PCA League Proposal

Headline is a bit misleading. I presumed that the FAI were meeting with representatives of all the league clubs from the headline. But it's revealed later in the piece that
"Barrister Michael Cush is due to meet the FAI on Monday on the PCA’s behalf. But as frustration with the FAI grows, he will now be accompanied by a three-man PCA delegation led by Shamrock Rovers secretary Noel Byrne."

So, it's still just the PCA, which probably isn't even equally representative of the premier div clubs.

In fairness, the point of a union is that all clubs don't need to be directly represented. The fewer in there the better, I would say. Clubs would only start a row with each other if they were all in, which would be embarrassing.

Can see why clubs would want someone in the room given what has gone on recently at the same time. How did inconclusive vote morph into 'recommendation from PCA'. Bound to be suspicions that not everyone has been playing it straight.

Originally Posted by Mr A

How did inconclusive vote morph into 'recommendation from PCA'.

Two words: the FAI.

Ideally it would just be Michael Cush acting as a representative of all the clubs, a league clubs alliance, rather than just a premier clubs alliance.

Originally Posted by Philosophizer

Ideally it would just be Michael Cush acting as a representative of all the clubs, a league clubs alliance, rather than just a premier clubs alliance.

Exactly. The sooner all clubs realise that they all need each other to have a league the better. In recent years the league has lost (although in most cases regained) Kildare, Cork, Derry, Galway, Cobh, Fingal and Monaghan. Many more went very close to going under. Clearly the model isn't working and we need to work together towards better sustainability. An association that excludes 40% of clubs isn't going to fix it. A governing body that is willing to make major change on foot of a slim majority of that association is also unlikely to fix things. The clubs need to start working together and speaking with one voice where possible, and the FAI needs to start actually listening.

There is nothing to stop clubs working together now. They are incapable of doing so. If clubs could work together they wouldn't have needed the FAI to take over the league 10 years ago

Unfortunately the people in power at the FAI don't care about the league, but the idea of a centrally run 'top down' hierarchy isn't the problem

A 16 team Premier Div was always my preference, keep it simple, home and away equal for all teams, 30 matches per season. Play offs to be introduced for sure for relegation to keep it competitive and possibly for the final Euro spot, but with a big incentive for the side that finishes highest, maybe they go straight into the final or at least have home advantage.

Where the relegated club(s) go to is the problem though, regional leagues maybe, but what is the best way to run that ? Also there would be teams dropping out in this process initially if this system ever kicked off, where would they go, regional leagues straight away? Plus all of those play a different season, could be messy.

I think the PCA document answers pretty much all those issues?

Seasons have to merge of course. The summer soccer switch may have benefitted clubs in Europe, but it was typically short-sighted overall. I think it's the first issue that needs to be resolved here.

Won't be easy of course, but I think it has to happen.

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

I think the PCA document answers pretty much all those issues?

Seasons have to merge of course. The summer soccer switch may have benefitted clubs in Europe, but it was typically short-sighted overall. I think it's the first issue that needs to be resolved here.

Won't be easy of course, but I think it has to happen.

Surely you're not suggesting we go back to a Winter season or do you have something else in mind ?

The only other option seems to switch non-league to a summer season.

It's daft having the split season structure we have at present.

We have to stick with summer football. Just look at the weather we are having right now in January, the season would drag on forever. Make the regional leagues get into line.

The weather's lovely where I am.

In fact, the whole winter's been quite good.

Regardless, the idea to cause a divide in seasons in Irish football can only be described as short-sighted and needs to be fixed. Whether that's all summer or all winter I think is actually less important than fixing the divide and starting to grow the LoI again.

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

The only other option seems to switch non-league to a summer season.

It's daft having the split season structure we have at present.

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

The weather's lovely where I am.

In fact, the whole winter's been quite good.

Regardless, the idea to cause a divide in seasons in Irish football can only be described as short-sighted and needs to be fixed. Whether that's all summer or all winter I think is actually less important than fixing the divide and starting to grow the LoI again.

Agreed.
Getting everyone playing in the same season would be a good start to sorting out some of the problems.
Of course there are more deep seated problems which have nothing at all to do with what season we play in.

I agree.

Which is why I think the PCA document - which looks at a lot of different issues - is a better document than Conroy or Gabay.

Weather argument is total nonsense. We have plenty of games called off due to waterlogged pitches during out summer season as it is. We just had a really mild winter and the league up the north was relatively unaffected by the winter climate.

While I actually prefer winter football myself, I don't think changing back is necessarily going to fix any issues.

Personally, I do believe more clubs would be willing to step up to a regionalised First Division North/South. Fanad United were willing to step up to First Division a few years ago when they believed it was going to be split North/South for example. They decided against it when that plan didn't go through. If you could guarantee less travel and less expenditure in a North/South First Division, you could almost guarantee the likes of Monaghan/Cavan, Kerry, Mayo and possibly one or two others to speed up their plans for progression to senior LOI sides.

16 team Premier and 8 in each Division One North/South is not totally out of reach in my opinion, but it needs serious thought and not to be rushed through by the FAI. The participation fees need to be relaxed for a couple of years to encourage clubs to enter too.

Originally Posted by outspoken

We have to stick with summer football. Just look at the weather we are having right now in January, the season would drag on forever. Make the regional leagues get into line.

Winter football is daft. My local club only has 2 games left in their season.

They're playing in small divisions with few games to counteract the effects of the weather through much of what should be the season.

The youth leagues are even worse. During the "season" some youth teams have a max of 2 league games a month, sometimes one and even none sometimes.

You'd want to be a world-beater to develop in that environment.

Originally Posted by gufcfan

Winter football is daft. My local club only has 2 games left in their season.

They're playing in small divisions with few games to counteract the effects of the weather through much of what should be the season.

The youth leagues are even worse. During the "season" some youth teams have a max of 2 league games a month, sometimes one and even none sometimes.

You'd want to be a world-beater to develop in that environment.

You can hardly compare youth and local league football to the LOI though? That's really daft.

Originally Posted by nigel-harps1954

You can hardly compare youth and local league football to the LOI though? That's really daft.

I'm saying that in addition to the fact that all football should be played concurrently with the LOI, that weather affects football at all levels and that junior/juvenile football shouldn't be played in the winter.

Teams can go months without games during the winter.

If you wanted to devise a setup that was any worse conditions wise, it would be difficult.

Originally Posted by nigel-harps1954

Weather argument is total nonsense. We have plenty of games called off due to waterlogged pitches during out summer season as it is. We just had a really mild winter and the league up the north was relatively unaffected by the winter climate.

While I actually prefer winter football myself, I don't think changing back is necessarily going to fix any issues.

Personally, I do believe more clubs would be willing to step up to a regionalised First Division North/South. Fanad United were willing to step up to First Division a few years ago when they believed it was going to be split North/South for example. They decided against it when that plan didn't go through. If you could guarantee less travel and less expenditure in a North/South First Division, you could almost guarantee the likes of Monaghan/Cavan, Kerry, Mayo and possibly one or two others to speed up their plans for progression to senior LOI sides.

16 team Premier and 8 in each Division One North/South is not totally out of reach in my opinion, but it needs serious thought and not to be rushed through by the FAI. The participation fees need to be relaxed for a couple of years to encourage clubs to enter too.

It might be just me but I can't remember many games that have been called off due to waterlogged pitches in the summer season at all, I remember a few with Harps pitch already but not too many more off the top of my head.

Do as many as the 3 mentioned actually have plans to progress to become senior LOI sides to speed up really? I've heard that Monaghan/Cavan thing alright but I haven't heard of Kerry or Mayo having any plans to join the LOI.