Where might new clubs come from?

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Originally Posted by legendz

Do you have a link to the league table?

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Nope, but here's the list of who won what in 2019/20.

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Originally Posted by pineapple stu

But your GAA comparison is invalid because you're comparing the equivalent of international and club football. Pro 14 isn't an option in football, so the AIL structure comparison does challenge the original point that we don't know what a pyramid is in this country. That doesn't mean I expect top matches in front of crowds of 200 or whatever the AIL gets.


Yeah, it does though. Pretty much the only exception is us. I've shown why it's bad (and there's another example coming up). You've not given any reasons for your view, or why it trumps the view of the FAI's High Performance Director.


But that was how Dublin City, Sporting Fingal, Kildare County, Kilkenny City, Monaghan United, etc came into the league. How did that work out? Kildare County in particular is a very good example of everything that's wrong with the current setup - the existing Newbridge Town were so worried about it all going wrong and having no way of backing out without losing their place in the LSL that they created a whole new entity to join the LoI. A new entity with no history, no momentum, no nothing. It did well for a couple of years and then died a death.


OK, though none of that has anything to do with my point?


You might recall Galway went bankrupt and dropped out of the league all on their owney-oh. Appointing Nick Leeson as CEO really wasn't a smart move. Galway have no-one to blame but themselves for being appallingly run.

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I disagree.

Good argument there anyway

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Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Kildare County in particular is a very good example of everything that's wrong with the current setup - the existing Newbridge Town were so worried about it all going wrong and having no way of backing out without losing their place in the LSL that they created a whole new entity to join the LoI. A new entity with no history, no momentum, no nothing. It did well for a couple of years and then died a death.

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Good example alright. Magic-ing up a club isn't the solution.
I see Kildare are at U17 level. At least that is a reasonable way to build.
Is the League Cup to resume? At the very least, Kerry, Cavan-Monaghan, Carlow-Kilkenny and Kildare should have a representative side in that, as Kerry League have done in the past.

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Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Good argument there anyway

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Not here for an argument. I doubt anything I could say could change your mind. Just giving my opinion in favour of the franchise model. God forbid we'd all agree with the pyramid system.

A rational argument could certainly change my mind. You haven't given any. You've just said "Yerrah, it's always been the way" and mumbled something about Mervue and Salthill.

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Originally Posted by pineapple stu

A rational argument could certainly change my mind. You haven't given any. You've just said "Yerrah, it's always been the way" and mumbled something about Mervue and Salthill.

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I'm sensing needless hostility. I gave my opinion, replied to a post, you want more arguments, I couldn't be @rsed. Good evening.

No hostility. I just think dismissing a detailed post engaging with your points with "I disagree" is poor form really.

But look, you won't be changed, and ultimately what happens here won't have any impact on real life, so...

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Originally Posted by pineapple stu

But your GAA comparison is invalid because you're comparing the equivalent of international and club football. Pro 14 isn't an option in football, so the AIL structure comparison does challenge the original point that we don't know what a pyramid is in this country. That doesn't mean I expect top matches in front of crowds of 200 or whatever the AIL gets.


Yeah, it does though. Pretty much the only exception is us. I've shown why it's bad (and there's another example coming up). You've not given any reasons for your view, or why it trumps the view of the FAI's High Performance Director.


But that was how Dublin City, Sporting Fingal, Kildare County, Kilkenny City, Monaghan United, etc came into the league. How did that work out? Kildare County in particular is a very good example of everything that's wrong with the current setup - the existing Newbridge Town were so worried about it all going wrong and having no way of backing out without losing their place in the LSL that they created a whole new entity to join the LoI. A new entity with no history, no momentum, no nothing. It did well for a couple of years and then died a death.


OK, though none of that has anything to do with my point?


You might recall Galway went bankrupt and dropped out of the league all on their owney-oh. Appointing Nick Leeson as CEO really wasn't a smart move. Galway have no-one to blame but themselves for being appallingly run.

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That was Galway's version of ****ing everything away Celtic Tiger style. As Wonder88 pinted out, there are other factors for the lack of interest, with the chief one being Connacht. There's always a 4K + crowd at the Sportsground, or used to be in normal times. Rugby got really well developed into a multi-million pound slick package in the last 20 years, precisely while the entire LOI was flailing around helplessly, and got left behind, and Galway's a microcosm of that. Terryland is a walk-in freezer, all year round too, but I'm not sure what they could do to fix that issue. I've seen Terryland full, maybe 8 times, but Connacht almost always sell out. If Galway were winning the League they'd still only get crowds of 1,500

If Kildare County had kept their old name it wouldn't have saved them supporters. No one was turned off supporting the club because they identified as Newbridge Athletic fans, because Newbridge Athletic had no fans. When Galway were elected to the league in the 70s they changed their name from Claddagh Rovers, it didn't turn anyone off and it's allowed the club to essentially operate as they county franchise ever since. Similarly if you go way back Dundalk changed their name from GNR shortly after joining and I'm sure you'd find other examples.

If anything Kildare County had the right idea, I'm sure Tralee Dynamos wish they did the same thing!

New(ish) club here...

https://twitter.com/LimerickFCie/sta...800524292?s=19

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Originally Posted by sullanefc

New(ish) club here...

https://twitter.com/LimerickFCie/sta...800524292?s=19

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Much like the Americans saw their history echo in the last helicopter out of Kabul being so much like the last helicopter out of Saigon, we now see the Galway crisis due to be replayed in Limerick

https://www.extratime.com/articles/2...medium=twitter
"Due to issues surrounding club licensing, Maynooth University Town were unable to apply for a First Division license for the 2021 season.

extratime.com understands that the club explored the option of joining the League of Ireland when the FAI invited expressions of interest to join the senior ranks. But their lack of stadium facilities put pay to that ambition, for now at least."

Seems like a stupid reason when you consider where Cabo are playing

Anyone it seems can explore an interest in joining the First Division. The journalist used it as a seed to grow a story!
Kildare are at U17 level. The youth leagues should be where potential new clubs build their foundation.

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Originally Posted by GUFCghost

Seems like a stupid reason when you consider where Cabo are playing

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Agree alright. The ambiguity around how to join the league can't really help in terms of teams wanting to join it. Tralee and Cobh both applied in 2012 but were declined for (so far as I can see) no particular reason. Like, why would you bother when the FAI just make up the rules as they go along?

(I agree there should be facilities requirements in place obviously. But Cabo can't have more than Maynooth, and the rules should be consistent)

Having played for Maynooth Uni I can tell you there is no fan facilities whatsoever. Great player facilities in terms of full size astro for training, full gym, indoor 5/7 a side halls and lots of nice changing rooms etc, but nothing for supporters. Not even a perimeter rope around the pitch... Nothing! When we played matches there would often be students standing right on the touchline watching. At the town grounds they've a few pitches with a perimeter fence and changing rooms and that's it I believe.

I remember Kildare County had a tidy little ground, was it in the middle of nowhere?
Maybe they were denied a license based on the way it would compromise Klub Kildare? (A truly terrible name)
If a LOI club needs 5 youth teams and a stadium, I can't see anyway Kildare or any county could build a team without clubs collaborating

Kildare played in a couple of spots I think. I know they had grounds in Newbridge and also the curragh camp

Station Rd was a nice wee ground especially with the temporary seating in. Any excuse to throw this vid up too
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6JgJjHv4y8

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Originally Posted by GUFCghost

I remember Kildare County had a tidy little ground, was it in the middle of nowhere?

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Twas a 5-minute walk from Kildare train station in fairness to them (hence Station Road)

You'd wonder why Maynooth even applied if they don't have any perimeter fencing. (Were they being silly, or just testing the waters, or had the FAI done stuff in previous years to indicate that a fudge might be an option?)

Isn't perimeter fencing a requirement for Intermediate football? I thought Junior football was the parks stuff?