Foot.ie PROJECT: Wikify Irish Football

**Dodge** · 18/12/2006, 2:57 PM

yet...

**DannyInvincible** · 18/12/2006, 6:43 PM

Originally Posted by cavan_fan

Excellent article. Over time, the IAG related stuff should move to an article of its own. By the way I've resisted the temptaion to edit

removing the words promotion/relegation!

Well, you're free, like anyone else, to edit it if you want. What should the correct title of that match be? 'Promotion/relegation play-off' does give the wrong impression.

Originally Posted by Schumi

The cup losers get the UEFA place.

Is this stated somewhere or part of the rulebook? I was skimming through it but there was no sign of any mention of European qualification.

Originally Posted by NY Hoop

Fair play except there is no such league as the FAI Premiership..........

KOH

Erm, was the old Premier League system not brought to a close with the introduction of the new FAI National League system (including Premiership and First Division) within the last two weeks?

**Schumi** · 18/12/2006, 7:24 PM

Originally Posted by DannyInvincible

Is this stated somewhere or part of the rulebook? I was skimming through it but there was no sign of any mention of European qualification.

I don't know but it always has been the case since the Cup Winners' Cup was discontinued and it's the case everywhere else.

**NY Hoop** · 19/12/2006, 9:56 AM

Originally Posted by DannyInvincible

Erm, was the old Premier League system not brought to a close with the introduction of the new FAI National League system (including Premiership and First Division) within the last two weeks?

Probably! But the premiership was a working title gleefully pounced on by the media. FYI the new league is not called and was never going to be called the premiership. For further info see www.fai.ie

KOH

**passinginterest** · 19/12/2006, 9:59 AM

From a recent article on FAI.ie

eircom National League Premier Division

**pete** · 19/12/2006, 11:15 AM

Excellent work. It was not a promotion/relegation playoff though.

**holidaysong** · 19/12/2006, 2:22 PM

Originally Posted by pete

Excellent work. It was not a promotion/relegation playoff though.

Oh yes it was!

Oh no it wasn't!

(it's panto season.... and I'm bored.)

**DannyInvincible** · 19/12/2006, 8:32 PM

I've amended the title of the Premier Division's page to its full title, "FAI eircom National League Premier Division". Is that OK?

I've also edited the the paragraph regarding the play-off game. Is the following OK?:

The final selection sparked controversy in Dundalk. Despite the fact that Dundalk FC had won what they perceived to be the annual promotion/relegation play-off, and what would have been in any other normal season, in November 2006, they were one of the teams omitted from the 2007 FAI Premiership and were, instead, chosen to play in the FAI First Division.

**pineapple stu** · 19/12/2006, 8:35 PM

I suppose that's OK, although with the rider that the play-off was clearly tagged as deciding which team would finish (I think) 12th and 14th on-field this year. There's a thread back in May started by Bald Student asking if it was going to be the most pointless game ever.

So yes, they perceived it as such, but were clearly wrong.

Cup runners-up if the winners do the double get the UEFA spot. Don't know if that's in the rule book anywhere, but it's straight from the horse's mouth (i.e. the FAI told me).

**BohsFans** · 19/12/2006, 8:44 PM

Originally Posted by DannyInvincible

I've also edited the the paragraph regarding the play-off game. Is the following OK?:

Not really because it was NEVER officially dubbed the

annual promotion/relegation play-off

Officially it always appeared as "Play-Off". Which to me doesn't promise and therefore no one could perceive that promotion/relegation was at stake.

**DannyInvincible** · 19/12/2006, 9:07 PM

The Dundalk official's quote would suggest otherwise as to how his club perceived the game. He said, "What was the point of the league taking our players and fans all the way down to Waterford if it counted for nothing?" He obviously believed that there was (or should have been) some point to it. I can only assume that he believed the purpose was to decide who ought to play in the 2007 Premier Division as his quote was in protest of the fact that the 2006 play-off had no such effect. He was clearly misguided as he doesn't seem to be aware of the fact that there was an actual point to the play-off in that the game still influenced the IAG points tally of Dundalk.

In response to this, I've added:

Technically, he was incorrect as the win did contribute points to Dundalk's final assessment tally. However, that was little consolation.

Should I add something about Dundalk finishing in 12th and Waterford in 14th as well then? Was that definitely the effect of the result?

**pineapple stu** · 19/12/2006, 9:12 PM

The Dundalk official was simply wrong.

The thread here explains it all, and was posted at the time the proposal was detailed. The facts there would be better than my memory, I think. 12th and 14th was only for the purposes of league points in this year's on-field criteria too.

**DannyInvincible** · 19/12/2006, 9:20 PM

Shouldn't it actually be 11th and 13th following Dublin City's resignation?

**pineapple stu** · 19/12/2006, 9:26 PM

DC's resignation hadn't happened at the time. They quite possibly didn't bother updating things afterwards.

**DannyInvincible** · 19/12/2006, 9:43 PM

Have you a link to that thread? I can't seem to uncover it in my search. Is it here?

**BohsFans** · 19/12/2006, 10:16 PM

Originally Posted by DannyInvincible

Have you a link to that thread? I can't seem to uncover it in my search. Is it here?

Jesus why are you complicating things so much?

It the eircom League Play-Off (simple as)

They finished SECOND in the FIRST division

Waterford finished ELEVENTH in the Premier division

**DannyInvincible** · 20/12/2006, 2:23 AM

So there was no purpose to the game and they played it for the sake of playing it?

I don't see what should be so complicated about what I'm asking. I'm trying to simplify matters and just get the thing right.

**DannyInvincible** · 20/12/2006, 5:07 AM

Originally Posted by BohsFans

Jesus why are you complicating things so much?

It the eircom League Play-Off (simple as)

They finished SECOND in the FIRST division

Waterford finished ELEVENTH in the Premier division

I found the thread and you were incorrect, as I suspected.

This is from the original plan so refers to standings as if 22 clubs would be involved:

At the end of 2006 playing season, clubs will be allocated ‘competition points’ on the basis of their League standings and performances in FAI & League Cups and Europe. When the total ‘competition points’ accrued by each club is tallied, they will be ranked accordingly – the club with the highest number of competition points is ranked 1, with the club with the lowest number of competition points ranked 22 for the purposes of the IAG process.

League:
• Premier Division League winners receive 22 points, runners-up 21 points reducing on a point per position down to 1 point for bottom place in the 1st Division.

• Last place finisher in Premiership in regular season will be ‘relegated’ => ranked #14 in league standings and allocated 9pts.

• 1st Division winner will be ‘promoted’ => ranked #11 in league standings and allocated 12pts.

• Club finishing 11th in Premier will play off against 1st Division runners up. Winners of the play off will be finish #12 in League standings and gain 11pts. Losers of the play off will be ranked 13th and allocated 10pts.

Thus, for the sake of dispensing points based on 2006 performances, Shamrock Rovers were placed in 11th, Dundalk were placed 12th and Waterford were placed 13th with Galway presumably shifting into the blank 14th spot left by Dublin City, and so forth down through to the 21st club.

**BohsFans** · 20/12/2006, 1:45 PM

Originally Posted by DannyInvincible

I found the thread and you were incorrect, as I suspected.

What exactly am I wrong about?

Again why are you over confusing the issue!?

**DannyInvincible** · 20/12/2006, 3:06 PM

You are wrong about the following:

Originally Posted by BohsFans

It the eircom League Play-Off (simple as)

It wasn't simply a play-off for the sake of having a play-off. The game decided what teams would finish in certain positions - namely 12th and 13th.

Originally Posted by BohsFans

[Dundalk] finished SECOND in the FIRST division

Dundalk finished 12th in the overall standings of the 21 clubs.

Originally Posted by BohsFans

Waterford finished ELEVENTH in the Premier division

Waterford finished 13th in the overall standings of the clubs.

I still don't see what it so complicated about all of this. I was simply trying to find out the relevant guidelines in the FAI's document and apply them in order to find out the actual purpose and effect of the Play-Off.