For the last couple of years I haven't gone anywhere but to other parts of Ireland for my summer holidays and have always managed to get a few games in that I would never have got to otherwise. Anyway the way things are going no one will be going anywhere too far away for the next few years so it won't be an issue.
Sounds like a "summer" game in Monaghan to me.Originally Posted by passerrby
I'm not sure which way they should go on this one. I think it is important that all leagues, LoI, Intermediate and Junior are run on the same season. June isn't the month for football with the clash with the major competitions. The first Irish team in action in Europe is likely to be the beginning of July. If they were going back to Winter football, they might want to start mid-July with a round or two of the Setanta Cup already being played.
The one issue that doesn't seem to be coming up is the potential for more meaningless games. While the number of clubs in the hunt for Europe won't change the proportion will, as too will those looking to avoid relegation. This leads to more clubs in the middle which down the back-end of the season could lead to an attendance drop-off. One way to combat this is through the Setanta Cup, by allocating places down to a certain point in the table, essentially giving clubs in 8th to 12th (possibly 7th to 13th) something to care about for the last month or two of the season.
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everytime we play ye in gortakeegan it must feel like a storm eh horseySounds like a "summer" game in Monaghan to me.
I wish i did not know then what I dont know now
What a farce!
I cant believe that anyone pines for winter football and getting frozen and soaked out of it in the dark again.
Being able to go to a game in shorts and shades a nice summers evening and bring the kids is the best thing that ever happened to this league. I wouldnt bring my young kids out to stand in the cold for 90 minutes during the depth of the winters at a game.
A lazy, selfish, head in the sand decision if there ever was one!
The flip side is that by getting away from the state where half the clubs are looking over their shoulder at relegation, there should be more room for medium-term thinking and club and squad development, as opposed to "win at all costs".
Last edited by pineapple stu; 20/10/2010 at 3:52 PM.
Not debating the actual merits here, but from a personal point of view I do prefer a balmy, dusky summer evening in the Brandywell rather than the freeze-fests I was accustomed to for years.
I'm not sure either actually make a difference to attendance though - in winter, people will say they don't want to go in the rain. But in summer, they'll say it's a waste of a pleasant evening to spend it down the Brandy. There's always an excuse. Regardless of when we play football, clubs have to make it attractive and meaningful to people. It'll take more than a summer's evening/better football to make that happen.
For the record, prefer the idea of a 16 team league as well. More travelling for fans, less repetition of games, hopefully a more open, competitive league with lots of fresh blood to invigorate the Premier (not to mention a better structured lower division). Again though, it isn't a magic bullet. I hope clubs realise more is required than drawing up a new calender and pulling numbers out of hat.
Ou-est le Centre George Pompidou?
Quinn's report echoes what I heard.
Some of the reasons for winter football were hilarious.
Grand, sure just disenfranchise the supporters who bother themselves going to games, again. Well done clubs.
IMO
Pros
- More floodlight football, better atmosphere
- 2 games a season delivers less predictable games between teams
- season in sync with all levels of football in the country, better FAI Cup for Inter/Junior teams
- likely return of bigger clubs like Shels, Waterford, Cork, Limerick to the top flight
- no clashing with World Cups/Euros and summer holiday seasons
Cons
- Excellerated decline from the already declining standards this season with the addition of 6 poor FD teams, crap pitches and crap weather conditions
- Loss of mid-season advantage for European competitions will affect European performances
- 50% less big away attendances from the likes of Bohs, Rovers etc.
- Increased isolation for already struggling First Division clubs
- a silly filler season for H1 2012
- 6 less league fixtures, 3 less home equates to a 17% decrease in matchday income over season for clubs
- the failure of the 16 team Irish League premier division
This proposal is the implementation of 2 nuclear options, Winter football and the 16 team league. I think implementing one of these proposals is risky enough for the league but implementing both is borderline suicidal, the cons weigh far too much than the pros.
Last edited by total hoofball; 20/10/2010 at 4:07 PM.
The Leinster Senior League needs a strong Bohemians
I agree.
Any chance of a bit more on that Kev?
Ou-est le Centre George Pompidou?
i'd just like to point out that we have lost to latvians during the summer seasons
Like someone has said, it can be a good thing as well for clubs to get into a position where they are not looking over their shoulders. It offers a chance/platform for stability before they can plan and look how they move forward. Any club in that position who wouldn't move forward would be likely to fall backwards and then face relegation.
A 4 team play-off could be introduced as well for the final Europa League spot. With Cup winners likely to be among leading clubs, this would mean finishing in the top 7 being something to aim for and something within reach of about 8 or 9 clubs up until the end of the season.
Personally I would hate to see this happen. It defeats the purpose of having a league.
Clubs vote for return to winter season coming off the back of the coldest winter in living memory where the entire month of January would have been a write off if we had been playing a winter season this year. You couldn't make it up.
With Setanta Cup qualification down to 6th, 2 teams relegated and 2 more in a play-off would leave few enough teams with nothing to play for near the end.
We're not arrogant, we're just better.
The league will still have a league champion who will go on to the Champions League. As long as the champion gets the reward, I think there is a place for a Europa League play-off and the two cups having a place each. It'd be more competitive as well as the only guaranteed way to Europe would be winning the league or the cups and if not, wind up being in an end of season play-off for the final Europa League place. As long as clubs know the rules beforehand it's fair and a good test for sides involved.
It's like Division One this year, the champion gets the title and promotion, the 2nd and 3rd placed sides are involved in the play-offs. Everyone know the rules beforehand and it is fair.
Prefer the Summer myself. The weather is a big reason. While i love watching games under lights i much prefer when the chances are a little better of it not to be ****ing rain. Helps the pitches too. Also in the summer there is less clashes with other sports. GAA would be the only major regular one and at that the championship is broken up a bit over the summer. In the Winter there would be The English Premier League, Champions League (to a lesser extent as its mid-week football), Heineken Cup, Six Nations, Magners League and AIL.
Really like the idea of a bigger premier though. Games would be a bigger draw if you where to only play certain teams at home once a season and have to travel to certain away games once a season. Would seem like a bigger away day playing the likes of Shamrock Rovers away once. Would be great to have a nice spread across the country too.
Last edited by Jofspring; 20/10/2010 at 5:15 PM.
What I meant was they'll be a serious loss in quality, not that there is much to begin with. Imagine Derry playing Tralee Dynamos or something? Hypothetically speaking of course.
We're not talking about 3/4 years ago. We're talking about now. Its a loss of 6 games.
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