Was in the Daily Mail today that they'll be voting on whether or not go with a 12 team prem, no mention of 16 team prem tho
Was in the Daily Mail today that they'll be voting on whether or not go with a 12 team prem, no mention of 16 team prem tho
http://www.independent.ie/sport/socc...s-2434748.html
Didn't see this coming myself...Quote:
Top flight expansion set to be capped at 12 teams
Thursday November 25 2010
CLUBS and officials lobbying for the introduction of a considerably enlarged League of Ireland Premier Division are set to be disappointed after the National League Executive Committee confirmed their intention to extend the top flight to just 12 teams.
However, all plans were on hold last night after a meeting of senior clubs in Abbotstown dragged on amid disagreements over the make-up of the First Division. The final decision will be made by the FAI Board of Management on December 10.
There are currently 10 teams in the top flight, and that is now set to rise by two for the 2012 campaign. It is envisaged they will each play each other twice before the league splits into two after 22 games, with the teams in the respective halves encountering each other twice more in the final run-in.
The NLEC, who met earlier in the day, came to the table with a proposal that the second tier would be divided into two regional leagues of eight, with senior sides from the 'A' Championship bumped up a tier to make up the numbers.
Yet that suggestion was opposed by the meeting, with a nationwide First Division with an undetermined amount of teams set to operate from 2012 onwards.
The news that a 12-team top flight is on the cards has angered those in the nether regions of the Premier Division and top half of the First Division who had argued that a 14 or 16 team competition would offer greater stability, and remove the repetition of fixtures which they believe affects attendances.
A 16-team top flight would also have guaranteed a regional spread compared to the current Dublin-centric league, with no Munster representation again in 2011.
Some clubs at the meeting argued that the league should gradually work towards extending the Premier Division to a 14 team competition by 2014 or 2015.
It seems likely that three teams will be promoted from next year's First Division with the bottom team in the Premier relegated.
- Daniel McDonnell
Irish Independent
Spiltting into two.......Top six and bottom six......Back to 1991 again......Regionalised first division......Sweet Jesus, please let this be a joke.
I couldn't even think of less attractive plans.
It's rubbish. And you're still playing some teams 4 times. Absolute balls.
And now you'll play some three times at home and once away (or vice versa)
You play every team once home and away. Then play 5 games home and away. So you can only play each team at the most twice at home.
Don't think this is a good idea. It will make the strong teams stronger and the weak teams weaker. Teams like bray, UCD, Galway etc that are likely to be in the bottom half will miss out in a lot of big gates as they won't be playing the likes of Rovers, Bohs, Pats Dundalk, Derry
Bloody hell.. there are some stupid ideas in that article. I guess some of the 'big' clubs just couldn't face the idea of playing the little guys too often.
Nonsense plan - worst of all worlds.
At last its consistent with the usual ******** that the FAI get up to.
As a thought could us at foot.ie thrash out a submission? And send it to the Executive.
I found my plan last night.
Probably just rovers if we're honest. A bad run of form or bad luck and any other team could finish 7th even if there is only a point or two between them and the pack in front. It will be very difficult to pay wages if the season is effectively over in August. This is a terrible idea all round
This is the death knell for LOI . I just despair at the thinking behind it can the clubs inside the pale not afford the extra travel Bill now that the carbon tax is doubled.Even Fianna Fail couldnt make a worse job of it absolute ****e:mad:
Woke up to 'Size Of A Cow' by the Wonder Stuff on the radio and now I read this - is it actually 1991? The idea is a groan inducing disaster, sure to guarantee more league tinkering disruption for the next few years at least.
As before, what makes you think its clubs "within the pale"? I'd guess Sligo and Derry would be 2 of the teams confident of finishing in top 6
A 16 team premier league is the only way forward and the Teams that are pushing for this 12 team are like Turkeys Voting for Christmas.
The split division idea was put forward by the National League Executive Committee. Who is this?
I was under the impression that a few weeks ago, a majority of clubs voted for a 16-team prem. division and winter football, and the purpose of the recent meeting was to ratify that or not.
:bulgy:Quote:
Originally Posted by CLOWNS Bill, clowns
TEN games with nothing at stake for nearly half the division. Why in the name of god would anyone go to these games?!?!
So we can look down our noses at barstoolers, d'uh...
16 clubs would equate to a 30 games season. The split of 12 clubs equates to 22 games followed by 10 after the split, resulting in 32 games. Is the split really worth it for one extra home game a season?
If they do go with a split, there has to be a carrot for finishing top of the lower section. That'd have to come in the form of Europa League play-offs. Wales have introduced a format exactly like that. The 12 split after 22 games, top side of second section are involved in Europa League play-offs.
If they go with play-offs, the FAI Cup final would have to be held before the league finishes so clubs know what they are playing for heading into the play-offs. Generally the top 2 in the league will be in Europe and one more in the top 6 will most likely have qualified already through the Cup but it's not guaranteed. The Europa League play-off would have to factor for 4 clubs from the top section and at least one from the lower section.
The split thing was a disaster last time around, we ended up in it the first year and it was a graveward, worse than the first division!
Id sooner a 16 team premier than this split rubbish or the old woefull play eachother 3 times. In my oponion the only to build up interest across the country is having the "big" teams coming to town every so often.
Look at Athlone, struggling in the first division with great facilities but poor crowds. If Rovers or Derry or Pats were in town, they'd have some chance of getting the local day trippers out for the game, combined with a noisy away crowd, the whole experience might get some fans hooked.
It is my understanding that the NLEC presented this 12 team plan to the clubs last night with the First Division being regionalised into 2 groups of 8. This would mean that the 5 clubs in the A championship + 1 more would be invited into this First Division.
However, the clubs threw our this suggestion and have told the executive to go back to the drawing board and listen to the views of the clubs that have, apparently, been ignored.
A 12 team league is a non runner, but one issue that seems to have bolstered the clubs is the issue of what happens to those clubs who fail to make the cut for a 14 or 16 team premier.
What criteria do you use to exclude 6 clubs - could you get the A championship clubs and a new club to form a new First Division?
Shamrock Rovers have been the one team screaming for the retention of the ten team premier but surely playing everyone four times outside of league cups, fai cups, replays etc is ridiculous.
Apparently the vote on changing back to winter soccer was never on the cards as what has been quoted in the papers was only the result of the informal survey during this process (12 voted yes to winter soccer with 9 voting no!)
I think a major shift is required to revitalise this league.
I also think that a minimum of 14 teams in the Premier League is a fundamental requirement in any change. Whether it is a summer league or a winter league is debatable though with the introduction of the U19 Elite league from next August then does it make sense for your senior team to be playing in the summer while your next team would be playing in the winter (cos the A Championship would be gone!)
those who ignore the past are bound to repeat it. what a bunch of idiots who are these nlec
It seems there are a load from the FAI but nobody from the clubs!!!!!
From what I can gather........the chairman and League Director, Club licencing people, League manager, and Packie Bonner. The only person outside the FAI was Rico!!!
This proves once and for all that the FAI couldnt give a flying **** about the league.I know for definite Fran Gavin was in Agreement with the 16 team premier so it must be our Great Beer Buyer that came up with this ludicrous decision.
there goes the myth if you pay peanuts you get monkeys we dont pay peanuts but still manage to get...........
a twleve team premier failed in the past and and there is no reason to assume it would work in the future this was my point but as you bring up winter fooball the same point could be made it was terrible in winter why return to it.
but the people who dreamed up this new structure never ran a club winter or summer ,12 or 22 so have no idea what they are talking about.
Can anyone else clarify who is on this Committee?
Is this simply the FAI in different clothing?
Back in early 2007 that was certainly the case, being made up of these guys-
http://foot.ie/threads/52197-FAI-mak...e-appointmentsQuote:
Former chairman of Charlton Athletic Richard Collins and Chief Executive of Waterford Crystal and President of Waterford Wedgewood (USA) John Foley join a committee chaired by Paddy McCaul.
Eamon Naughton was elected to the role of vice chairman at the final AGM of the old eircom League. FAI honorary secretary Michael Cody was elected "by the 61 members from all strands of the game who sit on the FAI's National Council". FAI chief executive John Delaney is the other member of the committee which will work with League Director Fran Gavin to run and administer the new league.