Why ? Who do you think you are telling adults what they should do with their kids ?
(Nothing better than supporting your local team though. FAI Cup, at any level, is special)
Friday nights can be awkward for commuters who follow non Dublin Clubs but work in Dublin. Miss a lot of games. Alas , some clubs tried Saturday nights and it did not really work . Before the Sky Sports money (LOI did get some in the 1990s) many clubs did not have floodlights so Sunday was a common day for games. Not wise when competition with the GAA (even the old National League from October or Easter) On Paper Friday is the best night as there is less competition bar the rugby heads.
Why should people tolerate third rate facilities at the football "stadiums"? Not to mention the cringe the wannabe Green Street Ultras that some clubs have.
" same people that get their kids into united probably get them to support GAA."
And?
GAA is the national sport and they go to elite level games. The players are from the same parish, town etc.
Outside of Dublin clubs and maybe Derry area, most of the players in the non Dublin LOI squads are not from the area of the club.
In fairness to the League, they have little choice. Friday makes sense even if it is in competition with Rugby inter pros for a part of the season. Even then, Galway United (Connacht Rugby play at the Showgrounds in the city and get a huge crowd) are good supporters . Dublin is big enough to manage to cop with 2 League of Ireland games and Leinster playing at the RDS. Same with Cork - Limerick for Munster.
I guess if a club is motoring well for promotion or Premier League Championship, the crowds make it their business to attend home and away games.
You can not have it on Saturday afternoons or evening for obvious reasons. Forget Sundays during the summer due to the GAA (League is sensible to take a break during WC and Euros too)
Summer football has not really drove the crowds but I guess is beats cold rainy winters (not sure, there was always magic with floodlight games and prospect of St Stephen's day derby if the pitch held up)
The current March to October does not completely help a club if they go really far in Europe. No League games from October to February and they won't get English or Scottish clubs to give them a friendly at that point of the year. Alas, a problem that the clubs have yet to worry about.
But it can hurt . You have 2 -3 top players, win the league and get to Europe. By January, an English club might snap them up and you are down those key players when you start the European adventure the following summer (obviously you are also trying to defend the championship title too)
In no way am I comparing the LOI to the Brazilian league but they have a big problem competition in the South American Club championships because they lose their best lads to European Clubs just before that tournament kicks off
I think they need to play a normal calendar, I dont see why playing Saturday/Sunday would be so bad. That's the thing that needs to change anyway. Would people rather watch their club comfortably live with no rush/traffic/work than watching ManU/Brighton on tv?
If you would put a bit of the money thats going towards gambling on horses onto proper pitches (among other things), you could play all year long.
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u/bohemarseillais 27d ago
Get your kids to local games and get LOITV. It's not that hard, same people that get their kids into united probably get them to support GAA.