The farcical division!

**Bald Student** · 23/08/2006, 12:08 AM

Originally Posted by BohsFans

..............................along with all the other non-college fans!

Typical UCD fan

Hence

(what were we talking about again?)

**Jerry The Saint** · 23/08/2006, 9:56 AM

Originally Posted by dcfcsteve

Really ?? How long have we all known that there was an International game on Sat 2nd Sept.......? So why only make the change now - 2 and a half weeks in advance of the event ?

Not to mention European games. The dates for each round are known well in advance yet the League wait until right before to cancel the fixtures of teams involved. Sometimes dates for the refixed game are set straight away, other times they wait for several weeks/months before announcing it.

Cork vs. Pats originally set for 28 July was cancelled at short notice when they got through the first round (not exactly a shock after the last few years). It has only now been refixed and the new date is less than 2 weeks away.

Originally Posted by sligoman

In fairness, the majority of people probably knew our match was gonna clash with Ireland game so figured it was gonna be moved.

Complain about anything ye would

.

I don't think it's unreasonable for people to expect a reliable fixture list. People make plans around the proposed dates for matches. It is not difficult to have contingency plans in place in the event of some bizarre, unexpected situation like a club progressing past their first tie in Europe, or Ireland playing a competitive international.

The Pats game in Turner's X is now on the Monday after Stuttgart, if I'd known that back in July I would have made alternative arrangements to get the match in. Aside from the practicalities for existing fans, this mickey mouse approach to fixing games (like clubs going 6 weeks and then later 4 weeks without home games) only reinforces to others what a joke this league is - which brings us back to the original point of the thread.

**pete** · 23/08/2006, 10:36 AM

If you look at the pemier division fixtures you will Derry City & Drogheda listed for fixtures on the friday after their scheduled Uefa Cup games. These games should be scheduled for the following sunday at the start of the year.

**NY Hoop** · 23/08/2006, 10:56 AM

Originally Posted by Jerry The Saint

Not to mention European games. The dates for each round are known well in advance yet the League wait until right before to cancel the fixtures of teams involved. Sometimes dates for the refixed game are set straight away, other times they wait for several weeks/months before announcing it.

Cork vs. Pats originally set for 28 July was cancelled at short notice when they got through the first round (not exactly a shock after the last few years). It has only now been refixed and the new date is less than 2 weeks away.

I don't think it's unreasonable for people to expect a reliable fixture list. People make plans around the proposed dates for matches. It is not difficult to have contingency plans in place in the event of some bizarre, unexpected situation like a club progressing past their first tie in Europe, or Ireland playing a competitive international.

The Pats game in Turner's X is now on the Monday after Stuttgart, if I'd known that back in July I would have made alternative arrangements to get the match in. Aside from the practicalities for existing fans, this mickey mouse approach to fixing games (like clubs going 6 weeks and then later 4 weeks without home games) only reinforces to others what a joke this league is - which brings us back to the original point of the thread.

100& right.

How can the league be taken seriously when this happens? I dont blame the clubs but the league for allowing these farcical changes.

The european games and the international dates are set out months in advance yet clubs only seem to wake up to it weeks before

Derry v Drogheda called off because its 6 days before a european game? Joke.

If Dundalk are changing the Harps game will they finally cop on and leave their home fixtures to fridays?

Fixtures should be set in stone at the start of a season. Clubs shouldnt be allowed to change the day of their fixtures e.g. sligo who changed to fridays and now realise they are getting no increase in crowds which even their own fans could have told them

KOH

**Magicme** · 23/08/2006, 11:16 AM

I like Dundalk fixtures on Thurs nites coz take the Fri morn of work and go out on the lash with my mate in college there. Get to act like a 30 something Student twice a year!

**Dave drummerboy** · 23/08/2006, 11:46 AM

Thurs night is oriel park night and its staying that way .

**NY Hoop** · 23/08/2006, 11:48 AM

Originally Posted by Dave drummerboy

Thurs night is oriel park night and its staying that way .

For this season yeah.

KOH

**Dave drummerboy** · 23/08/2006, 11:49 AM

Thurs night will always be oriel night . its been like that for years and its not going to change .

**NY Hoop** · 23/08/2006, 11:52 AM

Originally Posted by Dave drummerboy

Thurs night will always be oriel night . its been like that for years and its not going to change .

We'll see.

KOH

**passerrby** · 23/08/2006, 8:37 PM

could be wrong but i thought the lillywhites play on thur because its the only time it suits the bar ,Fri ,sat and sun being open to the public or rented for functions.

**Roverstillidie** · 23/08/2006, 9:02 PM

Originally Posted by Dave drummerboy

Thurs night will always be oriel night . its been like that for years and its not going to change .

thursday night football has conincided with your clubs worst ever decade.

coincidence?

**CollegeTillIDie** · 23/08/2006, 9:04 PM

Ok all the points made about fixture changes are valid however here's a simple solution. Am I correct in assuming that we in the EL know who's going to be in Europe , the following summer before Xmas? I thought so.
Therefore , it baffles me completely as to why the teams which play in Europe, should be drawn against each other and play those games in advance before their respective European ties. Example. This season Cork, Drogheda , Derry and Shels qualified for Europe. So the week they were due to play their first European ties. Derry V Drogheda and Cork V Shels should have been the fixtures, they could then be brought forward and played perhaps even before the Setanta Cup semi-finals start and get them out of the way long before Europe becomes an issue. So for the next round you would have Shels v Derry and Drogheda V Cork could for example be the next series of games due to coincide with round two of Europe. When they could they be played? Well seeing as Drogheda and Cork both got knocked out in the first round of the Cup how about the week of the second round of the cup this year?

**BohsFans** · 23/08/2006, 9:06 PM

Dundalk are a prime eg of this. Youse have played on Thursdays, Fridays and Sat afternoon this season.
It seems someone 21st is enough to get a game moved in the farcical division.

**Schumi** · 24/08/2006, 9:40 AM

Originally Posted by BohsFans

Dundalk are a prime eg of this. Youse have played on Thursdays, Fridays and Sat afternoon this season.
It seems someone 21st is enough to get a game moved in the farcical division.

Did Bohs not move one of their games last year because they had rented the pitch out to some corporate crowd?

**Dave drummerboy** · 24/08/2006, 11:59 AM

We play on thurs nights . We have played on a sat afternoon this year for cobh because they have to travel up and back .

**holidaysong** · 24/08/2006, 7:43 PM

There are three different threads on this forum at the moment where Dundalk playing on a Thursday night is being argued! The reason for us playing on a Thursday night is very clear and it makes huge financial sense. Until a change in those circumstances we will remain playing on a Thursday night. We played Cobh on a Saturday afternoon this year to aid their travel and we also Kilkenny as not to clash with the World Cup. Oriel was a ghost town during these games.

**mypost** · 25/08/2006, 1:20 AM

In fact Dundalk have been playing Thursday night football at Oriel Park since the late '80's. They won the Premier Division title in 1988 when playing Pats on a Thursday night. Pats returned the favour in '96, by winning it at Oriel on a Thursday night. Rovers won 2-1 at Dundalk on a Thursday night in February 1990. It's not exactly a new idea.

If the fixtures were organised professionally, every club would be forced to play at the same time on the same night, no excuses. But until it is, Dundalk are allowed to play when it suits them. Claiming financial reasons is nonsense. Crowds are poor across the board every week of the season.