A 7-team league First Division Next Year

**NeverFeltBetter** · 25/11/2013, 4:25 PM

I doubt the FAI will be so thick as to allow Rovers to swap players at will.

Hope. Hope the FAI will not be so thick.

**Mr A** · 25/11/2013, 4:33 PM

Where other clubs offered the same opportunity as Rovers to do this I wonder?

**NeverFeltBetter** · 25/11/2013, 6:12 PM

Some probably were, but must have balked at the cost and the necessity of dumping the U-19 structure.

**Ezeikial** · 25/11/2013, 6:28 PM

Originally Posted by NeverFeltBetter

Some probably were, but must have balked at the cost and the necessity of dumping the U-19 structure.

Presume this is guesswork - have you any basis for this?

"Some" would be unacceptable. Offer to all or none.

**NeverFeltBetter** · 25/11/2013, 6:48 PM

I'm just making a reasonable assumption that the FAI approached more clubs than just Shamrock Rovers, but they were the only club in the financial position to undertake this initiative (if all of this is true). I would make a similar reasonable assumption and say they probably didn't bother approaching every team in the top tier.

**placid casual** · 25/11/2013, 7:28 PM

The day I come back there's a Rovers story for the hand wringing brigade to get themselves worked up over!
plus ca change.

If it ever comes to fruition I think its a great benefit to Rovers

**citybone** · 25/11/2013, 8:06 PM

From what i gather Cork City were denied this offer, we tried to field a reserve team in the Munster senior leagues but were not allowed. We can loan players out to Cobh but it would have been nice to keep them in our structure rather than loaning them to another club.

**brendy_�ire** · 25/11/2013, 8:38 PM

I think it would make sense for all clubs to go for it. Ditch the U19 side, enter it into the First. Slightly increased travel costs, which for us would be offset by gate receipts from the Harps match.
I can only assume this option wasn't open to us and other clubs.

**Sheridan** · 25/11/2013, 8:51 PM

Storm in a teacup if you ask me. Rovers are doing the league a favour by padding the First Division to a slightly less embarrassing number of teams. It's still going to be a pointless burden to them, but probably to a slighter lesser extent than most other clubs.

**Macy** · 25/11/2013, 8:55 PM

Originally Posted by bluewhitearmy

If there was no other teams willing to come in what could they have done other then leave it at 7?

Not insisted on merging mervue and salthill? Allowed GUST in the several times they tried. We'd be having a moan about a 9 team first. That's before we even get into the lack of support given to teams that dropped out. FAI deserve no credit - the problem is entirely of their making, and this is their solution. It beggars belief!

**Sam_Heggy** · 25/11/2013, 8:57 PM

Meh! Past giving a sh!t anymore.

So long as we get out of the feckin division I don't care who we leave behind/have to the play to get there.

**Martinho II** · 25/11/2013, 9:09 PM

Originally Posted by IrishRossi

yes but if i remeber from my time in the it down there a good few of the lads on the course has contracts with other loi teams

aint Gary Shaw on that course??

**adamd164** · 25/11/2013, 9:28 PM

Originally Posted by citybone

From what i gather Cork City were denied this offer, we tried to field a reserve team in the Munster senior leagues but were not allowed. We can loan players out to Cobh but it would have been nice to keep them in our structure rather than loaning them to another club.

The Munster Senior League is totally different, we would have approached the MFA about that.

Open to correction, but I highly doubt we'd be willing to field a second team in the first division given the cost already of travel to premier division teams.

**bluemovie** · 25/11/2013, 9:55 PM

Originally Posted by bluewhitearmy

If there was no other teams willing to come in what could they have done other then leave it at 7?

Termonbarry City?

http://foot.ie/threads/147324-New-Club

**ForzaForth** · 25/11/2013, 10:03 PM

My first reaction is that I can't see this lasting too long. If the remaining clubs in the First Division choose to play their home matches on the same night as Shamrock Rovers' first team (the obvious choice, I would think), that means that every second weekend, Rovers have to get out two different squads on the same night without any possibility of doubling up. With injuries and suspensions, that's some ask. You'd probably want five keepers signed, in order to have to have a reserve keeper at each match, for example.

**gufc2000** · 25/11/2013, 10:13 PM

Originally Posted by ForzaForth

My first reaction is that I can't see this lasting too long. If the remaining clubs in the First Division choose to play their home matches on the same night as Shamrock Rovers' first team (the obvious choice, I would think), that means that every second weekend, Rovers have to get out two different squads on the same night without any possibility of doubling up. With injuries and suspensions, that's some ask. You'd probably want five keepers signed, in order to have to have a reserve keeper at each match, for example.

That's actually a very valid point, one I hadn't thought about. Most teams bar Longford tend to play their home games on Saturday nights. Are the FAI going to insist that the First Division clubs move their home games now to Saturday nights so that Shamrock Rovers can be accommodated when their first team is playing on a Friday?

This could be the death knell of the First Division. Subsidising it with reserve teams from now on could make up the numbers if more teams start falling by the wayside

**bluewhitearmy** · 25/11/2013, 10:29 PM

Originally Posted by gufc2000

That's actually a very valid point, one I hadn't thought about. Most teams bar Longford tend to play their home games on Saturday nights. Are the FAI going to insist that the First Division clubs move their home games now to Saturday nights so that Shamrock Rovers can be accommodated when their first team is playing on a Friday?

This could be the death knell of the First Division. Subsidising it with reserve teams from now on could make up the numbers if more teams start falling by the wayside

Originally Posted by ForzaForth

My first reaction is that I can't see this lasting too long. If the remaining clubs in the First Division choose to play their home matches on the same night as Shamrock Rovers' first team (the obvious choice, I would think), that means that every second weekend, Rovers have to get out two different squads on the same night without any possibility of doubling up. With injuries and suspensions, that's some ask. You'd probably want five keepers signed, in order to have to have a reserve keeper at each match, for example.

I doubt anyone that has played in the first team squad that week would be playing in the first division the same week anyway. Its not like for example Zayed is gonna play for the first team on the Friday and then the B team on the Saturday. They would have to have two different squads every week anyway.

**Kiki Balboa** · 25/11/2013, 11:16 PM

I am guessing it is a 'B' team and not a reserve team.

I think its actually a very good idea and would love if all the established teams were able to have a competitive 'b' team as the gap between underage and senior is too wide and there needs to be a middle ground. UCD and Sporting Fingal are/ were producing good players in a fan pressure free environment and enabled lads to development much like a 'b' team would.

However, it is only a short term fix. What happens if another club in the first folds ? Will another 'b' team replace them, then how long will it take for the division to become just a 'b' division. Even with that, can anyone see Shamrock Rovers continuing with a 'b' team in 5 years time? .

There are plenty of problems with the current league structure and the failure by the league to attract interest from another club just shows this.