Limerick Junior Soccer Has Changed Forever........

**Bonovox** · 11/06/2011, 11:14 PM

The LDMC AGM took place at the Kilmurry Lodge Hotel on Friday night last June 10th and a hugely significant rule change took place that will have major implications for Junior soccer in Limerick. The Aisling Annacotty motion that any junior team can field only 4 ex League of Ireland players from season 2011/2012 onwards was carried by a large majority. It is open ended and without exceptions. It covers any junior player who has ever played League of Ireland football from first team, all the way down to A level and Under 19's. It will be a nightmare to police it and when the dust settles, clubs might just realise the ramifications of their actions. The Premier League should become more competitive over the coming years but the powers that be will be rubbing their hands across the country as we have in all probability signed away our chances of future national honours. For example there are literally dozens of young players coming out of youth football who have played or had a taste of Under 19 football with Limerick. They are now classed as ex League of Ireland players and will continue to be classed as such for the remainder of their careers.

Let the debate begin....

**Jofspring** · 11/06/2011, 11:30 PM

I think that rule is a joke. Players should have had to have played a certain amount of LOI games (maybe a full season or two) for this to affect them. To have the rule so black and white is a disgrace and will cause more hassle and confusion. A lot of players try LOI and aren't up to it or can't commit to it. To then deny them signing for certain clubs is a joke. The under age and A is especially disgraceful. Not all U19 and A players will step up to LOI. Straight away that means Pike can't sign certain players, the same goes for a lot of other clubs, even 1A clubs that have players that as young fellas might have played LOI or underage.

This is going to drive a lot of players out to teams from outside Limerick.

**booster 03** · 12/06/2011, 8:20 AM

Originally Posted by Bonovox

The LDMC AGM took place at the Kilmurry Lodge Hotel on Friday night last June 10th and a hugely significant rule change took place that will have major implications for Junior soccer in Limerick. The Aisling Annacotty motion that any junior team can field only 4 ex League of Ireland players from season 2011/2012 onwards was carried by a large majority. It is open ended and without exceptions. It covers any junior player who has ever played League of Ireland football from first team, all the way down to A level and Under 19's. It will be a nightmare to police it and when the dust settles, clubs might just realise the ramifications of their actions. The Premier League should become more competitive over the coming years but the powers that be will be rubbing their hands across the country as we have in all probability signed away our chances of future national honours. For example there are literally dozens of young players coming out of youth football who have played or had a taste of Under 19 football with Limerick. They are now classed as ex League of Ireland players and will continue to be classed as such for the remainder of their careers.

Let the debate begin....

Crazy, I can see them going back to this to clear it up somebit... Its crazy, just wont work, Look at pikes current squad,hartnet, Barry, Enright, Cleary, Ryan, Tierney etc... can Pike only sign 4 of these??? Fairview have Chuka, kelliher, colm Scanlon, Grant, Heffernan, etc, can they only sign 4 of these?? It'l turn into a draft situation like in the states, sounds like a very rash decision imo. Something needed to be done to strenghten the league but this is just daft!! It wont encourage players to spread out to other clubs, it'l hinder lads with potential making the step up to senior soccer.

**rooney10** · 12/06/2011, 8:53 AM

if this was loi only i would be all for it...but the A level and 19s rule is a complete joke,il have my doubts about this!!!if it does happen we can forget about winning fai and munster junior cups for a long time..

**Bonovox** · 12/06/2011, 9:02 AM

Originally Posted by booster 03

Crazy, I can see them going back to this to clear it up somebit... Its crazy, just wont work, Look at pikes current squad,hartnet, Barry, Enright, Cleary, Ryan, Tierney etc... can Pike only sign 4 of these??? Fairview have Chuka, kelliher, colm Scanlon, Grant, Heffernan, etc, can they only sign 4 of these?? It'l turn into a draft situation like in the states, sounds like a very rash decision imo. Something needed to be done to strenghten the league but this is just daft!! It wont encourage players to spread out to other clubs, it'l hinder lads with potential making the step up to senior soccer.

Booster - just to clarify the rule as it stands at the moment - any club can sign as many ex LOI players as they wish but they can only play 4 of them at any one time.

**Monster** · 12/06/2011, 9:27 AM

Including former A and U-21 players is ridiculous and is gonna cause a lot of headaches.I would have been all for the rule if it had applied to players who played league of Ireland at senior level as the league has become a joke lately.They will have to go back and look at the rule and possibly refine it but it is the LDMC we are talking about!

**barryk** · 12/06/2011, 10:23 AM

No its' not the LDMC. It's your club and my club and the majority of clubs in town who passed this. The LDMC have to implement it.
As far as I know only Pike, Regional, Boro, Caherdavin, Hyde and St Pauls voted against it.
For God sake even Fairview voted for it.
The FAI will be delighted to keep Junior Cup away from Limerick.
Brought in to stop Pike, Fairview, etc from snapping up the best in town.
What Aisling etc do not realise is that Pike etc will now go after non LOI players and it may come back to bite them in the aas.

**mulla** · 12/06/2011, 10:39 AM

Originally Posted by barryk

No its' not the LDMC. It's your club and my club and the majority of clubs in town who passed this. The LDMC have to implement it.
As far as I know only Pike, Regional, Boro, Caherdavin, Hyde and St Pauls voted against it.
For God sake even Fairview voted for it.
The FAI will be delighted to keep Junior Cup away from Limerick.
Brought in to stop Pike, Fairview, etc from snapping up the best in town.
What Aisling etc do not realise is that Pike etc will now go after non LOI players and it may come back to bite them in the aas.

does this mean that in the future teams will try snap up younger player the minute they come out of the minor grade so as to stop them going to LOI? if so serious implications for Limerick FC too?

**wanderer** · 12/06/2011, 10:46 AM

This rule is crazy. It means goodbye to mjc and fais and hello to lots of costly objections

**lfc at heart** · 12/06/2011, 11:12 AM

is this just a rule in Limerick district league or is it in every district league

**mulla** · 12/06/2011, 11:25 AM

Originally Posted by wanderer

This rule is crazy. It means goodbye to mjc and fais and hello to lots of costly objections

so you can only win these things with ex loi players?

**Bonovox** · 12/06/2011, 11:34 AM

Originally Posted by wanderer

This rule is crazy. It means goodbye to mjc and fais and hello to lots of costly objections

Lads, I stand to be corrected on this one but it is a local rule only and as far as I'm concerned it will not have any bearing on the FAI Junior Cup rules of MJC rules. An existing FAI rule cannot be changed, only at an FAI AGM.

**blinkx** · 12/06/2011, 12:23 PM

It only applies for Limeick District Games. Not FAI Games. Not MJC games.

So you can have as many LOI players (Registered correctly of course) as you want playing FAI and MJC games.

Shows how much of a joke the LDMC are that the proposal was even entertained. And from my knowledge don't Aisling have a tie in with Limerick FC, fairly sure they've got more than 4 ex LOI(As mentioned below) floating around.

If player A plays 1 game for Limerick FC U-19's/A Team/ Senior Team at the age of say 18. And then immediately rejoins his local Junior team. 15 years later playing only junior he will still be classed as a LOI player. Disgrace.

Also quick question. If your son plays for Limerick FC underage. Their U-6/7/8/9/10/11's programme's, is he classed as Ex Loi if the comments above are anything to go by??

**Jofspring** · 12/06/2011, 12:32 PM

At the end of the day it seems like another rash rule change without taking everything into consideration. Even if its just for local league games it means certain players might only play a few games before the FAI ones come around.

**wanderer** · 12/06/2011, 1:53 PM

yes look at past winners

**Bonovox** · 12/06/2011, 1:54 PM

Originally Posted by blinkx

It only applies for Limeick District Games. Not FAI Games. Not MJC games.

So you can have as many LOI players (Registered correctly of course) as you want playing FAI and MJC games.

Shows how much of a joke the LDMC are that the proposal was even entertained. And from my knowledge don't Aisling have a tie in with Limerick FC, fairly sure they've got more than 4 ex LOI(As mentioned below) floating around.

If player A plays 1 game for Limerick FC U-19's/A Team/ Senior Team at the age of say 18. And then immediately rejoins his local Junior team. 15 years later playing only junior he will still be classed as a LOI player. Disgrace.

Also quick question. If your son plays for Limerick FC underage. Their U-6/7/8/9/10/11's programme's, is he classed as Ex Loi if the comments above are anything to go by??

Blinkx - LDMC had no say in the matter. Aisling submitted a rule change and they were asked by LDMC to tighten up the words of it as it was too loose and come back to next years AGM. Aisling decided to let it run, which is their right and then it was up to the clubs to accept or reject it. The clubs passed it by a huge majority. LDMC cannot decide which rule changes that they entertain unless they contravene an FAI rule - it is a democracy and the clubs have voted this one in, rightly or wrongly it has to be respected until such time as it is changed back. I think that will be sooner rather than later but it will have to be at a special EGM or next years AGM.
Under 6's/7's/8's etc don't play LOI football, they play schoolboy football under the auspices of LDSL. Does it matter that they are affiliated to a LOI club? Not at all.

**Jofspring** · 12/06/2011, 2:00 PM

It does seem like it could bite a few clubs on the ass. As said it will just mean the likes of Pike and Fairview will start looking at other teams around the league for players instead of ex-LOI players and don't you know people will be complaining about that also. Hopefully it gets cleared up a bit more before the league starts.

**reddevil10** · 12/06/2011, 2:08 PM

Does anyone know if the LDMC decided to introduced a 19's league at the AGM friday night for the coming season?

**nononsense** · 12/06/2011, 2:14 PM

If it was passed by a ''huge'' majority doesn't it appear its what the clubs want? Would I be correct in saying the strength of Pike Rovers, with so many ex loi players, instigated this ruling? Do the clubs see Pike (and perhaps Fairview), with their resources, dominate Limerick Junior Football for the foreseeable future and all other clubs want to prevent that happening? Perhaps they feel this rule makes it a level playing field for everyone? I may be wrong but i think I heard the new Munster Junior Cup for league winners has a similar rule.