eircom League Championship Manager Story - Bye, Bye Dublin City!

**Réiteoir** · 13/04/2004, 5:26 PM

Life as an eircom League manager - using Championship Manager 03-04

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Another slow day at Dalymount Park was about to take a momentous turn for the newly appointed manager Chris Rock.

I was sat in the Jackie Jameson Bar underneath the Jodi Stand eating a bit of lunch and indulging in a couple of pints of Smithwick’s whilst flicking through the Sky Digital Big Screen system that was installed only a week ago.

“Sky Sports News seems a good idea”, I thought, “Might be able to find a couple of transfer targets after the weekend of International Friendlies”…

(Kelly Dalglish presenting) “And now we cross over to the FAI Board of Control Meeting at the Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin for an important news conference”…

(Cut to main ballroom at the Shelbourne Hotel – seated behind the standard big table are representatives from each of the "Big Four" Clubs - Bohemians President Felim O'Reilly, Cork City Chairman Brian Lennox, Shelbourne Chief-Executive Ollie Byrne & St Patrick's Athletic Chairman Andrew O'Callaghan - and the President of the Football Association of Ireland, Milo Corcoran.)

(Corcoran): “A momentous day in Irish Domestic Football circles has been reached today. At 9am this morning we had submissions from two National League clubs, Dublin City and UCD that due to financial restrictions, they would not be able to continue operating as Football Clubs, and would therefore be tendering their resignation from the League of Ireland.”

“Therefore – it has been agreed that as of next season – that is the 2004 season – that Irish Domestic League football will go through a re-zoning process. The proposal which has been agreed between the remaining 20 League Member Clubs, is that we will take all the member clubs of the League of Ireland, and also two other successful applicants.”

“We have agreed that on a week Saturday – an event which will be broadcast live on Sky Sports, and TV3 – that all of these teams that have been accepted – will be placed into a draw machine, and an open draw will take place to determine the divisions and leagues that all these clubs will play in as effective from the start of the 2004 season.”

(Back to Sky Sports studio)

(Kelly Dalglish) – “Well, there we have momentous news concerning Domestic Football! Next season we could see Shelbourne in the First Divsion or Limerick visiting Derry City in the Premier! – Keep tuned to Sky Sports News for reaction to this decision”

“Well” I thought, downing the second pint “Could really give domestic football in the Republic a shot in the arm. Wonder where we’ll end up?”

Only downside I could see was the potential end of our rivalries with Shelbourne, St Partick’s Athletic and Shamrock Rovers.

Ah well, the sacrifices we have to make…

All of a sudden the phone in my office started ringing – could be the start of a long day…

**Réiteoir** · 13/04/2004, 5:27 PM

In the end - two other clubs tended their resignation from the League of Ireland as a consequence of the greater financial strain that would be placed on them. We have to say goodbye to Kildare County and Kilkenny City.

So that left the eircom League with four spare places in the League setup for next season - and the FAI stated that the new clubs that were coming into the League would be announced live on Six One news on the following evening...

(Six One News Report) - FAI Announce Four New Member Clubs of the eircom League. We now cross live to Merrion Square where Fran Rooney will now read a short statement...

(Cut to FAI Headquarters - Chief Executive Fran Rooney sat behind big table)

Rooney - "Thank you all for attending this News Conference. I am pleased to announce the identity of the four new member clubs who will compete in the League of Ireland from the start of the 2004 season."

"Football will return to the Provinces and the resurrection of a football dynasty - I am pleased to annouce that the four successful applicants are as follows:

Thurles Town
Drumcondra
EMFA will take over the running of Kilkenny City
Newcastlewest FC"

"The draw for the re-assignment takes place this Saturday at the Citywest Hotel in Dublin. Thank you."

**Réiteoir** · 13/04/2004, 5:28 PM

(Citywest Hotel, the following Saturday. Fran Rooney stood behind plastic lectern)

"Welcome to the Citywest for the League of Ireland Re-Organisation Draw. We have assembled the following panel to conduct the draw..."

Cut to FIFA World Cup Draw style set - stood behind the Swiss made plastic tables are some leading figures in Irish football...

(Rooney) "To conduct the drawing of the balls we have brought in Johnny Giles - former Shamrock Rovers manager and Home Farm player, Paul McGrath - ex-St. Patrick's Athletic player and now involved with Waterford United, George Hamilton - Football Commentator for Irish Channel RTÉ and Kevin Hunt - one of the League of Ireland's top players..."

"Good panel" I thought, fidgeting nervously in my seat at Dalymount Park. I decided against travelling to London for the draw - I wanted to experience the event with the fans in the bar at our home ground. Gerry Cuffe, our Secretary had gone instead.

(Rooney) "Thank you for attending gentlemen. And now the draw for the new League Structure. As you can see this is the structure that the teams will be drawn into..."

(Camera cuts to large wallchart type computer display on screens behind the footballing personalities on stage)

(Kelly) "Teams will be drawn into the following divisions:

League of Ireland Premier: 10 teams
League of Ireland First: 12 teams

eircom have also agreed to continue sponsorship of the League for the next 5 years...

And now – onto the draw!”

**Réiteoir** · 13/04/2004, 5:29 PM

(TV3 Studio – and a special edition of eircom League Weekly on the Re-Organisation draw)

(Presenter): “Well there we have it! The landscape of Irish football has changed considerably! Let’s go over the main headlines…”

(Cut to standard video headlines montage)

(Presenter) “EMFA, Thurles and Newcastlewest start in the Premier Division. Bohs - Rovers League Derby broken up, Drumcondra to meet Shelbourne in Division One…”

(Back to studio) “Now let’s have a look at the new structure of Irish football. These are the results of the draw made in Dublin an hour ago”.

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LEAGUE OF IRELAND (eircom League) PREMIER DIVISION
Derry City
EMFA
Thurles Town
Dundalk
Athlone Town
Newcastlewest
Galway Utd
Bohemians
Cork City
Cobh Ramblers

LEAGUE OF IRELAND (eircom League) FIRST DIVISION
Sligo Rovers
Monaghan Utd
Finn Harps
Saint Patrick's Athletic
Limerick FC
Drumcondra
Drogheda United
Shamrock Rovers
Longford Town
Shelbourne
Bray Wanderers
Waterford United

**shedite** · 14/04/2004, 8:53 AM

Premier looks like a nice geographical spread. City-Cobh back in the same division too.

But how the hell did you have so much time?

**sadloserkid** · 11/05/2004, 11:42 AM

Now hold on a minute. I wanna know what happens next!!!

**Réiteoir** · 11/05/2004, 12:00 PM

I'm currently playing out the first month of League games - will post update after that:

**Réiteoir** · 16/05/2004, 3:48 PM

Premier Division

Code:

Pos 	Team 		Pld 	Won 	Drn 	Lst 	For 	Ag   G.D.  Pts
1st 	Bohemians 	10 	7 	2 	1 	19 	5    +14   23
2nd 	Cork City 	10 	6 	3 	1 	19 	9    +10   21
3rd 	Newcastlewest 	10 	4 	4 	2 	23 	13   +10   16
4th 	Thurles Town 	10 	4 	2 	4 	15 	8    +7    14
5th 	Dundalk 	10 	4 	2 	4 	12 	16   -4    14
6th 	Athlone Town 	10 	3 	4 	3 	17 	20   -3    13
7th 	Galway Utd 	10 	3 	3 	4 	21 	16   +5    12
8th 	Cobh Ramblers 	10 	4 	0 	6 	14 	25   -11   12
9th 	EMFA 		10 	3 	1 	6 	18 	28   -10   10
10th 	Derry City 	10 	0 	3 	7 	6 	24   -18   3

**Réiteoir** · 16/05/2004, 3:54 PM

First Division

Code:

Pos 	Team 		   P 	Won 	Drn 	Lst 	For 	Ag   G.D.  Pts
1st 	Longford 	   8 	6 	0 	2 	22 	10   +12   18
2nd 	Drogheda Utd 	   8 	5 	2 	1 	16 	8    +8    17
3rd 	St. Pat's Ath	   8 	5 	1 	2 	11 	7    +4    16
4th 	Shelbourne 	   8 	4 	3 	1 	15 	8    +7    15
5th 	Bray Wanderers 	   8 	4 	2 	2 	17 	12   +5    14
6th 	Waterford Utd 	   8 	3 	3 	2 	9 	12   -3    12
7th 	Shamrock Rovers    8 	2 	4 	2 	14 	12   +2    10
8th 	Finn Harps 	   8 	2 	3 	3 	15 	12   +3    9
9th 	Drumcondra 	   8 	2 	1 	5 	12 	18   -6    7
10th 	Monaghan Utd 	   8 	1 	4 	3 	12 	18   -6    7
11th 	Sligo Rovers 	   8 	1 	1 	6 	11 	21   -10   4
12th 	Limerick 	   8 	1 	0 	7 	7 	23   -16   3