eircom League in Europe - 2008

[sullanefc]

Attendances are the benchmark and these are only marginally up and very poor overall

If attendances are the benchmark, and as you say they are marginally up, then what that proves, is that the difference between summer and winter football is only marginal.

What is the point going back to winter football if it is not going to affect the attendances that much??? All that will happen is that we will lose our euro advantage and the better weather(marginal) we have in the summer. Fewer games get cancelled.

[CuanaD]

its updated

wow - Bert is quick!

[TheBoss]

Attendances will always struggle in this league unless the English Premiership + Celtic/Hibernian is some how averted get fans supporting their local sides, I do not believe that summer football is the reason they may have gone down, if anything, summer football should be attracting fans as there is not much football on during the summer months in terms of European competitions and big leagues.

[CuanaD]

And how many full time teams did we have then?

so i suppose the question is - how much has 'full time training' affected our ability in europe
& how much has 'being mid-season' affected it?

the only way to test that is to compare part time & full time eL teams results in europe over the past 5 seasons & even that won't give a true picture.

so,
Longford were part time i think (theres one win & one cr1p defeat there)
who else?
edit:
our euro reps in the past 4 seasons:
04: Shels, Bohs, Longford & Cork
05: Shels, Cork, Longford & Bohs
06: Cork, Drogs, Derry & Shels
07: Derry, Drogs, Pats & Cork

I have all the results, so which of these were part-time at the time?

[gufcfan]

Congrats to Drogs.

I would hope that the next round will be televised but ye never know with the RTE crowd.

[shed-ender]

Pats got thier first away win in Europe in 40 odd years, thats down to full time football and summer football, imo.
Hibs are a good example of what happens when playin against a team half way through thier season when you've just started pre-season training, same as Linfield, although not full time and so Queen of the South will go the same way, again imo.
well done Drogs, give Kiev a good hiding...

[SMorgan]

Congrats Drogs you have done the league proud. Beating an team from Estonia is a big deal and i hope you milk it.

It proves nothing of the sort. If that were the case then I could point to pre-summer soccer result that would suggest it works. Its down to full-time soccer little else.

[Dodge]

Pats got thier first away win in Europe in 40 odd years, thats down to full time football and summer football, imo.

And being drawn against the worst team we've ever played

[Denis The Red]

I don't know if it proves summer football works when it comes to Europe but as someone earlier said summer football was brought in to boost attendances, I don't know if it has, maybe slighty but not dramatically.
By the way, did I hear correctly that the "home" tie against Kiev is to be played in Dublin?
Anyway, crongrats to Drogs, whatever the reason. Keep it up.

[Hibs4Ever]

By the way, did I hear correctly that the "home" tie against Kiev is to be played in Dublin?

Drogs play all their home European games in Dublin

[Duggie]

people that want to go back to winter football need medical attention...like today. come on the drogs

[KevB76]

It'll be massive for the club that does it- will more people watch Derry if Cork make the UEFA cup though? I very much doubt it.

I actually believe more people will take an intertest in their local club if EL teams consistently do better in Europe.

[GavinZac]

And being drawn against the worst team we've ever played

And the confidence boost the that fattest guy around is the ref not Michael Keane.

[Macy]

Proves full time football works, with some advantage of being mid season. However, whats the real knock on benefits for the league? It's great for Drogs, but I doubt it'll make sod all difference to Longford, Dundalk, Derry, Bohs, Rovers etc etc...

[Denis The Red]

Drogs play all their home European games in Dublin

Yeah, Dalymount it seems. Why's that, bigger venue, more UEFA friendly I suppose?

[holidaysong]

Yeah, Dalymount it seems. Why's that, bigger venue, more UEFA friendly I suppose?

Drogheda have played all their European games there for the past couple of seasons because United Park isn't up to the required standard to host a European match.

[swinfordfc]

Lads,

if St Pats finish the job again Olimps and Cork was to beat Haka - we would close the gap on two of our nearest rivals and also knock out theirs teams!
Pats should win home leg but can Cork get a win in Finland?

Also a Drogs home win or a draw would be a massive help - Has Kiev started their league yet or are they in pre-season?

[Louth4sam]

Proves full time football works, with some advantage of being mid season. However, whats the real knock on benefits for the league? It's great for Drogs, but I doubt it'll make sod all difference to Longford, Dundalk, Derry, Bohs, Rovers etc etc...

Yes it does, the saying rising tides lift all ships springs to mind. If an Irish side where to make it into the champions league it would raise people impressions of the league, could increase sponsorship, TV deals plus willingness of players to move to the league. If you look at some of the foreign players that players in the SPL outside of the old firm do you really think they would move there if a) the money wasn't there and b) the profile of the league was improved by Celtic and Rangers performing in Europe.

[pateen]

Drogheda have played all their European games there for the past couple of seasons because United Park isn't up to the required standard to host a European match.

Whats wrong with tolka, wont it hold more than dayler cause dalymount is only partially seated?

[Duggie]

Whats wrong with tolka, wont it hold more than dayler cause dalymount is only partially seated?

tolka's a dive
better pitch at dalyer anyway. enough seats there for now anyway.