I do love a good laugh in the morning..
Full article.A plan for an All-Ireland Premier League, with prize money of nearly €4m (£3.2m) a year, has been drawn up by Fintan Drury of Platinum One, a sports marketing group.
At a time when most football clubs on both sides of the border are losing money and some are on the verge of financial collapse because of poor attendance and sponsorship, Drury wants to start the league in August next year. It would be run along the lines of the Premiership in England and the Scottish Premier League.
The businessman, who is chairman of Paddy Power and a director of Anglo Irish Bank, has sent a 62-page proposal to the 10 clubs he wants to join — seven from the republic and three from the north.
Longer article on page 16 of the sport section but is not online. Drury's proposals are summarised there.
The All Ireland Premier League (AIPL) would initially comprise 10 teams, seven from the Republic of Ireland and three from Northern Ireland, with Derry City counting as one of the northern teams. In the third year two more teams would be added, one from each jurisdiction
The AIPL would run under an initial five-year license granted by the FAI and IFA. It would start in August 2009 and be played in winter rather than during the summer, unlike the current Eircom League. The FAI would be expected to switch their league to winter as well
The AIPL would be affiliated to the FAI and IFA and pay an agreed sum to each association annually
The 10 teams would be: Derry City, Cork City, Bohemians, Drogheda Utd, Limerick 37, Glentoran, Linfield, Galway Utd, St Patrick's Athletic and Shamrock Rovers. There would be no promotion and relegation in the first two years but from year three the bottom club in the AIPL would be relegated. The winners of the Irish League would then play off against the Eircom League winners for the promotion place
The AIPL would take four European places- two in the Champions League qualifying rounds and two in the UEFA Cup qualifying rounds- from the existing Eircom League and Irish League
The AIPL clubs would still affiliate to their respective associaitons and would play in their annual cup competitions
Each club would have to employ 16 apprentice professionals, aged between 16 and 18. AIPl clubs would be obliged to play in an AIPL underage league to provide a link between the schoolboy and professional game
Platinum One would provide a mininum prize fund of €3.765m for each of the first two seasons of the AIPL. This would be allocated thus: champions €1.1m, runners-up €550k, third and fourth places €425 each, fifth place €350k, sicth place €275k, seventh and eight places €180k, ninth and tenth places €140k
Platinum One would have overall responsibility for marketing and promotion, taking 10% of gate receipts from member clubs
I do love a good laugh in the morning..
Roddy Collins, the biggest <insert as appropiate> in Irish Football.
Limerick 37?
Hopefully Howard Wells saves us all from this franchise football! Also, they must be joking if they think they'll get away with having 2 CL spots..
Awaits views of Limerick fans who were dead set against the whole idea in the long running thread......
Galway and limerick 37????? Pah dont think so!!!
"Failure to Prepare. Prepare to Fail"
Roy Keane
I'm still dead against it. Limerick shouldn't be involved - we have no right to be there, games would look terrible on TV, and 10% of our gates wont amount to much.Originally Posted by OneRedArmy
I didn't see any mention of the 65% cap, which most posters on this site were in support of. It is funny to read Drury in the article blaming the FAI for all our problems, while at the same time throwing more money at clubs when we have seen that clubs don't budget well by themselves.
The lack of a proper promotion system will be an issue I'd imagine, as even winning the league (of the remaining eL or IL clubs) may not be enough to get you into the AIL.
Furthermore, with clubs already struggling to survive, taking away their bigger gates of the season (Bohs, Derry, Cork, Rovers etc) will only increase the financial problems.
I'd imagine that after 2 years of totally pointless league games against teams not chosen to join the AIL, the team which finally does get promoted won't be in great shape to compete against teams which have had 2 years in the AIL.
As I've said before, I'm not against an AIL in principle, but I am against this one. Overall, I don't see it as beneficial for football on this island.
Last edited by osarusan; 20/07/2008 at 1:40 PM.
The potential prize money in this would only be good for Irish football, would love to see it happen.
Go lí cúnna ifrinn do thóin bheagmhaitheasach
The promotion system is a joke, The whole thing is a joke. The extra prize money would only lead to increased wages. Attendances remaining the same and watching **** poor staduims on TV.
L37?
Good for Irish football or good for the 10 clubs that have been invited to the league?
Where does the prize money come from for the clubs not invited?
So there is no promotion for three years? Where does this leave the clubs that win their leagues? So is there any point in them even trying or fielding teams if there is no promotion for three years?
It will just lead to a case of the rich getting richer. What chance does the team that is promoted for season 4 got if the other teams have been getting a lot of prizemoney for three years.
They are looking for grants for stadiums, i assume this is only for the teams invited to the league. So will this means other clubs wont receive any grants or will have less of a chance to get grants?
The loi is a lot stronger than the irish league so all the teams in the loi will be battling for 1 spot in the playoff vs the winner of the irish league. Hardly fair
Worst proposals I've heard yet.
Extratime.ie
Yo te quiero, mi querida. Sin tus besos, yo soy nada.
Abri o portão de ouro, da maquina do tempo.
Mi mamá me hizo guapo, listo y antimadridista.
Goodness its starting in just over a year's time. You guys better rush out and get the season tickets.
I can't believe people are still taking this sh!te, seriously.
I think there is a fair amount of delusion going on here.
Do us all a favour Platinum One and just go away.
Last edited by SMorgan; 20/07/2008 at 2:51 PM.
It would, would it?
I hope that was sarcasm...
The sooner the better.
Madness! Limerick 37 and Galway Utd what are they doing in there! didn't Galway recently say that they weren't interested in becoming part of this AIL thing due to financial problems! Anyway I think next August is way to soon be contemplating beginning such a league.
Funny to see the people criticising it are not involved in the plans for it
Is it April fools day again? Such a stupid idea for a league.
Life without Rovers, it makes no sense...it's a heartache...nothing but a fools game. S.R.F.C.
I think it's a stupid idea
so you can just take european places from the 2 leagues
the league is a whole new league, it will have to work its way up the coeffients, so while they play by themselfs fo 3 years in the EUFA cup (only, no Champions League as your only a new league) we in the eircom league will happily be playin champions league football as the FAI will not give up it european allocation, why would they, they only bought the league a 2 years ago,
and limerick 37 and galway are proof that this will never take off, not very ambitious,
of the ten clubs, how many of the fans here are in favour of it
Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.
Posting Permissions
Bookmarks