Would this work

**galwayhoop** · 20/10/2008, 9:46 AM

Originally Posted by Lim till i die

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.

i can only assume you are being sarcastic...

all the teams in what i set out are existing clubs, there are no new teams. furthermore most of the teams operate on an amateur basis. our league will only survive if it is properly structured.

the FAI are currently trying to pull in a de-facto 3rd tier in the form of the A Championship. It is supposed to be regionalised (according to the original information) but 1 region including donegal, galway & dublin and the other including cork, galway and dublin isn't really regionalised now is it. why not just use (existing) structures to form the third tier.

**Dodge** · 20/10/2008, 10:01 AM

Originally Posted by 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

The majority of clubs voted for it. not sure why, but there you go

**Lim till i die** · 20/10/2008, 9:14 PM

Originally Posted by galwayhoop

i can only assume you are being sarcastic...

all the teams in what i set out are existing clubs, there are no new teams. furthermore most of the teams operate on an amateur basis. our league will only survive if it is properly structured.

Our league will only survive if some of these existing clubs die.

Or go amateur.

**jebus** · 20/10/2008, 11:32 PM

Genuinely they should scrap the First Division and have a 16 team Premier next year. All clubs shown the door go to the LSL or MSL or Connaught leagues (if such a monstrosity exists) and we work from there

**don ramo** · 21/10/2008, 2:31 AM

i think 10 teams is a joke, if dundalk get promoted next year and U.C.D stay up youll have 70% of the premier will be from the general dubland area, and what if shelbourne or sporting fingal join them (which they could they look pretty good)

i think teh fact that dubland is the capital with over 1million people makes to easy for them to get players (not buy but develope), really if given the choice would a player wanna move to donegal or dubland,

in a few year it could be a possibility that 90% of the league will be in the genereal dubland area, i know it more than likely wont happen but what if it did,

we are copying the scottish model, who the **** copies anything the scots do, bar the old firm they are worse than us, now there is less competition in our league, it wont make teams better like teh FAI say it will in fact make it worse,

even EUFA would prefer leagues to be 18 teams, the want the EPL to go to 18 teams all the big leagues (and some small) use this system so whats wrong with it,

**fionnsci** · 21/10/2008, 7:47 AM

Such a large Premier Division is simply not sustainable in Ireland. I'd much rather have 10 teams overspending to compete than 16 or 18. Our country doesnt even have the attendances to properly support a 12 team league.

And what happens if the First Division is scrapped? It will give the bottom half absolutely nothing to play for which will end up being completely counterproductive. A step in completely the wrong direction in my opinion.

**Dodge** · 21/10/2008, 8:09 AM

Originally Posted by don ramo

i think 10 teams is a joke, if dundalk get promoted next year and U.C.D stay up youll have 70% of the premier will be from the general dubland area, and what if shelbourne or sporting fingal join them (which they could they look pretty good)

thats means that the league isn't a joke. Everywhere outside of Dublin is.

Anything without relegation would be a disaster IMo

**sligored** · 21/10/2008, 8:35 AM

the criteria were set at the start of the 2007 season so there is no point coming on here whinging because your club is not making the grade.

10 strong competitive teams next year - will make for better football and there is no point in diluting it with rubbish teams.

As for the person who thinks ucd might stay up they have no chance now.

for what its worth i hope galway stay up because they have the most to offer a premier league and dundalk are a sleeping giant and the only problem i have with them is the pitch.

**jebus** · 21/10/2008, 9:14 AM

Originally Posted by fionnsci

Such a large Premier Division is simply not sustainable in Ireland. I'd much rather have 10 teams overspending to compete than 16 or 18. Our country doesnt even have the attendances to properly support a 12 team league.

You'd rather have 10 teams that go bust every couple of years than a 16 team Premier? How odd

**fionnsci** · 21/10/2008, 2:40 PM

Originally Posted by jebus

You'd rather have 10 teams that go bust every couple of years than a 16 team Premier? How odd

Yes thats what I meant, aren't you a bright spark?

**pineapple stu** · 21/10/2008, 3:26 PM

Brighter than you anyway, it seems.

SPEND SPEND SPEND Ooops, how'd that happen?

SPEND SPEND SPEND Ooops, how'd that happen?

**fionnsci** · 21/10/2008, 3:39 PM

Im saying (or at least I was tyring to say) that its best to have as few teams as possible overspending, thats all!

**pineapple stu** · 21/10/2008, 3:41 PM

Curious way of saying it!

**don ramo** · 21/10/2008, 3:44 PM

so instead of playin a club every 3 months your gonna be playing them every 2 months,

in all fairness what is wrong with this league is that its stale, your playing eachother every 2nd and 3rd month, there is no riviallry, no rivilary means ****e attendances, simple as, and now they want to make it even move uncompetitive,

i would much prefer the basic home and away once a year, even if it were one league, there is better riviallary and the team will only come once a year so you will look forward to it more,

when i hear city are playing rams next week, i just think, sure we only played them a few weeks ago like

**pineapple stu** · 21/10/2008, 3:46 PM

Originally Posted by don ramo

riviallry [...] rivilary [...] riviallary

There's a medical book somewhere which lists Don Ramo Syndrome, I'd say. That's impressive.

**Kildareman** · 21/10/2008, 3:48 PM

For what its worth.

A Premier Division of 10 teams.
Next 2 regionalised leagues of 8 teams in each. This would help reduce the yearly expenditure of 'lesser' clubs.
There are enough clubs to form these as the addional clubs would come from mullingar, tullamore, mervue, salthill, tralee etc.
The top 4 of each league then playoff in a cup format. Winner of league A plays 4th place in league B etc. ( 2 legs??) The eventual winner wins promotion whilst the loser goes into a playoff against the 9th placed premier club.
The bottom 4 in each league could play in a similar cup or shield competition. A monetary prize should help keep up an interest.
There is no quick cure for the Premier Division but this format would definitely wake up quite a few in the 'graveyard' division!!

**pineapple stu** · 21/10/2008, 3:50 PM

A league of 8 teams means playing each other 4 times is only 28 games (5 times is getting a bit silly). That wouldn't generate the money to allow the clubs to step up to the Premier, where there would be 36 games.

**Battery Rover** · 21/10/2008, 4:23 PM

A few clubs in the 1st Division are of the opinion the league has too many games a season. Better of with a first division of 12 and playing 22 games a season and along with league and fai cup it would become more sustainable. Most teams struggle with wages after about the 20th week of the season and this might help

It would give teams more time to build and develop academies to bering players through