https://www.extratime.com/articles/2...der-23-league/
Is there an appetite to bring back the A-Championship?
Only coming to this late in the day, but I can concur 100% with this. I was involved with a South dublin side a few years ago, and while Cabinteely were not in the SDFL, we developed a good rapport with two of their teams with friendlies and a couple of tournaments. We were a club whose players are football players in Primary school and rugby players in secondary school, and could have some really distorted sides thrown together from one week to the next. One particular friendly we played their team below the LoI level, and beat them somewhat surprisingly. Played them a few weeks later and had to field essentially half our third team, which would have been the weakest division in Dublin, and likely the country, and they were very very decent about it, and essentially sent out their weakest team to complement our situation, no questions asked.
The ethos at the club is exactly what a football club should be, and it's one of the reasons I hope they succeed at LoI level. Nothing but the greatest respect for that club.
Here they come! It’s the charge of the “Thanks” Brigade!
https://www.extratime.com/articles/2...der-23-league/
Is there an appetite to bring back the A-Championship?
oh boy I'm not good at football forums
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15s and 13s were mandated by UEFA.
A B team in the LSL or equivalent should be fine. Although our basket case of a pyramid isn't conducive to it in some areas (Ulster being an obvious example)
reserve teams playing in the lower divisons (first division) like other European countries.
No point in trying to reinvent the wheel
Yup. And like we had here for 45 years until the LoI B Division was formed.
How many teams are required to form a league? At least 8?
The A Championship partly failed because Premier Division clubs were required to field an A team. Some did so grudgingly.
With the youth leagues in place, the final peace of the structure is a league between youth and senior. Shamrock Rovers, UCD and Cork City are the only standout clubs that are interested.
I don't think UCD would be particularly interested in a 23s league in fairness.
https://kesslereffect.bandcamp.com/album/kepler - New music. It's not that bad.
Link up is with Mount Merrion; the 13s/15s is basically the MM team.
17s then is a mix and 19s is more a UCD team. Players get scouted from underage leagues and apply for scholarships too of course
Are all the players from 19's and seniors on scholarships of some sort?
I thought UCD were proactive members of the A Championship from the First Division when they were not required to do so??
I haven't forgotten Finn Harps and Limerick being proactive members.
I thought the the A Championship should have been retained but without the requirement on Premier Division clubs to be involved.
If at least 8 clubs between LoI B teams and non-LoI entities could form an intermediary league, that's my blueprint for the way forward;
Shamrock Rovers B
Cork City B
Finn Harps B
Treaty United B
Kerry
Carlow-Kilkenny*
Cavan-Monaghan*
Kildare*
* = currently only at U17 level, so probably a few years away from possible interest in an intermediary league offering a pathway to the First Division.
19s wouldn't be. Many wouldn't even be in college yet. So for example Jamie McGrath played for our 19s but then didn't get the points for UCD; went to Maynooth instead and joined Pat's, who I think had a linkup with Maynooth
Most of the senior squad would be in scholarship and since I think 2017 it's been pretty much entirely a student team
Yes when it was a reserve division.
What's the point for us in a 23s league when we already have a 19s team? Our senior team is all under 23
The A Championship is a terrible idea anyway. Just create a proper pyramid and let B teams in at whatever level - third tier I guess. Solves lots of problems. The A Championship just adds another level onto the stupid-league-structure issue we already have. As Tralee Dynamoes will probably confirm
I'm in favour of a reserve league, B league, A Championship, whatever name they want to put on it!
The pyramid is not the solution. You could have a repeat of the Galway situation of too many clubs in one area. Let's learn the lessons of history and not repeat.
The Youth Leagues have the right approach of allowing non-LoI entities from non-LoI areas only, bar one exception due to successful lobbying on their behalf.
The Reserve League should be the next step after u19s but completely optional. Allow non-LoI entities. The best non-LoI entity should be allowed to take on the last team from the First Division in a promotion/relegation playoff, and naturally only prompted if they win and meet the First Division licence fudgy criteria!
You're right that we should learn the lessons of history and not repeat them. And the Galway situation arose because there was no pyramid and anyone who was interested got let in.
Every country in Europe has a pyramid except us. Ruud Dokter has been in favour of a pyramid since day one. It flushes out deadwood and brings in new blood. If they're not any good, they get relegated again.
Ask Tralee Dynamos if the A Championship is the way forward.
Ruud Dokter also said you have to find a solution that suits the individuality of each country. An intermediary league is an Irish solution for an Irish problem.
Kerry, Cavan-Monaghan, Carlow-Kilkenny and Kilkenny are in the Youth Leagues. Access to the Youth Leagues has not been a free for all. Apply the same criteria to an intermediary league and get on with the game.
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