Shamrock Rovers entering a team in Div 1 next season

**NeverFeltBetter** · 20/02/2020, 7:35 AM

Stupid to say they wouldn't play Rovers B and then do on about turn, "under protest" or not. Not the best for their negotiating position long-term.

**Bunny Kelly** · 20/02/2020, 8:05 AM

If under 21 players are able to move between squads then why do they need overage players be allowed? Brandon Kavanagh, Dean Williams & Sean Callan are all first team squad members but probably not going to get the game time to develop, I can see the logic in these being able to play for the B team but Leon Pohls or Greg Bolger needing games for match fitness doesn't feel right or fair.

The top 3/4 teams (and Galway) have a squad of 23/24 players of which the last few spots are young lads, as it should be, but these players will get little game time so we need to find a way to continue their development for the betterment of Irish football

**Eminence Grise** · 20/02/2020, 8:43 AM

I assume somebody has checked the rule book and it's OK for players to move outside the window? That it's not just an Irish solution to an Irish problem?

**outspoken** · 20/02/2020, 8:51 AM

Daire Doyle summed it up perfectly on the pod the other night, Longford can't approach Sligo and say here those 4 lads you didn't play Friday any chance we can play them tomorrow against Drogheda.

Every other club has a set squad it should be no different for Rovers, they are a B team but this isn't a B league. It's shocking

**White Horse** · 20/02/2020, 9:01 AM

It is completely disrespectful towards the competitive integrity of the First Division to allow Rovers B a "floating squad" of players under the age of 21.

I can understand why Rovers would want this and they are only looking after themselves, as would all clubs.

However, the FAI appear willing to sacrifice the sporting integrity of the First Division.

I sympathise with the players, fans, and volunteers of first division clubs. Their efforts towards promotion are been treated with disrespect.

**disgruntled** · 20/02/2020, 9:09 AM

Rules should be the same for everyone.
You start with a squad of players & if you need more players or you need to transfer players between squads you do so during the window.

**RathfarnhamHoop** · 20/02/2020, 9:11 AM

Originally Posted by outspoken

Daire Doyle summed it up perfectly on the pod the other night, Longford can't approach Sligo and say here those 4 lads you didn't play Friday any chance we can play them tomorrow against Drogheda.

Every other club has a set squad it should be no different for Rovers, they are a B team but this isn't a B league. It's shocking

Except that's not what it's like at all. It's more like having a squad the size of cabos and having players not play for months then suddenly come back into the team. Or like UCD with their 2 teams.

Every player that is eligible to play for shamrock rovers is known at the start of the season so that comparison is ridiculous.

**RathfarnhamHoop** · 20/02/2020, 9:12 AM

See Longfords social media guy is making a show of himself again

**disgruntled** · 20/02/2020, 9:17 AM

Originally Posted by RathfarnhamHoop

Except that's not what it's like at all. It's more like having a squad the size of cabos and having players not play for months then suddenly come back into the team. Or like UCD with their 2 teams.

Every player that is eligible to play for shamrock rovers is known at the start of the season so that comparison is ridiculous.

Will Rovers be allowed to play players from their Premier squad in their B squad when needed & the other way round as well ?

**RathfarnhamHoop** · 20/02/2020, 9:24 AM

Originally Posted by disgruntled

Will Rovers be allowed to play players from their Premier squad in their B squad when needed & the other way round as well ?

I don't know, nobody does, if Rovers can it's no big deal and for the record lads that's how it works in Germany, players can move between the squads on a week by week basis

**Town Legend** · 20/02/2020, 9:32 AM

How in gods name would it be fair for Rovers B to play 6 first teamers one week against Longford and then go out the next week and play maybe 1 first teamer against Bray or Drogheda?? They should just have a set squad and not be allowed move players down from their A team.

**disgruntled** · 20/02/2020, 9:40 AM

Originally Posted by RathfarnhamHoop

I don't know, nobody does, if Rovers can it's no big deal and for the record lads that's how it works in Germany, players can move between the squads on a week by week basis

It might be no big deal for Rovers but I'm sure the other 1st Div clubs would beg to differ ?
Have the arrangements been explained to the other 1st Div & if so what are they ?

**disgruntled** · 20/02/2020, 9:46 AM

Surely the idea of a Rovers B team was to give experience to players to old for under 19's but not yet up to 1st team standards ?
Anything else just skews the competition.

**sbgawa** · 20/02/2020, 9:54 AM

Lads can we stop talking about arrogance and fairness.
Rovers applied under the rules of the league in exactly the same way as anyone else could.

**RathfarnhamHoop** · 20/02/2020, 10:04 AM

Originally Posted by Town Legend

How in gods name would it be fair for Rovers B to play 6 first teamers one week against Longford and then go out the next week and play maybe 1 first teamer against Bray or Drogheda?? They should just have a set squad and not be allowed move players down from their A team.

That's just not possible under any of the rules being thrown around.

Originally Posted by disgruntled

It might be no big deal for Rovers but I'm sure the other 1st Div clubs would beg to differ ?
Have the arrangements been explained to the other 1st Div & if so what are they ?

**** am I supposed to know who's been told what?

**sbgawa** · 20/02/2020, 10:07 AM

Just saw the FDA Statement.
They requested players could only play between 18 and 21 LOL
St Josephs boys showing their true colors here.
We have several 17 year olds that the likes of St Josephs/Bray and Cabo have been trying to sign and they were trying to have them excluded from the Rovers Division 1 squad!
Anyway fair play to the FAI Nua for refusing to allow such a riddiculous change to the rules of the Participation agreement.

1 goalkeeper and 1 overage player can play for the B team.
As regards Div 1 players being allowed play for our first team they all are Rovers academy players so they could all do so anyway as can any of the 19s and 17s for any other Premier club

**RathfarnhamHoop** · 20/02/2020, 10:13 AM

What a ridiculous statement. Couldn't even get Rovers II's name right.

**Lim till i die** · 20/02/2020, 10:16 AM

For the first time in a long long time the first division clubs didn't have honest John around to tell them what to think.

So they huffed and they puffed and they whimpered.

All they had to do if they didn't want to play shamrock b is all agree not to tog out against shamrock b.

But they couldnt manage that.

Anything else is just hand wringing and buck passing.

**NeverFeltBetter** · 20/02/2020, 10:27 AM

Would tend to agree. If they had all just stated bluntly "We will not play Rovers B" and stuck to it, what would the FAI have really been able to do? Cancel the whole First Division?