Bray have been pushing that for years. Thankfully it's too ****e an idea even for the league to consider.
I've been hearing rumours that Bray have motioned for a '22 Team Premier' and it will be seriously discussed at a forthcoming meeting in Merrion Sq. - The 22 Team League is to last for 2 Seasons and the bottom 6 at the end of the 2 Seasons will then be demoted (relegated even!) to 'Junior Football'.
Now that's a turn up for the books.......I'm just being optimistic or what ??
I'd rather die laughing than trying!
Bray have been pushing that for years. Thankfully it's too ****e an idea even for the league to consider.
EL grounds are like good episodes of The Simpsons, no matter how many times you see them they're still funny
22 teams is a bit much . 16 would be the right number. This country is way too small to sustain a 22 team league.
22 Team league ..... We couldn't really take the p!ss out of the Yanks anymore, them not having relegation an'all in their footie league.Originally posted by MARTINHO II
22 teams is a bit much . 16 would be the right number. This country is way too small to sustain a 22 team league.
Seriously ..... Bad idea but 22 teams = 42 games (21 away, 21 home) is not that bad if you were to look at it, but no way .... it would never work. Get back to that drawing board.
The SFAI are the governing body for grassroots football in Ireland, not the FAI. Its success or the lack of is all down to them.
Given that theres already a huge gap between the quality of the top teams in the premier & lower teams, bringing in the first division teams would be a disaster. Bray would be better off trying to win the first division, than pedaling this ****e.
I'd establish yourself in the premier before you say things like that...Originally posted by Ringo
Given that theres already a huge gap between the quality of the top teams in the premier & lower teams, bringing in the first division teams would be a disaster. Bray would be better off trying to win the first division, than pedaling this ****e.
But any league without relegation/promotion would be a disaster.
54,321 sold - wws will never die - ***
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your comment supports the arguement or do you think we're as strong as yourselves?Originally posted by Dodge
I'd establish yourself in the premier before you say things like that...
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Sorry should have had a smiley there...Originally posted by Ringo
your comment supports the arguement or do you think we're as strong as yourselves?
If anything as a fan of a team in the first last year you're better placed to comment than me...
54,321 sold - wws will never die - ***
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Originally posted by EireBadBoy
I've been hearing rumours that Bray have motioned for a '22 Team Premier' and it will be seriously discussed at a forthcoming meeting in Merrion Sq. - The 22 Team League is to last for 2 Seasons and the bottom 6 at the end of the 2 Seasons will then be demoted (relegated even!) to 'Junior Football'.
Now that's a turn up for the books.......I'm just being optimistic or what ??
A 22 team league would be pure balls....too many teams. So would that mean no first division....?? We were at the wrong end of the table this year but relegation is required for competitiveness......Why not go back to 12 in the premier and 10 in the first.
Is it true that next season will be the last under this experiment?
a ..... Nutshell ...... InOriginally posted by dortie
relegation is required for competitiveness
The SFAI are the governing body for grassroots football in Ireland, not the FAI. Its success or the lack of is all down to them.
Well, I basically like the idea, considering Aul' Devlin is behind it!
We all appreciate that we need Relegation/Promotion in a League to make it competitive and interesting but we could forsake it for the betterment of the League for 2 Seasons, surely?
I reckon a 22 Team League would be interesting in itself for a couple of Seasons anyway, finally an end to 3 Matches in the First Div. and trips to places not visited in many a year by even the most hardcore EL fan (I admit I was VERY harsh on Limerick when I look back on it now it was nice to have done it and have a story or two -HYPOCRITE! -)
The fact that missing Relegation/Promotion (a very nasty business in itself - I do know) seems to be the main objection just goes to show the sadistic mind of the average League Of Ireland fan!!
I hope it goes through - we try it, like Summer Football, with nothing to lose and see how it goes. For sheer interest, for we all know that the League needs a bit of that, if not for us then the 'Stoolers'. Stop with the insular and lets go marching into the New Year with a new approach to a new experiment. It sounds crap but if it leads to a 16 Team League then I, for one, am all for it!!
I'd rather die laughing than trying!
Originally posted by EireBadBoy
Well, I basically like the idea, considering Aul' Devlin is behind it!
We all appreciate that we need Relegation/Promotion in a League to make it competitive and interesting but we could forsake it for the betterment of the League for 2 Seasons, surely?
I reckon a 22 Team League would be interesting in itself for a couple of Seasons anyway, finally an end to 3 Matches in the First Div. and trips to places not visited in many a year by even the most hardcore EL fan (I admit I was VERY harsh on Limerick when I look back on it now it was nice to have done it and have a story or two -HYPOCRITE! -)
The fact that missing Relegation/Promotion (a very nasty business in itself - I do know) seems to be the main objection just goes to show the sadistic mind of the average League Of Ireland fan!!
I hope it goes through - we try it, like Summer Football, with nothing to lose and see how it goes. For sheer interest, for we all know that the League needs a bit of that, if not for us then the 'Stoolers'. Stop with the insular and lets go marching into the New Year with a new approach to a new experiment. It sounds crap but if it leads to a 16 Team League then I, for one, am all for it!!
I personally think the standard of football is improving due to a smaller premier, the basics being if your not strong enough you get relegated or enter the play-off. I think you NEED relegation and promotion to keep things interesting. At least with a smaller premier league a few games can change things dramatically, with 22 teams I would fear we could have numerous 'pointless' league games ! As ive said on the Derry forum the fact that we have so many Dub teams is simply to do their proffesionalism, they are there through merit. I would love more rural teams in a '12 team' premier but it has to be through merit.
12 teams for me !
And the fact that Dublin teams have the advantage of being located where the main pool of players want to live compared to the west where feck all players of good quality want to live.Originally posted by dortie
As ive said on the Derry forum the fact that we have so many Dub teams is simply to do their proffesionalism
You need relegation, the bottom half of the table would be a borefest otherwise. Best thing would be a 16team premier with a first division split into northern and southern sections.
22 teams is too many, it'd mean another six midweek games to be squeezed in if the season is gonna stay at its current length. And don't forget that with the financial situation clubs are in, not too many of them will be keen on extending the period in which they have to pay wages.
I'd sacrifice promotion and relegation if it meant moving away from this cráp of playing each other four times a season.
Anyway it could always be retained in a different format if there was say 18 teams and the bottom two went into playoffs against the top non-League teams.
Revenge for 2002
If the 16 team league experiment does go through, maybe they should have the six lower teams plus the best non league teams maybe six of them might make a very intersting league.
Imagine Mayo Co , Kerry Co, Cavan Town,Mullingar Town, Clonmel Town,Fanad United
probably wont work but hey it might be intersting!
To reiterate , this would be for the lower tier of ten teams,.
Find 2 more teams and run with 2 twelves for 2 years. If that's working out ok, you can look at finding two more and going with 12 & 14 or 14 & 12. You can add teams as appropriate until you find the level that works. Personally I doubt you'll find many more teams unless you examine Éanna's suggestion of having two regionally divided (North/South or East/West). Not a lot of teams want in right now.
The ball is round and has many surprises.
The manager of Ballymena United (I think) in the North was being interviewed on BBC in their NI Sports round-up and he said that the 16-team league was a bad move for football in the North - "Not enough quality" were his exact words. The same argument should hold here surely?
Two twelve team divisions is the best way forward I think, providing you can find the extra two teams. Regional North and South could be interesting if it led to more league take-up.
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