Are Ringmahon one of the 67 ?
https://www.rte.ie/news/regional/202...ireland-clare/
Interesting if slightly pie in the sky idea for the beginnings of a team in Clare.
Calls for League of Ireland team to be set up in Clare
https://www.rte.ie/news/regional/202...ireland-clare/
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.
I might be right in thinking that there is nearly a uniquely Irish football problem on show here. Due to archaic structure of Irish football, all Clare teams are kind of hemmed into a local league, with no room for 'expansion'.
You have a team from a largish urban centre stuck directly competing against fairly small catchment areas (that probably drives un-ambition), and is less successful recently than a much smaller town in Newmarket, which is closer to an established LOI club (getting players/training/administration knowledge).
Now, the FAI and Local Council (which shows local motivation at least) wants to develop a sport/economic center, have to deal with local football politics directly (ie. the Tribalism that is inherent in competing clubs), and choose (if they are all being serious) either the club with the location with most potential, the current best set-up (maybe indicates its members are the most capable), or a new entity with no local history and social capital which leans on GAA sympathies, to bet on.
Similar problems seem to have arisen for this 3rd Tier in Kildare, Kilkenny, Carlow, and Meath.
Not saying there are not solutions available (or even if it is a big deal), Kerry seems a success so far. But the structures needed changing at least 20 years ago to naturally pick winners and losers, and stratify locally - obviously that's not happened - and it is what it is at this stage.
The FAI did seem to have some strategy with developing 'county' teams in the underage leagues, but havent seen any indication what the current strategy will be.
In all honesty, the FAI probably dont even have the capacity to develop such strategies for the 3rd Tier selection process and it might not even be a one-size-fits-all solution.
I think this says a lot more than it appears at first glance.
Firstiy, it tells me that the LOI has reached a level of mainstream acceptability and even attractiveness now when you have politicians in a strong GAA county calling for and discussing having a club in their area (no matter how unrealistic the manner of doing so is). This wouldn't have happened 10+yrs ago.
Secondly, I think it's also noteworthy that this was from a Sinn Féin councillor. A parrty that usually can't see much beyond GAA. The 'garrison game' no more, it seems?
Indeed - while a county model would probably serve best for Mayo (would either Castlebar or Westport be of sufficient size to survive in the First Division?), Kildare might actually do better with individual clubs applying, given the relative success of Maynooth in recent years, and Newbridge essentially operating as Kildare County in the past.
Bridge United are from Sixmilebridge, with Avenue from Ennis - the latter tend to have a similar Junior Cup record to Kerry clubs, in that they often make decent progress, without really threatening to win the competition.
The Avenue manager posted a memorable photo of their new jersey last year!
I'd be happy to see an LoI club from Clare, and it's a sign, maybe, that the league is on an upswing, but this has all the hallmarks of a few lads scribbling ideas on a beermat after the council meeting. You have a sense it'll go nowhere when there's a SF councillor tarting for private investors - mustn't have got the memo about democratic socialism.
Hello, hello? What's going on? What's all this shouting, we'll have no trouble here!
- E Tattsyrup.
It also indicates a possible shift in future public funding direction. Local politicians are usually on the pulse on what grants are available or what is ccoming and are quick to make calls in anticipation so they can claim credit. SF do tend to shout on everything and they only have to be right once. Still think the county model is unsuitable, a mini GAA is not what is needed, focus should be on club and catchment growth and not an umbrella or rainbow club rooted in not dealing with fomo or ego.
I would have thought that the new proposed FAI third tier National league would have been the best way to start!
I wonder has that Clare SF councillor done any research or checked to see if any Clare Junior club or even the Clare District Soccer League had applied or shown interest in this new proposal!
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