QuoteIf people are thinking that fewer games = bigger gates, you're not playing with the full deck.
But would 16 not make more sense then?
Bear in mind that this PD restructuring would need to be coupled with FD restructuring which we haven't even touched yet. I may mock up an Excel tomorrow in work. Hmmm ... exciting stuff.
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If people are thinking that fewer games = bigger gates, you're not playing with the full deck.
Sporting F*ck All!
I think the top 6 in the First Division are capable of playing in the Premier. I don't think the bottom 6 in the First Division should be relegated/demoted/absorbed into playing in a regional league. In the A Championship, Cobh Ramblers and possibly one other club would be capable of playing in a national league as opposed to the regional league that is the A Championship.
16 would be ideal (home and away basis) but I would have serious resevations about having 16 clubs of decent quality. While there will never be a situations where all teams are close I see no advantage in having 1/2 teams that are nothing more than "whipping boys" for the rest.Originally Posted by BonnieShels
Also would probobly need to dilute the (already weak) licencing process to guarantee 16 Premier licences.
16 teams wouldn't be a problem. The top teams are getting much weaker much quicker than the bottom ones (cos stupid spending is stopping). Monaghan, Derry, Waterford, Cork, Limerick and Shels would all be reasonably competitive in the Premier, especially with a bit of extra cash from being in the top flight.
I don't really see how the lesser number of games is a big issue?? (Maybe it's a Premier thing??)
Like take Limerick we have 16 or 17 home games depending on the year.
Next year four of them will be against Salthill and Monaghan
No disrespect to them but crowd pullers they aint. One game against a Dundalk or a Shamrock Rovers would draw the same.
I realise in the Premier you have 18 home games but doesn't that cause it's own problems?? Like Pats and Sligo playing each other 15 times this year?? Rather than having all those repetitive games would Sligo not have been better off with say one home game against Pats and one home game against a Premier Division Shelbourne??
Would a Premier team having to play Limerick once at home and UCD once at home really make that much difference than having to play UCD twice??
I don't think a sixteen team Premier would see many more whipping boys than the current set up either, mainly for reasons stu says.
I'd agree with Lim till i die on this. The top half of Division One will be a great addition to the Premier. It'll create more Premier rivalries as well and have more provincial clashes. A number of countries have gone with 16 clubs in top flight and it seems to be working for them.
I just have to think that we have to be creative for Irish football and start from the top down. If we do it right then we never have to do it again!
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They have to do more than the top down. The league needs to be restructured at the top. Youth leagues need to be set-up. Though in fairness they seem to be looking at both.
It's important the league remains an open league with the A Championship as it is a feeder for potential new clubs. A pyramid structure sounds great, some of us would like to see it but alas it's not likely.
Harps finished outside the top half of the first Division last year.(we stuck to the rules!). I think we would be an excellent addition to any extended Premier. (Regular games against the top teams in the country would attract (more) investment!)
You can shove your British Culture up your Londonderryair!
Depends on the size of the extended Premier. Ye finished 18th of the 22 LoI clubs this season so unless ye improve next season, in any re-structuring to a 16 team Premier, ye'll be at the top of the pack chasing promotion to the expanded Premier.
it's difficult to talk about this without mentioning a possible merger with the ifa. at the moment the first division clubs are having a hard time moneywise but they are scaping by. if you create a 16 team permier and look for 16 teams in a new first. slighty off point but here goes
16 permier (only be accepted if the NI teams have 8 teams and the south 8 also to start. if we are convinced we are better then time and games will tell) - top 3 into europe and 4th a play off spot with winner of league cup.
bottom 2 go down and 3 adn4 from bottom play off (like present) to meet the winner 3rd 4th play off in the first.)
16 first division (again 8 north and 8 south) winners and runners-up go up and playoff 3rd and 4th meet 13th and 14th looser match. bottom 4 would go down to be replaced by the four group winners of the A chamionship made up of permier (reserve +u20) teams plus others who dream of bigger days. these four groups would have 10 to 12 teams each and would be roughly based on the four provinces. a short season would allow for adapting from winter to summer football and also lower costs. the four bottom teams go down into their respective provinial senior league and be replaced by the champion of the said division.this would in turn be all be filtered into lower divisions ulster senior league division 2 (west) for example until you cover all village teams.if the split were to happen today here goes..........
premier with : rovers bohs sligo fingal pats dundalk ucd galway + linfield, glens , crusaders disterllery cliftonville ballymena glenavon and colraine
first with : bray /drogheda /derry /waterford /monaghan /shels /limerick /cork + dungannon /newry /portadown /donegal celtic /carrick loughgall/ limavady /bangor
a championship four regional groups of 10 to 12 each to be made up of premier A plus:- harps/longford/athlone/mervue/salthill/tullamore/castlebar/cobh/carlow/tralee/HW welders /dergview/ards/institute/ballyclare com/ballinamallard/larne/banbridge/glebe /ballymoney
by far the biggest losers would be harps, athlone and longford but the almost guarantee to winning the division (prizemoney) would soften the blow. again the goegraphical grouping would give a very strong northen division with NI clubs but they may also have better crowds so more money and then better prepared for life after promotion.
feel free to place thsi on another thread...............
It really isn't.
#NeverStopNotGivingUp
My plan had this in consideration. however there was not an Irish League team near it as that is the last thing that we should be considering. If we get our house in order and if the IFA want a merger then we should consider it on it's merits. Until then talking about a merger is nonsense.
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The thoughts of Harps playing the Welders makes me cringe!
Say nothin til ya hear more!
my dad was a harps fan and I know it sounds terrible but there would be some big losers with a system like this. the other reason i went dirrectly into this was that the only other way is to have a 16 team premier and then 4 regional divisions north, south, east and west. each of 10 to 12 teams with the 4 winners going up and the four last places going down into the A- championship. problem with this that we would need a minimum 56 teams in the ROI!!!!!! WHAT IS THE DIGGEST PROBLEM FOR 1ST DIVISION CLUBS PLAYERS WAGES TRAVEL DISTANCES OR GENERAL RUNNING COSTS?
That plan is completely insane. We can only work with what we have. Requiring more senior teams is not a goer.
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so how many senior teams (or semi senior teams) do we have? 22 plus 5 A championship= 27? surely we could scrape up another 5 or so...........
The problem is that for the second year in a row, no new teams have shown any interest in joining the A Championship, too many clubs are in an intermediate/junior football comfort zone to take the senior plunge even in an expansion.
LMFM reported on their lunch time news that clubs are voting on whether or not to accept the 16 team division tonight along with how to restructure the first division. They said a regional first division is a possibility. Can't find any more information anywhere online though.
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