QuoteIt said there was a very decent regional spread.Originally Posted by yurt
Probably no Ulster means no Monaghan United or a Cavan team, and maybe only one Mayo team.
I can't seem to find the article which told us there was 67 teams who've expressed interest but didn't it say that there was a lack of clubs interested in Connaught and parts of Ulster?
I'd say the majority of teams who've applied are already playing intermediate football in cork and Dublin
It said there was a very decent regional spread.
Probably no Ulster means no Monaghan United or a Cavan team, and maybe only one Mayo team.
This is the article
https://m.independent.ie/sport/socce...387752908.html
MSL exists yes, though its hardly representative of Munster, isn't it basically Cork based with a handful more ? Isn't it already undermined due to that ?
& with Peake & St Michaels mentioned already here as being interested, leading Munster clubs already not in the MSL ( AFAIK ) you'd imagine its prestige will drop further.
There's no clubs in the MSL from outside Cork.
Even Tramore Athletic are not actually from Tramore in Waterford, but Cork.
There'll be plenty of interest in this from teams all over Munster.
I would guess teams from Mayo might not have really applied because there might be a focus on Mayo FC, and there are not many other urban centers / established teams in the midlands part of Connacht.
Same really in Cavan and Monaghan. I could imagine though that both a Cavan Town and a Monaghan United applied.
Interesting that they seem to be specifying that the new NL will be amateur, when considered in the context of the FAI's initial unveiling of their plans, including:
Expressions of interests wanted from clubs aspiring to join new FAI National League
Creation of an Irish football pyramid in line with the FAI Football Pathways Plan
New league will include promotion to the League of Ireland First Division
With the hurdle between levels already a high one, won't Amateur (NL) to Professional (FD) make it even higher?
Also, will that deter teams in eg LSL and MSL whom already pay players reluctant to move to the NL?
While those clubs who don't move up, but continue paying players, may be left with an advantage over amateur NL sides when it comes to recruiting players?
Also the danger of NL clubs making secret cash payments to keep their players?
I only ask this because of imminent developments in the NI pyramid. Formerly the Northern Ireland Football League (NIFL) was given administrative charge over the top three tiers by the IFA, those tiers being the Premiership and Championship (both Senior) and the Premier Intermediate League (Intermediate. Obviously!).
For whatever reason, NIFL decided it no longer wants to run the PIL, which will now come under the IFA again. Recently the IFA gave a presentation to interested parties about how they see the revamped PIL league developing. One Attendee, who posted on a fans' forum, was under the impression that the PIL would be Amateur, with evidence of payments being made automatically leading to relegation!
Which prompted a reply from another poster, normally In-The-Know, that there will be no such Amateur requirement, rather the reference was that it is under-the-counter (undeclared) payments which will lead to relegation.
However, subsequent attendees firmly stated that the intention is that clubs from the 3rd tier downwards will be Amateur, but (professional) clubs who get relegated from the 2nd tier will be allowed to honour existing professional contracts until they've expired.
Which seems very messy to me.
Surely it's just a sensible approach?
The alternative is that any club with even a chance of relegation from the 2nd to 3rd tier will have to have professional player contracts with a relegation clause. Which would hamper their recruitment abilitiy. This would be particularly so for the new club(s) promoted, so would likely increase their chances of instant relegation again.
It may seem messy, but for observers of GAA it is the best paid amateur game in the world. There are also no shortage of non-league football teams that have paid players and managers over the years and even out bidding LoI clubs. The cynic in me feels that if clubs were canvassed about being given the leeway to pay players if they wish they say no, do it anyway but if they must be amateur by the rules, they avoid scrutiny and a blind eye is turned as it is for GAA.
I agree on the relegated senior club bit, in the early 2000s Dundalk could well have been relegated to a 3rd tier if it existed and to be made turn amateur well I dont know how it would have worked if the club had the resources and wanted to recruit and pay players to climb the leagues again but forced to sign amateur players that could mean staying in a division longer than planned for or resourced for.
Brideview from Waterford joined this season. Playing in the MSL junior divisions after their own West Waterford East Cork league was disbanded.
Sensible - or at least unavoidable - if they insist on the third tier being Amateur, I suppose.
But it is that insistence which I think very wrong.
For it cements the gap between the 3rd and 2nd tiers. It "encourages" clubs to make under-the-counter payments. It would take a lot of time and resources to police, with any automatic relegation liable to be challenged in court if the evidence isn't watertight ("Payment" or "Legitimate Expenses"?). It will deter benefactors from putting money into their local clubs, even for facilities etc, if they feel that they cannot also recruit the players to get them promoted to a level where they want/need the facilities etc.
Of course there is always the danger of clubs spending money on players which they don't have, or which might be better spent elsewhere (stadium, academy, womens teams etc), with the ultimate risk of going bust. But such a situation needs to be policed, just the same as it is for the top two tiers. And it might be better policed when it is openly permitted.
All of which I think a shame, since there is a whole lot more about this IFA reorganisation which is commendable. I don't have details, but here is what one meeting attendee has posted on another forum:
The new Conference Leagues [will consist of] 3 x Divisions of 12 teams.
Conference National to replace the PIL
Conference 1 to create a new Tier 4
Conference 2 to create a new Tier 5
Points Scoring based around Sporting Merit (League position in 22/23, 23/24 & 24/25) Facilities and Club Sustainability.
Assuming the 14 PIL teams get a place it leaves 22 spots open for Intermediate and Junior teams to apply for. Timeline looks quite quick:
June 25 - Ground Criteria & Points Scoring Matrix revealed along with application form.
July 25 - Club Evaluations
August 25 - Offers sent out to join Conference League
Funding pot will then be open to the 36 clubs with offers. This currently sits at around £830k so about £23k per Club if they all go for it and distributed equally.
When Ground Criteria is announced it only gives clubs a matter of weeks to get structures in place to Points score and meet the criteria. Also Points Scoring for clubs with youth teams and more favourable for those who hold a long term lease agreement or own their own grounds.
Mayo FC stated as having applied by the Connacht Telegraph, which explains a possible reluctance by junior clubs in that county:
https://www.con-telegraph.ie/2025/02...chtas-address/
Any word on if Klub Kildare and CK United have expressed an interest?
Any club with academy structures are already on some form of LoI pathway. If Shamrock Rovers are the only LoI club to express an interest in fielding a second team - Shamrock Rovers II, Mayo FC, CK United and Klub Kildare are potentially the only 4 clubs that might join the National League and have LoI academies.
Presumably any club seeking promotion to the First Division will have to have academy structures in place to gain promotion. Does Dublin need more LoI academies if say St Francis were pushing for promotion and that is one of the requirements?
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.
Do many LoI clubs still have link ups with schoolboy clubs? It seems to have gone very quiet in that regard eg Dundalk and Malahide. St Kevins wanted their own pathway didnt they but linked up (Bohs?) but again not particularly shouing about it. Rovers would have stolen their thunder for sure and showed up their exploitative model. Have Bray taken on the Cabinteely connection and so on? These were clubs that would have tried to go it alone in underage LoI but needed a senior pathway and now have the possibility. Cavan Monaghan it would be a real surprise if they havent applied considering Monaghan would have the facility and experience. They had teams in Dundalk Schoolboys League which caused significant annoyance locally as they had access to a much bigger catchement and dominated the local traditional stronger clubs for a while.
Last edited by Nesta99; 26/02/2025 at 10:29 AM.
I agree, and I suppose that would be the format that the FAI would prefer.
If Peake Villa and St. Michaels, two Tipperary teams based in and around Thurles have applied, it might mean creating one club that could represent all interests.
We all known that the GAA is the best paid & sponsored amateur game in Ireland!
St Michael's are Tipp Town, not Thurles
With 67 expressions of interest, it'll be interesting to hear what are the long term plans for a Fourth Tier as part of the pathway. Possibly two regional divisions of 10 each as well?
First Division to National League could be a big drop. Clubs have invested in facilities, academies etc.
If there is a saturation of clubs from one area then, does that erode the attainability of one professional club for an area! Currently someone can support their LoI club on a Friday and their local district league on the weekend. Maybe it isn't such a concern?
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.
Fair enough m8, I stand corrected as I don't know the area. But as referenced in my previous post, I still think that if you have teams applying from the same area such as the two Tipperary based teams, it might be more practical to follow the Mayo or Kerry FC model.
With the new plan for a third tier National League, how many here would support a local team if it was successful with its application?
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