I always thought that it would be a good idea to run and AIL on a trial basis. Clubs could sign up for say 3 years and if its not working out then go back to the way it is now. No harm no foul. It might be an incentive to get NI clubs backing, knowing it is a trial and up for review in the future.
Manager: Fergal, have you your boots with ya?
Fergal: Ya, I have them here.
Manager: Ah good stuff, well give them to this man so, he forgot his!
So, for example, NIFL tears up their current TV and sponsorship deals, and then just go back in 3 years time and all would be Ok? Oh, and clubs create a fulltime set up at considerable expense, sign players on that basis, and then just revert if it doesn't work? I could go on, but I think you will get my point.
Maybe. But it'd look daft as a concept anyway I think. As it does in the States.
Bottom line is I don't think you can - or should - agree a set ratio of IL/LoI clubs in an AIL. It's either a proper league or it's not.
The further problem with Lucid, as I see it, is that the second tier would have been done on a federation basis, not a regional basis. That's really awkward. You could have Harps in the First Division South for example, and if two LoI teams got relegated, then what happens? In a regional split, a middling team geographically will move division, but you can't do that here. So you either promote two LoI clubs - and no IL one - or you relegate an extra IL team from the second flight. But was there even a third tier in all this to start with?
On the issue of finance, Lucid said: "We made it clear to the clubs that two broadcasters are interested, with one ready to do a deal right now in verbal discussions we have had.
"Headline sponsors are also interested, but it's hard for specific deals to be done at this stage without knowing whether a TV deal will be a pay TV deal or have a free-to-air aspect. It makes sense to secure a TV deal first."
Who are the TV broadcasters interested, RTE, UTV, BBC NI, SKY, VIRGIN.............
No One Likes Us, We Don't Care
Agreed. I think its a dead duck.
I always felt that politics would kill this & unfortunately I may be right.
The blazers of the IFA were never going to agree with this no matter what was on offer.
If we could get over the politics then the rest would fall into place but I can't see it happening.
Is it politics or the lack of a plan of substance that's killed this?
The Premier League broke away from the FA back in 1992, so I don't think the IFA have the power to stop this if clubs want to go ahead.
Substance is either there or not. That's kind of what the word means. If it needs an open mind to "see" it, then it's not there.
Purposely not seeing what though?
I've already said the vision for the league as set out by Lucid was pretty good. I've seen nothing at all to indicate it was deliverable though.
I would say both to be honest.
Substance in that the Premier League had the money & organisation behind them whereas here although we have the PCA for some years now nothing has ever come from it.
The very reason the FAI are running the League is because the clubs couldn't organise the proverbial.
Politics in that the IFA are black to the core & would have said no, no matter what was on offer.
Like the FA in the UK the IFA & FAI here will have to be dragged kicking & screaming into agreeing with anything.
In reality if this plan had solid finances & agreements in place it would be a no brainer & there would be little either Irish association could do about it.
"Both" is probably fair enough actually.
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