A 7-team league First Division Next Year

**Dodge** · 17/12/2013, 9:10 AM

Originally Posted by JC_GUFC

You could say the same about LoI fans too.

Oh I do, absolutely. And you can broaden that out to football fans.

Basically anyone who invests time, money and their heart and soul into watching a sport is a complete and utter fruitcake

My kinda people

But even within those fruitcakes, the message board users are pretty extreme

**galwayhoop** · 17/12/2013, 11:08 AM

Originally Posted by disgruntled

Why should they approach the FAI with anything ?
Its the FAI who run our football in this country not the clubs & its FAI's job to come up with the plan.
BUT the plan must be inclusive & include everyone.
The fact that Rovers or any other club approached the FAI should have nothing to do with it.
If the FAI thought the idea had merit, then they should have run with it & expanded the idea to include all Premier clubs.
Instead we have this secrecy behind closed doors discussion with a club which once it got out was bound to cause anger among other clubs & their fans.

I'm asked a question to which I've not yet received an answer.
"Why all the secrecy ?"

Maybe one of our brave investigative reporters

can find an answer to the question because the FAI have remained very silent on the matter despite requests for information.

Why not come straight out & give every Premier club the option to enter a Reserve / B team in the 1st Division ?
Then if one or two take it up,no problem as they were all given the same opportunity.
The whole situation just has a very bad smell to it.

Your username is more than apt.

Riddle me this, which other team would have put a reserve team in the first division? And more to the point which other club could afford to.

I think you will find none. Storm in a teacup.

**Mister X** · 17/12/2013, 2:33 PM

When are the fixtures usually released

**legendz** · 17/12/2013, 10:24 PM

Most premier clubs wanted the A championship scrapped. A few first division clubs were progressive enough to field an A team when there was no requirement in them to do so. An opportunity has opened for rovers, one they sought 2 years ago. They're dead right to push it through. Lesson for other clubs is to lobby if they want something.

**disgruntled** · 18/12/2013, 9:25 AM

Originally Posted by galwayhoop

Your username is more than apt.

Riddle me this, which other team would have put a reserve team in the first division? And more to the point which other club could afford to.

I think you will find none. Storm in a teacup.

Were they given the option ? NO

Your kind of thinking is the very reason why we keep having these discussions on a regular basis.
Make decisions for your own club & let the other clubs decide for themselves.

I also notice you didn't answer my question

"Why all the secrecy ?"
Why not ask all the Premier Div clubs & let them decide for themselves ?

**Fivesilver** · 18/12/2013, 9:41 AM

I don't think the perception of this has been helped by the newspaper article that reads like a laundry list of rules the FAO is considering waiving to facilitate Shams.

**pineapple stu** · 18/12/2013, 12:31 PM

Originally Posted by Mister X

When are the fixtures usually released

Feb-ish.

But I think it's been quite variable.

**nigel-harps1954** · 18/12/2013, 12:32 PM

Mid-January last year if I remember rightly.

**culloty82** · 18/12/2013, 8:42 PM

Most of the fixture delays in previous seasons were down to worries over licensing, but given that every club appears viable, they'll probably be out first thing in the New Year.

**galwayhoop** · 18/12/2013, 9:35 PM

Originally Posted by disgruntled

I also notice you didn't answer my question

"Why all the secrecy ?"
Why not ask all the Premier Div clubs & let them decide for themselves ?

No point in asking when there are no other viable clubs who have shown an interest previously. I'm sure they are not being excluded from applying if they so choose.

Now to move away from your hypothetical grievance can you come up with a club who would be capable of fielding a second team in the first division and interested in doing so?

Doubt it.

In the meantime continue your moral crusade if you wish. Enjoy your negative pointless argument about not being invited to something the other clubs couldn't and wouldn't want to do in the first place.

I've spent enough time on this point - I was always told there is no point trying to teach someone who hasn't the capacity to learn.

Back on topic......

8 teams good. Reserve teams? Time will tell - hopefully the rules don't interfere with the 'sporting integrity' of the division.

**redobit** · 18/12/2013, 10:24 PM

Originally Posted by galwayhoop

No point in asking when there are no other viable clubs who have shown an interest previously. I'm sure they are not being excluded from applying if they so choose.

you mean like ye were for the last two seasons!!!

**Ezeikial** · 18/12/2013, 10:58 PM

Originally Posted by galwayhoop

No point in asking when there are no other viable clubs who have shown an interest previously. I'm sure they are not being excluded from applying if they so choose.

Now to move away from your hypothetical grievance can you come up with a club who would be capable of fielding a second team in the first division and interested in doing so?

Doubt it.

In the meantime continue your moral crusade if you wish. Enjoy your negative pointless argument about not being invited to something the other clubs couldn't and wouldn't want to do in the first place.

I've spent enough time on this point - I was always told there is no point trying to teach someone who hasn't the capacity to learn.

Back on topic......

8 teams good. Reserve teams? Time will tell - hopefully the rules don't interfere with the 'sporting integrity' of the division.

wow

You seem to have completely missed the point he was making

**osarusan** · 18/12/2013, 11:23 PM

Originally Posted by galwayhoop

Enjoy your negative pointless argument about not being invited to something the other clubs couldn't and wouldn't want to do in the first place.

I didn't invite you to the party because I was sure you wouldn't want to go.

Not really the rationale the FAI should be using, in my opinion. Let the clubs decide for themselves if they want to apply or not.*

*I understand that they can apply if they want, but it could have been handled differently and better.

i just wonder if the FAI are only looking for 1 reserve team, and not any more, so haven't gone about it more openly.

**Charlie Darwin** · 19/12/2013, 12:09 AM

Originally Posted by osarusan

i just wonder if the FAI are only looking for 1 reserve team, and not any more, so haven't gone about it more openly.

I think they if they let in more than one, it would have to be three. Tralee aren't anywhere close to entering a team and the 11-team seasons in 2011 and 2012 showed what a disaster uneven numbers are.

However, I think the FAI are right to put the onus on the prospective entrant to do the heavy lifting before they make an application. Rovers had a business plan two years ago and were knocked back, but this time around the FAI approached them because they knew they had legitimate ideas and plans for how to make a B team viable. As far as I can see, no other club has such a plan in place, and if they had they'd have made an application before the deadline.

**galwayhoop** · 19/12/2013, 12:16 AM

Originally Posted by redobit

you mean like ye were for the last two seasons!!!

GUST isn't Galway United.

Just so you know like.

**galwayhoop** · 19/12/2013, 12:24 AM

Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

I think they if they let in more than one, it would have to be three. Tralee aren't anywhere close to entering a team and the 11-team seasons in 2011 and 2012 showed what a disaster uneven numbers are.

However, I think the FAI are right to put the onus on the prospective entrant to do the heavy lifting before they make an application. Rovers had a business plan two years ago and were knocked back, but this time around the FAI approached them because they knew they had legitimate ideas and plans for how to make a B team viable. As far as I can see, no other club has such a plan in place, and if they had they'd have made an application before the deadline.

This is what I'm getting at.

Ok, so maybe the FAI should have contacted each club to be "totally impartial" but lets try have our argument in reality...
a. there was a single spot available.
b. they knew of a club who wanted to enter a second team and
c. this club had a viable plan (i.e. they could afford it).

It's a no brainer.

Why throw open the invite only to knock back the clubs who may try apply.

For all the pinko keyboard warriors on here I'm still to see a poster name a club who might have even been partially interested or capable in entering a second team.

**galwayhoop** · 19/12/2013, 12:28 AM

Originally Posted by osarusan

I didn't invite you to the party because I was sure you wouldn't want to go.

Not really the rationale the FAI should be using, in my opinion.

More like I didn't invite you to the party because your wife keeps ringing mine to tell her you keep drinking all the money and she has to go the SVP to clothe the kids.

**bennocelt** · 19/12/2013, 5:40 AM

Originally Posted by galwayhoop

For all the pinko keyboard warriors on here I'm still to see a poster name a club who might have even been partially interested or capable in entering a second team.

A lot of teams are capable if given the required help and encouragement from the FAI. Jesus, we are not talking about inventing the wheel, just good governance from top down.

**galwayhoop** · 19/12/2013, 8:04 AM

'Capable' from a financial perspective. You are talking the guts of �200k minimum added to whatever existing budget the clubs have. Budgets all bar a couple of clubs are struggling to meet.

Look, it would be great if all clubs had full on academy's, reserve sides and all seater stadia. Problem is the lack of resources.

There has been a full division worth of clubs drop out of senior football in the past decade ffs. Most struggle to keep going at all. Do you really think they want the burden of a second string team?

Fwiw I don't think Rovers will have this second team for more than a couple of seasons if even that long. The league is full of players on short term contracts. The benefit of farming them out to a second string team to allow them develop versus the cost of having said team is seriously debatable. Just as easy release them and resign them later if they become good enough - particularly as there isn't the problem of large transfer fees in our league.

**Dodge** · 19/12/2013, 9:55 AM

Originally Posted by galwayhoop

'Capable' from a financial perspective. You are talking the guts of €200k minimum added to whatever existing budget the clubs have. Budgets all bar a couple of clubs are struggling to meet.

Rovers have said their budget will be 80k

Originally Posted by osarusan

i just wonder if the FAI are only looking for 1 reserve team, and not any more, so haven't gone about it more openly.

That's clearly what has happened. The FAI are/were desperate for one more club to make 8 in the FD. They'd prefera new application but clearly none were forthcoming. (The advertised earlier in the year etc).

Rovers contacted the FAI about the reserve team a couple of years ago so the FAI, clearly in a bind and needing a team quickly, approached Rovers to see if they were still interested.