Financial woes not exactly LoI issue...

[legendz]

With all the LoI bashing and bad news stories, there needs to be more focus on the woes of clubs elsewhere.
Sunderland announced losses of £27m last week.
Plymouth today face going into administration and being deducted 10 points.
Some LoI clubs need to get their houses in order but it should not be the sole focus and it clearly is not a LoI issue only.

[Spudulika]

Legendz, good post, take a look at the continental leagues, especially in Eastern Europe - clubs collapse and reform (usually a few divisions down) and just get on with life. We could do the same with our own clubs.

[legendz]

We could. It's a pity the likes of Kilkenny, Kildare and Fingal have not taken that route. I suppose it has happened with Cork and Limerick? It happens across Europe. It really is a matter of getting on with it and not bash the league for it.

[sixesandsevens]

Legendz, good post, take a look at the continental leagues, especially in Eastern Europe - clubs collapse and reform (usually a few divisions down) and just get on with life. We could do the same with our own clubs.

I'm sure there's plenty of bashing in said continental leagues when a club/league fall into financial trouble! Plus, its all well and good to reform a club a few divisions down when you have the luxury of such a structure (and a decent amount of support)

[Spudulika]

I'm sure there's plenty of bashing in said continental leagues when a club/league fall into financial trouble! Plus, its all well and good to reform a club a few divisions down when you have the luxury of such a structure (and a decent amount of support)

Agreed on the luxury of the structure - I don't think it would have been palatable for Cork City fans to drop into the MSL, for Fingal, Bohs or Shels to go into the LSL, they they could, rebuild and then apply for a licence at a later date. As it stands the FAI/LOI structures don't promote or encourage this.

On the bashing part, oddly in Russia it's just accepted that if you can't pay your way you drop down. There was a bit of a write up in WSC about Saturn, but it was very wide of the mark, as well as not factually correct, maybe because the guy lives up in St. Petes and was a bit afraid of being nailed by the powers that be for pointing out it was actually a political decision. The Russian media reaction was just - oh well, this is what happens without the funds to run a club. In Croatia there was a case some years back when a club struggled, was relegated back to the county league (4th division in that region) and it was roundly hammered for being so weak. Though in another sense the club were right, they became a real community club again, invested in youth and facilities and have now gone back up the divisions.

[legendz]

http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/villa-seeking-to-control-wage-bill-2560596.html

Aston Villa are aiming to manage their escalating wage bill while remaining competitive on the pitch after suffering losses of more than £37m for the year ending May 31, 2010.

The midlands club saw wages increase to almost £80m last season - an increase of £9m and they now account for 88pc of the club's £90m turnover.

But Villa sources are confident they will comply with UEFA's financial fair play regulations by the time they are in force by the beginning of the 2013-2014 campaign.

The scale of debt across the water is unreal.

[legendz]

The structure is in place with the A Championship. Though it is questionable what is going to happen at that level after this season?
Cork and Derry in my view should have been demoted to the A Championship last season but the clubs weren't there to replace them and nor did there appear to be any complaints.

[Dodge]

Cork weren't demoted.

They went bust.

A new club was formed, made a fresh licence application and achieved a first division license. As you indicted, if other clubs had've achieved that license, Cork would've been in the A league