Agreeing with Roddy is dangerous, dangerous territory. He is just another "spend big on the team + feck the rest of it = profit" merchant with a trail of destruction behind him.
Roddy is spot on here almost every initiative that bohs do is also done by other clubs , their PR is better but i think that is as much to do with the right on woke lefties running the place now being passionate about being seen to do the right thing as much as doing it.
Also the media in this country are lazy and happy to repeat the same narrative.
Agreeing with Roddy is dangerous, dangerous territory. He is just another "spend big on the team + feck the rest of it = profit" merchant with a trail of destruction behind him.
#NeverStopNotGivingUp
Even a stopped clock and all that though. Bohs PR work is fantastic but undoubtedly there's an element of throwing the baby out with the bath water to what they're doing. First job of a football club is winning football matches but a growing number of Bohs fans I know - admittedly older lads - are becoming disillusioned with the direction of the club.
As sbgawa points out other clubs including Rovers have, for instance, been doing great work with people in Direct Provision for a while now but you wouldn't know it judging solely on media coverage.
Even the brilliant feature on Football Focus last week failed to even mention Bohs and actual football beyond a cursory nod. Ultimately it's none of my business but it's daft to write off what Roddy is saying just because it's Roddy (despite years of evidence to the contrary!)
No One Likes Us, We Don't Care
Yes Bohs have some stuff that can be a bit fluffy or whatever but there is a lot of really good things happening there too that can't be denied. The surge in membership and attendance can't be argued with, or the commercial success of some of the jerseys. That all enables the club to be stable and to invest in the team as well, albeit they have not gone mad with it. It's easy to say football clubs are about winning games, but we can't all win and there is a lot more to clubs than just the first team stuff.
I would be a lot more worried about the clubs shipping huge losses year after year, even if they are picking up trophies along the way, because history tells us it'll end in tears at least for some of them.
#NeverStopNotGivingUp
Is it a surge though ? they have a limited capacity stadium with only around 2750 home fan capacity or 2250 when Rovers are in town and are selling membership for €115 more than a season ticket (365/250) so the membership surge is more about getting access guaranteed.....attendances are increasing everywhere.
Nigels latest figs (below) would say that Pats , Derry , Rovers, Sligo, Shels Harps are all doing as well and way better in some cases.
plus Bohs are not full for every match bar a few so the capacity is only a restriction in as much as Rovers could say we are restricted as we could sell out some matches or indeed Pats or Derry
Like i said though their PR is excellent and the lazy narrative parroted by the Press does the rest.
2022 2018
Bohs - 3,343 (2,878 {2019}; 2,148; 2,006; 1,627; 1,724; 1,395; 1,597; 1,496; 1,488)
Derry - 3,009 (2,878; 2,297; 1,517; 1,563; 1,124; 1,106; 1,446; 1,460; 2,135)
Drogheda - 1,599 (928 FD; 377 FD; 850; 583 FD; 813; 1,064; 817; 977; 811)
Dundalk - 3,274 (2,775; 2,738; 2,674; 2,738; 3,158; 2,534; 1,997; 949; 1,355)
Harps - 1,810 (1,153; 708 FD; 1,202; 1,216; 784 FD; 449 FD; 479 FD; 429 FD; 433 FD; 644 FD)
Pat's - 4,401 (1,887; 1,621; 1,504; 1,088; 1,321; 1,386; 1,687; 1,474; 1,346)
Rovers - 5,318 (3,445; 2,749; 2,809; 2,041; 2,890; 2,269; 2,763; 3,127; 3,779)
Shels - 3,246 (1,075 FD; 654 FD; 496 FD; 554 FD; 596 FD; 713 FD; 1,114; 1,187; 781 FD)
Sligo - 2,946 (1,995; 1,853; 1,717; 1,750; 1,750; 1,959; 2,342; 3,007; 2,103)
UCD - 1,200 (735; 365 FD; 236 FD; 297 FD; 216 FD; 397; 487; 506; 558; 610)
No argument with any of that but bottom line is that they haven't won a trophy in over a decade and have finished behind their biggest rivals in the League every year for the past 12 years.
As a veteran of Rovers examinership, 400 Club and fan takeover I'm all for cutting your cloth but eventually year upon year of lack of success for a self-professed big club becomes an issue for fans or at least it should.
No One Likes Us, We Don't Care
I think there's a good argument to be had for a balance between good community work, bigger membership numbers, and translating that to on the pitch success.
Bohs definitely are a PR machine, and to be honest, other clubs could probably learn a thing or two from them in that regard, as quite a lot of what they do is being done elsewhere too, but you can only ride the crest of the PR wave for so long, as support will grow stale unless there's something for them to cheer. The European run done it to an extent last season, but they would need to start pushing their way up the table fairly soon.
https://kesslereffect.bandcamp.com/album/kepler - New music. It's not that bad.
Of course it's a surge. They've only had 500 members at most throughout their history, now they've close to 2k and a couple of hundred season ticket holders on top that. If that doesn't qualify as a surge I'm not sure what does.
The St Pats community programme is very highly regarded (ask the schools and voluntary groups in the Inchicore and wider area) but the club took a decision some time ago not to use it for PR purposes. I can see the arguments both ways.
I couldn't disagree more with Roddy & the sentiment of few others here, long term the focus should be on the football CLUB & not the football TEAM, create a sense of belonging & you will have sustained support with the accompanying finance that comes with that. How many clubs burn through money chasing success on the pitch & are left in shreds after.
As for the Rovers fans going on about Bohs not winning trophies under Long i find nauseating, the club were broke & facing a relegation battle when he came in, the club lose their best players every year yet are in a better shape on & off the pitch now. Given the resources worked with it I'm not sure who could have done a better job, a month into last season people were laughing at them for signing Georgie Kelly a cast off from Pats & because Long over achieves he is judged off an unrealistic bar
Longs overachivement is as much about PR as the off field stuff. He finishes where his budget should finish , factor in the flow of kids from St Kevin's and its bang average.
Long may he continue
Manager: Fergal, have you your boots with ya?
Fergal: Ya, I have them here.
Manager: Ah good stuff, well give them to this man so, he forgot his!
Says he has a job lined up in England this summer. Be interesting to see if it comes to pass. Roddy doesnt lack self belief, he certainly can talk the talk, but I do find him entertaining if not always for the reason he'd intend. I think it was fashionable to dislike him and people enjoyed Roddy bashing which occasionally was harsh. I completely understand why fans of Rovers and Derry in particular would show him contempt, I dont know why eg Dundalk fans would have such a dislike of him though bar just joining in for the sake of it.
I'll get us back on track Nesta....
Where's the 5 pages of demands for supporters of Dundalk, Drogheda, Bohs, Sligo, Cork, Bray and whoever else to prostrate themselves at the feet of the foot.ie pantheon and beg for forgiveness while condemning the recent behavior of the morons they don't know who caused all the trouble? Surely it's not just Rovers fans who have to go through that process in order to be clearly not in favour of anti-social nonsense?
That should do it yeah?
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