FAI Cup 2008

Originally Posted by dcfcsteve

Thomond Park ?!? Too far for pretty much any likely finalists.

As for the RDS - same issue again : What if it was Derrry v Sligo, or Galway v Harps etc. What's the point in expecting both sets of fans to travel big distances for an EL competition that is only the third most important, and is on TV ?

I wasn't saying just the RDS or Thomond Park. They're just two venues I picked out at random. The point I was trying making was it would raise the profile of the cup & it would be a big day out for the fans.

Originally Posted by Stato

To get back to the original question, look at the last four seasons:

2007 Semis:
Dalymount: Bohs 0-2 Cork
Belfield: UCD 0-1 Longford

2006 Semis:
Tolka: Rovers 0-2 Pats
Showgrounds: Sligo 0-0 Derry

2005 Semis:
Turner's Cross: Cork 1-0 Derry
United Park: Drogheda 2-1 Bray

2004 Semis:
Brandywell: Derry 1-2 Waterford
Flancare: Longford 0-0 Drogheda

Two home wins, two draws and four away wins in eight matches, statistically the advantage is with the away teams.

Good post, I hadn`t realised the away team performed so well in recent years.

Originally Posted by Stato

The Setanta final venue rules are simple. If the two finalists are from the Carnegie League, it's played in Windsor, if they're both from the eircom League it's played in Tolka. When there is one team from each league it alternates between Tolka and Windsor. That's been the rule since the start of the competition in 2005. All clubs that have competed in it know that.

2005: Shels v Linfield was in Tolka
2006: Drogheda v Cork was in Tolka
2007: Drogheda v Linfield was in Windsor

Therefore if it's one team from each league the 2008 final will be in Tolka.

Those arent the rules. If wed beaten Linfield in the semi last year the final was to be played at the cross. It doesnt necessarily have to be Tolka

Originally Posted by micls

Those arent the rules. If wed beaten Linfield in the semi last year the final was to be played at the cross. It doesnt necessarily have to be Tolka

Not necessarily Tolka, because Tolka was swamp at the time. However, it is to be a necessarily an FAI stadium.

What would the betting be if it was to be a Linfield V Derry final it would get played at Windsor!

If it was, I reckon there would be a 14,000 full house at it.

Originally Posted by micls

Those arent the rules. If wed beaten Linfield in the semi last year the final was to be played at the cross. It doesnt necessarily have to be Tolka

The original ruling was definitely Tolka or Windsor

Originally Posted by Dodge

The original ruling was definitely Tolka or Windsor

Fair enough but if it was changed last year, Im sure it can be this year too. In the EL though Tolka probably is the best bet as it'l definitley be neutral

Originally Posted by micls

Fair enough but if it was changed last year, Im sure it can be this year too. In the EL though Tolka probably is the best bet as it'l definitley be neutral

It changed before the semi finals last year. If Linfeld got to the final it was Windsor. If Cork got to the final it was Turners Cross. Home advantage given before the finalists were decided. We were playing an away match regardless. (Not that it mattered in the end)

Originally Posted by Celdrog

It changed before the semi finals last year. If Linfeld got to the final it was Windsor. If Cork got to the final it was Turners Cross. Home advantage given before the finalists were decided. We were playing an away match regardless. (Not that it mattered in the end)

Well they couldn't very well host the final in your kip, now could they? Talk about an embarrassment.

When Is The Game Between St James Gate And Carrick Being Played,tonite Or Tomorrow?

FAI site has it down for tomorrow at the Iveagh Grounds, 7 pm kick-off.

Originally Posted by superfrank

What I hate about the Cup is that they schedule the semis for a weekend that already has league games. Why?

I've noticed they do this in other countries too. Or people stupid or what?

Not this year. No Premier Division fixtures scheduled for any round of the Cup, including the semi-finals. First Division fixture have been scheduled for the same weekend as the quarter-finals and semi-finals though.

Also, I never remember FAI Cup semi-finals being two-legged. They were always played in neutral venues up to the mid-eighties and I though it was just a draw after that like any other round. Could be wrong though.

Originally Posted by harps1954

Also, I never remember FAI Cup semi-finals being two-legged. They were always played in neutral venues up to the mid-eighties and I though it was just a draw after that like any other round. Could be wrong though.

It was two legs when we lost to Derry in the 88 semi.

Originally Posted by harps1954

Also, I never remember FAI Cup semi-finals being two-legged. They were always played in neutral venues up to the mid-eighties and I though it was just a draw after that like any other round. Could be wrong though.

You are. Our Semi Finals in 1986 and 1988 (v Waterford and Dundalk respectively) were definitely two legged

They were two-legged from 1987 to 1989 I think. Largely because the 1983 semis alone consisted of seven (!!) games. In typical FAI fashion, there was no provision made for extra-time or away goals in the two-legged era, and both the first set of two-legged semi-finals were drawn and required play-offs at neutral grounds anyway (thus a system designed to truncate the number of matches ended up prolonging it to three times the minimum number under the previous system.)

Originally Posted by Sheridan

They were two-legged from 1987 to 1989 I think. Largely because the 1983 semis alone consisted of seven (!!) games. In typical FAI fashion, there was no provision made for extra-time or away goals in the two-legged era, and both the first set of two-legged semi-finals were drawn and required play-offs at neutral grounds anyway (thus a system designed to truncate the number of matches ended up prolonging it to three times the minimum number under the previous system.)

Third game between Sligo Rovers and Shamock Rovers in 1987
was played in the Showgrounds after the two legs ended one one on aggregate. Shams scored in the last minute of extra time to win one nil. Larkin the scorer I think.

Originally Posted by Sheridan

They were two-legged from 1987 to 1989 I think.

It was used at least as early as 1986 (Battle of the Camac year...)

Originally Posted by Dodge

It was used at least as early as 1986 (Battle of the Camac year...)

There was murder at that game, remember watching it on the Sunday Sports progamme.

Originally Posted by red bellied

There was murder at that game, remember watching it on the Sunday Sports progamme.

Ssh. Some Herring journo will probably read that, and it'll be all over the front page this evening.

"RIOTS AT INCHICORE GAME"


The fact that it was in 1986 will be buried somewhere in the 2nd or third paragraph of the "story"

Originally Posted by oriel

Does anyone else agree that its a very unfair advantage to be drawn away in the FAI Cup semi final?

Verrry unfair!

I see that the RDS has been rejected on the grounds of remoteness. The question has to be asked, remoteness from where?