Ireland is a pretend football country

Did you smash it wrote: »

Not everyone will agree but I’m not convinced Dublin Dons project would have been bad for Irish football.

Unfortunately the LOI hasn’t gone anywhere since. It’s fine blaming the FAI but no sponsor or tv deal is a sad indictment that goes beyond the FAI’s incompetence

LuasSimon wrote: »

The GAA have a huge advantage in the fact players have to play for where they are from or work, it makes these people local heros embedded in their communities . The GAA really stumbled upon something with the county structures. People who mighnt be GAA but are from Kildare or Galway cant help but hear how their countys team is getting on and if your getting slagged by workmates from other counties without realizing it you get half interested.

Can you imagine if there was a Dublin v Cork All Ireland soccer final played by players only from those counties, it would pack a stadium like the GAA does , equally a Dublin v Antrim or Limerick semi final.

Smee_Again wrote: »

Of course it does, look at the difference in facilities between most GAA/Rugby clubs and soccer clubs, there’s money there but the FAI just squander it.

There may not be Premier League type money but there’s potential for more growth.

Strumms wrote: »

If we had have had investment in the league and it’s facilities... you’d be getting people going to the games, more certainly... Considering the levels of interest in the sport that’s a no brainer. Look around the league... nothing approaching a modern, comfortable stadium, Tallaght being the nearest... you need to invest in the product, make it better, more comfortable, attract people...

Zebra3 wrote: »

There will be simply no space to expand the stadium.

pgj2015 wrote: »

I think if the clubs could get more Irish internationals to finish their career in the LOI it would help. The first LOI game I went to was so I could see paddy mccourt play live, 12 euro in and it was well worth it, I caught the LOI bug after that game. most Irish man u or liverpool fans dont even know who mccourt is though.

I think brexit will mean Irish youngsters cant go play there until they are 18, that might help the game here as well if they stay here longer.

Dundalk are a great team to watch live as are shamrock rovers, same for bohs. 20 euro for a seat in the stand, 15 to stand, you couldnt go wrong.

Feenix wrote: »

Crowds would increase but not considerably. It’s still a small league and certain areas are too far away to attend games.
Facilities are getting better but the comparison for the average Irish person isn’t just English football, it’s the top 4 of the Premier League. They’ll never get interested in it.

LuasSimon wrote: »

25 million that white rafting thing near IFSC is due to cost, some WOKE crowd in Dublin City Council driving it

LuasSimon wrote: »

25 million that white rafting thing near IFSC is due to cost, some WOKE crowd in Dublin City Council driving it

Strumms wrote: »

It would help enormously.. but when it comes down to it, it’s not going to happen.

Say player X... playing for Doncaster, been falling down the leagues.. 34 now... not making the first 11 all that regularly... thinking about heading home to Dublin, family, mates there....

Makes contact via his agent with Bohemians say and Rovers too.... they offer in the region for arguments sake of 2000 a week. He’s on 9000 a week playing for Doncaster.. no footballer, no human with even half a functioning brain is booking a flight home. Playing in front of 10000-16000 supporters in a modern professionally ran facility like Keapmoat stadium... with a full time gym, medical / rehab facility for injuries, canteen... the fûck would you want to be here for ?

You want to be making the best of your career and abilities. Sell yourself short, why ? Maximize your value, it’s a short career.

RugbyLover123 wrote: »

Had a quick Google of that stadium and it is lovely, should be the prototype and goal for every LOI side. It’s really a disgrace that Ireland in general doesn’t have at least 1 small soccer stadium like that, Tallaght probably being the closest.

I have no doubt the facilities are probably the main reason for the attendances/lack of interest in the league.

davetherave wrote: »

I'd be curious to see where on the FA football pyramid LOI Premier teams would be placed. Both in terms of the overall picture - finances, grounds, team, attendance and just team talent as well.

Like if you took Dundalk or Shamrock Rovers and did a straight swap with Aldershot Town in the National League (Tier 5) would they be competitive. Or Chester Town F.C, in Tier 6, or moving up one to EFL Two and swap them with Newport County.


That being said, and to contradict myself in the same sentence I don't think that comparing football in Ireland to England is the answer or even helpful. Surely there are countries out there with a similar population size that do have good from grassroots up

Hyperbollix wrote: »

I'm not sure how you could expect anything else. We are an island of 5 million, located right beside one of the biggest football countries in the world, where all of our top talent, not to mention all our journeymen can travel to, to make a very decent living. We are also a top tier rugby nation and we have our own national sports which command huge participation, funding and interest from the public.

The Charlton/McCarthy years were a stroke of luck. A golden generation of footballers from this island and Britain which came about because of societal circumstances aka "poverty = good players"
If we want to repeat that success from now on, the FAI is going to have to get positively Germanic in its organizational and long tern planning abilities.

Yeah.

nullzero wrote: »

White water rafting is for the high paid foreign workers who all live in the docklands isn't it?

It has little to do with Ireland or the Irish people, just giving those mentioned above a reason to spend their weekends here and spend an extra few quid in our economy instead of going somewhere else in Europe for a couple of days.

As for investment in Irish domestic soccer, the OP is right, Irish football is in a pitiful state. Huge numbers taking part in amateur level soccer doesn't mean it's the biggest sport in the country.

Soccer is the poor relation in terms of elite level sport behind Gaelic football hurling and rugby, a lot of people who participate in those sports at a serious level also participate in soccer at a social level.
Irish football has always been in that position and always will be unfortunately.

Dr. Bre wrote: »

Ireland is also a pretend rugby country

Smee_Again wrote: »

Of course it does, look at the difference in facilities between most GAA/Rugby clubs and soccer clubs, there’s money there but the FAI just squander it.

There may not be Premier League type money but there’s potential for more growth.

twowheelsonly wrote: »

The facilities in Soccer over the last 20 years have improved in leaps and bounds. To be fair to Delaney it's one of the things that he drove on. When I played we got changed in an old shipping container and we played on a pitch that was roughly as level as a skateboarding park. The same club now has dressing rooms, showers, 2 pitches with sprinklers and drainage and a half size astro. The same is true of many clubs.

I don't agree that the FAI don't care about LoI or local football in general. I deal with lads in the FAI and almost without exception every one of them has a LoI club that they follow or are involved with their own local clubs. There's a very strong LoI culture there and a good slagging between staff on a constant basis.

The problem as I see it is the overall structure. Too many Associations and divisions. All have their own structures (Chairman, Sec, Treasurer etc) and all want to protect what they have. The GAA structure is far better. Limerick for instance has two or three separate adult leagues. In Cork or Dublin you have the likes of the AUL, Munster/Leinster Senior leagues, Shipping Leagues etc. The same filters down at Schoolboys level - Dublin & District SL, North Dublin SL, Metropolitan Girls League etc.
In GAA all clubs are affiliated to their County Board. They in turn are affiliated to their Provincial Council and in turn to the National Council/Congress. Everything flows sweetly up and down (for the most part) and everyone is (again for the most part) working to promote GAA. FAI Council is trying to cater to too many sub-divisions which leads to the pie being too broken up too many times. There's 60 members of the FAI Council - all representing various Leagues or Associations. Why does a country of our size and population need 60 representatives ?

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

I love going to Dalymount to see Bohs, it's a run down kip alright but I love the bars and the craic in the stand.
I know we have rugby and GAA, but I wonder how Croatia is successful in sport, they seem to win loads of olympic medals and are really good at tennis and basketball.

Daragh1980 wrote: »

The LOI loses credibility when the clubs play in European competitions and end up moving their home games to the Aviva. I don’t see clubs in other countries (of similar size) doing this.

Festive Life wrote: »

The league doesnt really lose credibility because of this. Did Atalanta not have to move some of their games to San Siro in champions league a few years back because their ground at time didnt meet uefa regulations?
I dont think any other side has had to move their games to Aviva but