My idea for a new format for the league of Ireland

Good to see new ideas being thrown out there ABFC , but I don't agree with most of your recommendations.

1 For the reasons Madferret stated. A proper pyramid system is what needed. Gives teams something to play for and even more importantly , gives clubs from around the country a pathway to a higher level of football if they are good enough.

2 Interesting idea about the draws but not for me. You could have a team playing for a draw winning on penaltys. But one of your ideas that could be discussed in greater detail for the pros and cons.

3 A real instinctive for non stop attacking football so its a definite yes from me. Great idea.

4 A BIG NO. In our own league here in Kerry we have this system of a league final between the top 2 in all of our divisions. Its a disgrace imo and can result in some great injustices. Its done here because in the early 00's , 2 clubs couldn't be separated at the top of Premier A after the final round of games. A final was held at Mounthawk Park in Tralee to decide who would becomes Kings of the Kingdom. It resulted in an attendance of over 1000 people and a cash windfall for the KDL ,so for the greater good they implemented the league final across all Divisions. In the Premier B this year , Fenit Samphires finished 7 points ahead of 2nd placed Mastergeeha with a superior goal difference. They have a really good young team. In the league final it finished a 2 all draw and Mastergeeha won the replay 1-0 to take the title. Imagine being a player or supporter from Fenit. Its just wrong. A league determines which team deserves to win the league. League positions don't lie yet Fenit suffered and lost what should have being theirs because of the greed of the KDL. Its not a solution only another problem.

PanteirA wrote: Good to see new ideas being thrown out there ABFC , but I don't agree with most of your recommendations. 1 For the reasons Madferret stated. A proper pyramid system is what needed. Gives teams something to play for and even more importantly , gives clubs from around the country a pathway to a higher level of football if they are good enough.

Exactly Madferret. We all know the 1st division is a death bed for clubs but lumping them all into one division wont benefit anyone in the long term. The ultimate aim for our leagues should be anyone can get to the top, if they are good enough and have the support to do it. And we need our top division to be as competitive as possible for clubs to progress in Europe and grow in stature. I think Miss Ferris is spoken for too but I guess a man can dream

How are the famous Cabinteely doing now with attendances that their honeymoon period is over? Impressive figures at the start.

Bitored wrote: pre Madonna wrote: You are 100% correct. Sure , lookit, what can they do? They should just pack it all in. They aren't going to get any fans and sure the first division is a graveyard and it is a gaa county and he pissed off a few quare fellas and strawberries. ........... That's sum s up your contribution to these forums. Bit of a funny line and hope you don't have to give an opinion or back up any point you make They are trying dam hard that's evidenced by the fact they have moved from perennial wipping boys to title challengers since their inception 8years ago But the fact is they are in a division with regular crowds of less than 250 or less.Tolka park is a ghost town most nights. And that's a reasonably comfortable ground with a club that has a 100year old history. I hate to see clubs fold and I have taken special interest in wexford because I would love to see another provincial town side in the premier. They are doing the very best they can but clubs like Kilkenny and Kildare trudged along in the league for years playing infront of a man and his dog. there are places people just won't come nout to watch football Those are facts. Fair play to people like Mick Wallace who put their own money into football clubs. What's your great plan to turn wexford youth's into a massive club with thousand of people coming in the gate? The fact is they will always be 3rd choice in wexford but hopefully they can get into the premier and eek out some sort of a reasonable attendance. Try harder doesn't reflect the facts on the ground. I don't believe that Pissing off a few quare fellas and strawberries should be the death of a club but unfortunately for our clubs it does. I believe the issue was when wexford started up they took alot of players from the local league which resulted in some large clubs being relegated. I would be of the opinion that a LOI club should be entitled to do that but I can understand the other side to.

  Eehhh, what?

PM has hit on a major point. Too many clubs sit around and whinge that the FAI don't do their marketing or pay for this or that. Your club, your job.

pre Madonna wrote: Why should it be my plan? In the larger scheme of things, I couldn't give a f**k if Wexford Youths go bang, which they inevitably will if they follow your attitude. But if you insist, there are plenty of ways of tryinng to improve attendances, including trying to build bridges with the junior clubs in Wexford. Can they look into the feasibility of running buses from the larger towns? Increasing the entertainment at the games, make them more family affairs. Hand out free tickets to schools is always an obvious one, or to the local junior sides he pissed off. Make a big deal of the club in the local press, work on Wallace's 'celebrity'. Get fans to do their bit with a clipboard and a list of questions around Gorey, New Ross, Wexford Town and Enniscorthy to find out what would it take to get them to games etc. Etc. One of the major problems we face in the league is the attitude you have shown. I am no fan of Delaney or the FAI but there is a pattern emerging. When Wexford do go under, they will be the ones taking all the blame. Not the board members of Wexford who are hoping to see the miracle of the 5 thousand at the gates, nor the people or businesses of Wexford for not getting behind them but the gombeen in Dublin who doesn't even know who Wexfard Youths are. If they are destined for doom, go down fighting and at least they can say 'we did everything we can to keep senior football in Wexford''

That's your opinion and you’re fully entitled to it but I do care if Wexford go "bang" simply because the league is crying out for strong provincial sides. If Wexford can succeed it gives sides like Cobh and Waterford hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel and it isn't all about slogging it out at the bottom of the graveyard league.
It even has a knock on effect for Premier Division side who are also struggling.

Do you know that Wexford haven't tried any of that?
I`m all for suggestions and ideas on improvement but attendances aren't just a first division problem.

I fully agree with you on the FAI point. It’s too easy to say it’s all JDs fault. For the most part clubs in this country run themselves in a shambolic fashion. This season alone Limerick, Bray and my own club Sligo Rovers have been involved in a multitude of farces that had nothing to do with the FAI. Of course clubs can do a lot more to run themselves well but there just aren't any easy answers.

As for Wexford being able to say they gave it everything. In the space of 8 years they have built some decent facilities, fair enough it’s hardly Wembley Stadium but they have a ground and I’m sure they dream of having a better one. They are building from scratch in a league they are getting nothing but bills from. If they can get promoted this year with all local amateur players, having had limited support from the locality that will have been one hell of an effort.

What attitude have I shown? Realism? I regularly dream about regionalised First Divisions and improvements the league could make and my posts on various forums here reflect that. I would love to see the league succeed. I see Cyprus and Belarus putting clubs into European group stages on a regular basis and I think 10 years ago our clubs were beating their best sides in Europe. Their success is achievable here.
The leagues current image is pathetic. There`s nothing to strive for or no profile for clubs to tap into. At this point the only option is to scrap it completely and start with a blank canvas. There`s no marketing "League of Ireland".

Take for instance Waterford, Say a local businessman gets involved there. Pumps money in and they challenge for a Premier Division title inside 5 years, what then? They will probably be capped at 3000 people and that will be dependent on continued success which they can’t guarantee or finance with the current rewards on offer.

It’s a vicious circle.
low attendances-low sponsorship-low prize money-poor facilities.
I don't believe sending a bus into Gorey or offering pics for a fiver with Mick will make a drastic impact on that.

Any change requires everyone working together it has to be from the top down and the bottom up. Clubs have to do their bit which by and large they haven't been doing and the governing body needs to help which they haven't been doing either.

I do think there is hope or I wouldn't bother my hole going to games or commenting here. But the league requires major surgery not just a bit of spit and a few bandages. If people who have no interest in Dogs will go to watch them race a country of 4.5 million people should be able to have a respectable football league.