FAI promoting the LoI

[padraicoc]

Also the polish (in particular) and new communities are fanatical about the game, why not try and target these people?

If I were running a club my first signing would have been a polish player...

The polish would be easier convinced to watch a match here, I say this because they have never heard about the quality of our game, having said that most of my Irish friends have only ever 'heard' about our game too... think i'll just have to drag a couple of them along for our annihilation of Shams in tolka at the end of the month...

[Student Mullet]

For instance my girlfriend and her mates have no problem going to Donnybrook but wouldn't set foot on Dalymount, Richmond or Tolka - and she hasn't a clue who Contepomi is.

Fair point, I think us UCD fans are spared the worst of the eL grounds. I've not been in the Connacht Street 'stand' for over a decade.

I think that too many people think that there's a magic pill solution to the league's problems, wheather it's clean jacks or hiring Aldo as a manager. In reality, almost every aspect of the league needs improvement and the attitude towards supporters is only one part. What sums it up for me is the fact that whenever we look for tickets to an away international through UCD, the club sends the FAI an e-mail saying that a sponsor is looking for a few tickets because if they said a supporter is looking for tickets, they wouldn't get them. That's the attitude we're up against and things like dirty jacks and sending supporters over to Connacht Street are the symptoms.

[BohsFans]

Eh, Connacht St would do Tolka proud in its decrepit state. But Reder is of course 100% correct.

KOH

16 mins. slower than usual!

[BohsFans]

For instance my girlfriend and her mates have no problem going to Donnybrook but wouldn't set foot on Dalymount, Richmond or Tolka - and she hasn't a clue who Contepomi is.

because it's socially popular at the moment.

Having never been at a rugger game, I doubt you get:
1. as much swearing,
2. the schooligans legging it around the place
3. clean toilet facilities EVERYWHERE in the ground (?)

[Student Mullet]

2. the schooligans legging it around the place

The schooligans are all drinking behind the stand. I remember in my youth Donnybrook was the place to go. A pound in and you'd even get served wearing your school uniform.

[pete]

Moderator: Poll Added. 2 options, 1 answer (which is most important)

I would think the answer is obvious but won't judge in advance.

[micls]

I've made this analogy a million times before: if you go to a rubbish cinema and see a good film, will you come back? No. But if you visit a nice cinema and the film happens to be rubbish, will you return? Yes.

You might go back to the cinema but would you go to see a film made by the people who made the last one that was crap? If you did and again it was crap would you go to see another film by those makers?

And how long are you gonna keep goiong back to crap films before you decide youd prefer to see good films even if it is in a crap cinema

[charliesboots]

"....attracting thousands to Richmond Park and Turner’s Cross respectively."


was there really thousands at these??

about 6,500 at Pats v Cork in Richmond in 99 although I think Dolan said there was 8 or 9k

[pete]

about 6,500 at Pats v Cork in Richmond in 99 although I think Dolan said there was 8 or 9k

I believe he meant the open days.

[charliesboots]

I believe he meant the open days.

Couldn't find what he was quoting, only thing I could think of when 'Pats', 'Cork' and 'thousands' were mentioned was the good old days of '99.

[gustavo]

Its undoubteldy the facilities that need improving , If all the games were being played in top class facilities it does subliminally make the football more appealing.

[pineapple stu]

But you can buy a pint at Donnybrook and the toilet facilities are good. Two things you can't say about the vast majority of our grounds.

KOH

You can buy a pint at Dalymount, Tolka and United Park (or is that one members only?), and the facilities aren't much different (a covered stand, an open temporary stand, the rest open terracing), but those are being mentioned as grounds which people wouldn't set foot in.

Your point about Contepomi is much nearer the mark, I think.

[Jerry The Saint]

Couldn't find what he was quoting, only thing I could think of when 'Pats', 'Cork' and 'thousands' were mentioned was the good old days of '99.

No harm done mentioning it.

[Tis-smeee]

We had two polish players last year but i never heard one Polish accent granted we were gash but your point is mute, I think its a chicken and egg situation you improve facilities and people come, the more people ,the more money ,the more money = more wages = better players = better standard= more people and so on but there has to be huge investment in grounds and Noel Mooneys ads will do **** all about that

[pineapple stu]

To be honest, I don't think many of the immigrants into the country these days are particularly concerned about settling down into their new community. They have their team in Poland they support (if they're a football fan), and a lot (as far as I'm aware) only plan to stay in Ireland for a couple of years anyway, so I don't think there's much to be gained from it. And if they are going back home only to be replaced, youve got a situation where you've to do a load of work to convince someone to come to your games only to have to do it all over in two years when he goes home and the next person comes. It's a bit like getting students to come to UCD games. By all mean try it, but be aware of its probable success rate...

[BohsFans]

It's a combination of both poll options, as per the Rosenborg example.

I think though they got big help with their stadium from the Government.

[WeAreRovers]

You can buy a pint at Dalymount, Tolka and United Park (or is that one members only?), and the facilities aren't much different (a covered stand, an open temporary stand, the rest open terracing), but those are being mentioned as grounds which people wouldn't set foot in.

Your point about Contepomi is much nearer the mark, I think.

Sorry for banging on about this but as an away fan I can't buy a pint in any of those grounds and home fans can't drink and watch the game at the same point. As Student Mullet alluded to, the way we are treated as 'customers' is a massive part of this too.

KOH

[Réiteoir]

I cant rem, but they are something along the lines of "Night out with the Girls" and a pic of a few women screaming their heads off at a match. Kinda to make you think that there is more to life than going to the pub and a Fri/Sat nite can be spent having great fun with your mates watching the game you love.

Dont quote me on that coz only saw them briefly a few weeks ago so cant rem, but they are very professionally done.

I've had a sneak peak at one of the others.

Slogan is "Babysit the kids this weekend?"

And a pic of the Lego Stand at Tolka Park on a match night...

[pete]

I think the standard of football has increased considerably in recent seasons so now just need the facilities to catch up. People travel to england & scotland for very average quality football so clearly its the facilities & event that attracts them.

[pineapple stu]

People travel to England and Scotland for very average quality football so clearly it's the facilities and event that attracts them.

I think the second is far more important that the first.

Sure they're dedicated football fans - they'd travel to watch their team play even in a dump of a ground...