Best of luck to the lads tonight

[eddieohalloran]

Best of luck to Stephen Henderson, Stephen Neiland and all the players for the coming season.

Hopefully we can start with a win tonight!

Hopefully there will be a good crowd to cheer on the team!

[claret&blue]

Great crowd the other night if we are going to progress we will need this kind of support and more for all games at home and possibly away would be great. If the town could only encourage the club instead of knocking the club all the time we could be in for something special this year.

[Comic Book Guy]

I think that there was the novelty factor of a new season in the increase in the crowd, also there was a decent amount from Limerick at it, it may be down to the fact that there are more locals getting a look in, Conor Meade, John Meade (captain), Davin O'Neill, Michael O'Shea and Zico all in the squad.

The real test will be on April 5th (tuesday) when we are at home to Athlone, the same night Liverpool/Juventus is on telly. (Great fixture planning by whatever muppet in the EL drew up the fixture list ).

So the club officials as well as supporters will have to spread the word, Support your local team and not a bunch of overpaid prima-donna's from another country that have no identity with your own area.

UP THE RAMS!

[Éanna]

The real test will be on April 5th (tuesday) when we are at home to Athlone, the same night Liverpool/Juventus is on telly. (Great fixture planning by whatever muppet in the EL drew up the fixture list ).

Why the hell should the eircom League pay any attention to other games that have nothing to do with this league when making up the fixtures?

[Comic Book Guy]

exactly what i was thinking. Were in a total differnt league and should not have to arrange our match's around anyone else!

Lads, you miss my point, in an ideal world we would not have to worry about other matches, but the truth is though that the EL is a minority sport in this country, it is an unfortunate and very sad fact of life that there are more barstoolers more interested in two foreign sides in Ireland than they are in a team on their doorstep. Put yourself in the mind of an armchair 'fan', he sees Juve/L'pool on telly and has the alternative of going out to watch his local side, what do you think he will choose?
I realise I am preaching to the choir on this one, it is up to every one in the Eircom League, from administrators, players to supporters to try and change the minds of the sporting public in this country. Yes great strides have been made but there is a lot more to do.
In the meantime, when the midweek fixtures were being devised for the EL, surely the person responsible should have realised that there were other televised football attractions, these midweek games could have been scheduled for another week when there were no CL or international games scheduled. The person who was responsible for this list should have done every thing possible to assist clubs and not hinder clubs when there were obvious counter-attractions scheduled for that week.
Then again, the fact that Athlone have to travel to Cobh on a Tuesday night or that Ramblers were originally scheduled to travel to MONAGHAN in a midweek game says it all about the foresight/intelligence of the eejit who devised up the fixtures.
Clubs like Cobh, Athlone and all other EL clubs need the application of common sense here.