2009 A Championship

**HarpoJoyce** · 11/02/2009, 11:20 AM

Portlaoise AFC are seriously considering entry to the LOI 'A' Championship.

Article on their previous entry to U21 League 2007
http://www.laois-nationalist.ie/news...trs=cwgbcwkfsn

De Bruns Combined Counties Football League Tables
http://www.ccfl.ie/index.php?option=...=573&Itemid=27

Voted club of the CCFL club of the year for 2006 [after Edit]
http://archives.tcm.ie/laoisnational...story23065.asp

**holidaysong** · 11/02/2009, 12:55 PM

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

It occurs in lots of leagues. The Spanish third division is regionalised, as is the Belgian third flight, the German fourth division, etc. The whole point of the system is that teams aren't bound to one division or the other, but that there's a new north/south split every year.

Yeah I know that, I was just using the English league as an example that's close to home.

**holidaysong** · 11/02/2009, 12:56 PM

Anyone know the closing date for applying for a place in the 2009 A Championship?

**gufc2000** · 11/02/2009, 3:44 PM

Originally Posted by HarpoJoyce

Portlaoise AFC are seriously considering entry to the LOI 'A' Championship.

Article on their previous entry to U21 League 2007
http://www.laois-nationalist.ie/news...trs=cwgbcwkfsn

De Bruns Combined Counties Football League Tables
http://www.ccfl.ie/index.php?option=...=573&Itemid=27

Voted club of the CCFL club of the year for 2008
http://archives.tcm.ie/laoisnational...story23065.asp

Lets hope they do. The more non-league sides in there will enhance the competition

**Mr A** · 11/02/2009, 4:04 PM

The thing I wonder about is the FAI cup. I believe clubs in the A championship should be coming in at the round before the league clubs enter. Has anyone heard any plans surrounding the cup competitions?

**pineapple stu** · 11/02/2009, 4:11 PM

That's what happened last year alright (bar Tullamore, who didn't enter). The same number of junior and intermediate teams enter the Cup as well, with 2n of them entering the First Round, where n is the number of A League teams entering.

**Mr A** · 11/02/2009, 4:30 PM

They did? I thought that last year sort of came too soon and the A championship clubs could not compete at all.

Anyhoo, they should get a crack at the league cup as well- why not sure?

**pineapple stu** · 12/02/2009, 9:39 AM

Thought they did anyway.

Edit - it was Mervue who pulled out. Tullamore and Salthill both lost in the second round, and there were two first round ties. Link.

**culloty82** · 12/02/2009, 12:57 PM

According to this week's Kerry's Eye, both the Kerry League and Tralee Dynamos will play in the League Cup, with Dynamos already having been included in the FAI Cup since last month. Dynamos will probably struggle to finish above last the first few seasons, the original plan was for the Kerry League to go senior, but when the under-20 league was restricted to clubs, they decided to go it alone.

http://www.kerryseye.com/sports.html

**gufc2000** · 12/02/2009, 3:52 PM

At the moment the 'A' Champlooks like this:

Bohemians A
Cork A
Derry A
Dundalk A
St Pats A
Drogheda A
Galway A
Shamrock Rovers A
Sligo A
Bray A
UCD A

Kildare County/Cobh
Tralee
Salthill
FC Carlow
Tullamore
Castlebar (i think)

Still potential add ons (Kilkenny? Portlaoise?)
Will any First Division sides apart from UCD be entering an A-team?

**chimpster** · 12/02/2009, 5:24 PM

Originally Posted by CelticTiger

Agree with you there except i wouldnt have as many as 10 new clubs.
Lets see the new clubs this year are Tralee,Castlebar and Carlow added on to Tullamore,Mervue and Salthill.
In there i would add Ennis,Mullingar and Portlaoise and a ressurected Kilkenny.

Not sure if there'll be a Clare club for some time. The talent is there, but I think Lifford have had some problems since their time in the U21 league, and the Clare League haven't done anything that front yet. Unless Avenue Utd or someone else can get something together, it could be a year or three yet...

**pineapple stu** · 12/02/2009, 5:53 PM

Originally Posted by CelticTiger

Im probably getting slashed for this but the long term structure i'd like to see are 3 tiers of 30 clubs with 10 clubs in each,Premier League(Full Time),First Division(Part Time),and Second division(Amatuer Representative working towards Part Time)

You will get slashed for it because you've been told time and again that (a) there isn't enough interest for ten full time clubs and (b) what division you're in shouldn't be the sole deciding factor in being part-time or full-time.

First Division North and South would be my preference. And any sustainable team who wants to be part of the league should be more than welcome; none of this kicking Salthill out nonsense.

**gufc2000** · 12/02/2009, 6:35 PM

Originally Posted by CelticTiger

Agree with you there except i wouldnt have as many as 10 new clubs.
Lets see the new clubs this year are Tralee,Castlebar and Carlow added on to Tullamore,Mervue and Salthill.
In there i would add Ennis,Mullingar and Portlaoise and a ressurected Kilkenny.
I would get rid of mervue and salthill we already have a club from galway so lets just stick with them.

Im probably getting slashed for this but the long term structure i'd like to see are 3 tiers of 30 clubs with 10 clubs in each,Premier League(Full Time),First Division(Part Time),and Second division(Amatuer Representative working towards Part Time)

I think the A teams of premier clubs should be in a seperate league,a reserve league and not playing with non league teams.

I consider this a little harsh. Its not as if teams are queing up to enter the A-League. Just throwing them out cos there is already a team from Galway.
I realise that 3 Galway clubs are not viable but they can act as feeder clubs and help give younger and junior players some LOI experience.
Unless you've ready made replacements I would advise you not to lambast Galway Junior clubs

**hoop4life** · 12/02/2009, 7:03 PM

Originally Posted by GUFCforlife

Castlebar (i think)

castlebar celtic definetley in it next year. official statement on this weeks connaught telegraph and also on celtic official website www.castlebarceltic.com

**gufc2000** · 12/02/2009, 7:07 PM

I see that the 2009 A Championship will be divided into Northern and Southern Groups.

**DmanDmythDledge** · 12/02/2009, 7:08 PM

Originally Posted by GUFCforlife

Will any First Division sides apart from UCD be entering an A-team?

Where did you hear this?

Originally Posted by GUFCforlife

I see that the 2009 A Championship will be divided into Northern and Southern Groups.

As it was last year.

**gufc2000** · 12/02/2009, 7:14 PM

Originally Posted by DmanDmythDledge

Where did you hear this?

As it was last year.

It was on the UCD forum

I don't remember that. e.g. Mervue and Galway were in opposite groups.
Surely if it was regionalised they would be in the sane group

**holidaysong** · 12/02/2009, 7:17 PM

Originally Posted by GUFCforlife

It was on the UCD forum

I don't remember that. e.g. Mervue and Galway were in opposite groups.
Surely if it was regionalised they would be in the sane group

Mervue and Salthill were in the Northern group with Galway in the Southern one. With Galway to Dublin being the half way line, clubs in Dublin were also split between the two groups.

**gufc2000** · 12/02/2009, 7:34 PM

Originally Posted by holidaysong

Mervue and Salthill were in the Northern group with Galway in the Southern one. With Galway to Dublin being the half way line, clubs in Dublin were also split between the two groups.

O right, i didn't realise that