St. Patrick's Athletic manager, Pat Dolan, has expressed his fear that the eircom premier division could become a Dublin league. As it stands, all four teams in the relegation positions in the top division are clubs from outside the Dublin area, while two of the teams who are favourites to replace them, are from or located near the capital.
The result could be a division with 8 sides within a 30-mile radius of Dublin; a scenario which Dolan believes would be disastrous for Irish soccer.
"It really worries me that with the switch to a ten team premier division format next season, huge areas of the country could be deprived the right to support a team in the top flight," said Dolan.
"At the moment the bottom four teams in the premier division are all country clubs - Dundalk, Longford, Galway and Monaghan. Now I'm fully aware that all four could escape relegation bur for arguments sake, what if they all went down to be replaced by Drogheda and Dublin City?
"That concerns me. While I don't feel that clubs in Dublin or on Ireland's east coast should be punished or held back from developing. It's time that people looked at the big picture and not just at themselves.
"We have to make sure that kids in every part of Ireland have an opportunity to find a team to support and identify with."
well said Pat
25/10/2001, 1:55 PM
Éanna
Good point. I actually said that to Roy Dooney when i e-mailed him re his statement, and he said something like he was aware of the possibility and it's implications. At least he realises I suppose!
25/10/2001, 2:48 PM
pete
Big 6
Whilst obviously they can't promote & relegate teams on the basis of their location in the country it is the National League afterall.
I believe we may not be moving towards the 10 team league is we had the Commish a year earlier as at least he asks fans to inform him of their preferences.
I think roy Dooney also sais that the league would prefer to see a non-Pale team join the league next year. I think its only fair to give these teams a better chance to join but if a dublin area team provides a much better case then they shouldn't be bloocked either.
With a 10 team league it would be a major shock if the top 6 (big dub 4 + ccfc & dcfc) got relegated ever so the other 4 really have a 50:50 chance of relegation every year!
