Should their be a League of Ireland Development League.

**ybig** · 23/12/2015, 11:18 AM

The gap between u19 and Senior football is too big imo. In my opinion their should be a development league or u21( 3 over age players rule) present.

It would help develop promising U19 players who are not yet ready for first team, instead of dropping to intermediate or junior football.
Give Squad players game time.
1st team players returning from injury
Possibly prominig Intermediate/ Junior players chace o trial with LOI clubs

The system seems to work very well in Scotland, who are beginning to improve at Youth level.

Thoughts?

**nigel-harps1954** · 23/12/2015, 11:37 AM

We used to have that with A Championship but the 'big' clubs voted to get rid of it.

**Philosophizer** · 23/12/2015, 11:47 AM

There should definitely be something in place to bridge the gap between the u19s and senior LOI.

In my opinion, best options are:

2) Re-instate the Connacht senior league, and allow LOI teams to put B teams into the senior leagues if they want. (there would be a lot of LOI teams going into the LSL but they could be split out between the top 3/4 divisions.) This would give young players a competitive environment to progress.

1) A return of the A Championship (or something similar) with a mix of LOI B teams, and clubs that hope to become LOI clubs one day, like we had previously with Castlebar, Carlow, Tralee etc etc

**ybig** · 23/12/2015, 12:00 PM

Originally Posted by Philosophizer

There should definitely be something in place to bridge the gap between the u19s and senior LOI.

In my opinion, best options are:

2) Re-instate the Connacht senior league, and allow LOI teams to put B teams into the senior leagues if they want. (there would be a lot of LOI teams going into the LSL but they could be split out between the top 3/4 divisions.) This would give young players a competitive environment to progress.

1) A return of the A Championship (or something similar) with a mix of LOI B teams, and clubs that hope to become LOI clubs one day, like we had previously with Castlebar, Carlow, Tralee etc etc

Not a chance LOI clubs could into the LSL in my opinion.

Yea the idea that of clubs possibly joining the league would be could. Could be worth splitting a possible League into Northern and Southern divisions.

Teams like Dundalk, Rovers, Cork, St Pats could field very strong sides. Especially the 3 latter which would benefit their fringe players and the players they are playing against.

**vinnie** · 23/12/2015, 12:04 PM

Originally Posted by nigel-harps1954

We used to have that with A Championship but the 'big' clubs voted to get rid of it.

The worst decision in recent history IMO was to scrap the A Championship

**ybig** · 23/12/2015, 12:15 PM

I just looked through the A championship results on Wikipedia. Had forgotten about it. Seemed like a v good competition for developing players. Looking through the goalscorers for a number of sides. Alot of familar names.

**Titan** · 23/12/2015, 12:26 PM

There was no appetite for the A championship from league clubs. I don't understand why they scrapped the U21 league. Allowing 3 or even 4 overage players would be good for everyone but I don't think it's coming back anytime soon.

If it must be reserve teams then why not let them enter the LSL, MSL etc? It's not like we have a pyramid system. Is it a case that the junior ballers don't want to have LOI teams devaluing their brand?😜😃

**ybig** · 23/12/2015, 12:33 PM

Originally Posted by Titan

There was no appetite for the A championship from league clubs. I don't understand why they scrapped the U21 league. Allowing 3 or even 4 overage players would be good for everyone but I don't think it's coming back anytime soon.

If it must be reserve teams then why not let them enter the LSL, MSL etc? It's not like we have a pyramid system. Is it a case that the junior ballers don't want to have LOI teams devaluing their brand?

Hard to make that work with the LSL and MSL being winter leagues. Possibly what might work is something like this. Think cost of travle may have been a major factor in A Championship disbanding

**BoyInGreen** · 23/12/2015, 12:42 PM

I think that Cabinteely, Finn Harps and Derry City all have reserve teams in their respective amateur leagues.

If the A Championship is to return, I think that there should be three divisions instead to two: Dublin and the commuter belt, Munster and South Leinster, and the BMW region. This would be very attractive for clubs in the Dublin area and would attract a lot of interest from LSL clubs, while clubs in the other two divisions would avoid having to travel to Dublin, which would surely reduce travel costs.

**Jofspring** · 23/12/2015, 12:44 PM

As far as I can remember Limerick were all for keeping it. It was giving players gametime and players coming back from injury some games also.

As it stands if you don't jump from Limerick Under 19's to the senior team you go back to junior soccer. Some potentially very talented players have been lost to junior soccer and quiet a few have never really progressed since or have lost interest.

**outspoken** · 23/12/2015, 5:11 PM

All comes down to money. Too expensive won't happen. It is needed though.....badly needed.

**gufcfan** · 23/12/2015, 5:44 PM

Originally Posted by Titan

There was no appetite for the A championship from league clubs.

There are times when clubs need to be forced to do things for their own good. A few clubs saw the necessity of it, but not enough.

**DRDoc** · 23/12/2015, 6:24 PM

Originally Posted by BoyInGreen

I think that Cabinteely, Finn Harps and Derry City all have reserve teams in their respective amateur leagues.

Dont forget UCD

**disgruntled** · 24/12/2015, 10:01 AM

Originally Posted by Titan

There was no appetite for the A championship from league clubs. I don't understand why they scrapped the U21 league. Allowing 3 or even 4 overage players would be good for everyone but I don't think it's coming back anytime soon.

If it must be reserve teams then why not let them enter the LSL, MSL etc? It's not like we have a pyramid system. Is it a case that the junior ballers don't want to have LOI teams devaluing their brand?

Not going to happen because for instance the MSL refused to allow Cork City enter a team even though City fulfilled all the criteria for membership. City were willing to enter the MSL at 2nd div level which is poor to say the least but the MSL refused even though other teams pulled out. That's the type of bitterness you are up against in Soccer in this country. City appealed the decision but lost because the people who heard the appeal were some of the people who refused them in the 1st place. City could have taken it further but didn't want to upset the FAI so they chickened out.

[QUOTE=ybig;1853466]Hard to make that work with the LSL and MSL being winter leagues. Possibly what might work is something like this. Think cost of travle may have been a major factor in A Championship disbanding[/QUOTE]

Yet we now have an under 19 & under 17 Leagues along with all the expense involved in that.

Originally Posted by gufcfan

There are times when clubs need to be forced to do things for their own good. A few clubs saw the necessity of it, but not enough.

It should be part of LOI membership that an under 21 or development league team be entered as well. If it can be done with the under age leagues then it should be done with the under 21's. Its a no brainer.

**ybig** · 24/12/2015, 11:19 AM

Their were more games in the A Championship, it also wasnt regionalized aswell as the U19 and u17 imo.
Too many players who are not ready at 19 are lost to the game at Senior level, whne they could be good enough at 22-23.
In nearly every country their is at least a reserve or U21/ Development league.
However With the standard of the 1st division atm, some players have been getting experience and doing well at that level.

**Briuk** · 25/12/2015, 10:51 PM

Originally Posted by disgruntled

Yet we now have an under 19 & under 17 Leagues along with all the expense involved in that.

When you are 16,17,18,19 you dream in becoming footballer you ritme doesn't worth much as long as you can pass your exams and leaving cert. When you start getting older you wonder if the time invested in football is worth it and In my opinion what those teams were struggling to find was players able to commit to do so many km and thats the problem for this kind of championship. A Championship was requiring big commitment and it's difficult to get players at that age to do it for free. It also tends to burn players, because this sides use them for trainings with the first team etc.

**nigel-harps1954** · 26/12/2015, 7:54 AM

Everyone is bringing up the issue of finances regarding A Championship and extending the League of Ireland to under-19, under-17 and under-15. Therein lies the problem with the League of Ireland in general.
Too many clubs would rather blow their entire seasons budget chasing some pipe dream with the first team than building a club and investing in youth structures, building the club from the bottom up for the future.

Ideally, we'd be seeing every club in the League of Ireland fielding an under-15, 17's and 19's, development squad (under 21 or 23) and a senior team. In my view, all of this should be a mandatory requirement for league clubs to field each of these teams as it's the only way the league will grow. Delighted to see the under-17 league starting this year and under-15 league on the way, but unless they have somewhere to go after under-19 it's all in vain and pretty pointless.

**gufcfan** · 26/12/2015, 2:43 PM

Originally Posted by nigel-harps1954

Ideally, we'd be seeing every club in the League of Ireland fielding an under-15, 17's and 19's, development squad (under 21 or 23) and a senior team. In my view, all of this should be a mandatory requirement for league clubs to field each of these teams as it's the only way the league will grow.

The FAI haven't even enforced mandatory teams for everyone at u17 and u19 level. We all know what the way forward is, but with people more worried about their position than fixing anything, we'll never get anywhere.

Ruud Dokter has managed more than I thought he would, but it's still only a drop in the bucket.

**legendz** · 21/01/2016, 9:03 PM

Originally Posted by vinnie

The worst decision in recent history IMO was to scrap the A Championship

I fully agree. A number of First Division clubs entered teams at the time when it was only mandatory for Premier Division clubs to do so.

It's great anyway to see Kerry making some form of return in the shape of the U17 league. Any aspiring regions should at least start at underage level and see where that goes.

**Charlie Darwin** · 22/01/2016, 12:20 AM

Originally Posted by nigel-harps1954

Everyone is bringing up the issue of finances regarding A Championship and extending the League of Ireland to under-19, under-17 and under-15. Therein lies the problem with the League of Ireland in general.
Too many clubs would rather blow their entire seasons budget chasing some pipe dream with the first team than building a club and investing in youth structures, building the club from the bottom up for the future.

Ideally, we'd be seeing every club in the League of Ireland fielding an under-15, 17's and 19's, development squad (under 21 or 23) and a senior team. In my view, all of this should be a mandatory requirement for league clubs to field each of these teams as it's the only way the league will grow. Delighted to see the under-17 league starting this year and under-15 league on the way, but unless they have somewhere to go after under-19 it's all in vain and pretty pointless.

Would be ideal to see leagues all the way from u15 to u21 and senior, but realistically the FAI has to choose which to push first and the u15s is the more pressing one.