16 Team Premier Division / Winter Season from 2012/13 TODAY'S DAILY MAIL

**legendz** · 05/12/2010, 11:09 PM

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Plans+...d.-a0242823680

I can't believe clubs are going to agree to a 12 team Premier. What are the advantages to the lower half of a Division like this?
Why will 10 Division One clubs want to move from a national to a regional league? Cobh were battling hard to try and achieve that status this season.
For the five existing A Championship clubs it will be a good move. Being part of a regional First Division will be better than the A Championship.

**BonnieShels** · 06/12/2010, 5:13 PM

Blah blah blah blah blah.
Ffs, is there any FA on this planet as bad as ours?
What a lucky little country we are, two poxy FAs for the price of one.

**legendz** · 06/12/2010, 5:38 PM

This regionalised First Division that's coming, is there going to be a trophy for the champion of each section or a play-off between the top clubs of each section for the Division One title?
I'd imagine it'll be top club in each section will get automatic promotion. and possibly a play-off between the two second placed sides with the winner taking on 10th of the Premier in a promotion/relegation final.

**legendz** · 06/12/2010, 5:57 PM

Originally Posted by culloty82

Just looking at the regionalised first division, this is how it would look at the moment, promoting Derry and Monaghan and saving Drogheda:

North
A.N. Other FC
Athlone Town
Castlebar Celtic
Finn Harps
Longford Town
Mervue United
Salthill Devon
Tullamore Town

South:
Cobh Ramblers
Cork City
FC Carlow
Limerick FC
Shelbourne
Tralee Dynamos
Waterford United
Wexford Youths

They both would look like very weak sections.

I like the look of the Southern section. While I'd like to see more Munster teams in the Premier, Tralee will enjoy 4 Munster derbies in that division.

**Sam_Heggy** · 06/12/2010, 8:17 PM

So Fanad United to be joining the 1st Division?

How is Donegal meant to support 2 senior sides?

**outspoken** · 06/12/2010, 9:51 PM

God that northern section looks really really bad at least we have a chance of winning it

**nigel-harps1954** · 06/12/2010, 9:55 PM

To be perfectly honest, I'd be shocked if Harps didn't win that northern section.
I don't often post here, rather read posts, but I had to state that this is the most ridiculous idea I have seen from the FAI in many many years.
An absolute outrage and makes even more of a mockery of themselves than before. It's a complete joke and especially the first division idea sickens me and makes a joke of all the teams in the respective first divisions. 8 teams? Play each other 4 times? How the hell does this solve anything?

**cornflakes** · 06/12/2010, 10:07 PM

ya I agree nigel, as a youths fan id be delighted to play a team like carlow. It could create a bit of a rivalry and maybe more interest but to play them or anyone 4 times takes away from the fixture (as it does now). But I think a 16 team single division wouldn't be a good idea either, too many meaningless games for most teams.
To be honest I haven't a clue what they can do with the first division tho

**nigel-harps1954** · 06/12/2010, 10:25 PM

To be honest. 14 teams in each division makes sense to me.

**peadar1987** · 06/12/2010, 10:28 PM

Originally Posted by cornflakes

ya I agree nigel, as a youths fan id be delighted to play a team like carlow. It could create a bit of a rivalry and maybe more interest but to play them or anyone 4 times takes away from the fixture (as it does now). But I think a 16 team single division wouldn't be a good idea either, too many meaningless games for most teams.
To be honest I haven't a clue what they can do with the first division tho

Ideally, make it bigger, and then have 2 rounds of games, I'd say.

**PartySaint** · 06/12/2010, 11:22 PM

Originally Posted by peadar1987

Ideally, make it bigger, and then have 2 rounds of games, I'd say.

Just anything that doesn't involve a split

**osarusan** · 06/12/2010, 11:34 PM

It's like people sat down and decided to come up with the system to most effectively destroy the league.

"Remember that split? That was crap so put that in. Loads of meaningless games."

"What about the first division?" - "How about regionalising the f***er? That should sort it."

**BonnieShels** · 07/12/2010, 7:25 AM

And that's the end of that. Could we not just do an FAI and split from the FAI?

**legendz** · 07/12/2010, 8:28 AM

I always thought a regional division would come in the creation of a division two, turned out to be the A Championship then that came about. It's a bit much to get relegated from the Premier and wind up in a regional league.
I can only hope it is a temporary measure. If they go with this Premier of 12 and 2 sections of 8, the regionalised first division should be more attractive for potential new clubs than the A Championship is currently. The LoI top two tiers is going to expand to 28, if 4 new clubs can be attracted by the regional league in the next few years, I hope it'll mean the creation of a Premier of 16 then and division one will have it's two groups of 8. The new clubs joining the regionalised league are not ready for a national league. Expectations for new clubs to take part in a national league of 14 or 16 are unrealistic. In a few years time, if the state of the clubs have improved, it will be something to look at.
At the end of the day I'm not for the proposed format, this new format is a bad idea for existing clubs and if I was one of them I would not be for it. None of the top half clubs in Division One 2010 belong in a regionalised league. For new clubs I believe it's a good move though. Tralee for example should be able to generate more interest in these games. Playing clubs 4 times is a bit much but it's all that can be achieved considering the number of clubs.

Though I'm not for the proposed new format, progression I'd like to see under the proposed new format are:

I hope 4 new clubs will be attracted to the league by the regionalised first division.
- 4 areas that new clubs could potentially come from are: Kildare, Portlaoise, Clonmel and Mullingar.

If the number of clubs climbs to 32, I hope it'll lead to the expansion of the Premier to 16.
In time I hope the second tier of 16, below a Premier of 16, can become a national league.

**Dodge** · 07/12/2010, 9:54 AM

You going to post that every couple of hours?

**Macy** · 07/12/2010, 11:22 AM

Originally Posted by nigel-harps1954

To be perfectly honest, I'd be shocked if Harps didn't win that northern section.

They'll put Shels in the Northern Section to try and get them up, and also basically get one of Cork, Waterford, Limerick . Regionalised first is perfect for the FAI to gerrymander.