What can be done to improve the League of Ireland?

[Mr A]

We do know that the top two divisions won't change in structure- that was made clear after the clubs met the FAI late last year.

The real uncertainty is about the structure the year after (which the FAI should clear up ASAP since it affects preparations for this season) and the fate of individual clubs.

[shep]

Would he get a game ? here we are less than two months from kick off and we do not know

1. How many will be in each division
2. how many Divisions there will be
3. Rules applying (RE promotion/ relegation etc)

How the F**** can anyone market a product that is as yet unknown ? I appreciate that the bean counters have to do their stuff but at this point the above matters should be clear and clubs and FAI should be starting a marketing blitz (wishfull thinking). No great cost in insuring that these matters are decided by Janaury 1 and would surely help the League

I totally agree...its a joke...like what club is gonna overextend themselves this season if they are gonna just join the two leagues toghether next year(as a quick way to get Derry and Cork etc.. back up)

I have to say its been the most depressing pre season ever and what are the F.A.I doing in terms of communication????? Nothing as usual.

[marinobohs]

I totally agree...its a joke...like what club is gonna overextend themselves this season if they are gonna just join the two leagues toghether next year(as a quick way to get Derry and Cork etc.. back up)

I have to say its been the most depressing pre season ever and what are the F.A.I doing in terms of communication????? Nothing as usual.

unfortunately for too long the League has been run on this type of amateur basis between fixture lists a week or two before the season starts to "make up the rules as we go along" (depending on who is involved of course).

a simple timely process well notified to clubs in advance (any club not ready (licencing requirements) by end dec forfeits place in Prem, for example) allied to a simple transparent process around admin issues (disiplinary, fixtures etc) would improve the League no end and should not be impossible to achieve.

[weecountyman]

Maybe the FAI have bigger things to think of, like how to get money for the Aviva and Trap? Not being a WUM, but maybe it's time the clubs gathered together and did an epl, or at least every last one being concerted enough to try. Not like the all-Ireland league effort, every last club in the LOI (Prem-A) gathers their strength and sets up a company that will run the show.

[Mr A]

That's the way it was previously and it was even worse than now. The clubs can't run themselves FFS, how the hell could they run a league?

[pineapple stu]

Was it worse than now?

Was talking to a couple of people who said that back in the olden days, clubs could at least be relied on to squeal on each other, so a kind of MAD existed which prevented clubs going millions in debt. Look at Derry pushing Drogheda to get their trading company reinstated so they couldn't walk away from their debt. It mayn't be foolproof, or even that good, but I don't think you can say that things were worse than now.

(And I acknowledge that the FAI have in recent months seemed to start stepping up to the plate)

[marinobohs]

That's the way it was previously and it was even worse than now. The clubs can't run themselves FFS, how the hell could they run a league?

I'm not so sure it is a bad idea, the FAI have no interest in the LOI and are allowing it to fall apart. While the running of clubs might not be a strong point in Irish football it might be the wake up call the clubs collectively need. I think they might need a seperate independent management company to come up with a plan and to police regulations but this could be done by the clubs. How this would impact on european participation is a seperate matter as I think it requires FAI nomination.
Issues such as the All Ireland League, regional structures etc could and indeed should all be part of any new allignment.
Admittedly not an easy proposition but the alternative is slow death at the hands of the FAI.

[endabob1]

I haven't seen a link to this elsewhere but it's a pretty terrible indictment of the state of the league in general & understandably Derry in particular from Clive Delaney

"I had no interest in playing in the League of Ireland this year after all that happened, I lost a lot of respect for it really."

"I spoke to five out of the 10 managers in the Premier Division and I'm shocked by how out of touch they seem to be in terms of what they're offering. There seems to be no leadership or direction about the way things are going."


http://www.independent.ie/sport/socc...r-2002656.html

[irishultra]

attendances are gonna be awful next season. part of me wishes the league would just die and then the irish team wouldn't be able to play internationals, maby the wake up call that is needed.

[Longfordian]

"I spoke to five out of the 10 managers in the Premier Division and I'm shocked by how out of touch they seem to be in terms of what they're offering. There seems to be no leadership or direction about the way things are going."

That quote's kind of ambiguous. I get what he's trying to say about clubs being disorganised but does he mean that he doesn't believe that the clubs could pay what they're offering or that it's not enough to give up what you'd have to give up?. It'll be interesting to see how those that do go abroad get on.

[Riddickcule]

It seems to me there is a conflict between tradition and commercialisation.

Not necessarily in an AIL but Platinum One did offer hope to us.In the form of an AIl which many didn't agree with and many still don't.
To me the FAI are a bunch of rose-tinted knobheads, clearly the league is imploding and they keep assuring people it will be sorted out.
This has to stop, there has to be a proper plan in place from the Fai, Delaney and Gavin need to admit the game is banjaxed and then admit something needs to be done about it.
A professional game can thrive here, the Fai say they are creating an environment for professional football to thrive.
But the Fai have other things to worry about..National team, Lansdowne etc. To name but a few.
In England and Scotland the clubs run it together and the league is a company, but the difference is, the clubs are better managed and only about half of income goes to wages (it varies but generally half)

Can P1 offer that hope? Even not in an AIL.

Are we willing to give up tradition so we can end this fiasco and start again?

[weecountyman]

Mr A I do agree with your sentiment but in many ways the situation has moved on greatly, from media to infrastructure (including communications) and professoinal management services. If we were only to view the game as a "product" here, how many of us would even glance a second time in its direction, very few I reckon. However there are a number of paths for the LOI to move along and the FAI are not going to want or be capable of providing them. Simply because it's too corrupted and insular with not enough willing resources to make a change, otherwise they would have gone to town on the rule breakers (fully) and not leave any loopholes.

By way of an example, in 2006-7 I was part of a working group to develop rugby in a country where it wasn't even on the radar. A friend dragged me into it and while I hated him, at first, for doing so, it was interesting to see where the problems lay. At the top and in the middle. The National Union couldn't countenance change at all (fearful for their positions) and the strongest clubs refused to come on board as this would challenge their hegemony. So instead of developing a strong commercial structure for competition that was attractive for sponsors, investors and fans. Out of 7 points to be addressed 2 were partially achieved until the end of 2009 (I believe) that there would be a growth in clubs. However there continued to be fratricide, deliberate backstabbing and overall the structure is weaker than before.

The main point that wasn't accepted, and that killed everything off, was that aa commercial trading company had to be set up, with an independent full-time CEO hired, with 2 full-time staffers and that they controlled everything that went on with the senior league, below that they would advise on club development etc. If we had something similiar in Ireland, with a company managing the top 3 divisions and instructing the FAI on how to structure the leagues below, then you could well end up with a vibrant local game, with EU grants drawn down centrally, administered and overseen in their dispersal and use. Of course a bigger employee base would be needed, but after 2-3 years it'd pay for itself.

[Mr A]

I'm not sure I agree with my own sentiment to be honest. Certainly there have been improvements in prize money (albeit structured badly and encouraging gambling), coverage etc but on the other hand the FAI have not shown anything like the steel required.

To be perfectly honest I think if I hadn't put so much time and effort into Harps over the past year I'd be on the point of giving up on the league. It just feels like there is no real point trying to do things right- there'll always be clubs walking all over you because they have no intention of doing the same and there seems to be little in the way of consequences from a governance point of view. If the FAI were at least bringing forward new rules to close the loopholes like they did with the examinership rules it'd be something at least, but there's no evidence of that.

[marinobohs]

I'm not sure I agree with my own sentiment to be honest. Certainly there have been improvements in prize money (albeit structured badly and encouraging gambling), coverage etc but on the other hand the FAI have not shown anything like the steel required.

To be perfectly honest I think if I hadn't put so much time and effort into Harps over the past year I'd be on the point of giving up on the league. It just feels like there is no real point trying to do things right- there'll always be clubs walking all over you because they have no intention of doing the same and there seems to be little in the way of consequences from a governance point of view. If the FAI were at least bringing forward new rules to close the loopholes like they did with the examinership rules it'd be something at least, but there's no evidence of that.

Real need to tear up the current "rule book" and produce one that is clear, transparent and final. Since the Ollie Byrne (RIP) days we have had administration made up as it went along with fixtures, disiplinary issues etc made up by phone calls and nudge nudge wink wink approach.

This is not all the fault of the FAI / LOI admin - as long as clubs see rules as there to be circumvented rather than adhered too then that is what will happen.
We need rules AGREED by the clubs and IMPLEMENTED by the clubs (under the auspices of a management structure). if the rules agreed by all clubs (and transparent) then there should be no sympathy for those caught breaching them ,the Pat Dolan "amnesty" nonsense when caught breaking rules should never again be a consideration but this also requires the FAI to be consistent and do things properly.
It is the least that the people who put so much work and effort (often voluntery) into clubs here deserve.