After the excitement of the World Cup qualifiers it’s back to the bread and butter of the domestic league and for the lucky few we might say the cream provided by the Conference League, where a draw gets our clubs €70,000 and a win will double that figure.
Shamrock Rovers did very well last year in the Conference League, where they qualified for the lucrative knockout stage, but this season the Hoops have struggled with League and FAI Cup games to cope with, albeit leading to the double, and they have just one point from 3 games in Europe.
Shelbourne, who are in the Conference League for the first time, also have only one point from 3 games. Rovers are guaranteed a full house in Tallaght Stadium tomorrow when Shakhtar Donetsk come to town. There are thousands of displaced people from Ukraine currently living in Ireland and no doubt many will head to Tallaght to support a team from their country tomorrow. Meanwhile, there could be a few extra Shelbourne fans travelling to Holland tomorrow to see the Reds play AZ Alkmaar where our World Cup hero Troy Parrot is now playing his club football.
Meanwhile Shels’ last home game against EPL club Crystal Palace in Tallaght Stadium on Dec. 11 is already sold out.
TIX NOT TOO
PRICEY: IRFU
The Irish Rugby Football Union has defended ticket prices for internationals at the Aviva Stadium and strongly rejected claims that Ireland’s home games have increasingly become corporate days out. Category A tickets for last Saturday’s game vs. South Africa were set at €160 and ticket prices have increased by around 80 per cent in the last 12 years.
The IRFU’s chief financial officer Thelma O’Driscoll said: ‘‘Ticket pricing is crucial to us. We take this very seriously and we have a number of committees involved internally in setting these prices. We commissioned an independent consultant to review our ticketing prices to make sure that our benchmarking was correct. We benchmark against [other] unions and other sports and events, and the prices we have come up with were verified by them. So yes, they sound expensive, but we are comfortable with where they are sitting at the moment.”
IRFU CEO Kevin Potts added: ‘‘Ireland has the smallest stadium in the Six Nations and the funds generated by home fixtures are used to keep the national team competitive, to invest in our women’s game and the grassroots game. We have to charge prices that fill the stadium and deliver the revenues we need. I’m very aware that for fans it’s a big price but, so far, they have been happy to pay it.”
Potts also disagreed with suggestions that Ireland’s home games have begun to draw more of a corporate crowd. He said, “Many people I know have been here for years supporting rugby and there are rugby people around the stadium. There are corporates here for sure, and we need them and we are very appreciative of their support, but everybody who pays a price to come into that stadium is here to follow our national team. And calling it a corporate day out, I think, is disingenuous to all of them.”
The IRFU have not yet revealed their ticket pricing for Ireland’s three home games in next year’s Six Nations, against Italy on Feb. 14, Wales on March 6 and Scotland on March 14.
2 VETERANS WERE
CRUCIAL: CAPTAIN
One of the reasons for the sudden improvement in the Irish team’s performances was the recall of veterans Seamus Coleman and John Egan. Coleman played in the last four World Cup qualifiers and Egan, who is coming back from a bad injury, came on in the away game against Portugal where he replaced Coleman. Irish captain Nathan Collins is no doubt, he said: ‘‘Seamus and John came into the squad for last few camps and I don’t know how to explain it, but the two lads are massive characters in the dressing room. What they offer the team and the belief that they have brought back into the squad is amazing. I think that belief has permeated through the squad and the staff and everyone started to believe again.’’
ALL STARS EVENT
‘DULL & BORING’
Former Kerry footballer Pat Spillane, now a columnist with the Sunday World newspaper, reckons the GAA could reap the rewards from a gala All-Star weekend in the same style of American leagues such as the NBA to liven up what he calls “dull and boring” current GAA Star awards.
Spillane, who won nine All-Star awards, is concerned that Gaelic football’s popularity is folding in the face of further momentum from sports such as rugby and soccer, and he suggests that the end of season awards ceremony is need of a major revamp. The GAA All Stars series was launched in 1971 and there is no doubt that there was more excitement in former years when the time came to announce the annual winners. Spillane who, like many of us, is not is happy with the GAA’s new split season, where there is no inter-county action in hurling or football from the end of August each year until the start of February. He said: ‘‘Sadly, the All-Star awards and big presentation nights are no longer as glamorous as they were and no longer the number two priority in most players’ inter-county careers.
“The TV presentation show is probably one of the worst shows on air with no imagination or entertainment value. We have no more All-Star tours, no more posters of the teams, no more playing gear. Indeed, people would be hard-pressed to come up with the name of the sponsor; it’s PwC, the big accountancy firm, by the way. I am sure they put big money into the presentation night. But to be perfectly honest, I don’t think they are getting bang for their buck. There is no brand recognition and no high-profile publicity associated with the event.
Spillane said, “In baseball, there is a huge All-Star weekend where the national league plays the American league. The NBA All-Star weekend is one of the biggest weekends on the American sporting calendar. Why not an All-Star weekend in Croke Park, where the All-Star hurling and football teams play the rest of Ireland? A packed-out crowd and an All-Star GAA weekend of celebration.’’
WNT FLY OUT TO
TRAINING CAMP
After securing promotion to League A in the UEFA Nations League and discovering their opponents for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup Qualifiers, The Republic of Ireland Women’s National team are keen to make the most of a week-long training camp in Marbella, Spain this week that will conclude with the game behind closed doors against Hungary in Marbella on Nov. 29. Defenders Heather Payne and Megan Connolly are ruled out of the training camp with injuries along with midfielder Lily Agg, while Jess Ziu and Amber Barrett are being afforded extra time to recover from slight knocks. Goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan and forward Leanne Kiernan both return to the squad after missing the play-off games against Belgium last month while defender Tara O’Hanlon is called up following impressive form for Sunderland.
Former under 19 international Kelly Brady receives her first senior call-up after training with the squad in October. The 23-year-old forward picked up the Women’s Premier Division Player of the Year Award last week following an outstanding season with Athlone Town.
MEYLER RETIRES
Tyrone footballer Conor Meyler announced his inter-county retirement last week. The Omagh St Enda's clubman wore the county’s senior jersey for over a decade, during which he won Ulster football medals in 2016, 2017 and 2021 as well as the Sam Maguire in that last year. His performances four years ago earned him an All-Star award and also saw him shortlisted for Footballer of the Year. The 31-year-old also won an All-Ireland under 21 medal in 2015 and the Sigerson Cup with St Mary’s in 2017.
