New clubs and grounds in the League of Ireland in 2009

**The Lilywhites** · 06/11/2008, 3:54 PM

Promotion / Relegation play-off

First Leg – Mervue United v Kildare County, Fahy’s Field, Tuesday 18th November, Kick-off 7.45pm

Second leg – Kildare County v Mervue United, Station Road, Friday 21st November, Kick-off 7.45pm

**GalwayRed** · 06/11/2008, 4:59 PM

I hope Mervue win that playoff and Galway United stay up....I would like to have at least one shels fixture that was easy to get to

**micls** · 06/11/2008, 5:00 PM

Originally Posted by dcfcsteve

You mean like in Manchester, Sheffield or Dundee....?

Yes

Originally Posted by L37Ultra

Just like Cork City and Cobh ya?

Eh.....No

**Candystripe** · 07/11/2008, 12:08 AM

The Brandywell is coming along nicely.

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n...yddor/nest.jpg

**L.T.F.C.** · 07/11/2008, 12:50 AM

Originally Posted by Candystripe

The Brandywell is coming along nicely.

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n...yddor/nest.jpg

the brandywell is a dive! bloody dog track!!

**L.T.F.C.** · 07/11/2008, 12:52 AM

IMHO i think the FAI should support teams that are in trouble instead of makin up new teams with no fan base, no ground or nothing!

**holidaysong** · 07/11/2008, 1:50 PM

As reported in last night's Dundalk FC Magazine, work has began on our Youth Development Centre at Oriel Park. It is hoped that it will be completed by July/August 2009.

**holidaysong** · 07/11/2008, 1:51 PM

Originally Posted by The Lilywhites

Promotion / Relegation play-off

First Leg � Mervue United v Kildare County, Fahy�s Field, Tuesday 18th November, Kick-off 7.45pm

Second leg � Kildare County v Mervue United, Station Road, Friday 21st November, Kick-off 7.45pm

That should mean Kildare will rest a few players against us next Saturday night then..

**dapman1** · 10/11/2008, 9:43 AM

To get back to the orginal title of the thread. There is a new 850 seater stand on the opposite side of the pitch from the main stand in Station Road. This brings the seating capacity at Staion Road up to 1050, meaning that all of our usual rivals in Div 1 will have plenty of comfort at Station road in 2009.

**Dodge** · 10/11/2008, 9:49 AM

Originally Posted by L.T.F.C.

IMHO i think the FAI should support teams that are in trouble instead of makin up new teams with no fan base, no ground or nothing!

The FAI have never made up a team

**dcfcsteve** · 10/11/2008, 2:40 PM

I hope Kildare win the play-off.

No disrespect to Mervue United, but the league needs a team in Kildare more than it needs another team in Galway.

Also - it's hard enough for new teams to get established within football anywhere as it is, without constant promotion and relegation out of the senior game making that dynamic even harder.

**oldyouth** · 10/11/2008, 5:31 PM

Originally Posted by dcfcsteve

I hope Kildare win the play-off.

No disrespect to Mervue United, but the league needs a team in Kildare more than it needs another team in Galway.

Also - it's hard enough for new teams to get established within football anywhere as it is, without constant promotion and relegation out of the senior game making that dynamic even harder.

I fully agree. But a few of the A Championship teams are really gearing up for entry to the LOI and it would be nice to see the best out of such teams as Mervue, Kerry League, Wayside Celtic, Tullamore, Salthill Devon and our old friends Kilkenny make up a 16 team 1st division with only a straightforward home and away game against eachother.

You have to have the fear of relegation to keep the season going though, no matter how big the club

**blackholesun** · 10/11/2008, 5:58 PM

I have always thought that one major strength of the english club system is the pyramid structure, whereby e.g. Wimbledon in the late 70s early 80s and AFC Wimbledon now can rise up and up if the keep winning. I do think two clubs in Galway is a joke as at times the country / city can barely sustain one but sure if they beat Kildare they will deserve their place and I'll welcome them to the first division.

bhs

**dcfcsteve** · 11/11/2008, 12:23 AM

Originally Posted by blackholesun

I have always thought that one major strength of the english club system is the pyramid structure, whereby e.g. Wimbledon in the late 70s early 80s and AFC Wimbledon now can rise up and up if the keep winning. I do think two clubs in Galway is a joke as at times the country / city can barely sustain one but sure if they beat Kildare they will deserve their place and I'll welcome them to the first division.

bhs

I agree that promotion and relegation is a good thing from a footballing standpoint. Particularly in a league where the game is very developed (e.g England).

My concern is around the fact that it takes literally decades for a club in the EL to build itself a decent fanbase and and thereby sow the seeds of stability. Look at all the teams who've entered our league since 1985 (I think it's 12 in total - will check later). The only one of them that gets decent support is City - and that's only because it was the revival of a pre-existing club.

Building up support takes years/decades/generations. So if the likes of Kildare, Monaghan, and Kilkenny find themselves yo-yoing in and out of senior football, I fear it'll really reduce their ability to bed-down and grow a longer-term fan-base and stability. And the same for the new clubs who take their place if they can't maintain a senior place.

Though it would be great to see Kerry League or Tullamore go all the way from the A League to the Premier and make a place for themselves there. That's the plus-side of having a 'pyramid' for Irish football.

**L.T.F.C.** · 11/11/2008, 1:53 AM

Originally Posted by Dodge

The FAI have never made up a team

Alright then. Less of the nitpicking. Why have the FAI let Limerick FC and Dublin City be dissolved and letting new teams with no history or fanbase such as Sporting Fingal and Wexford Youths and Limerick 37 into our leagues?
It wasn't too long ago Limerick were playing in Europe against teams such as Real Madrid!!
Or even helping an already formed team in the A league?
Like 'Sporting'? Give me a break!! A traditional name there!

**dcfcsteve** · 11/11/2008, 10:05 AM

Originally Posted by L.T.F.C.

Alright then. Less of the nitpicking. Why have the FAI let Limerick FC and Dublin City be dissolved and letting new teams with no history or fanbase such as Sporting Fingal and Wexford Youths and Limerick 37 into our leagues?

Firstly - the FAI has only taken over responsibility for the league in recent years, so they technically haven't let anything happen re the league prior to that. The league ran itself up to then.

Secondly - the above happened for the same reason that they let numerous Limerick clubs (FC, United, City) and numerous Home Farm Clubs (FC, Fingal, Everton) be dissolved and morph into the teams you mentioned above. Because that's the situation the teams got themselves into, one way or another, and the League needed to ensure it had suficient teams for season's-start (although the Limerick 37 story is a bit more sordid).

Originally Posted by L.T.F.C.

It wasn't too long ago Limerick were playing in Europe against teams such as Real Madrid!!

It was 28 years ago, so wasn't that recently either. And that was a different Limerick side - they've had a series of name changes since then.

Originally Posted by L.T.F.C.

Or even helping an already formed team in the A league?

Are you suggsting the FAI should be interventionist - picking 'favourites' it wants to help ? How would they chose which clubs to help ? What would all the other clubs have to say about it ?

Originally Posted by L.T.F.C.

Like 'Sporting'? Give me a break!! A traditional name there!

I'm not aware of a single club in the League with an innovative appendage to their name : City, United, Rovers, Wanderers, Ramblers. Only arguably Harps - although there are 'Harps' sides in GAA circles.

Anyways - are you suggesting teams seeking entry to the league should be rejected on the basis of their name ?

**Dodge** · 11/11/2008, 10:19 AM

Originally Posted by L.T.F.C.

Or even helping an already formed team in the A league?

Like Mervue or Tullamore? Can't force teams to join a league they don't want to

**Lamper.sffc** · 11/11/2008, 2:43 PM

Originally Posted by L.T.F.C.

Alright then. Less of the nitpicking. Why have the FAI let Limerick FC and Dublin City be dissolved and letting new teams with no history or fanbase such as Sporting Fingal and Wexford Youths and Limerick 37 into our leagues?
It wasn't too long ago Limerick were playing in Europe against teams such as Real Madrid!!
Or even helping an already formed team in the A league?
Like 'Sporting'? Give me a break!! A traditional name there!

Ah Sporting Fingal bashing, Something new for foot.ie. Its not as if this hasnt been done to death

**Flexy** · 12/11/2008, 3:47 PM

any new pics of rovers stadium in tallaght

**sadloserkid** · 12/11/2008, 3:54 PM

Originally Posted by Sam_Heggy

Possible ground share? From seeing Mervue play I wouldn't be too worried if I was the bottom side in First Div but, in a once off game anything can happen.

What about in a two off game?

Originally Posted by GenerationXI

Otherwise, Tullamore's set up is really nice, but they'll need a bit of time to get things together on the pitch.

It's still a junior set up and wouldn't be anywhere near good enough as it is.