A Belfast Team In The League?

[Kivlehan]

I know this is probably a silly question but instead of trying to merge with the Northern Irish league why not just put a team in the Catholic section of Belfast and include them on the same basis Derry City is included in the league?

From what I've read on Donegal Celtic, it sounds like they don't get much support as opposed to what the old Belfast Celtic got.

Would it be too scandalous of a concept to revive Belfast Celtic and put them in the Republic's league? Would it be too dangerous to those traveling to and from the games to consider? Please forgive my ignorance on the intricacies of the politics involved as I'm from the USA and don't have a day-to-day beat on the matter but I'm curious about it.

It would seem to me that if Derry can have a team, why not Belfast? You could just circumvent the idea of merging with the Carnegie League all together by putting teams in the Catholic areas of Northern Ireland that have demand for a team.

To be fair, I would say go ahead if the Carnegie League wanted to put teams in Protestant areas of the Republic (if those exists, I really don't know).

[MariborKev]

Please forgive my ignorance on the intricacies of the politics involved as I'm from the USA and don't have a day-to-day beat on the matter but I'm curious about it.

It would seem to me that if Derry can have a team, why not Belfast? You could just circumvent the idea of merging with the Carnegie League all together by putting teams in the Catholic areas of Northern Ireland that have demand for a team.

To be fair, I would say go ahead if the Carnegie League wanted to put teams in Protestant areas of the Republic (if those exists, I really don't know).

No offence but this is one the most naieve posts I have seen on here.

Aye; because Derry City just decided that we wanted to be in the League of Ireland? We applied to rejoin the Irish League for years, before we took the last step of applying to join the LoI

It was a different time as well; 20 years ago.

Go and read a bit about the respective leagues and then come back with yer tails between yer legs!

[OneRedArmy]

I don`t think we need any more cheap gold jewellery, Burberry hats & shellsuits in the League.

[David]

I know this is probably a silly question but instead of trying to merge with the Northern Irish league why not just put a team in the Catholic section of Belfast and include them on the same basis Derry City is included in the league?

From what I've read on Donegal Celtic, it sounds like they don't get much support as opposed to what the old Belfast Celtic got.

Would it be too scandalous of a concept to revive Belfast Celtic and put them in the Republic's league? Would it be too dangerous to those traveling to and from the games to consider? Please forgive my ignorance on the intricacies of the politics involved as I'm from the USA and don't have a day-to-day beat on the matter but I'm curious about it.

It would seem to me that if Derry can have a team, why not Belfast? You could just circumvent the idea of merging with the Carnegie League all together by putting teams in the Catholic areas of Northern Ireland that have demand for a team.

To be fair, I would say go ahead if the Carnegie League wanted to put teams in Protestant areas of the Republic (if those exists, I really don't know).

What are you on about?

[khoop]

Perfectly reasonable proposal - and a good way of testing the water for an all-Ireland league.

[MariborKev]

Perfectly reasonable proposal - and a good way of testing the water for an all-Ireland league.

:rolleyes: You can't even use the excuse of being an American.......

[BohsPartisan]

Perfectly reasonable proposal - and a good way of testing the water for an all-Ireland league.

How, by getting one of the smallest teams in Belfast to play in our league? If we were to have only one Belfast team it would have to be one of the big clubs. However its a non runner. Derry were only able to join our league because they couldn't rejoin the Irish League. They were given special dispensation. The expansion of Setanta is the way to gradually move towards an All-Ireland league, which if it is to work will have to be a new entity with an equitable distribution of clubs from both leagues.
Religion should have nothing to do with it.

[daniel]

this is the most ridiculous post i have ever seen! DCC would struggle to get crowds that would give them money needed to travel the length of the country! if you where to do this why not use a Protestant team?

[BohDiddley]

Aye; because Derry City just decided that we wanted to be in the League of Ireland? We applied to rejoin the Irish League for years, before we took the last step of applying to join the LoI

It was a different time as well; 20 years ago.
Interesting. Now that, harrumph, 'everyone has move on', if the Irish League hinted that an application to rejoin would be looked on favourably, would you go?

[MariborKev]

Interesting. Now that, harrumph, 'everyone has move on', if the Irish League hinted that an application to rejoin would be looked on favourably, would you go?

BohDiddley,

As part of the 2001 Soccer Strategy for Northern Ireland one of the conclusions was that an invitation should be extended to Derry City to rejoin the Irish League. I don't know if the approach was ever made formally.

I would reckon that the majority of Derry fans would be happy enough where we are. The travel is a big downer, but the LoI is a better standard, less hassle, more prize money.

[OneRedArmy]

Interesting. Now that, harrumph, 'everyone has move on', if the Irish League hinted that an application to rejoin would be looked on favourably, would you go?Not a snowballs chance in hell.

As Maribor has said, Derry City joined the LoI in very special circumstances, namely that it had been unfairly excluded, on sectarian grounds (bite your tongue David) from playing in its home League for over a decade and had no other option. It was granted a dispensation from UEFA, after significant legal discussion at very high levels within the organisation and the relevant national football associations.

The above suggestion is simply jurisdiction shopping and is nonsensical.

If we are going to have an all-Ireland League lets have one based on merit.

[David]

Not a snowballs chance in hell.

As Maribor has said, Derry City joined the LoI in very special circumstances, namely that it had been unfairly excluded, on sectarian grounds (bite your tongue David) from playing in its home League for over a decade and had no other option. It was granted a dispensation from UEFA, after significant legal discussion at very high levels within the organisation and the relevant national football associations.

The above suggestion is simply jurisdiction shopping and is nonsensical.

If we are going to have an all-Ireland League lets have one based on merit.

To say Derry were excluded on sectarian grounds is crazy. Your ground was, and still is unsafe for some IL teams to travel to, end of story.

[MariborKev]

David,

You are going to ruin another thread.

We applied numerous times since out exclusion to rejoin the League. We had the police reports and documentation which supported a return to the Brandywell.

The fact that the IFA chose to ignore all that advice can be seen only as sectarian. The barriers which Bowen and others then put in the way of our attempt to join the FAI only gives credence to this.....

[David]

David,

You are going to ruin another thread.

We applied numerous times since out exclusion to rejoin the League. We had the police reports and documentation which supported a return to the Brandywell.

The fact that the IFA chose to ignore all that advice can be seen only as sectarian. The barriers which Bowen and others then put in the way of our attempt to join the FAI only gives credence to this.....

It was the allegation by the Derry supporter that the Irish League is sectarian that has the potential to ruin the thread. Regardless of whatever reports there are, Linfield's two recent visits show that this is an unsafe ground for us to go to and that is in the relative calm of today's society.

[OneRedArmy]

It was the allegation by the Derry supporter that the Irish League is sectarian that has the potential to ruin the thread. Regardless of whatever reports there are, Linfield's two recent visits show that this is an unsafe ground for us to go to and that is in the relative calm of today's society.If the determinant of whether you can play in the Irish League is the need to guarantee the safety of opposing fans in the areas surrounding the ground, the League would have ceased to exist 40 years ago.

One rule for one, another rule for the rest.

You are defending the indefensible and making yourself look foolish.

Again.

[David]

If the determinant of whether you can play in the Irish League is the need to guarantee the safety of opposing fans in the areas surrounding the ground, the League would have ceased to exist 40 years ago.

One rule for one, another rule for the rest.

You are defending the indefensible and making yourself look foolish.

Again.

Name me one ground in the Irish League that is in an area that the police cannot operate in and I will accept your point. If there was this supposed sectarian bias against teams from areas that are supposed to be Nationalist, how did Newry get into the league in the 80's?

[BohsPartisan]

Lads, lets not have another Linfield/Derry spat and stick to the topic.

[Dodge]

Thread locked. How many times do we have to go over the Derry thing. Must be at least 100 times now. Anyway if the original post hadn't have come from a new guy (and from America too!) it'd be classed as WUMing and locked anyway.

Kivlehan, try reading a little bit on the northern situation before posting.