The problem with the relegation from the First Division is that a team might finish near the bottom of the Third Tier, but only 'B' Teams finish ahead of them. Then they get a chance for promotion, despite being a weaker Third Tier team. That has no sporting merit, or good for the First Division (or the teams in the Third Tier who might get promoted too fast for their development). So how implementing a consistent promotion/ relegation will be a hard issue to solve, especially in the early years when you would expect LOI 'B' teams to be stronger.
Maybe I am way too positive about it, but I feel there is a directional change in Irish Football. I think (more) junior and intermediate teams are also looking for changes in the national structures, which a more integrated league system gives. I would be confident that after 5 years or so, another division would be added or that the provincial leagues would join under the Third Tier (which is the goal of the current FAI).
Other things like rules will have to be looked at. Are the squads going to be set during Transfer windows (no movement between senior and b squad), or is there going to allowence for players. Dfferent countries handle it in different ways.
Kildare could have dropped into the A Championship if they'd been so inclined, no? I really enjoyed it as a competition but let's not pretend it was a silver bullet. It's long enough ago now too that it's of negligible relevance to the freshly mooted Tier 3. Watching Limerick in places like Tullamore and whatever little village Carlow played in (Balon?) was fun though.
Show of hands lads, do we think we'll actually have a Tier 3 next season? I'd be leaning toward 'no' unfortunately.
If UCD don't need an U23 team, that's fair enough if that's where they are.
A pyramid sounds great but does it lead to a repeat of the 3 clubs in Galway situation?
The underage leagues have sensibly accepted entrants from non LoI areas. Applying a similar logic to a third tier is an Irish solution to an Irish problem.
Before Kildare's final season, they wanted to step down to the A Championship. They were encouraged to stay in the First Division. A year later, they were gone.
Did A Championship first teams have to finish in the top 3 to qualify for the promotion playoff? The A Championship did have a promotion mechanism. Something similar to that is one possible solution.
You are right. It is not a silver bullet. It is however a level that can bridge the gap from U19 to senior level. If clubs can build and attain a First Division licence, similar-ish to the A Championship promotion mechanism, let play-off and see if they are good enough.
https://foot.ie/forums/117-Kerry-FC
A Championship: 4 years - 8 first teams - 0 financially ruined. First Division '14: 7 first teams.
Opportunity lost for new clubs/regions to join the LoI family.
The lack of a pyramid caused the three Galway club situation in the first place. Salthill or Mervue finished bottom of the First every year but every year there was no relegation.
I don't see how it's remotely possible at this stage, unless it's almost all B teams (which would defeat the point)
The only interested side so far seem likely to skip into the First Division
Allowing clubs from an area that already had a LoI club caused the problem too. The youth leagues have learned from that so far.
Cavan/Monaghan FC, Klub Kildare FC and Carlow Kilkenny FC are at U17 level. They are 2 to 3 years away from making a decision on whether they want to step up to senior or remain as they are.
A third tier shouldn't necessarily be dependent on new entities joining. If enough LoI clubs want a reserve league, it should be reason enough. 8 teams is the minimum to get up and running.
https://foot.ie/forums/117-Kerry-FC
A Championship: 4 years - 8 first teams - 0 financially ruined. First Division '14: 7 first teams.
Opportunity lost for new clubs/regions to join the LoI family.
There's two teams from Limerick playing underage at the moment. A special case perhaps but probably one more than is strictly needed for the area.
https://foot.ie/forums/117-Kerry-FC
A Championship: 4 years - 8 first teams - 0 financially ruined. First Division '14: 7 first teams.
Opportunity lost for new clubs/regions to join the LoI family.
https://foot.ie/forums/117-Kerry-FC
A Championship: 4 years - 8 first teams - 0 financially ruined. First Division '14: 7 first teams.
Opportunity lost for new clubs/regions to join the LoI family.
St Francis applied to join the first division recently.
Bluebell have been mooted also.
Id imagine St Kevins might throw their hat in the ring so they can ring fence their kids rather than sharing compo with bohs.
All Dublin however which isn't ideal. I dont have much expertise outside the pale
Bluebell and St. Francis is West-Dublin right? Peamount in the womens too. Is there a feeling that the area of the city/county is not represented? Like do people in Blanchardstown is big population center. Do they have a team?
I also would guess St. Kevins Boys too as they have a huge reputation and set up (that might really hurt Bohs as a club though).
The Welsh pyramid seems a good model to emulate, minimising expense but maximises local derbies through regionalisation below the Premier:
https://i.imgur.com/MjazSti_d.webp?m...idelity=medium
Does anyone else whince everytime they see the spellng of 'Klub' Kildare ?
Are there enough clubs in Dublin already? Bohs, Shels, Pat's and Rovers, UCD also. Not to be dividing the potential supporter base any further.
The only exception and case to make is if Fingal County and Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown County see the merit in a team.
Sporting Fingal of course have come and gone. Is Bray now the representative of Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown after the merger with Cabinteely?
https://foot.ie/forums/117-Kerry-FC
A Championship: 4 years - 8 first teams - 0 financially ruined. First Division '14: 7 first teams.
Opportunity lost for new clubs/regions to join the LoI family.
UCD are the DLR LOI club.
No One Likes Us, We Don't Care
I like the ideal of a pyramid structure. I just don't see it as realistic. Ruud Dokter made the valid point that a working structure for one country doesn't necessarily work for another.
The Munster Senior League is effectively a Cork Senior League. I don't think any of the other district leagues in Munster could trust a partnership with them. You'd nearly have to have a separate senior league for the rest of Munster.
Is the Leinster League linked to all the district leagues?
Connaught is without a senior league? Ulster has a bit of a senior league.
It'll be difficult to get all these components rowing in the same direction. The internal politics has some big fish in a small pond, who will not budge and will be obstructive to suit their own interests.
A third tier can circumvent that political headache. If a region has no LoI representation, let them join. If a club is going well on the park and they are not deemed as likely to have a negative impact on an existing LoI club, let them join as well if they want.
In the old A Championship, I think teams had to finish in the top 3 to get into the promotion playoff. Something similar for the third tier, if it ever becomes a reality, can set a playing standard to complement the licensing criteria.
The bottom of the First Division currently doesn't set a playing standard. If a third tier club can attain a First Division licence and they can beat the last team of the First Division in a play-off, let them up!
https://foot.ie/forums/117-Kerry-FC
A Championship: 4 years - 8 first teams - 0 financially ruined. First Division '14: 7 first teams.
Opportunity lost for new clubs/regions to join the LoI family.
Bookmarks