THROUGHOUT THIS SEASON The Beat has referenced a match-going fan culture in the League of Ireland that is growing from grassroots level and driving so much enthusiasm.
There are no gimmicks or vacuous stunts required to feed the sense of identity and community that has been developing for clubs around the country. At the heart of it is an increasing
number of organised supporters that don’t just care deeply about their team, but also create a unique atmosphere.
Tonight, for example, Dalymount Park will be close to capacity as bottom club Cork City arrive somewhat revitalised after a win and a draw to face a Bohemians side that were dumped out of the FAI Cup last week and have picked up just seven points from six games since beating Shamrock Rovers 2-0 on 23 June.
Four draws and a win for Alan Reynolds’ side mean they’re now 10 adrift of The Hoops at the top and five clear of St Patrick’s Athletic in sixth.
The Saints travel to Drogheda United for a sold-out meeting in Sullivan & Lambe Park knowing victory will take Stephen Kenny’s side to within one point of Kevin Doherty’s men currently in fourth place.
Sligo Rovers will be hoping to make Waterford look over their shoulder with victory at the RSC while Galway United will fancy their chances at home to a Derry City that have not won a game since thrashing Waterford 7-2 in early July.
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The numbers who attend are dwarfed throughout Europe’s elite leagues, of course, yet news this week that the Deutsche Fussball Liga (DFL) has signed a new overseas broadcast agreement for the Bundesliga with a YouTube channel hosted by professional rage-baiter Mark Goldbridge among their new partners, shows that even the most stable and lucrative leagues in the world are desperately searching for more eyeballs by any means necessary in a never-ending battle for engagement.
“Our approach is as diverse as our supporters,” the chief executive officer of Bundesliga International, Peer Naubert, said about a deal that also incorporates live games on BBC.
“By combining established broadcasters with digital platforms and content creators, we are taking a progressive step in how top-level football can be experienced.
“This multi-layered strategy allows us to connect with more audiences across the UK and Ireland, giving every supporter the chance to engage with football as it’s meant to be in the way that suits them best.”
So, is the League of Ireland really now facing a form of competition from new Bundesliga poster boy Goldbridge?
German fan culture, and the 50+1 model of club ownership to ensure private entities cannot take control, is rightly championed. Yet even after the DFL signed a domestic TV agreement
last December worth €1.3 billion for each of the next four years that is second only to the Premier League’s, that’s simply not enough.
According to bundelisga.com, the top 10 average attendances for the 2024/25 season ranged from Kaiserslautern’s 46,312 to Borussia Dortmund’s 81,365. Bayern Munich were second in the table on 75,000, while Schalke were third on 61,655.
Even more impressive is that Schalke finished 14th in the second tier last term, and along with Kaiserslautern there were another three Bundesliga 2 clubs in that top 10: Hamburg (56,323) and Hertha Berlin (53,190) sixth and seventh, respectively, and Cologne (49,929) in ninth.
These are extraordinary numbers that show the deep-rooted ties with people who view going to watch football as an intrinsic part of their life, similar to what is now happening on a smaller scale in Ireland.
DFL are clearly gambling on Goldbridge – as well as YouTube rival The Overlap – being able to somehow bridge that connection gap for those who will choose to view from countries such as Ireland.
The growth of YouTuber Goldbridge (real name Brent Di Cesare) has been phenomenal and is an indication of the appetite for what he offers – 2.1 million subscribers for the one dedicated to Manchester United and 1.3 million for That’s Football, which will be the home of Bundesliga.
They will be showing 20 live games this season and the reason why it’s of more relevance to the League of Ireland is that their contracted games are the ones on Friday night.
Their season kicks off this evening when champions Bayern Munich – featuring Harry Kane and former Liverpool forward Luis Diaz – host RB Leipzig.
Young supporters have been a driver of the league’s renaissance so it will of course be interesting to see how the Bundesliga’s experiment develops, especially as Naubert specifically cited wanting to connect with Irish fans.
Or maybe they will simply be the ones who already find some connection with Goldbridge in front of his green screen rather than seeking out the truest one of all that comes from actually going to games.
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Is the League of Ireland really in competition with YouTuber Mark Goldbridge?
THROUGHOUT THIS SEASON The Beat has referenced a match-going fan culture in the League of Ireland that is growing from grassroots level and driving so much enthusiasm.
There are no gimmicks or vacuous stunts required to feed the sense of identity and community that has been developing for clubs around the country. At the heart of it is an increasing
number of organised supporters that don’t just care deeply about their team, but also create a unique atmosphere.
Tonight, for example, Dalymount Park will be close to capacity as bottom club Cork City arrive somewhat revitalised after a win and a draw to face a Bohemians side that were dumped out of the FAI Cup last week and have picked up just seven points from six games since beating Shamrock Rovers 2-0 on 23 June.
Four draws and a win for Alan Reynolds’ side mean they’re now 10 adrift of The Hoops at the top and five clear of St Patrick’s Athletic in sixth.
The Saints travel to Drogheda United for a sold-out meeting in Sullivan & Lambe Park knowing victory will take Stephen Kenny’s side to within one point of Kevin Doherty’s men currently in fourth place.
Sligo Rovers will be hoping to make Waterford look over their shoulder with victory at the RSC while Galway United will fancy their chances at home to a Derry City that have not won a game since thrashing Waterford 7-2 in early July.
The numbers who attend are dwarfed throughout Europe’s elite leagues, of course, yet news this week that the Deutsche Fussball Liga (DFL) has signed a new overseas broadcast agreement for the Bundesliga with a YouTube channel hosted by professional rage-baiter Mark Goldbridge among their new partners, shows that even the most stable and lucrative leagues in the world are desperately searching for more eyeballs by any means necessary in a never-ending battle for engagement.
“Our approach is as diverse as our supporters,” the chief executive officer of Bundesliga International, Peer Naubert, said about a deal that also incorporates live games on BBC.
“By combining established broadcasters with digital platforms and content creators, we are taking a progressive step in how top-level football can be experienced.
“This multi-layered strategy allows us to connect with more audiences across the UK and Ireland, giving every supporter the chance to engage with football as it’s meant to be in the way that suits them best.”
So, is the League of Ireland really now facing a form of competition from new Bundesliga poster boy Goldbridge?
German fan culture, and the 50+1 model of club ownership to ensure private entities cannot take control, is rightly championed. Yet even after the DFL signed a domestic TV agreement
last December worth €1.3 billion for each of the next four years that is second only to the Premier League’s, that’s simply not enough.
According to bundelisga.com, the top 10 average attendances for the 2024/25 season ranged from Kaiserslautern’s 46,312 to Borussia Dortmund’s 81,365. Bayern Munich were second in the table on 75,000, while Schalke were third on 61,655.
Even more impressive is that Schalke finished 14th in the second tier last term, and along with Kaiserslautern there were another three Bundesliga 2 clubs in that top 10: Hamburg (56,323) and Hertha Berlin (53,190) sixth and seventh, respectively, and Cologne (49,929) in ninth.
These are extraordinary numbers that show the deep-rooted ties with people who view going to watch football as an intrinsic part of their life, similar to what is now happening on a smaller scale in Ireland.
DFL are clearly gambling on Goldbridge – as well as YouTube rival The Overlap – being able to somehow bridge that connection gap for those who will choose to view from countries such as Ireland.
The growth of YouTuber Goldbridge (real name Brent Di Cesare) has been phenomenal and is an indication of the appetite for what he offers – 2.1 million subscribers for the one dedicated to Manchester United and 1.3 million for That’s Football, which will be the home of Bundesliga.
They will be showing 20 live games this season and the reason why it’s of more relevance to the League of Ireland is that their contracted games are the ones on Friday night.
Their season kicks off this evening when champions Bayern Munich – featuring Harry Kane and former Liverpool forward Luis Diaz – host RB Leipzig.
Young supporters have been a driver of the league’s renaissance so it will of course be interesting to see how the Bundesliga’s experiment develops, especially as Naubert specifically cited wanting to connect with Irish fans.
Or maybe they will simply be the ones who already find some connection with Goldbridge in front of his green screen rather than seeking out the truest one of all that comes from actually going to games.
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League of Ireland LOI Soccer THE BEAT