Keely urges Setanta expansion

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22/04/2006, 12:59 AM
A face

Keely urges Setanta expansion

Keely urges Setanta expansion

Dublin City manager Dermot Keely believes the organisers of the Setanta Sports Cup should consider inviting teams from the Scottish Premier League to take part in a bid to increase the competitions’ prestige.

Drogheda United and Cork City, respectively the leaders and defending champions of the eircom League, meet in the 2006 decider at Tolka Park tomorrow night (Saturday).

But Keely feels that the presence of Scottish top flight clubs could add significantly to the attraction of the tournament.

In his column in Friday’s Irish Sun, Keely said: “We do need to try to invigorate the competition with another dimension and I think the inclusion of Scottish clubs would do that.

“Celtic and Rangers are obviously not going to have any interest in entering and, given their recent growth, the same probably goes for Hearts."

“Beyond that you could see SPL sides interested in taking part. The prize money which is so big by our standards might not be as enticing for them, but it would be bigger if they took part.”

Taken from www.eleven-a-side.com
22/04/2006, 1:00 AM
A face

I am sorry now but Keely is a clown !!

He is not even in the competition, its in its second year and the guy is coming out with this stuff ..... why are people listening to him? OBVIOUSLY Celtic, Rangers and Heart wouldn't dream of enter .... i mean how could they ??? How does he comes out with this stuff ??

A question .... whats in it for us (IL and LOI) .... nothing, he is saying extra money to attract them ?? Come off the stage like, why would Setanta dream of offering more money with (and lets be honest) only Hibs enter the comp ??

Keely deserves a bullet, not because what he did at Derry ..... because of everything he has ever done in the league ... come out with complete B�llsh�t !!
22/04/2006, 1:02 AM
sligoman

Keely probably also thinks Dublin City would make a great addidtion to it too:D.
22/04/2006, 1:02 AM
Dazzy

People wonder why we hate him so much!!:mad:
22/04/2006, 9:19 AM
pete

Would the addition of motherwell increase interest and prize money?
22/04/2006, 9:24 AM
CollegeTillIDie

Celtic and Rangers might be tempted to field their reserve teams or fringe first team squad players. Sure thousands of clowns on this island would pack stadia in both jurisdictions on this island to see them. :D
22/04/2006, 11:30 AM
CharlesThompson

I don't think this is a bad idea at all.
22/04/2006, 1:49 PM
Poor Student

I don't like the idea. It would cheapen the competition and our domestic game to accept taking less than the best from Scotland and the best are too good. It's a non starter for me. I wouldn't be opposed to the idea of League of Wales clubs though.
22/04/2006, 1:51 PM
Speranza

Quote:

Originally Posted by Face

Keely deserves a bullet, not because what he did at Derry ..... because of everything he has ever done in the league ... come out with complete B�llsh�t !!

Couldn't agree more. Keely's tenure in charge of us was low-key but his attitude and actions were absolutely unbelievable. Along with Alan Matthews he is dragging the standard of football down. The top teams are playing some superb football which could attract barstoolers but Keely and Matthews insist on hoofball and it is sickening.
22/04/2006, 2:56 PM
thejollyrodger

i back scottish and welsh invovlement providing that the clubs entering are not the top 3 or maybe 4 in the scottish league and of course the prize money is increased.
22/04/2006, 3:43 PM
Risteard

Richardson was saying this aswell lately. It obviously sounds good but so would inviting teams from England or France.
Personally i feel keeping it to the island is the whole point of it, not necessarily as a precursor to the All-Ireland League(though I support that) but to give some link between the leagues that can promote their mutual development.
22/04/2006, 4:54 PM
A face

Quote:

Originally Posted by Risteard

Personally i feel keeping it to the island is the whole point of it, not necessarily as a precursor to the All-Ireland League(though I support that) but to give some link between the leagues that can promote their mutual development.

Exactly .... can we not sort ourselves out first, god knows there alot to be done. Why are people in such a rush to expand this?
22/04/2006, 7:21 PM
thejollyrodger

of course an ideal situation would be an all ireland league and then a setanta cup with teams from Ireland, Wales and Scotland.
22/04/2006, 10:09 PM
hamish

Milo Corcoran was interviewed on Setanta after the final and mentioned this too. Thought it might happen about 7 or 8 years down the line and he mentioned Scottish, Welsh and English Championship (old second division) clubs being in.
Just passing this on btw - don't shoot the messenger - I know there are not too many Corcoran fans in Foot.ie.:D

Wonder have Setanta have this in mind too given their entry into the UK market including bidding for two sections of the Premiership TV rights? Part of their long term strategy??

Can't imagine the likes of Watford, Dundee United and TNS being of much interest to Irish fans - or their fans either.:confused:
22/04/2006, 10:12 PM
Dazzy

Would only like to see the teams there on merit, not just because someone finshed behind the Old Firm and Hearts, that would just degrade the competition imo!

Shooting the messenger does sound tempting :P
22/04/2006, 10:22 PM
hamish

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dazzy

Shooting the messenger does sound tempting

LOL:D - keeping head down so.......:)
22/04/2006, 10:36 PM
Risteard

Quote:

Originally Posted by sirhamish

Milo Corcoran was interviewed on Setanta after the final and mentioned this too. Thought it might happen about 7 or 8 years down the line and he mentioned Scottish, Welsh and English Championship (old second division) clubs being in. :

Hamish you absolute ****. How's that meant to improve the Setanta?
You West of Ireland sack of crap.

BANG!!!!!!!!!!

:D ;)
22/04/2006, 11:04 PM
hamish

Quote:

Originally Posted by Risteard

Hamish you absolute ****. How's that meant to improve the Setanta?
You West of Ireland sack of crap.

BANG!!!!!!!!!!

Oh, you horrible thing you:p :D BTW I'm more Midlands really. LOL

Seriously, was Corcoran, given his role on the Setanta organising committee, echoing the thoughts of Setanta plc - y'know, are they testing the water here for future years to see what the reaction might be??
23/04/2006, 12:22 AM
Risteard

Maybe but it doesn't really go with what Delaneys said about trying to constantly improve links with the two leagues.
23/04/2006, 12:53 AM
hamish

Quote:

Originally Posted by Risteard

Maybe but it doesn't really go with what Delaneys said about trying to constantly improve links with the two leagues.

Yeah, I kinda figured that Setanta would think it would improve their profile in the UK if they don't get the two Premiership package they've bid for. BTW, if they win those packages, they're hoping the Sky set up will carry it as an extra Setanta Premiership channel.
Here's the full story - read it in yesterday's Media Guardian
http://media.guardian.co.uk/

Just musing out loud here - would those up North who might not favour a United Ireland League be more disposed to it if we had a Setanta Cup with all these UK countries involved plus ourselves??? Dammit, haven't put that very well but you might have an idea where I'm coming from.

I'm kinda thinking along the same lines as Eamon de Valera (Galway TD not the famous one:D ) said a few years back that we should consider rejoining the Commonwealth to create better relations with our Unionist neighbours and maybe speed up a united Ireland of sorts.

Not saying I agree with any of the above, mind, just trying to figure out why all this stuff from Keely, Corcoran and co. has come out now and what's the reason for it.

I guess this has Setanta marketing all over it.

IMHO, better to develop the cross border competition as it is for a few years - even Corcoran said that today, TBF to him.
23/04/2006, 9:40 AM
pete

Setanta want to sell tv subscriptions. I can't see welsh or english football fans taking out subscriptions for a few games a year.

How would you decide what SPL team enters? 3rd, 4th, 5th place? If none of the top 4 teams entered would it be acceptable to take teams 5th to 8th?

5 Kilmarnock 35 1 52
6 Aberdeen 35 3 50
7 Inverness CT 35 9 49
8 Motherwell 35 -6 45

I don't see these teams a draw.
23/04/2006, 1:30 PM
Poor Student

Quote:

Originally Posted by pete

If none of the top 4 teams entered would it be acceptable to take teams 5th to 8th?

No, it wouldn't. It's one thing for us to quietly know the league is inferior to the SPL. It's another thing to insitutionalise, recognise and highlight that inferiority by having the best teams from one league compete against the middle standard from another. It would downgrade the competition and our league. If there's an expansion then I think Wales is the way to go. It can bring the same benefits to them it does ours, money and media coverage.
23/04/2006, 3:11 PM
Poor Student

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rogue Trader

Why Would you want the Welsh teams in ? They are muck beyond Muck ! Surely you would get a bigger attendance for a game against Kilmarnock or Aberdeen than a game against Aberystwyth, TNS Or Rhyl, i mean come on i think the scottish teams that finnish outside European spots should be invited, would not Invite the Welsh because they are a Joke ( Sorry Longford Fans)

I think the benefit of the Setanta Cup could help bring them up a level like Linfield in the last year. Also, you're attitude is a lot like the attitude shown by many towards IL teams. Do you think the top four of Wales are any worse than Dungannon?

You don't think inviting mid table Scottish teams does the tournament's image damage? What makes you think the likes of Kilmarnock or Motherwell would be bothered with such a tournament? Also, mid table Scottish teams are better than a lot of people give them credit for and could well prove to be better than the eL's top teams if they took it seriously. Now that would only do damage to the league's image.
23/04/2006, 3:12 PM
Dazzy

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rogue Trader

would not Invite the Welsh because they are a Joke ( Sorry Longford Fans)

:D :D
23/04/2006, 4:02 PM
crc

I think the major benefit of the Setanta Cup is having a quality 'product' (forgive the expression) for Irish football. If the Setanta Cup were expanded to Scotland and/or Wales, it would be a tacit acknowledgment that we can't attract interest in Irish football on our own. The biggest challenge facing the IL and eL is to break the perception that the only football worth watching is in Britain!
24/04/2006, 7:58 AM
Macy

It should be expanded, but only with more eL and IL teams. Top 6 plus the cup winners as now (FAI/IFA Cup and League Cup), and have 4 groups.
24/04/2006, 9:08 AM
Derek

Quote:

Originally Posted by Macy

It should be expanded, but only with more eL and IL teams. Top 6 plus the cup winners as now (FAI/IFA Cup and League Cup), and have 4 groups.

Then the cup would never end
24/04/2006, 9:50 AM
pete

There isn't the quality to entend the Setanta Cup. Whatever about the eL the IL sides would just be making up the numbers. It has to be seen as an achievement to qualify for the tournament too. The addition of extra teams this year now mean participants get 20k & not the previous 30k. 6 group games is enough too as eL calendar cannot fit in more games.
24/04/2006, 10:21 AM
Macy

Quote:

Originally Posted by pete

There isn't the quality to entend the Setanta Cup. Whatever about the eL the IL sides would just be making up the numbers. It has to be seen as an achievement to qualify for the tournament too. The addition of extra teams this year now mean participants get 20k & not the previous 30k. 6 group games is enough too as eL calendar cannot fit in more games.

It'd be the same number of match days/series. At most an additional set of quarter finals. It'll have to be extended at some point, if the aim is some kind of AIL, or something to stave off that possibility.
24/04/2006, 10:37 AM
Tenderloins

Welsh teams would add nothing to the competition. Scottish teams who didn't qualify for Europe should be well beatable by the top EL teams, thus improving the profile of the EL.
Bohs victory over Aberdeen a few years ago got a lot of notice from non EL fans.
24/04/2006, 12:36 PM
Aberdonian Stu

I honestly can't see Dons fans caring for it, same goes for Well, Caley and Killie.
24/04/2006, 9:50 PM
Risteard

Why can't it be left be?
Nothing at all wrong with the current format.
The only suggestion made that i thought decent was to have playoffs between the eL and ILs 4th and 5th teams cross-border for the fourth position in either group.
Could have been a fair way of having Bohs rather than Dungannon in this year with all due respect.
IL 4th v eL 5th in NI &
eL 4th v IL 5th in the Republic.
And even that would prob be too undiplomatic for the IL.

Leave it be i say.
24/04/2006, 9:57 PM
Sheridan

The appeal of the Setanta Cup is that determines, however tenuously, the champions of Ireland, or at least provides one club with a vaguely plausible pretext for styling themselves thus. The incorporation of Scottish and Welsh teams into the competition would dilute this appeal.

I can't believe Keely is paid to churn out this tripe (a phrase that crosses my lips most Friday nights.)