Will an All-Ireland Premier League ever happen?

[shizzle787]

I realize Ireland and N. Ireland may never unite, but that doesn't mean that they can't unite their football league systems into one. The Irish rugby team represents both, so why can't a unified top division represent both?

If it happened, I would have a 16-team with a 30 game league schedule, and then a top/bottom split and clubs play an additional 7 matches. I realize that Ireland would likely have to go back to the fall-spring schedule, but would anyone be up for this (I view this similar to East/West German reunification).

[Dunny]

No
The league in the six counties is sectarian and polarised enough without the LOI dipping in to it.They can have and shove it! clubs dont want mammoth policing and match security bills landing on their doorsteps every fortnight.

[citybone]

To answer both posters, I hope so but I can't see it being likely anytime soon. I do think the Northern league is very sectarian but only a few games a year vs them would only be a few sectarian divided games. Also Shams vs Bohs has a large police presence so Linfield vs these clubs would be similar but it would also help boost attendances in my view. I would rather Cork city play Linfield, Glentoran, Portadown, Cruesader or Cliftonville over Bray, UCD, Athlone or Longford

I would also go with a 12 team league with a split plus the FAI and IFA cups separately. Have a Irish league and League of Ireland below with promotion and relegation, This way the best 12 teams on the island are in the top division. The remaining League of Ireland would be stronger than the current first division.

Using the FC Vaduz playing in the Swiss league as precedent we could argue for the IFA cup and FAI cup to have Europa league spots + League champs get Champions league and 2nd & 3rd would still get Europa league. This would result in 4 Europa league spots instead of the current 6. But it should mean we would be more competitive in Europe and get a higher co-efficient.

I would get the northern clubs to play summer football rather than the Free staters switch to winter football.

[Dunny]

I'd never say that it wouldn't work but it would take some effort.We had Cliftonville down in OP a few weeks ago for a so called friendly that some scrote fans didn't get(that it was a friendly) A friendly between Cafflick neighbours lets say yet trouble broke out at that!! You just shake your head and cry a little in dis-belief when you see that sort of crap happening.When the match on the park becomes secondary to whats happening on the terraces then you know you have a problem and thats what will happen if you mix the leagues

[Yossarian]

We had Cliftonville down in OP a few weeks ago for a so called friendly that some scrote fans didn't get(that it was a friendly) A friendly between Cafflick neighbours lets say yet trouble broke out at that!!

In fairness there was an equal number of "scrote fans" from Dundalk who decided to join in the trouble aswell at that game.

[fionnsci]

No. Currently both leagues have 4 European spots, there's no way we would be allowed hold onto 8 with one league. Huge reduction in European participation and prize money. UEFA could also be a potential stumbling block, every country is required to have its own league. I don't see them stopping it if the will for an AIL is massive but I don't think it is; I don't the the FAI and IFA are desperate to get into bed together.

I'd like to see it though. Would make for a stronger, more high profile league and would foster relations beneficially - though as mentioned above there would also be increased security risks and costs.

[Dunny]

In fairness there was an equal number of "scrote fans" from Dundalk who decided to join in the trouble aswell at that game.

Oh aye,i meant to say that in the post,tired eyes etc..

[citybone]

No. Currently both leagues have 4 European spots, there's no way we would be allowed hold onto 8 with one league. Huge reduction in European participation and prize money. UEFA could also be a potential stumbling block, every country is required to have its own league. I don't see them stopping it if the will for an AIL is massive but I don't think it is; I don't the the FAI and IFA are desperate to get into bed together.

I'd like to see it though. Would make for a stronger, more high profile league and would foster relations beneficially - though as mentioned above there would also be increased security risks and costs.

Leceinstein does not. It does have it's own cup competition and using this as precedent, if we kept the FAI and IFA cup separate we could keep 5/8 European places Still not ideal but better than 4/8.

[shizzle787]

Leceinstein does not. It does have it's own cup competition and using this as precedent, if we kept the FAI and IFA cup separate we could keep 5/8 European places Still not ideal but better than 4/8.
Not only that, but Armenia only has seven clubs in its entire country (the UEFA minimum to have a league), and if one more of their clubs goes bankrupt, the clubs will have to play in the Georgian or Russian systems (Azerbaijan wouldn't work as Armenia is at war with them).

[Charlie Darwin]

Leceinstein does not. It does have it's own cup competition and using this as precedent, if we kept the FAI and IFA cup separate we could keep 5/8 European places Still not ideal but better than 4/8.
Liechtenstein never had a league though so the precedent doesn't hold.

[disgruntled]

I realize Ireland and N. Ireland may never unite, but that doesn't mean that they can't unite their football league systems into one. The Irish rugby team represents both, so why can't a unified top division represent both?

If it happened, I would have a 16-team with a 30 game league schedule, and then a top/bottom split and clubs play an additional 7 matches. I realize that Ireland would likely have to go back to the fall-spring schedule, but would anyone be up for this (I view this similar to East/West German reunification).

Simple answer right now is No.
There would be to many in the IFA against it.
Perhaps in a generation or two when all the bigots have died off.
Personally I would like to see it happen but when you look at the way the Setanta Cup has gone I can't see it happening right now.

[jinxy lilywhite]

Though it's not really all down to bigotry. Various attempts had been made by the IFA and FAI down through the years even up to late 70's (one of the worst times during the troubles) for a unified national team and leagues and there are records for these. They fell apart around the time of the Dundalk Linfield match in 79 where the feeling was the fans would never support it. Also shortly after the north started to qualify for 82 and 86 world cups and a united irl side never entered the equation. After 88 we started to qualify for tourneys so fai never bothered with it.


Aside from that I don't see what the northern clubs would offer our league except for a lot of headaches. The botched job 10 years ago from platinum one put paid to any support i would have for also especially the closed shop franchise format they offered

[Mr A]

The Irish League has been doing well in recent years, relatively stable, less trouble at games, crowds increasing and more competitive than previously. The other side of the coin is that NI has far more well qualified coaches in football generally than on our side of the border so the future looks bright. Not sure why any of their clubs would really want to jump, feck all in it for them.

[outspoken]

The Irish League has been doing well in recent years, relatively stable, less trouble at games, crowds increasing and more competitive than previously. The other side of the coin is that NI has far more well qualified coaches in football generally than on our side of the border so the future looks bright. Not sure why any of their clubs would really want to jump, feck all in it for them.

Agree with this, just look at their pyramid structure it's far stronger than anything we have in place. We need them more than they need us in truth.

[brendy_éire]

I really don't know if it could be possible.

Never mind the politics, trouble, difference in competitiveness between the leagues, etc., the main obstacle is a simplier one; travel. I've a few IL friends, and almost to a man they think it's mental that I go to Derry away games. The concept to travelling more than an hour to a match is completely foreign to them. Belfast fans complain about having to go "the whole way to Institute". Belfast to Derry is an hour and a half, and they consider that too far. Warren Feeney complained last year that Linfield had to go on "a four hour round trip" to play Ballinamallard. Bar Harps, our closest away trip is Sligo. Whereas we consider Sligo as only down the road, that sort of a journey would horrify most IL teams.
I'd add that this travel fear isn't confined to football, and it is probably more prevelant amongst Unionists. As an example, my mother-in-law (who lives near Lisburn) won a weekend away in Wicklow and has been invited to a wedding in Kildare. She'll go to neither, simply "far too far away".
Any time I have a discussion about an AIL with an IL fan, one of the first words against it is 'Cork'. Cork is a mind-blowing concept to the average IL fan. It is unimaginable that a team would travel that far to play a football game, even if only once a year.

Before you get into anything else about an AIL, you'll have to convince IL clubs to accept travel.

[PartySaint]

Can we send Derry back?

[gufcfan]

Can we send Derry back?

Wish we could see yee somewhere!

[Charlie Darwin]

Agree with this, just look at their pyramid structure it's far stronger than anything we have in place. We need them more than they need us in truth.
Their pyramid works because the entire country is smaller than Connacht and 2/3 of them live in or near Belfast. Without those two things, it'd be as chaotic as ours.

[gufcfan]

Their pyramid works because the entire country is smaller than Connacht and 2/3 of them live in or near Belfast. Without those two things, it'd be as chaotic as ours.

This is a weak argument for not having a pyramid in my opinion. Norn Iron is very different in a lot of ways, but that doesn't mean that a million separate little fiefdoms in Ireland is the best model for Ireland.

[Charlie Darwin]

This is a weak argument for not having a pyramid in my opinion. Norn Iron is very different in a lot of ways, but that doesn't mean that a million separate little fiefdoms in Ireland is the best model for Ireland.
It's not an argument for not having a pyramid and I don't know how you managed to take such a ridiculous conclusion from what I said. It's an argument that NI's pyramid by default and not a result of any accomplishment on their part.

[gufcfan]

It's not an argument for not having a pyramid and I don't know how you managed to take such a ridiculous conclusion from what I said.

It's an argument often made. Apologies for taking you up wrong.

[Neish]

Great idea in theory but would never work in practice

Firstly it would need to be sanctioned by FIFA which I never see happening. Can't see many IL clubs going for it as they would end up with much more travel and accommodation costs. There would also be people who would travel to games with the sole intend on causing trouble, especially with the like of Linfield vs Derry

[wonder88]

Folks being a little bit defeatist on this matter I think. Things do change overtime, roads/transport should improve, demographics change etc. The crowd at Harps v Derry the other night prove what a hindrance the border is to the development of Ireland, Dundalk v Newry could be the same. No matter what Branding is used(Unionist and the BBC used to refer to the North as Ulster when I was young) now it is called Northern Ireland, it is still has an un-natural feel to it. Most sport in Ireland is organised on an "all-Ireland" basis for a good reason, and so should soccer. I would be with the late Derrick Dougan on this.