I was only thinking you'd end up spending way more on watching every LOI game in Europe than the TV license fee if you tried to do it legally. On top of paying for the season pass, this football stuff is getting expensive. A few games on TV to save me a tenner here and there would be nice
Would agree with a lot of that post
A free game is a great idea
The clubs have done some good work on social media.
Virgin Media seem to have more interest than RTE, ( be hard to have less) granted more hours to fill.
Suspect younger people aka “the kids” don’t sit down to watch football games on tv as much as 15-20 years ago, so a focus on the online makes more sense
A central point of marketing a league is the star players. Players with a higher profile nationally. GAA players despite all the coverage are very reluctant to come forward for media interviews.
The Olympic had a high profile off success and relatable interviews.
The league needs to raise the profile of the star players more.
How do you do that when after 1-2 good seasons a star player is gone?Originally Posted by legendz
That’s the case with the younger lads alright but the 24/25 year old and upwards bracket of players are generally here to stay now, particularly the ones that have already been abroad and are now here to settle down I.e. Forrester, Mulraney, Hoban, Duffy, Watts, McEleney, most of Rovers squad etc etc
Paaatrick's Agletic
Really ? Must try that. I’ve tried from my IPad to a Sony TV and it doesn’t work. Can get sound but no picture. One of my major gripes with the service (actually, probably my only gripe to be fair.)
Out for a spell, got neglected, lay on the bench unselected.
4 of the lads you mentioned there will probably be retired in a season or 2 so same issue there. Good point on Rovers squad though, with all the injuries they get they have plenty of time to do PR. I think you and I have different opinions on what a star player is though, I think of a player who has the potential to change the game any time they touch the ball. Mandriou has the potential but he'll likely be back in the UK at the end of his current deal outside of that it's Mason Melia that I see as the only player currently who has that star potential and again he'll be gone soon enough and is also a bit young to be pushed into the spotlight imo. You can't just stick good, not great players into a camera and call them a star because while your average bar stooler won't know much about football they'll know a star when they see them
While I tend to agree, ive seen the same type be convinced that an awful match was great entertainmet initially with the Sky Sports treatment and many more now. When you see some of the trends that these influencers can get people thinking are a good idea, the state of international politics and who people think are sound lads, well its probably not impossible to get some people to believe that Alesio Abibi should have been made an Irish citizen and be capped immediately....
Yeah it can backfire trying to make a silk purse out of a sows ear, but you are appealing really to a clubs catchment - we are still at the stage of building clubs in their community and not yet trying to turn the nations barstoolers, Bohs have led the way on this and not a superstar in sight. To use a GAA example, Sam Mulroy has been one of the top gaelic players this year, as a Louth player he wont have a national appeal like a Lee Keegan or Con O'Callaghan, but if you are looking to build interest ie attendances for Louth GAA Mulroy is the one that will have that desired local impact from the sports superstars.
Last edited by Nesta99; 22/08/2024 at 10:18 PM.
The media want to build a story or follow a story. The leading lights of the league should naturally have a higher profile. Difficult for sure for the points mentioned by others.
Understand your point but with some of the dross that people are convinced is amazing they have already bought into that before they are convinced if that makes sense? So they will be Liverpool or United fans after watching a dull draw then Neville or Carragher will tell them actually it wasn't that bad and because they are already fans they'll agree and let things slide. I'm not passing judgement on them either as I have certainly done the same with Bohs matches/players throughout the year. The problem is the average bar stooler doesn't have that commitment to a LOI club so they see dross and have pundits they don't know telling them actually it's quite a good match they'll just write it off.
Just on Bohs they've grown but they have tried to make it about the club in the community rather than football. I think that's the path forward for clubs and that can be done without matches being shown. Bohs get more column inches for their jerseys, christmas toy drive, Palestinian events, Green initiatives and more I'm probably forgetting than they do for their matches (based on this season that's for the best!). I think trying to make stars out of players who are either not good enough to play outside the league or on the back 9 of their career is folly and would be instantly seen through. The league needs more exposure but as you say we shouldn't try to make a silk purse out of a sows ear. Focus on the young up and coming players that have the ability to grow beyond the league, tweet & retweet great goals, goal of the season etc and build up the clubs histories in the league & community work rather than players.
Kerry playing Longford away on Saturday. VM2 showed Shels v Bohs tonight. A rare opportunity to watch a Premier Division game live!
A great game to promote the league. Bohs fighting relegation and Shels pushing for the league. 1-1 draw and either side could have won it
League of Ireland supporters are really disregarded. The FAI and the clubs are allowing it to happen. The star game of the weekend has got to be at a time where supporters of all other clubs can watch it. That should be the central point of promoting the league. Even if there is a financial hit with a Thursday, Saturday or Sunday, where is a financial hit a financial investment?
It definitely makes sense to embed in the comminnity, become a key part of the locality or town beyond football, however that might be - use of facilities, public service efforts, summer schools etc. and then you hope the connection with the club grows interest in the football side too. I dont necessarily agree on all of what Bohs have done on some things but nobody can deny the positive impact the club has had in the community and community on the club. The Bohs initiatives should be taken and made bespoke by other clubs. I think a football club should be mainly about being a football club and the players are part of club promotion and community work. If they are coaching in schools locals get to know them and want to see them play and the players become the focus of local media attention.
RTE / TG4 can cover American College football but not our domestic league proper or European ties! Makes you wonder who controls our taxpayers money!
Sure don't we love American Football...
I think I said it elsewhere but Ireland Inc. has no love for the LOI.
In fairness that game had 48,000 in attendance - sigificantly higher than any LOI game since probably the 1940s? Even our Cup Finals in the same venue don't draw that many.
The LOI won't win itself more coverage (or fans) by bad-mouthing other sports.
A man as fascinated with attendances should realise this. I was at it yesterday. Was a great day out and had plenty of messages from people from the states who were watching it over there. As Jim McLaughlin would say a great advertisement for the country.
As a one off event, I can understand the attraction. RTE must have had some reason.........! to show this. If Shels v Bohs last Friday had to be moved to the Aviva because 50,000 tickets were sold, would RTE jump on the band wagon so! ?
Yes. Yes they would.
Think they said half the people at the game yesterday came over from America for it. But it was a one-off international event with a lot of US promotional money behind it; I can entirely understand it being shown. (Even if just to show what a stupid game American Football is...)
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