Harps to play friday Nights

[Lim till i die]

I was in Limerick twice last season (on Fridays) with Harps and on both occassions we had a bus load of supporters. Limerick were in Ballybofey twice last season - both on Saturday nights - and I didn't see more than three supporters.

There was nine of us the first day.

That's right NINE

Your club has just did itself out of 90 quid, progress indeed

Plus now I have to scrap plans for the first annual Limerick to Ballybofey all day pi$$ up

FOR SHAME Finn Harps

[NY Hoop]

Bad decision although it wont matter in the first division as there are no away fans.

Hopefully if Harps come back up they will revert back to saturday nights.

There will be no difference in attendances. This has been tried before by numerous clubs.

The argument about players having a say is laughable IMO. They make enough from the game. Players and managers come and go but fans are there forever.

KOH

[harpskid]

There was nine of us the first day.

That's right NINE

Your club has just did itself out of 90 quid, progress indeed

Plus now I have to scrap plans for the first annual Limerick to Ballybofey all day pi$$ up

FOR SHAME Finn Harps

Well, Limerick are doing themselves out of a hell of a lot more than 90 quid by playing on Fridays. We could have taken a hell of a lot more fans to Hogan Park last season had games been on a Saturday.

At least we won't have a heap of drunken Limerick fans coming to Ballybofey now though!

[Lim till i die]

At least we won't have a heap of drunken Limerick fans coming to Ballybofey now though!

Athlone won't know what hit it

[cheifo]

With Harps its always been a simple equation, good team=good crowds.Attendance will depend on how we do on the pitch.

[Conor H]

With Harps its always been a simple equation, good team=good crowds.Attendance will depend on how we do on the pitch.

Same equation for any team in the world....not just Harps.

[sniffa]

Well that makes 2 away trips to Donegal this season a non-starter.
Apart from the fact that most people work up to 5 or 6 o'clock on a Friday there is also the massive increase in traffic on all roads.
The journey to Ballybofey normally takes 3.5 to 3.75 hrs. On a Friday evening it would take at least an hour extra.
County normally bring 25/30 to places like Harps. Thats approx. €600 in a year. And like other sides if we're doing well more would travel.
That said if Harps do well the fickle locals will come out to support. Best of luck.

[LFC in Exile]

Whats with the slagging off of Harps? They are suiting themselves - just like every club in the league. If they want to play on a Friday fair enough - their players are expected to travel on Fridays to most other grounds.

I don't think Harps are being unreasonable - like Dundalk with their Thursday kick-offs are. That is particularly tough on players travelling there for matches as most have to work on Fridays and they get back fairly late after the game.

[mypost]

Your club has just did itself out of 90 quid, progress indeed

Plus now I have to scrap plans for the first annual Limerick to Ballybofey all day pi$$ up

FOR SHAME Finn Harps

Well that makes 2 away trips to Donegal this season a non-starter.
Apart from the fact that most people work up to 5 or 6 o'clock on a Friday there is also the massive increase in traffic on all roads.
The journey to Ballybofey normally takes 3.5 to 3.75 hrs. On a Friday evening it would take at least an hour extra.
County normally bring 25/30 to places like Harps. Thats approx. €600 in a year.

For the benefit of signing a few Northern Ireland journeymen, Finn Harps can afford to dismiss a minimum of €1,380 a season. We'll remember that the next time they bring their race night begging bowl to our fans.

I feel sympathy for the fans who can't make the bi-annual trip to Ballybofey this year. Instead of heading up in comfort on a Saturday, they are now left with a choice: Travel 4-6 hours to Donegal in heavy traffic on a Friday night at considerably more expense, or fuc off!! The choice sadly similiar, for most of the league's fans. Their players too have to take more time off work to satisfy selfish home clubs demands.

Circa July/August across the league;

"Our attendances are down" Wonder why??

Friday nites are football nites

Where exactly? Only the most inept-run league in Europe.

[Mr A]

And when exactly do Shamrock Rovers play their games again? Friday nights as far as I remember. Likewise Limerick last year. Why should we put ourselves out for a handful of traveling fans when no one has ever done so for us? Perhaps some of the clubs in D1 will offer a reciprocal arrangement whereby both will play on Saturdays... I do agree that games should be played on Saturdays, but why should Harps be criticized for doing what most clubs have always done?

Most eircom league clubs aren't in the situation where most of their neighbouring clubs play in a league where traveling is minimal. If this helps get in players that will improve the team, of helps have a settled training routine which improves the team, then the crowds will be bigger than they would have been other wise. There's no evidence to say the crowds will get smaller, as they didn't the last time we played on Friday nights.

[mypost]

And when exactly do Shamrock Rovers play their games again? Friday nights as far as I remember.

We played 3 home league games last year on Sundays, 2 matches were played midweek, with 3 more scheduled Sunday games postponed for other reasons. Had they gone ahead, that would have made up almost half of all our home games not played on Fridays, which is a lot more than what other Friday clubs have done.

Why should we put ourselves out for a handful of traveling fans when no one has ever done so for us?

Cobh never have? Kildare never have? Kilkenny never have? Athlone never have? Longford never have? Sligo never have? There's 6 clubs that have.

why should Harps be criticized for doing what most clubs have always done?

Because it's wrong. The fact that other clubs do it is not a valid reason to do it themselves, it's still wrong. The home clubs lose money by not catering for away fans that can't travel. Everyone loses out.

[harpskid]

Whats with the slagging off of Harps? They are suiting themselves - just like every club in the league. If they want to play on a Friday fair enough - their players are expected to travel on Fridays to most other grounds.

I don't think Harps are being unreasonable - like Dundalk with their Thursday kick-offs are. That is particularly tough on players travelling there for matches as most have to work on Fridays and they get back fairly late after the game.

Well said. About time someone had some sense.

I feel sympathy for the fans who can't make the bi-annual trip to Ballybofey this year. Instead of heading up in comfort on a Saturday, they are now left with a choice: Travel 4-6 hours to Donegal in heavy traffic on a Friday night at considerably more expense, or fuc off!!

And what about all the clubs we have to go to on Friday nights...

[JW.]

The right move in my opinion. Friday nights is EL night if you ask me. Away attendances in Division 1 are neither here nor there.

[oriel]

I only wish we could follow harps and switch to Fridays, thursday is just beyone a joke now, esp for the amt of dundalk fans working in dublin and elsewhere

[pineapple stu]

On that last point, how many Harps fans would travel home from, say, Dublin of a weekend and now won't be able to make matches? I remember this being mentioned as a problem last time.

Also, while putting out away fans may be an issue, quantifying it is utter nonsense. Even if the move costs, say, 20 Kildare fans, the whole point is that it's hoped that would be recouped in terms of extra Harps fans.

[mypost]

if the move costs, say, 20 Kildare fans, the whole point is that it's hoped that would be recouped in terms of extra Harps fans.

The point being made is that no matter how many more Harps fans go, and there won't be many more (if any) to justify a change of night, you will still lose 20 extra fans of one club alone, which equates to €1200 over a season. Finn Harps are not flush with cash, and so to throw away that kind of money in their position, that other clubs' fans are giving to them, just to suit the boss and his Irish League rejects, is crazy.

[Dr.Nightdub]

Dunno what all the fuss is about:
- Derry away is a Friday night, take a half day
- Harps away will be a Friday night, take a half day
- Cork away is a Friday night, take a half day
- Waterford away was a Friday night, take a half day
- Galway away will be a Friday night, take a half day
- Sligo away is a Saturday night, take Solpadeine with you for Sunday morning!

[gael353]

So its okay for the likes of Limerick, etc. to play their home games on Friday's and expect Harps and their supporters to travel to Limerick on those very same roads - but it's not okay for Harps to play their games on Friday's as it doesn't allow a car load of people to make the trip to Ballybofey. People in glass houses . . .

I was in Limerick twice last season (on Fridays) with Harps and on both occassions we had a bus load of supporters. Limerick were in Ballybofey twice last season - both on Saturday nights - and I didn't see more than three supporters.

fair point and yes i was thinking only of myself. but about only three of us being up there, compared to your buses...some ppl work some are unemployed lol only messing.
Shur everywhere is far for Finn Harps

[fbtn]

Such a bit of knammin.

Every other club can play when they want - then we can play when we want. Jeez, get over it.

If we can attract better players and a more structured training schedule by playing on Friday nights, then it is the right decision. If we miss out on a few Limerick and Kildare fans in the process (and annoy a Shamrock Rovers fan on the blob) then so be it.

I'd be more worried about our fans that are based away missing games but we have to get out of this division and if this helps us achieve it then it has to be done.

FAO mypost: You didn't answer my question. Where you in Finn Park last year?

[mypost]

Dunno what all the fuss is about:
- Derry away is a Friday night, take a half day
- Harps away will be a Friday night, take a half day
- Cork away is a Friday night, take a half day
- Waterford away was a Friday night, take a half day
- Galway away will be a Friday night, take a half day

That simple, yeah??

If we can attract better players and a more structured training schedule by playing on Friday nights, then it is the right decision. If we miss out on a few Limerick and Kildare fans in the process (and annoy a Shamrock Rovers fan on the blob) then so be it.

We brought a couple of buses up to Donegal last year for the first trip, most of which stayed overnight. Other clubs' fans did the same. The second trip was on a Tuesday night, there were no buses, and we had just 25 fans there. That's the practicality of trying to get half days to go to Ballybofey. We may not be going there next season, but that's an indicator of the scale of revenue you're losing by changing to play on a weeknight next season. The story about better players is a load of s. Finn Harps will struggle again in the Division next season, and lose a hefty chunk of revenue in the process.