Athlone Town : brand new stadium, construction underway... 5,000seater.
Finn Harps (1st div last yr) : brand new stadium,gym and offica space, construction to begin faily soon (i think)... 6,600 seater.
Limerick FC : brand new stadium, planning app... 7,000 seater.
Sligo Rovers : In the middle of a complete redevelopment, new all-weather pitches... ???? seater.
Last edited by GalwayFrancis; 06/01/2005 at 4:06 PM.
Salthill/Knocknacarra Gaa Official Website- http://www.salthillknocknacarragaa.ie/
No harm in that at all. If the first division teams can show that kind of initiative and draw the crowds, then I think there is a strong case for an extended premier division which I would much prefer to see rather than this 12 team rubbish.Originally Posted by GalwayFrancis
Extended premier division?! Isnt 12 teams extended???
Monaghan United
3 new pitches
4 new Astro Turf pitches
1 New Club House
Newly resurfaced Car Park
and our state of the art Cow and Horse Enclosure at the Newbliss End
Clones Road Casual
The Original CRC
Accept No Substitutes
Its just that I would much prefer to see an 18 team league. It might raise the standards & profiles of some of the "smaller teams" and I think it would make it a more exciting league.Extended premier division?! Isnt 12 teams extended???
I think 16 team would be the way to go.
One division with no promotion and relegation?
And what about the rest?
City definetly have the best bands playing at half-time.
O'Bama - "Eerah yeah, I'd say we can alright!"
G.O'Mahoney Trapattoni'll sort ém out!!
I would agree with you but I don't think the chairmen of the clubs would go for it somehow. I mean, you had Ollie Byrne moaning about the number of home fixtures being reduced from 18 to 16/17 this season. In a 16 team league that would be down to 15. Although you could increase the number of Setanta cup games to compensate. Either way, I think the ambitous First Division teams should at least be given a fair crack of the whip.
A single 18 team League would do little to raise standards (I'm assuming here you're not proposing a 4 team First Division at the same time, which would be ludicrous). The only competition would be amongst 2 or 3 clubs at the top for the Title. Everyone else would know that no matter what they did they'd still be in the league and able to take advantage of regular games against the big boys. Complacency would set-in at a lot of clubs
Necessity is the mother of all invention. The graveyard that is the First Division creates a burning necessity to get out of it. Having a 10 or 12 team premier with promotion and relegation presents the opportunity to get out, and also the necessity to try to keep-up with the bulk of the premiership to avoid falling back into the graveyard. This is how standards get raised.
Big Premier division leagues that are much bigger than other divisions have been tried and rejected by seemingly most smaller footballing nations in Europe, including the League of Ireland (post 1985), the Irish League and the SPL.
The IL Premier is 16 teams isn't it?
Went up to Saratoga, where my horse naturally won.
The same could more be said of smaller premier divisions. Scotland and the Irish League actually blame the small top flight for a lot of their current problems and have moved in the opposite direction.
I've said before it's got to be an all ireland league (at least 16 teams in the top flight) or a radical restructuring of the league here (a geographic divisional split and then play off's for the title) to turn football around on the island/republic imo.
If you attack me with stupidity, I'll be forced to defend myself with sarcasm.
Was plesentley surprised with the VAST imporvements to CHP from the last time i was up there. Lovely clubhouse and bar. Only wish we had oneMonaghan United
3 new pitches
4 new Astro Turf pitches
1 New Club House
Newly resurfaced Car Park
and our state of the art Cow and Horse Enclosure at the Newbliss End
Clones Road Casual
The Original CRC
Accept No Substitutes
The key is to not to have a single whopping great league in isolation, or to have 2 leagues with a big imbalance of numbers (e.g. a 16 and a 6/8, for example).
The 4 senior leagues in England have 20-22 teams each - which in isolation appear big, but in the context of a 92 team senior structure isn't.
the ideal would be an all-ireland league with an 18 team premier and then a first division split north and south, with the winners of each section getting promotion.
The only problem with a league of more than the current numer, 12, is the non event games. Irish fans do not have a good record of attending games when they see nothing to play for. In a 10 team and 12 team league its very late in the season before all issues are decided.
Until that happens nothing is going to change. The Setanta Cup is going to be a good thing to get the media talking about an All-Ireland league and maybe put some pressure on the IFA/FAI to think about it. I seriously think it is the ONLY way in which the football here can progress..
That is the only credible suggestion to have the premier division extended ... that is the only way it will improve the standard of football.
What about this though .... what about relegation ? how would it work ?
And if it were to happen ... the winners of the two firsts would have gto get alot more money when coming up to ensure they have a chance at staying there. Also ... would love ot see a play off type thing for the 2nds in both the firsts and the 2nd and 3rd last in the premier with two staying up. That would really make it interesting. (not sure if my suggestin would work but something like that)
Last edited by A face; 12/01/2005 at 8:07 PM.
The SFAI are the governing body for grassroots football in Ireland, not the FAI. Its success or the lack of is all down to them.
It is good to see so much development in the Lower Division.
If you add in the projected completion of Tallaght and Harps new ground in the Premier Division, things are happening.
As regards the size of the Premier one comment.
Serie A has 20 teams this season; And La Liga has 18 teams.
But of course they are not English so they must be ****e ......
I think even with an all-Ireland league, we should keep the number in the top flight to 16. The second tier could also be a national division with 16 teams, but that is a different debate. What is important is that there realistic chances for teams in the second tier to gain promotion (like four relegaion/promotion spots, 2 automatic, 2 playoff).
In my ideal scenario we'd have;
1. An 8 team All-Ireland League, 4 teams North and South & 2 religation Spots
2. Lower Divisions North and South with 10 teams in it, 1 Promotion Spot
3. The lowest divisons with 8 teams in it, 2 promotion spots...
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