You can't really compare soccer and rugby. Soccer is a world game, while rugby is played by a handful of (without being too pointed) ex-british colonies. Ireland are automatically in the world top 8 because there is no competiton.The promotion of the women's rugby team compared to ladies soccer + GAA, which are hundreds of times bigger in Ireland, is a disgrace,, but typical of Rugby Telefis eireann

befair (Down) - Posts: 238 - 21/04/2015 18:50:53    1716147

I've nothing against the LOI green and red,, but it is cr@p, as it would have to be when a 4th division english team can easily poach the best LOI players. A lad got fired the other day for being overweight. He was on 3 grand a week. I dunno what you get paid, but for that money I would make well sure to train my weaker foot. Any pro sportsman (not talking about keane, btw)his salt should be two-footed. It's just that the chancers have been getting away with it for years

flack (Dublin) - Posts: 1054 - 21/04/2015 19:36:01    1716161

if the loi is crap flack then what is club rugby?..both are low levels of their respective sports..just there happens to be a lot more levels in soccer

fabio8 (USA) - Posts: 2182 - 21/04/2015 20:22:05    1716177

when did the rugby team look remotely like winning the world cup?....why are you dismissing the achivements of our soccer side in major tournaments considering the size of our nation?...it seems like you have something against soccer....we arent useless at soccer..we are very average at soccer and have often punched above our weight....in rugby we are doing well at last in terms of silverware but in world cups we have been nothing short of terrible..hopefully this changes in the upcoming world cup..the average soccer head hates the gaa?...you seem to be referring to a minority as the majority...most irish people are into both sports as they are the 2 biggest sports on the island by a distance

fabio8 (USA) - Posts: 2182 - 21/04/2015 20:26:27    1716178

we the republic of ireland never looked like winning the world cup?..what a crime..what sort of argument are you trying to make?..when you come out with points like that it is hard to see you as anything but biased

fabio8 (USA) - Posts: 2182 - 21/04/2015 20:29:28    1716180

Flack which LOI player was earning three grand a week ?

Greengrass (Louth) - Posts: 6177 - 21/04/2015 20:35:04    1716183

Well said again fabio . Most Irish sports fans would follow all four of the major field sports .

Greengrass (Louth) - Posts: 6177 - 21/04/2015 20:36:58    1716185

Yes, Club rugby is even worse than club soccer, and i never said the rugger goys ever looked like winning the WC either. I dont have anything particulary against soccer, except that its usually cr@p, id watch the latter end of the champions league and most of the world cup, whereas id rarely if ever, watch rugby. But if the RTE/D4/whatever didnt have rugger to force down our throats theyd do it with soccer, like in the nineties.
When I say the average soccerhead I doint mean the average soccer player, but the typical dyed in the wool useless barstool soccer supporter. I come across a lot in Dublin, and theyd be fairly anti "Grab All Association" as they so wittily whine.

flack (Dublin) - Posts: 1054 - 21/04/2015 20:57:38    1716196

http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/league-of-ireland/sacked-for-being-too-fat-26461322.html

There it is Greengrass. As youll notice im kind of thick, and this happened seven years ago, not last week!

flack (Dublin) - Posts: 1054 - 21/04/2015 21:06:02    1716203

Grand flack. I remember that story from seven years ago. I'm fairly sure none of them are earning three grand a week now.

Greengrass (Louth) - Posts: 6177 - 21/04/2015 21:24:35    1716207

Grand flack. I remember that story from seven years ago. I'm fairly sure none of them are earning three grand a week now.

Greengrass (Louth) - Posts: 6177 - 21/04/2015 21:25:42    1716208

Flack

There is a very big crossover between Dublin LoI fans and Dubs supporters in my experience. Plenty

There was a hatred there once alright (and it went both ways) but that's largely gone now.

If you do not like soccer then fair enough but the LoI is an excellent product and very enjoyable, which is something that does not get said enough! The standards reached by most LoI players is very good and there are a lot of two footed players, two footedness is needed more in Football than soccer to be honest but there are still plenty of inter-county players relying on one foot!!!

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13792 - 22/04/2015 08:21:50    1716241

The average useless barstool soccer supporters don't like a lot of things so they'd be no addition to the GAA. A lot of them can't even name the players on their own team yet they'll be quick to tell you about how 'we' will win the league. Thankfully the knowledgeable football supporters outweigh their numbers. I call them knowledgeable but the real soccer supporters are the ones supporting their local clubs, either LOI or lower level. Similar to those supporting lower level clubs in whatever sport they love. They do it for the love of the sport, not because of self-interest.

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 7910 - 22/04/2015 11:21:48    1716322

In fairness, if any LOI player was on 3grand a week, it would be a fair enough wage considering the amount of players they have to be better than to reach that level. I dont mean to be to harsh on the LOI, I think its badly marketed, promoted and presented. It just looks really cheapo when you see it on the box, like its stuck in the pre-sky days. Obviously aniother big problem is that every single player in it would leave like a light if they could go to another league

flack (Dublin) - Posts: 1054 - 22/04/2015 12:02:38    1716336

like any player around the world does to try and reach a better league....it doesnt help that half the clubs in league of ireland seem to be on the verge of going bust amongst various other things so its not exactly the greatest job security

fabio8 (USA) - Posts: 2182 - 22/04/2015 16:14:09    1716443

On the radio yesterday (or today) that the average LOI player earns just €16K a year!!!

keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4088 - 22/04/2015 17:45:24    1716491

no time for the so called rep of ireland soccer team
the FAI as an assocation is a disgrace
they have no interest at all in the league of ireland
they have basically washed their hands of it and only concentrate on everything across the water
they go down every ally to get british born players to declare for the rep of ireland
it may aswell be called the team for british born players not good enough to get a call up for their own country
wes hoolahan is a case in point
the guy was playing out of his skin for years here with shelbourne and never got a look in
that included 3 league titles and helping shels to within 30 minutes of the group stages of the champions league
still not even a call up for him
but in his 30tys he finally gets a chance for the rep of ireland simply because his club address is in england
as much as the rugby is blown out of proportion in this country
at least the players all play here and 99% of the national team are actually born and bred irish people
the FAI let dalymount park go to rack and ruin a long time ago
milltown gone and now tolka park being demolished aswell
look how long it took for shamrock rovers to actually play a game in tallaght stadium they started building it in 2000
and the first games almost a decade later.

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 22/04/2015 18:17:45    1716510

In fairness hill, it is too much of a jump to go from League of Ireland to the national team. Wes Houlahan is a good player but he only went from Shelbourne to Livingston. He eventually got noticed playing in the second divison in England. He is more than good enough for Ireland now & should have had many more caps, but he wouldn't have been good enough that time at Shelbourne. He always had raw talent but developed into a better player in the UK. You need to be playing at a higher level to improve your skills.

Not having a go but LOI clubs would only be 4th Division standard in England and some would be non league. There are alot of decent players by LOI standards who end up in 3rd & 4th division clubs. Some make it higher but they are the exception. No player from the 3rd or 4th division is good enough to play for Ireland.

The league of Ireland just isn't good enough.

county man (Limerick) - Posts: 1130 - 22/04/2015 19:45:45    1716539

22/04/2015 18:17:45 hill16no1man
no time for the so called rep of ireland soccer team, the FAI as an assocation is a disgrace, they have no interest at all in the league of Ireland, they have basically washed their hands of it and only concentrate on everything across the water, they go down every ally to get british born players to declare for the rep of Ireland. it may aswell be called the team for british born players not good enough to get a call up for their own country. wes hoolahan is a case in point. the guy was playing out of his skin for years here with shelbourne and never got a look in, that included 3 league titles and helping shels to within 30 minutes of the group stages of the champions league, still not even a call up for him but in his 30tys he finally gets a chance for the rep of ireland simply because his club address is in England. as much as the rugby is blown out of proportion in this country
at least the players all play here and 99% of the national team are actually born and bred irish people. the FAI let dalymount park go to rack and ruin a long time ago. milltown gone and now tolka park being demolished aswell. look how long it took for shamrock rovers to actually play a game in tallaght stadium they started building it in 2000 and the first games almost a decade later. FAI isn't great but significant number of those issues cant be pinned on the FAI. The irish side isn't just british born players.... what Is the standard of league here compared to English leagues. What English league would be about the same standard as fai premiership?
rugby isn't blown out of proportion here btw

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 22/04/2015 20:02:27    1716546

wes hoolihan was picked after he delivered at the higher level in england..you do realise he went via scotland to england...well of course our soccer players dont play here..look what the average wage is...the likes of damien duff robbie keane and seamus coleman are brits are they?..rugby players still play here because they get paid very well and the provincial sides can compete...in soccer the bigger leagues are on a different level to everybody else...the fai are a bit of a joke though yes

fabio8 (USA) - Posts: 2182 - 22/04/2015 20:29:28    1716552