View Full Version : Top flight make-up to be decided by committee
A face
03/07/2006, 2:27 PM
Top flight make-up to be decided by committee
The make-up of the 2007 eircom League Premiership will be decided by an Independent Assessment Group on a once-off basis after the 22 eircom League clubs accepted proposals on a merger with the FAI from next season.
The FAI will take over the running of the eircom League, which will be changed into a four-tier league topped by the Premiership.
Read more at www.eleven-a-side.com (http://www.eleven-a-side.com/offthefield/irish_soccer_detail.asp?newsid=23263)
Anto McC
03/07/2006, 5:05 PM
The Independent Assessment Group will be chaired by Dundalk native and Uefa Life Member Des Casey and will include an administrative expert in the shape of former Dublin City Manager John Fitzgerald, former Irish international Niall Quinn and former Chairman of the Irish Sports Council Pat O’Neill, with the committee to meet for the first time in July.
The same Naill Quinn who......
Niall Quinn’s consortium today confirmed they have reached an agreement on a £10m (€14.41m) cash offer for Sunderland.
The Drumaville company, shared by the former Irish international striker, are seeking a 90% ownership of the club, meaning they need to buy a significant number of shares on top of the 56.8% owned by former chairman Bob Murray to complete a takeover.
“I am personally delighted on behalf of my consortium company Drumaville to be in a position to present this offer to the shareholders and fans of SAFC,” said Quinn.
“We believe this heralds a new beginning for Sunderland, but it is only going to happen if everything comes together in a joint effort.”
Quinn, who announced that season ticket prices will be frozen, will technically not take over as chairman until 21 days have elapsed, but Murray has allowed him to start work early.
His first task will be to appoint a new manager, although he admitted that despite thinking long and hard about it, that process will only begin in earnest today.
He said: “The journey starts today, and although we are in a 21-day period where I’m not in total power, Bob Murray had kindly agreed that I can set about the task of getting a manager, so that task starts straight away.”
After much speculation as to the identities of Quinn’s backers, the offer document revealed that they are Patrick Beirne, Patsy Byrne, Charlie Chawke, Louis Fitzgerald, John Hays, Paddy Kelly and Jack Tierney.
Myself and Endai were discussing this today and to be quite honest i'm shocked that a man who is willing to plough money into another league while totally ignoring our own,is getting a say on who qualifies for what league.Does anyone else agree?
Student Mullet
03/07/2006, 5:09 PM
I don't actually. As far as I'm concerned he's an outside expert the same as the man from the corpo or the sports council. I'd prefer that to someone involved with the FAI or a club here.
dcfcsteve
03/07/2006, 5:18 PM
I don't actually. As far as I'm concerned he's an outside expert the same as the man from the corpo or the sports council. I'd prefer that to someone involved with the FAI or a club here.
Agreed. It's his money, and he's free to do with it as he likes.
Yes - I'd ratehr he put it into an Irish club, but no - I can't blame him financially for chosing not to do so. That doesn't impact his ability to fulfill a role on the selection committee - though I'd be curious to know why he was put there in the first place. Apart from being a high-profile and well-respected Irish ex-footballer, why is he deemed worthy of inclusion ?
A face
03/07/2006, 5:28 PM
As far as I'm concerned he's an outside expert the same as the man from the corpo or the sports council. I'd prefer that to someone involved with the FAI or a club here.
How exactly is he expert? You'd expect it to be in footballing terms but the guy never played here and couldn't name five players in the league.
Its a complete sham ..... is it a sign of what is to come ??
That doesn't impact his ability to fulfill a role on the selection committee - though I'd be curious to know why he was put there in the first place. Apart from being a high-profile and well-respected Irish ex-footballer, why is he deemed worthy of inclusion ?
Selection committee maybe ... but what about investment into the new league, given the fact he is looking for investment for his own pet project.
Schumi
03/07/2006, 5:34 PM
but what about investment into the new league, given the fact he is looking for investment for his own pet project.
What about it? He's just deciding that UCD and CHF get relegated and replaced with Rovers and Galway, nothing to do with investment.
Student Mullet
03/07/2006, 5:34 PM
How exactly is he expert? You'd expect it to be in footballing terms but the guy never played here and couldn't name five players in the league.
Its a complete sham ..... is it a sign of what is to come ??But naming five players in the league is not necessary for this job. Can the corpo manager name players, or the man from the sports council? He ownes a foreign club and has some experience in running football.
The fact that he used to play for Ireland is irrelavant, he's someone brought in from a foreign league to do a job here. Nothing more, nothing less.
Jerry The Saint
03/07/2006, 5:37 PM
Conflict of interest?
Niall Quinn's main concern is what's best for his investment at Sunderland, and good luck to him I say, of course it's his money to do whatever he wants with it. Sunderland have several young Irish players, he would surely like to see more promsing youngsters going to his club instead of staying in Ireland.
[conspiracy theory]What if Quinn's new manager expressed an interest in some of UCD's underage internationals:confused: Forcible relegation would make it easier for him to pick them up on the cheap...;) [/conspiracy theory]
Anto McC
03/07/2006, 5:38 PM
Apart from being a high-profile and well-respected Irish ex-footballer, why is he deemed worthy of inclusion ?
As far as i can see,it's a PR stunt,as A Face already said he'd struggle to name 5 players from the league,is it the case that the FAI are already more concerned about image than a well run and structured league?
We all know what the FAI are (in)capable of,what they intend to do and what they actually do will be different things i suspect but i suppose only time will tell!
Also,is it the case that he will be getting paid for this work?
Which,if he is,it's more than likely that,that money will go towards his purchase of Sunderland!!
A face
03/07/2006, 6:03 PM
What about it? He's just deciding that UCD and CHF get relegated and replaced with Rovers and Galway, nothing to do with investment.
Actually i take that back ... the 6.01 news tonight said that he only has 21 day to find the remainder of the money so it might not impact now.
I do question his ability to fulfill a role though.
He ownes a foreign club and has some experience in running football.
The fact that he used to play for Ireland is irrelavant, he's someone brought in from a foreign league to do a job here. Nothing more, nothing less.
What experience has he? and is it even enough to warrant a place on this committee?
Its a PR stunt ........ And it looks very shoddy to be honest, it doesn't encourage much faith in the new committee/league if the only credentials you need to have is that you are nicknamed the 'green giant (http://www.thom.org/photos/MNBEdawngiant.jpg)'.
Student Mullet
03/07/2006, 6:18 PM
What experience has he? and is it even enough to warrant a place on this committee?
Its a PR stunt ........ And it looks very shoddy to be honest, it doesn't encourage much faith in the new committee/league if the only credentials you need to have is that you are nicknamed the 'green giant (http://www.thom.org/photos/MNBEdawngiant.jpg)'.Did he not just buy Sunderland? In any case, I agree with you that he's there for the PR and that there are more qualified people who could do the job, though I don't see what particular qualifications are needed to add up the points sheet that the FAI gives you. I don't agree that his position is compromised by his investment in a foreign club.
A face
03/07/2006, 7:09 PM
Did he not just buy Sunderland?
He still have to buy remaining shares i think although he can sit at the top of the table now.
Roverstillidie
03/07/2006, 9:52 PM
while i think NQ has a conflict of interest that should preclude him from this, i have no problem with a committee of 'outsiders' teasing all this out in a neutral manner.
are people suggesting that EL insiders/blazers are the people to sort all this out?
sonofstan
03/07/2006, 9:57 PM
What does Niall Quinn know about make- up? top flight or otherwise?
Poor Student
03/07/2006, 10:03 PM
Isn't Niall Quinn's point to fulfill the role of an outsider with football knowledge and people are complaining that he is an outsider? Far be it from me to back the process, but I don't see this as much of an issue in itself.
Roverstillidie
03/07/2006, 10:11 PM
Isn't Niall Quinn's point to fulfill the role of an outsider with football knowledge and people are complaining that he is an outsider? Far be it from me to back the process, but I don't see this as much of an issue in itself.
i think the complaint is he owns a football team overseas so may have a conflict of interest
Poor Student
03/07/2006, 10:14 PM
i think the complaint is he owns a football team overseas so may have a conflict of interest
That point seems only to have been raised latterly. I'm not saying it isn't valid, but I think it's only a minor aspect of a much larger problem.
A face
04/07/2006, 12:57 AM
PS, you might have a point ..... it could actually be an underlying nagging thought at the back of my mind that keeps pointing out to my sub consciousness that the Niall Quinn has never given anything of note back to Irish football, and definitely nothing where he wasn't in receipt of some sort of payment anyway.
Somewhere deep at the back of my mind is a little conundrum which plays out like this. The guy was given the opportunity to put himself in the shop window by playing for his national team, the highest level of football in this country and when he has the opportunity to given something back at the grassroots of the game, he turns and parades about with the GAA. That smacks as a huge kick in the teeth for Irish football and our league and not only is it a huge lack of faith in the Irish game but it broadcasts it to the nation as such aswell, you might think I am wrong here but you must remember …. Its my little conundrum, not yours !!
Poor Student and Roverstillidie, you make good points ..... but i'm still not happy.
BohDiddley
04/07/2006, 9:45 AM
The guy was given the opportunity to put himself in the shop window by playing for his national team, the highest level of football in this country and when he has the opportunity to given something back at the grassroots of the game, he turns and parades about with the GAA. That smacks as a huge kick in the teeth for Irish football and our league and not only is it a huge lack of faith in the Irish game but it broadcasts it to the nation as such aswell,
Spot on A Face. Niall Quinn personifies the perverted nature of Irish attitudes towards football. His interests lie in English Premiership and in GAA, to the exclusion so far of Irish soccer. He has no demonstrated interest in the welfare of the domestic game.
The FAI has no business giving such an individual a critical role in the future of the sport.
Did he not just buy Sunderland?
He hasn't even taken control yet, so again, what experience does he have of football administration in any country? At the moment his entire career in football administration amounts to sweet talking a few investors.
dcfcsteve
04/07/2006, 10:11 AM
I think it's clear that Niall Quinn is there to provide a touch of 'glamour', kudos, and media-accepted neutrality.
His presence will change nothing. I'm sure the answer to who will be in the top drawer is already well known at Merrion Square. Quinn will be presented with a fait accompli and asked to put his paw print on it. Having a well known 'neutral' involved i the 'process' therefore aids the FAI's sales job and the credibility of this exercise. He's just a stool for the FAI here.
manic da hoop
04/07/2006, 10:34 AM
I think it's clear that Niall Quinn is there to provide a touch of 'glamour', kudos, and media-accepted neutrality.
His presence will change nothing. I'm sure the answer to who will be in the top drawer is already well known at Merrion Square. Quinn will be presented with a fait accompli and asked to put his paw print on it. Having a well known 'neutral' involved i the 'process' therefore aids the FAI's sales job and the credibility of this exercise. He's just a stool for the FAI here.
Nail on the head.
Rory H
04/07/2006, 1:12 PM
^probably
he showed how much he knew about the eircom league when jason byrne came on for ireland and quinn was doing the punditry..it was embarassing how little he knew....
Niall Quinn can do whatever he wants in the UK but IMO there is no point to him being on the "panel/committee".
He was just a player and has no coaching or admin experience whatsoever so he is in no position to offer advise on how to run a club.
A face
04/07/2006, 2:08 PM
info@fai.ie .... no harm in letting them know either is there.
My problem with Quinn is that I suspect he'll seize the opportunity to fill Sunderland full of Irish teenagers, thus further depriving the domestic game of the young talent it desperately needs. No one involved in this committee will make the eircom League their priority which is essential if progress is ever to be made.
A face
04/07/2006, 3:13 PM
My problem with Quinn is that I suspect he'll seize the opportunity to fill Sunderland full of Irish teenagers, thus further depriving the domestic game of the young talent it desperately needs. No one involved in this committee will make the eircom League their priority which is essential if progress is ever to be made.
We already FAI staff doing that for all the other clubs, why shouldn't Quinn get in on the act :rolleyes: :(
It is the wrong appointment it has to be said.
Anto McC
04/07/2006, 4:22 PM
info@fai.ie .... no harm in letting them know either is there.
Done!!
dcfcsteve
04/07/2006, 5:03 PM
My problem with Quinn is that I suspect he'll seize the opportunity to fill Sunderland full of Irish teenagers, thus further depriving the domestic game of the young talent it desperately needs. No one involved in this committee will make the eircom League their priority which is essential if progress is ever to be made.
To be fair, that assumes that Sunderland don't already have a scouting network with links into Ireland, which they do. It's not the 'Christopher Columbus in the Amstel tradition' ad. Quinn : "Hey guys, what about that big bit of land over there...?!?" ; Sunderland AFC : "Oh yeah ! Why don't we look for a few players over there...!"
Any Irish kid worth they salt will be being watched by reps of a number of English clubs already, Sunderland included
Jerry The Saint
05/07/2006, 8:07 AM
Any Irish kid worth they salt will be being watched by reps of a number of English clubs already
This is true but it's ridiculous to think that the FAI would consider employing one of these scouts/agents/advisors.... :o
A face
05/07/2006, 10:05 AM
This is true but it's ridiculous to think that the FAI would consider employing one of these scouts/agents/advisors.... :o
They are promoting the guys these days.
dcfcsteve
05/07/2006, 10:35 AM
This is true but it's ridiculous to think that the FAI would consider employing one of these scouts/agents/advisors.... :o
Well as Quinn isn't one, I don't see what your point is......?
CollegeTillIDie
05/07/2006, 9:12 PM
Niall Quinn he's a horse of a man .
BohDiddley
06/07/2006, 9:40 AM
I think it's clear that Niall Quinn is there to provide a touch of 'glamour', kudos, and media-accepted neutrality.
His presence will change nothing. I'm sure the answer to who will be in the top drawer is already well known at Merrion Square. Quinn will be presented with a fait accompli and asked to put his paw print on it. Having a well known 'neutral' involved i the 'process' therefore aids the FAI's sales job and the credibility of this exercise. He's just a stool for the FAI here.
There are ways to have the 'glamour' of Niall Quinn rub off on the national league, other than installing him in an exclusive commmittee that at a whim can decide the futures of Irish clubs. Quinn's position, and therefore that of the commmittee, is glaringly compromised by his financial interest in a foreign league that competes for support here, and by his much-flaunted preference at home for other codes. It wouldn't have been too difficult to find someone 'glamorous' who didn't have these issues.
Poor Student
06/07/2006, 10:03 AM
By the way, does anyone have any idea when we'll know which teams made the cut and which didn't?
passerrby
06/07/2006, 10:30 AM
the middle of Dec and at a guess Boh, Shels Rovers, Pats Cork,Derry,Longford, drogs, are pretty sure of a place with Galway, Sligo waterford,Limerick,Bray Fightingfor remaining places,
that leaves dublin City, kildare, Cobh Monaghan,Kilkenny Athlone, FinnHarps, UCDa nd Dundalk in the graveyard.
el punter
07/07/2006, 3:06 PM
I believe the last Irish international to get involved with the eircom League was none other than Mr G Farrelly....not much a path to glory for Quinner to follow eh? :)
Incidentally as well as getting stuck in with the GAA and foreign football, Quinner is also heavily involved in horseracing (might own a greyhound too).
In fact eircom League football is one of a rapidly shortening list of Irish sports that he has no publicly expressed interest in, yet he is now involved in influencing the future of the game here. This is mental.
dublinred
07/07/2006, 3:52 PM
Can we change the title of this thread to Top Flight to be Decided by the High court , can't see any team who is moved to the first division going to be happy with the outcome.
BohsPartisan
07/07/2006, 3:52 PM
I think we're missing the obvious here i.e. equating Niall Quinn with glamour???
:confused:
Surely if it was Glamour we were after we should have got Nadine Coyle! ;)
CollegeTillIDie
10/07/2006, 9:00 PM
What's the definition of a camel? A horse designed by a committee :D
CollegeTillIDie
10/07/2006, 9:37 PM
I think we're missing the obvious here i.e. equating Niall Quinn with glamour???
:confused:
Surely if it was Glamour we were after we should have got Nadine Coyle! ;)
A fine thing altogether young Coyle ;)
Anto McC
10/07/2006, 9:40 PM
She'd be more clued in than that giant gobsh*te!
Roverstillidie
10/07/2006, 9:54 PM
Can we change the title of this thread to Top Flight to be Decided by the High court , can't see any team who is moved to the first division going to be happy with the outcome.
only one team voted against it, rocky city, so how can a team sue of they signed up for it?
Fivesilver
11/07/2006, 5:35 PM
Aside from all the Quinn chat, I'm surprised at how little outcry there is about the authorities making a complete joke out of the league.
What else can you call it when they decide to bin one of the most basic principles of competitive sport, that of a team's position in its league being decided by its results?
Is there another league anywhere in the world where the respective divisions are decided by a committee, rather than by wins, draws and losses?
At least the Italians had the decency to try and hide it when they were stitching things up. :mad:
dublinred
11/07/2006, 5:44 PM
Can't see us going down , but going by last 5 seasons results they make shocking reading , partly due to Don O'Riordan and also because the club sorted things out off the pitch during the long sabbatical in the first division , funds were denied for team rebuilding while other aspects were sorted out don't know how this gets factored into the equation when the points are being dished out given the amount of times we have been shafted by the FAI in the past I would be slightly worried.
Red4Eva
11/07/2006, 6:48 PM
partly due to Don O'Riordan
the word ur lookin for there is entirely
Roverstillidie
11/07/2006, 7:44 PM
are we still whining about this. its done. the FAI have decided to enforce licencing. the only clubs fans (unless you are a chf fan, your club voted for this) still flogging this dead horse are serial complainers.
someone has to enforce the rules. and if spunking your money in the prem on players while galway and sligo built stadia in the first means you get punished, good.
we need a level playing field when it comes to issues like tax and corporate structures and the only way to make teams sort their act out is threaten their premier statues, good. its no concidence the only two teams who are 100% tax compliant are in the 1st while the two teams on the recieving end of winding up orders from the revenue are at the top of the premier.
What else can you call it when they decide to bin one of the most basic principles of competitive sport, that of a team's position in its league being decided by its results?
and if those results are as a result of not paying tax while the team immediatly below you does, allowing you to offer 20% more per player? no-other league tolerates players at the (not current, but very recent) league champions be paid in coins, some clubs pay vat on gate reciepts, some clubs not return accounts to the CRO, some not have an independent audit, one runs up many multiples of its income in debt and has no medium to long term plan to buld a stadium or even share etc. the fundamentals have to be fixed to allow a professional league. and if that involved UCD for stadia, or CHF for debt levels or whover being bumped at the expense of the immaculatley run galway, the transparantly run rovers or a resurgant limerick, well thats the bed these clubs made for themselves, good and bad. too many teams are content to hang on in there and enough is enough.
pineapple stu
11/07/2006, 8:54 PM
Aside from all the Quinn chat, I'm surprised at how little outcry there is about the authorities making a complete joke out of the league.
There's pages and pages about it elsewhere. Utter joke. Even for the FAI.
the immaculately run Galway
:D
(No offence to Galway fans! Just that Galway are in debt, making decent-sized losses and strugging with crowds just as much as most eL clubs, so are clearly not "immaculately run".)
Roverstillidie
11/07/2006, 9:41 PM
PS,
you overwhelmingly lost the argument, both on here and at vote.
its boring.
pineapple stu
11/07/2006, 9:49 PM
This is nothing to do with the vote.
You said Galway are an "immaculately run club". I laughed and showed how they weren't. Ball's in your court. Try and stay on topic this time.
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