Meetings to make one Division held.

[Rovers Maniac]

Three meetings over the last 3 days are said to have taken place in Monaghan, Dublin and i think Limerick so clubs can press the idea of having one divison of 14 or 16 teams according to the Star.

[pineapple stu]

14/16 teams?

What happens the other 6/8? Kicked out (Mervue, Athlone, Monaghan, Longford, etc) or liquidated (Cork, Derry)?

Which teams were in attendance, I wonder? Only current Premier teams looking after their own interests, or the whole league?

[John83]

14 or 16? Are there really 6-8 teams going bankrupt?

Or is The Star inventing **** again?

[MariborKev]

Star talking complete rubbish.

Were the meetings not a review of the information gathered during the stakeholder feedback process?

[kingdomkerry]

Would be a disaster. What would the teams in the bottom/middle of the table have the play for. Stick with a ten team league.

[Dillonman]

I think they are looking at making the A division more stronger and competitive at the same time of making the Premier Division more exciting and competitive and helping those "big" clubs stuck in the 1st division with attendances, money etc. I would say the majority of those clubs that would lose out would be in the A division and they will look to have it sown like the Spanish leagues where the A teams are quite competitive against smaller sides, abit like the current set up however making it alot more less of a joke like atm!

[saintmaniac]

Pats fans commentary team interviewed Sadlier at HT in Derry; he said that although he didn't make the meeting this week, it looked like the 10 team format would be maintained. Don't know where this came from.

[Sam_Heggy]

So what would the 16 teams be?

[L.T.F.C.]

14/16 teams?

What happens the other 6/8? Kicked out (Mervue, Athlone, Monaghan, Longford, etc) or liquidated (Cork, Derry)?


How would you pick any of those teams??? Why not throw UCD in there sure?? All that club does is starve every other sports club in UCD of money. I have represented UCD at international level (I didn't get paid!!!)and all the members in my club had to fundraise... you won't see any players in the UCD soccer club busting their holes fundraising or paying out of their own pocket...

[MariborKev]

Right

This is a non story

Clear?

[John83]

How would you pick any of those teams??? Why not throw UCD in there sure?? All that club does is starve every other sports club in UCD of money. I have represented UCD at international level (I didn't get paid!!!)and all the members in my club had to fundraise... you won't see any players in the UCD soccer club busting their holes fundraising or paying out of their own pocket...
I think he pretty much mentioned the bottom of the league (he's forgotten Kildare).

UCD AFC gets sweet f-all from the college - about enough, I understand, to cover the running costs of the intervarsity team. And whatever about the players, the volunteers running the club do plenty of fundraising. I'm tempted to put this information in my sig, but this has been explained so many times that I'm beginning to suspect that the people who go on about UCD's funding can't read English good.

[blackholesun]

The ten team league is a joke, too many low scoring games as teams are so familiar with eachother.

I'd welcome a 16 team league, it would be better for football as a whole ...

bhs

[Hairy Bowsie]

The ten team league is a joke, too many low scoring games as teams are so familiar with eachother.

I'd welcome a 16 team league, it would be better for football as a whole ...

bhs

Have to agree, it's all very stale and needs a massive shake up. This is the LoI however and nothing is ever set in stone, if it doesn't work after it'll revert back to how it is now.

[pineapple stu]

I think he pretty much mentioned the bottom of the league (he's forgotten Kildare).
Thank you.

LOL at the notion that no UCD player has ever fundraised. Do you think the college paid for our trips to Asia in the 70s? I recall players being asked to get individual sponsorship up to a couple of years ago too.

Anyawys, I think Maribor's post is the most important.

[Magicme]

I think he pretty much mentioned the bottom of the league (he's forgotten Kildare).


Last time I checked Limerick and Finn Harps were behind us too........

Anyway, there was a meeting yesterday evening in Monaghan to discuss the findings of the League Review, whether that strayed into changing the format in anyway, I haven't a clue.

[Rovers Maniac]

Top 14 teams would be the current 10 in the premier, Shels, Waterford, Spoorting Fingal and Limerick/Athlone or Monaghan

[mypost]

Pats fans commentary team interviewed Sadlier at HT in Derry; he said that although he didn't make the meeting this week, it looked like the 10 team format would be maintained. Don't know where this came from.

And I hope it never comes.

The 10-team league has failed twice, and it shouldn't be given more than another season. If it wasn't for us, attendances would have gone down the floor completely.

A 10th place finish in most leagues = a comfortable mid-table finish. Here, it leads to panic, chaos, and failure.

[Scrufil]

Any reformat of the league has to meet UEFA conditions and that means it cannot happen next year as there is a 3 year gap between each one of these meetings to organise/reorganise the league. This point was raised at the end of last year when Athlone Town were struggling to stay afloat and people asked why we could not call for a single league structure.

[citybone]

this is stupid in my view, i would think dropping the bottom 2 clubs in the 1st division to the A Championship would be no loss. I still think a AIL with one 12 team Loi below would be best but untill that happens i think 2*10team leagues is best

[Sam_Heggy]

Right

This is a non story

Clear?

Yeah we are all clear but it's todays topic of debate, tomorrow we talk about Derry city using Queens head money to pay the players, Shamrock Rovers being the bestest club in the world and how UCD have no Support.

[gspain]

On the basis of naked self interest I'd be all for this. 15 bl^&dy years in this division is long enough. One of our fans in Ballybofey last month mentioned his first game was v Harps in 1995. 14 years following us home and away and never seeing a premier division game. At least I'm old enough to remember when a draw away to Shelbourne was a disaster not a celebration.

That is assuming we are in the 16 and not playing Ramblers in the A championship. :p

[Réiteoir]

On the basis of naked self interest I'd be all for this. 15 bl^&dy years in this division is long enough. One of our fans in Ballybofey last month mentioned his first game was v Harps in 1995. 14 years following us home and away and never seeing a premier division game. At least I'm old enough to remember when a draw away to Shelbourne was a disaster not a celebration.

That is assuming we are in the 16 and not playing Ramblers in the A championship. :p

No - Limerick are to be given a place in the newly formed Premier League Division 2

[number16]

Meeting did take place this week. The 16 team format was discussed and one suggestion debated at length was to have a split after half the games into two divisions of 8. All the existing LOI clubs were in attendance.

[osarusan]

one suggestion debated at length was to have a split after half the games into two divisions of 8.
Oh sweet lord.......

[passerrby]

i was lead to believe the meeting was organised to assist NAMA in disposing of our toxic debts all was going well until it was found that some of these were outside the state and at least two was beyond saving

[SkStu]

A 10th place finish in most leagues = a comfortable mid-table finish. Here, it leads to panic, chaos, and failure.

funnily enough, a first place finish has also been known to lead to the same! :D

[MariborKev]

Meeting did take place this week. The 16 team format was discussed and one suggestion debated at length was to have a split after half the games into two divisions of 8. All the existing LOI clubs were in attendance.

No one was disputing a meeting took place, but it wasn't specifically a "meeting to make one division".

[Ash]

One of our fans in Ballybofey last month mentioned his first game was v Harps in 1995. 14 years following us home and away and never seeing a premier division game.

Some of our younger fans probably think the club is called "Athlone Town Nil" :o

[citybone]

On the basis of naked self interest I'd be all for this. 15 bl^&dy years in this division is long enough. One of our fans in Ballybofey last month mentioned his first game was v Harps in 1995. 14 years following us home and away and never seeing a premier division game. At least I'm old enough to remember when a draw away to Shelbourne was a disaster not a celebration.

That is assuming we are in the 16 and not playing Ramblers in the A championship. :p

He must have missed a few seasons.

[Mr A]

This rumour has been going a while, and from several sources.

Merging the league into one division while the clubs get themselves sorted wouldn't be the worst idea, but reducing it to 14/16 seems ropey. How would the teams be decided? It wouldn't be fair to just turf out some at the bottom when so many at the top are making such a balls of themselves.

A new IAG process? It'd nearly be worth it just to see the Dundalk reaction :)

[number16]

No one was disputing a meeting took place, but it wasn't specifically a "meeting to make one division".

Don't get into semantics - the reason for the meeting was to try and agree a way forward for the league, with the clubs providing lots of the feedback and idea's. The major discussion point became "forming one league of 16" and although the thrust was to come up with new idea's - the only idea debated at any length was this one. Make your own mind up.

[eamo1]

Sam Heggy-aswell as those topics you mentioned for debate you also should have added other topics such as "fudge","Dundalk fans-the policemen of the league","which LOI team is in court this week" amoung others.We should actually just organise a roster system for when each debate will take place:).
Every Thursday does appear to be "Future of the LOI" debate day.

[John83]

...Every Thursday does appear to be "Future of the LOI" debate day.
It's when the legal notices are published, right?

[KevB76]

On the basis of naked self interest I'd be all for this. 15 bl^&dy years in this division is long enough. One of our fans in Ballybofey last month mentioned his first game was v Harps in 1995. 14 years following us home and away and never seeing a premier division game. At least I'm old enough to remember when a draw away to Shelbourne was a disaster not a celebration.

I wouldnt be in favour of going from being an average 1st div club to a below average premier club, without experiencing the joys of a promotion winning season in between. I'd feel cheated.

I dare say I'd get over it though :D

[Ezeikial]

A new IAG process? It'd nearly be worth it just to see the Dundalk reaction :)

IAG ? - remind me how that works again:)

[Acornvilla]

is that the think that cost ye promotion??

[SkStu]

IAG ? - remind me how that works again:)

i think they sponsor ManU.

[culloty82]

Meeting did take place this week. The 16 team format was discussed and one suggestion debated at length was to have a split after half the games into two divisions of 8. All the existing LOI clubs were in attendance.

The A Championship is probably the only FAI idea that has actually worked. Granted teams would benefit from playing Athlone, Longford in one division, but they have to at least be offered a chance of promotion. It would be backward if they went back to election again, which would do nothing to keep the relegated teams going.

[Sam_Heggy]

IAG ? - remind me how that works again:)

Well, Galway done up a .................... ah forget it, that bridge has been burnt.

[RonnieB]

How about a 0 team league and we can all be put out of our collective misery?

[gustavo]

I can't stand the constant changing of teams and formats in the league,Really annoying and it doesn't seem to serve any purpose at all

[Bluebeard]

I can't stand the constant changing of teams and formats in the league,Really annoying and it doesn't seem to serve any purpose at all

Wash your mouth out - it has been keeping the likes of us on the internet discussing it backwards and preventing us from properly venting our general dissatisfaction with the society we live in by striking, protesting, rioting, causing general unrest and ultimately revolution. Sure CEO of the FAI is a Presidential appointment.

[Keen2win]

How would you pick any of those teams??? Why not throw UCD in there sure?? All that club does is starve every other sports club in UCD of money. I have represented UCD at international level (I didn't get paid!!!)and all the members in my club had to fundraise... you won't see any players in the UCD soccer club busting their holes fundraising or paying out of their own pocket...

Handball isn't a real sport!:p

[Keen2win]

How would you pick any of those teams??? Why not throw UCD in there sure?? All that club does is starve every other sports club in UCD of money. I have represented UCD at international level (I didn't get paid!!!)and all the members in my club had to fundraise... you won't see any players in the UCD soccer club busting their holes fundraising or paying out of their own pocket...

Handball isn't a real sport!:p

[Bluebeard]

Handball isn't a real sport!:p


Handball isn't a real sport!:p

You could say that again.

[4tothefloor]

The 16 team format was discussed and one suggestion debated at length was to have a split after half the games into two divisions of 8.
Oh for fcuk sake...... :rolleyes:

[Tony Soprano]

this is one of my hobby horses

20 teams is the optimum size for any league - there isn't a 10 or 12 team league anywhere in the world that has been a success

20 teams in the premier division (preferably all Ireland but still 20 teams if not)

3 teams relegated to first division (current A championship) - this is vital, any fewer and bottom half of the league would be too dead

relegation would be like being sent to purgatory but bottom half of 1st division already is like purgatory. and would affect only 2 of the current 22 teams. and getting out of new 1st division would be quite easy

teams in new premier division get to play (mostly) the same teams each year - big boost to financial stability of current 1st division teams, guaranteed home games against big sides, guaranteed derbies most years (cobh v cork, harps v derry). less boom and boost of promotion and relegation - clubs can plan long term.

downside is fewer dublin derbies - but would crowds be bigger at those games as a result if only two bohs v rovers games a season for example ? and also quality of football in the short to medium term.

teams currently fighting relegation from the PD would be mid table in the new set up and go from losing most of their games to having respectable win loss records - good for crowds.

another problem for 10 team league is number of teams from in and around dublin - with sporting fingal you could realistically have 8 out of 10 teams in the PD from this region at some point in the future if not changed. if cork had gone bust we could conceivably have had 9.

ideally increase a championship and switch to three regions to get more non-league clubs involved and keep travelling costs down. more clubs involved the more chance we have of finding clubs that can attract support and be successful. not the end of the world if clubs drop out again after a few years

finally lower requirements for facilities at grounds - let clubs like mervue utd play at their own grounds, keep costs down and don't scare current non-league teams away by demanding money spent on grounds

give it a go for 5 seasons and see how crowds are affected

[Keen2win]

You could say that again.

How did that happen?

[Nesta99]

..would be mid table in the new set up and go from losing most of their games to having respectable win loss records - good for crowds.


In principle i see what you you are saying throughout but very idealistic, in particular the above comment, in reality, works out to be horsesh*te as mid table safety toward the latter half of a season equals a fraction of early season support...i have no idea of a working solution myself tbh, i just hate the current set up, 12 team division was marginally better, splitting the league was/will be a disaster - so 16 teams and trying and have every place in the league worth fighting for, eg significant jumps in prize money even between say 10th and 11th, play-off access to a competition (setanta cup or similar) for lower placed teams etc. just something that keeps clubs and fans motivated as their status is secured and if they are not in the championship/cup/relegation mix.

[Réiteoir]

this is one of my hobby horses

20 teams is the optimum size for any league - there isn't a 10 or 12 team league anywhere in the world that has been a success

Except for the SPL, the MLS and the A-League in Australia...