How do we improve the league,Crowds and European performances?

**hoops1** · 14/09/2005, 4:27 PM

How do we improve the league,Crowds and European performances?
You are only as good as your weakest team!
So that to me means the first division and not the premier!
The current relegation/promotion situation is to biased towards
the premier clubs!
There needs to be a serious change to the dynamic of the league
the First division has to stop being a graveyard for football
that no one wants to watch
The solution 4 UP 4 Down
Every year to many teams have no chance of being relegated or
getting close to europe.
The grey area between saftey and actually doing something needs to be
wiped out!
The league cannot afford to have Sligo,Limerick,Athlone,Galway,Dundalk
Harps or Waterford
hotbeds of football not playing in the top flight for any significant time
IMO this situation would create real competition
No longer is finishing 3rd last acceptable Driving teams at the bottom
on!
No longer can big clubs get away with a season or two of crap
Giving something to play for for nearly all teams for all season
crowds are bound to increase
While in the First a large majority would have something to play for
right till the end of the Season
And if one or two of the so called big clubs get caught out
bringing them into the first division will improve its profile
making it stronger while still giving other clubs prospects of reaching the
premier
This IMO Is the only way to bring proper competitive football to the whole
country not just Dublin/Leinster.
(apologies for spelling/grammar errors)

**superfrank** · 14/09/2005, 4:52 PM

Agree with you mostly. I think the play-off should be scrapped. Nobody knows how many teams can play in it or how many places will keep you safe it changes very frequently.

I think 4 up and 4 down is a bit much. Maybe 3 up, 3 down. I thinkl they should have someway of promoting teams to the First other then election. Monaghan and Kilkeeny have been re-elected the past couple of years and they don't seem to do much better, except obviously Kilkenny this season.

**Maynard** · 14/09/2005, 5:15 PM

Personally I believe the TV deal will in time greatly aid the public's knowledge (and therfore appreciation) of the game...However, I think that in order to truly shine the light on every corner of our (lets face it) tiny league, every club bar none, should be guarenteed to feature in at least one live match a season...

**blutil** · 14/09/2005, 5:27 PM

i think we all know that the marketing needs to be looked at, but surely just from some of the coverage this season alone a quick 30 second clip with some good action could be put on the box, with a witty slogan, like "football, its here!" (not great i know) and some good music. the tune of an advert could make a huge difference, how many times have you been walking down the street whistling a tune only for your mate to say, hey isnt that the ad for always ultra, oops. I think the idea of the bottom half of the table having to fight for something is very important, maybe involvement in the setanta cup could also help, think more up down movement could definately be a long term solution.

**crc** · 14/09/2005, 5:37 PM

Originally Posted by blutil

the tune of an advert could make a huge difference, how many times have you been walking down the street whistling a tune only for your mate to say, hey isnt that the ad for always ultra, oops.

POTM

I agree with having more fluid promotion / relegation. As hoops1 says, the first division is a graveyard. Even if Dundalk / Athlone / Limerick / Galway / Sligo etc.. assemble a good squad, there's no guarantee that they'll get promoted because it only takes one other team to beat them to it.

3 up, 3 down seems reasonable, or maybe 2 (+2) up and 2 (+2) down (where the (+2) refers to playoffs.)

One problem with having a large number of teams automatically relegated is that if a team finds themselves stranded at the bottom mid-season (like Dublin City last season) there would be almost no way they could claw back three or four places and so they would probably just give up.

**Conor H** · 14/09/2005, 7:06 PM

Agree with Hoops1 100%.There is 10 games left in the 1st Division but we like most clubs have nothing really to play for.The 1st Division gets no coverage and is regarded as a ****hole tbh.If your not in the premier you get absoloutely nothing,no coverage,recognition anything.IMO the old playoff competition should be brought back to make the league more interesting so that as superfrank said clubs like us,limerick,Dundalk aren't out of the race if we loose one or two games.If clubs knew that a top 4 placing could see them get promoted i think alot more ambition would be seen by some of the minor clubs,who seem to be happy just to float about this league.Also tv3 and co. need to start getting cameras at big 1st Divison games in future to promote the league,granted we can't show too many games or people may be put off.

**dahamsta** · 14/09/2005, 7:37 PM

Dumb thread title edited.