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Thread: Another Restructuring of the League of Ireland.

  1. #1
    Ricky O'Flaherty
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    Another Restructuring of the League of Ireland.

    Had a quick flick through the threads in here and couldn't find another on it. Just wondering what people think the best way forward is with the latest restructuring of the league be it a;

    10 team league
    12 team league
    14 team league
    16 team league or an
    18 team league

    I think most people agree that a 12 team league doesn't work. It's unfair having to play Sligo away twice and at home only once.
    Personally I think a 16 team league would be best.
    30 games. Home and away against everyone just once. Fixture congestion shouldn't be too bad even with a decent European, cup or league cup run should you be so lucky.

    The problem with that though is where do the other 3 teams from the 1st Division go???

  2. #2
    Harry Boland kdjac's Avatar
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    We get to play them at home twice next season.

    16 teams wont work either as the dross will get whomped and the middle teams will have fuck all to pay for after 10 matches.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Gary Ó'Nualláin View Post
    I think most people agree that a 12 team league doesn't work.
    What makes you think this?
    "We've seen you come, we'll see you go"

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    Martin Russell
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    I think twelve teams is fine. Something needs to be done with the first division though!

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  6. #5
    Ricky O'Flaherty
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dodge View Post
    What makes you think this?
    Just that everyone I've asked says they don't think it works.

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    All Ireland league of 16/18 teams is the only way our league will capture public attention. Never gonna happen though

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    Quote Originally Posted by Gary Ó'Nualláin View Post
    Just that everyone I've asked says they don't think it works.
    And you and a few first divisioners are the only ones I've heard complain about it.

    Makes no difference to the problems
    "We've seen you come, we'll see you go"

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    Quote Originally Posted by saintly View Post
    All Ireland league of 16/18 teams is the only way our league will capture public attention. Never gonna happen though
    thats the dream ticket
    Cyril The Judas

  10. #9
    Noel Campbell
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    12 team is the best option. 10 is too small, playing each other 4 times a season is too much. Any more than 12 and the 1st division will be gone as there won't be enough teams and you can't have a league without relegation.

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    Ricky O'Flaherty Rathcoolesaint's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kevo View Post
    Any more than 12 and the 1st division will be gone as there won't be enough teams and you can't have a league without relegation.
    agree that anymore tehn 12 is too much but for Dodges reason that for most of the season most of the mid table teams will have feck all to play for.

    for my 2 cents I think the 1st division should be regionalised with the winners playing in a Relegation/Promotion play off with the last team in the Premier and only if they meet the selection criteria for playing in the LOI prior to that playoff taking place (not scrambling to meet the criteria after being promoted). But mostly I don't care that much about the first Division or club that ever played in it or Bohes.

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  13. #11
    Curtis Fleming
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dodge View Post
    Makes no difference to the problems
    Exactly.
    Yet another tweaking of the format may (or may not) have merits.
    But it will do nothing for the underlying issues, which in my opinion are:

    - the clubs need major investment in facilities and structures
    - football in this country needs to be marketed, like any other industry.

    It always amazes me that so many clubs have survived and so many people go to the matches, despite the above two issues. That's why I'm always optimistic about football in this country.....

  14. #12
    Ricky O'Flaherty
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    The promotion/relegation playoff should be done away with IMO. Dundalk could play a team of u19s for the rest of the season get hammered 10-0 every week and keep their strongest players for the playoff with Longford/Waterford if they were so inclined. I know that's a special case this year because of Monaghan but it's not amazingly dissimilar from other years.
    If you think about it, the 1st Division team pushing for promotion has to play their strongest team every week in highly intense games to reach the playoff whereas the struggling Premier Division side just has to make sure that they do enough not to finish bottom and then go out and win the playoff.
    Bottom 2 in the premier should be relegated, top 2 in the 1st Division should be promoted. No kind of playoff.

    On the whole 12, 14, 16 team thing. What purpose does the first division actually serve??? Matches don't pull crowds at all. Limerick, Waterford, Longford and arguably Athlone are premier division teams.
    The whole relegation promotion thing. Bottom 2 get relegated into their respective provincial leagues. For promotion, the winners of the provincial leagues and Connacht Cup all go into a mini cup competition like the English play-offs.
    The FAI leave them off the entrance fee for their 1st year of competition to get their house in order.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Gary Ó'Nualláin View Post
    The promotion/relegation playoff should be done away with IMO. Dundalk could play a team of u19s for the rest of the season get hammered 10-0 every week and keep their strongest players for the playoff with Longford/Waterford if they were so inclined. I know that's a special case this year because of Monaghan but it's not amazingly dissimilar from other years.
    If you think about it, the 1st Division team pushing for promotion has to play their strongest team every week in highly intense games to reach the playoff whereas the struggling Premier Division side just has to make sure that they do enough not to finish bottom and then go out and win the playoff.
    Bottom 2 in the premier should be relegated, top 2 in the 1st Division should be promoted. No kind of playoff.

    On the whole 12, 14, 16 team thing. What purpose does the first division actually serve??? Matches don't pull crowds at all. Limerick, Waterford, Longford and arguably Athlone are premier division teams.
    The whole relegation promotion thing. Bottom 2 get relegated into their respective provincial leagues. For promotion, the winners of the provincial leagues and Connacht Cup all go into a mini cup competition like the English play-offs.
    The FAI leave them off the entrance fee for their 1st year of competition to get their house in order.
    problem is the promotion of junior clubs isnt working as tehy just dont have the support.

    all ireland league - but problem is that if we think our league is backward, try dealing with them nordies.

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    Junior clubs don't want to joing the LOI. Maybe Tralee and Cobh, but no one else.
    "We've seen you come, we'll see you go"

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    Ricky O'Flaherty
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    Yeah an All-Ireland league would be sweet but it's never going to happen, and the amount of trouble at cross-border Setanta Cup ties I could see it being scrapped or restructured again in a couple of years of it being set up anyway.

    I guess for the moment anyway the 12 team league does seem to be the best option for all. Allow Cobh and Tralee into the 1st Division then to make up the numbers. I suppose you'd need one other club then to even it up though.

    Ideal situation would be for the FAI to invest in setting up teams in places like Kerry, Tipperary, Mayo and definitely Donegal. And regionalising existing teams. Like Make Wexford Youths Wexford United, Bray Wanderers to Wicklow Wanderers and stuff like that. Give other existing teams like Tralee a boost to draw in the Kerry crowd. Instead they'll piss money away on John Delaney's 5th holiday of the year though.

    I know there was the likes of Thurles Town and Kilkenny that went to the wall because of lack of interest but with proper marketing and investment it could work.

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    DOORS OPEN TO ALL - GALWAY INCLUDED

    Far from tightening up the Irish domestic scene and giving the clubs the single division they want, the FAI have retained a 12-team top flight and invited new clubs to come on board in 2013.

    Galway United are expected to be included in a new look First Division after a supporter-owned club were denied a licence this year.

    It is still unclear if there will be a merger among the three clubs in Galway as Mervue United and Salthill Devon currently play in the First Division, but Airtricity League director Fran Gavin said that all will be revealed on October 4.

    "Ned O'Connor, acting as an independent mediator, has been down to Galway to speak with the stakeholders of Mervue United, Salthill Devon, the Galway FA, members of GUST (Galway United Supporters Trust) and the old Galway United board about the situation down there", said Gavin.

    "They won't be released yet as it will be presented to the stakeholders first, which is due to happen on Ocober 4, when myself and (FAI Chief Executive) John Delaney will travel down to Galway."

    Other clubs expected to express an interest in joining are Cobh Ramblers, Tralee Dynamos, Castlebar Celtic and FC Carlow.

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    Noel Campbell harry potter's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by kevo View Post
    you can't have a league without relegation.
    The MLS ?........

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    Quote Originally Posted by harry potter View Post
    The MLS ?........
    To keep the league interesting for most of the season you would have to bring in a playoff system like they have which I think is a terrible idea.

    At the end of the day it doesn't matter if it's 10 or 30 teams in the league it wont help until things like facilities/crowds/running of the clubs improves. There is no quick fix in the league, suddenly changing from 12 to 16 team division will change fuck all except the fact there will be a lot more meaningless games a season.
    And Brian Kerr is in tears.

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    Noel Campbell harry potter's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rathfarnham_Saint View Post
    To keep the league interesting for most of the season you would have to bring in a playoff system like they have which I think is a terrible idea.
    In fairness though Rathfarnham Saint,the NFL,NHL,NBA,MLB and all other sports in America and Canada have play offs at the end of the year so I dont think they have play offs because they dont have relegation!
    Last edited by harry potter; 20th September 2012 at 05:54 PM.

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    Americans don't do relegation.

    The 3 clubs pushing for their reserve teams to play in first division are Rovers, Cork and Sligo
    "We've seen you come, we'll see you go"

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    Quote Originally Posted by Dodge View Post
    Americans don't do relegation.

    The 3 clubs pushing for their reserve teams to play in first division are Rovers, Cork and Sligo
    interesting move and a good idea IMO
    Cyril The Judas

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    Dont like the sound of it myself - reserve teams playing in first div to make up numbers?? I presume tehy'd need to register players and not be allowed move outside transfer windows.

    It is tough for footballers at the moment- my Brother in law is a pretty good player and is at U19 Level, I think he'd have a good shot at LOI, but he pretty much has this season to make it or not, next year there is no option for him at LOI clubs because there is no reserve league (only U19/U17)

    anyway- its hard to have 2 divisions when in truth there is only 18 "sustainable" (for want of a better word) clubs in Ireland, if you count Galway as 1 club (which you really should)

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    i wouldnt like to see reserves sides at the cost of more regional teams, carlow, tralee etc etc, but if they are expanding it a little then fine. move two more teams from the 1st up and then we have too slightly bigger divisions.

    For the likes of then, we are funding two teams travelling around the country, i'd say its ridiculously hard for an u-19 team to not cost a club
    Cyril The Judas

  28. #25
    Martin Russell
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    Completely against including the ressies in the 1st division.

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    First division next year will be;
    Waterford
    Harps
    Athlone
    Longford
    Wexford
    Mervue
    Salthill
    Rovers B
    Cork B
    Sligo B
    "We've seen you come, we'll see you go"

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    Quote Originally Posted by Dodge View Post
    First division next year will be;
    Waterford
    Harps
    Athlone
    Longford
    Wexford
    Mervue
    Salthill
    Rovers B
    Cork B
    Sligo B
    Balls to that. If they wre putting B teams in I would have really liked us to have one in there. Can only improve the quality of back up players at Sligo, Cork and Rovers now.
    And Brian Kerr is in tears.

  31. #28
    Ian Gilzean mad dog's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dodge View Post
    First division next year will be;
    Waterford
    Harps
    Athlone
    Longford
    Wexford
    Mervue
    Salthill
    Rovers B
    Cork B
    Sligo B
    b teams would be terrible makes it look very schoolboy looking

  32. #29
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    Quote Originally Posted by mad dog View Post
    b teams would be terrible makes it look very schoolboy looking
    happens in every country bar the british ones.
    "We've seen you come, we'll see you go"

  33. #30
    Mbabazi danthesaint's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dodge View Post
    First division next year will be;
    Waterford
    Harps
    Athlone
    Longford
    Wexford
    Mervue
    Salthill
    Rovers B
    Cork B
    Sligo B
    Think we should to their games with the never relegated banner
    Last edited by danthesaint; 6th November 2012 at 03:09 PM.
    We All Dream Of A Team Of Curly Wurly's!!! A Team Of Curly Wurly's!!! A Team Of Curly Wurly's!!!

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