eircom League shake up: A suggestion

[MervilleUnited]

For the Attention of the Chief Executive of the Eircom League:

Despite the tremendous success of Shelbourne and Cork City in the year gone by, may I, on behalf of the ordinary soccer supporter, make an appeal for a radical approach to eircom league soccer in 2005.

I feel that all the clubs in the eircom league, who I applaud for their efforts, need a financial leg up to meet the future requirements of UEFA. All the clubs need a few home games each season, which are marketable to the punter who might only go to the odd cup match, and only then if a "Big Name" is playing. Irish sport is one of the most congested and full sports calendar anywhere in the world, aside from the biggest soccer market in Europe being next door. All eircom league clubs need a few bankers each season, just to stay alive.

So my suggestion is as follows:
Split all the League teams into two sections at the start of the year, based on the 2004 positions, Group A Featuring 1st, 3rd, 5th etc from the Premier, and when they reach the bottom, the 2nd, 4th, 6th and so on in the first division. Group B would feature the reverse, each pot holding 11 teams. This first phase would be on a home and away basis. This guarantees the smaller, rural clubs at least 5 "Premier" gates a season. The top 5 clubs in each section/group would progress to the top division, which could be single round (but not reasonable to the fans), or home and away. The first division could then play off in the same format. This means that all have something to play for, at all stages of the season, and it could provide some cliff-hangers!! It also means that cream will rise to the top, and that qualification for the "Super" League would be a big payday for a smaller club. Sponsorship would be easier, as technically any club in the league could win the title in any one year.

The number of games could be a problem, but for the paying punter, there would always be something to play for most of the season, unlike now, where the writing is on the wall for most after 10 games.

Let me know what you think!! The future is at stake

[MervilleUnited]

Better make it 2006 then!! :D

[crc]

:rolleyes: If every club has the chance to make it to the top each year, why would any club bother to seek to top spots in the first division play-off bit (the positions that normally give promotion).

I think this is a well-meaning, but misguided idea.
I would prefer to make more of the league cup - i.e. have regional groups followed by knock-out. We could offer the winner the inter-two-bob spot, as an incentive.

[MervilleUnited]

Fair enough, just stimulating a debate. The situation where it looks like next season that only two clubs can achieve promotion, will leave a lot of clubs dead in the water after a couple of months. Add to that, several clubs in the Premier can achieve no more than saftey after a couple of months. The product needs to be looked at to provide more meaningful games, i would think. Regional Groups are great for local derbies, but here in the North West, the old traditional Dublin foes of my past are dim and distant memories!! Lets hope for promotion!! That said, most of the fans i know fly to the UK once a month! :cool:

[sonofstan]

Fair enough, just stimulating a debate. The situation where it looks like next season that only two clubs can achieve promotion, will leave a lot of clubs dead in the water after a couple of months. Add to that, several clubs in the Premier can achieve no more than saftey after a couple of months. The product needs to be looked at to provide more meaningful games, i would think. Regional Groups are great for local derbies, but here in the North West, the old traditional Dublin foes of my past are dim and distant memories!! Lets hope for promotion!! That said, most of the fans i know fly to the UK once a month! :cool:

agree about the promotion relegation thing - it should be 2 up, 2 down PLUS a play off each season; otherwise prem. teams can be as bad as rovers or pats were this season and just keep scraping through

[MervilleUnited]

It would have been one hell of a first division with Pats and Rovers in it! :eek: Crowds up in the regions, and a kick in the **** for the management involved!! that said, they would have been strong contenders for that lower league title, and a trophy is a trophy to all fans!! :)

[MervilleUnited]

For a laugh I had a look at the 2 qualifying sections I suggested at the top. If i was the limerick chairman i would be push for it!! Who would qualify for the top 5 places in each section, to qualify for the Super Premier League?

Group A
Shelbourne
Bohemians
Waterford United
Derry City
Shamrock Rovers
UCD
Kildare County
Dundalk
Cobh Ramblers
Athlone Town
Limerick

Group B
Cork
Drogheda
Longford
St Pats
Dublin City
Finn Harps
Bray
Galway
Sligo Rovers
Kilkenny City
Monaghan United

Love the balance of the Dublin Clubs though!!

[patsh]

I like the look of Group B.....over 50 points for City, I'd say......:D

[A face]

I like the look of Group B.....over 50 points for City, I'd say......:D

Yeah ... i thought so too .... Lets go with it, i think its a runner !!

[jimhacker]

You'ld do anything to get City relegated!

[joeSoap]

For a laugh I had a look at the 2 qualifying sections I suggested at the top. If i was the limerick chairman i would be push for it!! Who would qualify for the top 5 places in each section, to qualify for the Super Premier League?

Group A
Shelbourne
Bohemians
Waterford United
Derry City
Shamrock Rovers
UCD
Kildare County
Dundalk
Cobh Ramblers
Athlone Town
Limerick

Group B
Cork
Drogheda
Longford
St Pats
Dublin City
Finn Harps
Bray
Galway
Sligo Rovers
Kilkenny City
Monaghan United

Love the balance of the Dublin Clubs though!!
Group 1 would be a formality with Shels, Bohs, Waterford, Derry and Limerick qualifying, although not necessarily in that order. :D

Group 2 would be interesting though, with Cork & Drogs probably the only 2 guaranteed.

[MervilleUnited]

Limerick?!!? :eek: Well at least the Rovers (Sligo that is!) might see the promised land, and a few nice home games on route! Cork could attract 5000 to the Showgrounds, at a tenner a head (If we won our two previous games, that is!!) so 50k would keep the wolf from the door!

That said, the issue of the first division cup, as mentioned earlier, is a problem. A top four playoff for a grand final perhaps?

Fantasy football indeed! :ball:

[MervilleUnited]

Just a little update on this topic, which was intended to stimulate "Out of the Box" thinking! :eek:

Just heard Roddy Forsyth on BBC5Live on the proposals for the SPL Next season. Seems a proposal to increase the SPL to 14 teams, leading to the now infamous split, which will leave 6 in the top section, playing for the title, and a bottom eight, playing for the trapdoor! Heres the crux: the team who finishes at the top of the section of eight (in effect seventh in the League), will play off over 2 legs for a UEFA Cup spot against the team that finishes third! :confused: This, they say will keep all the games attractive for all clubs!

So my proposal now is that the First Division winners play off against the third placed club in the premier for a intertoto spot! Fun or what

Happy New Year ;)