LOI clubs commit suicide

**legendz** · 02/11/2010, 10:51 PM

An U15 would be too much. The general set-up is two national youth leagues. This will be provided by the U19 and the U17 when it comes in. It's a good move by the FAI and shows that they do have plans on the league progressing.

**Dodge** · 02/11/2010, 11:01 PM

Originally Posted by legendz

It's a good move by the FAI and shows that they do have plans on the league progressing.

They've always had plans. Paying for them is the problem

**passinginterest** · 03/11/2010, 9:35 AM

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Would it not be more beneficial to have LoI clubs enter U-19 teams in whatever regional U-19 leagues are knocking about?

There tends to be a lot of opposition to this from the exisiting leagues. Wexford Youths had serious bother getting a team in the Wexford and District League, eventually they agreed to play an under 17 team in the under 18 league as a compromise.

At the moment a lot of the top Leinster sides seem to be playing around the DDSL, if the FAI establish this elite league fronted by the LOI clubs this could well prove to be the beginning of a proper footballing pyramid. If the LOI clubs are attracting the best players and entry to the league is open, many of the big schoolboy clubs that have been a production line for English clubs may be tempted to move across, breaking down some of the barriers between those clubs and the LOI.

**legendz** · 03/11/2010, 10:55 AM

LoI clubs should be looking at attracting the best players and this will help. I'm not sure it will lead to the beginning of a pyramid but it might lead to a few more clubs looking to join the league.

**legendz** · 03/11/2010, 11:05 AM

Originally Posted by Sam_Heggy

There will be an "elite" Under 19 National league with 14 teams in it.
There will then be regional divisions below that with Intermediate or Junior sides allowed to enter.
The Under 19 and Under 17 leagues will be licenced based also.

I think adding an under 17 league is fantastic, if they added an under 15 league there too all the better.

How are they going to decide the 14 clubs to be involved? All Premier and Division One clubs should be involved. There's no guarantee they'll have enough teams for the regional league below it.

**Dodge** · 03/11/2010, 11:18 AM

Originally Posted by legendz

LoI clubs should be looking at attracting the best players and this will help.

Do you honestly believe they aren't doing this at the moment?

**legendz** · 03/11/2010, 12:54 PM

They are but not all find it that easy. The new Youth leagues when in place should be a help.

**Dodge** · 03/11/2010, 1:09 PM

How so?

**legendz** · 03/11/2010, 1:21 PM

Development of the league should work from the grassroots up. I think the best way to promote the league is to have the LoI integrated into as many regions as possible at youth level. This way, the best youth players in the country are playing LoI football at U17 and then U19 level. Within a few years of the structures being brought in, most of the best up and coming youth players in Ireland will want to be playing their football with LoI clubs. The LoI should gain a status of being for elite players and gain more of a respect as well.

**Dodge** · 03/11/2010, 1:24 PM

I'm aware of how things should work

I'm asking what the realistic options are. its simply not good enough to say "most of the best up and coming youth players in Ireland will want to be playing their football with LoI clubs"

**legendz** · 03/11/2010, 1:41 PM

What you are aware of is not that transparent.

It is good enough to say.

**Lim till i die** · 03/11/2010, 4:59 PM

legendz, I am starting to think you're one of the greatest internet windups of recent times.

Fairplay.

**Sam_Heggy** · 04/11/2010, 8:00 AM

Originally Posted by legendz

How are they going to decide the 14 clubs to be involved? All Premier and Division One clubs should be involved. There's no guarantee they'll have enough teams for the regional league below it.

The 14 sides will be selected after a licencing process.

Let's say the 14 will be (randomly selected):
Rovers
Bohs
UCD
Limerick
Cork
Salthill
Mervue
Monaghan
Pats
Dundalk
Drogheda
Derry
Athlone
Harps

The regional leagues would then be made up of:

Northern Section:
Longford
Sligo
Shels
Galway
Tullamore
Castlebar
Letterkenny Rovers
Real Tubber

Southern Section:
Fingal
Bray
Waterford
Wexford
Carlow
Tralee
Cobh
Clonmel Town
Cherry Orchard
Rockmount

Well you get the idea. I'd say the regional groups will have around 8/9 teams in it with teams playing each other 3 times.