Open it up or leave it IE?

**tressonisgod** · 23/02/2002, 7:47 PM

I'm not a regular visitor here but here's my opinion anyway. If you open the site to Irish Premiership 'fans' (i.e. barstool Sky fans) then I'm completely outta here. You won't convert one of those people to our League through a Message Board. Look at JW's Board- the traffic is huge. Now why is that?....

**wws** · 24/02/2002, 12:04 PM

Its a difficult decision. Opening up sections of foot.ie to accommodate discussion of English clubs and leagues will bring in extra traffic (exactly how much extra I couldn't say) but it will kill stone dead this site's unique selling point.

As someone who helps to maintain an unnofficial site I tried to get this (the pats section of foot.ie) established as the main Pats message board but I underestimated the individual strength of the individual unnofficial sites........to their own online support base on the web the Independent Saints site, the Joe De Hoops site, the DCFC Online, Neil Mulvey's Bohs site etc, etc, etc, etc are much stronger 'brands' (for want of a better word) in the minds of their own supporters than a catch all site.

Also in relation to the comments above on Johnny Wards site, his success has been painstakingly built up over time, hell of a lot of hard work and unpaid for man hours, and its unfair to suggest that he should just chuck all that work away and hand it over to a new site, I think foot.ie have acknowledged all this already and I'm referring to the suggestions above rather than to any statements by foot.ie on that matter, so that's a non-runner in fairness.

On a more positive note Adam and more in keeping with the site's uniqueness as a distinctly "Irish football community" why don't you look into the possibility of creating Supporter Club message boards for genuine die hard supporters of these UK teams.......there are hundreds of people who take planes and ferries over each week.....they all have Cork/Dublin and rural based supporter Club Branches...........maybe facilitate some of these supporters clubs with forums for an existing Irish based active supporters club of one of these UK sides........with the amount of travel arrangements to be sorted in getting to Brit games from here it might be a unique and popular forum for these type of people............I think this type of forum would somehow be less offensive to National League fans than open club forums with w&nkers from Ireland telling us how Barnsley were ace last night on Sky tv..........

being realistic you can't ignore the amount that travel over but cater for these genuine types, no matter how deluded their dedication to the brits, rather than the type who "follow" their club on sky tv from an armchair or a bar stool in Ireland.......

just my thoughts on the matter

as a last suggestion FOR THE EXISTING FANSB try to offer the NL club fans....not just cork....some service that they CANNOT get in any other form on the web......maybe you'll say you already have but its debateable......some new idea that would make the foot.ie essential is whats needed..............NO I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THAT IS OR MIGHT BE!

**Patsys Fags** · 24/02/2002, 9:47 PM

For gods sake dont pollute foot with the premiership!!!!!! Dont mind about opening up foot to northern supporters though. It might help introduce some sort of all-Ireland cup competition and help the peace process up north

**James** · 24/02/2002, 9:58 PM

Originally posted by Patsys Fags
help the peace process up north

ehh

**searcher** · 25/02/2002, 8:57 AM

I'm not sure if someone would have made this point alrady or not. I understand why certain people would want this site to stay exclusively Irish Football but I also understand how hard it is to "grow" a website and the opening up to something like the premiership and other leagues would definitely bring a boost. My point is though, these people who just blindly say no, seem (in my opinion anyway), very similar to a certain sporting organisation unwilling to share it's ground with a so-called "foreign" sport.

**Ruairi** · 25/02/2002, 9:13 AM

Being honest I don't think a Premiership forum would be any harm at all. If die-hard EL fans disagree with it, then all they have to do is not click on the link that says "premiership". I think it would be a good way to increase traffic, because there's a helluva load of Premiership fans in Ireland. How often do you see somone walking down the road in a City/Boez/Shams/$h�l$/Ramblers (okay I'm taking the urine there) jersey? Then think of the amount of people you see with united/Liverpool/Arsenal/Leeds tops. Hell I'm in college now and the guy next to me's wearing a Blackburn top. I think a Premiership forum would make a lot of sense, I don't see why you shouldn't Adam

**Macy** · 25/02/2002, 3:52 PM

Also in relation to the comments above on Johnny Wards site, his success has been painstakingly built up over time, hell of a lot of hard work and unpaid for man hours, and its unfair to suggest that he should just chuck all that work away and hand it over to a new site, I think foot.ie have acknowledged all this already and I'm referring to the suggestions above rather than to any statements by foot.ie on that matter, so that's a non-runner in fairness.

wws, I was referring to when this site started, and Johnny actually suggested the message board moving over, and there was some discussions between Johnny and Adam..... or maybe too many of my brain cells have disappeared through excess drink, and I am just imagining it (which is quite possible...)

**�anna** · 25/02/2002, 3:54 PM

i would be very slow to post anything other than abuse on a site with premiershi* fans. sorry, but there's no group of people in ireland who i find more repulsive than those barstool jockeys

**James** · 25/02/2002, 4:09 PM

yea now Adam if you were to introduce a Celtic section.. I mean Celtic are Oirish so the premiership bashers couldnt find fault with that

**mouldymurphy** · 25/02/2002, 6:22 PM

how about a forum for court cases shels/pats/longford and bohs fans could surely keep it going

**A face** · 25/02/2002, 10:48 PM

My understanding in the suggestion for Johnny to use this site was that it would be a link from his site to this via the message board link and that discussion would take place here instead of Notwork54.

That i would be in favour of, Johnnys site is THE best for news and opinion of the fans and a very useful resource for us all. The articles written are second to none and reflect what is actually happening on the ground in our game compared to any other print/web media and pretty much any other media source too. That (for me anyway) is not being contested at all, everyone is aware of the quality that eircomleague.net produces.

But you have to admit this is a kick@ss forum !!

IMHO if the two site linked/teamed up/whatever you want to call it, it would most definitely be the best site on the net. The best news, info and opinion section as well as everything else. AND have the best forum, one that works well and one that could be so much more. It would definitely give every other site right now a run for their money if not knock them clear out of the running.

**Macy** · 26/02/2002, 8:31 AM

That's what I meant, A Face, even if that wasn't how it came across...... Must read through my posts more before actually posting them......

**patsh** · 26/02/2002, 8:56 AM

I would have to go against the idea of having premiership stuff on this site, for two reasons.
1. I only found this site a few weeks ago, yet have found it to be the most interesting and lively site about soccer I have come across in ages. My interest is in the [COLOR=green]eL [/COLOR] , and I have no real interest in Man Utd etc. etc. UK soccer is well served with sites already. Plus, as far as I can tell, a soccer match "experience" for most of these fans is a trip to the local pub, and has never actually involved standing or sitting at an actual game, with weather, no instant replays and no "expert" to tell you what happened and what you should think about the game. This is not what I consider being a supporter entails.
2. The other problem would be that a lot of discussions would have contributions from these premiership fans, that would simply be stupid, ignorant attacks on the [COLOR=green]eL[/COLOR] . Then instead of having discussions about things that really matter to Cork City, $hels, Longford etc. fans, most people would feel they have to defend the [COLOR=green]eL [/COLOR] , and most postings would end up as a discussion on the [COLOR=green]el [/COLOR] itself.
I realise you are looking for an increase in traffic but,
This is a great site, and don't try to fix what is not broken .....

Neil · 26/02/2002, 1:42 PM

Originally posted by oddboy
instead of having discussions about things that really matter to Cork City, $hels, Longford etc. fans, most people would feel they have to defend the [COLOR=green]eL [/COLOR] , and most postings would end up as a discussion on the [COLOR=green]el [/COLOR] itself.

This is an important point I think.

**dahamsta** · 26/02/2002, 2:05 PM

Isn't that kind of the point of having separate forums for the clubs though lads? Keeping forums on-topic is the responsibility of the mods...

Again, thanks for all the feedback folks. I'm going to save the comments now, go offline, go through them, and post a response this afternoon. If you have anything to add, feel free.

adam

**James** · 26/02/2002, 2:19 PM

no premiership stuff would be my pref..
IMO would develop into a el V prem bashing contest which i would get dragged into and speaking for my boss i dont think twould be a good idea, productivity wise.... but the hits/traffic would go through the roof, if that what u want.... due to hte excellant layout and features of the vBulletin boards..

**Pablo** · 26/02/2002, 3:02 PM

it certainly worth a link to the EL site if that was possoble....increasing the EL users should be the way to go. This forum is far superior to any other EL forums so that should be the way to go

As for premiershi* no. please no.

**Snatch** · 26/02/2002, 9:55 PM

I am opposed to opening the forum up to foreign leagues for reasons other than prejudice.

1. There are already well established foreign league forums. I can't see this one drawing a great crowd.

2. It is the best EL forum around and the good news should be spread to other EL fans around the country, not fans of foreign teams.

Expansion would be great but eircom league expansion is best.

Keep up the good work foot.ie

Neil · 26/02/2002, 11:40 PM

Adam,
Take 'goalside'. That is what you would have to put up with in large amounts if you opened this up to Premiershi* "supporters". T'would be like a scene from 'One flew over the Cuckoo Nest' after a while!

**Troy.McClure** · 27/02/2002, 10:26 AM

Im not too sure if I want a Premiership forum here, but I would love a Champions League & a UEFA Cup one. I dont think that a Priemeria Lega or Seria A forum would work very well, because in general people only know a few teams well enough in each league to have a good discusion, and seeing as most of those teams play in the Champions League or the Uefa Cup, Id say no to the Premiership, and yes to the Champions League.

Have a nice day everyone