The League Cup 2023- The Return??

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Originally Posted by Jd2793

dont really understand the apathy towards it. hoping fai come to their senses and bring it back , the previous format worked well.

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The thing is that the League Cup DOES capture the attention/imagination of fans and clubs, but not until the quarter-final or semi-final stages. Before then it usually feels like a distraction. It's probably just the nature of a 3rd trophy, as the English League Cup faces similar issues with its earlier rounds. There have been some good crowds at League Cup Finals in recent years, and its also given smaller clubs like Cobh, Limerick and Galway a boost to reach the final. So it's not that the public reject it - it's just that they only get into it when it looks like their team has a shot at winning it.

I'd bring it back as it was before. When to start it is of more importance really IMO.

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Originally Posted by Jd2793

dont really understand the apathy towards it. hoping fai come to their senses and bring it back , the previous format worked well.

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Agree with you there. The league cup final is a great day out, it usually pulls in a sell out crowd in whatever ground it’s in and it’s an opportunity for a trophy, particularly for smaller clubs that let’s face it haven’t/won’t have many better opportunities at winning one. Take Cobh, Limerick, Galway, Drogheda all making the final in the last decade for example, granted Drogs were the only one to win it out of those but if any of those underdog sides were to win the final it’d be one of the most historic days in their history. The earlier rounds are also a great opportunity for competitive game time for lads that aren’t playing as much as they’d like in the league. Straight away I can think of 6 or 7 pats players that could’ve done with the league cup/LSC being around this year.

A European place for the winner is a non runner though, I like the idea in theory but with just 4 European places available, 3rd place in the league is absolutely deserving of a euro spot and the FAI Cup obviously deserves a spot ahead of the League Cup.

EDIT: Ha! Just saw EYG's post after I posted mine. Both thinking along the same lines

Defo should be back. At the end of the day we are football clubs and our business is to play football for trophies.

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Originally Posted by redobit

Defo should be back. At the end of the day we are football clubs and our business is to play football for trophies.

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You would never be accepted onto the board at Bohs with that opinion ;)

LC should be brought back with group stage in pre-season in place of behind closed doors friendlies in the AUL or Abbotstown or wherever.

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Originally Posted by FTA-1895

LC should be brought back with group stage in pre-season in place of behind closed doors friendlies in the AUL or Abbotstown or wherever.

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This 100% and let Triallists play as well (as thats the only reason that some managers could say they would prefer friendlies).

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Originally Posted by FTA-1895

LC should be brought back with group stage in pre-season in place of behind closed doors friendlies in the AUL or Abbotstown or wherever.

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Makes even more sense if wages have to be paid in pre-season now

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Originally Posted by NeverFeltBetter

That would probably garner Munster Senior Cup numbers.

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Originally Posted by EatYerGreens

The thing is that the League Cup DOES capture the attention/imagination of fans and clubs, but not until the quarter-final or semi-final stages. Before then it usually feels like a distraction.

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With 36 games in the league and 4 clubs in Europe in the summer, there isn't much room for a national league cup. Regionalised league cups can be played out in 2 or 3 rounds before the summer.
If seeded based on league placing, Connacht-Ulster would give Sligo v Galway and Derry v Harps a 50:50 chance of being a semi-final lineup. Cork would get to take on one or two of their Munster rivals.
Where rivals are in different divisions, they can go a few years without a competitive game against each other. Regionalised league cups could be beneficial there.

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Originally Posted by legendz

With 36 games in the league and 4 clubs in Europe in the summer, there isn't much room for a national league cup.

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Yet room was always found for it pre covid during a 36 game season with 4 clubs in europe

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Originally Posted by 2 Year Contract

Yet room was always found for it pre covid during a 36 game season with 4 clubs in europe

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Fair point. Has there been any clubs asking for a return of the League Cup though?
The 4 European teams could compete in the President's Cup. All remaining teams in the League Cup. The President's Cup winner and League Cup winner then could qualify for the President's Cup of the following year. This would mean 4, 5 or 6 teams competing in the President's Cup.

Maybe a league cup for teams not in Europe?

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Originally Posted by Dermobohs

Maybe a league cup for teams not in Europe?

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That wouldn't technically be a League Cup then, and would be all the worse for not including the league's best clubs (and most probably its best supported too). Call it a resurrection of the Shield or something, but it cam't be a League Cup

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Originally Posted by EatYerGreens

That wouldn't technically be a League Cup then, and would be all the worse for not including the league's best clubs (and most probably its best supported too). Call it a resurrection of the Shield or something, but it cam't be a League Cup

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It would still be a League Cup. The President's Cup in my example would be ranked higher. It wouldn't be all the worse for it either. The League Cup winner can qualify for the President's Cup of the following year. Their can be prestige in being in that elite cup.

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Originally Posted by legendz

It would still be a League Cup.

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A cup that does not include every team in the league is, by very definition, NOT a League Cup.

You seem obsessed with tinkering with things constantly.

Was it the League Cup when non-league sides were in it?

Is the FAI Cup a League Cup because it includes every team in the league?

I don't agree with leaving the four Euro sides out, but you can call the competition whatever you want

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Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Was it the League Cup when non-league sides were in it?

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Yes.

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Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Is the FAI Cup a League Cup because it includes every team in the league?

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It wasn't THE League Cup. Because the FAI Cup (the clue is in the name) was never organised by the League :cool:

Bizarre logic. Was the League Cup organised by the league? Was the FAI Cup not originally organised by the (Leinster Senior) League? After all, the league set up the FAI, not the other way around)?

How can teams not in the league be in a League Cup? Was it still the Leinster Senior League when Sligo Rovers were in it? Why do intermediate/junior sides get into the Leinster Senior Cup? And why are there non-champions in the Champions League?

Is it a League Cup if it starts (as it did for years) with a league stage? Or was the name just copied from England's new third tier competition which was launched just a few years earlier?

You can call it what you want.

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Originally Posted by EatYerGreens

A cup that does not include every team in the league is, by very definition, NOT a League Cup.

You seem obsessed with tinkering with things constantly.

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The scheduled Monday night games for 2022 were February 28, March 14, April 18 and May 23. The clubs in Europe have a good chance of going through a few rounds of the Europa Conference League. The FAI Cup first round onwards was from the end of July.
Would the clubs in Europe want 4 or 5 rounds in the League Cup? The influence behind the President's Cup suggestion for the European clubs was it could be completed in 2 or 3 rounds before the summer.

There seems to be no need to reinvent the wheel here - 20 League clubs, so roughly regionalise them into 5 groups of 4:

Group A:
Cobh
Cork
Kerry
Treaty

Group B:
Derry
Finn Harps
Galway
Sligo

Group C:
Athlone
Drogheda
Dundalk
Longford

Group D:
Bohs
Shelbourne
St Pats
Shamrock Rovers

Group E:
Bray
UCD
Waterford
Wexford

Each group would play three games in January, with group winners and three best runners-up advancing, knock-outs to be played Mon-Tuesdays when appropriate, and completed before European competitions begin.

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Originally Posted by legendz

It would still be a League Cup. The President's Cup in my example would be ranked higher. It wouldn't be all the worse for it either. The League Cup winner can qualify for the President's Cup of the following year. Their can be prestige in being in that elite cup.

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No presidents play in it therefore it can't be the presidents cup ;)