2012 First Division structure?

[Lim till i die]

We're rich too..apparently players don't accept Monopoly money anymore tho...

Hard to know what will happen with the league. Personally a 12-teamer is the best option, if that means facilitating teams over the licencing lines then it should happen. The 8 team thing being mentioned above is ludicrous and simply stupid.

Some of your players were on ridiculous wedges for picking their arses and looking disinterested last year tbf.

The 8 teams is an absolute joke from our point of view, if it's actually gonna be four up (lol) it's great for the Harps and the Athlones of the world though.

From our point of view I couldn't tell you if things would have been different from a signings point of view if we'd known before xmas that it was gonna be four up (lol) but if Pay O'Sullivan is happy I'm delighted.

It will be great to head into the Premier with a competitive spine which has been playing together for a full year (which will hopefully happen with a few more players tied up in July)

Ideally you don't want to be like Monaghan, using a newspaper column to try and snare impressionable infants, or Shels, scrambling around in the dirt for players. If we're in a position not to be, to go up with a strong, settled, side, heading into a new ground, then brilliant.

[blue til i die]

Some of your players were on ridiculous wedges for picking their arses and looking disinterested last year tbf.

The 8 teams is an absolute joke from our point of view, if it's actually gonna be four up (lol) it's great for the Harps and the Athlones of the world though.

From our point of view I couldn't tell you if things would have been different from a signings point of view if we'd known before xmas that it was gonna be four up (lol) but if Pay O'Sullivan is happy I'm delighted.

It will be great to head into the Premier with a competitive spine which has been playing together for a full year (which will hopefully happen with a few more players tied up in July)

Ideally you don't want to be like Monaghan, using a newspaper column to try and snare impressionable infants, or Shels, scrambling around in the dirt for players. If we're in a position not to be, to go up with a strong, settled, side, heading into a new ground, then brilliant.

U mean most of the alleged ridiculous wedges they were on? Most numbers bandied about by people were quite a bit wide of the mark, but some were well paid admittedly (too well imo) but thats in the past now. Budget sliced in half!

The problem with that 8 team 'yoke', its new official name perhaps? ,is that the four teams could be already promoted by the summer, left to play out a meaningless second half of the season, players not caring, fans not caring, and the league suffering the disrepute it would bring imo. I don't personally believe that 8 team league will happen tho, even the fai aren't THAT stupid!

[osarusan]

but if Pay O'Sullivan is happy I'm delighted.

Freudian slip?

[bennocelt]

Leave John alone...he's cool
.

A tool more like
An 8 team league, wow thats hilarious

[legendz]

WTF? This can't be true, surely?? So what's been suggested is that 2012 first division will consist of eight teams with the top four going up??? Does that mean no relegation from the top division this year??

Wasn't a relegation structure agreed for the season ahead? 12th down, 11th to take on winner of the 2nd v 3rd of the first division play-off.

[Dermotron]

Would it be feasible that if the Premier Division went/goes to 16 teams that there could be a 16/20/24 team first division split into North/South. Travel expenses and distances alone is probably a huge turn off for potential clubs entering the league. Yeah some might argue that if you got promoted from said leagues you'd have to travel more but I guess increased gates and sponsor revenues would offset this.

Serie C1 (Lega Pro 1) is split North and South and if 2 teams from the same region get relegated from Serie B, the leagues are re-aligned to keep the balance. Probably a bit too much of a day dream but would surely be a more feasible solution to a single league of 8 and may be a way for the league to be prominent in more counties/large towns (only 14 of 32 counties represented for instance)

[bluewhitearmy]

Wasn't a relegation structure agreed for the season ahead? 12th down, 11th to take on winner of the 2nd v 3rd of the first division play-off.

Apparently Ex-Players owed money are stopping Cobh now they had told had tol dthe players they wanted for next season that everything was on course.......Tralee being asked to prove they have the money to last a season.

I should have known something would happen after years of suffering the league will finish earlier so i will probably be out of the country when we win the league.

[GalwayRed]

Some of your players were on ridiculous wedges for picking their arses and looking disinterested last year tbf.

The 8 teams is an absolute joke from our point of view, if it's actually gonna be four up (lol) it's great for the Harps and the Athlones of the world though.

From our point of view I couldn't tell you if things would have been different from a signings point of view if we'd known before xmas that it was gonna be four up (lol) but if Pay O'Sullivan is happy I'm delighted.

It will be great to head into the Premier with a competitive spine which has been playing together for a full year (which will hopefully happen with a few more players tied up in July)

Ideally you don't want to be like Monaghan, using a newspaper column to try and snare impressionable infants, or Shels, scrambling around in the dirt for players. If we're in a position not to be, to go up with a strong, settled, side, heading into a new ground, then brilliant.

What are you on about? We've signed the majority of last seasons team back, strengthened in 1 or 2 positions and look in perfectly good shape for next season.

[legendz]

Would it be feasible that if the Premier Division went/goes to 16 teams that there could be a 16/20/24 team first division split into North/South. Travel expenses and distances alone is probably a huge turn off for potential clubs entering the league. Yeah some might argue that if you got promoted from said leagues you'd have to travel more but I guess increased gates and sponsor revenues would offset this.

Serie C1 (Lega Pro 1) is split North and South and if 2 teams from the same region get relegated from Serie B, the leagues are re-aligned to keep the balance. Probably a bit too much of a day dream but would surely be a more feasible solution to a single league of 8 and may be a way for the league to be prominent in more counties/large towns (only 14 of 32 counties represented for instance)

What I'd see feasible for the first division is that it'll a bit like the A Championship was with some Premier clubs fielding reserve sides.


If Limerick, Waterford, Longford and Mervue, 4th to 7th last season, were the top 4 this year, Athlone, Finn Harps, Wexford and SD Galway, if Salhill and GUST go that way, could be the four to miss out.


A long with recent A teams (Carlow, Cobh, Fanad and Tralee), it'd be other near recent clubs Castlebar and Tullamore who'd possibly be likely to get involved. In terms of Premier teams fielding a reserve side, Shamrock Rovers, Limerick, UCD and possibly Derry might be the most likeliest to get involved.


That's only about 14 clubs. I won't be ideal, far from ideal in some respects but seems the most plausible.

[4tothefloor]

8 team league is a joke. Not that a Tralee or Carlow (no offense) would bring much more competitiveness to be honest. Limerick and Waterford surely nailed on for promotion. And with only 28 games, surely a one month break for the Euro's during the summer? I'd be happy with that!

[nigel-harps1954]

Surely if they go ahead with it there has to be a first division cup. 28 games is ridiculous.

[adamd164]

Surely if there are 8 teams it should be 35 games and not 28, which would still be ridiculous because teams would play each other 5 times.

This all just seems to be speculation anyway... just because Cobh had a few ex-players not happy doesn't mean they won't broker a deal with them by the start of the season to pay back in installments or something - that would be sufficient for a license. As for Tralee, I don't know enough but they were looking to set up a 400 club to raise funds so presumably that's not down the drain yet either.

[culloty82]

Tralee have also started a stadium development fund last weekend, which was immediately after their last meeting with the FAI, so obviously they, and most likely Cobh and Carlow also, have been told to carry on as normal until further notice.

[Longfordian]

8 team league is a joke. Not that a Tralee or Carlow (no offense) would bring much more competitiveness to be honest. Limerick and Waterford surely nailed on for promotion. And with only 28 games, surely a one month break for the Euro's during the summer? I'd be happy with that!

There won't be much between us and Waterford IMO. We've stengthened a good bit and only finished two points off them last year.

[passerrby]

You really are bitter ltid, enjoy your season

[bluewhitearmy]

Tralee have also started a stadium development fund last weekend, which was immediately after their last meeting with the FAI, so obviously they, and most likely Cobh and Carlow also, have been told to carry on as normal until further notice.

They have pulled out a few people have said.

[gufct]

Yes we know nothing and all Limerick fans are always right http://www.advertiser.ie/galway/arti...rebranded-team. I hope the other 3 teams were told about this.

[Lim till i die]

[ifk101]

Provisional First Division fixture list out today.

Meanwhile, the FAI will today release the First Division fixture list for next season, although it will be conditional upon the conclusion of the club licensing process on February 12. Officials at Tralee Dynamoes and Cobh Ramblers last night said that they were still hoping to secure First Division licenses for the coming season, with a fresh vacancy having been confirmed in the second tier following the decision of the Galway United Supporters Trust not to amalgamate with either Salthill Devon or Mervue United.

Read more: http://www.examiner.ie/sport/soccer/...#ixzz1kYjyYyGQ

[Mr A]

8 teams it is.. Tralee and Cobh on a waiting list of sorts.

http://www.fai.ie/domestic-a-grassro...-released.html

It says the fixtures are out but I don't see them there as yet.