IMO the 14s league should have been scrapped and 21s or 23s introduced above the 19s as a de facto reserve league.
https://kesslereffect.bandcamp.com/album/kepler - New music. It's not that bad.
No club going away for warm weather climate pre-season this year?
Dundalk were in La Manga this day 5 years ago in prep for the last league title win of 2019, from the starting xi that played LASK only Benson is left!
Rogers, Gannon, Gartland, Hoare, Massey, Shields, Benson, McEleney, Duffy, Kelly, Hoban.
#DundalkFC - First Irish club to win an away game in Europe (1963), only Irish club to win a game / points in Europa League Group Stage (2016).
You can't scrap the U14s league - it's a UEFA requirement afaikOriginally Posted by nigel-harps1954
I’d like to hear the opinion of people involved. Is it too young for LOI or is it the right age to introduce young lads to the standards required to move up the ladder and improve their game. I’d imagine all the extra under age teams is a financial burden to certain clubs.
Finn Harps are going for a warm weather training camp this weekend coming in Arranmore Island.
https://kesslereffect.bandcamp.com/album/kepler - New music. It's not that bad.
I'm sure for smaller clubs it is cashflow burden, but the whole academy set up is vital. In our case some of the very best still get snapped up by bigger clubs, Ogbonna brothers with Rovers for example, both underage internationals, but equally more lads coming through to first team squad from academy - not necessarily born in Longford, but played underage.
In a rural county, many of the best soccer prospects are also on GAA county squads, and while at u14 soccer can compete, keeping them at LOI level is difficult as the years go up.
I'm not personally involved but i know plenty of the rovers underage coaches.
Rovers have which a lot of people arent aware a full DDSL set up going down to under 8's (as well as a younger section for really young kids) we have the kids already by the time the LOI requirement at under 14s comes around. the standard of coaching in DDSL 12s and 13s doesnt bring kids along except at a few clubs. U14 is actually late to be getting them in. We have had players join us from clubs where they were exceptional but were being coached by Parenst who were just helping out effectivly with no real coaching badges bar the minimum.
IMO we currently have u 14 u15 u 17 and u20.
I would drop the under 20 when the third tier comes in and allow teams use the 18 year olds and upwards play there and add an under 16s as currently its a mess when the under 15s kids finish in Oct/Nov and are not being kept on for 17s they have to try to find a DDSL club mid season play there for a year at U16 and potentially leave to go back to LOI at under 17 a year later.
The U20 question may be more of an issue for larger clubs, but since such players don't count towards senior squad numbers, then Kerry can generally give the most promising 3-4 in that grouping each season some degree of First Division match-day experience, all the while concentrating on their underage development - a reserve league might suit the Dublin clubs, Derry and Cork well for instance, but should be strictly optional.
no use with a 23s or even 21s league here IMO. i'll be watching on to see what coaches make of that extra year they are giving players at u20. while every player develops at their own pace, i personally think if you arent knocking at the loi door at 20/21 youre better off dropping the divisions. either get yourself playing fd football if youre coming from PD or else go into msl/lsl/junior leagues where possible.
would prefer there to be a cork city or cobh "msl" team. hate the idea of reserve leagues tbh. lsl/msl can be very competitive players learn more vs adults.
For the benefit of any Cobh fans travelling to the MSC game today week, Kerry have announced that all tickets will be sold on the gate that day.
Seen a few people moaning online about St Mochtas charging a tenner in on Saturday. I don’t understand it tbh , a tenner isn’t a lot in this day and age. Even LSL teams have overheads.
Rangers B 2-2 Bohs today. Late gers penalty apparently, lol
Who won the riot?
Ha! Remember it well. Great nights entertainment altogether.
DoB/age is too arbitrary in and around that age group LoI or local leagues. Size/weight/height/level of emotional maturity etc would be a better guage. Im sure UEFA could develop such guidelines. Would help with the attrition of smaller players that would kick on, or coaches being tempted to play the man child types to physically dominate at the expense of technical development. Imo it could also be relevant to protecting players eg with heading the ball while not totally eliminating the skill until X developmental stage rather than an age is reached before being introduced properly. I am assuming that heading in games and training drills are limited if allowed at all for young cohorts, for schoolgirls there should be different guidelines with later introduction. If Lionel Messi had been been through the English style youth systems he'd have been looked at walking in at 14 and released before before kicking a ball, a different ethos of player development maybe than player development or safety stuff.
Last edited by Nesta99; 30/01/2024 at 7:33 PM.
I live in hope that some day Arranmore will get a home draw against an LOI club in an FAI Cup fixture. Highly unlikely to happen, but would be a thing of beauty to witness.
I don't think they even enter the FAI Junior Cup anymore. Only a handful of Donegal League teams bother with it and the league actually advises against teams entering because it screws up the league schedules.
https://kesslereffect.bandcamp.com/album/kepler - New music. It's not that bad.
Sligo Rovers beat Ballinamallard 4-1 yesterday.
The first three MSC QFs see Waterford defeat Wilton 2-0, Treaty thump Midleton 7-0, and Rockmount overcome Ringmahon 3-1.
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