Irish League Run-in.
Only two games to go in the IFA Premiership.. Both teams drew at the weekend - Glentoran at home to Lisburn Distillery and Linfield at home to Cliftonville. An exciting title run-in that should go down to the last day.
Remaining Fixtures:Code:POS P W D L F A PTS GD 1 Glentoran 36 22 9 5 58 34 75 +24 2 Linfield 36 22 8 6 62 28 74 +34
Saturday, 25th April
Coleraine v. Glentoran
Linfield v. Lisburn Distillery
Saturday, 2nd May
Crusaders v. Linfield
Glentoran v. Cliftonville
Meanwhile, Bangor didn't apply for a licence for next season so they're going down and Portadown are top of the Championship and look set to win promotion back to the Premiership at the first time of asking.
Dungannon Swifts and Donegal Celtic will probably be the two clubs in the promotion-relegation playoff. Swifts will be hoping however that Loughgall can finish as runners-up to Portadown - Loughgall haven't applied for a domestic licence and therefore there wouldn't be a playoff if they come second in the Championship.
Great finish in the Championship too. DC 4 points behinf Portadown with a game in hand. Last game of the season sees the Ports visit Suffolk road.Originally Posted by holidaysong
It would be great to see both DC and Portadown back in the top division.
It would alright but at the same time it'd be a pity to see Dungannon Swifts drop down to intermediate football.
Crusaders should secure third and a Europa place, five points ahead of Distillery with two left. I'd prefer to qualify by winning the cup.
So, Champs' League: Glentoran or Linfield?
Europa League: L or G, Crusaders, Cliftonville or Distillery?
Obviously. Along with the glory of winning the cup, the cup winners have the extra advantage of entering the Europa League one round after the league qualifiers.
The glory's fine for me. Entering the EC at a later stage might simply mean a heavier beating
Yes, but you automatically pick up the co-efficient points from the first round without having to play the tie.The glory's fine for me. Entering the EC at a later stage might simply mean a heavier beating
Bit daft that Loughgall would go hell for leather in the League without any incentive.
Ballinamallard and Coagh really fell away after good starts.
How many teams are relegated from the Championship to the Interim League?
The teams from the Interim League who make the cut regarding their facilities will be put in with the clubs who are currently in the Championship and then probably split into two divisions (it depends on how many teams there are in total). Those Interim League clubs who don't make the cut regarding their facilities have to go off and find some other regional league to play in.
I see what you mean, but it may be that Loughall see the Championship as their (optimum) level, and so are content to aim for winning that.
As a village team (effectively), they may not see the point of spending scarce money on a Premier League Licence, to accommodate extra fans they don't have, to play at a level which they cannot sustain. (Or not yet, at any rate - perhaps they have plans for the future?)
It's a bit like those Junior Teams who could probably get by in Senior football, but choose not to.
Anyhow, as a Galway United fan, I'd have thought you'd appreciate teams deciding to live within their means?
That just became a lot more achievable given tonight's result!
Ah well point taken, I'd just have thought it may have been worth because they may get higher gates, a few more locals might decide to go to games more often and there would be a larger number of away supporters travelling.I see what you mean, but it may be that Loughall see the Championship as their (optimum) level, and so are content to aim for winning that.
As a village team (effectively), they may not see the point of spending scarce money on a Premier League Licence, to accommodate extra fans they don't have, to play at a level which they cannot sustain. (Or not yet, at any rate - perhaps they have plans for the future?)
It's a bit like those Junior Teams who could probably get by in Senior football, but choose not to.
Anyhow, as a Galway United fan, I'd have thought you'd appreciate teams deciding to live within their means?
Anybody know what kind a crowds teams get in the Championship?
I was at Coagh v Limavady in September attendance was approx 120. Coagh is quite small though. Banbridge v Ards a few weeks back saw even less maybe 100 and mostly from Ards. I had to ask 4 locals to find Crystal Park and they didn't even know where it was. Banbridge is a decent sized town so I would have expected a bigger crowd.
My information may be out of date, but I never used to think of Banbridge as a traditionally "footballing town", in the same way as e.g. Newry, Derry or Sligo.
It has long had a successful Hockey club, plus quite a prominent (though not esp successful) rugby club.
Indeed, if you Google "Banbridge", of the 10 prompts which are suggested, by far the two most requested are "banbridge rfc" (172k results) and "banbridge council" (131k results). I think this may be to do with the main school in the town(?), Banbridge Academy. Anyhow, "banbridge fc" doesn't even feature, if that's any guide!
More generally, this feature of sport in Ireland, whereby certain towns have a particular sporting tradition (whether it be football, GAA or rugby, cricket or hockey etc), is something which is often (detrimentally) overlooked when people talk about re-organising or expanding Leagues, or introducing sporting "franchises".
Last edited by EalingGreen; 22/04/2009 at 10:24 AM.
Occasionally I drop into Carrick(fergus) Rangers when visiting family. It's a rather bigger town than Banbridge, but still only attracts about 100 people to games. It's also full of Linfield, Rangers and ManU fans, including the owners of a prominent Old Trafford banner, and that pair of lunatics who changed their names to David and Victoria Beckham (the groups may be the same people, of course)
Good point. For aside from the teams across the water, Linfield "suck in" a fair degree of support from provincial towns across NI.
It must be the "glamour" which attracts them...
I know. Expect you share my distress that the Plues can 'only' win at most one more pot this term...Good point. For aside from the teams across the water, Linfield "suck in" a fair degree of support from provincial towns across NI.
It must be the "glamour" which attracts them...
Maybe Banbridge folk just watch the premiership or support Linfield/Glentoran then. I was disappointed as the attitude of one person was "what do you want to go and watch them for" and another didn't even know they had a football team.
They have a great location a short walk from the centre of the town, a nice bar and seemed to have dent people running the club. shame they get no support.
On what basis? The blues have been pretty average for quite a while now. We were shocking at the start of the season but certainly have a good bit of momentum going. Don't underestimate the crowd either. By the looks of things there's going to be a hell of a lot of people going to be cheering on the Reds. They certainly were the twelfth man in the replay for the last 15 minutes.
The basis that Linfield are 13 points ahead of Crusaders and 25 beyond Cliftonville?
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