If thats directed at me, I didnt claim Galway United's collapse was caused by 3 galway clubs. I have said that after Galway United Galway FC was an uneasy and FAI driven solution that GUST werent in to and it didnt stick, that the Comers investment facilitated the return of the Galway United name and change in the makeup of the club officials with GUST retaining part ownership. So out of interest where is the inaccuracy?Originally Posted by Roones26
This is why I replied to your post.
Your subsequent summary of what actually happened was spot on in fairness, but the quoted text above is not what happened
My use of 'United' and in quotes alluded to the irony when after Galway United, Galway FC was more disunited. Id have though that the comment of the clubs combining would have indicted reference to Galway FC. I get why it would have been misunderstood so will be less flippant if it arises again.
Newbridge Town join Klub Kildare in applying:
https://www.kildarenow.com/news/loca...nd-status.html
"League of Ireland Division 3 South" did I miss that name being coined or has that just been made up by the author of the article? I thought it was the National League with North and South divisions
Paaatrick's Agletic
First time I've heard of it! Maybe they've mixed it up with the Leinster Senior League's not-at-all-confusing naming convention.
Got me thinking though... Do we have official confirmation on Shamrock Rovers reserves having applied for the 3rd tier?
To avoid the percieved undervaluing a league with reserve sides, what about the silly but effective rugby style different name to the 2nd team. Colts being a common one. Its superficial and window dressing but it could also help mitigate the inevitable issue of players moving between 2 sides in 2 leagues by having development players registered with a slightly different team. While there are costs involved if senior teams are to be allowed move players outside of a transfer window and use their second side as a traditional reserve team, geting returning from injury and fringe players game time, then all senior clubs should be compelled to enter sides. If its a bridge between U19s and senior as player development pathway then some sort of transfer window should be applied. It will effect the number of players available for loan withing the league.
Last edited by Nesta99; 22/03/2025 at 1:12 PM.
Shamrock Zwei
The 19's was changed to 20's and a couple of overage players can play in the games too so I don't think that bridge is needed anymore.
I don't like the idea of B teams either.
If there have been 67 applicants for 20 new league places, then there is no need whatsoever for any B Teams. They should be rejected.
After much lurking I've decided to pitch in with my own thoughts:
We need to fix intermediate football before anything else. The country should be divided into 8 or so districts, each containing 4 to 6 junior leagues. The existing intermediate leagues will be linked to junior leagues in Cork & Dublin and rebranded from Munster & Leinster Senior League to Greater Dublin/Greater Cork League.
The Leagues would look something like this:
North West League
Mid West League
West Munster League
Greater Cork League
East Munster League
South Leinster League
Greater Dublin League
North Leinster League.
The intricacies of each League might end up very different, but I'll expand on how I think the Mid West League should look given it's the area I know best.
Galway, Mayo, Roscommon & The Combined Counties (Midlands) would all promote to a 10 team Mid West League. Playoffs at the end of each year between the junior champions would determine who's going up. Bottom of the Mid West League goes down, second from bottom gets a play off against the junior play off runner up.
We've never had a proper pyramid, so I think this system should be allowed to run for a few years before it's linked to the first division. In the meantime, I think well run clubs and academies should be given a chance to join the first division like Kerry did. Representative football suits areas like Kerry & Mayo. Let's not kid ourselves, our sporting culture is set by the GAA.
After a few years, you could establish a national intermediate division on top of these regional leagues, with the winners of the league given a chance to get promoted to the LOI proper.
All of it will take time. The scheme will change as new challenges and issues arise. Flexibility is key here, you can't just bolt a 20 team national league onto the LOI when most of the country has absolutely no intermediate football.
oh boy I'm not good at football forums
This is great if you are drawing something on a blank piece of paper but that is not the environment the FAI operates in or if you had an exceptionally powerful central authority, again not something the FAI is. But the reality is that in most of those areas there are clubs that wont want that structure, stakeholders who don't want the existing local leagues to be folded or downgraded and individuals who have the authority to oppose it. Like the FAI is a democratic organisation and these people would have to vote essentially to remove their own power and that is extremely unlikely
I keep saying this was of doing it is the only show in town because it is putting football in where there is currently a gap. Trying to rationalise the structure of football from Dublin alone will be something like a centuries level task
Last edited by Roones26; 25/03/2025 at 1:01 PM.
I like this proposal GUFCghost, and while I might make a few tweaks myself, in the main I think it's a good idea. And if we're not sharing different ideas how an improved structure would work then we're just hurlers on the ditch! So qudos to you.
One questions I have is how you see the current Leinster, Munster and Connacht FAs being affected by such reforms. Would they remain, be reformed or be be completely abolished in your scenario?
I have to agree wih Roones, whatever is put in place has to survive in the existing ecosystem such are the complexities of the democratic organisation the FAI is (yes I am biting my tongue while saying this too). A blank canvas and its in the ball park but we struggle to align seasons never mind asking people to vote away their little ego boost...and ticket allocations.
Being ultra positive about this expansion for a second and assuming there's 50+ clubs who are motivated and capable of giving the step up in level a proper go. I wonder what would there be much appetite from the FAI to adjust the 2x10 team divisions, to say 3x14 divisions. This would in practice just kind of end up being a rebrand of intermediate football so I'm not really sure if that's what the FAI are actually trying to achieve with the additional tier.
I guess what I feel like it should come down to is a licensing process and any clubs which are able to get their ducks in a row should be included, there's no point limiting to 20 clubs for the sake of it.
Will be very interested to hear what the proposed plan is for the 2026 version before full alignment with LOI season in 2027.
Have 67 clubs actually applied to join the NL?
Or merely "expressed interest"?
Only expressions of interest at this stage. I reckon there's a fair few time wasters in that 67 who just expressed interest because they could.
The abridged version will be over before Christmas 2026, so will be intriguing alright to know whether the champions get promoted automatically (assuming they meet First Division licensing requirements), or as in the A Championship days, whether they'd go into a playoff with the bottom club in the League? Either way, this will presumably (and rightly) be the last year without potential relegation.
Curently I would unashamedly back this idea because it improves the chance for Dundalk to be promoted and to consolidate in the top tier also. It is an example of how it is difficult to get things done if clubs vote on everything as such self interest is always going to be there.
i think also there will be value perhaps over time in bringing 2-4 more clubs into the PD if the level of spending remains the same. A natural sorting to get all the FT clubs into the PD
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