Third Tier Talk - A Championship Mk II

The likelihood of a Third Tier are the following being involved;

STRONG:
Klub Kildare
CK United
Mayo FC
Shamrock Rovers II

UNKNOWN:
Shelbourne II
St Pats II
Derry City II
Galway United II
Waterford II
Bohemian II
Cork City II

At least 10 of the above 11 will be needed for a national league. There isn't a queue of non LoI clubs joining the academy leagues. Clubs joining the academy leagues is more a sign of dependability as well. Cavan Monaghan have come and gone. Better to happen at academy level than to damage the brand of a Third Tier trying to get off the ground and become established.
A Third Tier could get by with 8 but if anyone pulls, less than 8 is far from ideal.

I don't think B teams should be allowed, it completely devalues the division imo

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Originally Posted by Buckett

I don't think B teams should be allowed, it completely devalues the division imo

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The First Division doesn't want B teams. I don't think the Leinster and Munster Senior Leagues want B teams either. Any emerging LoI clubs that build up through the academy leagues are unlikely to be put out.
You've probably hit on the reason B teams should join. It is probably the best way progressive Premier Division city clubs can get B teams established at that level, without any major fuss.

Welcome, BigEars.

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Originally Posted by BigEars

The 3rd division being put back a year isn't a problem, so long as the FAI use the intervening period to actually make progress towards it.

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Hope springs eternal, though there's some serious vested interests to get round in just a year.

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Originally Posted by BigEars

Also make enquiries to some of the colleges in regards to interest in fielding.

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I can only speak for mine, where this is an absolute non-runner. All the HEIs are underfunded and don't have a half million to put into a team. The campuses of the new TUs are too widely scattered to make training and other logistics work, and most of their campus locations already have LoI teams. Tie-ins for access to training and sports science facilities, marketing and strategy consultancy, maybe scholarships that allow academy players play for the HEI team - that's where you might find some interest.

the FAI have contacted clubs as follows over the past couple of days:


We are pleased to inform you that the FAI will shortly be accepting Expressions of Interest for the new Men's Tier 3 which will be the top tier of Amateur Football and known as the 'FAI National League'.


The FAI will communicate further details of this at Thursday's General Assembly meeting. Final details will be released to all parts of the game and publicly in the week commencing 9th December.


The new 'FAI National League' is the first significant step towards the creation of an Irish Football pyramid in line with the FAI Football Pathways Plan. We would like to introduce the National League in August / September 2026 once the Expression of Interest and the application process has been completed.


We look forward to working closely with you on this exciting development for the future of Irish Football

Interesting - if the National League were to link up with the LoI in time for the following season (2027), then the inaugural campaign could only last from August/September until December 2026 at longest?

How does this fit into the junior-intermediate-senior designations I wonder? Largely irrelevant of course but at the same time could have impacts on voting rights at general council etc.

Do having academy structures form part of current licencing? If yes, seems non LoI clubs might be allowed join the Third Tier. Any potential promotion to the First Division should entail reasonable criteria by LoI standards, plus having academy structures in place.
If the "FAI National League" is the first step, possibly district leagues linking to a higher regional league is the next step. It'll take a long time for district leagues to be eventually linked to that third tier.

The third tier will be an amateur league and won't have LOI standards. The way it was explained to the clubs, you can throw a fence around the pitch and play away, like currently at intermediate level


Meanwhile, here's the DDSL making an absolute show of themselves while discussing calendar year football on Off the Ball:

https://x.com/offtheball/status/1864369075687969189

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Originally Posted by Burnsie

The third tier will be an amateur league and won't have LOI standards. The way it was explained to the clubs, you can throw a fence around the pitch and play away, like currently at intermediate level


Meanwhile, here's the DDSL making an absolute show of themselves while discussing calendar year football on Off the Ball:

https://x.com/offtheball/status/1864369075687969189

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Question: “How does the GAA manage to continue through the summer at all if players/families are supposedly out of the country for 2 months?"

Answer: “67-70% of the population are on holidays for two months”

Talk about showing himself up as the out of touch spoofing fool that he is :D

Its an argument that always just bugged me for being BS. There was always the odd player missing 'cause they were away on holidays when I played Summer League and schoolboy ball before that, and at every other time of the year people were missing for one reason or another and no big deal. There was never a mass exodus, could always field full teams. More likely to have people missing for half-term breaks with people trying to get bargain breaks away outside peak summer months. As mentioned, how do other sports manage like GAA? Kids need stuff to do during the summer months off like having schoolboy leagues playing, and adult leagues what are they afraid of? Missing their goal top scorer in Division 4D AUL B team? They'd have more hassle getting players up for a Sunday 11am KO still half cut than the disruption of summer holidays:rolleyes:

At the figures spoofed above there is about 3.5million Irish people on holiday over 2 months, top season for house burglers with 3/4 of the country vacated. Now if you take the stats that something like 3 million people depart Ireland June to August on average its generally a good idea to include the stat that about 3 million have entered the country in the same period as tourists. Talk about abusing stats or being completely stupid about them...

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Originally Posted by Burnsie

The third tier will be an amateur league and won't have LOI standards. The way it was explained to the clubs, you can throw a fence around the pitch and play away, like currently at intermediate level

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Thanks for that detail. Seems the focus is only on getting a third tier in place to start with. A pathway up and down seems to be on the long finger. They have to start somewhere.

I for one, am very happy to continue the current broken system. May the LOI boom continue!

Does anyone know what time we should have confirmation on if this summer football move passes?

Think the meeting begins at 7.30, so shouldn't be any later than 10, you'd imagine?

Passed with 57%

How will the other 43% react? Will they just go along with it?

What a relief. If that didn't pass if have pretty much given up hope of Irish football being competitive in the next 20 years.

Between this and the expressions of interest being taken for a third tier it finally seems like things are being done instead of just being talked about.

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Originally Posted by Buckett

How will the other 43% react? Will they just go along with it?

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It's a big minority, isn't it?

Seems good news on the face of it, but can imagine it's not going to be plain sailing ahead

Any clubs like Mayo, Klub Kildare and CK United with LoI academies, and LoI second teams after a year or two of the so called "FAI National League" might want to operate at a more professional/elite level. If the intention of the "FAI National League" is to be amateur, possibly a Second Division might be inevitable.