Airtricity League report

I don't have a problem with a lot of what this report suggests, but the defensiveness when it comes to criticism of the FAI is very strange - I don't even disagree on some of those points, but it doesn't exactly make it sound like an independent report - and the 10/10 idea read really poorly. I'm surprised that the possibility of getting more clubs in the league isn't addressed at all, not even in a "Here's why getting more clubs into the league is impossible right now and what could be done to change that" section. I mean, a 12/12 league is a reasonable aim in that regard, if enough changes are made to incentivise joining up. That's something that should be a priority, not quick fix restructuring for the sake of having the same number of teams in each division.

Not sure why they bother inviting the PFAI on. Surely they could just programme a laptop to say "Give players way more money and longer contracts" and save money.

It was also quite funny that they interviewed Denis O'Connor who made no attempt to look beyond the implications for his own club fighting relegation.

There had to be something in the proposals for first division clubs as they've put up with the 8 team league for a number of seasons now and having 1 division of 12 clubs and another with 8 was ridiculous. We can see here fans complaining about a 10 team league some of them from clubs not long out of the first division so looks like self interest is to the fore again rather than something for everyone. Of course in an ideal world more clubs would want to join the league but that is not going to happen especially with the current first division format. The increases is prize money is to be welcomed too.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Mr A

Not sure why they bother inviting the PFAI on. Surely they could just programme a laptop to say "Give players way more money and longer contracts" and save money.
.

---

I think the Laptop only has a 9 month anti-virus software included in its contract. It has to be shut down for 3 months at the end of November.

I just sighed at the Stephen McGuinness repeating that players are the biggest assets of clubs. Everyone aboard the mé féin bandwagon.

Reads like an opinion piece rather than a reasoned set of credible evidence based recommendations
Quite obvious vindication of his paymasters role in continuing to "run" the league.
Apart from Conroy`s own take on the "evidence" he has gathered ( quoting the Sunday Independent as a reliable source for example) he seems to rely on a statistically skewed survey in the appendices which appears to have been very popular with Shamrock Rovers fans and conversely unpopular with current Bohs fans ( apparently statistically insignificant), but amazingly popular with former Bohs fans ( a whopping 12% of respondees who used to follow the league).!!!!
In his recommendations for the ten club mid way split, he doesn`t seem to have had any regard to the attempts made in the 1990`s to run with that model and the fact that he is regurgitating/ pulling out of his posterior, the same unsuccessful model.
All we are missing is the recommendation to recruit "marquee" players to make the circus complete

The following example of Conroy declaring as fact whatever nonsense is being fed to him, without evidence,is neatly summed up in the extract below.

IEvery fine is completely under the control of the club whether on or off the pitch. While
accepting that every fan can’t be searched for banned matters and that the away fans will, on
occasion, deliberately attempt to get the home club fined, participation in the SSE Airtricity
League, like any other League, requires a level of fines and sanctions to be set.]"

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Real ale Madrid

It will be 4 times instead of the now 3. Yes, that's going to be the straw that breaks the camels back alright.

---

The teams vying for the Europa League place will play each other six times, and that's outside of cup matches and potential replays. Same will apply to the teams facing off in the Relegation Round Robin.

Well and good creating more 'occasions', but these occasions reduce the significance of matches between the teams during the regular season.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by gufc2000

The teams vying for the Europa League place will play each other six times, and that's outside of cup matches and potential replays. Same will apply to the teams facing off in the Relegation Round Robin.

Well and good creating more 'occasions', but these occasions reduce the significance of matches between the teams during the regular season.

---

I'm not sure the bit in bold is necessarily correct but playing a team 6 times in a season is not ideal alright.

I don't like the idea of the prem going back to 10 but could live with it but the idea of a split is absolutely horrendous.

Would we actually end up with a 10 team First Division even or would one or two of the three clubs that were to go down just go bang?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bluewhitearmy

Would we actually end up with a 10 team First Division even or would one or two of the three clubs that were to go down just go bang?

---

Nail on the head.

Very much doubt we'd be in any immediate trouble and disappear, but I'd imagine Munnely would be a bit sick and tired of pumping a few pound our way if we were to go back down. Lots of patience was shown to get Longford up in the 1st place. With even smaller prospects of ever getting back up again, a few clubs might find it very hard.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Mr A

It was also quite funny that they interviewed Denis O'Connor who made no attempt to look beyond the implications for his own club fighting relegation.

---

Where is the Denis O'Connor contribution, can't see it in there?

That was on Soccer Republic last night, just a brief few words.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by White Horse

Nail on the head.

---

That's certainly how it looks to me as well. Very dangerous territory.
Some reasonable ideas in there but nothing revolutionary.

Just on the prize money thing. League of Ireland prize money is very unfairly split out, especially when you consider the real prize is what you get for Champions League and Europa League qualification.

Also consider the English relegated clubs getting a parachute payment of about 20,000,000 per year means they are getting paid almost as much as the champions. No?

I think this could go a little way to explain the likes of Monaghan, Dublin City and Sporting Fingal all going bust shortly after winning promotion - its just not a level playing field for the promoted clubs.

Attachment 2325

I also think that participating in the league of ireland is too expensive - the first division should be amateur - the like of Kilkenny City and Kildare County going bust because just not able to pay players.

I think there are too many league teams in Ireland for the size. England has something like 100 league teams and we have something like 20. England is more than 10 times the size of Ireland. I never would have said it before, and I cannot imagine anyone associated with the league backing this. But there seems to be a need for a cull. One elite division of no more than 10 teams. First division totally amateur - I don't know how this would work out for promotion and relegation though.... there may need to be some sort of disconnect like making the Premier division some sort of franchise with no promotion/relegation just invitational. Or else just live with having a few yo-yo teams like the Premier League has but introduce parachute payments to stop these yoyo teams from going bust.

Most important is INVESTMENT. I was reading about Bate who were 3-0 up on Roma today. The history of their league reads like ours reverting from winter football to summer football, to 16 teams to 17, back to 16, to 14 to 11 teams, to a split season etc etc. But no matter the structure BATE excelled domestically and in europe, and have made the group stages of the Champions League 7 times since 2008. It's not bad for a small country and don't see why that is not possible for Ireland whether its a 10 team premier split season or summer/winter football. Build some top stadiums and top elite training centres with top facilities to attract some decent talent from Africa and Brazil here while nurturing home talent in top of the art youth academies. All it takes is money.

I think investment will be rewarded, there is a huge market for soccer in Ireland, we are soccer crazy. Investment in the domestic game would surely also produce more talent that would help us on the international scene which is a big earner for the FAI. Also if investment meant regular Champions League group stages then the pay back from that would be huge.

Lessons could probably be learnt from other organisations as well. For example GAA and Rugby. GAA because there are less games but a bigger buzz about fewer games. For alot of teams (and im remembering my days following Kildare County) the season drags on with match days being heavy on expenses (paying players refs, garda, ambulance) and gate receipts dwindling the longer the season went on. Rugby because there are less professional teams (4 provinces) meaning the top teams can have a monopoly on the top players and actually be successful in Europe, centrally managed contracts means clubs cant nearly go bust (Shelbourne, Shamrock Rovers 2003) competing over bigger and bigger wages. Football fans in Ireland seem to look at Rugby and GAA in particular as pests, as competition/rivals and are loathe to accept whenever the other associations do something good!

But I think it is mostly about money. That's all I have to say - just some random opinions.

I did like the idea of super game days in the Aviva. God knows how it would work if it was 4 sets of fans who would need to be segregated but I'm sure it can be done.
Said it on Twitter, the report is full of ideas but no numbers in terms of what increased prize funds, marketing budgets or investment needed to grow the league to the levels they say are possible.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Real ale Madrid

It will be 4 times instead of the now 3. Yes, that's going to be the straw that breaks the camels back alright.

---

And you'd play some teams three times at home and others once.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ger121

I did like the idea of super game days in the Aviva. God knows how it would work if it was 4 sets of fans who would need to be segregated but I'm sure it can be done.
Said it on Twitter, the report is full of ideas but no numbers in terms of what increased prize funds, marketing budgets or investment needed to grow the league to the levels they say are possible.

---

Yep I've been saying for years and years a super LOI weekend at the Aviva is exactly what is needed to showcase the league on a grand stage outside of cup finals once a year. Charge everyone a fiver in, promote the heck out of it and there's no reason you wouldn't have a massive gate but will the FAI be willing to cover the expenses of running such an event, there ya go

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by outspoken

Yep I've been saying for years and years a super LOI weekend at the Aviva is exactly what is needed to showcase the league on a grand stage outside of cup finals once a year.

---

I like the idea, but some teams would be losing out on home advantage. It would have to be restricted to matches where the home team is from Dublin. Would Dublin teams agree to that?
If we were to keep the 12 team Premier, the spare home/away match could be held at Lansdowne, which would seem fairer. Six games over two days, €10 for a weekend pass, would be great craic.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by outspoken

Yep I've been saying for years and years a super LOI weekend at the Aviva is exactly what is needed to showcase the league on a grand stage outside of cup finals once a year. Charge everyone a fiver in, promote the heck out of it and there's no reason you wouldn't have a massive gate but will the FAI be willing to cover the expenses of running such an event, there ya go

---

2 games on a Saturday, 2 games on a Sunday either just before or after the summer break in June or on a weekend there's no GAA (or major GAA) on, broadcast all 4 games on RTE, 13:30 and 16:00 kick off times, no English football to compete with.

Outside broadcast costs for RTE will be feck all as Landsdowne is superbly setup up and it's only down the road. Whether the pitch would hold up to 2 days and 4 games is another question but it would still be grand compared to the woes of most pitches in the league at different stages of the season. Basically a good old fashioned summer junior football blitz. €20 a ticket per day that includes both games, family of 4 for €40 (basically kids go free) or a two day ticket for €35 or something along those lines.

Other option imo would be to hold the play offs for the last Euro spot the week before the cup final in Landsdowne. The cup final should always be the last game of the season!