QuoteThank you, Levadia Tallin - thank you !Originally Posted by pineapple stu
That place is the old Cup Winners Cup place, so it should stay with the Cup Winners. There is perhaps a case for making it third in the league if the winners have already qualified for Europe, though.
Slash/ED - I'm not suggesting that the prospect of watching football in the sunshine puts people off. However, there's far more competing distractions in the summer imo.
If you attack me with stupidity, I'll be forced to defend myself with sarcasm.
Thank you, Levadia Tallin - thank you !
I think it's that if you have 1,000 people who all go abroad for two weeks over the same eight week period, then at any one stage, you can expect your home gate to be down 250.
think yesterday showed summer soccer is a success
the ni league will want it now probably
They faded a bit near the end though, didn't they?Full-time professionals (including internationals) in the middle of their season against a bunch of part-time shipbuilders* in their first game out...
I know George Hamilton made a big thing about the summer soccer advantage but the fact that Shels are a FAR better team than Glentoran had to be a bigger factor. The big tests will be in subsequent rounds (unless Glentoran do a Linfield and spank them in Tolka...)
* not sure what job was appropriate to give to the Glens to indicate their part-time setup. e.g. Ice-cream sellers for Maltese teams, Polish coalminers, etc.
IMO it was the best decision ever made. Who wants to go to a game on freezing cold nights with ****ing rain? I know one lad who got pneumonia after a game in tolka years back.
The weather is better, the pitches are better and it is more condusive to playing the ball on the ground. Not saying that all teams do but the opportunity is there.
But the bottom line is better European results. No way would shels have coasted last night if we were still in the old season. This league wont be taken seriously unless results in Europe improve and the only way to continue this is by sticking by summer soccer.
What they should have done is stick with the 10 team premier league but no they ditch it after a measly 3 years. What is with the administrators of this league? They seem to change things for an initial period of 5 years as if they are expecting failure.
For a healthy future stick with the summer soccer, bring back the 10 team league, have fixed kick off times, proper one hour highlights show showing EVERY premier game and most importantly for all clubs to live within their means. We'll see.............
KOH
I wish people would stop saying this. In fairness, you did qualify it by saying that "the opportunity was there", but the fact of the matter is that, after having a four month break, the start of the season saw Dalymount and Turner's Cross in disgraceful condition, last season saw Flancare Park as a beach, I think Tolka got a bit of stick during one of the Setanta games (?) and even the RSC last week was fairly bumpy. In fact, I can't remember when the pitches were worse (which isn't going back too far). Maybe the opportunity is there for clubs to make them better, but they certainly aren't at the moment.
No Tolka never got any stick, in fact they kept going on about how good it was. It's the best I've ever seen it this season.
Well, OK - I qualify my statement. I remember them saying on Setanta that it was great but thinking that that was a load of rubbish which fell under the usual "Let's pretend everything's world class" style of commentary...
Surely there can be no questions now!!!!
God
The fitness difference in Flancare last night was very noticeable. The ability of our players to pressurise the Welsh boys for the 90 minutes meant they were hanging on for a two nil defeat.
Cork played the best team in Lithuania , won 2-0, and the opposition also play summer soccer.
Shels were very dominant against Glens on Wednesday. I'd go as far as to say that there wouldn't have been a hope in hell of getting 3 out of 3, and 2 wins away from home, if it wasn't for summer soccer!
Look, I know everyone thinks summer soccer is the new Disneyland or something, and we're not supposed to speak ill of it, but just bear with me while I try and put a bit of perspective on it's influence on these superb results.
It should be well noted at this stage that the eircom League is currently of a higher standard than it has been for decades, if ever, thanks to full-time professionalism and a better standard of players. Coaching and tactical awareness have improved significantly under the new breed of coaches with less old-school windbags hanging around the league (even if they are usually the most vocal
The Cork City result was outstanding, up there with Shels vs. Hajduk in Tolka and probably the best away result ever (Bohs vs. K'slautern, Pats vs. ******, Shels vs. Rosenborg all coming in games that had less bearing on the overall outcome of the tie). But the advantage of summer soccer was diluted greatly by the fact that Ekranes are also mid-season (and, like Cork, in the middle of a great run of form).
Longford's great win against a mid-ranking Welsh side should have been no shock as our league has been superior to the League of Wales since its foundation (see Cork vs. Cwmbran Town in '93). It's amazing to think how far Longford have come and their an example to all basket-case clubs that success can come if you get your act together off the pitch.
Fair enough if a change in the seasons, on top of a steady improvement in the years before the switch, has increased confidence and allowed our teams to shake off an inferiority complex then great! I don't think we should go overboard on the benefit of increased match practice prior to Europe against the simple fact that we now have a highly-competitive league at this level of Europe. This gives barstoolers a ready-made explanation for the recent victories - "Ah sure, no wonder they can win a few games. The other lads haven't even done any training" - that, in the case of Cork especially this week, doesn't do them justice.
SIGNATURESCOPE
You can be full time all you want but its match fitness that's crucial. Hence the change of season has resulted in these great wins.
Higher standard than it has been for decades? Not sure about that. I've been Hooping for 20 years and it's been much of a muchness really.
The Odra away win would be the outstanding result given that we were part time then although they were just back in training. The polish league too would be of a higher standard than lithuania. Not however taking away from cork's result. Well done Damo!
KOH
The fact is that July starts to European compitition is here to stay and if we are to take our participation in these games seriously then summer football is the only way this can be achieved. Looking Glens on Wednesday reminded me of an LOI team in Europe ten years ago - lots of huff and puff, plenty of effort and hard work, but in the end just not quite matching their opponent in pretty much every department. For years we have been critical of the way our clubs prepare for European competition, not that we seem to be on the right track how can we turn our backs on what has been central to that improvement?
Ireland: Discovered!
You miss the point, it's ties against teams who play summer soccer that the advantage really becomes apparent. No longer are we miles behind in fitness and preperation coming into these games, we now face these teams on an even playing field and it comes down to who's the better team. If that game was played during a winter season Cork more than likely would not have been in a position to score a last minute goal and probably would have come home 1-1 or worse rather than 2-0. Summer soccer gives us a huge advantage over some, but it's biggest effect is in leveling the playing field against the others. Last year Shels first two opponents played summer soccer, as did Malmo who Cork destroyed. Results could have been alot different if they had the summer soccer advantage over us. Instead we had a level playing field and it came down to who was better. We're now getting results rather than excuses.
Summer football has matured
If anyone doubted the power of summer football i think this weeks Euro results blew it away.
Euro results may not mean much to the other teams in the league but when we can't beat supposed football nobodies (according to barstoolers) then have little hope of getting bigger numbers to the games.
Fantastic professional european result by City. I have no doubt could have scored more if needed to but away goals & clean sheet are important in europe. Was most interesting to see city control possession near the end & Ekranas looked very tired. Without summer football that result would have been very unlikely.
These ridiculous Friday night ties are having a worse affect on attendance then summer soccer. At least now the lack of floodlights arent an issue for the poorer clubs.
Deff dont agree there.
Sat afternoon is out coz of the EPL and having had to watch Cork play on Sunday afternoons for years I can def say that Friday night is football night.
The first Friday night game we had at the X had to be postponed 15 min coz of crowd congestion, and its happened a few times since! I can never never remember that happening after my Sunday lunch. Its a balls for traveling, but I dont think that Irish fans go for regular traveling that much to be honest.
I love the way I can go to a ground now and not have to worry about hyperthermia
As I say, we're just young & a bit nieve.
I think all clubs have floodlights now.
Whats even better is the "Sold Out" signs on the gates of Turners Cross before a game .... that is a great sign ..... friday nights are the business amd changed football attendances in Cork for the better (maybe not all on its own, but definitely helped) .... friday nights are the job now, a game of ball, watching one of the best team in the country and in town for a few jars after, what more do you want !!
The SFAI are the governing body for grassroots football in Ireland, not the FAI. Its success or the lack of is all down to them.
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