Looking foward to a 12 team AIL Premiership in 2021 with a top 6 bottom 6 split.
I'm surprised MacKenna thinks its a good idea. He hates everything.
You also need to talk about competitiveness. How many of the NIFL teams would realistically challenge in the top half of a 12 team AIL after a few seasons? How many would wind up in the lower tier? A lot I'd say. Hardly makes it attractive to the north.
I maintain the only way an AIL happens is with political unification.
Author of Never Felt Better (History, Film Reviews).
An All Ireland league is a long, long way off.That is part of its attraction as it can be sold as a panacea for all the ills of Irish football without really ever having to be tested. Qualification criteria and 'protected places' (guaranteed minimum number of clubs from each League) would need to be agreed both for start and a number of years. European places, Match days, refs, Junior/ intermediate Leagues would al be issues because the main problem would be that neither the IFA or the FAI would be willing to 'go away' and the two International teams.
As the Setanta Cup (and the Tylers All Ireland Cup before that) showed an all Ireland league dimension is not the answer to all the problems, yes, it would be progress and yes it would be desirable but still a long way off. Too be honest I would nearly see political unity as easier to achieve !
Brexit done and dusted the AIL sponsored by Boris Johnson comes ever closer.
To be known commercially as the BJ League
Hmmmm, maybe a possible replacement for Honest John Delaney ? Ridiculous sense of own importance, staggers from one administrative disaster to the next, fond of ahem, stretching the truth, likes a jar and most relevantly (to the FAI) couldn't organise a **** up in a brewery (even with FAI credit card)
I'm not 100% on the details but he effectively set up Orielweb. Until recently (or possibly still now) you could find his own written reports from the 98-9 relegation season til about 2002. He was one of 2 main men behind the short lived but ever-improving HospitalPass website. Around that time he stepped away from OW as he started at the Star (I think) before moving to the Indo. Over twenty years ago some of that! That's about 6,000 years in internet years!
He saved me a whole heap of hassle asking my folks over a payphone from abroad to go to AERTEL P222 and read me out the results. Prior to that there was nothing online for Dundalk FC. He was about 15 or 16 in the early days travelling the long roads of Division 1 away days and writing up reports, chat forum came soon after iirc and is still often the contrary place today as it was in the days of relegation MkI. 'Fun' times.
I think he is just being professional.
Con Murphy is the same when commentating on rovers.
….So, if the Government(or whomever) would just build an adequate stadium and develop a 'vision' (whatever the hell that is) Limerick, the third biggest city operating in LOI MIGHT be able to sustain a club. Wow, just wow.
I would be more interested to find out what the FAI are actually doing to promote an all Ireland League, or develop the league they currently have - other than say how its up to clubs, partners, Santa Claus to sort. Cliched platitudes of a 'ma's apple pie' view of what football could be is not going to move us forward.
I think the key message to take from the interview in regards to the LOI going forward is his experienced view is that the clubs need to run the league themselves. However, before they do that they need to put firm structures in place in each club. Much of what he said reminded me of what was done with the the formation of the NIFL when the league in the North move away from the IFA. He certainly gave the impression, that while an AIL might be an asperation, he does not think all the clubs have the structure to operate in and to succeed in such a structure as things stand.
I wouldn't disagree with the need for some clubs to 'get their house in order', in fact I would commend it, some of the shenanigans of recent years have been appalling, my problem is the FAI are currently responsible for improving the situation and have done little to improve matters and, in all honesty, added to the farce.
Either the FAI (and its spokesman) should accept they are incapable of doing the job and step back or, put in place a realistic business model to develop the league. platitudes about 'visions', new stadia etc are embarrassing unless in some context where they might actually occur.
Last edited by marinobohs; 22/10/2019 at 10:40 AM.
Clubs shouldn't be waiting on the FAI. Their have a wide portfolio of responsibilities and so will never provide the focus on the league that many want. That was very clear from Noel Mooney's interview. Clubs should not be waiting on others. They have the ability to take matters into their own hands.
A tweet this morning from the Chairman of Cliftonville.
"@GerardLawlorCFC: Lots of media & PR around an All Ireland league, I find the current proposals lack substance and are unrealistic, some of our southern clubs joining @OfficialNIFL could be a way forward, we in the north have a very progressive league and we should be weary of tampering with it."
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