Eircom league interest?

KdjaCL

Just wondering why all the sudden interest in Eircom League?
Having been a poster here for a few years i have never seen so many threads about EL.
Im sure the other active EL fans (who i could probably name) are wondering the same thing.

Is it because thee is no other football on? Or is it just the European games?


kdjac

20 Times 20 Times

looks like the introduction of summer league has proved to be a wise choice

Pigman II

Simple. It's purely because Cork, Shels and (by next Tuesday, fingers-X'd ) Bohs have won a few rounds between them in Europe this season. There's nothing else to it as far as I'm concerned. They don't care about the clubs, the league or anything else surrounding it and won't be seen for dust once are representatives are inevitably knocked out of Europe in the coming weeks.

Whilst there's definetly a few genuine EL people here I still feel the majority of postings are just by 'Leisure fans' (for want of a better term) who'll jump on any success stories no matter who is generating them.

IMHO these are the same people who didn't (and wouldn't) care less about the Ireland team either whe (and if) they were still coming 4th and 5th in their qualifying groups.

Not saying they shouldn't do it but I for one will always take their new found 'enthusiam' with a pinch of salt.

eirebhoy

I disagree with Pigman. I only started supporting the Eircom League this season and I have gone to a few Pat's games. I did a pole before the season started on who will win the lague and it got 40 votes (nobody voted for Dublin and the majority voted for Shels, Cork and Boh's, so it wasn't people voting for the sake of it), there was also over 60 replies to the thread.

The majority of threads on this forum are transfer related, since there are very few high profile transfers in the Eircom league there won't be much threads (I opened a thread about Pat's whole squad being up for sale because there will be a lot of high profile transfers when the window re-open's in a month or so).

The reason that there is no threads on Eircom league football matches is because there is no television coverage. I'm sure there will be a thread on Cork -v- Shels next month as we'll all get to see it and comment on it.

The reason there is so much interest in the European threads is quite obvious, they are representing Ireland. Bigger teams are also going to attract more interest. The average attendance at Turner's Cross is just over 2000 but when Nanted come to town they get just under 9,000, thats the same with any club. Cork winning a few rounds in the inter-toto doesn't mean more people are going to be interested in Shels -v- Rekavic.

It is obvious there would be more interest in Cork when they got through a couple of rounds because they had just made history and Nantes are probably the best team ever to play a competitive match in Turners Cross. It's no coincedence that the final of the Euro 2004 got more viewers than the previous meeting of the two countries in the opening match.

gimmick

Originally posted by eirebhoy
The average attendance at Turner's Cross is just over 2000 but when Nanted come to town they get just under 9,000, thats the same with any club.

Um, the average at the Cross is about 4500.

I think the reason that people are getting more interested is simple. The standard of the league is getting better and better.

Bateman

I think the introduciton of summer soccer has been a terrible choice, the 10-team league likewise, and the quality is piss-poor this season compared to the football played in recent seasons. Maybe it's just because I live outside Cork. Shels got less than 4,500 for their European game, and when the Estonians visit Bohs on Tuesday, the same ones that we comprehensively beat a few years back, the "great Dublin soccer public" are unlikely to be out in their droves.

Bateman

Plus, most of the people populating the eL threads are the same people as always. You never see a post from a non-eL regular offering an opinion, because they aren't informed enough to offer an opinion, and much of this has as much to do with the dire media coverage (even of the European games) than it has to do with their own ignorance.

eirebhoy

Originally posted by Bateman
Shels got less than 4,500 for their European game, and when the Estonians visit Bohs on Tuesday, the same ones that we comprehensively beat a few years back, the "great Dublin soccer public" are unlikely to be out in their droves.

That's a bit unfair. Cork City were representing the whole of Cork so everyone in Cork would having parties if they won the Inter-toto. Boh's, Shels, Pats, etc are representing Cork, Kerry or Sligo just as much as Dublin. Its a bit hard to explain but the people in Cork with no interest in the Eircom league or even football would have been supporting Cork last night, its just not the same with the Dublin teams. My mother would sit down and watch Dublin (GAA) play but she has no interest in GAA, if Dublin City was the only major Eircom league club in Dublin it would be a lot different. Don't mind me blabbering on...;)

Big Ears

I am some1 who shows interest when EL sides are in Europe yet arent that much otherwise , my excuse ? no team:( , for I live in the area of North Tipperary , and have to be content watching the top sides from North Tipp .(both from my local town , Nenagh Celtic and Nenagh AFC/Town) Im a Nenagh AFC fan/juvenille player myself .

I havent access to great travel (too young to drive ) and no Irish station can bother they're arse showing games .

It was great back a few years ago when RTE showed a game every friday (I think) .

so because I cant watch my own country's top sides I of course watch English and Scottish ones .

The Bohs cup semi-final last season was watched by almost every1 I know (even those with less than a passing interest in soccer) .

The league would be incredibly popular if it was televised more .

Which would eventually get more crowds to the games themselves and stadiums would have to be expanded . (helping us if we're ever going to make a decent bid to hold a major tournament )

Bateman

>Boh's, Shels, Pats, etc are representing Cork, Kerry or Sligo just as much as Dublin


In theory, yes, Bohs are representing the whole of Ireland when they take on the Estonians tomorrow, but it doesn't feel that way when Dalymount is half full of the usual regulars, and the odd freeloader.

I agree with Big Ears. Whether the league does enough, or for that matter, ANYTHING to market itself, there are certain times when Irish football teams simply SHOULD be shown live (such as European games), times where it is easily COMMERCIALLY VIABLE to screen games (such as European games), and then times where Irish teams should be shown and it is also commercially viable to screen the game (yes, you've guessed it, our league judging itself against other European leagues), and bigger the FOOLS at RTE and TV3 who don't realise the potential. The Bohs (no apostrophe PLEASE)-Pat's replay in the cup semi of last season being a case in point of viewing figures speak for themselves.

NightStrike

I think the fact the board is more strict now has helped. i.e. you have to apply for access and mods are more vigilant.

I remember a time where you'd get flamed for posting about Irish soccer with stupid comments like "Oh thats ****" etc.

Bateman

I was also going to suggest that; that the football only board, and latterly, the restricted board has trimmed a lot of the fat (though evidently not all of it) :dunno: off; but that would be cynical, at a time when eL fans are coming out of the libraries to take over the boards, and wax lyrical of the Cork Cities and Bohemians (and even the cash-strapped Superstains) of this world. :ninja:

por

Originally posted by Pigman II

Whilst there's definetly a few genuine EL people here I still feel the majority of postings are just by 'Leisure fans' (for want of a better term) who'll jump on any success stories no matter who is generating them.

IMHO these are the same people who didn't (and wouldn't) care less about the Ireland team either whe (and if) they were still coming 4th and 5th in their qualifying groups.

Not saying they shouldn't do it but I for one will always take their new found 'enthusiam' with a pinch of salt.

I do not support an EL team primarly because I do not get a chance to see any games, I do not live near a EL club (Mayo) and no games are on TV.

But another reason is because of the attitude of it's 'fans' like Pigman here. Take and interest in an EL game\club and they accuse you of jumping on the bandwagon. Why don't you welcome and encourage new fans, they might stick around you know .....

SteM

Originally posted by Pigman II
Simple. It's purely because Cork, Shels and (by next Tuesday, fingers-X'd ) Bohs have won a few rounds between them in Europe this season. There's nothing else to it as far as I'm concerned. They don't care about the clubs, the league or anything else surrounding it and won't be seen for dust once are representatives are inevitably knocked out of Europe in the coming weeks.

Whilst there's definetly a few genuine EL people here I still feel the majority of postings are just by 'Leisure fans' (for want of a better term) who'll jump on any success stories no matter who is generating them.

IMHO these are the same people who didn't (and wouldn't) care less about the Ireland team either whe (and if) they were still coming 4th and 5th in their qualifying groups.

Not saying they shouldn't do it but I for one will always take their new found 'enthusiam' with a pinch of salt.

There were a few threads before the league had even started so I don't think European progression is anything to do with it tbh. I think it's more to do with the soccer board being restricted as other posters have mentioned.

super_furry

Originally posted by por
I do not support an EL team primarly because I do not get a chance to see any games, I do not live near a EL club (Mayo) and no games are on TV.

But another reason is because of the attitude of it's 'fans' like Pigman here. Take and interest in an EL game\club and they accuse you of jumping on the bandwagon. Why don't you welcome and encourage new fans, they might stick around you know .....

Exactly the point I was about to make. There is so much hostility among eircom League supporters towards non-supporters that in some cases, the fans themselves are hurting the clubs. There's a huge holier-than-thou attitude among eircom League fans, who take a condescending approach to anyone who isn't one of them.

I don't live within reasonable travelling distance of an eircom League club, but during the times I have gone to matches as a football fan and not a club supporter, I have had several unpleasant experiences. A friend of mine was insulted at shouted at several times during a Bohemians – St Pat's game because he was wearing a Liverpool tracksuit top. Meanwhile, the abuse my English cousin received at a Shamrock Rovers v Derry Game in Santry a couple of years back was nothing short of shameful, which sadly is probably more to do with a reflection of a certain club's supporters than that of all EL fans.

I'm not saying that the above incidents are completely true reflections of the entire eircom League fanbase, but if supporters spent less time looking down their noses at non-eircom League fans and more time encouraging them to go to games, then the league might be in a healthier state

Imposter

This will probably get a bit of a reaction but perhaps Irish club soccer needs a radical overhaul. I'm talking about having a league with every region having a team.

Dublin has far too many clubs in the 2 divisions for them all to be relatively successful and/or competitive in a well-supported league (a regular 20k plus crowd for top teams).

For example I don't think there's any eircom league teams that fall inside the Kerry League area. The Meath and district League and the Clare League is similar.

If soccer was made more region specific like GAA or rugby (with the provences) and marketed properly I would imagine it could easily command similar attendences to GAA or Rugby. Of course for this to happen Dublin teams would have to be dispanded or combined and that is hardly likely to happen too easily.

Big Ears

regionel is not the way to go , I can assure you of that .

by the way theres no team from either the North or South Tipperary league .(Thurles had a team many years ago (glimmer in my eye ) ) .

I think an addition of a third league : the Eircom League second Divison .

But it would be all Amateur .

that way there would be at least 10 more clubs (hopefully not too many Dublin ones) and more likely that people who have no team to support would at least have a team resonably close to them for them to support .

LizardKing

My Interest in the Eircom League stems from the fact I was brought to matches as a kid . My dad is a life long Shels fan , he is a big supporter of the irish game and goes to as many home games as possible as well as most of the nearby away games... He has also travelled to some of Shel's big european away games , most noatably against rangers a few years ago..

I think the domestic game has a lot to offer , there is some exciting football played and although the standard may not be up to Premiership quality , you still see some great football and goals..

I think one of the reasons for the league being unpopular or unsupported is the pull of the english / scottish leagues and the lack of TV coverage or marketing given to the league. With more live TV games I think the league could bring in more fans , I also think the summer league is a good thing ...

Bateman

Maybe the summer thing needs more time to prove itself as good or bad for football, but unless its combined with even a modest increase in media coverage (and clubs efforts to market themselves too obviously) , its all the same really.

Pigman II

por wrote:

But another reason is because of the attitude of it's 'fans' like Pigman here. Take and interest in an EL game\club and they accuse you of jumping on the bandwagon.

Just so you know, people coming on here and spouting platitudes like 'oh I'm happy the Irish clubs are doing well' is not taking an interest.

And btw I've nothing against people 'jumping on the bandwagon' when it comes to the EL .... that is, as long as they ARE actually jumping on the bandwagon as I would define it i.e. attending matches and filling the coffers! If that's the case then by all means jump on board. Hell, do a triple jump and a back flip if you like.

But then of course you have the great Irish get-out clause of 'I don't live near enough to attend'. Genius! Tho it's amazing the number of people I've heard all this from down the years who have later revealed to me that they've attended games at Anfield, Old Trafford and whatever the name of that place Celtic play in nowadays is called.

The problem is that people like you honestly think merely wishing a club well is 'jumping on the bandwagon' .... and I reckon that is a majority of our grounds are half empty week after week.

Why I reckon we'd fill Lansdowne twice over on the number of people who'll be 'wishing Shels well' v Hadjuk next week .... but that won't change the fact that Tolka probably won't even be 2/3's full when the match finally rolls round!

But that's the thing with footy in this county. 40+ years of TV coverage of foriegn leagues has given us the gods honest mentality that football is something that should only be experienced via a cathode ray tube whilst sitting on a barstool or a living room couch.

It would probably take an EL team qualifying for the Champions League proper to change that situation around and even then I could see the great 'supporters' of this country turning up at Lansdowne and heckling Bohs or Shels if they were paired against real Irish teams such as ManU or Liverpool. It wouldn't be the first time either!

KdjaCL

The league can be ****e then again most leagues are ****e with only a few decent games a season, but when someone who never seen a game or went to one says its ****e, kinda annoying. Its plain ignorance, i get a season ticket every year but due to Night Hawks league i cant go every week but i still get the ticket. Go to more away games than home due to Night Hawks but i will always go its habit now

kdjac

Big Ears

Pigman II wrote:

Just so you know, people coming on here and spouting platitudes like 'oh I'm happy the Irish clubs are doing well' is not taking an interest.

And btw I've nothing against people 'jumping on the bandwagon' when it comes to the EL .... that is, as long as they ARE actually jumping on the bandwagon as I would define it i.e. attending matches and filling the coffers! If that's the case then by all means jump on board. Hell, do a triple jump and a back flip if you like.

But then of course you have the great Irish get-out clause of 'I don't live near enough to attend'. Genius! Tho it's amazing the number of people I've heard all this from down the years who have later revealed to me that they've attended games at Anfield, Old Trafford and whatever the name of that place Celtic play in nowadays is called.

The problem is that people like you honestly think merely wishing a club well is 'jumping on the bandwagon' .... and I reckon that is a majority of our grounds are half empty week after week.

Why I reckon we'd fill Lansdowne twice over on the number of people who'll be 'wishing Shels well' v Hadjuk next week .... but that won't change the fact that Tolka probably won't even be 2/3's full when the match finally rolls round!

But that's the thing with footy in this county. 40+ years of TV coverage of foriegn leagues has given us the gods honest mentality that football is something that should only be experienced via a cathode ray tube whilst sitting on a barstool or a living room couch.

It would probably take an EL team qualifying for the Champions League proper to change that situation around and even then I could see the great 'supporters' of this country turning up at Lansdowne and heckling Bohs or Shels if they were paired against real Irish teams such as ManU or Liverpool. It wouldn't be the first time either!

While you're on you're high horse , tell me how the **** should I go about getting to an Eircom League game . :mad: .

KdjaCL

Pigman II wrote:

I could see the great 'supporters' of this country turning up at Lansdowne and heckling Bohs or Shels if they were paired against real Irish teams such as ManU or Liverpool. It wouldn't be the first time either!

Been on the end of that unfortunatley and since then i passionatley hate every living Irish Celtic supporter, bastards booing Irish players. They a disgrace to to this country.



kdjac

Bateman

Its a bit much having a blanket hatred for Celtic fans. While there's no doubt some of them are fools that only support Celtic out of some warped supposed Republican connotation, there are many eL fans who are die-hard Celtic fans, and I also know Celtic fans from Glasgow who have an awareness of the eL that rivals many supposed Irish football fans. Celtic are a heavily supported team in Ireland, among eL fans as much as among non-eL fans. In saying that though, lots of Pats' fans seem to hate them. Maybe its the Aberdeen conenction.

KdjaCL

Not all pats fans hate them just me
Theres a Pats Celtic fan club or somfin ,didnt like seeing Hawkins getting booed(by irish people, scots were great) because he played in England yet hes from Galway and in that Celtic team there wasnt one irish player.


kdjac

Bateman

[tangent]
Hawkins was a decent, competent centre-half at the time, but it is amazing to think people thought he was international level at that time. Right now he is one of the most over-paid wasters in the league, and I hope to God Bohs find a way to get rid of him.
[/tangent]

I know of an "Inchicore Emerald" Celtic supporters club, but I don't think they're actually connected to Pats. Maybe there is a fans one too though.

Pigman II

Big Ears wrote:

While you're on you're high horse , tell me how the **** should I go about getting to an Eircom League game . :mad: .

Surprisingly it's really not that hard! They now have these things call trains and buses that when used in combination can take you pretty much anywhere in the country that you may (or may not) want to go.

I also just noted that Limerick City is less than 25miles from Nenagh so it's not as if you are a galaxy away from an EL club. Certainly a lot less than the 300miles+ it would take you to get to your 'beloved' St James Park, Newcastle.

Now, any more questions that aren't phrased in the form of an excuse?

Big Ears

So you tell me what train/bus to take , where the stadium is and when the next few games are , and if it dosent clash with me playing sport myself ill go .

Pigman II

Big Ears wrote:

So you tell me what train/bus to take , where the stadium is and when the next few games are , and if it dosent clash with me playing sport myself ill go .

Eh OK, and I'll tell you what, how about I ring them up, book and buy the tickets for you and then post them out to your house? Hell I'll even get them to postpone their next game if it happens to clash with your social life. :rolleyes:

There's a whole internet of information out there Big Ears. Try using it .

Big Ears

Limerick Fc's website aint working at the moment .

Its more work then you think finding information about Eircom League first division clubs .

any idea how much tickets are because I am not an adult and my only source of income is pocket money .

Now between travel and tickets , id say id have feck all money left every week that if gone to a game .

I just taught if you were so passionete about people going to games , you might be able to give me a helping hand with information about the club .

by the way Pigman who do you support ?

KdjaCL

prolly about €4 into there for div 1 game ,i only been there once. Met some really nice Limerick people who threw bottles at us ,very nice of them shame they were empty.

If there a direct bus from yoru town it leave you fairly close to the ground think they play on saturday nights.

/Pigman is a Bohs fan ,some of the happiest fans in the world .

Kdjac

Big Ears

KdjaC wrote:

prolly about €4 into there for div 1 game ,i only been there once. Met some really nice Limerick people who threw bottles at us ,very nice of them shame they were empty.

But they threw bottles at ya , because you were a Pats fan right ?
I doubt they would throw bottles at people wearing Limerick jerseys .

by the way which sports shops sell Limerick jerseys does anyone know ?

or is there a club shop in/near the ground ? .

do you have to buy tickets or just pay on entering ?

Pigman II

Limerick Fc's website aint working at the moment .

I guess we should just give up then!

Its more work then you think finding information about Eircom League first division clubs .

You could always try ringing them on '061 340264' (I got that from the fai site) after the bank holiday weekend and see if they can answer your q's.

any idea how much tickets are because I am not an adult and my only source of income is pocket money .
Now between travel and tickets , id say id have feck all money left every week that if gone to a game .

If you can't afford to go then thats fair enough. I just have issue with people who can talk for 8 hours straight about Liverpool, spend the best part of E100 on Celtic's latest ugly away jersey, make half a dozen trips to Old Trafford each year .... and then (despite waxing lyrical about their interest in the EL) can't even bother to visit their nearest EL club because 'they don't know where the ground is' (or any one of a myriad of equally worthless excuses).

I just taught if you were so passionete about people going to games , you might be able to give me a helping hand with information about the club .

That's fair enough and no offence intended but your previous posts just come off like you're taking the piss tbh.

For example comments
* tell me how the **** should I go about getting to an Eircom League game
* So you tell me what train/bus to take ,
* where the stadium is and when the next few games are ,
* and if it dosent clash with me playing sport myself ill go .

sound like someone who deep down doesn't give a shit and is just evading the issue with feigned ignorance, so you could see how I was losing patience with your line of enquiry.

by the way Pigman who do you support ?

Bohs

some of the happiest fans in the world .

yep

Bateman

>me of the happiest fans in the world .

Knock about the home of Irish football for a few weeks and you wont believe yourself. :rolleyes:

kilkennycat2004

The EL is the highest level of football we have & anything that increases interest is to be welcomed.
Some of the provincial clubs have potentially much larger following than at present but its just to get them ignited thats the problem.
I Support Waterford in LOI & they have drawn my native county in tonites cup draw. This will bring a large crowd who seldom go to loi in Waterford or indeed Kilkenny. Hopefully the fare will be good enough to get at least some to return.
Best of luck to Shels tomorrow