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'International Brand Expert' Torn Apart By LOI Fans After That Remarkable Presentation

Conor Neville
By Conor Neville
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Jonathan Gabay, international brand expert and published author, offered his marketing expertise for the benefit of the League of Ireland today.

As soon as he opened his presentation with the sentence, "Under John Delaney, it's been amazing", it could be fairly said that he was toast. With those six words, his fate was sealed.

In the report, Gabay tossed out a range of ideas which might charitably be described as "left-field". Here are a few.

  • LOI scores displayed on bus stops
  • Hollywood walk of fame containing the faces of ex-greats decorating the pathway up to the ground
  • Painting the bus stops near the ground in the club colours
  • Regional Heritage incorporated into the club brand - illustrated with the example of Sligo Rovers harnessing the power of WB Yeats (slouching towards the Showgrounds penalty box to score?)
  • Games with MLS sides to promote among US audiences
  • Half-time EA Sports tournaments broadcast on (which?) giant screens

In addition to these novel proposals, he opted to pick a fight with League of Ireland fans, whose flares and hostility to the FAI heirarchy were not presenting a good image of the product.

We are all indebted to the journalists who live-tweeted this "extraordinary" event. By now, most dedicated League of Ireland fans with an internet connection have a sense of what was said today.

For a fuller account of what was said, head over here.

We can't be sure whether Gabay had any sense of the reaction his comments generated. Unless he is averse to checking his twitter mentions, he does now.

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At half 7, he tweeted about what a pleasure it had been to deliver his insights on Ireland's domestic league to the assembled.

The tweet has been retweeted a few times. But, it has generated a torrent of responses. Here's a flavour of the responses thus far (tastefully selected).

 

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This is of a piece with the reaction of Ireland's football journalists earlier. Dan McDonnell and Neil O'Riordan were at the press conference and this was their live reaction after it finished.

 

At one stage in his presentation, Gabay referenced a imaginary company called 'Joe's Pork Sausages', the kind of outfit with whom the League could do a bit of sponsorship business.

Before the day was out, Joe's Pork Sausages had its own twitter account.

As for Gabay, he will no doubt steel himself mentally against the abuse by returning once more to the mantra, "Empty vessels make the most noise."

 

Read more: "Well You Can Stick It Up Your Ass!" - Liam Brady On What Inspired Him To Seek A Career In Italy

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