No matter the sport, we’re event junkies. We don’t get motivated for run of the mill fixtures but we love a big day out.
Rugby’s All-Ireland League hardly registers, but a big Heineken Cup game or a World Cup is held up as proof that we’re a ‘rugby country’.
The National League calendar is watched only by GAA die-hards who may struggle in the scramble for All-Ireland final tickets.
Only one League of Ireland game has sold out all season while tens of thousands travel to the UK each weekend to support their team in the Premier League.
We became boating experts for a few days of London 2012 and cricket experts during the World Cup.
We all had an opinion on amateur boxing last weekend when the vast majority of us wouldn’t watch a bout in the four years between Olympic Games.
League of Ireland supporters, like grassroots supporters across all sports, will complain about the day-tripper, barstooler or event junkie.
However, we still recognise the ease with which we can slip into those roles outside of our chosen sport.
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Do I try to pre-empt the judges and count blows that Katie Taylor might land in an Olympic bout?
You betcha!
These facts meant that when the Conroy Report into the League of Ireland highlighted the need for Irish football to create “events” to capture the public imagination no one argued with the concept, even if we challenged the suggestions and reminded each other of failing events of the past.
Fundamentally, events make sense when you’re trying to grow the game.
This Sunday, the biggest event in the League of Ireland football calendar takes place and the organisation which commissioned the aforementioned Conroy Report has fallen at the first hurdle.
I understand completely that in ten days, the biggest — and potentially most lucrative –international match since 2011 will take place.
The Bosnia-Herzegovina match is massive, a truly international event; it has to take precedence, but there’s enough people in the FAI to multi-task the promotion of two matches in a two week period, especially when both could be lucrative to the association.
Dundalk defender Brian Gartland with the FAI Cup this week. Morgan Treacy / INPHO
Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO
Earlier this year, Cork City hosted Dundalk in a league match in front of 6,900 people at Turner’s Cross, turning many people away on the day.
That was a fantastic platform from which to build a strong attendance. But the promotion of the game has been left to the media to push the story of the back of press conferences and to the clubs themselves to build the excitement.
It’s here that I’m going to take the positives because I think we’re all sick of the now repeatedly evident lack of marketing and promotion carried out by the FAI on the League.
The print coverage, particularly in The Irish Daily Mail which sponsors the competition, has been fantastic. I’ve spent the week swept away by the work done by Cork and Dundalk through local media and their – largely volunteer driven – social media outlets.
Manager and player interviews, articles and videos looking back to past triumphs and forward to potential future glory.
I’ve seen magnificent content in the Dundalk Democrat, there’s even a Dundalk ‘Cup Final’ song released – though I don’t think it’ll go down too well with Cork fans.
RedFm in Cork are pushing the Cup Final constantly and it’s having a huge impact on the interest and the ‘buzz’ in the county.
In this context, I have to mention what Limerick FC did over the past week, with fantastic support from local media and local radio in bringing an estimated 4,600 people into the Markets Field on Monday last to witness the relegation play-off.
When there’s a big attendance on Sunday, it will be little to do with the FAI or the drip-feeding of tickets on Ticketmaster and everything to do with the clubs themselves and people who care passionately about the league.
I’ll be there with my family, surrounded by thousands of people who love this league, love our game and our clubs.
It’s a sad fact that the future of our league lies directly with those people, but at the same time, it’s hugely reassuring that through them we can actually create a groundswell that can attract 6,900 to Turner’s Cross, 4,600 to the Markets Field or over 50,000 to Oriel Park over the course of the season.
This league clearly isn’t built on finance from any central fund, it’s not built on modern stadia or TV money, it’s built on the people who carer enough to attend matches and bring others with them – people who treat every run of the mill fixture as an event worth attending.
I can’t wait to be in the middle of them on Sunday.
FAI Cup final's success has little to do with FAI and everything to do with people who actually care
THE IRISH LOVE an event.
No matter the sport, we’re event junkies. We don’t get motivated for run of the mill fixtures but we love a big day out.
Rugby’s All-Ireland League hardly registers, but a big Heineken Cup game or a World Cup is held up as proof that we’re a ‘rugby country’.
The National League calendar is watched only by GAA die-hards who may struggle in the scramble for All-Ireland final tickets.
Only one League of Ireland game has sold out all season while tens of thousands travel to the UK each weekend to support their team in the Premier League.
We became boating experts for a few days of London 2012 and cricket experts during the World Cup.
We all had an opinion on amateur boxing last weekend when the vast majority of us wouldn’t watch a bout in the four years between Olympic Games.
League of Ireland supporters, like grassroots supporters across all sports, will complain about the day-tripper, barstooler or event junkie.
However, we still recognise the ease with which we can slip into those roles outside of our chosen sport.
Do I try to pre-empt the judges and count blows that Katie Taylor might land in an Olympic bout?
You betcha!
These facts meant that when the Conroy Report into the League of Ireland highlighted the need for Irish football to create “events” to capture the public imagination no one argued with the concept, even if we challenged the suggestions and reminded each other of failing events of the past.
Fundamentally, events make sense when you’re trying to grow the game.
I understand completely that in ten days, the biggest — and potentially most lucrative –international match since 2011 will take place.
The Bosnia-Herzegovina match is massive, a truly international event; it has to take precedence, but there’s enough people in the FAI to multi-task the promotion of two matches in a two week period, especially when both could be lucrative to the association.
Earlier this year, Cork City hosted Dundalk in a league match in front of 6,900 people at Turner’s Cross, turning many people away on the day.
That was a fantastic platform from which to build a strong attendance. But the promotion of the game has been left to the media to push the story of the back of press conferences and to the clubs themselves to build the excitement.
It’s here that I’m going to take the positives because I think we’re all sick of the now repeatedly evident lack of marketing and promotion carried out by the FAI on the League.
The print coverage, particularly in The Irish Daily Mail which sponsors the competition, has been fantastic. I’ve spent the week swept away by the work done by Cork and Dundalk through local media and their – largely volunteer driven – social media outlets.
Manager and player interviews, articles and videos looking back to past triumphs and forward to potential future glory.
I’ve seen magnificent content in the Dundalk Democrat, there’s even a Dundalk ‘Cup Final’ song released – though I don’t think it’ll go down too well with Cork fans.
RedFm in Cork are pushing the Cup Final constantly and it’s having a huge impact on the interest and the ‘buzz’ in the county.
In this context, I have to mention what Limerick FC did over the past week, with fantastic support from local media and local radio in bringing an estimated 4,600 people into the Markets Field on Monday last to witness the relegation play-off.
When there’s a big attendance on Sunday, it will be little to do with the FAI or the drip-feeding of tickets on Ticketmaster and everything to do with the clubs themselves and people who care passionately about the league.
I’ll be there with my family, surrounded by thousands of people who love this league, love our game and our clubs.
This league clearly isn’t built on finance from any central fund, it’s not built on modern stadia or TV money, it’s built on the people who carer enough to attend matches and bring others with them – people who treat every run of the mill fixture as an event worth attending.
I can’t wait to be in the middle of them on Sunday.
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