The Current State of The League & Its Future

I know this has probably been mentioned time and time again in other posts, but I don't mean to "spam" or "cross - post" this site. I am just looking for peoples honest opinion on the immediate future of the League of Ireland. Sadly quiet a few clubs have run into difficulty in the past year. What is going to happen to these clubs ? Will they be relegated or demoted to the First Division or worse macy to the A Championship ?
I read a very good piece by Pete Mahon in one of the papers last week, and he suggested that we emalgamate the two divisions and keep it that way for 3 - 5 years, so the teams could sort thier houses out. What do you think ? Would you be in favour of this ? I am speaking as a huge League of Ireland fan who is very worried about the future of the game in this country. I personally think something has to happen soon. Whats your opinion ?

Why cant clubs sort their houses out the way the league is now?

Thanks God someone brought this up, the state of the LOI has been the elephant in the room on this forum in recent years.

What problems in the League?

If there were any - I'd have heard about them from somewhere by now

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Originally Posted by Iorfa2MaccaJim

I know this has probably been mentioned time and time again in other posts, but I don't mean to "spam" or "cross - post" this site. I am just looking for peoples honest opinion on the immediate future of the League of Ireland. Sadly quiet a few clubs have run into difficulty in the past year. What is going to happen to these clubs ? Will they be relegated or demoted to the First Division or worse macy to the A Championship ?
I read a very good piece by Pete Mahon in one of the papers last week, and he suggested that we emalgamate the two divisions and keep it that way for 3 - 5 years, so the teams could sort thier houses out. What do you think ? Would you be in favour of this ? I am speaking as a huge League of Ireland fan who is very worried about the future of the game in this country. I personally think something has to happen soon. Whats your opinion ?

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I posted previously on another forum that the LOI should revert to a 16 team div, with the A championship reformed to feed into this div. You could have 4 A divisions below, devised on a regional basis, where the top two from each division go at it for a place in the Top tier. Or some such similar. A ten team Premier obviously isn't working and the first Div is a waste land. I got a look at the FAI annual report last week and the gulf in the average income and exp between the two sets of teams is three fold. Neither level is sustainable!

At the moment we can't even sustain 22 clubs at a senior level - so I don't really see any merit in talking about more divisions and clubs being added at any level.

I'd really like to know why there is such stark reluctance to discuss this subject on this forum.

It's the only thing we discuss on this forum.

It's the only important thing TO discuss on the forum.

Thanks Ridicule.

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Originally Posted by Réiteoir

At the moment we can't even sustain 22 clubs at a senior level - so I don't really see any merit in talking about more divisions and clubs being added at any level.

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Surprised i have to explian my post.
The 16 team division would mean we ARE reducing by 6 clubs, not increasing. These would be added to the A teams already in situ (i.e Demoting them from thier national league status.) regional sides like theMervues or the sporting fingals then try anf get into the National league set up, having played against a slightly better opposition than currently on offer in the A leagues might stand a better chance of progreesing. In essence, I am suggesting 16 LOI teams, prob 6 to 8 full time, (we can guess who the are) and the rest semi pro but paying better than the 2 & 3k per week budgets currently being paid by the Athlones, Limericks and Kildares et al.

At the moment what we have is not working..... hasn't for quite a while.

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Originally Posted by Fr Damo

Surprised i have to explian my post.
The 16 team division would mean we ARE reducing by 6 clubs, not increasing. These would be added to the A teams already in situ (i.e Demoting them from thier national league status.) regional sides like theMervues or the sporting fingals then try anf get into the National league set up, having played against a slightly better opposition than currently on offer in the A leagues might stand a better chance of progreesing. In essence, I am suggesting 16 LOI teams, prob 6 to 8 full time, (we can guess who the are) and the rest semi pro but paying better than the 2 & 3k per week budgets currently being paid by the Athlones, Limericks and Kildares et al.

At the moment what we have is not working..... hasn't for quite a while.

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Saying things like kicking Fingal are out are stupid because it hasn't a notion of happenning while the current FAI are there. And besides they are one of the few teams carrying debt, have someone to back them, and are trying to set up roots in the community

If, as rumoured, Cork and Galway are relegated that leaves Sligo Rovers as the only non-Leinster team in the Premier Division for next year.

Some League of Ireland, eh?

The future of the league doesn't look positive in that the barstoolers are never going to come in, they will remain obsessed by British football but **** them. Football isn't neccesarily about having 80,000 people. just remember your support of your local team creates a kin with others like you across the globe. look at that youtube video about supporting local teams from some northern irish guy, comments from everywhere in europe and beyond in support.

...honestly to understand the benal mindset of irish fans you have to be from a country that has a similar oddity(sp?) in regards to an aspect of it's culture

I cant understand people sneering at the idea of most of the clubs being from Dublin next season if Cork and Galway are relegated.

Its not the other clubs fault that the likes of Derry and Cork have been run into the ground by the people running them.

bhs

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Originally Posted by Fr Damo

Surprised i have to explian my post.
The 16 team division would mean we ARE reducing by 6 clubs, not increasing. These would be added to the A teams already in situ (i.e Demoting them from thier national league status.) regional sides like theMervues or the sporting fingals then try anf get into the National league set up, having played against a slightly better opposition than currently on offer in the A leagues might stand a better chance of progreesing. In essence, I am suggesting 16 LOI teams, prob 6 to 8 full time, (we can guess who the are) and the rest semi pro but paying better than the 2 & 3k per week budgets currently being paid by the Athlones, Limericks and Kildares et al.

At the moment what we have is not working..... hasn't for quite a while.

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First problem with a 16 team division is the non event of a significant number of league matches. If a clubs income is to a large extent dependent on gate receipts then this is dangerous territory.
The problem clubs are not the ones paying 2 to 3k a week, or 150k pa. Its the ones paying 30-40k per week or nearly 2m pa that have casused the difficulty.
Shamrock Rovers today are turning over 1.3m, are in the black but are not going full time. Why? I would guess that those currently involved are taking the view that maybe in 2010 or 2011 they might not trunover 1.3m. Or, that the full time experiment in Rovers, Bohs, Drogs, Cork, Shels,Derry in recent years has failed and absolutely no point making the same mistake twice. And yes, I know these clubs were successful, but are lucky that they are still with us.

In Holland for a period of time they used to play off the next 6 places I think behind the champions to decide the european places, while I'm sure something similar could be thought for the relegation places.

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Originally Posted by blackholesun

I cant understand people sneering at the idea of most of the clubs being from Dublin next season if Cork and Galway are relegated.

Its not the other clubs fault that the likes of Derry and Cork have been run into the ground by the people running them.

bhs

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Exactly, stop this bitching of aw half the leagues in Dublin...

Say the opposite happened, NO clubs were from Dublin, yeah....think about that.

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Originally Posted by SligoBrewer

For those of us living in Dublin it means a blemish free season attendance wise. :)

Now, if Shams could out of Tallaght back to Milltown beside me I'd be made up.

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Yup, and if they could move all the first division teams to Dublin as well, that would be great. :)