A 7-team league First Division Next Year

**Jofspring** · 11/11/2013, 10:26 PM

Originally Posted by NeverFeltBetter

The Irish Ice Hockey Association tried this idea, before the league basically went defunct, with the "Latvian Hawks" - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latvian_Hawks

No idea how it worked out, but considering the sorry state of that sport in Ireland in general, probably not too well.

I don't see such an idea working. I think you guys might be overestimating the size of the Polish community, which as far as I know is on the decrease (I'm willing to be corrected on that if its not true), relative to the amount who would care about a football club built expressly for them.

I'd say you are right. For example there was a Polish junior team formed in Limerick who were handy enough with decent playing numbers for the first 3 or 4 years but due to the fact so many were returning to Poland to work they ended up finishing up as a club due to lack of numbers.

**Lim till i die** · 12/11/2013, 12:44 AM

Originally Posted by bluewhitearmy

This was actually talked about when Danny Drew was involved with Limerick if im not mistaken. It was while we were in Hogan Park. The plan was supposedly to takeoever Limerick and change it to that if i remember correctly. Im sure the likes of LTID and Gael would remember.

Those were the days, twas towards the end of the second year in Rathbane, crowds were down around 100-150 at this stage, some load of guff started (whether by Drew or by the Poles winding him up who knows/cares) about some Polish millionaires coming in buying the club and changing the name and colours.

With hindsight it probably had as much grounding in reality as the rest of the Drew regime but at the time some of us took it seriousish, it felt like Limerick was full of Polish people at the time with the Dell factory and furriners were still a bit of a novelty in Limerick city. I vaguely remember mass outbreaks of xenophobia and Carling drinking among the few dozen of us who bothered with the final game of the season at home to Kilkenny a couple of days after the "announcement".

If only it had happened, I could have gotten into Munster Rugby and normal pursuits, being a Mid table Premier team with a mildly annoying, megalomaniac, chairman has turned out to be far, far more tedious than being a basket case First Division club with a foaming at the mouth, megalomaniac, chairman.

**citybone** · 12/11/2013, 5:15 AM

The decrease in Polish community wasn't that much. In 2007 census there were over 400,000 polish, in 2011 (well into the recession) there were still about 360,000, Maybe some more left since but they are still nearly 10% of the population, probably 7-8%. I know Cork City have been making some little steps trying to get a few more polish friends to games. but its a mostly a untapped market.

**A face** · 12/11/2013, 9:17 AM

Originally Posted by nigel-harps1954

Why? Genuine question. I'm all for social integration with the current clubs, but it doesn't seem to work any time it's been tried in Finn Park for instance.

First up, i dont know what was done at Harps but what was actually done to try and integrate foreign nationals to the club? Not having a go but i have yet to see a LOI club do it in any meaningful way, including my own. I think its daft because the motive is wrong, and its coming from the wrong people, by that i mean it should be the club looking to join, not the other way around. And the idea that a community dispersed all round the country will all come out and support a club in one location is mad. Sure start one in Dublin, we don't have enough clubs up around that way at all.

Being honest, i think the clubs listed above as having played in the A Championship are the best ones to approach, after that you'd really have to look at population centres and see if there is a void. There would really need to be a market for it if its going to survive, and the FAI would do well to approach the local council, TDs, colleges and garner support for the club rather than them going it alone.

**Dodge** · 12/11/2013, 10:24 AM

Originally Posted by A face

Not having a go but i have yet to see a LOI club do it in any meaningful way

Depends what you mean by meaningful. Pats had a bit of the website in Polish (not just one page but history, directions etc) for a good while. They had a friendly v Wisla Krakow. They had ads in the local immigrant press and they've always worked with the likes of SARI etc.

There's a few Polish lads who go to Pats games but not many. The reasons for Polish people not going are probably the same as Irish people rather than a lack of "tapping" into the market

**A face** · 12/11/2013, 11:14 AM

Has any LOI ever had a Polish player playing for them?

**trevy** · 12/11/2013, 11:40 AM

Waterford United had 2 a few yars ago but I think they lasted less than half a season with us like most of the players in Mike Kerley's team that year. We didn't win a league game while he was manager!

**Longfordian** · 12/11/2013, 11:48 AM

LTFC had one lad in the squad in 2012 I think. I'm not sure if he ever played a game, he was let go in July as far as I can recall.

**Dodge** · 12/11/2013, 12:23 PM

Originally Posted by A face

Has any LOI ever had a Polish player playing for them?

Pats had Jaroslaw Bialek with us in 2008. He was poison

**nigel-harps1954** · 12/11/2013, 6:49 PM

Originally Posted by A face

First up, i dont know what was done at Harps but what was actually done to try and integrate foreign nationals to the club? Not having a go but i have yet to see a LOI club do it in any meaningful way, including my own. I think its daft because the motive is wrong, and its coming from the wrong people, by that i mean it should be the club looking to join, not the other way around. And the idea that a community dispersed all round the country will all come out and support a club in one location is mad. Sure start one in Dublin, we don't have enough clubs up around that way at all.

Being honest, i think the clubs listed above as having played in the A Championship are the best ones to approach, after that you'd really have to look at population centres and see if there is a void. There would really need to be a market for it if its going to survive, and the FAI would do well to approach the local council, TDs, colleges and garner support for the club rather than them going it alone.

There was a game in Finn Park a couple of years ago, billed as a foreign national fan day or something of the sort. There was a pre-match get together in the pub where anyone who came along got scarves and grub and a few board members attended. Roughly about 40 or 50 turned up if memory serves me right. They all got into the game for free. Don't think I ever seen any of them back again.
There was a Polish goalkeeper up with Harps a few years ago too, but I think there was some sort of problem with signing him in the end. No idea of the details to be honest.

While I agree, clubs that were in the A championship should be invited in, have they any appetite? Was there any sort of fanbase? Is there genuine potential around these clubs to succeed or will we end up with another Mervue United or Salthill Devon?

I genuinely think, that a proper club aimed at foreign nationals, be it Polish, Latvian, Lithuanian or what have you, would be the best option for a new club to succeed in a fairly quick manner.

**outspoken** · 12/11/2013, 7:35 PM

Originally Posted by Longfordian

LTFC had one lad in the squad in 2012 I think. I'm not sure if he ever played a game, he was let go in July as far as I can recall.

Piotr! He played 1 or 2 pre season games and sat in the stand for the rest of the season and was released in July as you said, midfielder signed from Longford Celtic.

**Martinho II** · 12/11/2013, 7:51 PM

Originally Posted by outspoken

Piotr! He played 1 or 2 pre season games and sat in the stand for the rest of the season and was released in July as you said, midfielder signed from Longford Celtic.

piotr szcerbowski he did definitely make a first team appearance I think it was in LSC as far as I can remember!

**bluemovie** · 12/11/2013, 8:41 PM

Originally Posted by A face

Has any LOI ever had a Polish player playing for them?

Originally Posted by trevy

Waterford United had 2 a few yars ago but I think they lasted less than half a season with us like most of the players in Mike Kerley's team that year. We didn't win a league game while he was manager!

Piotr Suski was part of Waterford's league-winning team in 1973 and, as Trevy says, Kristian Lamberski and Andrew Polewczak had far less success with us in 2006.

**Acornvilla** · 12/11/2013, 9:19 PM

I played astro with Pitor a few times, he wasn't very good to be honest :P

**Lim till i die** · 12/11/2013, 9:27 PM

He must be nearly 60 at this stage in fairness

**citybone** · 13/11/2013, 1:23 AM

Originally Posted by A face

First up, i dont know what was done at Harps but what was actually done to try and integrate foreign nationals to the club? Not having a go but i have yet to see a LOI club do it in any meaningful way, including my own. I think its daft because the motive is wrong, and its coming from the wrong people, by that i mean it should be the club looking to join, not the other way around. And the idea that a community dispersed all round the country will all come out and support a club in one location is mad. Sure start one in Dublin, we don't have enough clubs up around that way at all.

Being honest, i think the clubs listed above as having played in the A Championship are the best ones to approach, after that you'd really have to look at population centres and see if there is a void. There would really need to be a market for it if its going to survive, and the FAI would do well to approach the local council, TDs, colleges and garner support for the club rather than them going it alone.

For years we done nothing, but at the end of last season we worked with Sari to get a few in to the last game. Impossible to tell how well that will do in the long run as we haven't played since, but repeating the promotion with them might help.

**Partizan** · 13/11/2013, 11:06 AM

So this is what we are reduced to, wishful thinking about ethnic clubs taking a place in the League. More pie in the sky nonsense. There was never any chance of that happening as Poles, Latvians etc. feel no attachment to the League or just couldnt be bothered. If they did there would be several of the big ethnic clubs making waves in junior football. Those that are there such as Romstar and Dynamo Dublin are AUL Phoenix Park kick about on a Sunday morning outfits.

You can forget about Tralee, Castlebar, Carlow etc. That ship has long sailed. Same goes for the reserve side from the Premier talk. The FAI will go ahead with a seven, yes seven team FD for 2014.

**Sam_Heggy** · 13/11/2013, 4:50 PM

Originally Posted by Partizan

The FAI will go ahead with a seven, yes seven team FD for 2014.

Unfortunately, have to agree, the FAI won't be changing it.

They don't give a flying fook about the first div, nor the LOI for that matter. While the Keane/O'Neill circus is on they'll just brush it under the carpet. Once they remember it, they will just say "7 teams will work (and if not, who cares?), let's get fixtures and fudge licencing asap".

**toffeejay** · 13/11/2013, 7:16 PM

If it's seven then it has to be a single tier. Going from last seasons attendances (and you'd expect the to be higher in top flight) it's only Salthill, Mervue and Wexford under the 400 mark. Don't think any of the bigger clubs can fairly claim they'll lose to much money, if anything there should be more interest in playing more clubs once than less twice.