Poll on 11 a side........

**Roo69** · 22/10/2004, 1:13 PM

Finn Harps, UCD and Bray Wanderers are all virtually certain to win promotion to the Premier Division. Which is best equipped for the challenge of the top flight?

At the moment it is

Bray 25%
Harps 49.4%
UCD 25.6%

What do you lot think ?

**patsh** · 22/10/2004, 1:19 PM

I think Harps and UCD will stay up next year.

If things get any worse with Rovers, I think it will be between them and Bray for the drop.

**KR's Post** · 22/10/2004, 1:31 PM

Bray 30%, Harps 45%,College 25%.

**DonegalDub** · 22/10/2004, 1:50 PM

harps might have problems getting Finn Park passed when they go up....its a shambles at present and with talk of moving to Stranorlar, they can't upgrade it even if they had the money.

**Beavis** · 22/10/2004, 1:58 PM

Must be UCD.I'd say they will be comfortable avoiding the drop next year,maybe even pushing for Europe

Anytime I watched them they looked like a very good side.
Beat Cork in the cup and only lost in extra time after a replay to then 2nd place Drogheda.Hammered the likes of Athlone,Monaghan,Galway and got the neccesary results against top pf table rivals (including an away win at Finn Harps).I'd tip them to suprise a lot of people next year.

**Roo69** · 22/10/2004, 2:39 PM

Originally Posted by Beavis

Must be UCD.I'd say they will be comfortable avoiding the drop next year,maybe even pushing for Europe

Anytime I watched them they looked like a very good side.
Beat Cork in the cup and only lost in extra time after a replay to then 2nd place Drogheda.Hammered the likes of Athlone,Monaghan,Galway and got the neccesary results against top pf table rivals (including an away win at Finn Harps).I'd tip them to suprise a lot of people next year.

I think UCD myself, but think you way off the mark with talk of a european place. Not having a go at the likes of Athlone, Mons or Galway but there not even in the same class as Dublin City, Pats or Rovers ! never mind the likes of Cork, Shels Bohs or Drogs. All 3 Clubs have the basis of being very good and have some class players in place already, if they make some shrewd close season signings they could all stay up, going by the standard of the 3 clubs in question and the bottom half of the premier there is fcuk all between them. Will be very interesting next season and wouldnt be surprised if one of the bigger teams go.

**Schumi** · 22/10/2004, 3:43 PM

Attempting to be objective, I still think we are best equipped. We've spent much longer in the premier recently than the other two and our team is quite young for the most part and only going to improve next season. Our results this year have been better, relatively speaking, against the top teams in the division than the poorer teams so a we'll be solely playing against that standard or better next year, it looks good. I can't see us being near Europe though!

**Bald Student** · 22/10/2004, 4:16 PM

Has it been decided what the situation is with promotion and relegation next season? is it going back to the 2 and 1 system or staying at the 1 and 1?

I think that all 3 teams will be able compete next season. They seem to be as good as the bottom half of the premier. I always hate to see a club a long way adrift like DC are now and UCD were last season. I don't think that will happen next season and, especialy if there are two automatic relegation places, I think that the bottom half of the premier will be a dangerous place for some of the more established clubs like Pats and Rovers if they remain short of cash.

I'd be surprised if the three clubs coming up were the bottom three in the premier next season.

**dancinpants** · 22/10/2004, 5:07 PM

All three are goin to have problems - dont let a few good cup results on UCDs behalf make you think you'll cut it in the league week in week out!!

**pineapple stu** · 23/10/2004, 12:44 AM

Originally Posted by dancinpants

All three are goin to have problems - dont let a few good cup results on UCDs behalf make you think you'll cut it in the league week in week out!!

True, but the fact that we cut it week in week out in the Premier after Doolin left (we were fourth in the form table for the last 16 games) gives me most hope. I think when you consider that we will have had to play Bray, Kildare, Harps and Dundalk away twice this season, our league record is by a slight bit the most impressive. However, usually teams who walk the First Division do alright in the Premier the next season, while those who scrape through do poorly (Waterford and Dublin City being recent examples), and we've all three walked it. It'll be a very competitive Premier next season... I think one, maybe two, of the three teams to come up will finish bottom two, but not all three. Not knowing how promotion/relegation is to be organised (presumably the line is to be drawn one place below Pat's/Rovers) but assuming a two-down and one play-off - which of the current Premier teams is in most trouble? (Changing topic slightly I know!) This is Rovers' worst season since relegation came in, and I don't know if they can change things around next season.

**yur man** · 23/10/2004, 5:01 PM

cant really comment on how theyll do next year as im over in england

i'd like to see 2 automatic relegation spots too cos once one team drifts fairly low the others have not much motivation to do better

but if the second bottom team know theyll go down rather than rely on playoff it will keep things interestin

**Bald Student** · 26/10/2004, 11:02 AM

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

I think one, maybe two, of the three teams to come up will finish bottom two, but not all three.

I agree, I can't see three teams finishing in the bottom two either.

**Dr.Nightdub** · 26/10/2004, 9:40 PM

Far too early to say which of the current Premier clubs will be most at risk next season, there's a whole close-season's worth of transfers and possible legal shennanigans (over A and B licences) to go through first.

Obviously on current form, ourselves and Rovers would appear to be the most at-risk, but I expect we'll no longer have El Khebyr, McPhee or Jimmi Lee Jones on our books next season and their wages should cover about five new players. So depending on who, if any, we lose, I expect our squad to be a bit stronger next year. Rovers would also appear destined for a big clear-out at the end of this season on the basis that players will want to know they'll be paid next season.

The other factor you can't discount is that this year, knowing only one team would go down and it being obvious from an early stage that the one team would be CHF has meant there's been no massive threat of relegation to act as a spur to ourselves and Rovers. That won't be the case next season.

Don't forget, CHF's performance this season and the performance of First Div. teams in recent play-off's would all indicate that the gap between Premier and First is wider than people imagine. UCD fans would probably be best placed to make that call, having had the most recent experience of both.

**J Maddison** · 27/10/2004, 1:40 AM

gap is not wider, dub city just made mistake of replacing whole squad - twice. longford, waterford etc retained nucleus of side upon promotion and stayed up with momentum until signing players midway thru season. this is the model. bray will do well

**Stevo Da Gull** · 27/10/2004, 2:01 AM

I hate to say it but I think that if we play the way that we have been this year in the Prem (if we go up) we will come straight back down.
We need a bit more steel about us and an extra touch of quality.

**Schumi** · 27/10/2004, 2:01 PM

Originally Posted by Dr.Nightdub

Don't forget, CHF's performance this season and the performance of First Div. teams in recent play-off's would all indicate that the gap between Premier and First is wider than people imagine. UCD fans would probably be best placed to make that call, having had the most recent experience of both.

I only saw CHF once last season but they were completely outplayed by Harps in that game (in Whitehall near the end of the season) and didn't really look like they'd be able to do much in the premier. The thing about the first division is the massive difference in quality between the top and bottom. I don't think there's any real gap between the top few in the first and for example Derry near the end of last season (the 2-0 win in Belfield near the end of last season especially) or Waterford when we hammered them in Belfield. The top of the premier is a completely different level though.