Agree 100%, for a small country there's an awful lot of teams and Leagues out there, with the proper pyramid structure we could give any of the home nations leagues (bar the big leagues in England of course) a run for their money and more, as well as the smaller European leagues. It will never happen though.
Good piece by Ireland's best football journalist. (Though I don't share his tolerance for barstoolers). http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/c...wn-357321.html
Pretty depressing piece. I would be inclined to think the battle against (or rather for survival alongside) the premiership isn't such a lost cause. At work I am surrounded with premiership fans, but several have been feeling more and more distant from it increasingly becomes all about the money. It was always about the money of course, and the LOI is too, but things like the managerial merry go round (Rodgers was the 2nd longest serving manager in the premiership when sacked), crass behaviour from managers and players and the lack of atmosphere at games has seen them start to lose interest. Even if they don't go, they can see fans mean little to clubs. Our league does have its own selling points- most of all that being involved with an LOI club can be great fun and very rewarding.
#NeverStopNotGivingUp
Suggesting school visits is one thing, getting past GAA bias Principles/ Boards of Management is quite another (which iirc is something we've had trouble with when we've tried initiatives with schools).
I would agree that there's some kind of shift happening, although whether that's just an age thing is a different matter. We'll probably end up with more following lower leagues/ non league UK football though as they're "real" fans, and still writing off our league, unfortunately.
If you attack me with stupidity, I'll be forced to defend myself with sarcasm.
The Harps schools programme has no issues with access. If anything they have more schools wanting to be part of it than they can get to.
#NeverStopNotGivingUp
What I was looking for in the Report was a blueprint for the implementation of an intermediary league with reserve teams (without any obligation on LoI clubs to do so) and new clubs as was the case in the A Championship being invited to join with the ambition of possibly make the step up to LoI level.
While a 33 week season might not be ideal, it remains the best fit evidenced by a return to that format.
Coming from outside the LoI community as I would see it, the league seems to have reached a stable enough position. It's down to clubs really to get their own houses in order. The lack of prize money is still a concern.
I can still only harp on that the league does lack a national vibrancy. If you live in provincial towns like Tullamore, Castlebar, Tralee, Ennis, Portlaoise and Kilkenny to name a few, you should be able to watch a game in your area where the local team is involved in the LoI even if it's only at an intermediary level. While it might be a long way off, I would like the FAI to have the ambition, blueprint and drive to make it possible.
It's easy to say clubs need to sort themselves out, but there are clubs in the league that are reasonably well run and they're holding on by their fingernails. We have a good board and volunteers and sponsors at FHFC but it's a constant struggle even in a good year. The number of league clubs has reduced in size by 13.6% (22 to 19 clubs albeit Rovers fielded a reserve team to keep 20 teams) and recovered to a 9% reduction- bugger that for stability!
Anyhow.. once the season is over will address this in more detail in a blog. Haven't found time to put it all together yet.
#NeverStopNotGivingUp
When I say clubs need to get their own houses in order, I don't doubt that it's challenging.
If a Harps supporter will excuse me for harping on, it is a shame that an intermediary league cannot be put in place. It was harsh on the likes of Tralee Dynamos and FC Carlow that the plug was pulled on the A Championship.
I wonder how many Harps fans support the idea of one division this morning?
https://kesslereffect.bandcamp.com/album/kepler - New music. It's not that bad.
I think the first division is required by ufea for our league to get euro places?
FAI get a heap of money for having two divisions.
https://kesslereffect.bandcamp.com/album/kepler - New music. It's not that bad.
https://kesslereffect.bandcamp.com/album/kepler - New music. It's not that bad.
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