Senior Football Restructuring

The FAI have obviously set about creating the "pathway" to senior football, which to be fair looks good and will only benefit the League of Ireland.

Has there been any mention of restructuring the senior game (and I don't mean the 10-team league) by linking the Intermediate level, or indeed merger Intermediate and Junior football and creating a pyramid structure.

The split between the two non-league levels always seems strange to me. So effectively non-League Donegal football is rated better than non-League Galway football because their teams play in the Ulster Senior League whereas the Connacht Senior League no longer exists.

What's the FAI "pathway"?

Didn't think the FAI had been looking at a pyramid at all tbh

It's absolutely vital there are moves made on this. The league is already down 2 clubs and could easily shed a few more, given the situations at several clubs. The league needs to be more attractive to play in, and there has to be a mechanism by which clubs can prepare and qualify for the step up.

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Originally Posted by Mr A

It's absolutely vital there are moves made on this. The league is already down 2 clubs and could easily shed a few more, given the situations at several clubs. The league needs to be more attractive to play in, and there has to be a mechanism by which clubs can prepare and qualify for the step up.

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Agreed, but surely it all comes down to money as much as any pathway to the senior game ?

At the moment the participation money in the LOI is so appallingly low that it just isn't worth it for intermediate clubs to make the step up. The risk is too high that it could be a fruitless venture that hits them financially, thereby undermining what they currently have (and which is surely their priority). You can have as many paths to the LOI as you want, but they're pointless if it's not worth knocking on the door at the end of them.

So the bottom line is that the league needs higher prize money across the entire structure - from the team that finishes last in the First Division upwards. That's the only way you'll have clubs wanting to take the risk of joining it.

Absolutely- that's a huge part of making the league more attractive to clubs- making it less of a case of financial suicide.

Making the league more enticing - through more prize money and removing the First Division - was one of the basic suggestions in the PCA "Pathway" document alright (is this the one JC was thinking of? But i think the FAI haven't even acknowledged it, though they've received it)

I don't think we'll hear too much about this until it's more or less been settled on, that's if it is even in the works, much like the underage league now in place (and on the way).

The FD has a lot of problems, but it's usually completely ignored that anyone outside the running for promotion has no motivation whatsoever. There have to be sporting consequences.

Franchise is a dirty word in European football, but we pretty much have a closed shop league anyway.

Last year, we did well enough early in the season not to be worried about relegation, so when it was clear Europe was completely out of the question, people didn't give a monkeys any more. Some of our most memorable games and runs of games in the last ~10 years have been trying avoiding the drop.

It's nearly impossible to grow in the FD if you don't find money to throw at it, because otherwise, there is nothing to play for.

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Originally Posted by pineapple stu

is this the one JC was thinking of?

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No, I was referring to the pathway from youth to senior football by the creation of the National League's.

Is this the only focus of the FAI at the moment?

Is there no plan for the future of senior football?

Obviously as stated here Division 1 needs to be seen as an attractive step for clubs. Anyone looking at the Salthill & Mervue experiences will run a mile.

The focus for now is on getting the underage leagues in place. The U15 league is starting later this year. The U13 league will probably start in late 2019. Once these leagues are established, it'll be time to consider the merits of some intermediary league between U19s and senior football.

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Originally Posted by legendz

consider the merits of some intermediary league between U19s and senior football.

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After u19 is very young to be cast aside, if you're not ready for first team yet. A lot of Galway United's u19 teams each year were and will be faced with going from playing in a national league to playing a much lower level locally.

Something like an u21 or u23 league could give players more chance to develop. Possibly even allow a very small number of overage players to play, giving fringe players or those returning from injury a chance

Paying for all these new teams is very difficult, but either you're in the business of being a football club or you aren't.

I think u21 league is pointless, players are too old to don't be paid to be playing football and too bad to be paid to play football. At least until the financial situation of teams or the level of the country improves.

To improve senior football we need more clubs and a pyramidal structure, how to get it it's difficult to know. I was thinking the other day about UCC, they have decent teams that can compete against UCD in the university competitions and they obviously have money as they sponsor Cork city, why don't they launch their own team in the league?

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Originally Posted by Briuk

I think u21 league is pointless, players are too old to don't be paid to be playing football and too bad to be paid to play football. At least until the financial situation of teams or the level of the country improves.

To improve senior football we need more clubs and a pyramidal structure, how to get it it's difficult to know. I was thinking the other day about UCC, they have decent teams that can compete against UCD in the university competitions and they obviously have money as they sponsor Cork city, why don't they launch their own team in the league?

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This idea was proposed by Dermot Keely in his Sun column last year - regionalise the 1st Div and let the 3rd level teams become the bedrock of that 1st Div.

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Originally Posted by JC_GUFC

No, I was referring to the pathway from youth to senior football by the creation of the National League's.

Is this the only focus of the FAI at the moment?

Is there no plan for the future of senior football?

Obviously as stated here Division 1 needs to be seen as an attractive step for clubs. Anyone looking at the Salthill & Mervue experiences will run a mile.

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The only focus of the FAI at the moment - or at least their primary one anyway - is paying down their debt from the stadium. They seem to have a rather simplistic view of debt as being inherently bad and to be cleared at all costs, rather than just treating it as a financial tool to be utilised sensibly to help the organisation achieve its objectives.

Beyond that, it's the international set-up as usual that gets all the focus. The LOI is so far off the FAI's daily concerns that it's scandalous.

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Originally Posted by Philosophizer

This idea was proposed by Dermot Keely in his Sun column last year - regionalise the 1st Div and let the 3rd level teams become the bedrock of that 1st Div.

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We're about 5 years away from an intermediary league been given consideration. Again, the underage structures have to be completed first. Optional Lol B teams, non-LoI entities with teams in the LoI underage leagues and 3rd level teams should become the bedrock of an intermediary league.

The winner at intermediary level should playoff against the bottom placed team from the First Division. If circumstances were to change positively over time that a number of intermediary league teams were meeting First Division criteria, it can form a platform for increasing the number of teams in the League of Ireland.

Surely there's some way to lower the cost of fielding a first division team?

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Originally Posted by GUFCghost

Surely there's some way to lower the cost of fielding a first division team?

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Yeah. Don't bother!