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

**Mr A** · 18/12/2010, 11:34 PM

Originally Posted by bluemovie

What we really need is less consistency. Why keep a settled format like the most successful leagues? I propose we feed dozens of possibilities that have already been tried into a randomised computer programme and see what comes out. That would solve all our problems. For example, in 2014 we could have a winter season with an 8 team top flight, a split half way through the season, 4 points for an away win, goal difference to count at the bottom of the table but not the top and points deductions for bad penmanship. Pat Grace might be enticed back as a sponsor.

This actually makes more sense than the recent proposals for the league.

Mind you so does this:

**legendz** · 19/12/2010, 12:02 PM

Originally Posted by bluemovie

What we really need is less consistency. Why keep a settled format like the most successful leagues? I propose we feed dozens of possibilities that have already been tried into a randomised computer programme and see what comes out. That would solve all our problems. For example, in 2014 we could have a winter season with an 8 team top flight, a split half way through the season, 4 points for an away win, goal difference to count at the bottom of the table but not the top and points deductions for bad penmanship. Pat Grace might be enticed back as a sponsor.

Fantastic idea! Definitely the way forward, going forward!!

**Neish** · 19/12/2010, 9:53 PM

Has any official decision been made on this yet, if not when id the decision due?

**legendz** · 19/12/2010, 10:48 PM

Originally Posted by Neish

Has any official decision been made on this yet, if not when id the decision due?

It's an interesting question, one a lot of us are awaiting the answers on.
There's a good debate going on in Scotland on how their league is going to move forward, very similar to points raised on this thread. It was proposed they'd move from a 12 division with a split to a 10 team division. Opposition is coming against that idea, clubs their want the strategy group to explore the possibility of a bigger league. The Kilmarnock chairman reckons "I think a 10-team league could work, but there are all sorts of permutations that could work better." He's thrown out a suggestion of them moving to a larger division where they only play home and away once and also bring in the play-offs as they have in Holland. "There's all manners of ways of getting the right number of fixtures and having arrangements with play-offs that make it attractive to TV companies and for commercial reasons." "There are pros and cons. I think everybody is aware that there have to be compromises and there isn't a perfect solution that is going to suit everybody.
"If it came to the crunch and we had to lose one Old Firm match at Rugby Park, that would be a price worth paying if we got the right model.
"There are a lot of issues surrounding any new structure and we need to talk about those on Monday and keep an open mind."

Interesting debate in Scotland, it's no surprise I'm interest in the discussions with all these formats and play-offs being discussed!

The FAI could have done well to look at what's going on in Scotland and Wales as well with their move to the split format. The LoI clubs looking for the 16 team Premier seem to have had the right idea on how the league should move forward but time will tell I guess.

**Schumi** · 20/12/2010, 11:12 AM

Meanwhile Scotland are discussing going exactly the opposite way with their structure.

http://sport.scotsman.com/sport/Scot...SPL.6665475.jp

**legendz** · 20/12/2010, 12:46 PM

A 16 team Premier with play-offs will feature in their discussions. Someone in Scotland must have been checking out this forum!

**BonnieShels** · 20/12/2010, 2:04 PM

That has been roundly dismissed. It's gonna be 2 divisions of 10 playing each other 4 times. With a split and a gold star for the seventh placed team in the "who has the prettiest jersey" competition.

**legendz** · 21/12/2010, 10:00 AM

Originally Posted by BonnieShels

That has been roundly dismissed. It's gonna be 2 divisions of 10 playing each other 4 times. With a split and a gold star for the seventh placed team in the "who has the prettiest jersey" competition.

Noone can say for sure it will be two divisions of 10. That's what the strategy group will be proposing but there will be a discussion with all their clubs and a vote. There is opposition to that move. What has been roundly dismissed has been the idea that the top 4 in their league would play-off for the league title, that would be ridiculous.

**thischarmingman** · 22/12/2010, 8:43 AM

If there's a play-off for the league title, I'm giving up LOI football.

**gufc2000** · 22/12/2010, 9:33 AM

Originally Posted by thischarmingman

If there's a play-off for the league title, I'm giving up LOI football.

This thread has descended into such a prolonged discussion that they're talking about Scottish proposals now....I think the play-off referred to is the one that is being proposed in Scotland

**legendz** · 22/12/2010, 11:10 AM

Originally Posted by gufc2000

This thread has descended into such a prolonged discussion that they're talking about Scottish proposals now....I think the play-off referred to is the one that is being proposed in Scotland

Yeah, that's right. I didn't mean to go off topic but just wanted to draw some comparisons with what is going on there.

**nigel-harps1954** · 24/12/2010, 4:12 AM

Originally Posted by legendz

Yeah, that's right. I didn't mean to go off topic but just wanted to draw some comparisons with what is going on there.

Well....don't.......................jeeeesh.

**passerrby** · 24/12/2010, 10:30 AM

why in gods name do we always look for comparisons something that works somewhere else or not is no indication that it would be the same here. every other country,league is unique .

**BonnieShels** · 24/12/2010, 10:47 AM

Originally Posted by passerrby

why in gods name do we always look for comparisons something that works somewhere else or not is no indication that it would be the same here. every other country,league is unique .

And ours is even more unique than them.

**peadar1987** · 24/12/2010, 5:49 PM

Originally Posted by passerrby

why in gods name do we always look for comparisons something that works somewhere else or not is no indication that it would be the same here. every other country,league is unique .

It still can be a good indication, if appropriate comparisons are made. Saying Scotland often lose games to the weather due to winter football is an appropriate comparison. Saying England has the richest league in the world, so we should build an exact replica of St. James' Park in Limerick is a daft comparison.

**poster** · 24/12/2010, 5:52 PM

Let Tom decide who wins, goes down, goes bust, goes into play-offs, who manages who, who gets to play where and who the biggest 'codder' in the league is.

**nigel-harps1954** · 25/12/2010, 12:56 PM

Originally Posted by peadar1987

It still can be a good indication, if appropriate comparisons are made. Saying Scotland often lose games to the weather due to winter football is an appropriate comparison. Saying England has the richest league in the world, so we should build an exact replica of St. James' Park in Limerick is a daft comparison.

This would technically make sense if we had the same climate as Scotland. But since most of Scotland sees snow at half a sniff of a temperature below 5 celsius this makes a big difference.
Making comparisons to other leagues just makes no sense. Its a completely different fanbase, climate and financial situation amongst other circumstances.
We survived healthily for many many years in a winter season.
Since the inception of the summer season the league has fast gone downhill. European success is complete load of ******** because simply there has been no success. Beating the odd eastern european pub team is no success. Getting hammered by any half decent team (ALA TNS) most definitely is no success.
The closest thing we have seen to success is Shels close run of Deportivo, and that was a good while back now, 2004 if i'm correct?

I'd go back to winter football in a heartbeat.

**L.T.F.C.** · 25/12/2010, 3:56 PM

Originally Posted by nigel-harps1954

This would technically make sense if we had the same climate as Scotland. But since most of Scotland sees snow at half a sniff of a temperature below 5 celsius this makes a big difference.
Making comparisons to other leagues just makes no sense. Its a completely different fanbase, climate and financial situation amongst other circumstances.
We survived healthily for many many years in a winter season.
Since the inception of the summer season the league has fast gone downhill. European success is complete load of ******** because simply there has been no success. Beating the odd eastern european pub team is no success. Getting hammered by any half decent team (ALA TNS) most definitely is no success.
The closest thing we have seen to success is Shels close run of Deportivo, and that was a good while back now, 2004 if i'm correct?

I'd go back to winter football in a heartbeat.

I'm glad I don't see you around here often when you come out with tripe like that.

Have you heard what happened to Shelbourne since those glorious matches against Deportivo?

**nigel-harps1954** · 25/12/2010, 4:19 PM

Originally Posted by L.T.F.C.

I'm glad I don't see you around here often when you come out with tripe like that.

Have you heard what happened to Shelbourne since those glorious matches against Deportivo?

Next time you wish to call what I say tripe, at least back it up with point. I didn't say Shels was a success story, I said it was the closest thing to success we had in europe. Why if we're so high and mighty in europe all of a sudden, has not even one club in 8 years of this almighty summer football qualified for a major european tournament? If anything in the last 2/3 years we have been going backwards. There is plenty of evidence to suggest this.

**L.T.F.C.** · 25/12/2010, 7:56 PM

Originally Posted by nigel-harps1954

Next time you wish to call what I say tripe, at least back it up with point. I didn't say Shels was a success story, I said it was the closest thing to success we had in europe. Why if we're so high and mighty in europe all of a sudden, has not even one club in 8 years of this almighty summer football qualified for a major european tournament? If anything in the last 2/3 years we have been going backwards. There is plenty of evidence to suggest this.

I only had to mention Shelbourne to validate my point. It wasn't success. That whole campaign was built on something fake, something that wasn't there. They banked on projected success and they didn't get it. Sure it would have been great if they had gotten through, and their financial fairyness would have not come to light when it did, and Shelbourne might be still in the Premier League. People thought that this was it for Irish football, and look at them now.