1st division

[Longfordian]

I think Higgins in particular needs spell in the dunce's corner after that prediction. Double figures indeed.

[LeixlipRed]

I'd say Higgins couldn't give a flying **** about his prediction being wrong. Dundalk lost. League is back on for us

[RonnieB]

I would still sooner see Dundalk go up.

[higgins]

I couldn't give a fiddlers!!!

I do know one thing...
This must be the worst First Division in history.

To be honest,, no team deserves promotion.

It has been awful

[Longfordian]

No team seems to want to go up either. Could Shels afford a Premier Divison campaign?.

[hollocaine]

No team seems to want to go up either. Could Shels afford a Premier Divison campaign?.

Not with the way their own "fans" are getting the club fined for certain misdemeanours according to the Shels website.

Who would want to get promoted really? The full-time teams can have their own league and the rest of us could compete in a new 17-team First Division next season!

[eamo1]

Dundalk's Big Annual Collapse is underway and you hate to see it.A team that seems well in control of a division and then throws it all away.I seem to recall it happening in other seasons recently too.I really hope they go up though,they derseve it.They ruined my accumulator for the second week running,were always a good bet for a win now i aint so sure.

[higgins]

No team seems to want to go up either. Could Shels afford a Premier Divison campaign?.

Do you know the difference in income levels from the first division and the premier division ?

Find that difference and add it to the first division expenditure.

The answer is a YES.

Will we have the money to stay up ?
Probably not....
But we will certainly have more income playing in the Premier Division and teams on small budgets have managed to stay up previously so who knows.

For example I'd imagine we could comfortably spend as much as UCD spend and they have managed to stay up many times.

With the drop off in crowds the question should really be 'Can we afford not to go up' !!

[Longfordian]

Well yeah, I probably phrased the question wrongly. I really meant would ye have enough coming in to be competitive and not get carried away like other promoted teams?. But I guess you could fund a part time team alright. A lot more Dublin derbies would certainly help.

[trevy]

I was delighted to see the score on aertel last night. I couldn't believe it when I saw Longford 2-0 up. A win for Waterford v Athlone and we go top tonight. Shels and Sporting Fingal are still in with a a chance too.

[Lamper.sffc]

Shels and Sporting Fingal are still in with a a chance too.

Dont say it. Everytime sporting have a chance to well and truly challenge for this title we bottle it. So im saying nothing,

except that:rolleyes:

[shep]

Cant believe it,every year........i feel sick,1st Division is depressing,and i am well and truely depressed

[Louth4sam]

Not a chance we will win the league. I think Waterford have it as they can win the league now with a draw at home against us. We simply are not good enough even with the highest wages in the division. Gill needs to go even if by some miracle we win the league.

[shep]

[quote=Louth4sam;1032471. Gill needs to go even if by some miracle we win the league.[/quote]

Totally agree!!!

[Duffman]

We simply are not good enough even with the highest wages in the division.


I was under the impression that Fingal held that distinction?

[Louth4sam]

I was under the impression that Fingal held that distinction?

I'm pretty sure we have spent the most on players. I think Fingal do have more available to them though.

[The Lilywhites]

Fingal have the highest wage bill.

[Dodge]

Can anyone post up the current table and the run in for the 4 clubs involved

[Ash]

A win for Waterford v Athlone and we go top tonight. Shels and Sporting Fingal are still in with a a chance too.

Waterford havent managed to beat us on the last 2 games so I reckon we'll hold out for a draw. (famous last words!!!)

[noby]

Dundalk 30 59
Waterford United 29 57
Shelbourne 29 53
Sporting Fingal 28 50

Dundalk:
Wexford (a)
Sporting Fingal (h)
Waterford (a)
Limerick (h)
Athlone (h)
Kildare (a)

Waterford United:
Athlone (h)
Fingal (a)
Limerick (a)
Dundalk (h)
Kildare (a)
Shels (h)
Monaghan (a)

Shels:
Monaghan (h)
Athlone (a)
Wexford (h)
Longford (a)
Fingal (h)
Waterford (a)
Lomerick (h)

Fingal:
Limerick (a)
Athlone (a)
Waterford (h)
Dundalk (a)
Kildare (h)
Shels (a)
Monaghan (h)
Wexford (a)

[Dodge]

Thanks Noby

[noby]

Obviously for us, at home to Dundalk and Shels are the big ones, but as Ash said we haven't beaten Athlone yet, so tonight's game is crucial, with the chance to go top.

All four are going to drop points, so it's still wide open.

[Mr A]

Shels look to have the nicest run-in there, although the game against Lomerick will be somewhat of an unknown quantity.

[5ForKeeps]

I see the "we don't need mourinho, we've got john gillio" brigade have turned on there manager. The hard facts Dundalk have now blown the title under his stewardship now 2 seasons in a row. If any time to go up this was your year but the momentum is now with the Blues unless Shels and Fingal mount a late surge which is possible.

[Raheny Red]

Wouldn't be surprised if Longford got something from the game. Every side in this division are pure mule.

:cool:

We're going up!

[Louth4sam]

I see the "we don't need mourinho, we've got john gillio" brigade have turned on there manager.

Is that directed at me? I thought he should have gone at the end of last season but was content to give him another chance and its hardly tuning on a manager it was a gradual thing. This is a very poor 1st division this year and any team worth their salt would be running away with it.

[jinxy lilywhite]

It ain't over until it's over.

[oriel]

Wat`d 0 - Ath 0
Lim 1 - 1 Fing
Shel 1 - Mon 0

Dundalk still leaders........................

could not believe waterford didnt take their chance to go top

[The Lilywhites]

Tonight shows who the real bottlers are in the First Division.

[Mr A]

Tonight shows who the real bottlers are in the First Division.

Yeah. Monaghan. Useless c**ts.

[The Lilywhites]

Monaghan only come out to play four times a year.

[oriel]

2 weeks ago shels were dead and buried, now its a 3 horse race, just goes to show how quickly things can change

Our run in, is def the more favourable with 'only' waterford away the game we should be worried about........................then again we never saw last night coming, and waterford would def have expected to have beaten athlone tonight..............so who knows.

I still think and have done so all season that the top 5 will finish up as it stands tonight.

[Magicme]

Monaghan only come out to play four times a year.

Absolutley not true. The battle we put in last night was a credit to the team. Was a real tough physical fight and resulted in loads of yellow cards and they only got one goal, through a penalty. So pull your horns in mate, Dundalk are not the be all and end all of our season. Yes we do love to give you a hard time but thats a local derby by nature.

[sadloserkid]

I still think and have done so all season that the top 5 will finish up as it stands tonight.

Well we'll definitely come 5th. :p

[Terry]

2 weeks ago shels were dead and buried, now its a 3 horse race, just goes to show how quickly things can change
.

dont forget that if fingal win their 2 games in hand that they will be back in the race also. Tough to call who will come out on top this season, has gill got the balls this season? will keelys experience come to shine? will sportings money spending pay off? will waterfords grit win through?

[The Lilywhites]

Fingal only have one game in hand, away to Athlone on Tuesday. Even if they win, they'll still be five behind and they have the hardest run-in of all.

[Terry]

oh right, soccerbot.com still have them down with 2 games in hand. You have to admit though that 5 points isnt much considering the way results have been going lately for everyone?

[passerrby]

Monaghan only come out to play four times a year.

anything that helps you people celibrate christmas around a log fire works for me

[Lilywhite Army]

Now could some one tell me if this is true..But i was infomred that next year there will be no relegation or promotion..cant see it been true..hopefully Dundalk are in the premier then anyway

[trevy]

That was a frustrating night for us last night,held to a draw by Athlone for the 4th time this season and missing our chance to go top. The referee was awful but seeing as its the 1st division nothing will be done about that. Its a 3horse race again now.

[holidaysong]

Now could some one tell me if this is true..But i was infomred that next year there will be no relegation or promotion..cant see it been true..hopefully Dundalk are in the premier then anyway

Who told you that? :rolleyes:

It's one up and one down automatically next year.

Playoff matches as follows: 2nd vs. 3rd in first divsion (2nd at home). 8th vs. 9th in premier division (8th at home).

Then the winner of the first division match and the loser of the premier division match play each other in a two leg promotion/relegation playoff.

[Lilywhite Army]

Just heard people talkin about no promtion..but i tought it was nonsesne..sure there would be no point playing the league if there was no promotion..

Just hope that Dundalk are in the premier next season and were safe from the playoffs

[Terry]

there was a rumour going around when the fai took over the running of the league that they would have no relegation/promotion for 3 years to stablize everything after reducing the premier to 10 teams, but that was all just rumours, I hope !

[Lamper.sffc]

Its a 3horse race again now.

Not quite. Sporting win the game in hand then its five points behind. We do have a bad run in and 5 points is a lot at this point especially with 3 other teams in the running for this title. But this league has been unpredictable. I thought us and shels where out of it. Now look where shels are in the space of a few weeks results. If we draw or loose against athlone then thats probably it. If we win then we are still in with a shout.

[oriel]

That was a frustrating night for us last night,held to a draw by Athlone for the 4th time this season and missing our chance to go top. The referee was awful but seeing as its the 1st division nothing will be done about that. Its a 3horse race again now.


Suprising result that trevy, not to mention ours the prev night. I think its a credit to the teams below us who have a right to challenge every team right to the last game. I could only imagine the pressure the waterford players and fans were under on fri night, to win and they go top. Just goes to show, no easy games in any league in the run in.

I stil think Waterord have the hardest run in (by far) .......in saying that, thats no use to us if we cant win our own games.

[The Lilywhites]

"HERE'S my prediction for the First Division - Waterford United are going to win promotion back to the top flight. It looks like Dundalk are losing their bottle once again, and the pressure on them is huge, given the amount of money they have spent."

Roddy Collins in the Star today. That's Waterford fùcked so :D

[jinxy lilywhite]

I wonder if it may be the turning point for their season.:p

Delighted with the weekend results with the obvious exception of our result on thursday. Still a long way to go.
Maybe the winners will stumble across the line rather than blow their oppossition apart

[stann]

I'll gloss over the irony of United getting called bottlers by a Dundalk fan. :eek::p

In our game we had 6 or 8 excellent chances and just couldn't put one away. Their keeper and defence deserve a lot of credit for this too BTW, not all poor finishing by a long way.
Just one of those matches, but hardly bottling it.

On the other hand, should ye have won your match against Longford? Thought not. Neither did your three amigos on the radio. :D

[Battery Rover]

In our game we had 6 or 8 excellent chances and just couldn't put one away. Their keeper and defence deserve a lot of credit for this too BTW, not all poor finishing by a long way.

Especially the forst 25 minutes of the second half. We defended with everything we had. One of those games either team could have won it. Thought we had a penalty claim in injury time and looking at the video it looks a definite to me.

Considering the flu outbreak we had the day of the game we wre lucky to field a team at all. Hamm and Jinks played with the flu and were suffering badly on the bus home

[jinxy lilywhite]

I'll gloss over the irony of United getting called bottlers by a Dundalk fan. :eek::p

In our game we had 6 or 8 excellent chances and just couldn't put one away. Their keeper and defence deserve a lot of credit for this too BTW, not all poor finishing by a long way.
Just one of those matches, but hardly bottling it.

On the other hand, should ye have won your match against Longford? Thought not. Neither did your three amigos on the radio. :D

Waterford Bottled it because they knew they'd be top if they won. Thats what I call bottling it. Waterford have to play Fingal this coming Friday and thats a massive game for ye and it depends on which Fingal turns up.

Our Longford game on the balance of play we deserved nothing and any favourable outcome out of that game would of only papered over any cracks. You can also be reminded that we had a good goal disallowed and decent penalty claim and in the last 5 minutes we created as many chances as I can care to remember. However you can't give teams a 1 or 2 goal headstart and then start to play.
Hopefully what happenened is addressed now and we can push on and finish the rest of ye off.