League of Ireland in Europe 2017

[Ezeikial]

It seems Bohs are not too eager to switch their league game with Dundalk because of likely lower mid-week gate

DFC | Dundalk FC call on the FAI to help with their Champions League preparations

Lilywhites scheduled to face Bohemians before European opener

https://dundalksport.ie/dfc-dundalk-...s-add75d25d9c5

[Mr A]

Don't see why Bohs should take a hit to facilitate Dundalk.

[nigel-harps1954]

This cancelling of fixtures is absolutely ridiculous and does damage to the likes of Bohs and other clubs who could do with the money.

There's nothing to stop Dundalk playing their league games on Friday or Saturday nights and those in Europa action playing on Sundays between games.

[EatYerGreens]

Don't see why Bohs should take a hit to facilitate Dundalk.

Exactly.

Particularly as Dundalk will be handsomely paid for European appearances.

[sidcon]

We moved a game for Dundalk last year and it cost us the guts of 10k as the game turned out to be a dead rubber with both teams having positions confirm by the time it was rescheduled, our board has told them no this year as we operate off a shoestring and every bit counts and were not looking out this year, it's only Fair.

[nigel-harps1954]

Harps are to ask the FAI to have the Derry game in Finn Park to be played on the Sunday between their Europa League fixtures in an attempt to avoid a midweek game too.

[legendz]

Clubs participating in European competition have got to continue on with their domestic games as well. A game should only be moved if a team has a European game on a Tuesday having played on the previous Wednesday.

If Dundalk have European games on successive Tuesdays, they should fulfil domestic fixtures on the Friday evening. If Dundalk have European games on successive Wednesdays, they should be able to fulfil domestic fixtures on the Saturday.

If the Europa League representatives have European games on successive Thursdays, they should be able to fulfil domestic fixtures on the Sunday.

[sbgawa]

EPL teams don't cancel their fixtures and irish clubs shouldnt either. If dundalk want to switch their game with Bohs they should pay bohs 15k in lieu of lost gate receipts. Ditto for rovers derry and cork.

[jinxy lilywhite]

Minnowism

[Briuk]

I say the same year after year and I just can't understand how the FAI is so stupid with this.
Why don't they put the holiday week conceding with the first week of European games so at least the teams playing the first round we play of Europa League don't need to change one of the games.

[sulywaterfordfc]

Teams sign 23/24 man squads for a reason. If Dundalk are worried about there best 11 getting injured or tired going into the European game. Then there's no reason why they can't make changes to the team and use there squad. After all that's what the squad is for. On top of that leagues over, not as though they've to worry about losing ground on Cork.

Other clubs shouldn't have to take a hit financially because clubs in Europe want a extra day or two off. Home games against the likes of Dundalk are a big attraction so there's even the chance if it's a Friday game a bigger then average crowd may be in attendance. Obviously if the games clashing its different story and can't be help. But the FAI imo should plan the none Europe clubs against us each other likewise the clubs in Europe so it's mainly just the four clubs in Europe affected and not the rest.

[Charlie Darwin]

Far be it from me to stick up for Bohs but it is unfair on them to expect them to move games to midweek. It's a game they're unlikely to get points from anyway, but to expect a part time team to compete on half a week's rest so a full time team can have a week to prepare for a match is ridiculous. I'd say the same if it was Rovers.

[sparky12345678]

Its mad that the FAI cant forsee these scheduling problems esp for the first round of gaurenteed European games. Either schedule them well in advance on the Sundays in between or schedule the holiday week during that time. It must be tough if its an away game somewhere tricky which might affect it. But ultimately the games have to be played and what happened last year was a pile up of games at the end of the league when it was tougher competition (the St. Petersbourg double header comes to mind)...

[patrickccfc]

Yeah for the first round it's a no brainer to schedule the games around that. It couldn't be difficult to work it out that the teams that are in Europe to play each other the Sunday or Monday after a European game instead of it affecting the teams that are not in it.

[ArFella]

I say the same year after year and I just can't understand how the FAI is so stupid with this.
Why don't they put the holiday week conceding with the first week of European games so at least the teams playing the first round we play of Europa League don't need to change one of the games.

I think the point of the holiday week is to give the players a chance to take holidays, they are just regular people like ourselves remember, so I don't think it's fair to punish the players on the European teams by taking that away.

[micls]

Completely understandable from Bohs. I understand trying to give the Euro teams the best chance of success, but it's unfair on other teams suffering for it. If the other team doesn't mind, great. But really this should be all avoided by proper advance planning in the fixtures.

[seand]

It's a tricky one. I think the league/FAI has an obligation to help clubs in Europe if we actually want to the league to improve. Proper planning of the fixture list would help.

Any clubs fecked around, like Bohs, could be compensated out of the FAI's solidarity payment (which will certainly be ring-fenced for the league, right?!) or from a contribution of, say, 1% of Euro prize money into a solidarity fund. Maybe something like 10K for a home game moved to midweek, and 2K for an away game moved to midweek would help keep everyone onside.

Bohs were badly fecked over last season with the Wexford game. Dundalk should have had at least one game pulled forward to before the break but ended up in a situation where the FAI had no choice but to rearrange domestic fixtures around Dundalk's EL games. The 12 games played by Dundalk in 2016 and Rovers in 2011 will remain an exception though, I'd expect.

[refjohn]

I say the same year after year and I just can't understand how the FAI is so stupid with this.
Why don't they put the holiday week conceding with the first week of European games so at least the teams playing the first round we play of Europa League don't need to change one of the games.

Why can we not have the Euro teams playing each other through July? It couldn't be that hard to schedule and then they can move to their heart's content as it only hits the 4 of them. We dont need to play teams in sequence over 3 rounds - so a computer could easily rejig fixtures so that July sees Euro teams play each other (even twice) and non-Euro teams play each other.

Obviously if a team does what Rovers and Dundalk have done in Europa League I think more flexibility from other teams is fair to ask for - but the first couple of rounds in Europe are plannable.

[Philosophizer]

I think the point of the holiday week is to give the players a chance to take holidays, they are just regular people like ourselves remember, so I don't think it's fair to punish the players on the European teams by taking that away.

Do they actually take holidays though??

Maybe they drop a session or 2 on the 1st week of the break, but it's hardly any more than that, so what's the point.

[El-Pietro]

Most players were away for most of last week, some of ours didn't get back until Sunday/Monday