All Ireland League

[gspain]

I don't think any of those sports have merged. They simply haven't split.

We broke away from the IFA in 1921. International football was played in Dublin as far back as 1900.

I'd love to see an All Ireland Cup. I don't think an all Ireland league is a runner becaus eof the political objections and loss of identity in Northern Ireland. Not to mention the loss of european places.

We already have huge opportunities to boost our own league. We need stronger provincial clubs - Limerick to come back (I know obvious bias here) but also sligo and Dundalk. We desperately need decent European performances. That's where our league will be judged. We've only had one club ever get through 2 rounds of European competitions.

[tiktok]

as gspain has hinted, isn't it more important to get our own house in order before we try to rescue the failing leagues in other countries?

in all this debate a lot of people have put forward ways it could be done, and (usually intelligent) rebuttals to those who are against it. in my opinion, only tommyt gave a good reason why an all ireland league should be attempted, because we could then support a full time professional league which would improve standards and advance the top clubs.

that's a good point, but isn't a full time professional league something we should be aiming for anyway? why are the northern clubs neccessary for it.

i'll admit i'm more open to the idea than i was way at the start, but i still think it's a no go for the forseeable future. again, i think if we attempted an all ireland cup and it worked then we have something to discuss. at the moment though, politics, security, loss of european places, finances of all but the larger clubs all work against it. i don't think this is being close minded, just realistic.

[eamoss]

I would love if it the two leagues came together. But i dont want it to be called an 'All Ireland League' just keep it as NL. Just think Dundalk V Newry, Dundalk V Armagh City & Dundalk V Linfield it would be class.

[Soko]

Originally posted by eamo
Dundalk V Linfield it would be class.


Sure it would.

[TommyT]

Other countries ?????????

The reason we need them Tiktok is that I believe Linfield and Glentoran to be the two biggest clubs in the country. Representing Ulster in a full-time league each of them would easily match Cork's average crowds. and be competitive in Europe withthe money the could spend.

[A face]

Originally posted by gspain
Not to mention the loss of european places.

Not a chance ... if the leagues merges, you wouldn't expect UEFA to reward that .... glad you're not in charge. Seriously though .... that would be something to play for aswell, a place in the competition with not as many qualifing rounds would be great.

[southside bohs]

you are forgetting that linfield and glentoran are still semi-professinal and are most of the time always in debt.

the only thing they will bring is a new meaning to the matches, like a bohs and cork game would easily match a bohs and glentoran game in meaning and a rovers and linfield game would be the old firm of the irish league, no doubt about it.

but finacially they would bring nothing,sure familys would be affraid to bring their children to windsor or dalymount if linfield were playing bohs or rovers and not just them but any match between north and south (excluding cliftonville)

[tiktok]

Originally posted by TommyT
The reason we need them Tiktok is that I believe Linfield and Glentoran to be the two biggest clubs in the country. Representing Ulster in a full-time league each of them would easily match Cork's average crowds. and be competitive in Europe withthe money the could spend.

i take the point that it'd ease the transition into a full time league, but you're post explains the advantage to them, not to us. surely we should get our own house in order first. and derry are the sole representatives for ulster yet two years ago had to be dug out of heavy debt.

also, your post suggests that 'standing up to the boys from the republic' might be the driving force for their increased attendances, surely the type of sectarian attention we have all agreed in this post that we definitely don't need.

[TommyT]

I find your attitude a little perplexing, what's with the them and us attitude ??? I live a lot closer to ''them'' than to Cork.

The advantage for the league in general of having big (by Irish standards) city teams instead of those from small provincial towns should be obvious. Sponsorship and TV revenue would increase as would attendences. Are you seriously telling me that ''standing up to the dubs'' is not a motivating factor for a lot of city's support. The point about Derry is a canard-they don't have the ''province wide'' support base Linfield and Glentoran do.

[tiktok]

Originally posted by TommyT
I find your attitude a little perplexing, what's with the them and us attitude ??? I live a lot closer to ''them'' than to Cork.

C'mon now tommyt, where do i refer to them as "them", i don't have a problem with northern teams and i don't envision them coming down raping and pilaging and then winning all "our" trophies (quite the opposite in fact). ;)



Originally posted by TommyT
Sponsorship and TV revenue would increase as would attendences.

again, i grant you this point , interest would be high (initially at least). but lets not overstate the interest either. we've been following league of ireland long enough to realise that when it comes to coverage it has to be sky. bbc northern ireland show a hell of a lot more irish league football than tv3 show of the EL. but it still gets swamped in the ratings by the premiership and la liga. you still have less people actually going to games in the IL than the EL. you suggested on an earlier post (quite correctly) that we'd have to be a winter league to avoid trouble in the summer, thereby going back head to head with the premiership (and friday night nationwide league live on sky (they won't show our games, full stop)). TV3 and RTE have given little indication they value domestic soccer, unless it's the national side, i think this will continue as long as our national players are all based abroad. can we agree on that?


Originally posted by TommyT
The advantage for the league in general of having big (by Irish standards) city teams instead of those from small provincial towns should be obvious.

Provincial sides, what like sligo, harps, waterford and longford?Some of the smaller towns, but passionately supported clubs. no way will i ever agree it's worth triming these teams loose (in some regional second division). how is the domestic league going to build when you take the game and fix it in three or four urban centres.


Originally posted by TommyT
Are you seriously telling me that ''standing up to the dubs'' is not a motivating factor for a lot of city's support.

of course it is, we get bigger gates for dublin clubs (by the way, so do the smaller provincial clubs), but thats a geographical (and maybe cultural) divide rather than a sectarian one. different kettle of fish.


Originally posted by TommyT
The point about Derry is a canard-they don't have the ''province wide'' support base Linfield and Glentoran do.

yet they're still semi professional.

:) i'm actually enjoying this debate, and as i've said i'm more open to it than i was at the start. but to take the view of "them" for a moment, do you really think the rest of the northern clubs will be happy with being represented by just linfield and glentoran. local communities will not let their smaller clubs die. it's one of the reasons i think it can't get off the ground.....at least for now.