LOI In Europe 2025

**oriel** · 09/07/2025, 10:12 AM

Originally Posted by placid casual

Fair play to the 300 travelling.
European football, and all that goes with it, really is the icing on the cake of watching LOI football in my view.

100% agree, as apart from a work trip I'd prob never have got to Lux, and def would never have visited Tallin or Gibraltar. Its just a fantastic trip, and all will be usually very good / hot weather too, apart from a few mates who were in St Petersburg and -12 in 2016 !

**Louth4sam** · 09/07/2025, 10:23 AM

Originally Posted by oriel

100% agree, as apart from a work trip I'd prob never have got to Lux, and def would never have visited Tallin or Gibraltar. Its just a fantastic trip, and all will be usually very good / hot weather too, apart from a few mates who were in St Petersburg and -12 in 2016 !

Missed the Gibraltar trip which I really regret now as it might be a while before we are in Europe again. Didn't make Varteks in 2002 and vowed I'd go to as many as possible should we ever get in to Europe again. Been on 11 away European trips and as Placid Casual says it's the pinnacle of watching LOI football.

**nr637** · 09/07/2025, 10:29 AM

Originally Posted by ccity

Shels are at home to Linfield on Wednesday July 9th
Pats are at home on Thursday July 10th in the Conference league.
Second legs of both matches are on Wednesday & Thursday of the following week.

And are they on TV?

**Jolly Red Giant** · 09/07/2025, 10:38 AM

Originally Posted by nr637

And are they on TV?

Shels v Lingfield is on RTE2 and the RTE player

The Pats game isn't on TV but is on one of the paid streaming services

**Straightstory** · 09/07/2025, 11:03 AM

Originally Posted by Jolly Red Giant

Shels v Lingfield is on RTE2 and the RTE player

The Pats game isn't on TV but is on one of the paid streaming services

Which streaming service do you know?
Last year, I was keen to watch Sham Rovers' away games in Europe, but trying to access the Europa League and Conference League streams on Premier Sports/TNT Sports/Now TV (or whatever they're called) was a nightmare. I gave up in the end.

**pateen** · 09/07/2025, 11:44 AM

Originally Posted by placid casual

Fair play to the 300 travelling.
European football, and all that goes with it, really is the icing on the cake of watching LOI football in my view.

Totally agreed.
Best of luck to Shelbourne tonight

**pineapple stu** · 09/07/2025, 6:54 PM

Rough-looking injury for Linfield there in the first couple of minutes - ball blasted into the back of the head of a player on the ground from point-blank range. Fortunately it was the back of his head - could have been much worse otherwise.

And an outstanding save to deny Caffrey there - assuming the Linfield keeper fully knew what he was doing!

Maybe worth looking at what to expect from the aul coefficient this year as we start off again. We ended last year in 31st, but 4.7 points off Azerbaijan in 30th. After wiping the 20/21 score, we drop to 32nd, 0.038 behind Moldova and 2.8 behind Bulgaria in 30th.

For all Bulgaria's football problems lately, it seems to much to catch them this year. Iceland are 0.2 behind us and then there's a big gap of 1.7 back to Armenia.

So really 31/32/33 seems where we'll end this year. But with Drogheda out and scoring 0, mid-table Shels in the Champions League and less likely to reach the Conference groups (let along get out of them) and Pat's misfiring too, it seems like a damage limitation season may be best. 2.5 probably a good score?

Worth noting too Shels are on a 10-match home unbeaten run in Europe, which I'm fairly sure is a record. Goes back 21 years, with Olimpija Ljubljana the last side to beat them in Tolka, in the 2003/04 Champions League. Seem to recall they drew Liverpool in the next round.

**yurt** · 09/07/2025, 6:56 PM

Good start from Shels. Can't believe the keeper kept out Caffreys header. The whole stadium was already celebrating. Would put it down as a great save rather than a sitter missed.

You feel they need to capitalise while they're on top.

**pineapple stu** · 09/07/2025, 7:08 PM

Forgot VAR was infiltrating the LoI now in terms of European games.

Presume this is the first VAR review in Tolka - and looks like it's going to rule out a Shels peno.

**Guitd** · 09/07/2025, 7:10 PM

Good start by Shels well on top first 20 min
Good to see uefa implementing player safety in tolka having sidelines a min 3m from hoardings something the FAI overlook every week will prob b same in Richmond tomorrow night

**joey B** · 09/07/2025, 7:15 PM

Linfield hanging on a bit but Shels need to score to reward their dominance…

**sbgawa** · 09/07/2025, 7:15 PM

Shels deserve a goal. Hopefully they don't regret these missed chan es

**2 Year Contract** · 09/07/2025, 7:21 PM

Originally Posted by Guitd

Good start by Shels well on top first 20 min
Good to see uefa implementing player safety in tolka having sidelines a min 3m from hoardings something the FAI overlook every week will prob b same in Richmond tomorrow night

It is indeed. Was the same last year in both grounds for the first time. I think I recall hearing that United Park had issues with the pitch size when allowing for that minimum distance from the hoarding that threw into doubt Drogs game being played at United Park regardless of the eventual issue with the licence

**Kiki Balboa** · 09/07/2025, 7:27 PM

Linfield there for the beating, but Shels already looking like they ran out of ideas.

**ger121** · 09/07/2025, 7:35 PM

Shels need to be quicker with their passing and also have a shot if it is on and stop this laying the ball back rubbish all the time. Linfield there for the taking.

**sessylU** · 09/07/2025, 7:36 PM

I get that it's their pre-season, but Linfield look very poor. Shelbourne, though, for all their dominance, don't exactly impress either. Could be an interesting second half. Linfield will be wondering if they can nick something, Shels should have a bit more fire in the belly and a few more ideas.