Yeah, so the Bray V Fingal game was pointless.
Yeah, so the Bray V Fingal game was pointless.
Personally, I don't see the point in any playoffs (besides possible financial benefits). If you're going to promote two and demote two, let the final league tables decide that. It defeats the point of a league in my opinion.
It keeps third and fourth top and bottom interested for the season..
Relegation would be dead in the water for the PD if there was no play off with the bottom two cut adrift by about 12 points.
The Model Club
Tell all the Bohs you know
that we've gone and won two-in-a-row
and it's not gonna be three
and it's not gonna be four
it's more likely to be 5-1.
So be it then. If they're 12 points adrift, they deserve to get relegated, not to get a chance to escape.
Likewise, if one team finishes 7 or 8 points clear of another in the first division, they've shown their superiority over the course of a season. Why should they have to have a playoff against that team?
Probably the only things keeping Dundalk interested in mid-table is playing Rovers in Oriel and avoiding being sucked further into the mire..Likewise, I'm sure Shels would like to have a shot at second/third than fruitlessly chase the nordies in the distance.
Why should second spot give you the same promotion rights as topspot i.e automatic?
The Model Club
Tell all the Bohs you know
that we've gone and won two-in-a-row
and it's not gonna be three
and it's not gonna be four
it's more likely to be 5-1.
I actually think the play offs are ok for the teams coming up. It keeps more teams interested that are further down the league. There isn't too much more to play for in that league (i.e. Europe).
But my point was that having 2 loser teams in a play off is a hard sell for punters. If you want to keep mid table teams in the premier interested, why not have more automatic relegation spots.
Because that's what a league is for. To determine the quality of a team over a season. And if Monaghan finish a point ahead of us at the end of the season, then they've shown themselves to be a (marginally) better team than us. That's why they should go up and we shouldn't*.
If the argument is that the league table at the end of the season isn't the only way to decide who gets what reward, then why not have a playoff to decide who wins the league? It would be based on exactly the same logic.
*Don't get me wrong, I'd love us to win a playoff as much as anybody else, but I still don't agree with the concept.
A lot of leagues run some form of play-off these days. It avoids more dead rubbers. Everyone knows the rules at the start of the season so it is fair. Win the division, you win promotion. Fall short and you'll get a second go through the play-offs.
I'd prefer a play-off system though where it was (Prem 9th vs Div 1 4th) and (Div 1 2nd vs Div 1 3rd). I think they ran that one season.
I think we played Derry and Harps played Bray.
Then Derry beat Harps in final.
Jaysis its very close now. Still derry's to throw away but they're doing a good job of it so far.
We HAD to beat them on friday and did it pretty well. We seem to have got past our bad spell now. All the others teams winning means its even closer now.
Still think it will go all the way to the last day. We're at Shels, Derry at Mons and Lims at athlone. Should be interesting.
I’m not pedantic...I’m merely overly concerned with minute details.
Derry v Mons could be the title decider, should be a massive crowd for that one. Derry only have to draw one game and win the rest with Mons winning all the rest of their and it would set up a huge game.
These huge dips in form have been regular from Division 1 front runners, Shels last season and in 2008, Dundalk done it for a few seasons, Cobh nearly threw it away in 2007, it's just a recurring theme.
I still think we'll nab a playoff spot.
Lets redefine what it means to heal
Shels are very close alright but with there being 3 teams already in the mix for the playoff spot i think Shels will miss out. I think they would need at least two teams out of Limerick, Monaghan and Waterford to slip up as if only one where to slip up there is already another one of them ready to take there place and i can't see two teams slipping up.
Looking at our run in i feel like we might miss out. Traveling to Monaghan and Waterford and Shels coming to Jackman the second last game of the season might be too much. I hope i'm seriously wrong but can't help but feel pessimistic.
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