1:45 The history of Derry City is actually fascinating, they wanted to welcome people from both communities so the name Derry City was a compromise of sorts (the previous Derry team was called Derry Celtic but that name could isolate unionists while Londonderry City could isolate nationalists) with the team actually playing in the Northern Irish league until 1972. As the club was in a nationalist area many away teams had safety fears so Derry played in Coleraine from 1971-72. Derry attempted to move back to the brandywell in 72 but the league voted against it by a single vote. As a result they left the league and were essentially in the wilderness for 13 years until entering the southern league in 1985. I’m sure due to the circumstances the support base is very different to that in the 60s but a fascinating history nonetheless.
Ive been to 100’s of premier league games mostly chelsea when I lived in London - not one of them ever had a patch on Bohs and Rovers. Actually stopped supporting English football when I got home.
Interesting that none of the grounds have a capacity of more than 9,000 and thats in the Ireland top flight. Bet the local derbies are cracking, though.
@@josephblack2954 they don’t most either support Irish teams or don’t care about football or support Glasgow celtic unless you’re from ni they’d occasionally be a hun.
The Church in the distance that could be viewed from Turners Cross stadium interested me so I looked it up. It is called Church of Christ the King and was commissioned in 1927 and opened in 1931. It the first Church to be built in Ireland from concrete rather than brick. It was built in Art-Deco style and has a capacity of 1200 people. Turners Cross is the name of the neighbourhood in South Cork and a Roman Catholic Parish of the same name. I only just looked this all up because the stadium in Cork interested me and I like stadiums with the views of things behind them and I noticed the Church (and our humble narrator pointed it out as well).
It's also the first church in the world to be built without columns inside holding up the structure. Also once the building begin to settle, the architect believed he failed and jumped to his death from the top of the church.
Went to a Bohemians match in 2005. The stadium was a dump and I froze my butt off, but the Bohs won an entertaining game vs. Longford Town and I still check in on their fortunes from time to time over here in the US. Also went to a Gaelic Football double-header at Croke Park. Sat at Hill 16 because I was a travelling college kid without a ton of cash and those were the cheapest tickets, but it was a very enjoyable afternoon!
@@AMRPK the first match was lightly attended, so I did sit on the terracing at Hill 16. Baile Átha Cliath were in the second match, so I had to stand for that one.
You mean Gaelic football, the sport where you only get to organize international matches against Australia because they too decided to reject the beautiful game for one that nobody else wants to play (smart move).
Would be great to see a video on NIFL Premiership (Northern Ireland) stadiums next. While most League of Ireland grounds have plenty of charm, it's evident that investment in facilities is needed - Bohs, Shels and Drogheda all desperately in need of new or heavily-renovated stadiums. The same, of course, applies for a lot of clubs in the North too.
Just came to check if there was an NIFL video too. Isn't it mad that Bohs play essentially at the back of a Tesco!? I'd never seen Tolka before to be fair. If WWoS does a video for the North the highlight is obvious The Oval having been bombed out in WWII.
Funny story about Tolka Park. The off centre stand (The New Stand) is no longer in use as it's condition is too poor due to shoddy build quality. Shelbourne and Bohemians were due to start a ground share in the newly developed Dalymount Park, but with Shelbourne receiving new investment, the club will most likely remain at Tolka Park. Hopefully there will be some new work done there in the future!
Many thanks for your excellent vid. How did you get all those drone shots? Just by way of explanation, UCD is a college team, which frequently makes it into the premier division. Accordingly apart from fellow students, it has little support, and matches are frequently poorly attended, as I can attest as a Bohs supporter for over 50 years, (and a UCD graduate) the visiting supporters generally exceeds the home fans. As you showed Father Ted, you may be aware that the actor who played Ted, Dermot Morgan, was asked what team he supported, and he replied "UCD". When asked why, he said "I can't stand crowds"
I wasn't expecting to see a Father Ted clip in a stadiums video "and that isn't necessarily a bad thing". Some nice small stadiums in this league most just need a new coat of paint and some small refurbishments and they'd look great (maybe remove some pillars holding the roofs or is that rooves?). Love the scenery or "backdrop" as the narrator calls it behind the Sligo stadium. Looks a lot like the Pennines or Scotland, would definitely check that area out if I ever make it to Ireland.
I am from County sligo yes there is some great scenery here and the neighbouring county of leitrim , i am a bit biased but doubt if i would say the same if i was from the flatter midland counties.
Class video! Yeah a lot of these grounds are not in great condition, however thankfully a good few have gotten approval to be improved! Up the Saints🔴⚪️
@@kiwifruitpoo nonsense . Most “magnificent “ ground have slab concrete seating and even more have no covered stands . There are about 3 county grounds in the whole of the Ireland that would be passed by UEFA . Gaa has no atmosphere, no songs , no pyro , no craic, no drums , no proper celebration. Just a bunch of angry, supermac loving , Guinness farting, bog men jumping up and down shouting obscenities at a referee and the opposition. It took the GAA years to get into marketing and merchandise and to modernise themselves . Do you remember when two counties played each other with the same colours on because they refused to have away jerseys in case it would copy soccer 🤣. Cringe
Great vid! Loved it as an Aussie who's moved over to Ireland. I know a couple of these grounds but didn't even know Tolka and it looks awesome. Coming up here the GAA 100% feels like the NRL. It's a great sport with a similar working class background. If you do a video on the NIFL (and you should) I live up the road from The Oval (and right next to Wilgar) if you want any up to date photos! I'm headed to Glentoran v Linfield on Tuesday.
Sam for years the GAA tried to hamper soccer in Ireland because it was a foreign game. You were even banned from playing GAA if you were caught playing soccer. The GAA is a strange organisation, it is more a cultural/political rather than a sporting organisation with influence at the highest level politically. That is why the soccer grounds are quite poor. They had to plough their own furrow without assistance from anyone. However times are changing. There has been huge upturn in support for the game with most grounds filled each weekend and big plans to improve the grounds. From a St. Pat's supporter. ❤❤🤍🤍
That little off-centre stand is so bizarre. Surely if you were stuck in the top-right corner, you'd not be able to see the goal or far corner at your end of the stadium.
Only been to a few stadiums since I've been in Ireland, but my fave has got to be Cobh Ramblers ground. Love the vibe of that place in general. Also like the exterior of Bohemians ground. Dunno what it's like now, but the " rustic " surroundings gave it a bit of character imo.
Dalymount is still rustic. It is being redeveloped at present but things have slowed as asbestos was found in one of the stands. So the new stadium probably won't be completed until 2027.
That's not why the stadiums are small. There is a huge soccer following in Ireland! They are small because most people in Ireland support English clubs rather than Irish clubs. But hopefully some day that will be different
nah lmao will never change because unlike the Premier League teams the LOI teams are fucking sheit always have been and always will be the fucking League 2 the 4th tier of Football in England has better quality then the LOI
I think it's pretty safe to say that, oriel Park (dundalk) is definitely up there as the worst ground in the league, maybe on a par with drogheda. But its pretty shambolic considering how much money the club would have got with the good run of success way back in the 2010s
Hmm, I like this one! Also, I would like to point out that many of the College teams in the U.S. That play soccer don't always use the same Stadiums as their American Football teams.
Arificial grass is probably popular in Ireland for the same reason as it is in Welsh Premiere League football teams here in Wales too. It allows the clubs to open up to the community with football training academies, and hire out to the public and bring in some extra money. It's an important part of the club's long term player development, allows more than one team (including women's) and also hire out to people who want to play 5 or 6 a side in tht enight. Brings in valuable income.
its like the people who act all upset when an individual writes "Kiev" instead of "Kyiv". The video creator has handled the situation very well, there is no need to clutch pearls about it. He has made no judgement and why should he it is a video about stadiums and he is Australian. And I'm probably closer to your side than not. I've been attending lately Catholic Mass but all my family were English Protestants...I'd prefer to not get drawn into sectarian conflicts on football stadium videos! Its not easy, life is hard enough and I'm in Canada and have never been to Ireland!
right and if their supporters were Presbyterians they would be called Londonderry and would play in the Northern Ireland league. The video creator has handled the situation well and has made no judgement.
Basically 3 reasons 1 More interest in the EPL 2 competition with other sports such as gaelic football ,hurling and rugby 3 last but not least the small population of only 5million. My local clunb gets an average of 3000 but the town is only 30 000.
@@johnmitchell2269 totally different situation football is much stronger in scotland than ireland,i would have said a year or two ago that it was the most popular sport in dublin and historically garrison towns ,but i think gaelic football might be bigger in dublin now and rugby chipping at its heels in the south of dublin.We do actually have huge stadiums but they are not for football apart from the AVIVA which is shared with rugby.
Well its not the most popular sport as such,but it is definitely a top 4 sport as there is little between the top 4 sports its very strong.The main reasons though is competiton with the EPL and the small population of the country.
Dude, seriously? Derry City are from the city of Derry, not Londonderry, as you incorrectly stated. You need to do a new voiceover on that bit as it's extremely insulting to all Derry City fans and anyone else who's suffered & continues to suffer under British occupation of parts of Ireland
Don'tgett me wrong,but Football/ Soccer isn't themost poopular sport in Ireland. They have Gaelic ggames whichhave stadiums much bigger thann thhe Football Stadiums.
It's sad the island as very poor football stadium s its football don't mean mutch to the Irish like the rugby great team and fans my family on my inlaws are lynch they live in county Mayo .
No investment and the majority of Irish people bandwagon on foreign clubs like Liverpool, Man United and Celtic. Irish people's own fault to a large extent.
The support just isn't there for good stadiums. The only people in Ireland who would properly follow the League of Ireland are like very into soccer, and even at that, they're still i mionorty in that group. Most people prefer watching the Premier League because the footballs are better, and most if not all famous Irish players play in England. FAI is also poor compared to the likes of the GAA and the IRFU, and GAA and domestic rugby are more popular than domestic soccer. You'll see that the rugby stadiums with the exception of the Aviva aren't huge, they're decent size and look well, and the GAA stadiums would be the biggest in the country by capacity, but most are actually standing stadium, or at least have big standing sections
Tallaght is a good modern stadium. I think it’s the only way to go, municipal stadiums, like the rest of Europe. Football is the main sport in the rest of Europe of course, unlike Ireland.
@@abcdefg5625 thats literally it the support isn't there because the quality of football just isn't there fucking League 2 of England the 4th tier of football there is better then the League Of Ireland plus as you said pratically all of the famous Irish Football players played in England hell my dad originally got into United because he's a cork man and Roy Keane and Dennis Irwin 2 cork men played for them
Irish Premier Football Stadiums are terrible. They are worse than non-league football stadiums. Seriously, they have got to have the worse top-flight football stadiums in the whole of Europe.
@@beyondthepage9389 The country has only 5million and northern ireland has only 2million why would you need big stadiums,they are more important things like health and other areas than white elephant stadiums.I am a GAA fan ,but i don't agree with there stadium policy white elephants built with a substantial amount coming from the tax payer
@@gallowglass2630 Who mentioned size???... you!! I didn't say Ireland has small stadiums. I said Ireland has "CRAP" stadiums, that look like they're stuck in the 1950s. Many have only 1 or 2 stands so I don't even think it's fair to call them stadiums they're more like playing fields, so much so that it makes this video seem like a wasted effort. Even English 5th and 6th tier non-League stadiums put them to shame. Denmark has a population similar to Ireland, but their stadiums are 10 times better. But even closer to home, what about Scotland, with its very close Irish ties. Scotland is almost the same size with the exact same population density yet Its stadiums are not only better but much much bigger. If the truth be told Irish football is the victim of its crazy policy to turn its back on the beautiful game to somehow stick two fingers up at British rule (like cutting off your nose to spite your face). Deciding to promote Gallic football instead has only served to ensure that Ireland only ever gets to play with itself because the rest of the world (except the Aussies ) only wants to play REAL football.
@@beyondthepage9389 GAA includes hurling not just gaelic football,a sport that has been a round for thousands of years long before any conflict between the irish and brits,in fact the bigger GAA stadiums in the south is primarily filled by hurling matches.Yes i agree far too much government is given to the GAA for projects that are not needed however the GAA will still be in every village and town in ireland regardless of how well soccer does.Denmark handball is nearly as popular which is also a game indigenous to that country,so multiple sports can thrive even in small countries,we don't need to ditch our native sports to be good in soccer.
@@draiocht0180 maybe you dont know but those who have looked at the figures do. Why deny whats clearly true? How football clubs and licenced players avec there? Do yourself a favour and do some research. CSO stats will help you.