LOI in CL

Pigman

Will a League of Ireland team make it to the group stages of the champions league in the next 10 years?

KdjaCL

I would say not a chance in hell.
But if we can get a 2nd round prelim and a lucky draw i think someone could jammy it.
Hopefully the new FAI deal will throw some cash into the LOI teams.(well it did but more)


kdja

Sand

Knowing my luck this may come back and bite me in the ass, but you can comftably bet your life savings on a LOI not making it to the CL inside the next ten years and sleep soundly for those ten years.

mike65

Unless a club becomes some billionaires vanity project
and they turn, say Shels into a sub-Man Utd type side full of mecenaries, nope. Hell will freeze over first.

Mike.

Samson

I'd love to see it happen, but...
I do live in the real world.

Stinkah

I don't think I'd even like to see it happen.

It's like the way I felt when we didn't qualify for Euro 96 and France 98 - If Ireland ( an Irish team ) qualify to play on such a World Stage with the teams they have ( had ) it would be nothing more than an embarrassment for all involved.

CHRISTYG

The nearest I'll ever get to seeing an Irish (League of Ireland or Irish League) club in the Champions League was a few years back, when, on one of my PC football games, Shels reached the opening group stage of the CL, and were within one game (lost 2-1 to Lazio) of reaching the knockout stage. Unfortunately, this will never happen in the real world!!!

darthmise

Ten years is a long time in football. I reckon it will happen.
The Fai have 7 million to inject into the clubs (or part thereof).
And its not that big a jump fom where they are now.


Oh no wait i'm thinking UEFA cup First Round proper.
Nah, not a chance.

Bateman

Never one to be an optimist, I believe it will happen in five at the most.

Last season, Bohs were a little bit of fitness and a killer punch at goal away from taking out Halmstads, after comfortably seeing off the Estonian Champions. Halmstads were then narrowly beaten by Anderlecht, who at the time were beatable.
Shels took Rosenborg at home, and narrowly lost out over two legs. They should see off the Maltesers tonight without much trouble.
Its expected for the league Champions to advance at least one stage nowadays, and in a few years time the fitness and training structures will be in place to ensure that the expectations will be to advance two rounds, and then eventually three. Think back 10 years in football. Things change very fast.

Xterminator

With the advent of summer football, out teams will be more competitive, and along with the fully professional setup at clubs like Shels, i expect to see them make it to the group stages.

It would help if moves were made to protect our underage stars from going about too early, tho as the likes of young Robbie Keanes and Damian Duff's playing in the LOI would attract better gates, and improve the spectacle.

X

Bateman

Yeah, we need training facilities to entice young players to stay here. Already its possible to earn e1500 per week in the eircom League if you are good enough, but the trouble is, many of the best players are gone to England from a young age.
Althoug its scandalous that so many kids go to England before they even have their leaving cert, its understandable, because of the shameful facilities over here. This is where the Sky money can drastically improve Irish football, but it must be spent wisely, although thats not probable.

mike65

Shels 0
Hibs (of Malta) 1

Hibs go through 3-2

God, Shels were ****e, only playing like they needed to when it was already too late. Tonight showed why it'll be more than 10 years until LOI footie reaches the CL proper.

Mike.

Pigman

Ya just knew it would happen! 40 years of trying and 24 straight away defeats for Malta's Hibernians and all it took was a LOI team 'confident' to the point of arrogance at winning this tie to give them the historic win the sought after.

I'm a Bohs supporter but I'm still ****ing annoyed to see Shels go out. It's a bloody disgrace for one of our sides to go out to opposition like theirs and this another reason for the armchair brigade to write off football in this country.

KdjaCL

well i understand a lot of LOI fans will be a tad disappointed with tonights result.
But HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA Shels.

Excuse me while i roll on the floor laughing....




Kdja

Occidental

Even by Shels own standards they were crap last night. 10 out of 10 from the hit and hope book of passing. Now if the play like that in the league I'll be very happy indeed.

Hairy Homer

There's no reason why we can't get a team into the Champions League in less than 10 years if we're smart, but I fear that is not always a commodity valued too highly here.

What is needed is:

1) enthusiasm for the game at grass roots level. We've had that for years and it has been getting better. Look at the ongoing success of our youth teams

2) Money being put into infrastructure at grass roots level. I frequently see during the winter teams playing in junior league matches in my local park (that's Herbert Park in Dublin FOAR if you must know) and they have to change under the trees in the pissing rain. What the hell is that?????? More changing rooms and showers NOW!!!

3) Proper if realistic facilities put in place at LOI grounds. This too is happening. Tolka - small but beautifully all seater. Dalymount- getting that way. Maybe a roof on the Connaught St side for Christmas one of these years guys?

4) Taking a genuine pride in LOI football, if it can be seen to deserve it. Having started trickling back to Bohs games after years of holding local football in contempt I think there is enough genuine merit in the local game to deserve some support. The stadia are getting better. The players are fitter. It's accessible. Why the hell not? It's not the CArling Premiership but neither are the Danish, Swedish, Czech or Portugese leagues. And they've all been represented in the CL.

Which is why I think the Sky TV deal is a mistake. The only way you can justify shelling out for a Sky subscription is if you intend to watch the Premier League every week. (With all due respect to fans of Rugby League, Cricket and ladies' golf which also get shown on Sky) This means that kids here are more likely to continue to turn automatically to the big English clubs than support their local teams. I think that's a shame.

Of course, we can compete professionally with most of Europe. Our rugby teams do. Here's a double dare for any United, Arsenal or Liverpool fans: Next time Munster play at home in the Heineken Cup to English opposition, head down to Thomond park with your Dublin, Galway, Meath whatever accents and cheer for Harlequins or Northampton or Newcastle like you would for your soccer team of choice if it was playing against a LOI team.

See how long you live!!!

Why should Irish soccer teams be any different?

Ciaran

Originally posted by Hairy Homer


Which is why I think the Sky TV deal is a mistake...This means that kids here are more likely to continue to turn automatically to the big English clubs than support their local teams. I think that's a shame.

They do already, I don't think that the Sky deal will make any difference to that.

Originally posted by Hairy Homer
[BHere's a double dare for any United, Arsenal or Liverpool fans: Next time Munster play at home in the Heineken Cup to English opposition, head down to Thomond park with your Dublin, Galway, Meath whatever accents and cheer for Harlequins or Northampton or Newcastle like you would for your soccer team of choice if it was playing against a LOI team.

See how long you live!!!

Why should Irish soccer teams be any different? [/B]

Very true, Irish people paying €30 to cheer a foreign team against an Irish team is a disgrace.

Hairy Homer

Originally posted by Ciaran


They do already, I don't think that the Sky deal will make any difference to that.

True. But it might have been reversed. If the LOI gives up on this one, what's the point of building the new stadia and trying to 'grow the game at grass roots'?

Irish rugby fought back when all its good players fled to professional clubs in England when the game went open. you can't get a ticket at Thomond Park or Donnybrook for Leinster or Munster European Cup games. And when Ulster had their great run a while back, tickets for Ravenhill were also at a premium.

If the great big sweaty-arsed rugger buggers (like my good self) can do it, why can't the soccer people?

Bateman

Well its not impossible that Sky themselves could become involved in Irish club soccer, they did show highlights of the Cup Final last season.

On the main matter, for Bohs to single-handedly earn the co-efficient that saw Shels being seeded, only for them to throw it away with Fenlon's disgraceful regime, the future is bleak as long as jokers such as that joke of a club are representing us in Europe.

KdjaCL

bateman say that was akick in the nuts after what you did last time in Europe.
Pats this year doent mean anything as its Intertoto so no brownie points from Uefa whatsover.

But im glad they lost


kdja

Bateman

If you know the financial ins and outs of the agreement deal on the league winners between Shels and Pats, I think you would find quite a few St Pats people cheering on Shels, andnot being overly delighted to see them lose. Although I was standing right beside Ollie B when Hibs scored, and although Shels have set eL Euro football back a few years, the look on his face was priceless.

KdjaCL

Im sure some Pats and Bohs fans were cheering on Shels to win and have a go at Boavista but it had nothing to do being an LOI fan and wanting them to do well for the league.

It was purely for their own teams benefit and next years draw;)

Kinda screwed both of us up.
I cant see anyone other that Pats or Bohs winning the league this year with Cork 3rd.

Damn shame you hadnt got a camera for Ollie methinkin of some Masterdcard ad

"cost of winning the league €10,000
Look on Ollies face when Hibs scored Priceless"

hehehehe

I am that petty

Kdja

madser6

is the pope catholic??
does a bear **** in the woods?


I can't see it but strange things happen!!!!!..........nah!

Bateman

it had nothing to do being an LOI fan and wanting them to do well for the league.

Well from a Pat's point of view, it was because they were due to pocket 50% of whatever Shels got from Euro progress, as Shels did from their Intertoto run.

buzzerbuckley

as long as oeople like you celebrate the demolition of football grounds,even 15 years later,no chance.the short sighted mentality is there to see for everyone in the loi.The only clubs who get any crowds are whoever is the top two at the time.Louis kilcoyne has just been voted back onto the FAI.that shows the mentality werè dealing with here.

Bateman

KOH (Kilcoyne Our Hero)

I don't agree with Loius Kilcoyne getting back into the FAI, most Bohs fans don't, but its obviously going to be used to wind up Rovers fans, especially as long as it works.