reforming defunct clubs/LOI 1st Division
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Topic: reforming defunct clubs/LOI 1st Division
Posted By: savo01
Subject: reforming defunct clubs/LOI 1st Division
Date Posted: 11 Jun 2013 at 3:33pm
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Looking at the state of the LOI 1st Division with 8 teams is there no feasibility to get numbers up. I know Galway are hopefully going to reform but surely one or two of the other defunct teams like Sporting Fingal, Kildare County and despite their problems Kilkenny City. These are decent catchment areas and if the FAI could step in and run these clubs like the MLS do with some of the US teams it may give these clubs a chance to grow organically. Typically with the FAI we had 3 divisions with the A Championship a few years ago but would it not be feasible to look into a Premier Division of 12 and two 10 team 1st Divisions, one north and one south. This would keep cost and time down regarding transport. With clubs like Fanad, Tralee, Tullamore, Castlebar Celtic, FC Carlow who were all in the A Championship and a few of the stronger LSL or other senior leagues in the country you could you get a good competition going. From what I understand Wexford Youths are directly linked to youth football in the area. Surely this is the way to go for every club and if you could restart or create new teams/leagues this would be the model to use.
Or am I talking jibberish? ------------- Jackie Charlton, Eoin Hand Johnny Giles. Ireland Mick McCarthy, Stephen Staunton Cascarino Tony Galvin, Niall Quinn Packie doesn't let em in North of Ireland South of Ireland Only one can go |
Replies:
Posted By: roverstillidie
Date Posted: 11 Jun 2013 at 3:42pm
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Well the FAI can't step in and run clubs, so that is that.
The problem with your logic, and it is generally fine, is that Carlow, Castlebar, Monaghan, Tralee etc are simply not big enough towns and catchement areas to sustain professional football. If there was a market for a LoI side in these towns, they would have one.
There were a number of regional clubs in the A Championship who ultimately bottled it when push came to the shove. While I can see why they did so, why go so far down the road and then change your mind? What a waste of the FAI's money that was. The FAI can't make clubs step up. We would all love a pyramid, but the reality is most decent sized senior would prefer to be big fish in a small pond. Look what happened to Home Farm when they decided to go pro.
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Posted By: savo01
Date Posted: 11 Jun 2013 at 3:58pm
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Chippy,
Would they have to be professional? And by regionalising it you could keep costs down. Having more clubs in my view would be to help grow football rather than creating a professional set up. Look at the south east for instance. If you had Wexford, Waterford, Tullamore, Carlow and Kilkenny in the same division surely that would generate interest in the game in the region. Part of the GAA's success is that it plays on the parish/county rivalry. Why can the FAI not run clubs, do UEFA not allow it? They could surely be allowed to be partners then? I'm not talking about these clubs being real contenders, the LOI has had a lifetime of boom and bust but there must be some way forward. ------------- Jackie Charlton, Eoin Hand Johnny Giles. Ireland Mick McCarthy, Stephen Staunton Cascarino Tony Galvin, Niall Quinn Packie doesn't let em in North of Ireland South of Ireland Only one can go |
Posted By: El Mullo
Date Posted: 11 Jun 2013 at 4:08pm
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My opinion would be that a smaller number of viable and strong clubs would be better than new clubs. Of the current 20, several are struggling and are failing to make any impact in the league or in their community. Kilkenny had a very small level of support and were effectively a one man club. Monaghan are working away at underage level, but it are unlikely to field (or be allowed to field) at senior LOI level for a number of seasons. Kildare gave the First Division a good shot for a number of seasons but never got a huge level of support or seemed to have a long-term structure in place. Sporting Fingal and Dublin City are gone forever.
GUST are working away in Galway to keep United alive, hopefully we will be back in 2014, if not the club will keep going anyway.
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Posted By: roverstillidie
Date Posted: 11 Jun 2013 at 4:09pm
Well it is a professional division. But yes, they could be amateur and get stomped every week.
The clubs already exist... You want more clubs in the professional top two tiers, and that is a good idea. But the clubs don't want to be there.
Having Rovers, Bohs, Shels, Pats and UCD in the same division doesn't have the Dubs flocking to games though, does it?
Wexford are a bit different in they are a top youth side whose adult side plays in the LoI, but Tullamore has a population of 11,000 and Carlow 13,000. This isn't enough to sustain a professional side - every town of that size bar Sligo (Thurles, Kilkenny, Newbridge, Monaghan etc) who have tried to make it in the LoI have wilted.
And very few of their teams get the punters required for LoI standard sustainability
Nope.
You are thinking and have some ideas worth exploring, but the reality is the clubs aren't interested and we have all the geographical spread we are going to get.
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savo01 wrote:Posted By: Trapped
Date Posted: 11 Jun 2013 at 4:10pm
Fella I used to play ball with also played with Tralee Dynamo's at the weekend. He said because they were always winning things the rest of the teams in Kerry hated them and if they went LOI they wouldn't have the support of anyone outside of their own club. Any of their potential supporters would see them as rivals as opposed to someone representing their area. A lot of rural teams would have the same problem with the exception of Carlow, Kilkenny and Monaghan whose teams would be named after their town and could be seen as representing their town/county.
------------- 67% points to games ratio at the last Euro's (better than Portugal's) |
Posted By: El Mullo
Date Posted: 11 Jun 2013 at 4:13pm
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Exactly Trapped, that is why the two Galway teams have little or no support. There could possibly be potential for a county team from one of the larger counties (Tipperary, Kerry, Meath, Mayo). |
Posted By: roverstillidie
Date Posted: 11 Jun 2013 at 4:15pm
We will never have 40 pro and semi pro sides in Ireland. Why try and create them to fail later?
The FAI should look at the cities IMO and if a Tralee, Castlebar or whoever come along, good for them. But no more wasting money on the regional teams. Galway back in, a second team in Cork, try and get Cliftonville, Belfast Celtic and Newry in. |
Posted By: savo01
Date Posted: 11 Jun 2013 at 4:34pm
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Maybe not guys but Scotland has a 40 team set up with most part-time. Ross County play out of Dingwall population 5,000. Annan, Montrose, Stenhousemuir are all small places. By having these clubs and divisions would it not give a chance to form roots in areas and provide links with local set ups? No one is saying they would storm the Premier Division but it could create a decent structure in LOI football and not leave us with an abyss that is the 8 team 1st Division. Right or wrong them being there Mervue and Salthill Devon must have done/do something right. ------------- Jackie Charlton, Eoin Hand Johnny Giles. Ireland Mick McCarthy, Stephen Staunton Cascarino Tony Galvin, Niall Quinn Packie doesn't let em in North of Ireland South of Ireland Only one can go |
Posted By: savo01
Date Posted: 11 Jun 2013 at 4:39pm
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Chippy,
Interestingly Newry City went bust and have reformed in the Mid Ulster league while Warrenpoint a small town of 7,000 down the road 5 miles have just won promotion to the Irish league premier Division for the first time ever. The club was formed in 1988, and for the first 22 years of its existence played at regional league level. After being crowned champions of the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-Ulster_Football_League" rel="nofollow - Mid-Ulster Football League Intermediate A division in the 2009–10 season they got promoted to Championship 1 the next year and beat Donegal Celtic to make it to the Premier League. Surely this shows what can happen and be achieved. The IFA Premier also has Ballinamallard United which has a population of under 2,000! Why can the 6 counties have a proper structure in place yet the 26 counties cannot? ------------- Jackie Charlton, Eoin Hand Johnny Giles. Ireland Mick McCarthy, Stephen Staunton Cascarino Tony Galvin, Niall Quinn Packie doesn't let em in North of Ireland South of Ireland Only one can go |
Posted By: gazelle.
Date Posted: 11 Jun 2013 at 4:46pm
Cobh have decent support and is a much smaller town than the likes of Carlow, Kilkenny and Thurles so it can be done. Athlone is another small town who survive in the LOI. Longford is another so you are wrong in that regard. It is possible for small town clubs to survive and compete in the LOI.
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Posted By: gazelle.
Date Posted: 11 Jun 2013 at 4:58pm
Navan - 28,500 Ennis - 25,300 Kilkenny - 24,400 Tralee - 23,600 Carlow - 23,000 PortLaoise- 20,000 Mullingar - 20,000 That is just a few of them. Of these towns only Kilkenny have chanced their arm at LOI football. There is enough towns to support a decent number of LOI clubs. The regional policy hasn't been tried properly. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_municipalities_in_the_Republic_of_Ireland_by_population" rel="nofollow - http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_municipalities_in_the_Republic_of_Ireland_by_population |
Posted By: El Mullo
Date Posted: 11 Jun 2013 at 4:59pm
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Scotland is not a valid comparison. Football is well established there and is clearly the national game, with no serious competition (poor standard of rugby).
The Irish League is hardly a template for success - a village team, Ballinamallard, were in a Europa Cup position earlier in the season ! There are far too many teams in the Irish League structure.
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Posted By: El Mullo
Date Posted: 11 Jun 2013 at 5:05pm
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There is a big difference between Longford, Athlone, Sligo, Drogheda, Dundalk (towns with an LOI tradition where going to matches is seen as a normal activity) versus Portlaoise, Tullamore, Mullingar, Ennis. I was in Tullamore last year on a stag, wall to wall Premiership and GAA. It would be extremely difficult for anything other than a very successful LOI team to make an impact there.
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Posted By: roverstillidie
Date Posted: 11 Jun 2013 at 5:38pm
You are dead right. Cobh who spend 5 of the last 6 years outside the LoI, Longford who nearly went bust and Athlone who were last in the PD in the 1995 and have not finished in the top half of the 1st since 2001.
Survive? Maybe. Compete? Not a hope.
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Posted By: roverstillidie
Date Posted: 11 Jun 2013 at 5:40pm
Sligo do exceptionally well to get what is in effect 12% of the town at games. You are making a lethal logical leap if you think PortLaoise could do the same. |
Posted By: EastStandMan
Date Posted: 11 Jun 2013 at 5:41pm
Are we missing something here lads ?, great posts I got to say with Town populations etc giving an insight and opinion re our LOI health or other . Dont want to be a bully but for fecks sake - our little footie fans chose her majestys football league for their fix. Swear to feck, it kills me to think if we could only get a steady stream of full houses the stadiums would improve followed by adding more teams to the League .The game itself is good and would only improve with better quality players staying here cos there would be improved pay and conditions . Its all there waiting . I fear tho the same old attitude will prevail - dont speak the language cos it does me no good - dont vote cos that will do me no good - dont protest cos that will do me no good - wont get off me hole except to go get me a bag a cans . Sorry but thats the way I feel about ...........us Irish.  . ------------- Shamrock Rovers - lovin the buzz . |
Posted By: Sham157
Date Posted: 11 Jun 2013 at 6:33pm
| Trapped, we faced the same problems with the local clubs all around the county. For us to come back and survive with a decent crowd and sponsorship, we would need a set up almost identical to the GAA system of county boards. There was one pub in Monaghan where you would think twice about wearing mons gear in cos it was a Monaghan Town FC haunt. The attitude of clubs in the county and in particular the North Monaghan area was one disdain towards us. That coupled with the lazy and not to start an argument, but barstool mentality will ensure that we won't have a place in LOI football for the foreseeable. When we reached the EA Sports Cup Final a few seasons ago, only one club in the county approached us looking for an official if you like allocation from Mons. |
Posted By: corkery
Date Posted: 11 Jun 2013 at 6:38pm
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Any new clubs should be from areas where people will actually go to the games. Salthill don't have a stand and isn't near a town, they will never get fans. Longford would be able to get a few more if they actually played in Longford Town. Just look at Finn Harps, they are in the town and get a good enough crowd. Wexford would get a few more if they were in Wexford Town. ------------- 'The younger generation as in 17 -25 are certainly gayer than their predecessors. I think they may cause the extinction of the human race with their activities.'- Baldrick |
Posted By: gazelle.
Date Posted: 11 Jun 2013 at 7:18pm
What club hasn't nearly went bust in the last 10 years. When Cobh were in the premier in 2008 they got better crowds than Drogs and Shels get now. Thats in a town of 12,000 people with one the biggest clubs in the country playing 20 minutes up the road. Small town teams can be successful. Fair enough Athlone are sh*te and have been for 15 years but they still survive which is all that is needed at the moment. The LOI needs more clubs. You cannot run a two tiered national league with 20 clubs, two of which are glorified galway junior clubs who play in fields. You also cannot have a single tiered league because you'd have 15 clubs with nothing to play for. Something needs to be done because it can't keep going the way it is.
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Posted By: gazelle.
Date Posted: 11 Jun 2013 at 7:25pm
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Also rtid, I'm sure you'll remember Longfords successful period in the noughties when they got to four FAI cup finals, won two, had many european appearances and finished top half four years in a row. All while averaging crowds of in and around 1000. And they come from a town of 9,000 people. So it is possible for small town clubs to do well. |
Posted By: colmoc
Date Posted: 11 Jun 2013 at 7:43pm
Wheres this sham?
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Posted By: irelandfan
Date Posted: 11 Jun 2013 at 8:09pm
I miss Mon dogs  ------------- I'm the gaffer whatever I say goes. |
Posted By: Claret Murph
Date Posted: 11 Jun 2013 at 8:49pm
Very good thread i must say  ------------- Lansdowne Road debut aged 52 and 201 days . |
Posted By: Nah Nah Nah Nah
Date Posted: 11 Jun 2013 at 8:54pm
We do get a good bit of support from outside the town and even the county as well |
Posted By: Sham157
Date Posted: 11 Jun 2013 at 9:39pm
Shamrock on a town match day, some of them would even go to Dundalk games to make a point of supporting anybody but Mons. |
Posted By: colmoc
Date Posted: 11 Jun 2013 at 9:51pm
Didn't one of the smiths that are heavily involved with the town play with Dundalk a few years ago or is that in my head? |
Posted By: Sham157
Date Posted: 11 Jun 2013 at 10:24pm
| Yeah Paul Smyth, played for us and Dundalk. He would be one that would trek to Oriel. The cousin lives next door to him and I collected him one evening to go to Gortakeegan, when the Smyth clan were setting off for Dundalk. Sad really. |
Posted By: MayoMark
Date Posted: 11 Jun 2013 at 10:55pm
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It's hard to know where to go in fairness. Castlebar Celtic tried their luck in the A Championship, but the idea of playing in a league against reserve teams just didn't excite people. When I was a kid, Celtic Park would be absolutely jammed for Connacht Senior League games. I have no idea why that died, or why the crowds just aren't interested anymore. Have a good friend who is a massive Mayo fan. He is a football fan too but hasn't gone to Celtic because he isn't from Castlebar. But he made a great point about my own team at Celtic. We were in an FAI Cup Final in Turner's Cross and nobody in town knew. f**k all radio coverage, a bit on the papers. The only reason he knew was through me. If Castlebar Mitchell's U18s had reached a national final, (GAA) the town would be decked in yellow and red. And I can't figure out why that is. He said if there was a "Mayo FC" he would follow them. I'd love to know how feasible that would be. I know there is a "Mayo League" team, but it's not the same thing. If I won the euro millions, I'd set that club up tomorrow!! ------------- They finally did it man... They killed my f**kin' car... |
Posted By: Saint Tom
Date Posted: 11 Jun 2013 at 11:24pm
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Lads, we can have 10, 12, 20 or 40 teams. it is what it is and no amount of tinkering with it will change that. watching it for too long to have any illusions to the contrary ------------- My destination inchicore my next stop being kilmainham Where patriots and super saints are the topics of conversation |
Posted By: David McWilliams
Date Posted: 12 Jun 2013 at 12:53am
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The problem with the FAI is that they care f**k all about the league. It's a disaster from start to finish. Firstly, most places in both the Premier League and the First division pay less than the licencing costs in the first place. Then you have such a short season. Why are contracts only March to October? Why can't each club decide how long the contracts will be? March to October is such a short time. A massive off-season means full-time contracts are practically a no-goer for more than one year contracts meaning players can be lost to England on the cheap. Jaysus I wish I was in charge of the league. I'd say, in fact I'm certain I'd do a better job than the FAI. And to add to that last point, there is very good debate in this thread. One thing the FAI need to do is to get people discussing where to take the league. I really think the FAI are just winging it. I know Platinum One offered an alternative league but I don't think that would have been a runner. Ultimately, All-Ireland league is the way to go. That won't happen until both national leagues get their own houses in order.
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Posted By: corkery
Date Posted: 12 Jun 2013 at 1:08am
The short contracts are to allow players to get work in the off season or to sign on the dole. The All-Ireland league won't happen because the North is mainly Unionist and it's an attack on their country, furthermore, they are happy having a small league with small distance travel which allows them easy European Spots. ------------- 'The younger generation as in 17 -25 are certainly gayer than their predecessors. I think they may cause the extinction of the human race with their activities.'- Baldrick |
Posted By: roverstillidie
Date Posted: 12 Jun 2013 at 8:40am
I think dangling carrots in front of teams currently playing in the IFA's space is a far more potentially successful policy. Teams in places with the population to support them
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Posted By: Cabra Hoop
Date Posted: 12 Jun 2013 at 10:24am
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This whole debate really goes back to the fact that we dont have in general a culture of supporting football clubs at local level. Take a town like Navan for example with a reasonable large population and a healthy appetite for sport. There must be at least 10 football clubs within 5 miles of Navan and would be seen as a potential market for a new LOI team. But and this is the kernal of the matter, talking to local lads few of them have nay respect for LOI football and wouldnt bother there backsides going. The strange irony is that the lads in Navan who do support LOI teams support Drogheda or blow-ins who support Dublin clubs. Talking to the Navan based Drogs fans, if a new club was set up in Navan they would continue to support Drogheda.
The example of Ballinamallard has been sighted as a positve example but it could be argued that they draw there support from that sector of society in Fermanagh outside of the GAA cohort and would be seen as something of a symbol of identity within there own community. I dont know too much about the players who play for Ballinamallard but i would take a guess that they are locally based and wouldnt have there teams filled with lads from Belfast unlike Monaghan and Kilkenny whose teams had a large number of Dublin based players. ------------- " BFC always gives me a laugh........ " |
Posted By: savo01
Date Posted: 12 Jun 2013 at 11:31am
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My reason for making my suggestions at the start of this thread is that I feel football needs to be developed in the Republic and there needs to be a pyramid system which would encourage growth and promotion of the game.
I have already used the SFL as an example and here is why. While Scotland has a bigger football tradition when you look at the teams in the lower regions in Scotland they are from similar sized towns to what we are talking about in Ireland. Cowdenbeath for example has a population of 11,000 and is close to Dunfermline a bigger town with a modestly succussful club yet they've existed just fine for over 130 years. Most Scottish League clubs get by on a couple of hundred attending games, they get no TV money or coverage. These clubs know they will never get to the SPL but accept their lot and get on with it.
My second example was Warrenpoint Town in the irish League set up. 25 years after forming they have made it to the IFA Premiership from a town of 7,000. Why, because they grew slowly and had a progression route.
If a Kerry, Mayo, Carlow, Tipperary County side were formed would there be anything worng with them being part time clubs getting a couple of hundred at games? It could only help grow and sustain football in ireland and give us a decent spread of clubs with a proper structure in place. ------------- Jackie Charlton, Eoin Hand Johnny Giles. Ireland Mick McCarthy, Stephen Staunton Cascarino Tony Galvin, Niall Quinn Packie doesn't let em in North of Ireland South of Ireland Only one can go |
Posted By: Cabra Hoop
Date Posted: 12 Jun 2013 at 11:51am
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Savo - take your point about Warrenpoint but in all reality the 2nd tier of the IL is no better in quality than the LSL and i cannot imagine their players are paid much more than expenses. Similarly players in the lower leagues in scotland are paid very little sometimes as little as £10/20 a week. Teams in the lower leagues in Scotland and to a lesser extent in England are supported by local businesses and there is an element of kudos to having a league club located in your town.
It would be very difficult as be been proved on several occassions for a LOI first division team to survive on attendances of a couple of hundred per forthnight. Imagine the cost of a Kerry based team with away games in Ballybofey, Longford, Galway (twice)........ ------------- " BFC always gives me a laugh........ " |
Posted By: savo01
Date Posted: 12 Jun 2013 at 11:58am
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Chippy,
That's why i'm saying have two regional league's to keep travel down. I know in the Scottish lower League's they get £150/200 per week. I'm not saying the quality has to be great, Irish football is what it is but there has to be a start surely? If you could get a few county teams (like Sligo) going surely there would be hoep that they'd develop and grow over 15/20 years? What are the other options? You cannot go on with an 8 team 1st Division. ------------- Jackie Charlton, Eoin Hand Johnny Giles. Ireland Mick McCarthy, Stephen Staunton Cascarino Tony Galvin, Niall Quinn Packie doesn't let em in North of Ireland South of Ireland Only one can go |
Posted By: Cabra Hoop
Date Posted: 12 Jun 2013 at 12:10pm
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The options are :
One divison of 14 teams - a shortened league season of 26 games to reduce travelling/wages costs, the current season is too long and to many games against the same opponents
To keep interest throughout the season, the final european spot and the second relegation spot to be decided on a play-off basis depending on final league standings
2 regional leagues with winners promoted to league (if the opt in and have acceptable facilities and are finacially sound)
------------- " BFC always gives me a laugh........ " |
Posted By: roverstillidie
Date Posted: 12 Jun 2013 at 12:48pm
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Posted By: roverstillidie
Date Posted: 12 Jun 2013 at 12:52pm
The one thing they can do is enforce a pyramid so that the top LSL, MSL etc sides get promoted up whether they want to or not and allows the Kilkenny's, Kildares and Monaghans to find their level without withdrawing from the LoI and starting at the bottom of the league structure below them. The FAI want to do this, but the politically strong junior clubs don't have the ambition.
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Posted By: roverstillidie
Date Posted: 12 Jun 2013 at 12:53pm
But the same problem emerges. That will require a minimum of 20 1st division sides. Who? The FAI struggled to get 8. Where do the other 12 sides come from?
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Posted By: savo01
Date Posted: 12 Jun 2013 at 1:07pm
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roverstillidie,
I think any new club would have to be formed/encouraged by the FAI. I know chippy has said about UEFA rules but look at Australia for example. They had stop, start leagues with clubs forming and disbanding for years. The govt. backed the newly formed FFA and they've created a decent competition in the A League. They haven't got it all right as some new clubs did disband but they are growing their game. I know they have a 20m population but I lived there and football is still a marginal game when you consider Aussie Rules, Cricket, Rugby League and Union, Swimming and beach sports football is well down the pecking order. For talk sake if a Kerry County side was created by the KDL with an agreement from the FAI they would help them start up and back them for a 5-10 yesr period their may be interest? ------------- Jackie Charlton, Eoin Hand Johnny Giles. Ireland Mick McCarthy, Stephen Staunton Cascarino Tony Galvin, Niall Quinn Packie doesn't let em in North of Ireland South of Ireland Only one can go |
Posted By: roverstillidie
Date Posted: 12 Jun 2013 at 1:26pm
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So you want the government to back the regional leagues to put select sides in a club league?
Australia isn't in Europe.
You have been told more than once. The FAI CANNOT set up new teams and run them. Move the thought process on.
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Posted By: roverstillidie
Date Posted: 12 Jun 2013 at 1:39pm
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Long and short of it, if the FAI step in two sets of clubs are at war with them.
1: No European football means the Sligo's, Pats, Drogs, Rovers of the world lose out financially and football wise.
2: The existing regional clubs who did it themselves are at an immediate disadvantage as their neighbours and league rivals have a subsidy.
Won't happen.
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Posted By: Peake
Date Posted: 12 Jun 2013 at 1:53pm
| Two sh*te leagues on the same island, is a merge the way forward? |
Posted By: roverstillidie
Date Posted: 12 Jun 2013 at 2:59pm
| I think it is the way forward, but the idea some people have that it is the panacea to all ills is wrong. The hype around the Rovers v Linfield game was a good indicator, but we walloped them on the pitch. Over time most IL sides would get relegated. |
Posted By: sausy
Date Posted: 12 Jun 2013 at 4:25pm
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While I liked the central infuence used in America and Austraila to get the MLS and A-League up and running it was probably much easier for them to get the public to buy into the idea when they were starting from scratch compared to here where there is already a strong league tradition.
Also they already had good exisiting facilitys and stadiums from other sports for the games to be played. ------------- Bimbos Burgers - "Official Sponsor of the Irish Squad" |
Posted By: geezer
Date Posted: 12 Jun 2013 at 7:16pm
| They were knee deep up setting up SD Galway and now making all kinds of noises to ensure sd2 or FAI united is the next coming in Galway. |
Posted By: Bosco
Date Posted: 13 Jun 2013 at 10:27am
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The first division is a depressing place alright, a graveyard of football but I can't imagine a single division, without promotion or relegation to be any better. Franchise or FAI backed clubs certainly aren't the way forward either as pointed out, just look at SD Galway last season as an example or of course Sporting Fingal. Wouldn't agree at all that the league is as geographically spread as it can be. There are huge areas of the Country with a lot of potential but filling that potential without tradition is always a problem. The FAI had their chance to address this in some way at the start of last season when they invited teams to enter the first division but in true FAI fashion decided to come out and announce that there would only be 8 teams in the division a week before the deadline they had given clubs to make a proposal to enter. Ridiculous stuff.
If football is every to be successful in this country an All Ireland league will eventually be the only way to go. However, wouldn't this mean a joining of the two national teams? If that's the case it will never happen.
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Posted By: savo01
Date Posted: 13 Jun 2013 at 11:59am
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It seems ridiculous that other federations allow their FA's to get involved in the forming of clubs/League's yet UEFA don't. How's that fair? You would have hoped that some businessmen would have gotten involved like Mick Wallace. Love or loathe him he's helping the game grow. You look at a guy like Darragh MacAnthony and have to scratch your head. He's ploughed millions into a small regional club he has no connection or attachment to that will only ever struggle to stay in the Championship. If he'd put half as much in grassroots sports in Ireland or taken over a LOI club think what it could have done for irish sport! Each to his own though! ------------- Jackie Charlton, Eoin Hand Johnny Giles. Ireland Mick McCarthy, Stephen Staunton Cascarino Tony Galvin, Niall Quinn Packie doesn't let em in North of Ireland South of Ireland Only one can go |
Posted By: savo01
Date Posted: 13 Jun 2013 at 1:31pm
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If Sporting Fingal had actually been located in Fingal could/would thay have succeeded. It seemed a good idea and I know the council were involved. Was it too much too quickly. It's a real shocker that they won the Cup and went bust a year later. ------------- Jackie Charlton, Eoin Hand Johnny Giles. Ireland Mick McCarthy, Stephen Staunton Cascarino Tony Galvin, Niall Quinn Packie doesn't let em in North of Ireland South of Ireland Only one can go |
Posted By: roverstillidie
Date Posted: 13 Jun 2013 at 3:03pm
The Yanks and Aussies are a different story, they have no football tradition like we do.
Are you suggestign the FAI give every LoI club a stipend? With what?
Or select some clubs or not others? That a second club in, say, Cork gets funding and CCFC don't? That isn't going to work.
Whatever about starting a professional league from scratch where all sides get the same, you are suggesting that the FAI play favourites with existing clubs.
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Posted By: Cabra Hoop
Date Posted: 13 Jun 2013 at 3:53pm
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Fingal is a relatively new area within the greater metropolitan area and is populated by people moving into newish estates. And those people would already have an affiliation to clubs prior to moving there. A Bohs fan who moves to Swords say is not going to stop supporting Bohs and support a new club, the only way this would have worked is for an already well established club to move to the area akin to Rovers move to Tallaght......to start from scratch takes bundles and bundles of money, a new stadium, a large young population base and a period of immediate sustained success. Even then its not guaranteed to last after the initial honeymoon period wears off. Rovers crowds have levelled out somewhat recently and only about 2-3% of Tallaghts large population attend games. And Rovers are considered a success story, so what chance does a smaller club in a provinical town have with the omnipresence of the GAA. ------------- " BFC always gives me a laugh........ " |
Posted By: TBWRA
Date Posted: 13 Jun 2013 at 4:20pm
Yeah better off having one really sh*te league ------------- "The Football Grounds of Europe" about Dalymount that :- "You walk down lanes you'd expect to find a backstreet mechanic only to stumble onto a national stadium steeped in tradition and history" |
Posted By: Bosco
Date Posted: 13 Jun 2013 at 5:09pm
Would have thought Morton stadium was within Fingal no?
Think saying it was too much too quickly is spot on. They had the right idea in trying to set up links with the local community etc but their quick progression through the leagues starting with skipping the A championship meant they were throwing money at the club in order for immediate success pretty quickly which snowballed on them in the end.
Can't say its much of a shocker seeing a club win some sort of silverware and then get into financial difficulty. A good proportion of the clubs in the league have nearly crippled themselves in the past in search of trophies which bring little financial rewards in comparison to what's spent.
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Posted By: Saint Tom
Date Posted: 16 Jun 2013 at 6:52pm
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if the country's historically most successful club move to the countries largest new town and get a council to build them a free ground and they still cant average 4000 at a game, well let's kill the notion that the league will ever be bigger than it is. ------------- My destination inchicore my next stop being kilmainham Where patriots and super saints are the topics of conversation |
Posted By: savo01
Date Posted: 18 Jun 2013 at 12:14pm
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I'm not saying or expecting clubs to get 10,000 but if a few clubs could form or eneter Division 1 who had links to local/county league's would it not help develop football and be good for the game in Ireland? ------------- Jackie Charlton, Eoin Hand Johnny Giles. Ireland Mick McCarthy, Stephen Staunton Cascarino Tony Galvin, Niall Quinn Packie doesn't let em in North of Ireland South of Ireland Only one can go |
Posted By: RogerMilla
Date Posted: 18 Jun 2013 at 12:26pm
agreed , especially having done so well in europe as well. i think there is a critical mass for the LOI , it hasnt been reached yet for most clubs but it cant be breached, rovers reached it during their good run under MON.
------------- The first time the Devil made me do it. The second time I did it on my own. |
Posted By: Cabra Hoop
Date Posted: 18 Jun 2013 at 12:49pm
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Bring back Fordsons and Transport......... ------------- " BFC always gives me a laugh........ " |
Posted By: EastStandMan
Date Posted: 18 Jun 2013 at 1:01pm
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We had 15-20 k at the Cup Final V the bitters . The support is there even tho most will look east for football . Improve the package ,ie, the topic in another thread re ground conditions . Hearts and minds can be changed over time . We have to be the builders - we have to demand better standards . Its not that long ago when LOI had big enough crowds to be in a healthy state . We can bring those days back , I am certain of that . And hopeful . ------------- Shamrock Rovers - lovin the buzz . |
Posted By: geezer
Date Posted: 18 Jun 2013 at 11:14pm
| Are supporters asking the clubs who is running the league, are they performing, who is measuring them are they worth it?. Tlgueis |
Posted By: zizu Kilbane
Date Posted: 24 Jun 2013 at 10:45pm
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Just been watching the Rod squad there...any idea on what monaghans long term plan? Any ambitions to try and get back into the league system? ------------- "Sometimes, sh*t happens, someone's gotta deal with it, and who ya gonna call?" |