Sorry...Another annoying Spillage report

**patsh** · 04/09/2003, 2:56 PM

Reading Spillage's report of the game last night, I was struck by the tone of some of it.
"Hopefully last's entertaining challenge will not be the last time we get to see quality English or Scottish opposition before the year's end. Cork should keep an eye on the FA cup when it kicks off in the New Year, and, if and when, there is a cup shock and a Premeirship club gets knocked out, then City and chairman Brian Lennox should make their move and issue an immediate invitation.
What a money-spinner that would be if we had the likes of Liverpool, Wolves, Portsmouth or...Bolton again coming to play here in the middle of winter.
It's worth giving it..... some consideration at least, and then Cork will be in a position to extend an invitation when one of the big clubs are not involved in a 4th or 5th round of the FA cup tie next year."
He says it was "a great night for the club" (City he means).

So 2 questions:

1. While the take from barstoolers would be handy money for the club, do people think that getting "big" clubs like "Portsmouth, Wolves or Bolton" to grace us with their presence at the Cross, and aping $hels is something they would like to see happening at City?

2. Does anybody else think his "great night for the club" is patronising ignorance of the most annoying kind?

**liamon** · 04/09/2003, 3:10 PM

(1) Wouldn't that be right in the middle of our close season?
Shouldn't affect our scheduled games in that case.
Maybe they would be handy teams for us to play as part of our pre-season build up.
All depends on the timing.

Playing friendlies in the middle of our season is daft. Don't know why we had so many first team guys playing against Bolton during the week.

(2) Yes

**The Donie Forde** · 04/09/2003, 4:02 PM

I think too many guys have a hangup with English teams/The Premiership. Big deal: it exists, and it ain't gonna go away.

I've seen a lot of friendlies over the years, even before CCFC were dreamed up. Most were brutal affairs, hardly a step above a training spin for the opposition. Others were exciting, gave a welcome buzz to the regular scene, and well worth it from a fan's point of view.

Friendlies, though; you pay your money, you take your chance - a bit like any CCFC match when you come to think of it.

Personally, I like to see foreign teams coming to Cork and I care little if they're from England, Latvia or Peru. I like to see them, my interest extends beyond LoI stuff, and I'm sure plenty of people feel the same. If I'm on hols, I'd do anything to get to a game regardless of the country or the stature of the local team.

Where I do have probs with friendlies is when fans are fleeced with inflated ticket prices and the non-LoI locals support the visitors. But that is hardly the fault of the visitors, is it?

Also, let's just say that City played Bolton, Portsmouth and/or whoever and got 3 positive results, 3 decent crowds and a good build-up to the season, guess who'd be on here crowing about it? The very people who would grouse about the games in the first place.

Hangups! There's a clot of people on here have a hang-up about N Spillane. (Yes, yes, hold your whisht, I KNOW this is your entitlement). You may not agree with everything he says, but like it's just his opinion. Ignore it if it annoys you.

This board has more whingers per square meter...

Anyway, IMO, last nite's game was quite enjoyable. Bolton had a decent side out, didn't stroll or strut, and the All-Stars

gave a decent account of themselves, particularly the young lads in the second half who looked very comfortable on the ball and should have scored twice.

Donie

**Colm** · 04/09/2003, 4:42 PM

Originally posted by patsh
So 2 questions:

1. While the take from barstoolers would be handy money for the club, do people think that getting "big" clubs like "Portsmouth, Wolves or Bolton" to grace us with their presence at the Cross, and aping $hels is something they would like to see happening at City?

2. Does anybody else think his "great night for the club" is patronising ignorance of the most annoying kind?

1. No

2. Yes

I was also quite unhappy with Spillage's article today, it gave off the impression that we should be oh so grateful to these foreign teams for coming over to play our lowly little club. I hate that attitude.
As for him going on about them being "quality" sides, well for a start we know there are no quality sides in Scotland (

), and Bolton are certainly not a quality side, I don't think a team has bored me so much for a quite a while and that includes Pats last friday!

**pete** · 04/09/2003, 5:16 PM

Never been pushed about friendlies against "big clubs" myself. Much preferred the visits from the likes of Swansea & Wrexham over the years as they made for a worthwhile comparison.

If city make a few quid from the bar stoolers fine but i see little point in helping the liikes of Glasgow $eltic speard their gospel over here while the spectators are fleeced with high priced tickets - incidently its city that'll probably take all the risks of a low attendance.

Since living in dublin have much preferred seeing 'continental' foreign teams in competitive european games cos of the different styles of play.

**tiktok** · 04/09/2003, 5:52 PM

Originally posted by patsh
So 2 questions:

1. While the take from barstoolers would be handy money for the club, do people think that getting "big" clubs like "Portsmouth, Wolves or Bolton" to grace us with their presence at the Cross, and aping $hels is something they would like to see happening at City?

2. Does anybody else think his "great night for the club" is patronising ignorance of the most annoying kind?

as liamon said, it'd be during our preseason, better to play decent opposition than heading to kerry again for a run out. two or three big gates before the season starts could mean a quality player brought in. once they don't interfere with the running of the league i have no problem with them.

the club made money off the bolton game, dolan got to look at a few fringe players and give them a run, the fans got to see some quality players in the flesh (and got to see how our 'stars' match up against them) so while it might seem patronising it's not neccessarily untrue. it was at least a good night for the club.

**patsh** · 04/09/2003, 6:36 PM

Originally posted by tiktok
the club made money off the bolton game,

City got nothing for last night, as far as I know. Wouldn't the money have gone to Carl Davenport?

Donie, I think you missed the point of the 2 questions completely, and simply had a rant at people who dislike/don't fall for the cross-channel hype.

My own opinion is that the club can make some decent money out of games like this, when it suits City. The point of the question was that Spillage view seemed to be that we should be grateful for getting a chance to play English and/or Scottish teams. I think this attitude is patronising, forelock tugging and I find it contemptible.

**James** · 04/09/2003, 6:37 PM

Originally posted by tiktok
the club made money off the bolton game,.

was it not a testimonial for 'the dav' therefore wud 'the dav' not made all / most of the money after expenses were paid?

**tiktok** · 04/09/2003, 9:11 PM

I guess the majority of the cash would have gone to Carl Davenport, but i assumed that city would have been paid for their players appearance. The talk beforehand was that Carl organised this himself so i assumed that he would have approached city with an offer as opposed to the other way around (when a player is offered a testimonial by the club).
Is the relationship between the club and Carl strong enough to waive the fee? I wouldn't have thought so.

**The Donie Forde** · 05/09/2003, 8:24 AM

City made NO money from the game. I'm fairly blue from trying to point out that, officially - and despite misleading press reports

- CCFC did not even play in the game. Sure, it was City players + 1 from Limerick, but hey on the ticket/programme/pre-match publicity the game was clearly billed as the 'Cork Soccer All-Stars' v BWFC.

So, technically, CCFC did not play Bolton. All queries as to why to CCFC. I find it quite bizarre myself, but that was the decision made.

Maybe I missed the point, patsh, I dunno. Maybe you're right about the grateful end of things, but I wasn't really taking that up at all. I just think it's good playing foreign opposition, that's all. Personally, I'm not grateful that they come - they wouldn't if it didn't suit themselves, which is fair enough - but I'm glad when they do show up that's all. I like football: I'd go to see a pro team any time, there is quality there.

You could be an opera buff, for instance, but I don't see the point in getting miffed if Pavarotti came to town just because you preferred some local tenor...

I mean, practically everyone watches movies: how many of us will only watch something produced in Ardmore Studios? Or insist that everything made in Hollywood is rubbish?

I just think some guys are on 'automatic' with the Premiership. I think a slightly broader view would not go astray on the subject.

Personally, I hope Bolton return and I hope CCFC play them next time, officially like. And, of course, the event should be used to make money/try players/entice new fans etc etc for CCFC.

Donie

**liamon** · 05/09/2003, 8:42 AM

Patsh,
I'm just wondering if a friendly match agist Ajax, Monaco or Sampadoria would cause similar anger?

Personally, I'm happy to see CCFC play friendly games against clubs with quality players like Okacha, as long as it doesn't interfere with our main focus - winning the league.

**ccfcman** · 05/09/2003, 9:27 AM

exactly-and it was good to see city didnt get trounced by a prem outfit like pats and $h�l$

**NorthoftheLee** · 05/09/2003, 12:04 PM

eh....although pats reserves&youths did get beat 6-0 by villa , shels did win 2-0 against leeds.....

**Gary** · 05/09/2003, 12:34 PM

One thing which annoyed me the other night was the way people refused to acknowledge Bolton in a FRIENDLY game.

"Oh, Im so great, i ONLY support the eL, I hate the premiership, im better than you because i couldnt care less that Jay Jay Okacha is a great player, but i dislike him because he plays in the premiership". To be fair, i think that that attitude is what makes alot of people dislike the eL, there is a certain element among us that we are better that you. pathetic is what it is really. I wouldnt mind, but most of these fellas will tell you every scorer, booking and sending off from the previous wknds premierhip outings. Thats great for a guy who has no interest in the thing, isnt it.

As someone said above, if it was against Ajax or Valencia, people would be screaming about how great it was etc.

Get lives.

**niamh** · 05/09/2003, 12:54 PM

Agree with ya Gary.

**Peadar** · 05/09/2003, 1:02 PM

The only reservation I have was that it wasn't pre-season for either team. If it was an "official" Cork City FC pre-season game properly advertised then I'd be very much in favour of it.
It would be nice to have a few away pre-season games too. The Reebok is a decent ground.
By the way Sam had a few words to say on soccercentral.ie

**patsh** · 05/09/2003, 1:53 PM

Sigh......

Would some people look at the title of the thread?
It says an "Annoying Spillage report".
It does not say anything about having a go at English teams.
I did not at any stage have a go at Bolton, say anything remotely like "Oh, Im so great, i ONLY support the eL, I hate the premiership, im better than you because i couldnt care less that Jay Jay Okacha is a great player, but i dislike him because he plays in the premiership" or claim a match against Vlencia, Milan or Timbucf*ckinToo would be better.
I asked 2 questions. Most people have not bothered to actually notice this.
It is a thread ABOUT SPILLANE.

How about his "story" entitled "We'll ban racists" on tonights Echo?
He claims Livingston was subjected to racial abuse and taunts.
Even when it was pointed out to him by Brian Lennox that the reason for the booing and whistling, not racial abuse or taunts, was because of Livingston's cheating (handling the ball in the lead up to the 2nd goal), he still comes out with this kind of sh*te.
Did anyone hear this abuse?
It may have happened, but all I heard was booing.
So over 6 thousand fans at that game, a few, if any, abused Livingston racially, and banner headline from Spillage about Rascism at the Cross.
Is this "balanced reporting" ?

**NorthoftheLee** · 05/09/2003, 2:38 PM

That spillane just gets worse and worse......

I heard one comment by some muppet behind me aimed at Osam and I shut him up straight away..........There wasnt one boo or any other word against Livingstone that I heard, until the handball incident....christ he is a complete muppet..City should tell the Echo to fuc off when it comes to sponsorship next season...that sports department is a joke as far as I'm concerned...

**Peadar** · 05/09/2003, 2:46 PM

Originally posted by corkcityfan1
It happens all the time that if a decision goes against us,whether the player be black,white or Ratnolds then we are going to boo the player and the decision.

If Livingstone was booed it's surely because of his dirty cheating dive for a penalty against us up in Inchicore.
He deserves everything he gets.

**patsh** · 05/09/2003, 3:20 PM

I mailed McHale about the article, pointing out the dive nd handball were the reason for the booing. If I get a reply, I'll post it here.
I'll always remember that dive. He wasn't even within the playing area at the time...