Niall O'Reilly in Sunday Times

**JC_GUFC** · 25/07/2006, 10:55 AM

Not sure if anyone else saw it but there was an article about Dublin City in the Times on Sunday and it had an interview with Nial O'Reilly.
The main point he seemed to be making was that summer football wasn't working and that United were going to propose a return to a "winter season" with a possible Christmas break.
I honestly can't see any benefit in this, he points to the poor crowds at home v Cobh and away v Monaghan but fails to mention that the day after we played Cobh that about 3 times the attendance was there to watch Ipswich play in a friendly.
This is the problem Irish football has, it's not to do with when the games are played - is it more attractive to go to a match on a glorious evening like today or on a cold winter evening?
We've been in this division for 6 years now - even when it was a "winter" season our crowds were ****e. If towards the end of the season we are challenging the crowds will rocket up.
With the season being 9 months long it comes down to a choice of playing in June & July or December & January. Why anyone would choose the latter is beyond me.

**JW.** · 25/07/2006, 11:07 AM

Totally agree Julian. The benefits of summer football have plainly outweighed the negatives and it amounts to no more than speculation to say that summer football is effecting attendances. The bottom line is that we've been in Division 1 for six years and what's more we've spent most of this time not even challenging for promotion. No club in that predicament will get good crowds.

**Terry** · 25/07/2006, 11:10 AM

the crowds are down to the results on the pitch. If Niall thinks its anything to do with the time of the year IMO he is completely wrong. If united can sustain there momentum for a large part of the rest of the season, it will be a long long time before we see poor crowds again in terryland.

**JW.** · 25/07/2006, 11:13 AM

At a time when the league is clearly in a better state than it has been for decades, I find the continuing negativity very strange. I realise that clubs are in financial trouble but this is certainly not a problem limited to the eircom League. Look at how well United are run. We seem to be very stable despite being a relatively ambitious club that has been in football obscurity for half-a-decade.

**corbyeire** · 25/07/2006, 11:20 AM

all outside dublin - bit of a north west thing going on

on the above - its great to read we pay our taxes!!!

**Patrick Dunne** · 25/07/2006, 12:06 PM

Summer football and hurling seems to go OK for the GAA.

Clubs have to take responsibilty for their own attendances.
Crowds are low in the First Division because of the poor standard
of football played by poor players in poor grounds.

Instead of whinging, United should try and promote our home games
in the city and county.

**gufct** · 25/07/2006, 1:21 PM

promote it Pa but we actually do a hell of a lot more than most clubs in the country.Summer Soccer as far as im concerned is not working bar the better preperation of our teams for european competitions.

We need a properly planned and researched 10 year plan for the el going forward and not just change things to suit which way the wind is blowing at the moment. Attendances this season are dramatically down for All clubs abd someone has to grab the bull by the horns before the game dies altogether.

**JW.** · 25/07/2006, 1:35 PM

Originally Posted by gufct

Attendances this season are dramatically down for All clubs abd someone has to grab the bull by the horns before the game dies altogether.

Attendances last year (summer football) versus attendances this year (summer football) suggest a return to winter football? How true is this anyway? Cork's crowds have been good, Sligo's excellent, Pat's pretty consistent...

**Tir Oilean** · 25/07/2006, 1:49 PM

The attendances are in the most down to quality of football. This is improving here in Galway and mark my words if were in for a promo race we'll have regular 1500+ attendances. Years ago the excuse was weather, we got cover (albeit on the wrong side of the pitch) then it was quality of football, next year weather wont be an excuse at all so the answer is obvious to me that we need to maintain quality of football. You will always lose out on guys goin on hols etc but I still think Summer footy is ok. Then again I may be proven wrong by official attendance figures. but i say wait til we try it out in top flight before giving it the elbow.

PS I respect Nial's opinion he is a Talisman for United so we should not dismiss his opinion straight away.

**Terry** · 25/07/2006, 1:51 PM

Why not give the summer football 10 years to run also, the more we continue to improve in europe the more the attendance will improve in the domestic scene also.

**Tir Oilean** · 25/07/2006, 1:55 PM

Excellent point Terry! Keep looking at the big picture! It's on the clubs five year plan.

**Terry** · 25/07/2006, 1:58 PM

Originally Posted by Tir Oilean

You will always lose out on guys goin on hols etc but I still think Summer footy is ok.

Did you know that last year was the first year ever that the travel agencies announced that they were selling more winter holidays (i.e. skiing, sun or whatever you choose) than summer holidays as more and more people are getting sick of the lager louting that is virtually now part and parcel of the summer holiday package.

**drummerboy** · 25/07/2006, 2:25 PM

Originally Posted by Terry

Did you know that last year was the first year ever that the travel agencies announced that they were selling more winter holidays (i.e. skiing, sun or whatever you choose) than summer holidays as more and more people are getting sick of the lager louting that is virtually now part and parcel of the summer holiday package.

Most people avoid the middle man and book their holidays directly with hotels and airlines on the internet.

**Tir Oilean** · 25/07/2006, 5:03 PM

Originally Posted by Terry

Did you know that last year was the first year ever that the travel agencies announced that they were selling more winter holidays (i.e. skiing, sun or whatever you choose) than summer holidays as more and more people are getting sick of the lager louting that is virtually now part and parcel of the summer holiday package.

Now that you mention it Terry I've been on hols in Jan rather than Summer for the last three seasons!

**Patrick Dunne** · 25/07/2006, 10:32 PM

Back to the original point.

GUFC do nothing to attract visitors to the city to Terryland,
or to make them aware that a game is on. Instead of whining
in the media, we need to implement some simple ideas instead
of issuing press releases and strategic plans.

**JC_GUFC** · 25/07/2006, 11:22 PM

Originally Posted by gufct

Summer Soccer as far as im concerned is not working bar the better preperation of our teams for european competitions.

As you say this is a positive thing from having the "summer" season - there don't appear to be any negatives.
Crowds haven't increased or decreased significantly, there's still the same apathy in the media, though better results in Europe are helping to change this.
The standard of football and style of play is a lot better. In "winter" football Dermot Keely's style of football thrived.

I think clubs' main problem is the mid-season break where there is no income.

I don't see any point in moving back, though we seem to constantly be moving from 12 teams in the Premier to 10 and back so there must surely be some combination that hasn't been tried!

**JW.** · 26/07/2006, 9:58 AM

Originally Posted by JC_GUFC

we seem to constantly be moving from 12 teams in the Premier to 10 and back so there must surely be some combination that hasn't been tried!

i.e. the present 11

**A Phoenix** · 26/07/2006, 5:45 PM

I prefer summer soccer. I’m disappointed though that something isn’t being done to attract people to the games during the 2 months when other leagues are between seasons.

One of our main sponsors is an Airline which is building a business between here and the UK. Couldn’t GUFC work with them to try and attract some fans to some of our games. There are Ten’s of millions of soccer fans in the UK (probably). If we could attract a few thousand to come her for a game or two during the time when they don’t have league soccer there, it could make a big difference to us.

Summer soccer has more to offer than better results in Europe if the people running it could use their imagination.

Also have you noticed that the sponsors of other sports advertise their competitions in TV ads like Bank of Ireland; Gaelic Football, Guinness; Hurling and Heineken; Rugby. I can’t ever remember seeing an ad on TV promoting the Eircon League. Wouldn’t it be nice to see one?

**Tir Oilean** · 26/07/2006, 9:14 PM

Yes A pheonix it would, but anybody in advertising/marketing would tell you the figures just don't add up. Eircom League has a minority following in Eire. The only thing that has changed it a bit is TV3 and Eircom League weekly, but it will be a long time before it happens on a large scale. Your theory on attracting the Brits ain't half bad though. Maybe a weekend package to Galway incorporating Aer Arann flights (there are plenty of airports they fly out of), accommodation in The Racing Lodge and match ticket could be explored god knows their sterling will make it look like an absolute bargain!

**GalwayFrancis** · 26/07/2006, 10:22 PM

Originally Posted by Tir Oilean

Your theory on attracting the Brits ain't half bad though. Maybe a weekend package to Galway incorporating Aer Arann flights (there are plenty of airports they fly out of), accommodation in The Racing Lodge and match ticket could be explored god knows their sterling will make it look like an absolute bargain!

Or even if AerArann just put Galway United leaflets in the backs of the seats in and out of Galway Airport. I'm sure WalshMediaWorks and AerArann could work something out?