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Thinking earlier will the League Cup (LC) ever make a return, last run in 2019 season before Covid with Dundalk winning it.
Which brings the question on the treble, Leinster SC can hardly be viewed as a treble contender (as much as the Munster SC won't be), so if we don't see the LC returning, the last treble completed will probably stand with Derry City in 1989.
League, FAI Cup, Europa Conference League is the new target……
Hope it returns, it was a good competition. Have the final in the Aviva, along with the All-Island women as a double header.
Said it before on other threads, but I just don't think there is the appetite for the League cup return among clubs. Certainly haven't heard of any LOI clubs campaigning for it to return.
IMO it was more of a burden on clubs especially the regional clubs with mid week games meaning usual match day expenses but significantly less attendance. Also the issue for the part time clubs of mid week away games, granted the fist few rounds is regionalised but outside of Dublin the can still involve several hour round trips for many clubs.
And IMO it only really becomes interesting at the qtr final stage
And the reward wasn't there either, in terms of a Euro spot. If it was to come back you'd need to address that, with the most obvious solution being some kind of play-off with the 3rd/4th place league side for a Conference spot. If the general league structure does get expanded in the years to come there might be more call for it to come back in some form. I don't really miss it though. Don't know how the NI equivalent gets such decent crowds in similar circumstances.
Every club (and their supporters) take a League Cup final seriously. The north has managed to portray the League Cup final over the last few years as a big event in the calndar, ad charged low ticket prices for it too to encourage that. Even this year's fuixture with a Tier 2 club (Portadown) appears to be selling fairly well.Quote:
Originally Posted by NeverFeltBetter
I personally like the League Cup. LOI clubs only have 2 chances of winning silverware (the FAI Cup, plus whichever league title they're competing for). I think a third feels right -and the fact pretty much every other league in Europe has one suggests that too. Over the years its had a few surprise winners and enabled clubs like Limerick FC, Limerick City, Galway, Waterford etc to bag a trophy that they otherwise probably wouldn't have managed, so it did have value and make a useful contribution IMO. Two trophies between all the clubs is too few IMO.
At LOI Club forum (I think, maybe it was SLO training but a league FAI event for sure) it was stated LC will not return and regional comps will be ramped up as preseason ones
I think the league cup is a seriously endangered competition I just can't see it returning with both divisions now at 36 games per season coupled with increased promotion play-off games and higher expectations of multiple European Group Stage games which has happened 4 times since 2011
Even if you brought the league cup back as a pre-season competition I think many clubs would treat it as a glorified u20 tournament even playing games behind closed doors as seen with this seasons with the new Leinster Senior Cup format
Yeah years ago when league cup was at its prime think our loi clubs could afford all the competitions to take part which was the boom period but considerin the way the world is turnin now Im sorry that its gone altogether!