All-Ireland League Thread

[Mr_Parker]

How many LOI clubs have made a formal public response to the Lucid proposal?

[Martinho II]

How many LOI clubs have made a formal public response to the Lucid proposal?

I know with us that there was no statement from our website on this Lucid proposal but from talking to other Longford Town fans we are strongly in favour of Lucid!

[Mr_Parker]

I know with us that there was no statement from our website on this Lucid proposal but from talking to other Longford Town fans we are strongly in favour of Lucid!

Appreciate fans may be, but I was trying to find official club positions, but am struggling.

[mcgonigle]

Appreciate fans may be, but I was trying to find official club positions, but am struggling.

Dundalk chairman Mike Treacy was supportive of an AIL on twitter recently

[bohsmug]

If there's one thing I'd plead with those against the Lucid proposal to stop saying it's things like:

"People are saying an AIL is a magic fix that cures all ills"
"People need to stop thinking it's a silver bullet"

And things of that ilk. I really haven't heard many say that, and I doubt it represents a significant proportion of people. And I certainly doubt it represents a lot of clubs at board level.

I'm 100% pro an all-island league and my opinion on the Lucid proposal is tempered by that. But I do have concerns about what's been released so far. Even that absolute mess of a video that was deleted swiftly from twitter would make me question the judgement of those involved.

[bohsmug]

Appreciate fans may be, but I was trying to find official club positions, but am struggling.

Bohs, as a club, haven't released a statement in favour (as far as I know) but board members have voiced there support in personal capacities online. The Bohs official twitter account follows the AIL one. I know how ridiculous it seems to mention that but there you go.

[pineapple stu]

If there's one thing I'd plead with those against the Lucid proposal to stop saying it's things like:

"People are saying an AIL isn't a magic fix that cures all ills"
"People need to stop thinking it's a silver bullet"

And things of that ilk.

Why though?

[Mr_Parker]

Dundalk chairman Mike Treacy was supportive of an AIL on twitter recently

But no statement from the club?

Though it may be a bit ironic, iirc, that he is supporting an idea based on a deal with an online TV company, and only recently was on Twitter looking for a 'stream' to watch a Dundalk game.

[bohsmug]

Why though?

Post was supposed to read

-----

If there's one thing I'd plead with those against the Lucid proposal to stop saying it's things like:

"People are saying an AIL is a magic fix that cures all ills"
"People need to stop thinking it's a silver bullet"

And things of that ilk. I really haven't heard many say that, and I doubt it represents a significant proportion of people. And I certainly doubt it represents a lot of clubs at board level.

I'm 100% pro an all-island league and my opinion on the Lucid proposal is tempered by that. But I do have concerns about what's been released so far. Even that absolute mess of a video that was deleted swiftly from twitter would make me question the judgement of those involved.

-----

I don't know how I wrote "isn't" instead of "is". Made a balls of that.

[EatYerGreens]

On your last point, you obviously have little or no understanding of how the IFA membership is composed and operated. NIFL clubs hold a considerable number of votes in the organisation, have reps on the IFA Council as well as the IFA board.

And as stated, the overwhelming majority of those clubs are from a unionist background. That is a simple straightforward statement of fact. Look at the freely available demographics of the clubs/areas concerned. Does that mean every single decision maker in NI football is form a unionist background ? No. Just the majority.

How can you explain the IFA going back on its decision to have a policy of not playing GSTQ at Cup Finals involving nationalist teams, immediately after the DUP asked to meet them ? Which resulted in the absolute Horlicks that happened with your own club last year. If the IFA genuinely strove to be a neutral middle-of-the-road body it wouldn't have done that. In fact, it probably wouldn't play the anthem at all.

As for you painting a political angle to the stance, it must be confusing then that one club championing the proposal is, as portrayed by the press, a Protestant Unionist club by background, while the chair of a club who spoke against is, again going by the press portrayal, from a club with a Catholic Nationalist background.

Not at all. Those running individual clubs will take their own views on the basis of what is best for them. Their fans will often take very different views - which would place the likes of Linfield and Crusaders in a difficult position, as their fans appear to be adamantly against the idea. Much of which is summed up in the sort of "two countries, two leagues, end of story" stuff you see posted on the Irish League Forum. That's the unionist mindset that pervades football in the North, and has for years. Donegal Celtic and Lurgan Celtic even had to threaten legal action with the backing of the NI Equality Commission in 2002 to stop their applications to join the League structure continually being blocked. If the IFA did not have a unionist mindset, then it would feel uncomfortable with the anthem and flag issue for internationals and be looking to chance it. But they're not.

[mcgonigle]

But no statement from the club?

Though it may be a bit ironic, iirc, that he is supporting an idea based on a deal with an online TV company, and only recently was on Twitter looking for a 'stream' to watch a Dundalk game.

Why would it need a statement? He's chairman of the club and the closest employee to the owners. His opinion is the clubs opinion.

I'm sure if there was a pay stream available for the final he would have paid it. All the more reason to support the idea

[Mr_Parker]

And as stated, the overwhelming majority of those clubs are from a unionist background. That is a simple straightforward statement of fact. Look at the freely available demographics of the clubs/areas concerned. Does that mean every single decision maker in NI football is form a unionist background ? No. Just the majority.

But it was not the clubs that made the decision, it was the IFA Board. Are you aware of the current demographics of the Board?

How can you explain the IFA going back on its decision to have a policy of not playing GSTQ at Cup Finals involving nationalist teams, immediately after the DUP asked to meet them ? Which resulted in the absolute Horlicks that happened with your own club last year. If the IFA genuinely strove to be a neutral middle-of-the-road body it wouldn't have done that. In fact, it probably wouldn't play the anthem at all.

Yep, money, stadium development and no backbone. Think of the RHI scandal.

Not at all. Those running individual clubs will take their own views on the basis of what is best for them. Their fans will often take very different views - which would place the likes of Linfield and Crusaders in a difficult position, as their fans appear to be adamantly against the idea. Much of which is summed up in the sort of "two countries, two leagues, end of story" stuff you see posted on the Irish League Forum. That's the unionist mindset that pervades football in the North, and has for years. Donegal Celtic and Lurgan Celtic even had to threaten legal action with the backing of the NI Equality Commission in 2002 to stop their applications to join the League structure continually being blocked. If the IFA did not have a unionist mindset, then it would feel uncomfortable with the anthem and flag issue for internationals and be looking to chance it. But they're not.

There is much more reasoned debate on ILSF on this subject, than the few "two countries" type poster. Those legal cases are some 17 years ago, and while there are still things that need sorted, the organisation has moved on considerably.

[Mr_Parker]

Why would it need a statement? He's chairman of the club and the closest employee to the owners. His opinion is the clubs opinion.

I'm sure if there was a pay stream available for the final he would have paid it. All the more reason to support the idea

It wasn't the final.

Club statements are made on behalf of a club via their board or management committee.

[A N Mouse]

There is much more reasoned debate on ILSF on this subject, than the few "two countries" type poster. Those legal cases are some 17 years ago, and while there are still things that need sorted, the organisation has moved on considerably.

Mr p, on a tangentley related note what changed about the participation agreement/licencing between 2009(?) start of championship and this season?

[Mr_Parker]

I'm not sure what you are on about tbh.

[pineapple stu]

Post was supposed to read

-----

If there's one thing I'd plead with those against the Lucid proposal to stop saying it's things like:

"People are saying an AIL is a magic fix that cures all ills"
"People need to stop thinking it's a silver bullet"

And things of that ilk. I really haven't heard many say that, and I doubt it represents a significant proportion of people. And I certainly doubt it represents a lot of clubs at board level.

I'm 100% pro an all-island league and my opinion on the Lucid proposal is tempered by that. But I do have concerns about what's been released so far. Even that absolute mess of a video that was deleted swiftly from twitter would make me question the judgement of those involved.

-----

I don't know how I wrote "isn't" instead of "is". Made a balls of that.

But still - why should we stop saying that?

What's wrong with it?

Do you think we should all think Lucid is great and his plans will come to fruition, or that we should just try it and see? Because as far as I can see, the cornerstone of the proposal is that an AIL is significantly more commercially attractive than either the LoI or the IL. And it's just not, as the Setanta Cup showed.

Again, if someone went before you for a job interview and said they were confident they could double your turnover in 24 months, but they had no CV, references or contacts, would you give them a job?

[disgruntled]

Appreciate fans may be, but I was trying to find official club positions, but am struggling.

Dundalk chairman Mike Treacy was supportive of an AIL on twitter recently

But that doesn't matter as he's no longer employed by Dundalk 😏

[ArFella]

But that doesn't matter as he's no longer employed by Dundalk 

Different guy, Mike Treacy is still Dundalk Chairman. Mark Devlin has left his position as CEO.

[disgruntled]

Appreciate fans may be, but I was trying to find official club positions, but am struggling.

Dundalk chairman Mike Treacy was supportive of an AIL on twitter recently

Different guy, Mike Treacy is still Dundalk Chairman. Mark Devlin has left his position as CEO.

Thanks for that.
Isn't that the second or third CEO in two seasons. Seems to be a very hot seat up there ?

[bohsmug]

Do you think we should all think Lucid is great and his plans will come to fruition

You see, Stu, this sort of stuff is nonsense.

It would be similar to me replying with "so do you think we should all think the FAI is great". Which, of course, is not what you said.