Fan Protest

I've never seen anything like this before. We've been bad plenty, we've had awful results and crap football but there was still always a sense of hope that it might get better with young players or new manager etc.... just something to cling on to. This is the first time ever I've seen Irish fans just stop caring. Im in a couple of football group chats that would be very active on weekends with Irish players conversation, and everything has come to a halt. Even on here yesterday someone commented on the O'Mahoney thread that there had been zero posts on the forum in over 24 hours, that unbelievable. This is a week where we had a young Irish Striker make his 1st Premiership start, while Murphy got gametime for an oil rich big club. Those things are notable and should be talked about far more than they were, across all groups and forums who talk about Irish football regularly. We've stopped caring!

For me the blame for this is 100% at the door of the FAI. We can, and should, blame Canham for his incompetence. Hill has already gone, but why has there been nothing from anyone else within the FAI over the last number of weeks. Why had Paul Cooke not shown some leadership. How can we be in a situation where they think its acceptable for us not to have manager of our National team in place for over a year. We have 2 friendlies in June that are now the biggest waste of time for everyone involved. Why would any player turn up for it? Some will have been on the beach after the end of the Championship season and we are expecting them to come into a camp for nothing games.

So what can we as fans do about it? Firstly I really wish we could organize a mass boycott of the home game against Hungary. YBIG is a big voice for Ireland fans and if we got something going here it could spread. The problem with a total boycott though is that season tickets have been sold and so there will be some fans at the game. Could we organize a protest inside the stadium? For example everyone bring a tennis ball to the game like has been done by other supporters and at an arranged time everyone throw the ball on to the pitch.

Lets not just have the usual attitude of accepting the FAI bullsh*t with a shrug of the shoulders. Not being able to find a manager in the time frame they've had should be completely unacceptable and people within the FAI should not be able to just continue as usual with fans making their voices heard.

Ideally a boycott against Hungary would be the most effective. However we are probably not that far off an unofficial boycott of the game. 26000 odd maybe will attend. But they will be the hard-core. Some will never miss a game. 

Maybe stay inside for the first few minutes of the game could be tried? Small steps. 

The ball idea is great though as it only needs a smaller amount to engage with it but with maximum effect.  

I wouldn't be in favour of a protest just because they have fudged the hiring of a new manager.

Who can be happy with the direction of the FAI. The incompetence or the corruption of it. The Egos involved. The lack of finance generated.  Does our Director of Football even have the skill set or the communication skills?

Then the lessening standards of our senior players. How many minutes are our players playing in the top leagues. Compared to say, the start of the millennium. 

Our youth set up, why is it not baring fruit? Or are we back to hunting players who are Irish from other countries set ups alone?

The LOI, it thrives thanks to the clubs and the volunteers. The FAI has done nothing for it. Can the standards be raised to help player standards and Academy levels. Or do we leave it to be almost a separate entity entirely. 

These are the questions that need to be asked. Especially when other countries our size can compete at all levels too.

That could be 20 minutes early for him

The Hill thing was a shambles but he is gone.

Waiting for the right candidate for the manager is the right thing to do. Even if not ideal. 

The only thing they should have done was perhaps keep Kenny until the right replacement was available, but basically everyone was calling for Kenny's head. So what can you do. 

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