Connacht Senior League

[CCFC1924]

Interested to hear opinions on this.

For or against?

What are the pros and Cons?

Particularly interested in hearing what Celtic, Westport and Ballina folk have to say.

Also a great opportunity for GUST in my opinion!

[CCFC1924]

FAO Mod:

Just realised there is a thread about this in another section but considering most teams invited are junior and most of those posters post here, can we leave this up?

Cheers :)

[the 12 th man]

FAO Mod:

Just realised there is a thread about this in another section but considering most teams invited are junior and most of those posters post here, can we leave this up?

Cheers :)

Let's see how it goes :ball:

[portside]

I would like westport to stay in junior soccer as the new c.s.l. would be a waste of time in my opinion.
I think the supporters would lose interest as well with a lot of travelling with very little reward at the end.

[CCFC1924]

I would like westport to stay in junior soccer as the new c.s.l. would be a waste of time in my opinion.
I think the supporters would lose interest as well with a lot of travelling with very little reward at the end.

Why though? What's the point? Ye have dominated Junior soccer in Connacht for 2 years and are on the brink of back to back titles. Why not push on?

[badker]

The travelling is the major draw back for most Clubs. But the standard of football would be much better playing against the top sides on a regular basis. How many of the top junior sides are really challenged in their leagues? How did they decide which Clubs to invite into the league.

[CCFC1924]

The travelling is the major draw back for most Clubs. But the standard of football would be much better playing against the top sides on a regular basis. How many of the top junior sides are really challenged in their leagues? How did they decide which Clubs to invite into the league.


Yeah travel is a big issue but with a senior league clubs may attract better and bigger sponsorship deals to help along the way. Also if it was only an 8 team league it may not be huge expense!

Where there's a will...!

[fatboyslim]

Clubs will need minimum €500 per week dedicated to their senior team to play in the CSL. Thats a lot of cash to generate in this day and age. Sponsors are few and far between nowadays.

[topclass]

They're saying an 8 team lge but 3 rounds so there will be a lot of travelling (21 in the lge+ cls cup) .i cant see many of the junior teams going in to it with the likes of sligo and longford and athlone been allowed to use some of their first team players in csl, the gulf in class would be too big.. and there would be a large increase in expenses i.e affiliation fees and refs. Speakin to some of the players in westport, they don't seem too keen on the idea .they're saying a start date of oct this year

[Kane]

I think it should go ahead..each of the other provinces have senior leagues..how do they manage..lots of sponsorship out there..although i think most teams in connacht are content staying at junior and winning respective leagues year in year out..Senior league would provide progression for teams..IMO

[portside]

I think you are right about this being a vehicle for some league of ireland teams to keep their excess players ticking over.
If a team loses a few matches you`re seeing out the season and then you have to fight to meet the top teams in the senior fai cup .
I think for the players and supporters it is more enjoyable to compete in a lot more competitions locally and nationally in junior football.

[swinfordfc]

I can understand Westport Utd going to a higher level as they done excellent for the last number of years but Celtic and Ballina? Celtic youth's system is doing excellent work as can be seen with their Under 18 youth team but their junior side and Ballina are a good way off Westport in fairest. Its alot of expense for clubs and is the interest there over a long time project?

[CCFC1924]

I can understand Westport Utd going to a higher level as they done excellent for the last number of years but Celtic and Ballina? Celtic youth's system is doing excellent work as can be seen with their Under 18 youth team but their junior side and Ballina are a good way off Westport in fairest. Its alot of expense for clubs and is the interest there over a long time project?

I can't understand this. Westport you think should go for it but not Celtic? Is that based on their chances of winning? If their reason for entering is purely based on their chances of winning then what's the point? It has to be about club progress and player progress.

Surely entering a senior league would be an opportunity to offer a higher standard of football to the club's players.

And lets be fair, as it stands Celtic are far more equipped for entering than Westport in terms of infrastructure. When Westport get their ground sorted, then you can claim otherwise. When they do get it sorted (and it looks fantastic) then we will have three well equipped Mayo clubs playing senior football, and in my opinion that can only be a very good thing. A senior league would offer a good level of football, and a platform for younger players to aim for, rather than youngsters leaving for U19 clubs. I'm sure this will still happen but not as much in my opinion.

In terms of interest, I remember our days in the last senior league, and we haven't seen crowds like it since in Celtic Park. I'm not so sure we could recapture that to be honest which is a shame. Thing is, Celtic is better equipped to hold a crowd now than it was then!

[swinfordfc]

I can't understand this. Westport you think should go for it but not Celtic? Is that based on their chances of winning? If their reason for entering is purely based on their chances of winning then what's the point? It has to be about club progress and player progress.

Surely entering a senior league would be an opportunity to offer a higher standard of football to the club's players.

And lets be fair, as it stands Celtic are far more equipped for entering than Westport in terms of infrastructure. When Westport get their ground sorted, then you can claim otherwise. When they do get it sorted (and it looks fantastic) then we will have three well equipped Mayo clubs playing senior football, and in my opinion that can only be a very good thing. A senior league would offer a good level of football, and a platform for younger players to aim for, rather than youngsters leaving for U19 clubs. I'm sure this will still happen but not as much in my opinion.

In terms of interest, I remember our days in the last senior league, and we haven't seen crowds like it since in Celtic Park. I'm not so sure we could recapture that to be honest which is a shame. Thing is, Celtic is better equipped to hold a crowd now than it was then!

I agreed with your infrastructure - probably the best around and i understand why ye are doing it - to get the best youths a chance to play at a higher level - its a great idea but Castlebar Celtic try this once at the Under 19 national league level and ye had to pull out after two years - how can you see working this time?

[badker]

Any further developments? what clubs have joined.

[topclass]

From the mayo sides. westport and ballina are not joining not to sure about celtic... Any word on the rest of the club.??

[badker]

PLANS for the relaunch of the Connacht Senior League this September have been temporarily shelved due to a lack of sufficient interest amongst clubs, but two of the main driving forces behind the plans insist the league will kick-off next year after a 14 year absence.
The Administrator of the Connacht FA, Art Friel, admitted to Tribune Sport this week that too few clubs had given a firm commitment to take part in initial plans to relaunch the league this year, and as a result it would definitely not be going ahead as planned.
“No, it definitely won’t be going ahead this year – to be perfectly honest, there was not sufficient interest from clubs. We are looking at launching it next year, but a lot will depend on the interest of League of Ireland sides in particular in taking part,” he said.
It is believed that Sligo Rovers, Athlone Town and Longford Town had all been approached about joining the league for the planned September kick-off, but it is believed the fact that the CSL would not be running in conjunction with the Airtricity League of Ireland made involvement less attractive to those clubs.
However, spokespersons for both Mervue United and Salthill Devon said this week that the delay in the proposed CSL would not impact on plans to have a unified Galway side playing in the League of Ireland next season.
“The Connacht Senior League was always being planned for March, the September date was never realistic, and Mervue United fully expect to take a full part in the league when it is launched,” a spokesperson for Mervue United said.
In relation to plans for a single Galway side, the spokesperson said that proposal was still very much alive, saying that discussions have been ongoing, and that a lot of progress has been made on the proposal.
“The steering committee is meeting next week, but all sides have come a long way and it is still very much the plan to have a single Galway side in the League of Ireland next season,” the spokesperson said.
A spokesperson for Salthill Devon also said the belief was the new CSL would be launched in March, which would not only suit the League of Ireland sides, but also any potential Mayo clubs interested in getting involved, as the junior game there is also played on a ‘summer season’ format.
“As far as we are concerned, the CSL is on track, although there is some uncertainty over when it will start. We understand it will kick-off in March, and when it does transpire, we want to play in it,” the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson added that Salthill Devon continued to support the plans for a single Galway side to play in the League of Ireland, saying the plan “was all about developing football in Galway”.