Which towns could use LOI teams?

[Dunny]

What you mean by that?? Bray's league position might not be the best but over recent years they have done much better then you's! where dundalk not stuck in the 1st division for years up untill when?? Last year???

Think before you reply. It wasn't exactly a dig at Bray...

Shouldn't you be off starting pointless threads anyway?

[Dodge]

Dunny, clam down and stop having a pop/sly dig at everyone

[Rovers fan]

Muff

Nah, that place is too wet for a LOI team imo.

[BohDiddley]

Have Kildare or Wexford set the Irish sporting world alight ?.

I have a feeling Wexford will be giving you lot a run for your money in 10 years.
I think the OP was taking a long-term view. There's not much point in talking about places with a LoI tradition when the country's second city can only get 3,000 out in a crisis.
Mullingar has a strong youth setup and could well be a LoI prospect.

[Weatherman]

Dunny, clam down and stop having a pop/sly dig at everyone

I second that!! And what pointless threads have i started??

[christo]

One of the Mulingar teams have aparently put a lot of money into on of the clubs in recent years not to sure which one.

On the note with Navan I think Kildare have proven that big towns don't breed big crowds, with Naas and Newbridge one of the few biggest town in Ireland, and Navan is an out and out GAA town and I can't see a LOI club coming about ever.

[peadar1987]

Here's an even crazier idea.

How about the league and FAI spend more time worrying about making the teams we already have in the structure more appealing, and stop them being in finacial trouble every other week....?

We can't even get long-standing teams in areas with a history of LOI football working, so why the hell would new clubs in towns with no history be any more appealing ? Have Kildare or Wexford set the Irish sporting world alight ?

Once that's done, then we could lok at crazy plans for expanding football into places that have never had it before.

The FAI should be capable of doing more than one thing at a time. Consolidating existing clubs could easily be done at the same time as expanding into new areas. As bennocelt says, there are already two teams in the town (although I wouldn't set foot in Dalton Park, wandered in there by mistake a few years back, and instantly got recognised as an outsider, the first and only time in my life I've ever had to sprint away from an angry mob!), and both enjoy decent community support. I think they could attract crowds of over 1500 if either one of them decided to join the league, especially if they were successful.

[CharlesThompson]

I'd say Milltown in Dublin could do with a team.

[dcfcsteve]

The FAI should be capable of doing more than one thing at a time. Consolidating existing clubs could easily be done at the same time as expanding into new areas. As bennocelt says, there are already two teams in the town (although I wouldn't set foot in Dalton Park, wandered in there by mistake a few years back, and instantly got recognised as an outsider, the first and only time in my life I've ever had to sprint away from an angry mob!), and both enjoy decent community support. I think they could attract crowds of over 1500 if either one of them decided to join the league, especially if they were successful.

Why do people always stare over at the FAI and say "Do something..." ?!?

Name me one LOI club that is doing everything it possibly could to market its games locally, tap into its local community, build links witrh junior football etc etc etc.

Sure, it's a lot easier to go the welfare approach and blame the FAI for all the league's woes.

Beyond that, I can't be arsed playing fantasy football league with you. Footnball teams that have been around for the longest tend to have the biggest support. Unsurprising really, as football support builds over time and generations.

Picking random towns around the country and shoe-horning an LOI team into them has been proven to add little to the league. Of the 6 teams introduced in one big swoop in 1985 (Monaghan, Cobh, Newcastle United, Bray, Derry City, EMFA), all were in new areas for the LOI. Of the 6 teams, 3 are now out of senior football, 1 struggles permanently in the first division with woeful crowds, and one titters on the precipice of the Premier most seasons, and attracts relatively low crowds. The only one that's really added much to thenleague is Derry City - which was a club in a footballing town with a 60 year tradition before they joined.

Since then, other expansionary ventures have seen the league venture into new areas like Kildare and Wexford. Kildare were only saved from relegation out of senior football by the problems of another 'new expansion town' club's problems. That leaves Wexford, who are doing relatively well - but it's still early days yet.

Ergo - the lessons of how successful fantasy football expansionary schemes have been in LOI to-date are clear for anyone who wants to open their eyes to see them.

[peadar1987]

Why do people always stare over at the FAI and say "Do something..." ?!?

Mainly because the FAI are the governing body for football in this country, and as such it is their responsibility to promote the game in whatever way possible.

Name me one LOI club that is doing everything it possibly could to market its games locally, tap into its local community, build links witrh junior football etc etc etc.

Name me one club in the world that does this. Besides, this has little or nothing to do with the original post

Sure, it's a lot easier to go the welfare approach and blame the FAI for all the league's woes.

I don't, but they can definitely be a part of the solution

Beyond that, I can't be arsed playing fantasy football league with you. Footnball teams that have been around for the longest tend to have the biggest support. Unsurprising really, as football support builds over time and generations.

Picking random towns around the country and shoe-horning an LOI team into them has been proven to add little to the league. Of the 6 teams introduced in one big swoop in 1985 (Monaghan, Cobh, Newcastle United, Bray, Derry City, EMFA), all were in new areas for the LOI. Of the 6 teams, 3 are now out of senior football, 1 struggles permanently in the first division with woeful crowds, and one titters on the precipice of the Premier most seasons, and attracts relatively low crowds. The only one that's really added much to thenleague is Derry City - which was a club in a footballing town with a 60 year tradition before they joined.

Since then, other expansionary ventures have seen the league venture into new areas like Kildare and Wexford. Kildare were only saved from relegation out of senior football by the problems of another 'new expansion town' club's problems. That leaves Wexford, who are doing relatively well - but it's still early days yet.

Ergo - the lessons of how successful fantasy football expansionary schemes have been in LOI to-date are clear for anyone who wants to open their eyes to see them.

So out of the six teams we have one which has produced two of the finest Irish footballers of our generation (Cobh), two solid, well-run clubs (Monaghan and Bray), a really big club in Irish terms (Derry), and then two failed clubs. Not bad going in my opinion.

[dcfcsteve]

Mainly because the FAI are the governing body for football in this country, and as such it is their responsibility to promote the game in whatever way possible.

At all levels - not just senior club level. If the senior clubs can't even do a half-decent job of promoting themselves, and are run as a shambles financially, why should the FAI put any more effort into them than it does other sides of the game (female, schoolboy etc) ?

Name me one club in the world that does this. Besides, this has little or nothing to do with the original post

Jaysus wept - are for real ?!? Are you suggesting there isn't a single club in the world who doesn't have proper and strong local links....?

So out of the six teams we have one which has produced two of the finest Irish footballers of our generation (Cobh), two solid, well-run clubs (Monaghan and Bray), a really big club in Irish terms (Derry), and then two failed clubs. Not bad going in my opinion.

Rockmount 'produced' Roy Keane, not Cobh. He only played 12 games with Cobh, whereas he was with Rockmount for a decade. Who is ther other Irish player you're referring to for Cobh ?

So of the 6 new towns brought into Irish football in 1985, 50% have dropped out of the senior game, one team (Monaghan) just makes up the numbers (let's be brutally honest here) and one team (City) was a fairly safe bet given its long history, which was courtesy of s different league. That leaves Bray, who have done a half-decent effort - but let's be brutally honest, wouldn't be a huge loss to the league if they disappeared tomorrow. And you ignored Kildare too. And you think all this suggests bringing in new teams has been anywhere near a succesful strategy to making Irish football stronger ?!?

[don ramo]

Rockmount 'produced' Roy Keane, not Cobh. He only played 12 games with Cobh, whereas he was with Rockmount for a decade. Who is ther other Irish player you're referring to for Cobh ?

stephen ireland

and roy keane would have signed for city (which he actually did), and would more than likely never have been spotted, the only reason he signed for us is beacause we offered him a football scolarship (or whatever the thing was), were not claiming rights to him, but signing for ramblers (after already having signed for city) was probably the best decision of his career.

[Schumi]

You want Franchise Football ?

We have franchise football. Where do you think the Cork and Limerick teams came from?

[dcfcsteve]

stephen ireland

That dude with the phobia of international travel...?!?

He did less than a season with Cobh's schoolboy squad before moving to Man City, aged 15. Again - how does that mean Cobh 'produced' him ?

and roy keane would have signed for city (which he actually did), and would more than likely never have been spotted, the only reason he signed for us is beacause we offered him a football scolarship (or whatever the thing was), were not claiming rights to him, but signing for ramblers (after already having signed for city) was probably the best decision of his career.

He joined Cobh to take part in the FAI/FAS scheme - which ironically saw him based in Dublin most of the week to avail of full-time training. Yet more evidence of the fact that Cobh did not 'produce' him - regardless of whether his brief time with them was purely to secure access to that course.

The obvious elephant in the room is that Cobh are no longer in senior football. Just like EMFA/Kilkenny and Newcastle United/West. And that's before we get onto the other victims of fantasy football planting in the LOI, like Thurles Town.

[don ramo]

That dude with the phobia of international travel...?!?

He did less than a season with Cobh's schoolboy squad before moving to Man City, aged 15. Again - how does that mean Cobh 'produced' him ?

haha, i grew up across the road from him, do you honestly think he started training at 14,

He joined Cobh to take part in the FAI/FAS scheme - which ironically saw him based in Dublin most of the week to avail of full-time training. Yet more evidence of the fact that Cobh did not 'produce' him - regardless of whether his brief time with them was purely to secure access to that course.

of course it was, and thats never been denied, but if we didnt send him on that course, what do you think would have happened?,

every club a player plays with from the ages of 8-15-18 plays a hugh part in how a player developes and what kind of a player they will end up being,

The obvious elephant in the room is that Cobh are no longer in senior football. Just like EMFA/Kilkenny and Newcastle United/West. And that's before we get onto the other victims of fantasy football planting in the LOI, like Thurles Town.

ah were still a LOI club, we may not pay or players, but as i believe theres 1st div clubs that also dont, were not in the same boat as killkenny or newcastle,

[Hairy Bowsie]

That dude with the phobia of international travel...?!?

He did less than a season with Cobh's schoolboy squad before moving to Man City, aged 15. Again - how does that mean Cobh 'produced' him ?

Denis Bergkamp played for Cobh

[roinuj]

:d

cork could do with a team....

:d
lol

[Angus]

Mainly because the FAI are the governing body for football in this country, and as such it is their responsibility to promote the game in whatever way possible.


.

Yes but they are not responsible for how cloubs behave. They are responsible for setting a framework in which clubs are supposed to behave - for monitoring that behavious and for imposing penalties if those clubs don't behave.

The parallel is the builders and the regulator - our current crisis is the fault of individual builders and bankers - the regulator is responsible for bad judgement in managing all of the compliance and capital limits etc but not for the original "crime" itself

I would be gutted if I was a Cork fan - but I am sorry to say like Shels and Drogs before them, they have behaved recklessly, and possibly in breach of company law and need to go bust.

It is not the fault of the FAI that this has happened. They have set the limits and some clubs have failed to meet the commitments.

The play here is that owners will pump in some money for a couple of years looking for one big away draw in europe v man u or milan, or to get to the group stages of something - they will get their payoff and at that point will be gone.

Our league is decent, the pitches are good, the quality decent, the facilities less than good but all in all decent stuff - but the management of clubs is simply and utterly abysmal and verging on the criminally negligent.

[KeepersBall]

Navan has a lot of people with a HUGE interest in soccer.
However sadly the main club Parkvilla is seen by many to be somewhat elitist, ie nless you know people involved you are not welcome.
I never found this to be the case myself but it appears others feel that way.
The Meath and District League has an excellent set up on the Trim Road from Navan and maybe they should consider getting a team involved in the under 21 section.
The only way I can really judge interest would ne to go back quite a few years and recollect that when Parkvilla played Home Farm in the FAI Cup they packed the ground out whether they could do that week in week out I am not sure.

[brendy_éire]

Harps should have moved to Letterkenny instead of building their new ground in Stranorlar. Although I know that wouldn't have been a particularly popular move with Harps fans, Letterkenny is bigger and still getting bigger. Plus, it's closer to Derry.