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Bitored wrote: Bit of a grim statistic here. Neither Dundalk or Cork would be in the top 6 average attendances in the Scottish First Division. It really is time to shake the league up. 16 team league, MLS style structure, 10 team league, play offs, NASL structure. It all needs to be on the tabe and do something. The league attendance is below 1000. There's nothing to lose.

I agree that something needs to be done, every team's attendances are embarrassing, I don't think changing the format will do anything but make it more farcical.

pre Madonna wrote: Bitored wrote: Bit of a grim statistic here. Neither Dundalk or Cork would be in the top 6 average attendances in the Scottish First Division. It really is time to shake the league up. 16 team league, MLS style structure, 10 team league, play offs, NASL structure. It all needs to be on the tabe and do something. The league attendance is below 1000. There's nothing to lose. I agree that something needs to be done, every team's attendances are embarrassing, I don't think changing the format will do anything but make it more farcical.

I just don't believe that.

I look at the relegation play offs last year and there was close to 10,000 people at that over 2 games.
For me, that proves people enjoy games with a lot at stake. The trick is how do you make more games like that without making it too engineered.

I don't think a 33 game meandering league season is doing anything for marketability. Iceland has a 22 game season.
We need to get out of this mindset that we must have 30+ games because that's what they do in England and clubs will die without 40 games a month. They are dying in the current structure.

Obviously structure isn't the golden bullet and it would have to include a complete plan with increased prize money, sponsorship, marketing etc.

Monday night is an awful night to go watch a game. Nobody really has the answers to the problems the LOI has. Calling for one 16 team division isn't the solution at the moment either with Waterford and Athlone in financial difficulty this year. Just surviving seems to be the LOIs way at the moment.

pre Madonna wrote: Of course people enjoy big games with plenty at stake, but how do you engineer a format where every game has some level of importance without it being farcical? This isn't knocking the idea, but if you start off any such system will put off many of those who have an interest and I am not sure it will attract many new ones. It is an incredibly hard thing to get more people in as we don't have a culture of supporting a team every week.

You're not going to get a situation where every game is important. It's about having more important games.
There's nothing to lose now by shaking things up. I fully accept it might'nt make a jot of difference.

The most enjoyable Rovers game I was at last year was against Limerick on the last night of that year. Possibly says a good bit about that diabolical season.
I think the reason I enjoyed it was I felt like I was watching something of real importance.

The league needs money from TV stations and it won't get it trying to flog a dull dead rubber on a wet Friday night.



Edited by Bitored - 18 Oct 2016 at 9:28pm

I agree something should be done. NASL/Ereste split season style is what I would opt for. I would however got to 10 before 16 to be honest. The number of games isn't as big an issue as the importance in my opinion. Would also lead to a stronger first instead of abandoning 4 clubs to where?

I'd be in favour of a 22 game league season.
Sounds mental but it works in Iceland. Albeit they have a much more generous FA than here.

Possibly split it after that for a total of 27 games.

Or

Play offs after 22 games. Similar to the pro 12.

Obviously for that to work prize money would need a big increase.

To supplement smaller clubs gates we could have a round robin round in the FAI cup with the European clubs excluded.

No replays in the cup before the semi final.

The goal of all that would be to have no more than 1 game a week.

For anyone saying "oh no shur clubs wouldn't have enough games".
On average, LOI grounds are 25% full on match nights.
I would imagine it's costing alot of clubs more money to open the gate then they take in.
Most clubs are being propped up by people reaching into their own pockets or good sponsors.

Barring that just go with a 10 team league.
2 automatic relegation spots and 1 relegation play off.
A play off for the last European place.
Turn it into a wolf pit with no midtable.

zizu Kilbane wrote: Bitored wrote: pre Madonna wrote: Bitored wrote: Bit of a grim statistic here. Neither Dundalk or Cork would be in the top 6 average attendances in the Scottish First Division. It really is time to shake the league up. 16 team league, MLS style structure, 10 team league, play offs, NASL structure. It all needs to be on the tabe and do something. The league attendance is below 1000. There's nothing to lose. I agree that something needs to be done, every team's attendances are embarrassing, I don't think changing the format will do anything but make it more farcical. I just don't believe that. I look at the relegation play offs last year and there was close to 10,000 people at that over 2 games. For me, that proves people enjoy games with a lot at stake. The trick is how do you make more games like that without making it too engineered. I don't think a 33 game meandering league season is doing anything for marketability. Iceland has a 22 game season. We need to get out of this mindset that we must have 30+ games because that's what they do in England and clubs will die without 40 games a month. They are dying in the current structure. Obviously structure isn't the golden bullet and it would have to include a complete plan with increased prize money, sponsorship, marketing etc. I actually think a 22 game, 12 team division is a good shout. Familiarity does affect attendences and there is an over saturation of too many games condensed into too small a calender. Play each team in the division home and away once like a proper league format. The season would still last 40 weeks and you could have: - 1 league game per week. No more mid week games - Designated cup weekends right from the 1st round to the semi final. No league games to be played on these weeks. ( maybe when they redevelop Dayler to circa 15k, play both semi-finals there back to back as a double header.) - Teams playing in Europe get a week off to prepare for fixtures - Scrap the league cup or remove the teams who qualify for Europe from it - More room to play around with of games need to be postponed

100%

I have no issue in theory with anything that has been said there, apart from double header semi-finals as it would be a logistical nightmare, but the problem again comes down to prize money and the understandable fear of the clubs. We all know that something has to be tried but clubs will be paralysed by fear and will have to be talked around. On top of that we have an association running it who are apathetic at best, it really is difficult and is nothing new. Summer football  was the last big change with mixed success, in the main I would say it has benefited the game though.

Sack John Delaney and put his salary in the leagues prize money, just about tripling it. Does not matter who you replace him with as he does nothing and whoever comes in is guaranteed to have more footballing knowledge.

Scrap the League cup and Leinster Cup.

Invest most money earned by the national team into the league as if benefits everyone involved.

Under 16s 2 tickets for €5, more groups of kids, higher attendances in the future.

Reduce adult tickets from €15 to €10.

More advertising on Radio & Tv. Also somehow get Rte to show a live game every Friday & move Soccer Republic to an earlier time from 11 o'clock.

Longer contracts are needed! Some supporters find it hard to warm to a team that changes 3/4 of their starting 11 each season.