.

Out of Character you must be joking be me he is constantly fouling players and goes down like a brazzer if the breeze blows too hard near him.

Don't get me wrong he is an exceptional player but I'm sick of the rose tinted view of him.

Dundalk absolutely battered us last night from start to finish they were on top and absolutely blew us out of the water.

We need a massive improvement and a return of some of our injured players to settle things back down again we have been relying on kids for a number of weeks now which isn't ideal when your in a scrap for european football.

[White Horse]

Out of Character you must be joking be me he is constantly fouling players and goes down like a brazzer if the breeze blows too hard near him.

Don't get me wrong he is an exceptional player but I'm sick of the rose tinted view of him.

I have watched Richie play well over 100 games for Dundalk and this is the first instance of nastiness from him.

Yes, he fouls and does get away with it more than many other players. However, I cannot recall another instance where he tried to hurt another player.

[Nesta99]

There is an element of 'give a dog a bad name' or the opposite maybe. Towell is an energetic and physical player and does niggle, I dont think overly so. He will make the most of someone making a challenge that isnt precise for want of a better word. He possibly gets away with a bit more than say Killian Brennan, for example, due to his well publicised professional demeanour and attitude. He is not a dirty player but is probably a very frustrating player for opposition players and fans to watch.

[JC_GUFC]

Yeah, we're definitely going to voluntarily suspend the best player in the league for a match in the run in to possibly winning an historic back-to-back league title.

Totally agree with you eel - would be ridiculous for the club to suspend him for a league game... however as the cup doesn't matter to you maybe he shouldn't play on Friday (along with the other 10 Dundalk players who were on the pitch at the time)

[Nesta99]

Nesta99, sorry, that was mixed in context. My mistake. I mean that I don't (ever) wish to demean our league or our clubs, I just see Richie being capable of playing at a really good level - he'd be a started in the Russian Premier and a number of other high level leagues. I would dislike seeing him move to England because I think it would harm his development as a player, though there are plenty of good clubs and leagues for him to go to (should he choose). Agree, it was not usual for him and it'd be a real standard setter if something was done. In a way I don't care about what the other clubs do, we should set a standard!

Thanks for clearing that up...I think maybe im having a stuck on stupid day!

[Nesta99]

Totally agree with you eel - would be ridiculous for the club to suspend him for a league game... however as the cup doesn't matter to you maybe he shouldn't play on Friday (along with the other 10 Dundalk players who were on the pitch at the time)

Reserves and youths arent to shabby either

[Yossarian]

Totally agree with you eel - would be ridiculous for the club to suspend him for a league game... however as the cup doesn't matter to you maybe he shouldn't play on Friday (along with the other 10 Dundalk players who were on the pitch at the time)

I'd say there'll be a couple of changes but not too many after the last cup outing in Galway. I'd say Shields, Kilduff and Meenan will start and probably Sava in goals.

[JC_GUFC]

I'd say there'll be a couple of changes but not too many after the last cup outing in Galway. I'd say Shields, Kilduff and Meenan will start and probably Sava in goals.

Really? I'd have thought you'd have put out your strongest XI in chasing the double.

We'll have a couple of players back from suspensions but are still really stretched.

[Spudulika]

Thanks for clearing that up...I think maybe im having a stuck on stupid day!

It's my english. When you wake up and start your day in a different language, and then spend 2 hours without a drop of English, it's a pain trying to write!

[oriel]

Really? I'd have thought you'd have put out your strongest XI in chasing the double.

We'll have a couple of players back from suspensions but are still really stretched.

I would say DLK will play a strong enough side in Galway, but I can see them resting 4 or 5 players, probably Kilduff in for McMillan, Grimes in for Massey, Shields in for Towell (maybe) and Meenan in for Mountney, all are first team players, maybe he will promote a few youth players, but it will be a different team that played the LC Semi.

As for Towell, I've been watching him 3 years, I don't think he was sent off once for us, think he may have missed one game for suspension, that's about it. His actions last night was very poor, it was a clear red card offence, the ref booked him for 'afters' so it won't be looked at again, but he should have been sent off. However It was missed by the ref, who didn't cover himself in glory it has to be said, that free kick for Pats which led to their goal should not have been awarded. Gannon clearly won the ball.

As for the match, and considering Pats were on a club record run of 9 straight wins, the first half was one of the best displays I have seen by Dundalk in a Prem Div home game in recent times, this was backed up by an unusual standing ovation at half time, but too many Pats players made it very easy, Bolger's back heel trying to clear the ball set up the 4th goal, no wonder he didn't appear for the second half. I was actually thinking what was our record score at home to Pats after the 4th goal, but to be fair Pats improved a lot in the second.

[Charlie Darwin]

Last night it was embarrassing at times watching the RTE coverage when Stephen Beattie came onto the ball. The 2nd chant of "Stephen Beattie is a w......" was magnified by George and Brian staying absolutely silent.

How do you know he's not though?

I've seen some embarrassing stuff on gutter social media.

The lad who was frothing at the mouth about Forrester throwing away Stephen O'Donnell's armband made my night. What an absolute hero.

[mcgonigle]

Towell, deserves a suspension for that, but so does the referee for his home town decision last night where he bottled it by only issuing a yellow when he clearly saw Towell kicking the Pats player in the face.

He also missed two elbows on Dundalk players. Refs miss things, that's what happens. The incident was in front of me and I missed the heel at the time, thought he just accidentally caught him as he came through and so did everyone around me. He obviously didn't clearly see it.