2012 First Division structure?

[Terry]

yes culloty82, BUT, that's if all the teams that took part in last seasons first division all get licences themselves.

[geezer]

yes culloty82, BUT, that's if all the teams that took part in last seasons first division all get licences themselves.

of talk friday that Carlow had indicated they were pulling out as the €180k cost of running the team to finish last was hard to put together. I dont know if its true but Tralee were working off a budget of 100k which is not half enough just to get through a season. Cobh have their own issues, GUST are hitting a brick wall despite having sponsors lined up for 90k and they put in 107k last season alone excluding gate income and season ticket & other match night income which would be a lot more than most considering the built up fanbase. Wexford look to be gearing up for the season comfortably enough though there are worries in relation to their ability to stay the season

Its looking like an 8 team league with 4 playing for a major prize, premier the season after in a 16team league

[El-Pietro]

Galway maybe have raised 107k last year but thats because they feared they would lose their club - you can't keep doing that. Cork CIty and Drogheda both raised thousands of euro when in examinership but the same groups struggle to raise similar amounts when there isnt a crisis

[legendz]

If rumours are to be believed, i was told at a training course on Friday that the first division will consist of only 8 teams for the 2012 season? In 2013 the premier league will be a 16 team league(no relegation and top 4 teams from the first division promoted) with the first division being replaced by local senior leagues (MSL, LSL, USL and an all new CSL). The winners of these leagues will all go into a 4 team playoff with the winners replacing the relegated team from the premier league.

A merger of the First Division and the old A Championship, minus the obligation of Premier clubs to field an A side, is more plausible than that.
When the Premier of 12 was agreed late last year, the under standing is other formats were rejected. What's the point in the current process if the first division is only going to press ahead with 8 clubs?

The idea of regionalising the first division and even a mix of the first and A championship was supposed to have been put to clubs and rejected as well. If they didn't agree with that, I definitely can't see them agreeing to drop into intermediate leagues.

[geezer]

Galway maybe have raised 107k last year but thats because they feared they would lose their club - you can't keep doing that. Cork CIty and Drogheda both raised thousands of euro when in examinership but the same groups struggle to raise similar amounts when there isnt a crisis

Absolutely right there, the committee as well have said themselves they couldnt go on giving like last season so therefor the budget submitted for GUST fundraising activities alone for 2012 presented to the FAI had that down to 50k for prudent reasons and on advice from the experiences of Cork and Shams supporters.

[gufct]

An eight team 1st division is nuts but then again who is surprised .

[bluewhitearmy]

If rumours are to be believed, i was told at a training course on Friday that the first division will consist of only 8 teams for the 2012 season? In 2013 the premier league will be a 16 team league(no relegation and top 4 teams from the first division promoted) with the first division being replaced by local senior leagues (MSL, LSL, USL and an all new CSL). The winners of these leagues will all go into a 4 team playoff with the winners replacing the relegated team from the premier league.

Id suspect that this is complete bull somehow.

There are 8 teams there already and from what i hear its very likely that Tralee and Cobh are in so so we would have to lose teams that were there last season.
Unlesss Mervue and Salthill are so devastated at the loss of GUFC that they pull out i cant see who it would be.

[legendz]

Id suspect that this is complete bull somehow.

There are 8 teams there already and from what i hear its very likely that Tralee and Cobh are in so so we would have to lose teams that were there last season.
Unlesss Mervue and Salthill are so devastated at the loss of GUFC that they pull out i cant see who it would be.

If that's right and there's truth Fanad and Carlow are possibly out, it would seem the first division might be returning to being a 10 team division and the LoI remain as having 22 clubs altogether.

Are there many current premier or first division clubs that will look to have reserve teams? Limerick and Finn Harps have generally been good at having a reserve ( A side) as well.

[bluewhitearmy]

If that's right and there's truth Fanad and Carlow are possibly out, it would seem the first division might be returning to being a 10 team division and the LoI remain as having 22 clubs altogether.

Are there many current premier or first division clubs that will look to have reserve teams? Limerick and Finn Harps have generally been good at having a reserve ( A side) as well.

Dont think we will now that the A Championship is gone they have nowhere to play.

[culloty82]

When the A Championship was scrapped, there was talk that a specific Reserve League was being set up for the B teams, but that may have fallen by the wayside since.

[legendz]

Dont think we will now that the A Championship is gone they have nowhere to play.

The A Championship being scrapped should not spell the end of reserve teams. It should be the clubs with the assistance of the FAI to find a workable solution. Limerick, Cork and/or Waterford should open dialogue on forming some sort of a reserve league. You'd be looking for the support of a Tullamore or some club who'd want to be playing at bit more of a national level, which is where the FAI would want to come in to give such a league the same status the A Championship had.
A reserve league should be workable in the northern half of the country as well. Derry, Finn Harps and Sligo? If clubs like Fanad and Castlebar got behind it with the FAI again rowing in in some capacity, it's a possible working solution. The northern and sourthern sections of the U19 league have run smoothly so far.

[L.T.F.C.]

The FORAS situation is similar is a few ways but completely different in others. FORAS were given an opportunity to keep their club alive. GUST weren't. FAI wouldnt even look at the application, citing the application having been 8 days late as the crime GUST committed. This could have been used against you and Derry, but it wasn't.

Disgusting.

Edit: I'm not having a go at Cork or Derry either, I'm delighted for the fans of Cork City and good luck to them.

Maybe Cork and Derry had it in on time?

[adamd164]

The FORAS application was definitely in on time, it was lodged around the same time as the one by the club in case the latter didn't succeed. So I don't know why Galway fans are drawing a parallel there.

The Derry application however was apparently late and was accepted, so I think it's fair to say it is a copout by the FAI in this case because they simply didn't want to allow GUST in as a 3rd club in Galway.

[gufct]

Cork one wasn't late but Derry one was. And the limerick 37 one was late by 15 days. The first division will be 8 teams and salthill will be playing in terryland . Job done Galway soccer consigned to the bin. All we ever asked for was fair play but we have been played by the mandarins who should hang their head in shame.

The truth will out on Tuesday night in the claddagh hall 35 yrs history thrown in the bin for what ?

[bluewhitearmy]

Cork one wasn't late but Derry one was. And the limerick 37 one was late by 15 days. The first division will be 8 teams and salthill will be playing in terryland . Job done Galway soccer consigned to the bin. All we ever asked for was fair play but we have been played by the mandarins who should hang their head in shame.

The truth will out on Tuesday night in the claddagh hall 35 yrs history thrown in the bin for what ?

Who are gone so because ive been told again that Cobh and Tralee are looking good and have received no indication from the FAI that they will not be allowed in by one lad involved with Cobh and one involved in Tralee. Has this 8 teams thing been made up off the top of someones head?

[nigel-harps1954]

Word on the street is theres a 24 team Premier division for 2013-2014 running over 2 years with every team playing each other 4 times. 6 teams from Galway have been invited to make up numbers but GUST still won't be allowed in.

[bluewhitearmy]

Word on the street is theres a 24 team Premier division for 2013-2014 running over 2 years with every team playing each other 4 times. 6 teams from Galway have been invited to make up numbers but GUST still won't be allowed in.

Sounds reasonable.

[Mr A]

Word on the street is theres a 24 team Premier division for 2013-2014 running over 2 years with every team playing each other 4 times. 6 teams from Galway have been invited to make up numbers but GUST still won't be allowed in.

Makes more sense than some of the stuff that happens in this league.

[Trainee]

It looks like 8 team first div is true and teams are going to be - Athlone, Harps, Limerick, Longford, Mervue, SD Galway, Waterford and Wexford.

Salthill look like the will dig the Fai out of a hole by playing in terrlyland and changing their home Jersey to Maroon.

[nigel-harps1954]

Where are people getting this from? Theres been no official notice from the FAI.