Pro14 2017-18 season thread

ClanofLams

Bazzo wrote: »

Considering the capacity of the sportsground is ~6200 without bringing in extra terracing Connacht's average attendance is over 90% of their regular capacity...

EDIT: Also, having looked up the numbers from last year, Cork City(the best attendad LoI team) had far less through the gate than Connacht both in total and on average so no idea where you got that from.

Not to mention that Connacht have the smallest population catchment of the provinces, it's a lot harder to get 6k in the Sportsground than it is 15k in the RDS.

Bazzo

The lads on craggy podcast said they queried the pro14 and Sunday games aren't coming back, some games will be played simultaneously.

Dubinusa

Why would they do that? Sunday games would surely be better for attendance?

Cookiemunster

Dubinusa wrote: »

Why would they do that? Sunday games would surely be better for attendance?

Because they're not better for attendance. A fan survey was done last sason which showed that fans don't want Sunday matches.

The Lost Sheep

Dubinusa wrote: »

Why would they do that? Sunday games would surely be better for attendance?

Nothing suggests that at all.
Fans dont want them and attendances at Sunday games dont back that up

Dubinusa

Ok, makes sense.

ScrubsfanChris

Someone at Pro14 offices was finally hit in the back of the head and come to their senses.

Final now kicks of at the earlier time of 18:00, Champions league Final kicks off at 19:45

prawnsambo

ScrubsfanChris wrote: »

Someone at Pro14 offices was finally hit in the back of the head and come to their senses.

Final now kicks of at the earlier time of 18:00, Champions league Final kicks off at 19:45

Not necessarily the Pro 14's fault. There's an Aviva Premiership final kicking off around three as well. TV companies have different priorities and usually dictate when matches are played.

ScrubsfanChris

prawnsambo wrote: »

Not necessarily the Pro 14's fault. There's an Aviva Premiership final kicking off around three as well. TV companies have different priorities and usually dictate when matches are played.

The Aviva Premiership Final kicks off at 15:00
How does a match that will end around 5pm push another to start at 6:30?

prawnsambo

ScrubsfanChris wrote: »

The Aviva Premiership Final kicks off at 15:00
How does a match that will end around 5pm push another to start at 6:30?

It doesn't. It just leaves less room for manoeuvre. TV dictates the times of matches. The Pro 14 final was only moved back a half hour. Clearly that's the best they could get.

Why? Do you think the Pro 14 were the sole decision makers here?

ScrubsfanChris

prawnsambo wrote: »

It doesn't. It just leaves less room for manoeuvre. TV dictates the times of matches. The Pro 14 final was only moved back a half hour. Clearly that's the best they could get.

Why? Do you think the Pro 14 were the sole decision makers here?

If thats the best they could get then why didn't they use a 6pm kick from the start. Their excuse of big interest in the champions league final because Liverpool are involved is also bullsh*t. It's the worlds most watched yearly sporting event no matter who's playing.

Im not solely blaming Pro14 for this, it was a joke. And it was a stupid decision who ever scheduled it in the first place.

Blut2

Why would the TV broadcaster of the Pro14 final want to have it on at the same time as the Champions League final? That would just result in them getting terrible ratings for it. They of all people would want to avoid the clash the most - they have the most to lose from it. I'd be shocked if the TV broadcaster had been dictating that the final must start at 18:30.

Former Former

prawnsambo wrote: »

It doesn't. It just leaves less room for manoeuvre. TV dictates the times of matches. The Pro 14 final was only moved back a half hour. Clearly that's the best they could get.

Why? Do you think the Pro 14 were the sole decision makers here?

Yep. Sky are the main broadcaster. They wouldn't want it in the afternoon because that will clash with their own coverage of the (soccer) championship playoff final which is a much bigger deal. Would also clash with the AP final

Clashing with Champions league final was never ideal but only a partial overlap might have been ok- but once Liverpool qualifed it was a total non-runner.

The Pro14 themselves would have had little or no say.

ScrubsfanChris

Former Former wrote: »

Yep. Sky are the main broadcaster. They wouldn't want it in the afternoon because that will clash with their own coverage of the (soccer) championship playoff final which is a much bigger deal. Would also clash with the AP final

Clashing with Champions league final was never ideal but only a partial overlap might have been ok- but once Liverpool qualifed it was a total non-runner.

The Pro14 themselves would have had little or no say.

It never had to be in the late afternoon though. 6pm is a time that suits most people but they decided to make it 6:30 for which is a problem.
6:30 overlaps with both the championship final and he champions league final already anyway so to say they moved it for the former is a bit rich.

prawnsambo

ScrubsfanChris wrote: »

It never had to be in the late afternoon though. 6pm is a time that suits most people but they decided to make it 6:30 for which is a problem.
6:30 overlaps with both the championship final and he champions league final already anyway so to say they moved it for the former is a bit rich.

There would have been at most a 15-20 minute overlap with the original scheduling. The revised time cuts out more like the entire second half. That would have been tough enough decision to make, but obviously Sky saw the benefits. If there hadn't been an English club in the European final, the schedule wouldn't have been as much of an issue.

You seem to be implying something here, but I'm not sure what it is. We've known for years that match times are dictated by broadcasters, not the leagues.

ScrubsfanChris

prawnsambo wrote: »

You seem to be implying something here, but I'm not sure what it is. We've known for years that match times are dictated by broadcasters, not the leagues.

Get off it. Am explaining why I think 6pm was better from the very start.

I've given MY OPINION on why it was a bad option and explained that I know its not just the Pro14 who decided kick off times.

Go back through this thread, a few people already thought this was a bad idea long before Liverpool were involved.

Eod100

KO time seemed mad in first place. Anyone living fair bit outside of Dublin would have struggled to get public transport home afterwards with game not finishing til going on 8.30.

Former Former

Eod100 wrote: »

KO time seemed mad in first place. Anyone living fair bit outside of Dublin would have struggled to get public transport home afterwards with game not finishing til going on 8.30.

If the kick-off time was scheduled with attending fans in mind, it would be on at 3pm, but it's not, it's scheduled with TV, TV and only TV in mind.

It was 6.15pm last year.

prawnsambo

ScrubsfanChris wrote: »

Get off it. Am explaining why I think 6pm was better from the very start.

I've given MY OPINION on why it was a bad option and explained that I know its not just the Pro14 who decided kick off times.

Go back through this thread, a few people already thought this was a bad idea long before Liverpool were involved.

And I'm explaining why it wasn't in the Pro 14's power to decide anything about kick off times. Which is why I initially responded to this:

ScrubsfanChris wrote: »

Someone at Pro14 offices was finally hit in the back of the head and come to their senses.

Eod100

Former Former wrote: »

If the kick-off time was scheduled with attending fans in mind, it would be on at 3pm, but it's not, it's scheduled with TV, TV and only TV in mind.

It was 6.15pm last year.

Well yeah get they have to avoid clash with Premiership final but thought 5.30 might get people home in time .

ScrubsfanChris

prawnsambo wrote: »

And I'm explaining why it wasn't in the Pro 14's power to decide anything about kick off times. Which is why I initially responded to this:

If you didn't understand that was a joke then then I fear for you sanity.
I haven't asserted it's the Pro14 fault since.

The conversion has moved beyond who decides what. I've been questioning why the 6:30 time was picked regardless of who chooses it yet you keep coming back round to its the "broadcasters". I know this and it doesn't mean I still can't question it.

I'm going to leave it at that because you clearly want to keep an argument going for some reason.

prawnsambo

ScrubsfanChris wrote: »

If you didn't understand that was a joke then then I fear for you sanity.
I haven't asserted it's the Pro14 fault since.

The conversion has moved beyond who decides what. I've been questioning why the 6:30 time was picked regardless of who chooses it yet you keep coming back round to its the "broadcasters". I know this and it doesn't mean I still can't question it.

I'm going to leave it at that because you clearly want to keep an argument going for some reason.

Oh it was a joke. Grand so. Silly me for not spotting it. :rolleyes:

wp_rathead

Glasgow V Scarlets could be a lot of fun, kick off Friday at 7.45

Glasgow: S Hogg; T Seymour, N Grigg, S Johnson, DTH van der Merwe; F Russell, G Horne; J Bhatti, F Brown, Z Fagerson; T Swinson, J Gray; M Fagerson, C Gibbins, R Wilson (capt).

Replacements: G Turner, A Allan, S Halanukonuka, R Harley, C Fusaro, H Pyrgos, P Horne, R Jackson.

Scarlets: J McNicholl; T Prydie, S Williams, H Parkes, S Evans; R Patchell, G Davies; R Evans, K Owens (capt), S Lee, T Beirne, S Cummins, A Shingler, J Davies, J Barclay.

Replacements: R Elias, W Jones, W Kruger, L Rawlins, W Boyde, J Evans, D Jones, S Hughes.

thelad95

I think the league is committing a massive commercial own goal either way. There is a certain football match on at 7:45 that some people may be interested in and it’s going to infringe on that.

Why not just play the game in Saturday afternoon sunshine?

wp_rathead

thelad95 wrote: »

I think the league is committing a massive commercial own goal either way. There is a certain football match on at 7:45 that some people may be interested in and it’s going to infringe on that.

Why not just play the game in Saturday afternoon sunshine?

Finn Harps v Cobh Ramblers?

MJohnston

thelad95 wrote: »

I think the league is committing a massive commercial own goal either way. There is a certain football match on at 7:45 that some people may be interested in and it’s going to infringe on that.

Why not just play the game in Saturday afternoon sunshine?

But...they....they did move it to 6pm already....I'm so confused as to why this is still being argued about.

thelad95

MJohnston wrote: »

But...they....they did move it to 6pm already....I'm so confused as to why this is still being argued about.

Coverage of a rugby match amounts to two hours, by then the Champions League game has begun.

People are going to be packing pubs to watch the soccer and as such, it’s highly likely the rugby may be switched over early which is not ideal for anyone.

In 2011, they were on the same Saturday and the rugby kicked off at 5pm.

In 2013, rugby kicked off at 4:45.
In 2016, rugby at 5:30.

If they moved it back to 6:00, why not just go back to 5:30?

This is especially true this year as there’s essentially a vested Irish interest in the football due to the large amount of Liverpool fans.

It is really nonsensical as to why a growing league and grand final concept would pit itself against probably the largest sporting event in the world.

Exclamation Marc

thelad95 wrote: »

I think the league is committing a massive commercial own goal either way. There is a certain football match on at 7:45 that some people may be interested in and it’s going to infringe on that.

Why not just play the game in Saturday afternoon sunshine?

Not an own goal at all. People who will be in the pub early for the game will see the rugby on TV. Great exposure.

Herpes Free Since03

Exclamation Marc wrote: »

Not an own goal at all. People who will be in the pub early for the game will see the rugby on TV. Great exposure.

And miss the last 30 mins of the game, not that great...and I'd say most Irish people have already been exposed to rugby at this point

prawnsambo

thelad95 wrote: »

Coverage of a rugby match amounts to two hours, by then the Champions League game has begun.

People are going to be packing pubs to watch the soccer and as such, it’s highly likely the rugby may be switched over early which is not ideal for anyone.

In 2011, they were on the same Saturday and the rugby kicked off at 5pm.

In 2013, rugby kicked off at 4:45.
In 2016, rugby at 5:30.

If they moved it back to 6:00, why not just go back to 5:30?

This is especially true this year as there’s essentially a vested Irish interest in the football due to the large amount of Liverpool fans.

It is really nonsensical as to why a growing league and grand final concept would pit itself against probably the largest sporting event in the world.

They are entirely dependant on what the TV operators want. There's also the Aviva Premiership final on the same day.



This has all been trashed out before. On this thread too.