Fenlon advocates All Ireland League

[marinobohs]

Sure, we'd get attention. And then Bohs would go bust, and any goodwill we'd accrued would be gone again.

No doubt the sleeping european giant that is UCD would maintain the supporters interest (as long as there is no more that six of them of course)

[John83]

No doubt the sleeping european giant that is UCD would maintain the supporters interest (as long as there is no more that six of them of course)

Don't take it personally. I meant that as a shorthand for the "Cork players demand their wages or they'll quit", "Dundalk players agree 15% pay cut", "Galway have can't afford their training facility rental", "Derry players get 25% of their wages", etc. etc. etc. which we've seen almost unrelentingly this year (and regularly before).

[marinobohs]

Don't take it personally. I meant that as a shorthand for the "Cork players demand their wages or they'll quit", "Dundalk players agree 15% pay cut", "Galway have can't afford their training facility rental", "Derry players get 25% of their wages", etc. etc. etc. which we've seen almost unrelentingly this year (and regularly before).

I was joking (see smiley). Besides, look on the positive side of things there are hardly any clubs left to "get into trouble" this season as they almost all have so the headlines may die out (I admit the "positive" here is stretching it a bit).

[punkrocket]

It may all be immaterial anyway if this guy's research is to be believed

http://ulsterisdoomed.blogspot.com/2...plurality.html

Events may overtake football.

[peadar1987]

It may all be immaterial anyway if this guy's research is to be believed

http://ulsterisdoomed.blogspot.com/2...plurality.html

Events may overtake football.

Seems to be broken. What did he say?

[punkrocket]

It's a political blog site with well researched data on variety of Nordy stuff but coming from a definite nationalist angle. His demographic research is very convincing, if highly contentious for some. But basically, nationalists are fast catching up on unionists and will overtake them in the next few years, nothing new there but coming up quicker than many might think. Certainly more quickly than the IFA/FAI act sometimes. If we are looking at an AIL in the long term maybe all thats needed is a bit of patience.

[citybone]

Heard a very good comment on the AIL by a N.I. league fan. Basically he said:

'At the moment my furthest away game is a short distance. Why would we want an AIL that would mean I'd have to travel to somewhere like Limerick, to see my team play in the second tier of a league that would have a worse standard of football that we have now.'

This is a few pages back, but i would only expect the top 10/12 clubs on the island to be involved and nation leagues below this a pyramid system (which is needed anyway) Limerick and anyone other than the big 2/3 in the Irish league would not be involved realisticly.

[ped_ped]

I'd disagree. If an All Ireland League is being put together, it can't be in half-measures. Whether the likes of Limerick are pushed down to Tier 3 or not, all Senior teams would need to be included.

[peadar1987]

I'd disagree. If an All Ireland League is being put together, it can't be in half-measures. Whether the likes of Limerick are pushed down to Tier 3 or not, all Senior teams would need to be included.

I disagree, I think a geographically split second flight would be good, even if it wasn't split across the border. People will travel down from Belfast to see their team play Cork in Division 1, but probably less so to see Cobh in Division 3.

[ped_ped]

Well maybe Tier 3 would be a stretch, but Tier 2, I feel would have to be an All Ireland Format. And if they're aiming for Premier Division status, I think there'd be as much of a crowd as there is now.

[dcfcsteve]

It's a political blog site with well researched data on variety of Nordy stuff but coming from a definite nationalist angle. His demographic research is very convincing, if highly contentious for some. But basically, nationalists are fast catching up on unionists and will overtake them in the next few years, nothing new there but coming up quicker than many might think. Certainly more quickly than the IFA/FAI act sometimes. If we are looking at an AIL in the long term maybe all thats needed is a bit of patience.

I'm not sure what a political blog about Northern Ireland's demographics - a decades long obsession for a lot of people - has to do with an AIL.

The changing demographics in Northern Ireland are indeed nothing new. What's also not new, but probably will be to many southerners, is that a substantial percentage of the 'Catholic' vote support the status quo in NI. That is continually borne out in surveys. So even if 50.1% of the North's population were to become Catholic overnight, that doesn't there would be an an active nationalist majority. You'd probably need approx a 60% Catholic population to get a majority vote for reunification - and we're decades away from that. And with the way the southern economy is these days, you'd be lucky if even that size of Catholic majority delivered a nationalist majority.

So I'd hold out hope of an AIL occuring before a referendum in the north voted for reunification.

Though we digress.....

[BohDiddley]

we digress...

We do indeed.

[dong]

I'm not sure what a political blog about Northern Ireland's demographics - a decades long obsession for a lot of people - has to do with an AIL.

The changing demographics in Northern Ireland are indeed nothing new. What's also not new, but probably will be to many southerners, is that a substantial percentage of the 'Catholic' vote support the status quo in NI. That is continually borne out in surveys. So even if 50.1% of the North's population were to become Catholic overnight, that doesn't there would be an an active nationalist majority. You'd probably need approx a 60% Catholic population to get a majority vote for reunification - and we're decades away from that. And with the way the southern economy is these days, you'd be lucky if even that size of Catholic majority delivered a nationalist majority.

So I'd hold out hope of an AIL occuring before a referendum in the north voted for reunification.

Though we digress.....

Very interesting. So when the catholic majority and the next southern economic boom coincide we will have a nationalist majority on our hands do you think?
And then will they all want out when it goes tits up again?

Anyways, much divided opinion as expected on this. Still nothing to convince me it would be any more "successful" than what we have now.

[punkrocket]

Quote:
Originally Posted by redobit
Heard a very good comment on the AIL by a N.I. league fan. Basically he said:

'At the moment my furthest away game is a short distance. Why would we want an AIL that would mean I'd have to travel to somewhere like Limerick, to see my team play in the second tier of a league that would have a worse standard of football that we have now.'

This must mean then that IL supporters would welcome the reduction in European places that an AIL would bring so that it would save all the unnecessary travelling to far flung places with crap leagues.

[dcfcsteve]

Quote:
Originally Posted by redobit
Heard a very good comment on the AIL by a N.I. league fan. Basically he said:

'At the moment my furthest away game is a short distance. Why would we want an AIL that would mean I'd have to travel to somewhere like Limerick, to see my team play in the second tier of a league that would have a worse standard of football that we have now.'

This must mean then that IL supporters would welcome the reduction in European places that an AIL would bring so that it would save all the unnecessary travelling to far flung places with crap leagues.

This is such an absurd minnowistic arguement to be honest. If the English Premiership or SPL suggested Irish League clubs joining them they'd be off in a heartbeat, despite the distance.

Some people in Northenr Ireland wouldn't be happy unless football went back to being a Belfast and District League.

Society could do with some IL fans leaving the 6 counties for a change.

[BohDiddley]

Still on topic, sort of, I love this... Michael Collins at the GPO. Something to do with paying Billy.


http://www.extratime.ie/newsdesk/articles/2455/

More relevant is what he has to say about the IL. Seems a good argument on that side for merger, though the blazers won't agree:

“In the Irish league years ago you had great players and it was players from the South coming up to play in the North. It was a great league, but it just went downhill,” said Collins.

“That is typical IFA. They don’t know what to do. I don’t think anyone in the IFA has ever played football, they just want their wee job and get all of their mates in.

... They are stuck in the stone ages.”

I'm sure there are plenty in the FAI who also want their own wee job.

But then he goes on to say that an AIL wouldn't work -- because it would be expensive for Galway to travel.

[Mr A]

I don't think Mickey Collins would count as unbiased in fairness, especially given all the suspensions he's had down the years..

[dcfcsteve]

I don't think Mickey Collins would count as unbiased in fairness, especially given all the suspensions he's had down the years..

Doesn't mean his comments are neither fair nor accurate though.

Was it not the IL that handed out most/all his suspensions though, rather than the IFA ?

[Mr_Parker]

Doesn't mean his comments are neither fair nor accurate though.

Was it not the IL that handed out most/all his suspensions though, rather than the IFA ?

All suspensions are dealt with by the national association. In this instance that would be the IFA.

[Ezeikial]

Something strange has happened to Mental Mickey.....he's only picked up a couple of yellow cards so far. If this continues he might not even be suspended this season.

This is clearly a dastardly conspiracy........