League of Ireland in Europe 2016

[gufcfan]

Thanks! had it in my head it was group stages till i had a look at uefa website !

Wikipedia is your friend.

CL qualifiers

EL qualifiers

[redobit]

I didn't realise Galway and Finn Harps were competing in Europe.

It's the LOI, things change quickly. Dundalk the prime example there.

[jinxy lilywhite]

It's the LOI, things change quickly. Dundalk the prime example there.

And sligo

[Charlie Darwin]

Imagine another 2/3 years of Cork/Dundalk at the top making 500k-1.5mill each every season, it could lead to us having our own watered down version of what the SPL had for decades.

Or it could not. It doesn't take much for a team to go from finishing first to fifth, as Rovers proved. And the scale is incomparable to the SPL where there are two clubs that can command crowds 10x that of the average club.

[Philosophizer]

The money now really could cause a far greater divide between the haves and have nots over the coming seasons, than we have ever seen before. Imagine another 2/3 years of Cork/Dundalk at the top making 500k-1.5mill each every season, it could lead to us having our own watered down version of what the SPL had for decades. The LOI has been notoriously unpredictable, for as long as I can remember, but for once, we seem to have a couple of clubs being run well within their means, and prospering, with no sign of letting up.

In the case of Dundalk I imagine that any profits they make for the next few years will mostly go into sorting out the lease/stadium issues so I don't see them striding too far ahead of the chasing pack like in the SPL.
With Cork though I think it's a valid point. They already have the best ground in the league, with the best crowds, and they're squad is excellent. If they manage to win a couple of leagues and progress a few CL rounds over the next few years they could start building a sizeable gap from the rest.

[patrickccfc]

Six days till the second leg and already have over half the ground sold

http://www.corkcityfc.ie/home/2016/0...e-recommended/

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Interesting comments from The Gambler.

http://www.newstalk.com/Joe-Gamble:-Cork-City-will-struggle-to-hold-onto-Greg-Bolger-amid-Swedish-interest

"When I played against Valur [in the Intertoto Cup in 2007], there was a right-back who played with Iceland recently in the European Championships. I remember saying to Damien Richardson; 'We should sign this young player'. Very good player. Could have got him for €100,000 and then sell him on to England. We dont have the foresight in our league. We dont have the finances to do that."

[Mr A]

€100k for a right back? Go home Joe, you're drunk.

And mental.

[legendz]

Imagine another 2/3 years of Cork/Dundalk at the top making 500k-1.5mill each every season, it could lead to us having our own watered down version of what the SPL had for decades. The LOI has been notoriously unpredictable, for as long as I can remember, but for once, we seem to have a couple of clubs being run well within their means, and prospering, with no sign of letting up.

4 European places are available. Is it a realistic ambition for Shamrock Rovers, Sligo Rovers, Derry and Galway to close the gap?

[Viking]

Interesting comments from The Gambler.

http://www.newstalk.com/Joe-Gamble:-...edish-interest

"When I played against Valur [in the Intertoto Cup in 2007], there was a right-back who played with Iceland recently in the European Championships. I remember saying to Damien Richardson; 'We should sign this young player'. Very good player. Could have got him for €100,000 and then sell him on to England. We dont have the foresight in our league. We dont have the finances to do that.""

That particular right-back now plays in Hammarby (Swe) They got him more or less for free, since his contract ran out with Brann (Nor) in 2014
And his estimated value is around €300-500 at this time depending on where you look. He's now 32 years old and probably has his best years behind him. Still, he's one of few quality players in that team at the moment.
Source 1 2

And Häcken denied any interest in Bolger. Take it for what it is.
Source (Swedish)

[gufcfan]

And his estimated value is around €300-500 at this time depending on where you look.

An estimate from Transfermarket or something? Based on nothing and completely pointless.

Re: Joe Gamble...

He gives out that they didn't sign a player that they couldn't afford even if they wanted to?

...

[outspoken]

Heading to the game Tuesday, how is the ticket situation going? anyway to get them online?

[Charlie Darwin]

Heading to the game Tuesday, how is the ticket situation going? anyway to get them online?

There will be lots of them on sale on the night in the car park. It's the east stand, unreserved seating, so no need to worry about not having one in advance.

[oriel]

I think Dundalk have sold around 2.5k so far, as of Friday.


They will prob sell more on mon and Tuesday (west stand) but I can't see this being a sell out.

[Charlie Darwin]

I think Dundalk have sold around 2.5k so far, as of Friday.


They will prob sell more on mon and Tuesday (west stand) but I can't see this being a sell out.

It was never going to sell out. Pats sold out on the morning of the Legia game but they're a local team. Rovers didn't even get to 6,000 for our first Europa game on a Thursday. The likelihood of a team from 100km away selling out on a Tuesday was always remote, which is nothing to be ashamed of.

[Nesta99]

I was told when picking up tickets that the West Stand was close to sold out and that they were about to start selling for the East Stand, then whatever remained goes on general sale at the ground on the night. It means that the West Stand will have Dundalk fans grouped together plus a few in the East stand and the 'neutrals'. By the sounds of things 4000 wouldn't be beyond possible.

[Charlie Darwin]

I was told when picking up tickets that the West Stand was close to sold out and that they were about to start selling for the East Stand, then whatever remained goes on general sale at the ground on the night. It means that the West Stand will have Dundalk fans grouped together plus a few in the East stand and the 'neutrals'. By the sounds of things 4000 wouldn't be beyond possible.

Try not to bring the torrential rain this time. They had to put in an entire new drainage system after the destruction your lot brought down for the Setanta final.

[White Horse]

I was told when picking up tickets that the West Stand was close to sold out and that they were about to start selling for the East Stand, then whatever remained goes on general sale at the ground on the night. It means that the West Stand will have Dundalk fans grouped together plus a few in the East stand and the 'neutrals'. By the sounds of things 4000 wouldn't be beyond possible.

I'd be happy with that. The game being on Eir Sport keeps a lot of the lukewarm support at home.

The important thing is that it looks like we will have good support in the ground.

[oriel]

I would say if Dundalk get 4K for this match they would be very happy. For the match v FH, the crowd was 3,200, maximum seating capacity.

Both Dundalk and Cork have a decent chance this week to really push Irish football to a level not seen for years, but both probably need to score 2 without reply, and that's a big ask, and the bigger European side rarely misses out over two legs. I'd love to see both go through, most of us would, and maybe there is momentum building up in the run up to the games, however I just can't see it.

I think even one of the two going through would be a massive achievement, all about the first goal really, you get that and you have a great chance, but the second leg is usually the most dangerous one, and the away goal might kill both clubs in the end, but you never know.

[patrickccfc]

Over 70% of tickets sold for our game on Thursday. Shaping up to be a great night, hopefully we can do it on the pitch. Big ask for both Irish clubs, but not impossible