Self proclaimed? Yeah I'm sure it was the clubs came up with it alright....not the newspaper :rolleyes:
:D Ye sound like those really old men-back in my day......
Printable View
PREMIER:
DROGHEDA UNITED
ST PATS ATH
LINFIELD
BOHEMIANS
CORK CITY
GLENTORAN
CLIFTONVILLE
SHAMROCK R
SLIGO ROVERS
DERRY CITY
GALWAY UTD
PORTADOWN
LISBURN DISTILLERY
CRUSADERS
COLERAINE
DUNGANNON SWIFTS Bottom four relegated relegated
FIRST SOUTH:
BRAY WANDERERS top two promoted
UCD
WATERFORD U
LONGFORD TOWN
COBH R
FINN HARPS
DUNDALK
LIMERICK
SHELBOURNE
ATHLONE T
KILDARE C
MONAGHAN U
WEXFORD YOUTH
KILKENNY C
CHERRY O
ROCKMOUNT bottom two relegated
FIRST NORTH:
BALLYMENA UNITED top two promoted
LIMAVADY U
ARMAGH C
NEWRY CITY
DONEGAL C
LARNE
GLENAVON
LOUGHGALL
INSTITUTE
BANGOR
CARRICK R
BANBRIDGE T
ARDS
DUNDELA
COAGH U
H&W WELDERS bottom two relegated
SECOND SOUTH:
BLARNEY U top two promoted
CRUMLIN U
LETTERKENNY R
MALAHIDE U
FANAD U
CARRIGALINE U
DOUGLAS HALL
CASTLEVIEW
COCKHILL CELTIC
BANGOR CELTIC
KILDRUM TIGERS
EVERTON
BELGROVE
WAYSIDE C
BLUEBELL U
AVONDALE UTD
SECOND NORTH:
TOBERMORE top two promoted
PORTSTEWART
BALLINAMALLARD
MOYOLA P
BALLYCLARE C
LURGAN C
WAKEHURST
BALLYMONEY U
OXFORD UTD STARS
PSNI
BRANTWOOD
ANNAGH UNITED
CHIMNEY CORNER
DERGVIEW
QUEENS UNIVERSITY
GLEBE RANGERS
9 Teams from Northern Ireland and 7 from the south... Would have thought a ratio of 4:12 to be a more accurate reflection population wise. Letting that many northern irish teams in would have a hugely negative effect on the quality - rather than improving it, we would be going backwards in my opinion. Personally I don't think this would work. The only 2 or 3 decent teams that would actually benefit the new league would be Linfield and Glentoran, and maybe Portadown... The rest are equivilant to our 1st division sides.
Where did you come up with the division of teams? Is it your idea, or did you read it somewhere?
Do you seriously think that these teams will be able to travel for these games? These teams have no or very little money, and no or very little money will be generated in the "Second South" division.
And what happens if the bottom four teams in the premier division are all teams from the "north" or "south" section? How will promotion/relegation be decided?
I think all this talk is crazy, the problems the leagues have will not be sorted out in any way by any all Ireland league merger.
With Platini talking about wanting to see more teams from smaller counties in the Champions league, the biggest potential assets the two leagues have are the European slots, anything that would see some of these slots lost would be suicidial. UEFA will be very reluctant to see leagues from neighbouring countries merging.
Yeah, the clubs should use it as a lever to get more outta the FAI but leave it at that. The people pushing this are doing so to make money for themselves, not for the love of the game. I wouldnt trust them an inch.
bhs
I doubt Derry would be included in the four from the North.
Drogheda
St. Pats
Cork
Bohs
Derry City
Galway
all definitely in from the LoI.
Linfield
Glentoran
Dungannon Swifts
Newry City
likely in from the Irish League
leaving two spots. Likely chosen from Shamrock Rovers, Cliftonville and Sligo Rovers.
I'd say Cliftonville are very much in favour of it, also Crusaders are rumoured to be in discussions about it also
If the Premier was to start with 8 teams from each league, then eventually teams would find their own level....i'd imagine in the first season all 4 relegation slots would be occupied by IL clubs
TBH if any of this ever materialises, then I doubt very much if Portadown would make the cut for the Premier league, ended up fourth last season and will do well to make the top six this season.
Spent force :(
Was just wondering what sort of format might work. I know Douglas Hall and Letterkenny can play each other in the FAI & Intermediate cups, maybe a 3rd tier would be a step too far in the south, or would have to be regionalised.
If 4 IL clubs come down, then 4 would have to drop from the division below. I definitely wouldnt favour a 12 team division though.
Portadown were an embarassment in the Setanta last season, but having the heart tore out of their defence just prior to the competition starting, certainly didn't help.
Not to mention a [past his sell by] manager who is on record as stating he felt it was a competition too far for his small squad. Can you imagine how inspiring his team talks were?
The thing is though, with a merger between the two leagues despite there being less European places available, this will make very little difference in my opinion or if anything only improve our coefficient and results. Why? We will be sending stronger teams into European competition each year as the league will be stronger and the odds of poor sides gaining qualification will be greater. Stronger home sides qualifiying will only help our results and our coefficient.
At the moment in the eL and the IL each team is chasing one of four places. In a new league, each team will still be chasing one of four (or possibly five depending on sweet talking Uefa) places. What's the difference?
The FAI don't want it. The IFA don't want it. Most clubs don't want it. Uefa certainly don't want it.
If anything is to happen it will result in a few stupid clubs trying to form a little league of their own with no Uefa places. Anyone who thinks any differently is deluded.
Yes, but you need to weigh the value of clubs against the others. Are small part time clubs like Harps or Waterford or Shamrocks really that important in the greater scheme of things? Starting from a clean slate, are they really necessary to seduce the average paying customer? Perhaps in time they'll accept their place on the lower rungs of the new ladder as a better position than slightly elevated in a meaningless league, but for their sake you'd hope they do it before someone decided to set up Tallaght FC or Waterford Athletic and align themselves with, as Kevin Doyle would say, 'proper clubs' and professionalism.
Officials from clubs exploring an AIL, from both sides of the border, will be meeting in Newry this Friday.
But - keep quiet - it's a secret.