FAI / IFA merger - interesting survey

[Dr.Nightdub]

Got this in work today, it's the results of a survey done by Amarach, a well-known market research organisation. They did a telephone survey of 1200 people north and south.

"The concept of a merger of the FAI and IFA also received the backing of the majority of people across the island with 76% of those polled in favour of the concept of a united Irish soccer team.

Those in the South were marginally more in favour of the merger with nearly 4 out of 5 people supporting the idea. In the North 73% of those polled supported the merger, with a majority of both Catholics (77%) and Protestants (69%) supporting the idea.

The research findings highlight how the public want Ireland's sporting associations to re-examine traditional policy, which will ultimately afford Irish sports fans the opportunity to enjoy and support their major passions."

Presumably if people are in favourr of a single association and a single national team, the implication is that they're also in favour of a single league.

[tippman]

I would love a united national team and league.
1 problem-violence, could u imagine rovers v linfield

[A face]

Sound good ... but would either outfit even consider it ??

[Dazzy]

Rovers, Linfield, no history.
Now Derry V Linfield
that would bring a crowd

[tippman]

Dazzy, I know theres now history between rovers and l*nfield but give it 1 match and you'd see anyways a derry v l*nfield match would'nt have a big crowd at it because the brandywell only has a 2200 capicity, with yer 'a' licence

[corkharps]

I believe this will happen! But not how most of us would want.The Bigger clubs in the South,will look towards the Lindfields,Glentorans etc to provide bigger gates,more interest,and a product worthy of proper TV coverage! The possibilty of a break away of say intitially 10 clubs is a real possibility and I'm surprised it hasn't happened already! Money talks!

[tiktok]

we're having enough trouble keeping out own league afloat and getting people into the ground without lumbering ourselvs with trying to rescue the IL aswell.
If a cross border cup competition can be shown to work then maybe soem thought can go into it, but
-I can't see either the IFA or the FAI power sharing
-we play our leagues at different times of the year, and I wouldn't want to go back to a winter league
-there's genuine security concerns if it's a summer league
-there would be more competition for fewer European places so the bigger clubs may disklike that
-a decent plan would have to be put in place to regionalise the lower divisions because the extra costs due to travelling and security would have to be factored in
-a phone survey is all well and good but a decent amount of research would have to go into seeing if it would actually result in increased public and media interest, I can't see public apathy changing because Bohs are at home to Coleraine instead of at home to Longford.

in it's favour
-it may attract greater sponsorship and attendances (definitely would in the short term)
-it would allow us to form a larger premier division of quality teams, which would solve the playing teams four times or the daft three round system

[Macy]

Although I'd definitely be in favour of an all Ireland League (Top 9 from each forming an 18 team Premier, regional after that), I wouldn't trust the stewarding or policing this side of the border. The Guards are incapable of policing a Bohs v Rovers Derby, let alone anything bigger.

[Dazzy]

Dazzy, I know theres now history between rovers and l*nfield but give it 1 match and you'd see anyways a derry v l*nfield match would'nt have a big crowd at it because the brandywell only has a 2200 capicity, with yer 'a' licence

It'll will alway come back to haunt us

[tippman]

The top 8 teams north and south join together to make a 16 team premier division. After that the there would be division 1 south made up of 16 teams
(the current el clubs that woul'nt be in the premier and mayo and kerry)
division 1 north would be made up of the rest of the IFA teams.

All the above teams would play each other 2 times a season with automatic
promotion and playoffs.

this new format would almost definetley see the end of the league cups both sides of the border.

an extended cup and better league,more television coverage etc would be the befits.

only one question remains: would derry play north or south if they were relegated from the premier division?

[Dazzy]

only one question remains: would derry play north or south if they were relegated from the premier division?

No need to worry there it would become an all el league in a few seasons with a couple of exceptions

[dortie]

[QUOTE=Dr.Nightdub]In the North 73% of those polled supported the merger, with a majority of both Catholics (77%) and Protestants (69%) supporting the idea.

QUOTE]


How many of these people polled suport domestic soccer (North and South) ??

If I had to bet on it Id say very few.....Id safely say 80% of the IFA club fans would be against it. Just ask them on their Irish league forum, you will soon get your answer.

Would love it myself but being a realist and from the North I know how narrow minded these people really are.

[corkharps]

[QUOTE=dortie]

In the North 73% of those polled supported the merger, with a majority of both Catholics (77%) and Protestants (69%) supporting the idea.

QUOTE]


How many of these people polled suport domestic soccer (North and South) ??

If I had to bet on it Id say very few.....Id safely say 80% of the IFA club fans would be against it. Just ask them on their Irish league forum, you will soon get your answer.

Would love it myself but being a realist and from the North I know how narrow minded these people really are.

[Duncan Gardner]

Dortie's half right- there's little support for the idea among NI fans and those of most IL clubs. Many of us would like to see a cross-border cup though.

We're narrow-minded just because we disagree with you. What an inclusive, broad-minded attitude that isn't

Why should NI clubs get half the places in this imaginary league? Sure the South's got more than twice the population?

[A face]

I can't see either the IFA or the FAI power sharing

Some people seem to think it is not up to them and that the "I" (eye) in both means that they should carry out the wishes of the people that they represent. Because the are National entities, they are not a law onto themselves. (or argument to that effect )

[dortie]

Can you state otherwise ?

Dont think you can being from Ballygobackwards.

[dortie]

We're narrow-minded just because we disagree with you. What an inclusive, broad-minded attitude that isn't

No, your narrow minded because you cant see that an all Ireland league is the only way forward for both leagues. The vast majority of EL fans realise this but you dont because the political aspect of it completely over-shadows the positives of it for you. You are scared that it will lead to an all-Ireland national team (which again makes sense), its the 'our wee country' syndrome that leads me to call you narrow-minded.

Its political, you cant disagree with me isnt it?

[CollegeTillIDie]

Yes an interesting proposal and given that the F.A.I. broke away from Belfast in 1921, the approach would have to come from Dublin to bury the hatchet so to speak.

Well there are a number of points in favour of the proposal:

1/ An All-Ireland team for soccer, makes sense on a number of fronts.

David Healy, an Irishman who can score goals ( a very rare quality), would make an ideal partner for Robbie Keane for one thing.

For all the problems that the Wee North's team has experienced scoring over the past three years, they have been fairly solid at the back.

2/The whole island team would probably go further in major competitions over time than either of the fragments would.

3/ The Rugby team is all-Ireland as are the hockey teams.... as the Cranberries said " Everyone else is doing it why can't we?"

So from that vantage point I am in favour of an all-Ireland team

There are arguments in favour of an All-Ireland League not least of which would be some interesting parings as alluded to earlier and some fascinating cross border derbies i.e.
Newry V Dundalk; Omagh V Finn Harps ; Monaghan United V Armagh City
and of course from my point of view Institute V U.C.D. would also be of interest.


The introduction of an All-Ireland League would probably involve a change of season for the teams in the South , as we would have to revert to winter football for practical reasons.

1/ It would be dangerous to fulfill certain away fixtures during the Marching season: And I am thinking of Republic based teams travelling to Shamrock Park Portadown mainly here.

2/ Security considerations would involve who would provide the policing of certain fixtures which could be resolved through agreement.

The only alternative would be a mid season break from mid June to Mid August . That would involve starting in February and finishing in November.

It could be commercially viable. It might also be entitled to money from that International cross-border fund if that still exists

[Plastic Paddy]

You make some interesting illustrations CTID, however I think you're confusing Institute FC with Instonians or any of the other sporting clubs born of the Royal Belfast Academic Institution ("Inst") in Belfast (which in any case is a school rather than a tertiary educational establishment). Institute FC are from east Derry and grew up from the Presbyterian Working Men's Institute in that city.

http://www.institutefc.com/2004club/history.shtml

PP

[CollegeTillIDie]

PP Thanks for the link.

They were concerned with the intellectual, moral and social welfare of young presbo males on the Waterside... given the intellectual welfare concern they are a quasi-educational organisation.
An Institute of any kind is a worthy adversary for a University...

Plus they wear our club colours