2021 Fixtures

[DCSIL]

https://cms.sseairtricityleague.ie/sites/default/files/inline-files/2021%20Season%20SSE%20Airtricity%20League%20Fixtur e%20List%20Feb%20010221.pdf

Longford Away first up - Shame it'll be behind closed doors

First Division Fixtures out next monday

[pineapple stu]

Do we know who's in the First Division yet?

Or is that when/how we're going to find out?

[Bucket]

Isn't that the way it is each year? Very difficult for First Division clubs to price season tickets for the Christmas market as they don't know how many teams are in it and how many home games they'll have.

[pineapple stu]

I thought we at least knew who was in the division this time in past years tbh.

[Bucket]

The date for release of fixtures this year was delayed. Last year, fixtures announced on 10th Jan, Rovers II were confirmed the day before!

[nigel-harps1954]

First Division fixtures are next Monday I believe.

[blueblood]

Supposed to announce licences on Thursday then 1st division fixtures next Monday

[pineapple stu]

The date for release of fixtures this year was delayed. Last year, fixtures announced on 10th Jan, Rovers II were confirmed the day before!
Maybe it's the delay makes it feel different alright.

Though I don't think Rovers B was a surprise really, was it? Compared to this year, where two Limerick sides, a Wexford side and Irish Sea wotsit have applied, and there's slight question marks over Rovers B staying on

[Bucket]

It was no surprise, it was a big talking point with some clubs threatening boycotts. All will be revealed Thursday. Let them all in, what's the worst that could happen?!

[Kiki Balboa]

Its a fairly brutal finish to the season for Drogheda.... Bohs (a), Dundalk (h), Rovers (a).... More than likely thats the top 3...

Sligo (a) before that. I know there is only 9 teams in the league... but I dont think you could have asked for a harder finish to the year than that for Drogheda.

[Martinho II]

By a strange twist of fate its the third time we have met Derry City in the top flight on first day of season. In 00/01 under Stephen Kenny we won 1-0 in the Brandywell. Two and half yrs later in 02/03 under Alan Mathews we won 3-2 in the Brandywell again. Wondering can we do it again? Think it will be very tough imo.
BTW when is foot.ie 20th anniversary coming up does anyone know?

[boynemunich]

Its a fairly brutal finish to the season for Drogheda.... Bohs (a), Dundalk (h), Rovers (a).... More than likely thats the top 3...

Sligo (a) before that. I know there is only 9 teams in the league... but I dont think you could have asked for a harder finish to the year than that for Drogheda.

Hopefully we'll have a European spot wrapped up by then ...

[wonder88]

Hopefully we could see some fans allowed into grounds (in very small number say 200) by May. Will the First Division be 3 rounds of fixtures this year, 27 games?

[Seagull]

So it seems Division One fixtures to be announced next Monday 8th at 5pm. Licences to be announced around two weeks later, you really couldn't make this stuff up. Will Rovers B still be involved if Treaty Utd are to get a licence? Are the Dublin County shower still knocking around?
https://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/league-of-ireland/confusion-surrounds-structure-of-league-of-ireland-first-division-40042752.html

[pineapple stu]

Don't forget Yola United.

Will they even get to be a YOLO?

[Burnsie]

pretty sure Yola withdrew their application (along with St Francis and one or two others who were initially mentioned)

It's a little bit terrifying that this Dublin County/Irish Sea shower haven't been shot out of a cannon yet

[Martinho II]

Remind me again who YOLA are again as Im losing track of this !

[sadloserkid]

Remind me again who YOLA are again as Im losing track of this !

They were the 'I can't believe it's not Wexford Youths' entrant.

[fc hammer]

You couldn't make this **** up

[sbgawa]

I have no idea if SRFC ii will be in the league again this year but considering the excelent football played last season , the lack of any hassle around first team players playing etc and the alternative possibly (subject to Limerick x 2 , Yolo, Dublin County etc etc) being someone being idle every week i wonder what the teams themselves would prefer.

[Burnsie]

I'd be amazed if the number of new applicants accepted into the league isn't exactly one, at SR2's expense.

[Bucket]

Are licenses still being announced today?

[Seagull]

Are licenses still being announced today?

23rd February.

[pineapple stu]

So Bray announced as home to TBC in the first game - presumably Treaty United, but Rovers II intend on being in the division too (https://www.irishmirror.ie/sport/soccer/soccer-news/shamrock-rovers-determined-field-first-23463608.amp?fbclid=IwAR16KUGGvYoDCHbHaH33nNQV4wba Q5eqSAA0D6hwt9cRMLZT3atV6MIffaw).

This could get fun... :rolleyes:

[NeverFeltBetter]

If Treaty and this Dublin crowd got in, then Shams B would presumably be a shoe-in as a 12th side.

Or maybe Treaty will only submit underage teams and Shams B will be the 10th side. Who knows.

[Nesta99]

If Treaty and this Dublin crowd got in, then Shams B would presumably be a shoe-in as a 12th side.

Or maybe Treaty will only submit underage teams and Shams B will be the 10th side. Who knows.

Rovers inside man! ;)

Irrespective of 1st Division clubs protesting on the principle, I think Rovers B will stick until additional Premier clubs look to enter second teams meaning a firm policy decision one way or another so an all or none thing. It would be fun if you end up with another few clubs look to follow Rovers example.

[pineapple stu]

Just after seeing that the Premier Division fixtures have the four European qualifiers playing each other in the weekend in between the first and second legs of the first round of Europe. Some progress at last maybe? Or just a coincidence?

[Trainee]

Looks like 1st division fixtures will need to be redone as rovers B, Treaty Utd & Dublin county are all going granted a licence meaning it will 12 team division

[sbgawa]

where did you see that?

[Trainee]

where did you see that?

Heard it from a few places & its into some of today's papers

[pineapple stu]

That's ridiculous if that's the case. Why would you release a set of fixtures that you have to tear up a week later?

I had heard it suggested that a 12-team FD could involve a 22-game league season and the First Division Shield at the start to add games. So that's a big change for the league season.

[Martinho II]

I would be shocked if thats true. There was nothing in Sun today about it. Its a farcical decision by the FAI.

[2 Year Contract]

That's ridiculous if that's the case. Why would you release a set of fixtures that you have to tear up a week later?

I had heard it suggested that a 12-team FD could involve a 22-game league season and the First Division Shield at the start to add games. So that's a big change for the league season.


Surely it would be better to go with a top 6/bottom 6 split after 22 games which would finish on 27 games followed by the playoffs. Rather than playing for a meaningless shield

[pineapple stu]

If you did that, the bottom half would be meaningless and the top half would be close to it too given how big the play-offs are.

The Shield would have a trophy and I think it'd be the better option tbh

[sbgawa]

i cant see anything anywhere on the first division.
a twelve 12 division would be some change from the 7 teams it was a few years ago but i struggle to believe the dublin county thing is credible.

[Nesta99]

Surely it would be better to go with a top 6/bottom 6 split after 22 games which would finish on 27 games followed by the playoffs. Rather than playing for a meaningless shield

Noooooooo!! Was bad enough when the Premier Division experimented with that format. Maybe if the top of the bottom 6 got some backdoor in to the promotion playoffs it could keep some interest going for bottom 6 fans. But nothing to win or really lose then it would be saving money to keep BCD games.

*anything ye see about Dublin County/Irish Sea FC seems like a p*ss take. Believe it when seei it but its like a parody of a parody of a parody! Thank fook there was no twitter back in Dublin City days..

[pineapple stu]

i cant see anything anywhere on the first division.
a twelve 12 division would be some change from the 7 teams it was a few years ago but i struggle to believe the dublin county thing is credible.
Never went as low as 7 teams. 8 was as bad as it got.

Agree on Dublin County alright. If nothing else, they've 5 weeks to put a team together (and an underage structure). They'll either be crap or full of random foreigners no-one's heard of or would generate interest. It's not the way to enter the league.

[2 Year Contract]

If you did that, the bottom half would be meaningless and the top half would be close to it too given how big the play-offs are.

The Shield would have a trophy and I think it'd be the better option tbh

Dont think I explained that very well, I mean after 22 games the final 5 fixtures would be determined by league placing. The top 6 would play the bottom 6. Of course a side in the bottom 6 could still make the playoffs in those final games. Just an idea as a 22 game season would be far too short IMO. Ideally I’d like to see it be a 33 game season but I’m aware first division clubs haven’t been in favour of a longer season in the past

[Trainee]

i cant see anything anywhere on the first division.
a twelve 12 division would be some change from the 7 teams it was a few years ago but i struggle to believe the dublin county thing is credible.

Its was in the Star

[pineapple stu]

Dont think I explained that very well, I mean after 22 games the final 5 fixtures would be determined by league placing. The top 6 would play the bottom 6. Of course a side in the bottom 6 could still make the playoffs in those final games. Just an idea as a 22 game season would be far too short IMO. Ideally I’d like to see it be a 33 game season but I’m aware first division clubs haven’t been in favour of a longer season in the past
Oh ok. I think that'd amount to roughly the same thing though - the seventh placed team would be at a huge disadvantage relative to the sixth placed team, so it would effectively become a top 6/bottom 6 (especially when you look at the big gap between top half and bottom half last year)

If you take it that a 33-game season isn't ideal in a covid year when there's likely to be disruption, then certainly there's no really satisfactory answer. I still think an extra trophy is better than some dead league rubbers. But the main thing is that things shouldn't remotely have come to this, where we have a fixture list which contains a team called TBC, and yet even that fixture list may need to be thrown away to let in two new teams five weeks before the first match. It's daft.

[Lim till i die]

12 teams!

Really positive stuff.

It's great to see clubs clawing one another to get involved in the league now that the new shiny Delaney less FAI are running it and running it well.

Wait.

Surely not...

https://www.sitejabber.com/reviews/soccercampbytheocean.com

Six months I give it

[gufct]

All this to keep rovers happy 😡😡😡😡

[sbgawa]

We are just desperate to play Galway ;)

[sulywaterfordfc]

Never went as low as 7 teams. 8 was as bad as it got.

Agree on Dublin County alright. If nothing else, they've 5 weeks to put a team together (and an underage structure). They'll either be crap or full of random foreigners no-one's heard of or would generate interest. It's not the way to enter the league.

In 2014 there were 7 clubs plus Rovers B.

[sulywaterfordfc]

Just because 12 clubs are awarded first division licences it doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll be 12 clubs in the division. The FAI will decide next week who they’re going to invite which in itself is utter ludicrous.

It’s absolutely disgraceful the process is drawn out for so long. Hugely unfair on teams, it’s impossible for some teams to plan for the season. And then at the last minute they’re left with a few weeks to pull a squad out of nowhere. Huge disincentive for when it comes to attracting established clubs to join up.

Has the February 22nd deadline day been extended this year?

[sbgawa]

Just because 12 clubs are awarded first division licences it doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll be 12 clubs in the division. The FAI will decide next week who they’re going to invite which in itself is utter ludicrous.

It’s absolutely disgraceful the process is drawn out for so long. Hugely unfair on teams, it’s impossible for some teams to plan for the season. And then at the last minute they’re left with a few weeks to pull a squad out of nowhere. Huge disincentive for when it comes to attracting established clubs to join up.

Has the February 22nd deadline day been extended this year?


I think i read somewhere it is the 24th

[pineapple stu]

In 2014 there were 7 clubs plus Rovers B.
Well, that's 8 teams in fairness, no?

[Seagull]

Daniel McDonnell thinks Dublin County didn't get a licence, it'll be a 10 team division.https://twitter.com/McDonnellDan/status/1363166822804111364?s=20

[Seagull]

It's Treaty Utd in, Shams 2 out.
https://www.fai.ie/domestic/news/composition-of-league-of-ireland-divisions-finalised

[Hulky]

Where I can watch the league on TV, abroad? Or some streaming options?