League of Ireland viral videos

It is not quite the case of “Ask not what your league can do for your club – ask what your club can do for your league” but clubs right across the League of Ireland this season seemed to have raised their own game in promoting their matches.

Rather than waiting for the FAI, League officials or sponsors to come up with a massive marketing campaign, social media teams from across the league have come up with content that is using their own large social media followers to promote their owns clubs. 

The top three clubs in the Premier Division last season between them have over 100,000 followers on Twitter and 150,000 Facebook followers – Dundalk (33,200 Twitter / 44,000 Facebook), Cork City (40,7000 Twitter / 53,000 Facebook) and Shamrock Rovers (27,700 Twitter / 57,000 Facebook).

The league sponsors SSE Airtricity did issue a decent short promotional video ahead of the league campaign (see here) but it was Joey Ndo’s unique perspective on the new season that went viral (see here).

We've put together a short selection of some of the best of the League of Ireland videos that the club's have produced this season. 

Shelbourne - #WeAreShels #WeAreAngry

A captivating journey from Ringsend via Lansdowne Road to Tolka Park produced by Shelbourne with a wonderful cameo by Stuey ‘I’m angry’ Byrne. 

“They say that Sligo is a football mad town, but that doesn’t really do it justice” begins the BitORed’s video for the new season – a club that is very much at the heart of the community.

Longford Town – Light It Up

The new signing announcement is a staple of the social media platforms so Longford Town took to twitter to announce their latest signing. Sam Verdon seemed to spend as short as time in Finn Park as possible before answering the call to ‘Light it up’ at the City Calling Stadium judging by the soundtrack to his highlights reel on this video.

Shamrock Rovers - Organic free range Rovers

The Hoops went with a moody build up to match kick off in their #NothingBeatsBeingThere video which captures the sights and sounds around Tallaght as expectation builds on match night.

The video stops just at kick off – thankfully for Rovers fans as the footage is from last April’s Dublin derby defeat to Bohs that ran right to 99 minutes before a late late injury time winner for the Gypsies.



Rovers tweeted out the video ahead of the start of the season, a tweet that racked up just under 60,000 views in less than 24 hours and had 7,000 people engaging with the tweet at the time. The club noted that “there was no paid social behind the post, that is all organic free media”. 

Bohemians - Poetry in motion

They love a bit of ‘Spoken Word’ down in Dalymount and they got their poet in residence John Cummins to pen a few words ahead of the season opener. 

“Ah, I love listening to the songs of the soul of the Bohs”

Galway United – Drone alert

League of Ireland fans have been accused of droning on and on about the #GreatestLeagueInTheWorld so no surprise to see some drone footage creeping into club’s social media videos. We liked this use of a drone to announce the return to Galway of goalkeeper Kevin Horgan.

St. Patrick’s Athletic  - Get the Greener on voiceover

The Saints were out early to celebrate their 90th birthday with a “Your club, your community” video that has former St. Pat’s and Ireland boss Brian Kerr providing the narration.       

“90 years of highs and surprise, 

Of heartbreak, of tears of joy, 

90 years of being there, 

Of passing it on from one generation to the next.”

Cork City – I love my club

Ahead of Valentine’s Day, Cork City looked to remind fans how much their loved ones would like a season ticket to Turner’s Cross.

 

 

    About Macdara Ferris

    Macdara Ferris is a contributor since 2007 to Hoops Scene (Shamrock Rovers' match day programme) and is the co-author of two books on Shamrock Rovers - 'Tallaght Time: Shamrock Rovers 2009 to 2012' (with Karl … View Full Profile