The eircom League will revert to a 12-team Premier Division and ten-team First Division from 2005 after a motion to continue with the ten-team top flight was defeated at Saturday’s AGM in Dublin.
The motion to continue with the present format was supported by eight of the 22 clubs - eight votes short of the two-thirds majority needed – meaning that from next season, the League will revert to a 12-team Premier Division.
To facilitate the change, three teams will be promoted from the First Division at the end of this season with just one side relegated from the Premier Division and the clubs have also voted in favour of ending the play-off season.
Fran Rooney, CEO of the FAI, said: “A lot of the provincial clubs felt that the Premier Division had a Dublin bias so now with 12 teams from next season, provided that it is provincial clubs that are promoted, will mean a greater spread of clubs in the Premier Division throughout the country.
“The clubs obviously prefer two have the top three promoted rather than have play-offs.”
Rooney also insisted that the FAI are committed to implementing the Club Licensing Manuel and from next season, every club will be required to have a Licence for the Division that they are due to play in.
“A lot of clubs were close to achieving ‘A’ Licences and I think that we will see more clubs gain Licences in the coming months.
“We had an anomaly this season because the Manual states that should a Premier Division club not earn a Licence, they will be replaced by a the highest ranked First Division club with an ‘A’ Licence. As no First Division club gained an ‘A’ Licence this year, that could not happen.
“But we are committed to implementing Licensing and I would challenge any other National Association to look at what we’ve done because I believe we have done more than anyone else to improve.
“Our goal is that all 22 clubs will have ‘A’ Licences while I think that some other Associations are only making sure their clubs who are in Europe will have Licences.”
The FAI are hopeful that UEFA will award a derogation for Ireland’s four representatives in European competition in 2004/05 – Shelbourne, Bohemians, Longford Town and Cork City – to compete next season.
“We’ve already been discussing the situation with UEFA who have insisted that clubs can only qualify for Europe on sporting grounds.”
UEFA have made it clear that there will be derogations for the forthcoming season while new eircom League chairman Declan O’Luanaigh revealed that UEFA are considering allowing derogations in special circumstances in the future as well.
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