LOI clubs commit suicide

[Spudulika]

Now maybe it's just me, but when you have a new and groundbreaking under 19 league announced, you kind of expect clubs to embrace it and set up to compete. However with Bohs and UCD laying off their background staff, one has to question are clubs even interested in developing. Getting volunteers in to run teams is going to make matters a complete laughing stock, so why is it that clubs figure that getting rid of staff is the way forward when lower wage offers would keep the crew together?

[pineapple stu]

Who did we lay off?

I'm not sure how, with our record in underage competitions through the years (including college tournaments that other clubs don't enter), we can be accused of not taking them seriously.

[MariborKev]

Spudulika,

It is not as if they are doing it on purpose, but like everyone clubs are conscious of the costs. Plus with an A League, and various regional underage setups you have to question what the value of such a competition is.

[Spudulika]

PStu, UD have an excellent production line that is providing chances for players who would otherwise be lost to the game (in my opinion) in Ireland - look at the quality who have been "rescued" and have become better, as well as moving on and continuing to improve - Shane McFaul etc. MKev, I can't see the logic in any club laying off coaches of underage sides, in fact I'd rather see more money go into underage structures (properly) so that we can bring them forward and keep more players at home. If they can have good facilities, good education and personal progression, why go to an Academy system which is failing in the UK when they can mature at home and move on. Okay, so the competition at senior level here needs re-jigging, however the point remains, we need to retain players at home and provide them with a proper career progression before they are lost. The stars will always go to a skyleague club, but others can develop here and we all profit from it.

[pineapple stu]

when lower wage offers would keep the crew together?
Also, this is way too simplistic a view. There's a lot of work involved in running an U-20 team for a year. A person who's doing that job for - to pick a figure from the air - E150 a week mayn't want to do the job for E100 a week. It just mayn't be worth the effort.

[Spudulika]

Also, this is way too simplistic a view. There's a lot of work involved in running an U-20 team for a year. A person who's doing that job for - to pick a figure from the air - E150 a week mayn't want to do the job for E100 a week. It just mayn't be worth the effort.

That could well be the case, though it would still be worth it to offer it. Considering how well UCD have been doing and how they are (at present) the only club in Ireland capable of keeping players in Ireland (Sporting Fingal are moving that way), I'd love to see Brian Mullins step up and give the FC some extra support. With a little bit extra, 2 experienced non-students imo, they could be pushing for Europe next year, if they keep the side together.

[Poor Student]

I'd love to see Brian Mullins step up and give the FC some extra support.

With university funding decreasing I'd imagine his budget is similarly shrinking. The support from the college's administration never seems to have been that enthusiastic and you're certainly not going to see that change in the current climate.

[Sam_Heggy]

We committed suicide in 2008 going full time and giving Paul Hegarty over 1million to spend.
That is all.

[D.24saint]

We committed suicide in 2008 going full time and giving Paul Hegarty over 1million to spend.
That is all.

crazy stuff that would have been a big budget for some of the bigger clubs but for the harps board to approve that was mad.I have heard rumours of sligo overspending this season but europe and the cup final should set them straight but it shows that clubs are still gambling.

[A face]

We committed suicide when Arkaga took over and when that didn't work we got Tom Coughlan in to finish the job and that didn't work so we are just taking a break for a while in the first, to compose ourselves y'see ;)

[marinobohs]

Now maybe it's just me, but when you have a new and groundbreaking under 19 league announced, you kind of expect clubs to embrace it and set up to compete. However with Bohs and UCD laying off their background staff, one has to question are clubs even interested in developing. Getting volunteers in to run teams is going to make matters a complete laughing stock, so why is it that clubs figure that getting rid of staff is the way forward when lower wage offers would keep the crew together?

Yep, underage structure is all we are worried about in Dalymount :rolleyes: not sure about other clubs but in our case it would not make sense to have full time backroom staff for a part time team. not denying the importance of underage structure (especially for the future) but given the current economic downturn and primary focus on first team (the main money earner at most clubs) I suspect underage development may suffer.

[legendz]

Underage development should not suffer though. If the FAI are bringing in an U19 league, it's showing they want a focus on youth.
Is there still going to be an U20 league?

[Lim till i die]

There's talk of this starting in October.

Which if true is yet another example of the clown like thinking at hq

[Sam_Heggy]

There's talk of this starting in October.

Which if true is yet another example of the clown like thinking at hq

Yep, winter football for the under 19's (and possibly under 17's the following season) and summer football for the seniors. Genius.

[pineapple stu]

I actually thought the under 19s was replacing the under 20s. Am I wrong on that, yeah? And clubs will soon have to field a first-team, a reserve side, u-20s, u-19s and u-17s?!

[Dodge]

Another one that can be filed under "Sure, we'd love to be able to treat this properly but we've no fecking money" for msot clubs

From what I'm hearing, pretty much every club is scaling back all outlay so its not really the time to be adding more epense (however well intentioned)

[legendz]

Teams shouldn't have to field more that 4 sides. Would imagine it'll be first-team, A-Team (cue the music!), U19 and U17. The U19 is surely replacing the U20? A after U19 they can go into the A Championship.

[passinginterest]

Under 19 was due to replace under 20 this year from what I can remember. I think the clubs wanted under 20 to be extended for a year.

I definitely agree that all clubs should be able to field an under 17, 19 and senior side at the very least, in the medium term the development of these players should counteract the expense anyway.

[pineapple stu]

Is this a LoI U-19 league? Would it not be more beneficial to have LoI clubs enter U-19 teams in whatever regional U-19 leagues are knocking about? Strikes me that when you see teams travelling with 9 players because they don't care, it defeats the purpose of the competition for the others to an extent. (I don't know if that's even feasible, but it sounds like it should work better than what's there at the moment)

[Sam_Heggy]

There will be an "elite" Under 19 National league with 14 teams in it.
There will then be regional divisions below that with Intermediate or Junior sides allowed to enter.
The Under 19 and Under 17 leagues will be licenced based also.

I think adding an under 17 league is fantastic, if they added an under 15 league there too all the better.

[legendz]

An U15 would be too much. The general set-up is two national youth leagues. This will be provided by the U19 and the U17 when it comes in. It's a good move by the FAI and shows that they do have plans on the league progressing.

[Dodge]

It's a good move by the FAI and shows that they do have plans on the league progressing.

They've always had plans. Paying for them is the problem

[passinginterest]

Would it not be more beneficial to have LoI clubs enter U-19 teams in whatever regional U-19 leagues are knocking about?

There tends to be a lot of opposition to this from the exisiting leagues. Wexford Youths had serious bother getting a team in the Wexford and District League, eventually they agreed to play an under 17 team in the under 18 league as a compromise.

At the moment a lot of the top Leinster sides seem to be playing around the DDSL, if the FAI establish this elite league fronted by the LOI clubs this could well prove to be the beginning of a proper footballing pyramid. If the LOI clubs are attracting the best players and entry to the league is open, many of the big schoolboy clubs that have been a production line for English clubs may be tempted to move across, breaking down some of the barriers between those clubs and the LOI.

[legendz]

LoI clubs should be looking at attracting the best players and this will help. I'm not sure it will lead to the beginning of a pyramid but it might lead to a few more clubs looking to join the league.

[legendz]

There will be an "elite" Under 19 National league with 14 teams in it.
There will then be regional divisions below that with Intermediate or Junior sides allowed to enter.
The Under 19 and Under 17 leagues will be licenced based also.

I think adding an under 17 league is fantastic, if they added an under 15 league there too all the better.

How are they going to decide the 14 clubs to be involved? All Premier and Division One clubs should be involved. There's no guarantee they'll have enough teams for the regional league below it.

[Dodge]

LoI clubs should be looking at attracting the best players and this will help.
Do you honestly believe they aren't doing this at the moment?

[legendz]

They are but not all find it that easy. The new Youth leagues when in place should be a help.

[Dodge]

How so?

[legendz]

Development of the league should work from the grassroots up. I think the best way to promote the league is to have the LoI integrated into as many regions as possible at youth level. This way, the best youth players in the country are playing LoI football at U17 and then U19 level. Within a few years of the structures being brought in, most of the best up and coming youth players in Ireland will want to be playing their football with LoI clubs. The LoI should gain a status of being for elite players and gain more of a respect as well.

[Dodge]

I'm aware of how things should work

I'm asking what the realistic options are. its simply not good enough to say "most of the best up and coming youth players in Ireland will want to be playing their football with LoI clubs"

[legendz]

What you are aware of is not that transparent.

It is good enough to say.

[Lim till i die]

legendz, I am starting to think you're one of the greatest internet windups of recent times.

Fairplay.

[Sam_Heggy]

How are they going to decide the 14 clubs to be involved? All Premier and Division One clubs should be involved. There's no guarantee they'll have enough teams for the regional league below it.

The 14 sides will be selected after a licencing process.

Let's say the 14 will be (randomly selected):
Rovers
Bohs
UCD
Limerick
Cork
Salthill
Mervue
Monaghan
Pats
Dundalk
Drogheda
Derry
Athlone
Harps

The regional leagues would then be made up of:

Northern Section:
Longford
Sligo
Shels
Galway
Tullamore
Castlebar
Letterkenny Rovers
Real Tubber


Southern Section:
Fingal
Bray
Waterford
Wexford
Carlow
Tralee
Cobh
Clonmel Town
Cherry Orchard
Rockmount


Well you get the idea. I'd say the regional groups will have around 8/9 teams in it with teams playing each other 3 times.