Originally Posted by
Nesta99
Most fickle fans in LoI imo! There is always a number of floating fan or bandwagoners at all clubs but we've never converted that potential in to a more hardcore type fan. It isnt all Oriel is a kip, its a combination of the disconnect with the community, the loss of Liam Burns in an outreach role to 1st team coach, poor performances rather than poor results as while Dundalk fans can be fickle and hard to please, a poor team losing but busting a gut will be applauded, a good team winning badly will be applauded with grumbles, a team with potential not grafting, like last season rankled too many times and has been carried in to this season and are now being booed. We dont know if this side is good enough yet but preseason concerns are, so far, looking more accurate than wanted.
High ownership turnover always takes its toll as a club changes direction each time. Dont recall fastfix owners doing a whole lot on building support bar the organic growth of winning leagues and especially cup finals that hook young fans adding a new generation of fan.
Peak6 were on about analytics on fan base development, using data to identify growth - nice idea but consolidate with what you have and that was good crowds due to on field success so when they are already in the door the strategy is different than looking at data to identify potential market to increase a fanbase (signing players form South Korea to develop and international following.....)
All missed oportunities. I dont have suggestions on what should have been done but Id have looked at what Bohs were up to, for example, and looked to see if a few ideas could be pinched, The return of local ownership was lauded as a reconnection with fan base but the club just got more distant and the disconnect grew, the team didnt have that connection with the crowd either (hard to explain that phenomonen but die hard football fans will know what I mean). This surge in LoI attendances will pass us by!!!
Ainscough seems like an owner that gets how a LoI club needs to embed in a community to particularly support a club during the barren spells, he could be coming in to the middle of a perfect storm of needing fan support ie income streams, while a team could be poor and in a relegation battle (when you really need fans to stand up and try and get a team over the line, more than a title win imo, but thats a tad in the idealistic realm, not winning and and many Dundalk fans will stop bothering and the old excuses will be rolled out again eg not enough locals blah blah).
Without looking it up, the last time we had so many Scots recruited probably was under John Hewitt and that didnt end well at all, a first time ever relegation a couple of years after being champions - why I scoff at anybody who would say its not possible for any teams to be relegated, Shamrock Rovers fan Im sure would agree as you just never know, especially in LoI and a 10 team format.
The rumour mill is in overdrive in Dundalk on both manager and owner - one being that there is only finance in place to see the club to the end of the month. I cant say that that is total horsesh1t as I have called some ruours inthe past as I just dont know at the moment, Im not sure too many do which is why the rumours swing from throwing the kitchen sink at Stephen Kenny to replace O'Donnell, SK in as DoF, SK in on a short term contract, SK in as the tea lady, no money to sack O'Donnell (Pats fans would enjoy that one). Garttland is being lined up, to we are totally broke. All are absolutely true and from the brother's friend's cousin who knows someone itk. When rumours vary to such an extent,in the past, usualy none of them are true but...
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