Who is Feeding the Media with Negative LOI "facts"?

**Boh_So_Good** · 07/08/2008, 10:48 PM

That's it. I am now convinced more than ever that somebody is feeding journalists with "LOI is Knackered bull****".

Pretty obvious who it might be when you think about it. Somebody who needs the league to be a joke so they do not look like a joke themselves when clubs like Drogheda do well in Europe.

**adamd164** · 07/08/2008, 11:08 PM

I'd agree that the media in this country only ever publish negative spin on the league. It's depressing really

**Longfordian** · 07/08/2008, 11:10 PM

It's almost like there's a PR company at work...hang on a second...

**Boh_So_Good** · 07/08/2008, 11:26 PM

Pointless question, but where are the FAI in all this? Could you imagine the GAA and IRFU sitting back and allowing this carry on in the media concerning their own sports.

The FAI are perfectly content to see domestic soccer trashed in the Irish sports media in tandem with "Sunderland are Irish" stories beside them.

**deecay** · 07/08/2008, 11:42 PM

Apart from Gards,journalists are the lowest of the low.

**MariborKev** · 07/08/2008, 11:49 PM

Originally Posted by Boh_So_Good

That's it. I am now convinced more than ever that somebody is feeding journalists with "LOI is Knackered bull****".

Pretty obvious who it might be when you think about it. Somebody who needs the league to be a joke so they do not look like a joke themselves when clubs like Drogheda do well in Europe.

I'd disagree.

It has been common knowledge for a while that certain clubs were in difficulties. However the launch of P1 plan has thrown more attention on the League and therefore it gave a reason for further investigation.

Whilst the current situation is causing some "pain", it might at least give rise to some clubs to stop and take stock. I doubt it, but it might.

**Big Ears** · 07/08/2008, 11:56 PM

Funnily enough it seems LOI football is finely getting the amount of media coverage it deserves at the moment. Shame none of it is about the actual football.

**Saint_Charlie** · 08/08/2008, 12:13 AM

Originally Posted by Big Ears

Funnily enough it seems LOI football is finely getting the amount of media coverage it deserves at the moment. Shame none of it is about the actual football.

That's always been the way sure. The papers only ever really give us good coverage when the **** hits the fan

**pete** · 08/08/2008, 12:17 AM

It is probably fair to think there is a conspiracy when the Indo publishes a "financial crisis survey" in the same paper as Drogs march report. That "survey" could have put that together in a few minutes my any foot.ie regular by combining attendance thread with wages rumour threads.

**SMorgan** · 08/08/2008, 6:09 AM

I believe that the situation is being milked by P1 and supporters of their silly all ireland league proposal. That's why its important that the FAI kill the proposal at the earliest possible opportunity. JD's statement stating that the proposal won't happen because the IFA are against it was, in my opinion, cowardly. The FAI should kill the proposal on its own grounds.

As long as the P1 proposal is on the table then the sniping of the domestic game, on both sides of the border, will continue.

**thischarmingman** · 08/08/2008, 7:07 AM

Originally Posted by Boh_So_Good

That's it. I am now convinced more than ever that somebody is feeding journalists with "LOI is Knackered bull****".

Pretty obvious who it might be when you think about it.

*Looks around accusingly at other foot.ie members...*

**SeanDrog** · 08/08/2008, 7:51 AM

tbh the media tend to focus on the negative more than the positive regardless if its the ecomony, el football or local news etc (sure the Olymics kick off today and the UK Times has a front page piece about the smog) - I suppose it might even be attributed to human nature (well maybe Irish nature

) to have more interest in negative things. The Irish love juicey gossip - Drogs doing well against Keiv is a good story but prob a boring enough read to many a Joe Soap but reading about directors being fired out of Bohs, clubs on the verge of collaspe bla bla bla , tends to catch peoples eyes - they rather read about soap opera type situations - well thats my take on it anyway.

Have a good day all (Friday yeeee haaaaa)

Sean

**Mr A** · 08/08/2008, 7:56 AM

I think the general reporting of the league's problems recently does seem to have P1 fingerprints on it.. but the fact is that the vast majority of clubs are spending in an unsustainable way and are the authors of their own misfortune. Clubs are defaulting on wages on a regular basis, running massive deficits and for tall the expenditure we're still looking at mostly the same players who'd be in the league anyway.

**amaccann** · 08/08/2008, 7:58 AM

It's not just the LoI though; newspapers sell off the backs of controversy and "hot topics". Look at the tactics the tabloids adopt with breaking "news" stories, or editorials by the likes of Kevin Myers.

So does it really surprise anyone that hacks jump all over something they perceive as weak & in trouble? The LoI is slowly picking itself up, but that's not going to stop the jackals from thinking there's a free lunch to be had.

I do agree that the FAI should be doing more to protect clubs from the persistent hounding, or lack of basic coverage by certain national publications.

**skitz3** · 08/08/2008, 8:10 AM

Originally Posted by Boh_So_Good

That's it. I am now convinced more than ever that somebody is feeding journalists with "LOI is Knackered bull****".

Pretty obvious who it might be when you think about it. Somebody who needs the league to be a joke so they do not look like a joke themselves when clubs like Drogheda do well in Europe.

You need to look a little closer to home.

**lofty9** · 08/08/2008, 8:17 AM

More in today's Star

they are saying that Cork haven't paid their players in weeks.

**Mr A** · 08/08/2008, 8:24 AM

It's the clubs themselves that are to blame (as usual)- they're the ones who f**ked up their budgeting!

**CuanaD** · 08/08/2008, 8:37 AM

Ah yes, I remember the 'Wimbledon for Dublin' campaign - its all to familiar

Just let it go, its only posturing.

**Ronnie** · 08/08/2008, 9:30 AM

Originally Posted by Mr A

It's the clubs themselves that are to blame (as usual)- they're the ones who f**ked up their budgeting!

Thats too easy to say. Lets say a club does a budget, based on that budget it sets its wage budget. The problem arises when the budgeted income falls - gates, sponsorship etc, the expenditure stays the same unless you can reduce the wage bill. Realistically that can only happen in the window and can only happen if another club is willing to take the player, ala Sligo and Galway. Even if wages are 65% of turnover, its only players wages, not managers coaches and physios, so wages might be 80% of costs. The majority of other costs are unavaiodable -transport, light and power, insurance etc, thus when you have to cut something its players wages are the only option, and only for half a year. Take Galway, they got rid of 5 or 6 players, probably saved them the guts of 80k between now and end of season.

**Mr A** · 08/08/2008, 9:34 AM

Fair point- it's easy to get caught wrong footed by unexpectedly poor on field performance or whatever, but when it gets to the stage were the majority of clubs in the premier are experiencing some level of finanical problems then you have to wonder whether in general the clubs are living in fantasy land.