A 7-team league First Division Next Year

**gufcfan** · 13/11/2013, 8:17 PM

Originally Posted by NeverFeltBetter

The FAI is releasing fixtures in just over a month, with no indication that a single tier is being pursued.

Good. Can't understand how people think a single-tier solves anything. It would be the end of clubs barely surviving the FD.

**nigel-harps1954** · 13/11/2013, 8:26 PM

Originally Posted by gufcfan

Good. Can't understand how people think a single-tier solves anything. It would be the end of clubs barely surviving the FD.

And 7 teams won't be the end of them surviving? Sure thing

**Longfordian** · 13/11/2013, 9:27 PM

Are teams going to play each other 5 times or what? Jesus, 4 is painful enough for most fixtures.

**NeverFeltBetter** · 13/11/2013, 9:42 PM

The FD fixtures will be announced as late as possible in case some other entity suddenly arrives to make up the numbers. But for the moment it appears as if seven teams is it. 24 games a season is probably too low, so 30 it will probably be, with an odd team out every matchday.

So, who here thinks their club will still be in the LOI this time next year under those conditions? In what order is the march to oblivion?

**bluewhitearmy** · 14/11/2013, 1:29 AM

Originally Posted by NeverFeltBetter

The FAI is releasing fixtures in just over a month, with no indication that a single tier is being pursued.

Where did this come from i havent seen it anywhere?

**culloty82** · 14/11/2013, 7:41 AM

Originally Posted by citybone

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.

My college dissertation concerned ethnic marketing, and apart from the Polish saying they preferred ads in their own language, no-one actually required any different attention to the general population. So, apart from the usual promotions, the best advice would be target the community centres, such as schools, churches, etc, and aside from any extra Irish fans, increased minority attendances will be an automatic by-product.

**outspoken** · 14/11/2013, 8:54 AM

For me the biggest problem with a 7 team division is the fact a team has a week off every round so that's a weekend where there is no money coming into the club but they still have to pay players, managers etc. If the FAI want to kill of the remaining second tier clubs they are going about it the right way.

**Terry** · 14/11/2013, 11:17 AM

"The 2014 Airtricity League season will commence on Friday, March 7. Further details on the 2014 season will be announced in due course."

Am I reading to much into this, but the way I read the above sounds like a one tier league?

**Mr A** · 14/11/2013, 11:19 AM

I think so, don't see any implication of a one tier league there.

**Macy** · 14/11/2013, 12:08 PM

Originally Posted by Terry

Am I reading to much into this, but the way I read the above sounds like a one tier league?

I don't take that from it. Except the fudge about in due course - probably mean the 5th March is when we'll know!

**avvenalaf** · 14/11/2013, 3:25 PM

Looks like 8 clubs in Division One next season. Released Shams players have formed Provisional Shams.

**Terry** · 14/11/2013, 5:43 PM

Originally Posted by Mr A

I think so, don't see any implication of a one tier league there.

Originally Posted by Macy

I don't take that from it. Except the fudge about in due course - probably mean the 5th March is when we'll know!

Ye are probably right. Its just I was thinking that if there was 2 leagues next season, that they would have said "leagues" rather than "league".

**cobhlad** · 15/11/2013, 8:56 PM

Seriously has to be more than 7 teams. Bad enough with 8 last year. Teams so spread out as well. Any FD transfer news about?

**sadloserkid** · 18/11/2013, 6:24 PM

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.

There's a thread about it on this very site somewhere if you were to go trawling for it. Fun times.

Originally Posted by legendz

At the moment it would appear the only option for an 8th team in the first division. Interesting how Tralee get mentioned but no mention of Kilkenny, Monaghan nor Kildare. Is it that they'd know full well what they'd be getting into?!

It's that the clubs you're referring to don't exist I would imagine while Tralee do (Monaghan may still have a ladies team or some such but my point remains)...

Originally Posted by A face

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

Kilkenny had one too, forget his name. It clearly didn't do much for their crowds. Limerick had a Slovak who sat on the bench quite a lot.

**citybone** · 18/11/2013, 6:59 PM

I would have thought Mons would come back if it was worth their while. As in dropping the registration fee significantly. Kildare is gone, Newbridge are in the Leinster senior league somewhere maybe with a few promotions to the top of the leinster senior league and they might be viable then. Going back to when Kildare native Niall Quinn invested into a English club rather than a struggling team from his own county. He could have made Kildare a long lasting LOI club and a bit stronger but like thousands of Irish, they prefer to support the English clubs.

**adamd164** · 19/11/2013, 12:31 AM

Originally Posted by bluewhitearmy

Where did this come from i havent seen it anywhere?

In recent years, the PD fixtures have come out in December.. before Christmas.

If that doesn't happen this year, it's likely that the FAI are packing more fudge than a Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Fudge Brownie.

**NeverFeltBetter** · 19/11/2013, 12:59 AM

Originally Posted by citybone

I would have thought Mons would come back if it was worth their while. As in dropping the registration fee significantly. Kildare is gone, Newbridge are in the Leinster senior league somewhere maybe with a few promotions to the top of the leinster senior league and they might be viable then. Going back to when Kildare native Niall Quinn invested into a English club rather than a struggling team from his own county. He could have made Kildare a long lasting LOI club and a bit stronger but like thousands of Irish, they prefer to support the English clubs.

No sign that this is happening. FAI seem content to just keep up the pretence that the current structure is viable for league stability. In a few years, that never-ending debate on one tier/two tier will be academic.

**alkev** · 19/11/2013, 7:41 AM

Shels selling season tickets based on 14 home games, so they think it's going to be an 8 team league.

**passinginterest** · 19/11/2013, 9:33 AM

At least one premier division team definitely planning to enter a reserve team in the first division. Don't think it's been confirmed yet though, maybe pending some other new club making an application.

**A face** · 19/11/2013, 12:16 PM

Originally Posted by passinginterest

At least one premier division team definitely planning to enter a reserve team in the first division. Don't think it's been confirmed yet though, maybe pending some other new club making an application.

But that will leave it open for all the other teams to enter a team. I dunno, i'd prefer if it were still the A Championship, then the First above it. Surely the FAI now need to move to resolve this problem long term rather than scrambling to get teams together at the start of a season. Can they not approach some of the junior leagues and look for representation and get them putting a team together. Grow the sport and give players a platform in which they can play to a higher level.