this is simply impossible because there is a structure already in place with people and institutions and clubs with a vested interested in the status quo. it is much easier, however more effective, to put structures in place where they dont already exist and in this instance that is from the top downOriginally Posted by Elfman
OK good to know, thanks. With that definition, I think it shouldn't be a big ask for clubs in the National League to field 4 and 2 boys & girls teams before getting promoted. The best would have them already, the major change would be travel costs AFAIK. So maybe clubs start with one team in the first year and gradually increase each year. The key would be linking academies to promotion to ensure/allow clubs to establish themselves in NL before making the big jump to the demands of FD academies.
I definitely agree on a tiering system but for me it would be as simple as a team in every age group at FD level and an integrated education alongside training at PD level. Won't happen overnight but would be nice to see formal targets so clubs know they will have to plan to aim for these things.
As for the other things you mention, I suppose money answers most of those concerns and it's likely going to come from the government, rich benefactors or the clubs themselves. As for players moving to a select few academies, that will always be a danger even; it'll be up to the powers that be to try and balance this to avoid talent hoarding.
I'd generally advise a 'walk before you run' approach to all this anyway - we've made great progress with minimum wage levels in the league in the last few years so now we just need to try to encourage further club spending on infrastructure.
Assuming you are referring to Ealing Green? For years we have looked down out noses at the Irish League, poor crowds, chuckling at managers going on holidays during European games, quality of football, the almost totally dominant success in the Setanta Cup and Unite the Union Cup hammerig of IL champions etc. We since have had a significant additional upsurge in attendences and additional progrss in Europe. I dont think its unreasonable for an Irish League fan to push back with its own merits - more developed structures, wider focus on facilities development, proportionate increases in attendances albeit I think its more complex than the simple extrapolation of populations. There are also the lengthy debates between EYG and EG that became as much about the technicalities of winning the debate and possibly construed as criticism of one or another league when it was more individual oneupmanship. Maybe there is some historical aspect between a Derry fan and a fan of an older order IL club? I actually enjoyed much of the debate and even if someone is anti LoI it is an alternative perspective that can break an echo chamber. I dont think it is putting LoI down as much as trying to demonstrate that IL is developing in its own way. We look to parachute urban area clubs we believe to have potential in to a new division and the alternative opinion is the different experience in IL, so what, even if the point it laboured. If the comment above is not a reference to EG then just ignore this post!!
Last edited by Nesta99; 03/03/2025 at 10:54 PM.
This is the second or third time you've referred to me as a Derry fan. Why? I'm not from Derry, and you have no idea which team I support.
If only one of the 67 applicants for the new National League is an LOI B Team (Rovers) then I hope they will be rejected. It would make no sense to have just a single B team there, and that's before we get onto the issue that they can't be promoted. We should hopefully be able to get 20 good teams/clubs out of the 67 applicants without having to resort to second-strings.
Did the FAI ever say when they would make a decision on the applicants? Presumably there will be additional stages they have to go through after the initial expression of interest (?). Is there any clarity at all on the process from now?
Another question then is is there a need for Finn Harps and Letterkenny both to have LoI academies? Maybe there is? An Athlone - Mullingar rivalry might not be a bad thing.
https://foot.ie/forums/117-Kerry-FC
A Championship: 4 years - 8 first teams - 0 financially ruined. First Division '14: 7 first teams.
Opportunity lost for new clubs/regions to join the LoI family.
Fair enough, with the examples of Derry used in various debates with EG I made an assumption. So who do you support or is it a secret?
I recently also talked on here fairly knowledgeably about Roscommon and the LOI too. And about Tipperary. I read everything I can about the LOI, across all clubs, so have a pretty good grasp on what's going on right around the country. The discussion you were referring to with EG re Derry was about their stadium - where I clearly had a much better understanding than him on how it was being funded (not that the guy can be told), due to having read about it in some depth.
As for support I've an uncle who was a Leitrim-based Sligo fan who used to take me to games with him sometimes. So i've a soft spot for the Bit O' Red. My family background is also Tipperary, and there hasn't been a club there since 1982. So I don't really support anyone in particular. I'm just interested in Irish football and have been for years.
Not that I need to explain myself to you anywaySo feck away off with your your nonesense.
Last edited by EatYerGreens; 04/03/2025 at 2:38 PM.
Good questions and that's why I think the definition of an academy is important. If it's just youth teams, heck yes. You want to build a fan base in your community and you need to be able to involve everyone: kids, parents, siblings, aunts & uncles, etc.
If we're talking more professional academies, with integrated education, on-site canteen and overnight facilities, it seems other countries have limited academies to certain clubs. That approach might upset a balanced competition domestically but the counter argument is that if everyone has an academy, you might be spreading your resources (ie. grants) too thinly and affect your global competitiveness.
So if Finn Harps have the only professional academy in Donegal, it might encourage more kids to go to them than Letterkenny Rovers. If both clubs have one, you're in danger of neither club matching the standard of, say, a club like Molde in Norway. But as you say, it might encourage fiercer local rivalries which generally seem to draw the biggest interest!
So it's a balancing act but I'd recommend looking after what we can control (ie. getting at least one team at every age group nationally as a standard), grow the fan base in the communities and hope this puts more pressure on gov for better funding.
Says the poster who iirc didn't even seem to appreciate that The Brandywell is actually owned by D&S Council, rather than DCFC, until it was pointed out to him!
Marc Canham was saying for player development, there are three types of models:
1. A small country - really small - where the association runs that player development. You have a national academy where all the best players come and train every day.
2. A bigger country like Germany, Spain or England. They have a really developed professional game and professional clubs, where their players train and they come to the international programme 40-50 days a year. Clubs take a lead on professional development.
3. Is where the FAI are at the moment – requiring a hybrid between them and the clubs.
Over time, he is saying the FAI want clubs to take more responsibility for that development but at the moment they need to work together.
https://foot.ie/forums/117-Kerry-FC
A Championship: 4 years - 8 first teams - 0 financially ruined. First Division '14: 7 first teams.
Opportunity lost for new clubs/regions to join the LoI family.
Utter bullsh!t - even by your impressive standards of acting the clown on here. Sure just a couple of days ago you were embarassing yourself with your latest episode of Nordsplaining - lecturing a UCD fan about UCD, fer feck sake! Staggering how someone can be both so habitually wrong and yet so arrogantly self-assured whilst doing it
So go find the post where the above allegedly happened. Because everthing posted should still be right here on on this site. And when you can't, I'll be here waiting on your apology thanks.
Last edited by EatYerGreens; 05/03/2025 at 1:51 AM.
I've just tried the search engine and unless I'm misusing it, I can't find it (you yourself have nearly 3k posts and the New Stadium thread - if it was in that one - has nealry 10k).Utter bullsh!t - even by your impressive standards of acting the clown on here. Sure just a couple of days ago you were embarassing yourself with your latest episode of Nordsplaining - lecturing a UCD fan about UCD, fer feck sake! Staggering how someone can be both so habitually wrong and yet so arrogantly self-assured whilst doing it
So go find the post where the above allegedly happened. Because everthing posted should still be right here on on this site. And when you can't, I'll be here waiting on your apology thanks.
But I do recall that it was to do with funding going to DCFC for the Brandywell, with (I think) another poster having to point out that it's actually Council-owned.
And whether you accept that or not I don't care - but why would I make up a point like that?
[As for UCD/Stu, I merely suggested (not "lectured") that with theirs being a very different model from the usual one, they could struggle to survive as a professional, Senior club without the University's support. And when he declared that they could, I gladly accepted that]
Translation = you can't find it. Because it doesn't exist.
Because making stuff up is what you do on here in an attempt to excavate yourself out of self-dug holes. Just like you're doing again here. I know full well who owns the Brandywell. Just like I know who owns the RSC, the Sligo Showgrounds, Tallaght Stadium, Glenmalure Park (RIP) etc etc. I've been following the LOI since the late 1970s, so understand it extremely well, thank you.
As the old phrase in politics goes "If you're explaining, you're losing". You were just doing there what you always do. Which is dictating 'facts' to people who clearly know more about something than you do.
Well as the old phrase in politics goes "If you're explaining, you're losing".I recently also talked on here fairly knowledgeably about Roscommon and the LOI too. And about Tipperary. I read everything I can about the LOI, across all clubs, so have a pretty good grasp on what's going on right around the country. The discussion you were referring to with EG re Derry was about their stadium - where I clearly had a much better understanding than him on how it was being funded (not that the guy can be told), due to having read about it in some depth.
As for support I've an uncle who was a Leitrim-based Sligo fan who used to take me to games with him sometimes. So i've a soft spot for the Bit O' Red. My family background is also Tipperary, and there hasn't been a club there since 1982. So I don't really support anyone in particular. I'm just interested in Irish football and have been for years.
Not that I need to explain myself to you anyway
Talk about blowing your own trumpet !!I recently also talked on here fairly knowledgeably about Roscommon and the LOI too. And about Tipperary. I read everything I can about the LOI, across all clubs, so have a pretty good grasp on what's going on right around the country. The discussion you were referring to with EG re Derry was about their stadium - where I clearly had a much better understanding than him on how it was being funded (not that the guy can be told), due to having read about it in some depth.
As for support I've an uncle who was a Leitrim-based Sligo fan who used to take me to games with him sometimes. So i've a soft spot for the Bit O' Red. My family background is also Tipperary, and there hasn't been a club there since 1982. So I don't really support anyone in particular. I'm just interested in Irish football and have been for years.
Not that I need to explain myself to you anyway
Home Farm have applied, working with DCU as part of their package.
Do Bohs and DCU not have a link up or is that just use of DCU facilities? If I were Bohs looking for exclusive access to scholarship programmes would be a priority. Use of S+C expertise and labs is different as it could be commercialised by DCU but integration of club/university teams and club providing top coaching is the give back i'd have expected so 2 clubs in the mix would be fun to watch.
DCU seem a bit polyamorous when it comes to Irish football. Or maybe they only like one at a time, move on quickly and occasionally get back with an ex.
Bohs > Shels > Bohs > Home Farm?
I missed the Shels part....now that would be really fun to watch if there was a Bohs v Shels courting DCU on a long term gig!
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