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

**Nah Nah Nah Nah** · 24/11/2011, 9:58 PM

No mention of how many teams are in Division 1

http://extratime.ie/newsdesk/article...ure-confirmed/

**Dillonman** · 24/11/2011, 10:00 PM

http://blackandwhitetown.tumblr.com/...012-loi-season

Following tonight�s Annual Clubs� Convention, the NLEC has agreed the following structure for the 2012 Airtricity League Season:
The season will commence on Friday March 2 2012.
Premier Division
12 Clubs x 3 Rounds (33 fixtures).
12^{[SIZE=1]th[/SIZE]} placed Club automatically relegated.
11^{[SIZE=1]th[/SIZE]} placed Club takes part in two-leg Promotion/Relegation Play-off.
First Division
The winners of the First Division will be automatically promoted to the Premier Division.
The second placed Club plays the third placed Club in a Play-off.
The winners of this play-off will play the 11^{[SIZE=1]th[/SIZE]} placed Premier Division Club in a two-leg Promotion/Relegation Play-off for a place in the 2013 Premier Division.
Mid-Season Break
This will coincide generally with the Republic of Ireland�s Euro 2012 campaign. Exact dates will be finalised after the Euro 2012 draw.
End of Season date
Weekend ending Sunday October 28 2012.

**Longfordian** · 24/11/2011, 10:07 PM

Wonder what the original plan was? The approved structure seems logical enough.

**MagicMon** · 24/11/2011, 10:10 PM

Wow, I really wasn't expecting this to get confirmed so early in pre-season! Any idea of the relegation/promotion structure or is that too much to hope for?

**Guinney** · 24/11/2011, 10:15 PM

About time they decided, clubs can finally get their houses in order (well try their best) for next season.

**legendz** · 24/11/2011, 10:19 PM

Originally Posted by Nah Nah Nah Nah

No mention of how many teams are in Division 1

http://extratime.ie/newsdesk/article...ure-confirmed/

Clubs which have been applying to join the First Division have a deadline of November 30th.

http://www.kerryman.ie/sport/tralee-...d-2890820.html

Tralee in Airtricity bid

Wednesday September 28 2011
THE Tralee Dynamos senior side are hoping their application to play in Division 1 of the League of Ireland will be given the green light. With the 'A' championship now terminated they have no other choice, but to try and enter the league, however, it is up to the League of Irleand to give them the stamp of approval.
There is a set criteria to get into the league and Dynamos will have to meet all the requirements to get a licence to play. The club are presently studying the manual sent out to them by the FAI and they will have to have everything ironed out by the deadline of November 30.
Noel White says the club will be doing everything in their power to meet the requirements to obtain the licence. " We have a meeting with the FAI at Abbotstown this Wednesday afternoon to discuss issues associated with obtaining our licence.
" We found the 'A' Championship to be a great experience and all the players are now setting their sights in playing in the League of Ireland First Division.
" We know we have a lot to do to make it a viable proposition, but the will is there within the club to achieve it."

I'm happy with the outcome. Not sure regards comments about a proposal being rejected but I think they've come up with a good structure. The Premier will consist of 12 which is what clubs played for last year, most notably Cork, Shels and the play-off winners the mighty Mons.
I've never liked the relegation play-off between two premier clubs. I never thought it worked for relegation but it does for promotion i.e. the play-off between 2nd and 3rd. The team winning the first division will be rewarded with automatic promotion. 2nd and 3rd will give a few clubs something to challenge for. I imagine like the old system, the team finishing 2nd will have the home tie for the play-off.

There's nothing startling about tonight's announcement and nor should there be either. Looking forward now to hearing how next years First Division will take shape. If Tralee are to be involved, as I hope, it'll have to be at least 12.

**Dillonman** · 24/11/2011, 10:19 PM

Originally Posted by MagicMon

Wow, I really wasn't expecting this to get confirmed so early in pre-season! Any idea of the relegation/promotion structure or is that too much to hope for?

See above, 12th goes down, 1st goes up, 2nd v 3rd in first divison playoff, winner plays 11th in the Premier.

**A N Mouse** · 24/11/2011, 10:20 PM

I see there won't be a split. But at this stage the only innovation would, in terms of adding games - and doing away with the third game - would be introducing regionalisation.

Play everyone twice home and away. Play your local section an extra home and away. And introduce a proper playoff - regional winners guaranteed european football, but have to decide overall winners and next x teams play for last euro spot..

**legendz** · 24/11/2011, 10:22 PM

Originally Posted by Longfordian

Wonder what the original plan was? The approved structure seems logical enough.

I'd like to know as well. They have come up with a very logical structure. The main change really is we're back to 12 teams over 33 games and the relegation play-off of recent years, except for this year, is back except third last in the premier is kept out of the play-off, most were asking for that anyways so that's a good move and a correction that had to be made.

**legendz** · 24/11/2011, 10:37 PM

Originally Posted by A N Mouse

I see there won't be a split. But at this stage the only innovation would, in terms of adding games - and doing away with the third game - would be introducing regionalisation.

Play everyone twice home and away. Play your local section an extra home and away. And introduce a proper playoff - regional winners guaranteed european football, but have to decide overall winners and next x teams play for last euro spot..

No split is good. Was it a suggestion rejected tonight? If so, hat's off to the wise heads who vetoed it.

The usual way with the third series is that it's reversed the following season with minor change due to promotion/relegation.
A clear way to earn the extra home game on the field of play would be giving the top 6 teams from the year before the extra game. Towards the end of season in mid-table, it'd be an incentive to finish higher in the table. It's an option.

**Charlie Darwin** · 24/11/2011, 10:39 PM

If this is what they agreed to I'd hate to see what they rejected.

**BonnieShels** · 24/11/2011, 10:40 PM

Originally Posted by legendz

A clear way to earn the extra home game on the field of play would be giving the top 6 teams from the year before the extra game. Towards the end of season in mid-table, it'd be an incentive to finish higher in the table. It's an option.

Interesting. Isn't that what they do in the Danish League?

**legendz** · 24/11/2011, 10:56 PM

Originally Posted by BonnieShels

Interesting. Isn't that what they do in the Danish League?

Ha ha, that's right!

The Danish League. The Danish League. The Danish League.

**culloty82** · 25/11/2011, 7:47 AM

Baffling that they couldn't decide the number of First Division clubs, at least then teams would have some indication whether they were in or out.

**legendz** · 25/11/2011, 7:58 AM

Originally Posted by culloty82

Baffling that they couldn't decide the number of First Division clubs, at least then teams would have some indication whether they were in or out.

November 30th is the deadline for clubs applying. I see it as a good move. It hints they could be open to more than 1 club. If it was 1 club, I'd say Cobh will get the nod. If it's 3, Tralee and the other 3 have a good chance for the extra 2 places.
Is the final decision with the FAI or the league's 21 clubs?

**Sam_Heggy** · 25/11/2011, 8:24 AM

Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

If this is what they agreed to I'd hate to see what they rejected.

I think the one that was rejected was a regional 1st div of North and South.

**Dillonman** · 25/11/2011, 8:59 AM

Originally Posted by Sam_Heggy

I think the one that was rejected was a regional 1st div of North and South.

The Indo says the clubs rejected a league split after so many games.

**Dodge** · 25/11/2011, 9:18 AM

Less than 12 months after agreeing to it. This league is nothing if not consistent in its fiddling about

**citybone** · 25/11/2011, 9:27 AM

Originally Posted by A N Mouse

I see there won't be a split. But at this stage the only innovation would, in terms of adding games - and doing away with the third game - would be introducing regionalisation.

Play everyone twice home and away. Play your local section an extra home and away. And introduce a proper playoff - regional winners guaranteed european football, but have to decide overall winners and next x teams play for last euro spot..

Regionalised is ok for the 1st division but not the prem in my view but i think its a better option than the 33 games system.
Some teams will have more away games than home games and some clubs might have to play Shamrocks twice away and only once at home, a financial nightmare and competitive disadvantage.
I would have preferred a split

**Dodge** · 25/11/2011, 9:35 AM

Originally Posted by citybone

Some teams will have more away games than home games and some clubs might have to play Shamrocks twice away and only once at home, a financial nightmare and competitive disadvantage.
I would have preferred a split

Huh? if you're in the bottom six, you're not getting any of the bigger clubs so how will that not create a 'financial nightmare' for some clubs

Anyone who followed the LOI in the early 90s can tell you what a disaster the top 6/bottom 6 split was