LOI Attendances 2016

[legendz]

It couldn't be 18 matches more likely 27 or 36 if that happens.

Play each other 4 times surely???

The Premier Division went from 12 teams & 33 games to 10 teams & 36 games back to 12 teams & 33 games. It's unlikely the league would revert back to 10 teams & 36 games.

10 teams & 27 games might be the best fit for both divisions if there is consensus to cut out midweek fixtures with the exception of cup replays and the league cup.

The lower tiers across the water are likely to revert to 20 team leagues. They reckon it'll boost attendances for weekend fixtures amongst other measures.

[Johnnie C]

Good crowd in Cobh tonight, estimated at 2000 + on Facebook which is about right. Cracking atmosphere too until 2nd went in. Very unsavoury incidents outside ground after though. Drogs brought a few scumbags down with them. Ramblers caught out too with no guards in ground and security insufficient.

[Comic Book Guy]

I thought there was plenty but if you get scum intent on causing trouble on both sides then it's hard to stop.
The sickening thing is that huge work done on a voluntary basis is put in danger by a collection of pond life.

[Johnnie C]

Away fans should have been kept back at the end for 10 minutes, would have prevented the major aggro outside. Thought Drogheda had sorted their hooligan problem, obviously not.

[outspoken]

Awful awful scenes outside the ground judging by the video I just watched on twitter. Not the first time the lack of stewarding down there has caused issue. We had trouble down there twice previously

[White Horse]

Away fans should have been kept back at the end for 10 minutes, would have prevented the major aggro outside. Thought Drogheda had sorted their hooligan problem, obviously not.

Very poor organisation. Drogheda have a known hooligan problem. Cobh and the police should have known this and planned accordingly.

[MeathDrog]

Very poor organisation. Drogheda have a known hooligan problem. Cobh and the police should have known this and planned accordingly.

What sort of operation are they running down there. Cobh fans seemed to have open access at the Drogheda fans down a tight alley way right after the game. There was bound to be a flashpoint.

[KeepersBall]

Looking at the video it does appear as if the Cobh lot got more than they bargained for when they attacked the Drogs.
Judging by the age profile of the Cobh mob Mammy and Daddy need to keep more of a check on where they are and what they are up to

[GCdfc]

4637 in oriel tonight

[trevy]

Nothing official from Waterford unfortunately. Usually handy enough getting official figures from there.

Thanks for the help folks, coming across these figures gets very difficult at the end of the season.

247 is now up on extra time for Waterford v UCD. Nothing yet for Athlone game.

[Kingdom]

Forgive for doorstepping onto the conversation, but I'd be curious about something. What's worrying about the Pats Cork attendance is how relatively easy it should be made for a Cork supporter to get to Inchicore, and I don't mean that as a slight on the cork fan either.

A good few times I've gone to matches in Europe, travel either free or reduced rates are included in your ticket price. It is very appealing. Surely the FAI could be working with Irish Rail for the clubs that are based in towns on the rail line? Richmond is literally a 20min walk from Heuston station, Tallaght is 30 mins direct on the Luas. Dalymount will be 15 mins on the Luas from next year.
Bar Harps and Derry, is there any club not on the train line? I know that Irish Rail ran special trains after Ireland matches to a few areas, not subsidised mind, and they were generally a success.

Ease of access is one of the reasons I get to go to so many LoI matches in Dublin. Surely making it easier for the hard-core away fans is something the FAI should be doing to help away attendances and by extension the promotion of the league?

[Mr A]

Often matches finish after the last public transport is finished. In many cases it just isn't an option for matches except in the capital or a few other cases like Galway if you're coming from Dublin.

[oriel]

4637 in oriel tonight

4,637 was the highest crowd of the season in OP. The trophy will be presented on Friday night at home to Galway, however I don't see the crowd being close to this, possibly 3k. Last night was the one not to miss.

[El-Pietro]

Forgive for doorstepping onto the conversation, but I'd be curious about something. What's worrying about the Pats Cork attendance is how relatively easy it should be made for a Cork supporter to get to Inchicore, and I don't mean that as a slight on the cork fan either.

A good few times I've gone to matches in Europe, travel either free or reduced rates are included in your ticket price. It is very appealing. Surely the FAI could be working with Irish Rail for the clubs that are based in towns on the rail line? Richmond is literally a 20min walk from Heuston station, Tallaght is 30 mins direct on the Luas. Dalymount will be 15 mins on the Luas from next year.
Bar Harps and Derry, is there any club not on the train line? I know that Irish Rail ran special trains after Ireland matches to a few areas, not subsidised mind, and they were generally a success.

Ease of access is one of the reasons I get to go to so many LoI matches in Dublin. Surely making it easier for the hard-core away fans is something the FAI should be doing to help away attendances and by extension the promotion of the league?

The train isn't usually an option for us going to Dublin. You can get the train up but its AirCoach back, or else you drive or get a club/fan run coach. Last train to Cork is at 9.
A bigger issue though for City fans is the amount of time off work that is required to get to every game. Some fans do it and fair play to them, but I have to pick and choose which games I get to. I work by the airport in Cork, don't drive and would typically finish work around 6, though my bosses are fairly flexible so I could get out around 5 without any fuss.

If I drove then I'd be able to get to Dublin in 2 and a half hours theoretically but getting out of the city, and into Dublin City between the ours of 5 and 8 would not be extremely easy.
That particular game against Pats was our fourth away game in 15 days. Our second midweek away fixture in 7 days, and our second trip to Inchicore in that same 15 day period. We were also playing Pats at home that Friday, so it was always going to be hard to get a big crowd to that game from Cork. Things may have been different if we felt we had anything to play for.

Ideally every game would be accessible for home and away fans, and travel would be priced reasonably but the Irish rail system isn't a patch on what is available in European countries, and is quite expensive at the same time. I think I'm paying something like 40 euro for my return trip to Dublin for the Cup Final, and I booked my tickets the day we got through to the Final.

One last point, our entire rail system is built around Dublin. Sligo and Galway both have train stations, but to get from one to the other you'd have to go through Dublin. It is possible to get from Cork to Galway by rail, but I don't think its practical. I'll be honest, I've never tried.

[White Horse]

One last point, our entire rail system is built around Dublin. Sligo and Galway both have train stations, but to get from one to the other you'd have to go through Dublin. It is possible to get from Cork to Galway by rail, but I don't think its practical. I'll be honest, I've never tried.

Same for the motorways. Getting from Dundalk to Sligo, Galway, Longford involves trekking on roads that were built for a horse and cart.

[brendy_éire]

Bar Harps and Derry, is there any club not on the train line?

Derry is on a train line, just not exactly a direct one to Dublin.
Being realistic, if the FAI were to create a public transport partnership, it would probably be best with Bus Éireann. Much cheaper to run a bus than a train, and they run plenty of late night buses anyway.

[outspoken]

Often matches finish after the last public transport is finished. In many cases it just isn't an option for matches except in the capital or a few other cases like Galway if you're coming from Dublin.

Exactly, even for Ireland games it's a total disaster for those of us based down the country, last train back to longford from Dublin leaves Connolly at 7.05. Now obviously it's only an hours drive but it's not ideal for anyone wanting to have a few drinks.

[Charlie Darwin]

Forgive for doorstepping onto the conversation, but I'd be curious about something. What's worrying about the Pats Cork attendance is how relatively easy it should be made for a Cork supporter to get to Inchicore, and I don't mean that as a slight on the cork fan either.

A good few times I've gone to matches in Europe, travel either free or reduced rates are included in your ticket price. It is very appealing. Surely the FAI could be working with Irish Rail for the clubs that are based in towns on the rail line? Richmond is literally a 20min walk from Heuston station, Tallaght is 30 mins direct on the Luas. Dalymount will be 15 mins on the Luas from next year.
Bar Harps and Derry, is there any club not on the train line? I know that Irish Rail ran special trains after Ireland matches to a few areas, not subsidised mind, and they were generally a success.

Ease of access is one of the reasons I get to go to so many LoI matches in Dublin. Surely making it easier for the hard-core away fans is something the FAI should be doing to help away attendances and by extension the promotion of the league?

Rail is a lot more viable in Europe and the UK in general for reasons of sheer scale. As Brendy said, Bus Eireann would be your man in Ireland, especially given the lack of connections between the two sides of the border.

[legendz]

Noticeably more "Premier League supporters" took an interest in Dundalk's game last night.

I've said before that the league needed something like 6 weeks of positive coverage for perception to change for the better. Dundalk's great run has naturally created positive headlines over that sort of timescale.

I think Limerick's great escape last year spanned more than 6 weeks. Coupled with their return to the Markets Field, that good run up to before they faltered at the final hurdle has helped build a connect with many who hadn't been going to games.

[Martinho II]

Exactly, even for Ireland games it's a total disaster for those of us based down the country, last train back to longford from Dublin leaves Connolly at 7.05. Now obviously it's only an hours drive but it's not ideal for anyone wanting to have a few drinks.

Bus Eireann is the best way imo if you are in living in Longford and wanted to go to a match in Dublin. majority of week last bus leaves from Bus Aras at 11pm and goes to either Sligo /Ballina. But if the match is in Tallaght it would be a struggle to make it from Tallaght to Dublin city by luas unless you took a taxi.