Which goes with what I said, it was the right thing to do done poorly. Sports that allow dual registration do well out of having year round competition with one summer and one winter league but we don't really have that at the moment but could, and we're back to the whole doing things properly part.Originally Posted by pineapple stu
Out of interest what was the quality of the stream like? Many camera angles? Was there commentary?
I dont know about ye but I always found in winter with the frosty nights there was more of a noise in grounds from the vocal crowd.It seemed to carry way better in the air and there was something about watching it in the dark under lights. Maybe I am a bit of a traditionalist but thats my take of it.
In fairness to summer soccer our clubs performance in Europe improved dramatically but I do see both sides of the argument all right.
Gary Cronin is he the right man to manage Longford Town?
I only saw one Dundalk game as I was on holiday at the time, perfect stream, looked same angle as soccer rep, commentary was by a very enthuastic english lady, most prob in a studio. I think it was €3.99 per game or €9.99 for 3 or 4, I've vaugue memories of the club doing a refund as they couldnt show one or two others, but the feedback was very positive on the games shown, also it was only available outside Ireland* which was the reason I bought it as knew Id be away.
I think this also included being available in NI
#DundalkFC - First Irish club to win an away game in Europe (1963), only Irish club to win a game / points in Europa League Group Stage (2016).
I think there is a bit of viewing winter football through rose tinted specs! Yes there is a different atmosphere thats appealing. I do enjoy early season games as you get the night game nostalgia. But the majority of the time it was pretty horrible. Grounds differ and some are more open than others like Oriel Park so on a cold wet night it wasnt fun especially if watching a struggling team. Summer football isnt perfect but it is preferable, i think a lot of peoples issues with a summer season is the manner in which it was done as a hail mary punt and didnt bring other football in to line with the senior game. I just cant be enthused by being at games in gales, lashing rain, baltic cold and waiting for close enough to half time to get in to the Lilywhite Lounge to dry and thaw out. And Oriel is from from the worst as damn there is nowhere colder than the Carlisle Grounds with an easterly whipping in - it would nearly drive ye to tears. If the crisp, frosty, dry nights were most common then yeah wrapped up warm there is a charm to the experience and the atmosphere does seem better as does the fact that you cant see swarths of empty terracing. Summer footy also allows better for taking the kids to games!
The summer season organisation is just half assed as per FAI usual.
This season using the original fixtures Rovers would have had 17 league games May - August plus 2 Cup weekends and the week off. Plus European games for clubs that qualify.
If we're going to flog players at some point in the season sure summer is the time to do it as it's when people are most likely to go to midweek games. The week off should also be planned better, should either be around the European dates or the state examination dates.
All the seniors leagues senior divisions and LOI underage teams should be made go summer calendar too. Keep everything below that whatever they want to be and allow dual registration for underage sides and with strict conditions depending on level for senior sides.
People harping back for a return to winter Football reminds me of those news stories from Russia about people looking for a return to the Stalinist USSR.
100% agree, I just don't get this 'new wave' looking to even consider winter football, you guys have not obviously been to any LOI ground in the 80's (or 90's) in freezing conditions, or maybe you have only memories of PL in England on Sky tv in a warm pub in winter.
Christ its about the only thing Oriel Park has going for it these days, if its summer and dry, decent view (3/4 pitch from away end - and same for those other side of the stand)
I can recall being at games at HT in away grounds, late 80's, you literally had to jump on the spot to keep warm, why would anyone want to go back to that?????
USSR was mentioned, also like an East German wanting to return back after being in the west, now come on lads.
#DundalkFC - First Irish club to win an away game in Europe (1963), only Irish club to win a game / points in Europa League Group Stage (2016).
I’d say it’s two things driving the winter season debate , the desire for games at Christmas like the UK and generally having other things to do in the summer than go to football.
This ongoing theory is getting very close to worse case scenario and will be the info that wipes out everything from LoI to a pint in the local indefinitely. Developing a vaccine that it now seems will have to act in a more effective manner than active immunity kicks any schedules for some return to normality a long way down the road as it is a more complex problem. There probably couldnt be a worse discovery in all of this.
https://www.rte.ie/news/2020/0418/11...dies-covid-19/
The WHO's top emergency expert Mike Ryan said that even if antibodies were effective there was little sign that large numbers of people had developed them and were beginning to offer so-called "herd immunity" to the broader population."A lot of preliminary information coming to us right now would suggest quite a low percentage of population have seroconverted (to produce antibodies)," Mr Ryan said.
"The expectation that ... the majority in society may have developed antibodies, the general evidence is pointing against that, so it may not solve the problem of governments."
Dr Mike Ryan is a Sligo native Tubbercurry to be precise lol. There is something calming about having a pre-eminent top Irish expert helping to inform world policy.
For the vast majority of people I'd say they're less busy in summer than in winter. The only real problem with summers is people go on holidays but people go away in the winter too just not in the same numbers.
How long do people spend away in the summer? I'd be surprised if I'm on holidays for even two consecutive matches most years.
You can't spell failure without FAI
Of course, everyone goes on holidays on the same week.
Speaking purely from a Harps point of view, as I know Dublin clubs see a rise in foreign visitors during the summer months, our attendances suffer terribly during the summer. There's a marked decrease in our figures from June through to August. Some of that can be put down to mid-season lull, but the neutral will generally prefer to spend their summer days on the beach, or having a barbeque with the family, or in the beer garden with the lads, rather than going to a football match, from my own experiences in trying to convince people to go to games.
Sorta my point, it's the only real busy thing going on in the summer and it's a small enough window it impacts.
All the problems you've mentioned could easily be solved by clubs if they're clever though or are just as problematic in winter. Clubs could easily have bbqs and sell beer at games and do other promotions that would get people in the gate in summer.
My experience is trying to get people to go to games when the weathers good is much easier than getting people to go when it's ****e out
Simon Harris seems to be spelling the end of the 2020 season anyway (and pubs...)
Seen this coming , the policy seems to be drip feed the bad news. If Feb 2021 is the new target is there clubs that won’t potentially make it ? How do clubs handle existing contracts particularly the clubs that pay full year contracts.
Make players redundant I guess?
Obviously it means they're all free agents - but I think trying to maintain normal is long gone out the window.
Though at least you could go for a pint during the war...
A year without sports clubs, pubs, festivals, maybe even high-street shops, is going to play absolute havoc with the economy. I'd be more worried that clubs come back to an environment they can't survive in.
Also - how many volunteer committee members will realise they prefer having the free time? Will this be an excuse for some to quietly drop out? There has to be some clubs out there who really couldn't afford to lose 1/2 important officials.
I’ve read that English clubs put a clause in contracts that said the players contract was valid to a certain date or seven days after the last game. I assume our clubs put something similar in player contracts. It’s a mess but our league can’t operate without matchday revenue and it looks there won’t be any for the rest of the calendar year so it’s time to protect clubs futures.
LoI club contracts have an end date, but of course we've just started our season, so it's a long time away, even for a one-year contract.
I guess clubs are availing of the covid payments of €350/week, which is probably an average enough wage for an LoI player anyway.
Revenue are giving allowances on tax payments too while this is all going on (don't know if that covers arrears, which plenty of clubs would have).
I still think the bigger issue is going to be the operating environment next Feb, or whenever all this resumes. Every income source is going to be reduced surely. Sponsorship will be down. Gates will probably be down, and people will be less inclined to buy a scarf or a programme. UEFA Solidarity will probably be down, and probably European prize money. The FAI were broke anyway and won't be able to help. I can see insurance costs dropping because there'll be huge pressure to cut down on scammers. But that's about the only positive I think.
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