Four new clubs in eircom League of Ireland [Archive] - Page 2

Dodge

20/12/2007, 10:15 AM

Sponsorship? I presume that the clubs will already have sponsors in their existing leagues. Are they taking money away from GUFC at the moment? Anyone looking to spend a notable amount of money
But mervue and salthill will need a massive injection of cash to pay for these two new teams to play in a national league (and I know its regional but its less regional than they're used to). salthill can compensate for it by dropping their u21 side but for mervue its a big step up. And the words notable and reasonable don't really apply to football fundraising when every euro matters

Indiividual teams might attract a bit of local coverage, but that happens anyway, with or without the A-League.
And now there's more teams, playing at a higher level. Are you saying they won't get any coverage at all locally?

Fact is, the playing field is not level, and GUFC have a distinct advantage over the A League sides in every measurable way. If they end up losing any measurable support/sponsorship/coverage/players/etc to one of the A-League sides, then it can only be because GUFC are doing something very very wrong.
Don't be ridiculous. Of course Galway have the edge but they can't stop people being sold raffle tickets by Mervue first, or insist that local press cover all their games only.

I've no great love for Galway but only the foolish thinks that this, at the very least, makes it harder for them

GuisaSaigon

20/12/2007, 10:19 AM

You could argue that Mervue languishing in the lower part of the A league could be less attractive to sponsors than if they were topping the Connacht Senior league.

If such a thing as the connacht senior League existed, you could argue this :rolleyes:

Today's Galway Advertiser has a big Photo and article announcing Salthill's new sponsorship deal with Mr Naughton and Mr Byrne of the FAI displaying Salthill's new shirt.
For 5 years Galway could not produce a team capable of promotion from the first division, neither the players nor the resources exist to support four senior teams within 10 miles of each other in Galway.

incident

20/12/2007, 10:41 AM

But mervue and salthill will need a massive injection of cash to pay for these two new teams to play in a national league (and I know its regional but its less regional than they're used to). salthill can compensate for it by dropping their u21 side but for mervue its a big step up. And the words notable and reasonable don't really apply to football fundraising when every euro matters
It's all very well saying "every euro matters", but we both know that's not the whole story - eL clubs can and do turn away money.

If someone offered Galway United (say) 500 Euros a season for primary Shirt Sponsorship, then they'd most likely be turned down flat - whereas that figure could be a lot more realistic for a lower level club.

I won't claim that there's no overlap whatsoever, but for the most part GUFC will be chasing a different pool of potential sponsors to the A-League sides.

And now there's more teams, playing at a higher level. Are you saying they won't get any coverage at all locally?
I'm saying the coverage won't be significantly more than they get already - and that it won't reduce the amount of coverage GUFC get in the slightest. It'll be the clubs left back in the regional leagues that lose out on coverage.

Don't be ridiculous. Of course Galway have the edge but they can't stop people being sold raffle tickets by Mervue first, or insist that local press cover all their games only.

I've no great love for Galway but only the foolish thinks that this, at the very least, makes it harder for them
That's not really relevant to the A-League - any Football club, regardless of level, can sell raffle tickets. So can GAA clubs, and Rugby clubs for that matter - and they all do. Competition has been there all along. All the A-League does is marginally elevate certain clubs, but they're still not even approaching the same level as GUFC.

jebus

20/12/2007, 10:48 AM

For once I actually have a degree of sympathy for Galway United, ridiculous to have that many clubs from what traditionally isn't exactly a footballing hotbed.

gufct

20/12/2007, 10:57 AM

For once I actually have a degree of sympathy for Galway United, ridiculous to have that many clubs from what traditionally isn't exactly a footballing hotbed.

And that says it all for me.Genuine football fans who argue every toss of the coin as far as our 2 clubs are concerned agree that this is madness.

MyTown

20/12/2007, 10:58 AM

For once I actually have a degree of sympathy for Galway United,

Ah Jebus you must've had a visit from the ghost of Christmas past or something.

If you're expressing sympathy for us we're really screwed:D

jebus

20/12/2007, 11:02 AM

Ah Jebus you must've had a visit from the ghost of Christmas past or something.

If you're expressing sympathy for us we're really screwed:D

It would be best not to bring up Christmas past (in particular last year) when I'm showing sympathy for you lot :)

superfrank

20/12/2007, 11:06 AM

Best of luck to the sides going up.

Dodge

20/12/2007, 11:10 AM

I won't claim that there's no overlap whatsoever, but for the most part...

I'm saying the coverage won't be significantly more

marginally elevate certain clubs
The point I'm making is that Galway Utd lost 70k last year and very much living on the edge. Every small thing that lessens their appeal or even news worthiness has an unduly impact on them (and other LOI clubs) as we're already working with no comfort zone.

Of course this isn't a major issue in the grand league scheme. I just think its a waste having 3 teams in the league from such a small area, and it doesn't exactly tell clubs that the FAI will support them in marketing drives

drummerboy

20/12/2007, 11:20 AM

This is typical of the FAI. Short-sighted policy which is mirrored in the Junior game too, to the detriment of existing clubs. Anybody can start a football club, anywhere in Ireland, even if there is already a club in that very area. It fragments the game and should not be allowed. This doesn't happen in the GAA, hence the magnificent facilities all over the country.

John83

20/12/2007, 11:39 AM

galwayhoop

20/12/2007, 11:45 AM

heres my two pence worth;

Mervue and Salthill have both been looking to play senior football for a few years. Both have genuinely progressive juvenile sections, great facilities (especially Salthill) good boards behind them, excellent fund raising/(grant getting) abilities and a hankering to play at a higher level than Junior A football.

The CSL was abandoned a few years back and there was talk of it being re-inxstated this season but afaik only 5 clubs in the provence applied to enter so it was shelved again.

I am seriously surprised that both clubs have been accepted and although I thought that one of them should get the nod I am extremely, extremely surprised at both.

There is a genuine feeling from some in the game locally that Galway would rather it's own players to be playing senior football and not mercenaries from, for exampe, Dublin coming down picking up their cheque and not givving a damn. Most agree that this would mean a team who will only languish in the first division. A sort of successful (supposidly) team V local team scenario.

Personally I feel that both clubs (Mervue and Salthill) aspire to reach the first division and provide local players the opportunity to play senior football. The fact that both clubs are in the A league will totally diminish each others chances of reaching the next level and as someone said above chances are that at least one of them will be crap....

drummerboy

20/12/2007, 11:47 AM

This would be the organisation with a club in every frigging parish in the country?

Yes indeed, but it is better to have one well organised club than 4 badly run, under-funded clubs in each parish.

galwayhoop

20/12/2007, 11:57 AM

Yes indeed, but it is better to have one well organised club than 4 badly run, under-funded clubs in each parish.

in fairness all 3 clubs (GUFC, Salthill, Mervue) are very well run in their own right.

JC_GUFC

20/12/2007, 12:34 PM

Will Salthill and Mervue be resigning their Junior status and enter this league exclusively?

Also what are the implications for the FAI Cup? I assume the A-League sides will automatically be entered into the First Round. How does that impact on the other non-league qualifiers - do the Intermediate or Junior Cup lose places?

Finally and slightly off topic what, if any, is the difference between a Junior club and an Intermediate club?

As far as I can tell Killester United are the best non-league club in the country but they're a Junior club. Is there a prospect that the Junior/Intermediate grades could be merged so that Irish football has a proper football pyramid like in every other country. It seems to me now that they're only 3 Intermediate leagues in the whole country - Leinster Senior League, Munster Senior League and Ulster Senior League. -

Dodge

20/12/2007, 12:40 PM

Junior is below Intermediate. In dublin terms its quite a bit below.

JC_GUFC

20/12/2007, 12:52 PM

LeixlipRed

20/12/2007, 12:57 PM

Think the difference between Junior and Intermediate has something to do with the use of public pitches

Dodge

20/12/2007, 1:05 PM

It's not as if Killester can get promoted from the AUL Premier up to LSL and it seems to me as if tomorrow I want to set up a club, if I'm in the Southside I'll join the LSL and on the Northside it's AUL.

Mmmm not really true.

As raheny red said, teams in the LSL can't play on public parks. Previously junior sides didn't have access to the FAI senior cup.

At the bottom, there's little defference between the playing levels of junior and intermediate, but there's dozens of leagues in the LSL. The top teams in the LSl will pay their manager and some players too

JC_GUFC

20/12/2007, 1:21 PM

Well if you look at the AUL in Dublin most clubs now have their own ground.

St Kevin's pitch and clubhouse is one of the best I've ever seen, although they've no room for development. Likewise Killester's ground is decent. There's no way either of these clubs would have any intention of leaving the AUL to join the LSL but to me both would have as much to offer to the eL as Cherry Orchard or Belgrove.

I know it's completely off topic but in my view the structures of Irish football are a total mess. I actually think the A-League is a good idea to get some sort of pyramid system in place but on a regional level it needs to be better organised.

Dodge

20/12/2007, 1:27 PM

Well if you look at the AUL in Dublin most clubs now have their own ground.But they don't have to...

I know it's completely off topic but in my view the structures of Irish football are a total mess. I actually think the A-League is a good idea to get some sort of pyramid system in place but on a regional level it needs to be better organised.
Agreed. But the vast vast majority of people involved in irish football on the admin side don't see the LOI as being the pinnacle and have no interest in it at all. They don't want a situation that makes them feel like a small part in a big pyramid They're happy living in their delusions of being "big clubs"

galwayhoop

20/12/2007, 1:29 PM

Finally and slightly off topic what, if any, is the difference between a Junior club and an Intermediate club?

well from a connacht perspective:

Junior is Sh1te and....

...we don't have intermediate!!!:D:D

drummerboy

20/12/2007, 1:31 PM

I know it's "below" but why? What is the definition of a "junior club" and an "intermediate club"

It's not as if Killester can get promoted from the AUL Premier up to LSL and it seems to me as if tomorrow I want to set up a club, if I'm in the Southside I'll join the LSL and on the Northside it's AUL.

The top tier of the LSL is quite competitive. However, Killester and a couple of other AUL teams would hold their own. The overall standard of the AUL is not as high as the LSL intermediate divisions. Its not a northside, southside thing either, there are a large number of northside clubs in the LSL, Belgrove, Tolka Rovers, Skerries, Phoenix, Drums ect,. The big difference is the standard of facilities in the LSL. Take the 3rd division of the intermediate section, Beggsboro, Drums, Edenderry, Parkvilla (Navan) all play on Friday nights, with Celbridge and Larkview to follow shortly.

The fact of the matter is that clubs with wonderful facilities, like Arklow, Tolka Rovers don't seem to want to play in the Eircom League. I'm assuming the cost of such a venture is the biggest drawback.

Athenryboy

20/12/2007, 1:40 PM

well from a connacht perspective:

Junior is Sh1te and....

...we don't have intermediate!!!:D:D

well galway , speaking from my own point of veiw the majority of soccer fans in galway follow the junior soccer scene before galway utd. and im in the same boat.its not out of disrespect for Utd, its just i would prefer watching local teams because thats exactly what they are,than have to watch to a side with little or no locals in the starting 11

Fair play to Utd in all their hard work over the last few years and i have taken in quite a few matches over the years, but i dont see mervue & salthill being in the A division would take away from Utd that much!
In relation to the standard of the 2 sides , at the moment i dont think either side would set the league alight, just look at the galway league, Athenry are flying ahead at the moment and we have no intention of moving from this league until we are well able to compete at the highest level consistantly and get another crack at the FAI Junior Cup!

paudie

20/12/2007, 1:59 PM

If such a thing as the connacht senior League existed, you could argue this :rolleyes:

I'm obviously not up to speed with the current structure of football in Connacht. Should never have let my subscription to the Connacht Tribune lapse;)

So Salthill and Mervue play in Galway junior league I presume?

paudie

20/12/2007, 2:02 PM

this would leave cobh with 12 trips to the pale at least in the A league..... we will be broke

The other division will have Derry, Harps, Sligo and the Galway teams so much of a muchness as regards distances to travel I'd say.

monutdfc

20/12/2007, 2:14 PM

I know one guy who played for Junior clubs in the AUL rather than LSL clubs because then he qualified for the Junior International side

drummerboy

20/12/2007, 2:19 PM

I know one guy who played for Junior clubs in the AUL rather than LSL clubs because then he qualified for the Junior International side

That was the case until recently. Now the team is called an Amateur International team and can include LSL, MSL, and USL players once they have not played EL football

passerrby

20/12/2007, 3:16 PM

I take it that means we are not entering passerby?
A pity imo. The costs to enter and then run a team in the A league are high though.

dont know to be honest but no team from eircom league want this so who exactly wants this. also i heard waterford (not Limerick)were the only team to express an interest in the new league i wonder why hmm

finnpark

20/12/2007, 3:16 PM

Four clubs have today been formally entered into the eircom League of Ireland in order to compete in the new ‘A Championship’ division, which will commence during 2008.

The four clubs accepted into the A Championship are: Mervue United, Tullamore Town, Salthill Devon and Sporting Fingal.

These four clubs will be entered into the 2008 A Championship.

The A Championship will be the third layer of the eircom League of Ireland and competing in it will give Mervue United, Tullamore Town, Salthill Devon and Sporting Fingal the opportunity to win promotion to the First Division.

The prize money for winning the A Championship will be €20,000.

This is a joke.

3 Teams from Galway City. The chances of either new teams progressing to any decent standard are somewhere between slim and none. Did anyone ever see Saltill Devon's ground? It is in the middle of nowhere on top of a hill with no shelter. And yet another Dublin team. I personally have lost all respect and confidence in the FAI!

pineapple stu

20/12/2007, 3:58 PM

maybe they're just sticking with "new" u20 league and waiting to see how the A league pans out? If it looks like it wouldn't be too expensive to operate in we might see more clubs added
Do we know if teams can do that? Is there a provision for new teams to enter whenever they want, or was this their only window of opportunity to join?

passerrby

20/12/2007, 4:40 PM

remember that old line from monthy pyton " hes making it up as he goes along"

Lim till i die

20/12/2007, 5:53 PM

For once I actually have a degree of sympathy for Galway United, ridiculous to have that many clubs from what traditionally isn't exactly a footballing hotbed.

Meh.

Really it's only what's been happening in Limerick since the year dot but on a much smaller scale.

Although in fairness there are probably far more players in Limerick :ball:

Topman

20/12/2007, 9:41 PM

On WIkipedia, Letterkenny Rovers were billed as very interested.
Interesting to note route to full league membership now available to Intermediate/Junior clubs who desire it.
To enter A league both Salthill Devon/Mervue Utd must desire eventualy to obtain full league membership (why enter if not the goal), if that happens - Terryland groundshare ?
Tullamore ex as stated old B division, and Leinster League, are they not now in the combined central league - anyone know their history ?
The Fingal club - have they not been set up from scratch for this set up ?
Was there not a club recently formed around Carlow especially for this league - what happens to them ?
Would imagine final hurdle must be minimum ground criteria (spectator facilities) for promotion to Division 1.
May shake some Div 1 clubs up, some grounds would be a shame to be lost to the league, a hurling smooth stoned city springs to mind. And I dare say some grounds would'nt be missed !
Was not a reason for Newcastlewest's withdraw was to up-grade stadium ?

www.sefc.ie (http://www.sefc.ie) we are slowly getting there and hopefully part of the U20s set up for the new season

monutdfc

21/12/2007, 6:47 AM

gufct

21/12/2007, 8:33 AM

hey garry like the tracksuit.

Topman

21/12/2007, 9:32 AM

hey garry like the tracksuit.

Tom, i wanted our lads to wear the Superhoops but nobody would listen:D

QPR IN THE MONEY

jebus

21/12/2007, 9:38 AM

Meh.

Really it's only what's been happening in Limerick since the year dot but on a much smaller scale.

Although in fairness there are probably far more players in Limerick :ball:

It's why I have a degree of sympathy, we know exactly what it's like to have the juniorballers cut the legs put from under you.

To level things out with my reputation here I'll add that it couldn't have happened to a nicer club :)

London-Irish

21/12/2007, 11:07 AM

Do any of these new clubs have spectator facilities like a grandstand or covered standing? In fact, how many current clubs below the League of Ireland have spectator facilities?

GuisaSaigon

21/12/2007, 11:17 AM

Spectator facilities at Mervue and Salthill's grounds are currently non existent.

pineapple stu

21/12/2007, 3:14 PM

That was the case until recently. Now the team is called an Amateur International team and can include LSL, MSL, and USL players once they have not played EL football
Thanks drummerboy, I didn't know that. Sounds like a good idea.
I wonder is it? If a player plays eL football, they're excluded from playing for their country. Does that discourage players from trying the eL? In particular, the lower, lesser-paying clubs would be hit.

Lim till i die

21/12/2007, 5:17 PM

Spectator facilities at Mervue and Salthill's grounds are currently non existent.

They could probably just use Terryland??

Gaillimh Al

21/12/2007, 5:53 PM

Spectator facilities in a reserve division. I doubt they would have to be in place yet. Both clubs will probably now have plans to put them in, but hopefully they won't use Terryland as there are enough games played there already. Both Galway clubs are saying these teams will be an outlet for their underage development. Mervue have won 3 underage national titles in the last 5 years and their chairman said their application would not have happened if a Connacht Senior league existed. As for running costs in this new division, neither team is short of a few pound.

Raheny Red

21/12/2007, 7:36 PM

I wonder is it? If a player plays eL football, they're excluded from playing for their country. Does that discourage players from trying the eL? In particular, the lower, lesser-paying clubs would be hit.

I know of plenty of amateur players, if the opportunity arose to play eL, they would turn it down as they wouldn't be able to line out for the international side again. Mikey Keogh of Killester United, top scorer of the FAI Cup 2006, recently returned from Glenavon and is now back with KUFC won't be able to play for Ireland Amateur's again!

But they don't have to...

AFAIk AUL clubs only need access to changing rooms!

pineapple stu

22/12/2007, 1:09 AM

I know of plenty of amateur players, if the opportunity arose to play eL, they would turn it down as they wouldn't be able to line out for the international side again. Mikey Keogh of Killester United, top scorer of the FAI Cup 2006, recently returned from Glenavon and is now back with KUFC won't be able to play for Ireland Amateur's again!

So basically, there is one specific pointless rule making things more difficult for the eL?

Really does sum up football in this country.

Bald Student

22/12/2007, 2:40 AM

So basically, there is one specific pointless rule making things more difficult for the eL?

Really does sum up football in this country.

It's not pointless. If you play professionally you're not allowed to play for the amateur team. Otherwise there'd be no such thing as the amateur team.

incident

22/12/2007, 7:50 AM

It's not pointless. If you play professionally you're not allowed to play for the amateur team. Otherwise there'd be no such thing as the amateur team.
Although you could question the value of having an Amateur National Team to start with..

I'll admit I don't know much about the setup so could well be missing something important, but what purpose does the team serve exactly? It looks and sounds like a thinly masked excuse for junkets..

geezer

22/12/2007, 10:38 AM

the GUFC has been stung into action despite being undermined by buffoons at the fai that are only interested in grinding axes over old local political ****e at the expense of a strong regional effort. 250 season tickets excluding tiger (juvenile) tickets sold to date ranging from €250 to €1500 a pop. With 3 months to go to seasons start thats not bad. Also good to see lims fans out in shopping centres promoting their club