Hartlepool or City?

Im taking an obvious risk here by not spending the afternoon doing research on football development in norway, but I simply don't have the time. Feel free to correct me on what follows

However I believe the norweigan FA put in place a ten year plan* to improve its football from grassroots level right up to the national team, and it took at least that long to have an impact.

The reasons I dont think we can compare ourselves AT THE MOMENT to the norweigan leagues as are follows:

* because they have spent these years improving the league through a variety of measures
* but MAINLY because they dont have a top, established league an hours flight away. There was a time when norweigan players would play in the swedish league but the difference in scale is much smaller than between the irish and english leagues. There are scouts from a host of english clubs in ireland, so the majority of our best young players are going to be snapped up. Rosenborg in particular adopt this strategy in norway, the obvious difference being they are a norweigan club.

So no, I dont think the situations are comparable. However were I to be a regular viewer of norweigan football then of course I would be prepared to compare the STANDARD of football.

Its all very well you casting your eyes to heaven and implying that Im living in some fantasy world where league football in Ireland is of a fairly low standard overall, but I happen to think it is.

You asked me if I believed the league could progress and I said that I think it could; I offered the above suggestion as a genuine idea to improve the league in the long term. I dont pretend to have all the answers, thats why the people in the FAI get paid to develop and implement plans.

The best short term thing I can see is to get an irish league club playing in the champions league and I do believe this is doable within as few as 3 years. If it meant the best players in the league playing for one club (at the moment bohs seem the best run club) then I think it would be worth it, as it would raise the profile of the league, generate interest and cash, etc the benefits are huge.

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Originally posted by foureyes
The best short term thing I can see is to get an irish league club playing in the champions league and I do believe this is doable within as few as 3 years. If it meant the best players in the league playing for one club (at the moment bohs seem the best run club) then I think it would be worth it, as it would raise the profile of the league, generate interest and cash, etc the benefits are huge.

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Am I alone in thinking that Bohs getting to the Champions League could potentially be the worst thing that could happen to the league? On the face of it the increased exposure of the league in general would be a good thing, but long term they would be so far in front financially that we might as well pack in.... At the moment we have a competitive league, which with better marketing by the FAI (a budget would be a start) and the clubs it could progress.... Bohs get to the Group stages, and we end up with the situation of Norway where Rosenberg are pretty much guaranteed the title every year, with Bohs simply getting in match practice for the big games....

any of the Scandanavian countries are an example. Take Danish football. They share a border with Germany. Very few or no one supports German football in Denmark. Result - danish clubs do fairly ok in euro competitions and i think Brondby have reached the champions league.
Denamrk won the european championship with six home based players in thier team.
Kim Vilfort was a schoolteacher (and was the danes player of the tournament) and played at home.
AS for Rosenbourg, they are losing their grip in Norway. The entire Norewgian game has benefitted, better stadiums, higher standards. ive been to branns stadium, rosenborgs and bodo/glimt. All are way higher than we have here. We should be at their level. Ild say Rosenborg wont win the next norwegian league championship. thier dominance if anything has helped football in norway. you always need to aim at something......

btw comparisions between here and norway are valid because 1. they have a strong interest in english football and 2. other sports in norway like ski jumping, biathelon, speed skating and downhill as well as ice hockey all have huge followings, which makes it like here in regard to GAA/rugby..

Bohs/shels raising the standrad at the top should encourage other clubs to rasie also.

While getting to the CL group would mean Bohs could snap up all the best talent in the country there still only so many players they can have in their squad & a lot of players wouldn't join as not like sitting on the bench.

Besides i think an't a hope of an irish club getting through 3 qualifying rounds & into the group stages in the next 5 let alone 3 years...

there is a danger that bohs would be way out in front but I think it´s worth the risk:
1. It would improve seedings for ALL irish clubs meaning better draws in europe
2. it would put irish football on the map, and would entice more players to come here and young fellas to stay here.
3. it would provide an impetus for other clubs to catch them up.
4. it might awaken football "Fans" in this country to that potential thats been on our doorsteps for years.
5. Maybe the likes of dermot desmond and john courtenay (And all the other extremely rich people in ireland) might look in their front garden instead of to britain when deciding to flog a fortune at a team.

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Originally posted by scottyshedender
Remember the NL is following what Norweigen footie is doing, the summer season and all, didnt we send an official over there to analyse it a few years back...

The main difference(I can only comment on sWEDISH Footie) is that players are sold for millions...ie Zlatan Ibrahimovic £6 million to Ajax) Stefen Selakovic to Heerneveen 5 Million, Anders Andersson, John Carew(Norway) Anders Linderoth etc.....

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what do you think o flynn is worth?

if he goes what fee will city get?

unless nl clubs negotiate properly and get the proper fees we will never develop.

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Originally posted by eoinh
what do you think o flynn is worth?

if he goes what fee will city get?

unless nl clubs negotiate properly and get the proper fees we will never develop.

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£100,000 and that's if they're lucky when you consider the state of English football.

Personally I hope that more English clubs get into financial bother for an extended period of time. At least then we'll be able to keep our better players because every time someone does well it's always "when/where do you think he'll go?".

The problem with teams negotiating transfers is that English sides know that we have to sell. A perfect example is Rovers and Noel Hunt. Dunfermline knew that Rovers were in financial trouble with the ground and then they could just basically name their price. If Hunt does well in Scotland then he'll be sold for a fee over £1m, which is what Rovers should've been after in the first place.

i agree with both of you. i was trying to point out in my post (and failed) that what hes worth and what city would get if sold will be vastly different.
i hate to say it as i dont like seeing clubs in danger but i hope that the financial mess hitting english clubs remains as well. its our and the leagues best chance of holding on to our best clubs.

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Originally posted by Shane
Surely he's better off playing for City in front of decent crowds and pushing for honours than languishing at the wrong end of English football.

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Is he not currently pushing for honours by helping Hartlepool to their 4 point lead at the top? I would like to see him back at City though, seeing as we should NEVER have let him go in the first place.

Murphy Out Now!!!

BBM has been back at Preston for a few weeks now due to the injury crisis (13 players out) at Deepdale. He played the full 90 at the weekend against Ipswich - didn't do to badly by all accounts.

Tractor Boys are the division's most in-form side and won 3-0 with a Marcus Bent hat-trick. :(