A 7-team league First Division Next Year

**Darklordsbane** · 26/11/2013, 8:37 AM

If Tralee is true I was thing to myself jasus just what we need another marathon 3.5 hour trip from Longford, but then I thought of Finn Harps 5.25 hours each way, but almost anything is better than less than 8 teams

**Macy** · 26/11/2013, 8:46 AM

Originally Posted by bluewhitearmy

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.

What about if Zayed was an unused sub for the first team on the Friday? No physical reason he couldn't play for the B team on the Saturday.

**Briuk** · 26/11/2013, 10:12 AM

Originally Posted by galwayhoop

If the choice is between 7 teams or having 8 or more by including 'B' sides then I'd be voting for 'B' sides every time.

However, as said above about the Spanish clubs, the B team should be treated as a separate club with movement only through transfers in the designated windows. Anything else is an absolute jokeshop.

In Spain the B team players can play with A, but it doesn't work on the other way.
And if a B player plays 10 games with A team it's automatically promoted and will have "A" team registration.

I reckon thats the best option.
I think the dutch added this year B squads on second division, without spanish rules and its a bit joke.

**nigel-harps1954** · 26/11/2013, 11:01 AM

Originally Posted by Darklordsbane

If Tralee is true I was thing to myself jasus just what we need another marathon 3.5 hour trip from Longford, but then I thought of Finn Harps 5.25 hours each way, but almost anything is better than less than 8 teams

What sort of way are you travelling from Longford to Ballybofey that takes 5.25 hours each way? Going via Dublin and Belfast? Longford is our shortest trip of the year ffs.

**IrishRossi** · 26/11/2013, 11:01 AM

Originally Posted by Martinho II

aint Gary Shaw on that course??

yeah i think he is

**Longfordian** · 26/11/2013, 11:02 AM

Originally Posted by nigel-harps1954

What sort of way are you travelling from Longford to Ballybofey that takes 5.25 hours each way? Going via Dublin and Belfast? Longford is our shortest trip of the year ffs.

I think he was empathising with Harps fans rather than saying it takes that long from Longford.

**nigel-harps1954** · 26/11/2013, 11:03 AM

Originally Posted by Longfordian

I think he was empathising with Harps fans rather than saying it takes that long from Longford.

Good shout. Makes no difference to us really, it's just another journey.

**Darklordsbane** · 26/11/2013, 11:25 AM

Longfordian is correct, I was feeling sorry for Finn Harps fans

**A face** · 26/11/2013, 11:49 AM

Originally Posted by Macy

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!

The FAI are they only group in line for the blame. They could have been fostering clubs and encouraging them to come through all along and we'd never be in this position. I think the management of the league in the last few years has been piecemeal and they got ahead of themselves when giving potential new team the brush off. If there was ambition from any club there to compete in the national league then it should have been welcomed.

Not only that, they should have been approaching the various junior leagues to see if there were any interested in the Kerry League model, encouraging clubs to make players available to play in a representative team for the county. They dragged their heals and as a result they are now in this position.

If it comes out in the wash that Rovers were the only ones offered this opportunity then i would expect everyone to be up in arms over it. If it were Pats were given the chance then Rovers of all clubs would be screaming blue murder and i'll support them in that as well. This is mismanagement, its going to back fire and its going to welcome unnecessary media attention leaving the league wide open for another negative story. The fact that its been leaked is shambolic, if this was true it should have been announced with fan-fair but it cant be because its obvious its going to be contentious. It doesn't matter if its Spanish rules, Dutch rules or Japanese rules, they scraped the A Championship which was designed to cater for the fragmented step between U19s and Senior, having scraped the U21s before that and now instead of putting it out in the open, that they were offering B-Sides option they are trying to pull a fast one (if it is actually true)

Who is the journalist who first published this story? Can we get a name?

**Ezeikial** · 26/11/2013, 12:06 PM

Originally Posted by A face

Who is the journalist who first published this story? Can we get a name?

The Indo article is credited to Garry Doyle
http://www.independent.ie/sport/socc...-29780982.html

**Dodge** · 26/11/2013, 12:18 PM

It doesn't matter if its Spanish rules, Dutch rules or Japanese rules, they scraped the A Championship which was designed to cater for the fragmented step between U19s and Senior, having scraped the U21s before that and now instead of putting it out in the open, that they were offering B-Sides option they are trying to pull a fast one (if it is actually true)

They didn't scrap anything. Clubs actively wanted to get rid of it, and it was the clubs who voted it out.

I've already given my opinion on these mythical clubs that exist that want to join the LOI. The last thing I'll say on it is that if they can't even pass the pathetic licensing requirements that others pass, they will never amount to anything and the league is right to refuse them. All the "fostering" in the world won't change that. The only two things any club needs to get in the LOI is willpower and money. The FAI can't create willpower.

**disgruntled** · 26/11/2013, 12:20 PM

Lets hope Gary Doyle follows up on it because we have interesting times ahead.

I would ask the following questions.

(1) Will Rovers be getting some form of financial assistance to put a team in the 1^st Division?
(2) Will Rovers be allowed to pull out of the U19 league, participation in which I understand is part of the rules in receiving a licence & if so what effect will that have on the licencing applications of all the other League of Ireland clubs.
(3) Were all the other Premier Division clubs given the option to enter a team in the 1^st division for the coming season?

If not leadership then we certainly need some clarity on these matters from the FAI.

**Raheen** · 26/11/2013, 2:01 PM

Works the same way in France (as in Spain) with the provisio that only club first teams can get promoted from one of the four regional CFA divisions (fourth tier) to Championnat National (third tier). Similar to our A division a few years ago I guess in some ways except its durability. Attendances are rarely much higher though!

**A face** · 26/11/2013, 2:11 PM

Originally Posted by Dodge

They didn't scrap anything. Clubs actively wanted to get rid of it, and it was the clubs who voted it out.

Dodge, are you referring to the U21 League there? I don't think its the A Championship because i remember at the time several fans contacting our club and we were told there was no such vote, or that the club wasn't asked to participate in a vote. It was treated as being a bizarre move at the time anyway. Do you have any info on this actually? When were clubs meant to have voted on this? Do you have a date?

**Mr A** · 26/11/2013, 2:18 PM

Some clubs complained bitterly about the A league and wanted it gone.

It never ceases to amaze me how many of our football clubs hate running football teams.

**Dodge** · 26/11/2013, 2:28 PM

Originally Posted by A face

Dodge, are you referring to the U21 League there? I don't think its the A Championship because i remember at the time several fans contacting our club and we were told there was no such vote, or that the club wasn't asked to participate in a vote.

Assuming your club is still Cork City, they weren't involved in the A Championship for the last two years so I assume that's why they didn't have a vote.

The only LOI clubs to be involved for all 4 seasons were Bohs, Bray, Cobh (3 years as first team), Drogs, Harps, Galway, Pats, Rovers, Sligo

**Sam_Heggy** · 26/11/2013, 2:45 PM

An Under 21 league with 4 overage players allowed would have been perfect.

It's funny how we had that in the past and got rid of it, now the much hailed EPL is using the same idea.

**gufc2000** · 26/11/2013, 2:51 PM

Originally Posted by Dodge

They didn't scrap anything. Clubs actively wanted to get rid of it, and it was the clubs who voted it out.

I've already given my opinion on these mythical clubs that exist that want to join the LOI. The last thing I'll say on it is that if they can't even pass the pathetic licensing requirements that others pass, they will never amount to anything and the league is right to refuse them. All the "fostering" in the world won't change that. The only two things any club needs to get in the LOI is willpower and money. The FAI can't create willpower.

If Mervue and Salthill passed those requirements there's no reason why several others shouldn't have. The FAI pick and choose when it suits them, and make up the rules as they go along

**Dodge** · 26/11/2013, 3:07 PM

Originally Posted by gufc2000

If Mervue and Salthill passed those requirements there's no reason why several others shouldn't have. The FAI pick and choose when it suits them, and make up the rules as they go along

Or they tightened up after that debacle

**culloty82** · 26/11/2013, 8:10 PM

Originally Posted by Dillonman

Yesterday's Star newspaper suggested it was Tralee coming into the league....

Since they returned to the KDL, they haven't lost in the league, but have been regularly beaten by Killarney Celtic and St. Brendan's Park in the cups, so one of the journos is having a slow news day.