Reducing Costs

[Mr A]

I also fall very firmly into the Clubs-should-stop-offering-wages-they can't-afford camp. The entry fee is too high and should be looked at but we're not talking about enough money there to suddenly make insolvent clubs thriving examples of professionalism. Wages are definitely the biggest drain on what passes for resources here.

For several of the D1 clubs, wages are now not that big a proportion of expenditure having already been cut back massively. Going completely amateur is an option of course, but then the club risks losing what fans are still there and their player to clubs from intermediate and junior leagues that demand a lot less of their players and pay a lot more. It's difficult for senior clubs that have to play things by the book when there are non-senior clubs that seem able to lash out money from their backers with impunity. Legacy debts add to the issue of course. The situation is not a straightforward one, but certainly something needs to be done to make life for clubs in D1 some way viable.

[sadloserkid]

I don't disagree with you at all Mr.A but basically if a club can't afford to operate at semi-professional status they can choose to go amateur, wind up or play the league classic spend-money-you-don't-have-and-hope-something-comes-up (though it never has card). The divide between senior and junior/intermediate is a big factor (we know this as well as anybody in Limerick over the years) but that's more symptom than cause of the malaise, when things are going well on and off the field the threat from the lower levels of football is far less significant. I don't like to say it and hope we don't lose any more clubs but the brutal truth is that in the current climate there possibly isn't room for all of our senior clubs to operate at the level they would like, if at all, in some cases. The worry is obviously, as you suggest, that reducing costs will reduce standards which lowers the appeal of our product to the audience (most of whom view us as undesirable anyway) and that a cycle of decline ensues. Interesting times ahead for sure.

[citybone]

I think regionilising could work but it would involve scrapping the 1st division and these clubs going back to the provincial league, eg, Wexford in the LSL, Finn Harps in the Ulster Senior League with Mons, This would make the Provincial leagues better, including restarting the Connacht Senior League and getting clubs outside of Cork into the Munster senior league, have one team relegated from the Premier division and one to come up from a series of playoffs between the Provincial senior leagues. Otherwise we would need 30 senior clubs in order to have a 10 team premier and 1st division north and 1st division south.
I would say Merging Northern and Southern leagues is the only way we will have 30 + senior clubs.

[Charlie Darwin]

Scrap the entrance fee and reduce prize money accordingly, to zero in some cases if necessary.

Contract referees centrally and charge the clubs a monthly fee instead of messing around with officials fees.

Rationalise the calendar so clubs aren't going 4 and 5 weeks without a home fixture.

[nigel-harps1954]

I'd be all for the use of the LSL, USL, MSL and a CSL, but the problem with them is, they'd need to be broadened out a bit, as you say citybone, the MSL is essentially Cork senior league, the USL is essentially Donegal senior league, and the LSL basically Dublin area.

They would really need to involve as many counties as is possible. A proper makeover of all the regional leagues.

There's too much work in it. The only way forward is regionalised North and South division one. Entry fee needs to be significantly reduced as does referees costs.

Again too much work means the FAI won't bother their arses.

[Macy]

I'd imagine the biggest fixed cost for clubs are controlled by the FAI - League entry fee's and officials costs. Most other costs can be avoided to a large degree - clubs themselves have control over wages, they can play during the day to avoid electricity bills etc. Perhaps the old rules about games over a certain distance having to be at weekends could be reintroduced (even in an amended form of travel time, rather than distance)?

Regionalisation may reduce travel costs, but then you'd also have much less attractive fixtures with clubs with little support and a driving down of the overall standard. Overall standard could hit attendances, and also makes the step up harder. So it's not going to solve the problem unless it's done properly with proper entry criteria - it could just give us 2 grave yards instead of one. I still think if there's going to be a change in structure, it should be something much more radical which could involve regionalisation.