Bagenalstown Ultras group doesn't really do it for meOriginally Posted by culloty82
Participation in the youth leagues should be a prerequisite for joining the mooted third tier. I haven't seen any indication that will be the case from the pathway plans released so far.
Let's say Fanad United who joined the A Championship want to join the third tier, they should also have to enter teams in all the youth leagues.
https://www.kilkennypeople.ie/news/s...VlDCKfuoCxMdGM
Piece on CK United using the Watershed in Kilkenny as a venue for their underage teams,mention of Buckley Park in there aswell which would be great if they could get it in use again and much better than setting up in Tullow....
Irish by birth ,Harps by the grace of god.
Havent being in Buckley Park in nearly 20 years since the time Kilkenny City knocked us out of the FAI Cup. Would love to see a CK team for that neck of the woods even if if its in the third tier. I would love to see promotion/relegation from 2nd tier to 3rd tier happen
Gary Cronin is he the right man to manage Longford Town?
Watershed is in a far better location, to be fair, right on the outskirts of town, but would take huge money to get it up to scratch for hosting League of Ireland football. If the opportunity was there to use Buckley Park, it would be a no brainer
https://kesslereffect.bandcamp.com/album/kepler - New music. It's not that bad.
If they did apply for the 2023 First Division and met all the conditions, then I'm sure clubs would have accommodated an 11-team division, temporary awkwardness aside?
The Premier Division and First Division should remain at 10 clubs. The First Division used to only play 27 games. The current 36 game season is fine.
The noises from the FAI doesn't make it likely that clubs entering the youth leagues will form part of licensing. Possibly that might be a licensing requirement for possible promotion to the First Division through a promotion/relegation playoff.
If a third tier is to get off the ground in two regional divisions, they'll need at least 16 teams split in two divisions of 8. The 3 non LoI clubs currently in the youth leagues and 5 second teams might be achievable. Attracting another 8 is ambitious.
There's plenty of clubs who'll join a regional third tier. It's the idea of a national third tier that would put them off. If your maximum travel distance was 2.5 or 3 hours, it would be grand for an intermediate club to step up to semi-pro level. Would wager there'll be no shortage of clubs to step in there.
https://kesslereffect.bandcamp.com/album/kepler - New music. It's not that bad.
Watershed is a non runner for anything other than underage football as no chance of developing room for supporters.
If Buckley Park was a runner then they could develop their site in Tullow as maybe a training base for the club giving them a good footprint in both counties.
I hope you're right Nigel. Clubs in Connacht are just not interested, several attempts have been made to get the Connacht Senior League going again. It will depend on the prize money that'll be on offer. Do the winners of either the Munster or Leinster Senior Leagues receive any money?
The current FAI plan is for Northern and Southern divisions, so presumably the dividing line would be between Dublin and Galway, which would reduce travel times in both directions.
Original noises from the FAI were about amateur and college teams joining a third tier. Are any third level institutions likely to join?
UCC tend to be relatively competitive, so would be surprised if they didn't express an interest.
This BBC NI article on the race for promotion to the NIFL Premiership from the Championship contains an interesting snippet on Bangor FC, which illustrates the importance of having a genuine league pyramid, even beyond the 3rd tier etc:
"Once a stalwart of Irish League football, Bangor are another club who have had a remarkable rise after a number of difficult few years.
For the first time in the club's 98-year-history, the Seasiders were relegated to the third tier in 2016 over licencing issues, and dropped out of the football league altogether the following season after another relegation.
They managed to get back into the third tier in 2019 and Lee Feeney, cousin of former Northern Ireland striker and Glentoran manager Warren, guided the club to the Premier Intermediate title last season.
Their revival has continued into the current campaign, where they have kept pace with the current leaders and are firmly in the hunt as they look to return to the top flight."
Full article here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/68692787
Any famous NI players that started with Bangor Ealing Green? Wasnt Keith Gillespie born there?
Gary Cronin is he the right man to manage Longford Town?
Gerry Armstrong was Bangor I think
https://kesslereffect.bandcamp.com/album/kepler - New music. It's not that bad.
Terry Neill was a youth player for Bangor before he joined Arsenal when he was still 17 (just). Made his debut at 18 and became their youngest ever captain at 20.
Him and Gerry Armstrong were the two most notable players and even there, Armstrong joined them from Cromac Albion (reasonably prominent Amateur League club who also had Mal Donaghy on their books). While Steve Morrow was on Bangor's books as a youth (never played for the Senior team) before signing for Arsenal, ditto Steven Craigan to Motherwell
Roddy Collins also played for them in season 1994/95, including taking over as Player Manager mid-season, his first foray into management. Does that count?
Often thought of as a Bangor Boy, but he was actually born in Larne and first went to Primary School nearby. Family later moved to Bangor, where he went to another PS, before passing his 11+ and getting into Bangor Grammar, a rugby/hockey school.
Was playing for St.Andrews, a Boys Club in Belfast, when he was scouted by Man Utd aged 16:
"[Coach Joe Kincaid] went along to the summer coaching courses with the idea of recruiting potential talent for St Andrews.
"And it was at one of the summer coaching courses, at Orangefield, that I first noticed Keith Gillespie. He ran like Seb Coe and his skills were excellent. I knew straight away that he was going to be a great player. I approached his father Harry, explained a little about St Andrews and asked him if he'd like to bring Keith along to the club.
"Keith joined the club, played in our under-13 team along with some exceptional young players, and in the first year won St Andrews' first trophy.
"Keith came through all the teams at St Andrews and I know at times he had a problem with his school Bangor Grammar allowing him to play football. But I think, in all his time with us, he only missed one or two games because he had to play hockey for the school."
https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/s.../28401247.html
More on Bangor FC here, if anyone's really interested:
http://irishleaguegreats.blogspot.co...bangor-fc.html
Last edited by EalingGreen; 02/04/2024 at 10:50 PM.
Had actually forgotten that the Rodster had started his managerial campaign with Bangor!Terry Neill was a youth player for Bangor before he joined Arsenal when he was still 17 (just). Made his debut at 18 and became their youngest ever captain at 20.
Him and Gerry Armstrong were the two most notable players and even there, Armstrong joined them from Cromac Albion (reasonably prominent Amateur League club who also had Mal Donaghy on their books). While Steve Morrow was on Bangor's books as a youth (never played for the Senior team) before signing for Arsenal, ditto Steven Craigan to Motherwell
Roddy Collins also played for them in season 1994/95, including taking over as Player Manager mid-season, his first foray into management. Does that count?
Often thought of as a Bangor Boy, but he was actually born in Larne and first went to Primary School nearby. Family later moved to Bangor, where he went to another PS, before passing his 11+ and getting into Bangor Grammar, a rugby/hockey school.
Was playing for St.Andrews, a Boys Club in Belfast, when he was scouted by Man Utd aged 16:
"[Coach Joe Kincaid] went along to the summer coaching courses with the idea of recruiting potential talent for St Andrews.
"And it was at one of the summer coaching courses, at Orangefield, that I first noticed Keith Gillespie. He ran like Seb Coe and his skills were excellent. I knew straight away that he was going to be a great player. I approached his father Harry, explained a little about St Andrews and asked him if he'd like to bring Keith along to the club.
"Keith joined the club, played in our under-13 team along with some exceptional young players, and in the first year won St Andrews' first trophy.
"Keith came through all the teams at St Andrews and I know at times he had a problem with his school Bangor Grammar allowing him to play football. But I think, in all his time with us, he only missed one or two games because he had to play hockey for the school."
https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/s.../28401247.html
More on Bangor FC here, if anyone's really interested:
http://irishleaguegreats.blogspot.co...bangor-fc.html
Gary Cronin is he the right man to manage Longford Town?
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