12 Team Premier Does not work

**dublinred** · 05/08/2005, 11:21 AM

Originally Posted by mypost

There will always be poor attendances in the NL until the games are played at a civilised time, i.e. not 7.45 on a Friday night, which prevents most away fans from travelling, (except derbies), nor on Sunday afternoons of Bank Holiday weekends which coincide with live GAA tv coverage. No bogball fan is going to watch NL football over it.

I have already stated when and what time that NL games should take place, and in the Premier Division, only Longford and Finn Harps do it, even if the kick-off times are relatively early. If every club fell into line with those two, attendances would improve. Ffs, how many other leagues in Europe play the majority of their games on Friday nights??

We will be playing at a civilised time time next year if your still in the premier.Hopefully Harps and Shams can hang on it wouldn't be the same getting promoted without you guys in the premier.

**NY Hoop** · 05/08/2005, 12:56 PM

IMHO getting rid of the 10 team league was a big mistake. It was more competitive and I didnt see any harm playing teams 4 times. At least that way you could go to Cork and Derry twice which is always good!

The current structure is ridiculous. Is there another league that plays 33 games a season? Two home games in a row or two away games in a row. B*ez had to play in cork one week and the next they were in Ballybofey. Absolute nonsense.

A 16 team league would not work simply because the quality is not there. There would be 3 mini leagues in one division and attendances, bad as they are now, would plummet.

Mypost hit the nail on the head. Only derbies should be held on friday nights. We had a great crowd in cork a few weeks back but would have got more if it was on sat night. Incredible stupidity to see Waterford at home to Derry on a friday night

KOH

**Mr A** · 05/08/2005, 1:33 PM

A vital consideration in decisions about the stucture of the the league must be the future of the first division. The top league does not and cannot exist in a little bubble of it's own- Irish football will only thrive when all the clubs are healthy, not just an elite few. What league in europe achieves real success without something resembling a healthy second tier? The senior game needs some proper long term planning, better interaction with the intermiate game and junior game, and a general change in culture towards more attractive football.

I also don't see how anyone can assume that the quality isn't there for a 16 team league... didn't we have a 16 team league when Irish football was at it's most successful? At the moment most of the teams in the first are struggling to survive, not because they're necessarily bad football clubs who aren't worth worrying about, as many of the people from bigger clubs would snobbishly suggest but because Irish football, as a product is generally woeful. Many people just don't want to watch Irish football, unless their local team is at the very top of the league.

The FAI should instigate a 'Genisis Report' on the senior game- carried out by professionals from outside the game. Things are pretty crap at the moment, letting outsiders have a say can't make it much worse.

**manic da hoop** · 05/08/2005, 3:58 PM

Originally Posted by NY Hoop

Is there another league that plays 33 games a season?

Denmark AFAIK.

With regard to the First Division, the biggest problem IMO is the lack of a compeditive set-up for most clubs - there's no relegation, and the promotion battle is confined to no more than 3 or 4 clubs. It may seem strange coming from a Rovers fan, but why not have three automatically relegated from the premier with the top two from the first going the straight up. Second, third, fourth and fifth would play-off for the final place.

**Poor Student** · 05/08/2005, 8:48 PM

Who was waffling on about predictable foregone results? Tonight table toppers Cork and Derry draw at home to Waterford and Bray respectively who are both in the bottom half of the table and midtable UCD draw at home to bottom placed Finn Harps.

**NY Hoop** · 09/08/2005, 12:20 PM

Originally Posted by Galway Harps

A vital consideration in decisions about the stucture of the the league must be the future of the first division. The top league does not and cannot exist in a little bubble of it's own- Irish football will only thrive when all the clubs are healthy, not just an elite few. What league in europe achieves real success without something resembling a healthy second tier? The senior game needs some proper long term planning, better interaction with the intermiate game and junior game, and a general change in culture towards more attractive football.

I also don't see how anyone can assume that the quality isn't there for a 16 team league... didn't we have a 16 team league when Irish football was at it's most successful? At the moment most of the teams in the first are struggling to survive, not because they're necessarily bad football clubs who aren't worth worrying about, as many of the people from bigger clubs would snobbishly suggest but because Irish football, as a product is generally woeful. Many people just don't want to watch Irish football, unless their local team is at the very top of the league.

The FAI should instigate a 'Genisis Report' on the senior game- carried out by professionals from outside the game. Things are pretty crap at the moment, letting outsiders have a say can't make it much worse.

Good post. We did have a 16 team league but that was when there was only 16 teams in the league!

Having a 16 team league now is not on. The quality is not there. I'm afraid that's the truth.

KOH