FAI Invites First Division Expressions of Interest

[Ezeikial]

The Premier was 10 a few years back. Now it's 12, is there any harm in the teams 11th and 12th dropping down with the first division winner promoted and however many is agreeable entering a play-off? All clubs are stakeholders in the game as Delaney put's it. Will the push have to come from clubs for change?

Do you think that the 12 PD clubs will push for this change?

Turkeys and Christmas come to mind

[legendz]

Do you think that the 12 PD clubs will push for this change?

Turkeys and Christmas come to mind

lol, the answer I expected!

[Lim till i die]

Im kinda puzzled by all the first division fans looking to the premier as some kind of panacea.

Id safely say eight of the twelve premier clubs havent a pot to **** in and the other four are a wet weekend from joining them.

Look at Athlone Town playing to micro crowds. Id imagine Limerick are losing our arse this year aswell and the longer it goes on the more worrying itll get.

When teams do go to the wall in this league it tends to be Premier teams.

Why?? Because you wake up one morning and realise that piddly little four figure holes in your first division cash flow have became massive, gaping, six or seven figure chasms in your club budget.

Why?? Because when you get to the promised land of the premier the costs of EVERYTHING needed to compete increase in massive increments that your income will struggle to keep up with. If you choose not to shell out the extra bucks on the team expenditure.side you're an Athlone Town and youre.shagged anyway.

In short, careful what you wish for!!

[Charlie Darwin]

Im kinda puzzled by all the first division fans looking to the premier as some kind of panacea.

Id safely say eight of the twelve premier clubs havent a pot to **** in and the other four are a wet weekend from joining them.

Look at Athlone Town playing to micro crowds. Id imagine Limerick are losing our arse this year aswell and the longer it goes on the more worrying itll get.

When teams do go to the wall in this league it tends to be Premier teams.

Why?? Because you wake up one morning and realise that piddly little four figure holes in your first division cash flow have became massive, gaping, six or seven figure chasms in your club budget.

Why?? Because when you get to the promised land of the premier the costs of EVERYTHING needed to compete increase in massive increments that your income will struggle to keep up with. If you choose not to shell out the extra bucks on the team expenditure.side you're an Athlone Town and youre.shagged anyway.

In short, careful what you wish for!!
Yeah, but why do promoted teams upgrade their squads? Because they have to play to a higher standard. If there were more teams, they'd still be picking from the same pool of players, so it's not like Wexford will suddenly be competing with Bohemians for players. There'll be a more rational distribution than that.

[NeverFeltBetter]

Stupid question probably, but is there any sign of any interest from any club not already in the LOI to make an application?

Edit: Apart from "Meath FC" or whatever the hell that is.

[Charlie Darwin]

Stupid question probably, but is there any sign of any interest from any club not already in the LOI to make an application?

Edit: Apart from "Meath FC" or whatever the hell that is.
Simple answer, no. Most of the bigger junior clubs are based in Dublin, where there's **** all room for expansion. There's not enough competition in most of the rest of the country whereby a team could rise up on merit. I don't think a new team can really enter the league until there are strong regional leagues where success brings the incentive of progressing to league football. There really doesn't seem to be any hope of that happening.

The alternative would be something similar to Northern Ireland, where the FAI dictates that every league feeds into the pyramid, in which case we'd see Dublin clubs who don't particularly want to be part of the league ending up getting promoted and finding they don't have the income to do it, will have to play on a different day than they're used to and will have to file their accounts like a normal business, none of which they have any interest in doing. And that's before you even get into the fact they'd have to switch over to summer football.

[NeverFeltBetter]

In related news, the English FA look like they'll be introducing "B" teams into their league pyramid in some capacity as well: http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/27289819

[Charlie Darwin]

In related news, the English FA look like they'll be introducing "B" teams into their league pyramid in some capacity as well: http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/27289819
Same old England, always copying Shamrock Rovers...

In all seriousness, it's hard to see how a B team system in England can do anything except benefit the top teams at the expense of the lower league sides. It's different in Ireland and other smaller European countries where players are on one-year contracts and loans aren't really a realistic option, but in England if you have a player on a three or four-year deal and dozens of clubs willing to take them, there's no reason you'd need a B team except to benefit the top of the pyramid.

[sulywaterfordfc]

Waterford had a meeting tonight. It's been said no players will be released and that the players want to play for jersey.

[NeverFeltBetter]

Do they have a choice?

[Longfordian]

Do they even qualify for Jersey?

[Mr A]

No one can leave until July in any case. Unless they agree to simply walk away from their contracts and are happy not to play football until then.

[jinxy lilywhite]

Waterford supporters need to shoulder some responsibility here. Time after time the board have messed up and been bailed out by the goodwill of their supporters. During the last debacle did they demand a place on the board or more involvement in the running of the affairs of the club.
I am not sure if they have a supporter club or a trust but they need to mobilise ASAP if they want to prevent this reoccurring.

[Macy]

The alternative would be something similar to Northern Ireland, where the FAI dictates that every league feeds into the pyramid, in which case we'd see Dublin clubs who don't particularly want to be part of the league ending up getting promoted and finding they don't have the income to do it, will have to play on a different day than they're used to and will have to file their accounts like a normal business, none of which they have any interest in doing. And that's before you even get into the fact they'd have to switch over to summer football.
Just as the premier clubs won't be the turkeys voting for christmas regarding relegation places, the FAI/ Delaney aren't going to be the turkeys that píss off their power base by taking on the Junior and Intermediate clubs.


And that's before you even get into the fact they'd have to switch over to summer football.
Summer Football, fecking things up since 2003.


Do they even qualify for Jersey?
Given the history of the league (clubs and players), a tax haven is the logical choice.

[Ezeikial]

Waterford had a meeting tonight. It's been said no players will be released and that the players want to play for jersey.

Gibraltar would be a better prospect

[wonder88]

Interesting that the English FA are following Shamrock R, just shows that they are the most progressive club by far in Ireland. However in Germany there is a move towards doing away with B teams as apart from the big clubs, most find it too expensive for the returns (unclear often) from the exercise. Many there believe that a loan system works better in developing young/fringe players as the B teams there play at 3rd tier level; which is too low a standard. How many B teams do people think could play in the First Division before it becomes irrelevant and how many Premier Div clubs can afford to field a B team, cost reported at 80k per season?

Agree that 2 promotion places from the 1st division would help, but it needs at least 2 and if possible 4 extra "real clubs" to join it to make it a proper league. If as it looks like it, you can't get new clubs I think the best solution is to have a one division league, with a halfway top/bottom split and with the bottom club having to apply for re-election at the end of the season.

[Charlie Darwin]

Accrington StanleyVerified account‏@ASFCofficial (https://twitter.com/ASFCofficial)

To increase the number of English players in the top flight we're going to launch a B team & apply to join the Premier League

[legendz]

How many B teams do people think could play in the First Division before it becomes irrelevant and how many Premier Div clubs can afford to field a B team, cost reported at 80k per season?
* Over a third.
* 1.

[CityRebel]

City and Pats have registered interest in entering B teams next year.

[NeverFeltBetter]

The Sun is reporting tomorrow that Shamrock Rovers are considering pulling the plug on the "B" team already: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bxr6lX6CEAA04h9.jpg

[Charlie Darwin]

I saw that and I'd be very disappointed if it was the case. I know 100k is a lot of money in LOI terms, but Nutsy has been very complimentary in what the B team has brought to the first team squad, and I'd hate to see us go back to the old model.

[Longfordian]

I saw that and I'd be very disappointed if it was the case. I know 100k is a lot of money in LOI terms, but Nutsy has been very complimentary in what the B team has brought to the first team squad, and I'd hate to see us go back to the old model.

Nutsy doesn't appear to think that having the B players playing and training part time is of much benefit to him given the first team squad are full time. I'm not sure what alternative he has in mind except adding the 100k onto his own budget.

[nigel-harps1954]

Back to seven teams so. Wonderful.

[desaintsno.12]

heard a few weeks ago that B team players were told that Nutsy was 100% pulling the plug on it and they should start looking for new clubs.

[Longfordian]

Back to seven teams so. Wonderful.

Unless Cork or Pats follow up on their initial interest.

[bennocelt]

Well that was obvious

[Macy]

Surprised it's Nutsy's decision tbh. Should be at least the board, if not the members. Not much of a model club, if a potentially short term appointment is making the call on what was so supposed to be long term player development policy. However, on our visits, they never got much support in so maybe it's more than the player wages affecting the financial decision to pull them.

[Charlie Darwin]

http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/league-of-ireland/shamrock-rovers-b-team-facing-axe-in-fenlon-review-30592229.html

[Dodge]

If Bray are struggling as much as some think they are, we could be back to scrambling for any teams again

[Yossarian]

http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/league-of-ireland/shamrock-rovers-b-team-facing-axe-in-fenlon-review-30592229.html

Long term contracts eh. Good to see Fenlon is looking to implement the long term strategy that was so successful at Shels and Bohs.

[NeverFeltBetter]

If Bray are struggling as much as some think they are, we could be back to scrambling for any teams again

Eh? Maybe its just because of the foot.ie exclusion zone, but hadn't heard anything about Bray being in enough trouble to be worried.

Edit: Never mind, saw the newspaper ad.

[Nesta99]

Wasnt there a committment to 3 years participation factored in to the Shams B project?

[NeverFeltBetter]

If there was, it mustn't have been a legal commitment.

[Charlie Darwin]

Wasnt there a committment to 3 years participation factored in to the Shams B project?
Not sure how informed Nutsy is but he doesn't seem to think so. It would be a disaster for the FAI if nobody else was able to fill the gap. Clubs in the FD will look at the prospect of a 7-team league and wonder whether senior football is worth it.

[WoodquayBoy]

Eh? Maybe its just because of the foot.ie exclusion zone, but hadn't heard anything about Bray being in enough trouble to be worried.

Edit: Never mind, saw the newspaper ad.
can we ask what the ad is?

[outspoken]

If ever there was a motivation to get out of this grave yard of a division it is now

[Mr A]

http://www.newstalk.com/reader/47.302.347/31344/0/

Not sure how much to read into it.

[Bosco]

Anyone hear Stewie Byrne on Newstalk last night talking about it?For some reason his only response to Bray being in trouble was to say that he was at a game during the summer and there was a group of fans shouting and cursing throughout which really put him off. He said that kind of thing is part of the experience at Bohs and Rovers but not at Bray....think it could have been away fans he was talking about as well....complete and utter drivel coming out of his mouth...

[brendy_éire]

http://www.newstalk.com/reader/47.302.347/31344/0/

Not sure how much to read into it.

Doesn't help that our match down there will now be moved to midweek because of the cup semi-final.

[Charlie Darwin]

Was half-thinking of heading down there to the Pats match on Friday. It's no Crackbird, but they're offering €20 for a match ticket and an Eddie Rockets meal.

[Longfordian]

Was half-thinking of heading down there to the Pats match on Friday. It's no Crackbird, but they're offering €20 for a match ticket and an Eddie Rockets meal.

http://genophoria.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/shut-up-and-take-my-money.jpg

[Dodge]

It really is a brilliant deal. Hope it works out for them

https://www.facebook.com/BrayWanderersFC/photos/a.269132196451402.70991.207715305926425/820994341265182/?type=1&relevant_count=1

[Neish]

Perhaps a solution but would take too much thought and effort for FAI/League. Also 3 Donegal teams wouldn't work

http://www.punditarena.com/football/irish-football/tstafford/what-next-for-the-league-of-ireland-first-division/

[nigel-harps1954]

Perhaps a solution but would take too much thought and effort for FAI/League. Also 3 Donegal teams wouldn't work

http://www.punditarena.com/football/irish-football/tstafford/what-next-for-the-league-of-ireland-first-division/


Too many Cork teams. We're going to end up with seven teams again.

[pineapple stu]

Perhaps a solution but would take too much thought and effort for FAI/League. Also 3 Donegal teams wouldn't work

http://www.punditarena.com/football/irish-football/tstafford/what-next-for-the-league-of-ireland-first-division/
Meh. Young and enthusiastic fan puts club names on a piece of paper and doesn't have to do any of the work involved. Seen it before (probably wrote it myself back when I was a whippersnapper), will see it again. It's not that easy in reality.

I do think the First Division would work better regionalised, but I have no idea how you'd get the interest from enough top junior sides to make the step up.

[NeverFeltBetter]

Is there any Junior side that would be both competitive on the field and financially stable upon entering the LOI? I mean, which Junior clubs get the highest attendances?

I just don't see any options there right now, viable ones anyway.

[Charlie Darwin]

Is there any Junior side that would be both competitive on the field and financially stable upon entering the LOI?
There is talk that there have been a couple of combined-county expressions of interest (not applications) to the FAI for next year, as well as two B teams (probably Pats and Cork). Speculation the county teams are Kerry and Meath.

[Sheridan]

Is there any Junior side that would be both competitive on the field and financially stable upon entering the LOI?
If there are, the last thing they'd want to do is enter the League of Ireland, because they soon wouldn't be.

[Roo69]

Was half-thinking of heading down there to the Pats match on Friday. It's no Crackbird, but they're offering €20 for a match ticket and an Eddie Rockets meal.

Do it ! For the sake of :ball:

I'm hearing a lot of conflicting stories about what's going on so i don't know what to believe... Best one yet is that the great Pat Devlin is planning a take over of the club!

[NeverFeltBetter]

There is talk that there have been a couple of combined-county expressions of interest (not applications) to the FAI for next year, as well as two B teams (probably Pats and Cork). Speculation the county teams are Kerry and Meath.

I've heard Kerry rumours before. I would presume there are still a few people involved with Tralee Dynamos who think they could get make an application at the heart of that. But both them and Meath would struggle to last long I think.

If Rovers can't stomach the expenses, will Cork and Pats?