More sectarianism in Irish League Football

[Sandy Hill]

Varies from match to match but games with Cliftonville/Linfield/Glentoran usually get decent crowds

Sammy, are we talking hundreds or thousands here?

[SammyG]

Varies from match to match but games with Cliftonville/Linfield/Glentoran usually get decent crowds

Sammy, are we talking hundreds or thousands here?

Depends on who's playing and how important the match is. Crowds are anywhere from a couple of hundred up to 6 or 7000.

[deiseach]

I take it the crowds are proportional to the amount of hate between the two clubs.

[rrhf]

 A tyrone championship semi final attracted 8 - 9000 at the weekend.  yet it will always be argued that Joe Public wants to see soccor.  I have half a notion of cancelling my SKY contract after witnessing that rubbish last night. I must admit I was very disappointed with the attendance.  

[Spiritof98]

I think the large attendence also relates to the band wagon aspect in Cliftonville, they have a seriously good chance of the league if they can stay fit, I know thay have probably the best youth set up also, so things are looking up for them esp after the Co. Antrim Shield victory over Linfield

[SammyG]

A tyrone championship semi final attracted 8 - 9000 at the weekend.  yet it will always be argued that Joe Public wants to see soccor.

Hardly a fair comparison, football cup finals attract bigger crowds as well. How many would turn up for a bread and butter GAA match on a wet Monday night?

 I have half a notion of cancelling my SKY contract after witnessing that rubbish last night.

Not sure what you were expecting. I'm not an expert on the IL (would only see a couple of matches a season if I happen to be home) but it's about the same standard as the lower leagues in England and anybody I've spoken to thought last night's game was decent enough.

I must admit I was very disappointed with the attendance.  

In what way?

[nifan]

In an almost completely irrelevant point I was at a wedding in Washington DC a week ago, the bride had gone to university of michigan.
The attendance at their games has been over 100,000 for each of the last 200 games,and has topped at about 112,000 people.

[Rossfan]

A tyrone championship semi final attracted 8 - 9000 at the weekend.  yet it will always be argued that Joe Public wants to see soccor.   

The Longford Intermediate Final had about 2,000 in Pearse Park on Sunday while Longford Town's FAI Cup Qtr Final last weekend got around 1,000.

[bennydorano]

I thought it was a decent game, equal to, if not better than the dross they regularly show from the English lower leagues. 

[Main Street]

In an almost completely irrelevant point I was at a wedding in Washington DC a week ago, the bride had gone to university of michigan.
The attendance at their games has been over 100,000 for each of the last 200 games,and has topped at about 112,000 people.

Unless I have missed something I think the adverb 'almost' should have been left out. Surely you can appreciate that in the absence of the ever perceptive Sky microphones ability to pick up any sectarian dribble at a "heated" Belfast derby game, nonetheless points have to be scored. We reserve the right to guffaw at the IL paltry attendences in comparison to GAA underage ladies camogie competitions.

[MW]

I didn't see the game, off training myself, but from what I hear seems to have been a decent spectacle - and as a Glentoran fan a handy result for us! Cliftonville look like they'll be up there challenging for the IPL title again this season.

On the original subject of the thread, I see David Jeffrey has now been told to substantiate his allegations by 10 October or apologise to the Ballymena fans...

http://www.picfury.com/2r/A33882-1.html

[nifan]

Unless I have missed something I think the adverb 'almost' should have been left out. Surely you can appreciate that in the absence of the ever perceptive Sky microphones ability to pick up any sectarian dribble at a "heated" Belfast derby game, nonetheless points have to be scored. We reserve the right to guffaw at the IL paltry attendences in comparison to GAA underage ladies camogie competitions.

well as a newly founde U of Michigan fan (go wolverines) i thought id guffaw at all of your paltry turnouts

[An Fear Dearg]

No joy on either of these sites or on the official IFA site; must be a closely guarded secret!!!!!!! I don't really care; just curious to see how their attendance figures compare with GAA National League matches.

Erm...if you "don't really care" then why did you comment on the issue several times? 

The attendance was 2,571, Cliftonville's largest since the day we won the league in April 1998.  Attendance figures are submitted to the IFA but are not published.

[An Fear Dearg]

I have half a notion of cancelling my SKY contract after witnessing that rubbish last night.

Admirable narrow-mindedness, bordering on stupidity.

I must admit I was very disappointed with the attendance.   

You were disappointed that it was Cliftonville's highest attendance in almost 10 years and that 80% of tickets available were sold?  Bizarre...

[MW]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/irish/7087796.stm

Wonder if anyone who lined up to have a go at me has a comment to make now?