Golden age of league football in the Republic?

**liam88** · 09/01/2007, 12:50 PM

Ok so I was thinking the other day....i've been posting on here about 3 and a half year -I've been involved in some great dicussions about the Ireland team, a certain Scottish team, politics from Michael Collins to Palestine, and just plain random stuff that was nohting to do with anything! But overall out of my 2000 odd posts very few have been about Eircom League football. True a few have and I join in when I can (although I've been away from foot.ie for a while) but overall -and i openly confess this - i jsut don't know that much about EL football.

I go to watch Ramblers whenever I'm in Cobh- some of my family are really involved in the club, I've got the jersey, lots of past programmes and I check the scores. When I'm in Dublin visiting my brother I try and get to whichever sporting events I can and made the Bohs vs Rovers derby last year. But not living in Ireland and never having lived in Ireland I find it pretty hard to keep up with the overall goings on -clubs coming up or going bust, player transfers etc.

Anyway....onto my point. Having this kind of detachment from the EL I find it pretty hard to understand the kinds of situation that the league is in as a whole. My uncle talks about a time when bus loads of Ramblers fans would travel to sell out games up and down the country while fans from other clubs talk about packed grounds and brilliant players. They all talk about it as if its not like that anymore -as if there was some Golden age of Irish football that has passed. I can't work out if its just nostalgia (things always seem better looking back) or if the whole league is really not as vibrant/popular/exciting as it once was. Like I said it's hard to gage because I don't regularly attent EL games -out of the three matches I went to last year one Rams game was pretty full and noisy-a good match, the Bohs/Rovers game was amazing, and the other Rams game was pretty quiet. This obviously doesn't give me a good enough picture because obviously each match depends on opponent/new players/what else is going on that day/recent results etc.

So -is Legaue football in the Republic of Ireland as good as it once was:

-Was there ever a Golden age?
-When was it?
-What changed?
-Could it come back and how?

Sorry if that rambled a bit but I hope I explained myself

**R�iteoir** · 09/01/2007, 12:53 PM

Liam - best thing to do is pick up a copy of "Who Stole Our Game" by Daire Whelan - you can get it ordered in the UK via Waterstones

This is a good account of the "glory days" and it's decline

**OneRedArmy** · 09/01/2007, 12:54 PM

League of Ireland football has the shortest boom/bust cycles known to man and is one step removed from being one of the worlds longest running pyramid schemes.

We've just finished another bout of groundless dreaming and are back to porridge for about the 3rd time in a decade.

But the next time it really will be for real ( quote courtesy J. Delaney, Merrion Square).

**Ronnie** · 09/01/2007, 1:48 PM

Liam, very hard to know where to pick. In say Cobhs case, its possible the large numbers travelling to away games actually refers to one season in the FAI Cup when Cobh made the semis before Sligo beat them at the 4th attempt (I think it took 4 games) - Cobh were actually non league at the time. As our support bases are very small, away support when not going well can be quite low, with Shamrock Rovers probably the most consistent for numbers over the longer term of away supporters.

In more recent times we have had a cycle of clubs about to dominate who for one reason or another it didn't happen - Rovers and Milltown, Derry City with 10,000 attenbding at the Brandywell, Bohs after Aberdeen, and Shels as I type, Cork City, following in a tradition of Cork Clubs expected to dominate, with the latest contenders being moneybags Drogehda and nouveau riche Bohs, yet every time so far it has failed, possibly as Irish soccer support can fall so dramically if things are not going well - that can mean going from champions to 3rd place, and gates falling by almost 50%. Of course the other massive issue is that Irish soccer fans first loyalty is to clubs in England!

**drinkfeckarse** · 09/01/2007, 2:08 PM

Given the European exploits over the last few years I would say the last 3 years were the "Golden Age". Now it's heading back into the doldrums but will no doubt come back strong again soon.

It seems to be in cycles as suggested above. In league terms another Golden Age would be the Rovers era of the 80's IMO.

**red bellied** · 09/01/2007, 4:29 PM

Cobh took massive crowds to the Showgrounds for the two cup semi final replays in 1983 both games were afternoon kick offs during the week. Two to three thousand each time possibly more for the deciding match which is the record atttendance in the Showgrounds. At the time Cork had no side in the LOI plus Cobh been non league added to all the hype.

**Poor Student** · 09/01/2007, 9:09 PM

Originally Posted by drinkfeckarse

Given the European exploits over the last few years I would say the last 3 years were the "Golden Age". Now it's heading back into the doldrums but will no doubt come back strong again soon.

I don't see any particular reason that the league could be considered heading to the doldrums. Drogheda and Derry will be as strong if not stronger than last year and could carry on the LOI's recent European successes next year with the improved seeding taken into account. If Shels do get the European licence it'll be a bit of a setback for the league if they take their predicted beating but it'll hardly be the doldrums. After all, our most successful club Shamrock Rovers just escaped extinction and got relegated in this so called Golden Age of yours, so why should Shels demise be considered such a down turn?

**Billy Lord** · 09/01/2007, 9:11 PM

The 1950s is regarded as the best decade for the game as a spectator sport. Things were basically fine from the early 20th Century up until the early 1970s when it all just fell apart, through a combination of clubs failing to move with the times, owners jumping ship when the money dried-up, and the advent of 'piped' (ie: cable) TV that meant everyone could watch The Big Match highlights show on ITV, which was obviously more fun than getting soaked at your local LoI ground.
There is a myth about attendances, though. While big games used to attract 20,000+ they were the exception rather than the rule. The good old days were never that good.

**Poor Student** · 09/01/2007, 9:36 PM

Originally Posted by Billy Lord

Things were basically fine from the early 20th Century up until the early 1970s when it all just fell apart

Is that all from your personal memory, Billy?

**1 9 2 8** · 09/01/2007, 10:57 PM

Originally Posted by red bellied

Cobh took massive crowds to the Showgrounds for the two cup semi final replays in 1983 both games were afternoon kick offs during the week. Two to three thousand each time possibly more for the deciding match which is the record atttendance in the Showgrounds. At the time Cork had no side in the LOI plus Cobh been non league added to all the hype.

Near 14,000 in the Showgrounds and 20,000 in Cobh for dose games

**Billy Lord** · 09/01/2007, 11:09 PM

Originally Posted by Poor Student

Is that all from your personal memory, Billy?

No, but I can have you killed just by hitting a certain key on my computer.

**Dodge** · 09/01/2007, 11:21 PM

Two golden ages; 1951-1956, 1995-2000. Best year ever was probably 1990 though

**Macy** · 10/01/2007, 7:39 AM

Originally Posted by drinkfeckarse

Given the European exploits over the last few years I would say the last 3 years were the "Golden Age".

I don't agree that european football is the measure of success or any golden age. Week to week attendances are the things that matter, and they've been heading the wrong way (or to stop another debate on that matter at the very least they've stagnated).

The last few years have been the most depressing - clubs living way beyond their means, awful administration by the FAI (licencing and all the anti criticism measures brought in by delaney), threatened court cases to decide leagues, clubs going out of business. If that was the golden age, God help us in the bad times....

**NY Hoop** · 10/01/2007, 10:50 AM

Originally Posted by 1 9 2 8

Near 14,000 in the Showgrounds and 20,000 in Cobh for dose games

20,000 in Cobh my arse.

KOH

**soccerc** · 10/01/2007, 11:11 AM

Originally Posted by Billy Lord

The 1950s is regarded as the best decade for the game as a spectator sport. Things were basically fine from the early 20th Century up until the early 1970s when it all just fell apart, through a combination of clubs failing to move with the times, owners jumping ship when the money dried-up, and the advent of 'piped' (ie: cable) TV that meant everyone could watch The Big Match highlights show on ITV, which was obviously more fun than getting soaked at your local LoI ground.
There is a myth about attendances, though. While big games used to attract 20,000+ they were the exception rather than the rule. The good old days were never that good.

I was a regular at Milltown in season 75/76 (only when Pats were not playing in Dublin) and crowds were as poor as they were at Richmond.

**Lim till i die** · 10/01/2007, 11:19 AM

Originally Posted by NY Hoop

20,000 in Cobh my arse.

Think that game was played in Flower Lodge in Cork

20,000 would probably cause Cobh to sink into the sea

**joeSoap** · 10/01/2007, 11:23 AM

Originally Posted by Lim till i die

20,000 would probably cause Cobh to sink into the sea

Lets get 21,000 down to Cobh asap then...just to be sure...

**Lim till i die** · 10/01/2007, 11:28 AM

Originally Posted by joeSoap

Lets get 21,000 down to Cobh asap then...just to be sure...

I can't swim

**ciaraa** · 10/01/2007, 11:46 AM

Originally Posted by NY Hoop

20,000 in Cobh my arse.

KOH

20,000 in the cobh of your arse??

**NY Hoop** · 10/01/2007, 12:01 PM

Originally Posted by Rogue Trader

23,000 odd For Rovers v Cobh the game was played in Flower Lodge.

I think NY and turned into a little green eyed monster !!!!

Having been in Colman's a fair few times it's obvious that it couldnt hold 20,000. Wasnt aware that it was played in Flower Lodge as I dont pay too much attention to small clubs.

KOH