If Bohemians did a BATE/Famagusta.....

[Sheridan]

I collated the stats on this some years ago when people were worried about Shels qualifying for the CL and dominating the league. Can't be bothered updating but I suspect the outcome is even clearer now: http://foot.ie/showpost.php?p=162104&postcount=17

[dcfcsteve]

I see UEFA came out yesterday to dispell everyone's favourite footballing myth by confirming that they wouldn't (read - legally couldn't) stand in the way of the Old Firm joining the English pyramid.

With the proposal to create yet more 'super first championhip premier elite' leagues in England by expanding the Prem and then splitting it in two, the appearance of the Old Firm in English stadiums may well be sooner than many people think.

And if that happened, who knows what else might happen within the world of European football.....

[John83]

And if that happened, who knows what else might happen within the world of European football.....
The Old Firm are a bit of a basket case though, Scotland and England being in the United Kingdom. I'll reserve my panic for when I see Porto join La Liga, Ajax join the Bundesliga and the like.

Frankly, I think it's more likely that the owners of the big clubs will eventually break away from the ruling bodies and end any regulation on football as anything but an international sports entertainment business.

[dcfcsteve]

The Old Firm are a bit of a basket case though, Scotland and England being in the United Kingdom. I'll reserve my panic for when I see Porto join La Liga, Ajax join the Bundesliga and the like.

I'm just delighted that I don't have to post-up the letter of European law anymore whenever someone on here says authoritatively 'the Old Firm can't join the English league' anymore... :D

Anyway - the Old Firm being able to join the English system has nothing to do with the UK and everything to do with EU freedom of movement and restrainty of trade laws (there I go again having to explain it all. D'oh...!). Don't underestimate the impact two very high profile clubs jumping from one league to another - regardless of political jurisdictions - may have upon European football. The butterfly effect, and all that...


Frankly, I think it's more likely that the owners of the big clubs will eventually break away from the ruling bodies and end any regulation on football as anything but an international sports entertainment business.

Indeed. And as with all these things, it requires a catalyst - or a gradual series of them (which arguably we've been having since the Champions League began anyway). The Old Firm shifting leagues may well be a majot catalyst.

Balanced against that, however, is the fact that fans in some leagues are more fussed about their petty domestic rivalries than they are European ones. Would the Milan teams, for example, really want to be in a Euro league without Lazio, Napoli etc ? Those teams bring out bigger crowds for them than French or German opponents do.

[Dalymountrower]

[QUOTE=dcfcsteve;1148311]I'm just delighted that I don't have to post-up the letter of European law anymore whenever someone on here says authoritatively 'the Old Firm can't join the English league' anymore... :D

Anyway - the Old Firm being able to join the English system has nothing to do with the UK and everything to do with EU freedom of movement and restrainty of trade laws



Steve, the FAI licensing system being based on the 65% cap, how consistent is that with EU Competition Law? Or, for example, under free movement of Labour provisions, if a player from another EU country who wanted to sign for a club and the club wanted to sign the player but the FAI effectively. threaten the club with a loss of license to "trade" if they sign the player and breach the cap.?
Presumably the FAI would argue the cap is an art ( fiction) rather than a science by pointing to Bohs accounts for lat year!

[pineapple stu]

Yeah initially I thought that the new structure would be a boon for small nations, and give us a realistic chance of qualifying. However, it's not gonna help us.
I thought the former too from hearing brief soundbytes about it; how's the new format going to work exactly?

[irishultra]

on football manager it seems slightly easier:o

[Dodge]

It'll help smaller countries, but UEFA's definition of a smaller country is someone ranked outside the top 12 leagues. The new system guarantees 4 teams from outside the top 12 will qualify. If Bohs were to qualify the highest ranked teams they'd face would be from the likes of Belgium or Czech republic.

[pineapple stu]

Yeah, that's what I thought. Sounds more doable than Depor, although there's still some decent teams in there. And four teams isn't that many.

[Straightstory]

Yeah initially I thought that the new structure would be a boon for small nations, and give us a realistic chance of qualifying. However, it's not gonna help us.

The only way I can see it (well in the next 20 years anyway) is if there is a massive shock in world football. Like clubs going bust left right and centre (highly unlikely), or someone who is very progressive and wants to even out football's inequalities takes over at FIFA and UEFA and changes the rules again (equally unlikely).

Or if people decided to actually support their own local teams and give them a sizeable fan base on which qualification for the Champions' League would be viable. The population of Dublin (similar size to Munich, bigger than Eindhoven etc,) is obviously large enough to support a team in Europe. But the only thing that could wake people up is if a team did manage to qualify. (Very glamorous then: possibility of Bohs v Man U, Milan, etc in the new Lansdowne Road). Classic Catch 22 situation. Not completely unlikely, as Bate and Famagusta (and Cluj from Rumania) are very small teams in European terms. But people here just don't support their local teams. Obviously. As we all know.

[holidaysong]

Yeah, that's what I thought. Sounds more doable than Depor, although there's still some decent teams in there. And four teams isn't that many.

It's actually five, not four.

[peadar1987]

I think we're going to see a European Super League some time in the not-too-distant future unfortunately.

If this does happen I can see it leading to one of two things for Irish football:

1- People start to drift away from supporting the Sky 4 when they're not winning 3-0 every week, and might decide to come to LOI games instead

2- Far more likely, the FAI pump all the budget for domestic football into creating a "Dublin Celtic" who play in Lansdowne Road and feature no Irish players. Nobody ever attends an LOI game again. Barstoolers kid themselves that they are supporting Irish domestic football. Jesus weeps.

[Boh_So_Good]

1- People start to drift away from supporting the Sky 4 when they're not winning 3-0 every week, and might decide to come to LOI games instead


Never happen. Their "support" is not rooted in the sport of football - it's the box of coloured lights in the corner or the living room on their wall of the pub which tells them what to think and feel.

You are making the assumption they understand football. Oirish football supporters have no more understanding of the sport of football than a bacteria in a peta dish is directly involved in the development of a public healthcare strategy. They go were the capillary action draws them. They are not involved at any cognative level.

Irish Premiership supporters are not interested in the game of football and never have been. It's all about their chlidlike minds being spellbound by coloured lights and fast moving cameras. The group think and hive mind psychosis takes care of them from there.

Honestly, there are days I do wonder if the Oirish Premiership brigade are part of some giant CIA/MI6 mind control operation to see just how sheeplike a human being can be made.

They'll all be devoted whatever Brit club is in the European Super League with all the "we's" and "us's" to go with it.

[John83]

Anyway - the Old Firm being able to join the English system has nothing to do with the UK and everything to do with EU freedom of movement and restrainty of trade laws (there I go again having to explain it all. D'oh...!). Don't underestimate the impact two very high profile clubs jumping from one league to another - regardless of political jurisdictions - may have upon European football. The butterfly effect, and all that...
Oh, I don't underestimate it at all, but I think that specific case is unusual enough that it wouldn't be seen as a clear precident.

EU laws make most of football's regulations seem positively medieval. I don't ever expect to work for a company which will demand a transfer fee be agreed before I can interview with a potential new employer. Football is in a bit of a legal bubble, and there are good and bad things to come from each bit of the current structure falling apart.

[HarpoJoyce]

It's pronouced 'bite'

[bennocelt]

Never happen. Their "support" is not rooted in the sport of football - it's the box of coloured lights in the corner or the living room on their wall of the pub which tells them what to think and feel.

You are making the assumption they understand football. Oirish football supporters have no more understanding of the sport of football than a bacteria in a peta dish is directly involved in the development of a public healthcare strategy. They go were the capillary action draws them. They are not involved at any cognative level.

Irish Premiership supporters are not interested in the game of football and never have been. It's all about their chlidlike minds being spellbound by coloured lights and fast moving cameras. The group think and hive mind psychosis takes care of them from there.

Honestly, there are days I do wonder if the Oirish Premiership brigade are part of some giant CIA/MI6 mind control operation to see just how sheeplike a human being can be made.

They'll all be devoted whatever Brit club is in the European Super League with all the "we's" and "us's" to go with it.

good post
thing is these are the very same fellas that would be all in the bar cheering against England in a major champs

[peadar1987]

Exactly, I got into an argument with a fella on the 606 message board a while back, who said he supported Man United in his profile, but then posted a comment about how Mick McCarthy should never have been Ireland manager because he was a "Tan".