Would this work

[dcfcsteve]

Increased revenue may lead to
a sounder financial platform for the smaller clubs to build on and bring in more quality players.

That's hardly a senisble business model for the smaller sides though Ash - particularly given the relatively tiny numbers of away fans involved in our league.

Sounds a bit like the Irish league - where smaller clubs just bide their time until Linfield and Glentoran visit so they can cash in briefly on the away fans.

The same thing used to happen, in a shameless fashion, with Derry City in their first two seasons in the First Division. Clubs like EMFA and Monaghan used to put-up entry and programme prices solely for City games, as they knew we'd bring a few thousand fans and pay for the rest of their season.....

[Dodge]

It was 16 before that as well though and had been 14 for quite a while before.

I'd editted that before you posted. League soent 9 years with 14, and 4 with 16. The supposed golden time of the league (50s/60s) it was always 12.

Would the top 4 in the first division really lessen the standard that much?

Would they add that much? I really think fiddling about with the league structures is the last thing that needs to be sorted

[pineapple stu]

9: Bohs A
10: Pats A
11: Derry A
12: Cork A

i would say the top 4 teams only should have to field an A team, based in the fact there the biggest and strongest clubs, and they should play in the first division to develope there younger players better, as you would consider the biggers clubs will draw the best young talent,

So you'd have the four top clubs' A teams rather than, say, the four top A teams?

But overall, it's a resounding no from me too.

[passerrby]

That's hardly a senisble business model for the smaller sides though Ash - particularly given the relatively tiny numbers of away fans involved in our league.

Sounds a bit like the Irish league - where smaller clubs just bide their time until Linfield and Glentoran visit so they can cash in briefly on the away fans.

The same thing used to happen, in a shameless fashion, with Derry City in their first two seasons in the First Division. Clubs like EMFA and Monaghan used to put-up entry and programme prices solely for City games, as they knew we'd bring a few thousand fans and pay for the rest of their season.....

what a crock of derry bull who the fcuk do you think youse are manchester united you never brought a few thousand to monaghan ever at most a couple of hundred and as for paying for the rest of our season then it must have been the second last game.
p.s you forgot to mention during those times of thousand away supporters derry city was saved by the intervention of local poiticions on more than one occasion
oh and as for us putting up our prices that is a lie but we did have to make a allowance for your countries currency

[fionnsci]

Real Madrid B won promotion once a few years back but they stayed in the second division becasue they couldn't be in the same league as Real.

What happens if Real were relegated from the top tier? Anyway, Ireland is not big enough for a 16 team league at any level.

[Dodge]

What happens if Real were relegated from the top tier?

The world celebrates, and Real B are relegated too.

[Boh_So_Good]

It might work if the A squads were not in it. That's pretty stupid. What is one made the premier division and you had Bohs playing Bohs A. Think about it.

[shantykelly]

what a crock of derry bull who the fcuk do you think youse are manchester united you never brought a few thousand to monaghan ever at most a couple of hundred and as for paying for the rest of our season then it must have been the second last game.
p.s you forgot to mention during those times of thousand away supporters derry city was saved by the intervention of local poiticions on more than one occasion
oh and as for us putting up our prices that is a lie but we did have to make a allowance for your countries currency

ah yes, a brilliantly reasoned rebutal. the thousands of away supporters were during the mid to late 80s, as a return to senior football caught the imagination of the city. as the novelty wore off, so too did the crowds. then we started to experience open financial trouble from about the mid 90s on. and yes, our local club has been saved in the past by the efforts of both our politicians and other illustrious individuals from our city. whats wrong with that? im sure shels, cork and drogs were getting the level of support from their communities that we got from ours when our backs were against the wall.

[don ramo]

It might work if the A squads were not in it. That's pretty stupid. What is one made the premier division and you had Bohs playing Bohs A. Think about it.

did you not read the thread at all, as said the A team cannot be promoted, as they cant be in the same league as the main team, and as i said only the top 4 clubs each season should have an A team, therefore in the situation where they are relegeted there A team dissapear, as another team would take there place in the top 4 and replace them,

[Rovers fan]

The world celebrates, and Real B are relegated too.

What if Real B win the league in the same year though? Now that would be interesting.

[galwayhoop]

i think the proposal could have some merit. without the A teams though. perhaps the best intermediate sides be offered the 4 spots in div 1.
it would also have to include the senior leagues beneath the 1st division as feeders. a pyramid like below perhaps:

............Premier (18 teams)

..............First (12 teams)

MSL..........LSL........U&CSL

The bottom 2 teams in the premier go down. first in div 1 is automatic promoted. perhaps a play off for the next 2 to see who goes up. The three winners of the Senior leagues play-off against each other and the winner plays the bottom team in div 1 to see who plays there.

[MariborKev]

what a crock of derry bull who the fcuk do you think youse are manchester united you never brought a few thousand to monaghan ever at most a couple of hundred and as for paying for the rest of our season then it must have been the second last game.
p.s you forgot to mention during those times of thousand away supporters derry city was saved by the intervention of local poiticions on more than one occasion
oh and as for us putting up our prices that is a lie but we did have to make a allowance for your countries currency

What age are you?

Judging by that response, in your late teens or so. We did bring those numbers to the games in Monaghan, particularly in the late 80s. In fact as late as April 2002 we brought nearly 1000 to Monaghan for a game. So much in fact that your chairman boarded a number of supporters' buses to thank the Derry fans for securing the club's future for the next few months.

But hey, we all imagined it happening.......

[jinxy lilywhite]

Maybe a little bit of merit in the original proposal but as for the A teams i'd say that would be a no no.
Although I did think that a 16 team premier would be beneficial probably make for a more competitive league.
But then what do you do with the other 6 teams excluded. My theory is to offer population centres (County towns) with no loi football club the chance to enter. If you think of towns that could sustain a club (Mullingar, Tralee, Portlaoise, Castlebar, Tullamore, Navan or some team from Meath). You could have an initial 12 team first. The policy of the FAI I think should be to try to have at least one loi football club in every county.

[passerrby]

What age are you?

Judging by that response, in your late teens or so. We did bring those numbers to the games in Monaghan, particularly in the late 80s. In fact as late as April 2002 we brought nearly 1000 to Monaghan for a game. So much in fact that your chairman boarded a number of supporters' buses to thank the Derry fans for securing the club's future for the next few months.

But hey, we all imagined it happening.......

thanks for the teens compliment but have been attending since belguim park and they were great crowds but nearly one thousand is not as df says a few thousand also spoke to our chairman and he never boarded a derry bus so it must have been customs checking passports
p.s while you were always welcome you never secured the furture of this club

[Candystripe]

thanks for the teens compliment but have been attending since belguim park and they were great crowds but nearly one thousand is not as df says a few thousand also spoke to our chairman and he never boarded a derry bus so it must have been customs checking passports
p.s while you were always welcome you never secured the furture of this club

I was on one of those buses when a director came on and made a speech thanking us for our behaviour and the atmosphere we brought. We stayed in the club bar until after 11pm (the game was at 3pm sunday) and we did have 1,000 at it.

As for you remembering Belgium park...........our 1st ever away game (LC) there was over 50 buses/mini buses from Derry that made there way there. Well over 3,000 was there and for our next visit we brought the same for the league game.

[Donegalcelt]

They should have a 10-team league - Shamrock Rovers, Bohs, Pats, UCD, Sporting, Bray, Shels, Dundalk, Drogheda and maybe Kildare. Would save teams having to travel to Derry, Cork, Galway, Donegal or Limerick etc and having to get in a car/bus for more than three hours

[don ramo]

They should have a 10-team league - Shamrock Rovers, Bohs, Pats, UCD, Sporting, Bray, Shels, Dundalk, Drogheda and maybe Kildare. Would save teams having to travel to Derry, Cork, Galway, Donegal or Limerick etc and having to get in a car/bus for more than three hours

where is the fun in that,

[Dodge]

They should have a 10-team league - Shamrock Rovers, Bohs, Pats, UCD, Sporting, Bray, Shels, Dundalk, Drogheda and maybe Kildare. Would save teams having to travel to Derry, Cork, Galway, Donegal or Limerick etc and having to get in a car/bus for more than three hours

Agreed.

[The Sheliban]

I was always very suspicious of the notion that by reducing the number of teams you somehow improved the quality of the league.
To me, it was more a case of the bigger, richer, more powerful clubs not wanting to play against the smaller, lesser supported and therefore less profitable clubs. Hence more lucrative Dublin derbies and two fingers to the wasteland that is the First Division.
Can't see what's wrong with a 16 team Premier Division, 30 games a season and regional sub-divisions.

[Lim till i die]

i think the proposal could have some merit. without the A teams though. perhaps the best intermediate sides be offered the 4 spots in div 1.
it would also have to include the senior leagues beneath the 1st division as feeders. a pyramid like below perhaps:

............Premier (18 teams)

..............First (12 teams)

MSL..........LSL........U&CSL

The bottom 2 teams in the premier go down. first in div 1 is automatic promoted. perhaps a play off for the next 2 to see who goes up. The three winners of the Senior leagues play-off against each other and the winner plays the bottom team in div 1 to see who plays there.

MORE TEAMS!!

THE LEAGUE NEEDS MORE TEAMS!!

Why stop at that, here's my proposal:

Premier Division (64 teams). Two from each county in Ireland. Why not like??

First Division (1067 teams.) Comprising everyone who fancies a lash. Will be decided by a series of GAA style blitzs

The league is on its knees and you still have people coming out spouting about extra clubs and pyramids.