Quote100% last time we were in the top flight it didnt help matters at all with COVID. Think 2015 was the last time we had huge away crowds. Could stand corrected though.Originally Posted by ger121
I’m sure Longford are also missing the away crowds that years in the PD gave them.
100% last time we were in the top flight it didnt help matters at all with COVID. Think 2015 was the last time we had huge away crowds. Could stand corrected though.
Gary Cronin is he the right man to manage Longford Town?
2,831 gufc v pats
As one of those Longford fans who was spoiled in the glory days, I am not from Longford but from across the Shannon in Roscommon and half those years I spent explaining that Longford Town was my nearest LOI club and should Strokestown Utd ever make the LOI I would be in a pickle.
in the Premier Division years it was easy to get to lots of away games as working as a civil servant on Stephens Green with no wife or kids, I could clock out at 4 on a Friday and be in Inchicore, Phibsboro, Drumcondra etc for a few prematch pints with the lads, watch the game and be back in town by 10/1030 and catch up with work colleagues for more pints. I am probably one of the unique fans who has been to more away than home games over my lifetime. Now married with 2 small kids, its hard to get away for a game and has to balanced against other priorities.
The summer season doesn't suit as well with clashing with GAA and I will be 100% honest and in any clash between Roscommon and Longford Town. I will be gone to the GAA. Saturday nights in Longford don't suit me at all.
It is sad to see, how things have gone. Its really disappointing to see in the 100th anniversary year as well.
Just on Longford, the club never really had big crowds in the first division, you could say the same about Wexford and UCD.
Catchment of most clubs is realistically places up to 30/40 minutes drive, so thats the town, newtown forbes, edgeworthstown, lanesborough etc.
its clearly a struggle for clubs as has been well explained...however, clubs have to try and engage...
In my opinion all clubs should be tieing in with local schoolboy/girl teams , getting them playing on the pitch, these kids bring parents who pay in and are potentially future fans of the clubs(their are allready into football if they play it). Open training sessions (meet & greets) and summer camps are good too.
As a fan for most of my life, and a volunteer for a number of years now it is sad to see attendances so low.
A number of reasons for this have been accurately discussed here - fortunes on the pitch, population, GAA season ongoing, supporters are no longer living in Town, family commitments etc etc.
It is something that people in the club are working on and hope to improve over the coming years to address and work this. There’s a whole lot of negativity online but a few good results change a lot of that. And in football that can happen very quickly.
As someone who was born, reared, live and work in Longford I hate the constant negativity associated with the Town (place) both from inside and outside. There’s an awful lot of good in Longford that’s not nearly publicised enough compared to some of the negativity, but that’s for another day and another post/time/forum.
I realise I haven’t posted on here for years but that’s my two cents anyway for what it’s worth.
I still can't get my head around why the town of Longford is in such a bad way given its location. I could understand if it was in the middle of nowhere out west, but it's only about 100km from the edge of Dublin.
I could be wrong, but I think being grouped with Westmeath for elections means on occasion, no one from Longford has gotten elected in to Govt as Westmeath has a far larger population and a bigger share of the votes. It definitely has happened over the past few decades where there's been a 4-0 or 3-1 split, so there historically hasn't been whole lot of lobbying power for investment at govt level to help the town with some of it's issues. I could talk abut how I feel about the govt at large and how everything in the country works, but if we don't even have someone at govt level to say investment is needed, you're at a hiding to nothing, we currently have 1 and I wouldn't be overly confident on his competence.
Imo there is a divide between certain committee members and certain support base whose view is not being listened to. I know of at least 3 town fans that have refused to come to games since end of last season. The bad PR is driving fans away. I also think theres a very bad relationship between the local soccer leagues and Longford Town FC. I dont know what more can be done anymore but since what happened to me at end of last season Im not as interested. Any other year I would have went to the 100 year dinner dance but decided not to attend.
Gary Cronin is he the right man to manage Longford Town?
I think in order to try garner support the club has to tie in with the local schoolboy clubs - get them to play at half time at the league matches - kids bring their parents who pay in, brings in a few quid and these kids are potentially future fans and they are allready into football if they are playing. Cant understand why all clubs dont do this?
Is there anything to be said for a Foot.ie Jolly Boys day trip to Longford.
There's nothing jolly about that idea.
https://kesslereffect.bandcamp.com/album/kepler - New music. It's not that bad.
Longford have a very nice ground/stadium and there is a nice spot on the canal few miles down the road for a stop pre match if the weather is decent. Only been to the town itself for 2 gaelic matches, both Saturdays afternoon and didn't hang around. Is the hotel open there?
The way things appear to be there, maybe the potential for new fans is in the rural and small towns within 40min drive. I see the point of being up against the Gaa but actually a lot of Gaa people are interested in soccer as well (there is very little hurling I take it). Why not enter a womens team and see how that goes.
Kick off a bit earlier at 6pm so its bright to drive home etc
I was thinking of this post on a long dog walk earlier (great for LOI thoughts), and could have just put myself in this guys shoes, lived in Dub for 4 years, probably only one year that Dundalk competed, but was still great to go to so many away games after work on a Friday, and then back to the city to join the work crew.
It was also sad to hear of the clash of GAA now, and the overall challenges of summer football and the decline of Longford crowds. The same guy has now obv moved on, but just a pity there is not more tradition of going to games in Longford, guessing the guy's peak was around 02-06, but that's 20 years ago, time moves on, and people have families etc.
Still a good story to read, and hopefully he gets back to games soon. Keep the Faith.
#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).
Are the Jolly Boys an American right-wing militia? #MakeLongfordGreatAgain
Alright Dave.
Enjoying this thread even if it makes grim reading just to pick up on a few points made by Acornvilla and others I. Regards to why the town itself is struggling so badly, a quick Google of Longford will turn up any number of news articles and viral videos of serious incidents of disorder in the town, many in broad daylight.
There have been a number of long running family fueds that have spiraled to the point where there have been full brawls with weapons in the middle of the main street in the early afternoon.
I know my own. mother doesn't be that mad about going into the town to shop and certainly plenty of older people feel the same. Even when I'm down home the very odd time aside from matches I'd have little to no interest in going out for a few pints because I find the town very rough, there's very few decent boozers in it and above all else it's absolutely IMPOSSIBLE to get a taxi home. I know this is something local councilors have raised as I believe Longford was in line to be selected as one of the towns in the pilot scheme for extended opening nightlife hours.
The fact it's paid parking absolutely everywhere is also a huge deterrent for local shoppers, Roscommon who have free street parking appear to be thriving in contrast.
As for comments about relationships with local leagues and clubs, the club have an active partnership with Melview who are the leading schoolboy club who have produced Aodh Dervin and James Abankwah among others but as someone who played, refereed and coached locally I know for a fact there are clubs who will not allow their players to trial for LTFC. There's a distain for the club in certain quarters of the schoolboy ranks, how we fix that I don't know.
As I said on my podcast earlier this week, I would be in favor of scaling back on the playing budget over the next 4-5 years even if it means grim seasons like this in order to build the club off the pitch. We need full time club staff, especially a community officer. I think Acornvilla has said similar above but for me that's the only way we can grow the club.
Good man. Someone knows their tv.
Very sensible points made Outspoken. I know we have had our differences of opinion over the years and I dont mean to make enemies but it doesnt help matters when posters advertising the match are at least 12 years old. We have to be imaginative in posters do what Bohs do for example. I would agree with scalin back the budget a bit and just try and get fans back on board. I know of one long serving steward who was a volunteer who stopped going to matches cos of the lack of respect from a certain club board member. This has to stop.
Gary Cronin is he the right man to manage Longford Town?
Thanks but you aren't adding anything to the conversation with the same boring posts about a "certain board member", everyone knows who you're talking about, time to build a bridge and get over it or stop the constant crying about it on here.
As for match posters, we used to plaster the town in them, what difference did it make? I believe the council took issue with posters in the past and that's the main reason they aren't put up anymore. Comparing us to Bohs is a waste of time, the demographics couldn't be more different as highlighted above. But community is key, that's something we can learn from Bohs, we need to be getting into schools, the local leagues etc but without full time staff it's next to impossible to make a dent.
It's great the club has a full time employee as much as you hate him but one person trying to do socials, marketing, admin and god knows what else isn't sustainable if you want to grow the club. Shels recently advertised a videographer job of some sort with a 30k salary, it's great to see these clubs offering these kind of positions but it goes to show how far away we are from being able to compete off the pitch let along on it.
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