SPL better than eircom League – Hoolahan

Livingston new-boy Wes Hoolahan insists he has taken a step up football’s ladder by swapping the eircom League for the Bank of Scotland Premierleague.

Former Irish under-21 star Hoolahan left Irish big guns Shelbourne for SPL strugglers Livi last week in a deal said to be worth around £100,000.

And the 22-year-old, unveiled at Almondvale on Tuesday, is looking forward to testing himself against the best in Scotland.

He told Livingston’s official website: “I have no doubt the SPL is better than the Irish league and saw this as a great opportunity to improve myself.

"I am looking forward to playing Rangers, Celtic and the other SPL teams. We have a lot of games coming up and it’s really exciting to be here.

"I played with [fellow former Irish youth internationals] Graham Barrett and Paul Tierney for the international squad at under-21, so I know both of them, and I expect to settle in quickly at Livingston.”

http://www.elevenaside.com/acrossthe...p?newsid=20575

In fairness he is hardly going to out and say the opposite - maybe he believes it, maybe not, but it is interersting that he felt obliged to say it - a few years ago it would have been taken as read.

With the exception of the Old firm the standard of the SPL id on a par with The Eircom League IMO.

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Originally Posted by Celdrog

In fairness he is hardly going to out and say the opposite.

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In fairness, he didn't have to say anything about the two leagues, he could have just said:

"I am looking forward to playing Rangers, Celtic and the other SPL teams. We have a lot of games coming up and it’s really exciting to be here.

"I played with [fellow former Irish youth internationals] Graham Barrett and Paul Tierney for the international squad at under-21, so I know both of them, and I expect to settle in quickly at Livingston.”

Hope he enjoys the Scottish First Division lets see how great it is to play the other teams there in 8 months time!

Of course it's better, you have to include the top teams when comparing the leagues. But he has signed for a team worse than the one he played for last year.

Be quite funny if they got relegated though, wouldn't it ? Another thing that amuses me is how he reckons this will help his chances of getting an International call up. Oh yeah ? Tell that to Richie Foran, Richie Byrne and Noel Hunt. Christ, the new International manager won't have a clue who Wes Hooligan is, and won't be arced finding out either. Especially if it's El Tel. He'll be too busy down the passport office.

I agree really, it's a very very bad move from his point of view. Very badly advised, he should have been looking to follow Doyle to a good first division club.

I wouldnt totally disagree with Hoolahan

Top 2 teams are massive.

Higher average attendences.

Better facilities and stadia.

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Originally Posted by harry crumb

I wouldnt totally disagree with Hoolahan

Top 2 teams are massive.

Higher average attendences.

Better facilities and stadia.

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Pretty much.

And the comments were in retort to Nutsy saying he'd taken a step down. I think he had to be seen to stand up for both himself and his new club. He says it'd been his dream to play in England or Scotland, so I'm sure he does believe it.

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Originally Posted by Conor H

With the exception of the Old firm the standard of the SPL id on a par with The Eircom League IMO.

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Why do people on this site seemed both convinced and obsessed with this assertion ?? And what supports this view ? 'Oh - I watch a lot of SPL so I know.....' ??

Hearts and Hibs would also be at a better standard than EL clubs - in every sense. But it's all moot anyway...

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Originally Posted by dcfcsteve

Hearts and Hibs would also be at a better standard than EL clubs - in every sense. But it's all moot anyway...

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I have to disagree with you there, Hearts are doing good this year ... i'll give you that but Hibs, City played them and we were missing half our first team and were whippin' them, took off some of the other first teamers at half time and still did well against them, i have seen them a bit .... saw them beat Dundee Utd a while back three nil ... but i'll tell you one thing Cork City FC most definitely would take them to the cleaners in a competitive game.

Old Firm, yeah ... good standard, the rest ... i am not sure about to be honest, but there is no way i'd go believing they are better than the top 5-6 in our league.

I've no doubt that the SPL is better than the Irish League either tbh, the eL/LoI not so sure... :D

It's a step up in league, a step down in club. If you took our top couple of clubs out of it I wouldn't see the rest of our league comparing to well tbh. One thing is with us is the top two can realistically be different every year.

If Wes had joined Hearts Hibs Celtic or Rangers it would have been a step up.
The big 4 nearly always qualify for some European competition or other.
He is joining a team that won't qualify for Europe any time soon and is likely to be in a lower Division in 5 months time. Nutsy was right Livingston are not as good as Shels, as regards the big 4 in the SPL that's a moot point. I think if we had the resources of Celtic and or Rangers at any EL club than we would be better than the Old Firm.

Our Premier Division is however far more competitive than either the SPL or the English one. More teams have a chance of winning it here than in either location. There are as I see it 4 potential Premier Division Champions before 2006 season even starts. Cork , Derry, Shels and Drogheda . How things pan out after that is anyone's guess and one of the other mid table teams may even come good next season.

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Originally Posted by A face

I have to disagree with you there, Hearts are doing good this year ... i'll give you that but Hibs, City played them and we were missing half our first team and were whippin' them, took off some of the other first teamers at half time and still did well against them, i have seen them a bit .... saw them beat Dundee Utd a while back three nil ... but i'll tell you one thing Cork City FC most definitely would take them to the cleaners in a competitive game.

Old Firm, yeah ... good standard, the rest ... i am not sure about to be honest, but there is no way i'd go believing they are better than the top 5-6 in our league.

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You keep bringing this incorrect arguement up A FACE. City were beating our youth team 3-0 at half time, we brought on THREE first team players and ripped City apart in 2nd half to get back to 3-3. Stop twisting the facts of the game. Plus it was a meaningless friendly in which Hibs were just back from 2 months off and had 1 training session before match, and Cork were already into their season.

I've been a season ticket holder at St Pats for 12 years now, and go to most Hibs games every season, so its not a bias opinion when I say the SPL in definitely a better standard than the Eircom League, espescially Hibs, Hearts, Celtic and Rangers.

IMHO I think its a step down by weso and he is just trying to make out it was a good move.

Livingston are never going to get anywhere near the top of the SPL, get a grip Weso.

jesus lads the spl is bigger and better than our league. Who cares? So is practically every league in europe. Stop getting so hung up on comparing ourselves to other leagues. AFAIC our league is the only league.

Good luck to hoolihan. Always thought he was overhyped and think he's found his level

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Originally Posted by Hibs4Ever

You keep bringing this incorrect arguement up A FACE. City were beating our youth team 3-0 at half time, we brought on THREE first team players and ripped City apart in 2nd half to get back to 3-3. Stop twisting the facts of the game. Plus it was a meaningless friendly in which Hibs were just back from 2 months off and had 1 training session before match, and Cork were already into their season.

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City only played 5 of the 1st team & all subs in the second half were U21 players. City beat Hibs youth team 3-0 in 1st half & Hibs beat City youth team in the 2nd half so fairly similar.

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Originally Posted by Hibs4Ever

I've been a season ticket holder at St Pats for 12 years now, and go to most Hibs games every season, so its not a bias opinion when I say the SPL in definitely a better standard than the Eircom League, espescially Hibs, Hearts, Celtic and Rangers.

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Not many would dispute that. Its the other 8 teams we judging.

Starting Line-Up: Cork City v Hibernians
A.O’Shea, (U21) Lordan, (U21) Coughlan, (1st team Bench) D.Murray, Murphy, O’Donovan, O’Halloran, (1st team Bench) O'Callaghan, Scanlon, (Youth) Fenn, Behan (1st team Bench)
Substitutions: Guthrie for D.Murray (46mins), Tynan for O'Donovan (46mins), McCarthy for Fenn (46mins), Softic for O'Callaghan (46mins) , C.O'Shea for Murphy (56mins), Carroll for Scanlon (69mins), Harrington for A.O'Shea (78mins), A.Murray for Behan (81mins), Cahill for O'Halloran (86mins).

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Originally Posted by pete

Not many would dispute that. Its the other 8 teams we judging.

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if you exclude the top 4 in scotland, then you should surely exclude our top four.

are you then claiming that the current bohs team would beat kilmarnock, longford beat motherwell etc.

its pure delusional to claim that our league is better or even as good as the spl, however, that is not saying that our best teams are not equivalent to their worst teams (which kind of proves that their league is better...)

its an irrelevant argument anyway, we have improved our own league, and are doing quite well at the moment. if these other superior leagues now want to take our players, they can pay top price (at last)

There is no way the EL is better than the SPL.How people would even think this is beyond me.