League of Ireland in Europe 2016

[MeathDrog]

Absolutely silly rule to begin with at this stage of the competition.

[pineapple stu]

Some early scores coming in from around Europe - Shirak won 1-0 at home to Dila Gori, and get the coefficient points for a win even though the match now goes to extra time. That means we've dropped below the Armenian league into 45th.

Amazingly, Europa of Gibraltar are 1-0 up away to Pyunik Yerevan, who've had a goal ruled out - that would put Gibraltar on 2.000 between this season and last, compared to 1.200 for the LoI.

Hopefully we'll get one result anyway later today (wouldn't be too confident about Rovers, even with sacked manager bounce), and I know the countries below are benefitting from the coefficient points from playing an extra round, but we're still getting a bit too close for comfort to starting in QR1 of the Champions' League - 47th was there this year. I don't know how Kosovo's entry next year will change things - might need to knock one more team out at that stage, so the bottom 10 (i.e. 46-55th) would join.

Bit worrying how far the LoI is slipping tbh.

Edit - Pyunik equalise. Delays Gibraltar passing us out; means Armenia pull further ahead of us.

[nigel-harps1954]

Really need a few teams to go on an extended run in Europe this year and next year. Cork and Dundalk are the only likely ones to do so. A win for Shamrock Rovers would help tonight though.

[Ezeikial]

My understanding is that a club cannot put up a "temporary" stand for a Champions League game. It can put up a demountable stand but it would have to be up well before the game and considered "permanent". This makes it unattractive from a financial point of view.

Demountable stand or whatever they call it then, if indeed the game is already sold out, in hindsight, another 1,000 seats would have made all the world of a difference in financial terms.

If Dundalk do manage to get through, I'd assume they'll have to move the next round to Dublin to meet further infrastructural criteria?

White Horse clarified the financial picture for you on his earlier post.

In either hindsight or foresight, it is simply not a cost-effective option.

However, if the club were to secure the lease to the ground, investment in the ground could result in increased capacity in the longer term

[El-Pietro]

Some early scores coming in from around Europe - Shirak won 1-0 at home to Dila Gori, and get the coefficient points for a win even though the match now goes to extra time. That means we've dropped below the Armenian league into 45th.

Is that true? We didn't get the points for a draw in Iceland last year, we were considered to have lost in ET. Maybe its different with a win and a loss rather than 2 draws getting you to extra time.

[El-Pietro]

White Horse clarified the financial picture for you on his earlier post.

In either hindsight or foresight, it is simply not a cost-effective option.

However, if the club were to secure the lease to the ground, investment in the ground could result in increased capacity in the longer term

Even if you were to break even surely getting more fans in the ground is a good thing, both on the night and in the long term in terms of converting more passing fans into diehards.

[nigel-harps1954]

Rovers team to play RoPS:

Hyland
Cornwall
Heaney
Madden
G Brennan
McCabe
K Brennan
Cregg
Miele
Shaw
D Clarke

Subs: Murphy, Webster, Boyd, T Clarke, Doona, Dobbs, McPhail


There's links for a stream on Firstrowsports but whether or not they actually work or not is another matter. Bet365 doesn't have Cork v Linfield scheduled.

[pineapple stu]

Is that true? We didn't get the points for a draw in Iceland last year, we were considered to have lost in ET. Maybe its different with a win and a loss rather than 2 draws getting you to extra time.

Oh. I thought it was, but maybe I'm wrong.

But it ended 1-0 aet and the shoot out has just ended, so all moot anyway - we are now down to 45th.

[White Horse]

Even if you were to break even surely getting more fans in the ground is a good thing, both on the night and in the long term in terms of converting more passing fans into diehards.

UEFA do not want clubs putting in temporary stands. There is no hard and fast rule as to how long the demountable stand would have be there to quality as "permanent". There is a doubt that it could be used at all. A hired stand sitting in Oriel for 6 weeks will bring in no revenue except (possibly) on match day and cost a lot of money.

The 900 seat stand we put in for the league decider in 2014 was in Oriel for less than a week and we just broke even.

The issue with the capacity of Oriel Park is a more long term issue and isn't fixed by hiring a demountable stand.

[pineapple stu]

I think a result aet isn't affected by any subsequent penalty shootout. Might be mixing that up with what I originally said

[White Horse]

Good luck to all the Irish teams playing Europe tonight.

[El-Pietro]

I think a result aet isn't affected by any subsequent penalty shootout. Might be mixing that up with what I originally said

That is my understanding, though I don't agree with it.

[nigel-harps1954]

RoPS vs Shamrock Rovers:

http://firstrowir.eu/watch/447574/1/...ck-rovers.html

[gufcfan]

Mic is right beside the Rovers fans. Gas.

[pineapple stu]

1-0 dinamo minsk. Means Pat's much more likely to be going to Belarus now. 3-1 on aggregate; 10 minutes gone

[MeathDrog]

Peno to Rovers.

[pineapple stu]

Pyunik 2-1 up now - need two more to go through, but it means Armenia now even further ahead of us.

Trakai of Lithuania go 1-0 up; Lithuania closing in on us too.

Not inconceivable at all the LoI champions might have an extra round to play next season.

[nigel-harps1954]

Get in. 1-0

Excellent penalty by McCabe despite the goalkeepers best attempts to put him off.

[MeathDrog]

Rovers 1-0 up and have been the better team. This tie isn't over.

[pineapple stu]

1-0 Rovers!

Good stuff